Green Olives with Dry Cottage Cheese

(Çökelekli Zeytin)

Dry cottage cheese, I used goat cheese:)
Turkish Green olives
Walnuts, ground
Paprika
Extra virgin olive oil
Red onion, sliced
Tomato

Toss the cheese, green olive, walnuts and paprika. Drizzle some olive oil over the top. Put in a service plate. Arrange tomato and red onion slices around. Serve as an appetizer or breakfast:)

Sour Leek in Olive Oil

(Eksili Pirasa)

1 bunch of leek (3 leeks) washed, cut in thin stripes
1 medium sized onion, sliced
75 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after)
2 tbsp pomegranate paste
3 tbsp crushed tomato, canned
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp sugar
Salt

Garnish:
Chopped parsley
1 tsp sumac

Saute the onion with half of the olive oil for about 2-3 minutes in a medium-sized pot. Add the leeks, continue to saute for about 4-5 more minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the leeks are softened. If needed, you can add more hot water.

Pour the rest of the olive oil. Sprinkle fresh parsley and sumac all over it. Let it cool down first. Then, place it in a serving dish. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.

White Chocolate-Cranberry Balls

(Çikolatalı Yaban Mersini Topları)

3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp coconut, sweetened, shredded
1/3 cup pecans, chopped, lightly toasted

Place the chocolate chips into the glass bowl. Melt down it in the microwave for about one minute. Stir until chocolate is smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients and combine.

Take 1 teaspoonful from the mixture, place on the parchment paper. Let them cool a little bit. Then using your palms give a ball shape.

Store chocolate balls in the container with the lid. Keep it in the refrigerator. Before serve the balls keep in the room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

*You can use any kind of dried fruit/nuts. I used what I have at home:)

My 500th Recipe!

Pasta with Salmon

(Somonlu Makarna)

2 servings of bow tie pasta
1 can flakes salmon or Tuna, in water, drained, squeeze some lemon
juice all over them, toss
1 tomato, grated or 2 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 pieces Roasted Red Pepper with Garlic
1 tbsp Olives with Garlic
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
1 avocado, cut in cubes, squeeze some lemon juice all over them, toss
Few slice of red onion


Boil the pasta with salty water following the instructions on the package, drain. Toss it with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, put aside.

Meanwhile in a medium size pot, saute crushed tomato with 1 tbsp olive oil for few minutes. Season it with salt and pepper. Toss the pasta, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives with Garlic and salmon or Tuna. Before serve sprinkle some parsley on top.

2 servings.

Cinnamon Orange Jam

(Tarcinli Portakal Receli)

4 (~1 kg) oranges, with thick skin
4 cups granulated sugar
1 lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick

Cook the oranges for about 45 minutes, drain. Cook for about 30 more minutes and drain. Let them cool down and put them into the freezer for about 2 hours. Cut them into tiny slices on a cutting board. Then cut every slice into 4. Cut the up and bottom parts off of the oranges (picture).

Place oranges, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice in a medium pot. Melt the sugar at medium heat. First bring to boil, after 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 7-8 more minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick. Place Cinnamon Orange Jam in jars.

It is recommendable to eat the Cinnamon Orange Jam with Turkish yogurt:)

Eggplant Moussaka with Chickpeas

(Nohutlu Patlican Musakka - Ottoman Kitchen -Afyon)

1 medium-sized eggplant
150g lean ground beef
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cubanelle pepper, diced
2 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, washed and drained
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup sunflower oil

Peel alternating strips of skin lengthwise the eggplant. Cut the eggplant vertically in 3-4 pieces, each about 1 inch thick. Then cut again horizontally, each piece about 2 inches long. Soak in water with a tablespoon of salt for about 20 minutes. Then dry them with a paper towel.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry both sides of the eggplants until the colour turns light brown. After frying, place the eggplants on a plate with paper towel to soak up extra oil.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef with the onions, salt and pepper. Then add the cubanelle pepper, crushed tomatoes and chickpeas. Cook for about 2 more minutes.

Lay out the eggplant pieces in ovenproof dish. Spread the ground beef mixture over the eggplants. Pour half a cup of water into the dish from the side. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Place the dish on middle rack of the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

Serve Eggplant Moussaka with Bulgur Pilaf and Cacık on the side.

*Moussaka basically is the cooking of vegetables chopped into small pieces with small chunks of meat or ground beef and onions.

Moussaka originates from Türkiye and it is a genuine Ottoman cuisine with a wide variety of moussaka choices like Potato Moussaka, Zucchini Moussaka, Cauliflower Moussaka, Turnip Moussaka, Eggplant Moussaka with Cheese etc.,

2 servings.

Mini Fruit Tarts

(Meyveli Mini Tartolet)

18 mini tart shells ( Don't forget to bake before filling them!)

Filling (cream Pattisier):
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp corn starch
150 ml 3.25% milk, warm

Whisk the egg with sugar in a small sauce pan. Add the vanilla extract and starch, whisk. Start to cook at medium low heat. Slowly add the warm milk, whisk constantly. When it gets thicker, cook for about one more minute while stirring. Turn the heat off. Place a paper towel across the top of the pot on the rim and cover. Let it cool down.

Fill the mini shells with the filling equally. Arrange the fruits over the tops and serve.

*If you like to make the pie crust, here is the recipe:)

Pie crust:
240 g all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter, unsalted
3-4 tbsp cold water
Mix the flour and salt in an another bowl . Cut the butter in small pieces with a knife or grate. The dough should be in crumbs. Stir in cold water, knead. Give a ball shape to the dough, wrap with plastic. It will be ready to use after half an hour in the fridge.

Papara

4 slices of day-old Turkish bread (French, Artisan or Italian bread)
100 gr lean ground beef
1 small onion, sliced
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1-2 tbsp crushed tomato, canned
Salt
Pepper

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup plain Turkish yogurt, room temperature
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt

Pepper Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Saute the onion, ground beef, salt and pepper at medium-low heat until all the water evaporates. Add the tomato and crushed tomato. Cook few more minutes until tomatoes are softened. Leave some juice in it!

Meanwhile, cut the bread in cubes. Place on an oven tray and drizzle some olive oil, salt and pepper on top, toss. Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F) and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Place the bread cubes in a serving dish. Pour some yogurt sauce on them. Put the cooked ground beef all over it.

Melt the butter in a small skillet and add the red peppers. Pour over the dish when you see it starts bubbling. Serve while still hot.

2 servings.

Chocolate Gozleme

(Çikolatalı Gözleme)

1 sheet Phyllo Pastry, if you like to make the Gozleme from the
scratch here
1 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Fold in the half the phyllo sheet. Spread the orange marmalade equally in the middle of the phyllo sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over it (picture). First fold the opposite sides to cover the filling. Then fold the 3rd side, brush the butter and lastly the 4th side to cover up the filling. Brush the butter on this side first.

Heat up the Teflon pan just under medium heat. Fry buttered side of Gozleme first. Brush some butter on the top and turn it over. Serve when both sides are reached golden brown. Serve while it is still hot. If you like sprinkle some chocolate over the top.

Chocolate Gozleme is a lovely breakfast or supper treat with Turkish
Tea .

Cauliflower Casserole

(Firinda Karnabahar)

Half of 1 small head of Cauliflower, stems leaves peeled off, florets separated
4 cups water with salt
1-2 green onions, cut in small pieces

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain Turkish yogurt
2 tbsp flour, all purpose
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Garnish:
One hand full shredded Mozzarella cheese
Turkish red pepper (Paprika)
Cayenne pepper

Boil the florets for about 2 minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in an oven dish with the onion.

Whisk the all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, pour over the florets. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and red peppers on top.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until the top is a light golden colour.

Kidney Beans with Sujuk

(Sucuklu Kuru Fasulye)

1 can of kidney beans (540 ml), gently washed and drained
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded, sliced
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp crushed tomato, canned
3 tbsp butter
1/2 + 1/2 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper
7-8 slice of sujuk, remove the skin first

Cook all the ingredients with 1/2 cup of hot water, except the kidney beans and sujuk at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes with the lid. Then add the kidney beans with 1/2 cup of hot water. Cover the lid and cook until beans are soften at medium heat. If necessary, add a little bit more hot water.

Fry the sujuk slices in the pan without butter on both sides. Don't over fry! Then, toss it with the cooked beans. Serve it with Turkish Rice Pilaf.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Dried Fig Salad

(Kuru Incir Salatasi)

2 dried Turkish Figs, cut in bite size
4-5 leaves Romain salad, break off in bite size
1 small tomato, peeled, diced
*Turkish Tulum Cheese, or goat cheese or feta cheese
1 tsp sesame seeds, lightly roasted
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate paste

First, place the Romain on a service plate. Arrange the tomato, fig and Tulum Cheese. Sprinkle some sesame seeds. Drizzle some olive oil and pomegranate paste all over the salad. Serve immediately.

*Tulum Cheese
Tulum cheese is traditionally made from sheep’s milk and ripened in a goat skin bag (tulum in Turkish). Tulum is aged for at least three months. The taste was salty and slightly sour. Tulum Cheese great with the Lavas Bread and Salads:)