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Bulgur Salad

( İç - Adana)

1/2 cup Turkish bulgur, small grain, washed, drained
1 medium size tomato, cut in small cubes
4 green onions, cut in small pieces
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, cut in small pieces
1/2 red Bell pepper, cut in small pieces
10 leaves of fresh mint, cut in small pieces
1 cup parsley, cut in small pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red pepper paste, hot
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Pomegranate paste or Grenadine syrup
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place bulgur in large bowl and cover with hot water. Let it stand for about 15-20 minutes. Then drain, wash and drain few times.

Place bulgur, red pepper paste and tomato paste in a large bowl or large shallow plate. Weigh down and knead them very well all together for about 2-3 minutes. Add all the vegetables and salt, toss. Lastly add pomegranate paste and olive oil, toss.

Ricotta Cheese

(Lor Peyniri)

4 cup (1Lt) milk
2 tbsp lemon juice

Pour the milk into a medium size pot and turn up the heat over medium. When you see the thin layer on the surface of the milk, turn the heat off. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and stir. Milk will curdle, if it doesn't add 1 more tbsp lemon juice. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel. Let it completely cool down for at least 2-3 hours.

Place a strainer with a cheese cloth inside over a bowl. Place the curdled milk on it. Grab and squeeze the top of the cheese cloth tightly to strain. Leave in the fridge overnight or in a cold room. The cheese cloth's pattern will leave marks on the Ricotta cheese. Wet the inside of the bowl and place the ricotta cheese in it. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Serve with Turkish black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and freshly baked Turkish bread for breakfast.


Making Ricotta Cheese from Yogurt (Çökelek)


750 gr Turkish yogurt, plain
1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
If you like, a little bit salt

Pour the yogurt into the medium size pot and turn up heat over medium. When the top starts to bubble, wait 2-3 minutes, then add vinegar or lemon juice. Yogurt will be curdle, turn the heat off. Let it completely cool down at least 2-3 hours.

Place a strainer with cheese cloth on top over a bowl. Place the curdled yogurt on it. Turn around the top side of the cheese cloth tightly, strain. Leave in the fridge over a night or in a cold room. Wet the inside of the bowl and place the ricotta cheese in it. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Before serve as a breakfast add some Nigella seeds or oregano in it, stir.

Fish Bite with Shrimp

(Karidesli Balik Lokmasi)

4-5 pieces Sole Fillets or any kind of white meat fish you like
10 medium sized shrimp, frozen or fresh, peeled and de-veined, thawed
Salt
Pepper
3 tbsp flour
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup sun flower oil

Cut the fillets in half lengthwise, dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare three plates: Put flour on one, beaten egg on the second and breadcrumbs on the third plate.

Dip fillet into flour to coat both sides. Fold the filled with one shrimp in between and use a toothpick to hold it.Then, soak into the egg and finally roll it with the bread crumbs.

Pour sun flower oil in frying pan. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Serve it with Arugula Salad. and lemon wedges while still warm.

Zucchini Moussaka

(Kabak Musakka)

2 medium-sized zucchinis, washed, slice in round shape
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seed, cut in medium size
150g medium ground beef
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
1/3 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 tbsp dill, chopped

Cook the ground beef with olive oil, onion, salt and pepper until the colour of ground beef turns to light brown. Don't over cook! Place zucchini slices in a shallow pan. Spread ground beef mixture all over them along with the cubanelle peppers and garlic. Mix crushed tomato with hot water, pour into the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes at medium heat.

Turn the heat off. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle crushed red pepper, chopped dill all over it.

2-3 serving

Lima Beans in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Ic Fasulye Yemegi)

2 cups Lima beans, frozen
1/2 cup tomato, diced, canned or fresh tomato
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or 2-3 green (fresh) garlic, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
75 ml extra virgin olive oil, half for cooking, half for after cooking
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
Salt
2 leaves of fresh mint, chopped

Put the olive oil, diced tomato, garlic and salt in a medium size pot. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium low heat, turn the heat off. Let it cool down first. Pour the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle fresh mint all over it, stir. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.

You may also serve this dish with yogurt sauce with garlic by the side.

* If you use fresh Lima Beans, more water will be needed with longer cooking time.

Cucumber with Walnuts

(Cevizli Salatalik)

2 small cucumbers
1/2 cup walnuts, crumbled
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
1 tbsp juice of lemon
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes)
Pinch of salt

Grate the cucumbers, squeeze a little bit to remove access water with your hand. Don't squeeze too much! Toss them with walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, crushed pepper and salt. Serve it chilled.

Kebab with Roasted Tomato

(Alti Ezmeli Kebap)

Kofte Ingredients:
500 g medium ground beef
1/2 tsp crushed pepper
Salt
Pepper

4 large tomatoes, washed, cut in half
4 cubanelle peppers, washed, cut in half, discard the seeds
Salt
Pepper

Knead the kofte ingredients in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Keep it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Take a fist-sized ball and skewer it to start from the tip of skewer. Squeeze and flat it on the skewer going back slowly, as shown in the picture.

Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers and the tomatoes and Cubanelle peppers on the rack. Make sure to turn the skewers so that all sides of the meat are cooked equally which should take 4 to 5 minutes.

Peel the roasted tomatoes and peppers. Mash the tomato and place it on the service plate. Sprinkle some salt and pepper all over it. Place Kofte and cubanelle peppers on it. Serve it with Pide.

4 servings

* You can also make this kebap with beef chunks instead of kofte.