Tomato with Feta Cheese Enveloped in Paper

(Kagitta Domatesli Peynir)

1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 cubanalle pepper, sliced
6-7 thin sliced feta cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt
Pepper

Place parchment paper on a aluminum paper. Then place the tomato slices on it. Place the sliced green pepper and feta cheese on tomato slices. Sprinkle the oregano, red pepper, salt and pepper all over them. Drizzle the olive oil. Close all the edges of the aluminum paper, make an air tight package.

Place the medium sized pan on the stove and heat it up. Then turn down the heat. Place aluminum foil package in the pan. Cook it for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately as breakfast with freshly baked Turkish Tea and the Bread with Black Olives:)

Fried Eggplants with Yogurt Sauce

(Yogurtlu Patlican Kizartmasi)

2 Japanese eggplants
1/2 cup sunflower oil

Garlic-Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed with salt

Peel the eggplants in lengthwise strips. Cut in 2 cm high round shapes. Soak in 2 cups of water with salt for about 20 minutes. Squeeze and dry them with a paper towel.

Fry both sides of the eggplant slices in sunflower oil for a while under high heat. Afterwards, place them on the paper towel to soak up any extra oil.

Let them cool down first. Then place on a serving platter. Serve with garlic yogurt sauce. This is a very easy and delicious recipe and a great appetizer for the summer time:)

Cocoa Cake

(Kakaolu Kek)

175 gr (1 stick + 4 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup hazelnuts, crumbled, optional
1 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour, all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoonful cocoa powder
1 handful white chocolate chips

Loaf Cake Mold, oiled

Beat the butter with sugar until creamy using a wooden spoon or mixer in a large bowl. Add in the eggs one by one, mix. Add the milk and vanilla extract, beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt in it. Mix until the batter is creamy. If you like you can the hazelnuts at this stage. Pour the half of the mixture into the mold.

Add 2 tablespoonful cacao powder into the remaining half of batter, mix. If you like you can add the white chocolate chip in it, stir. Pour the batter into the mold. Starting from the short end of the mold, turn it upside down 5-6 times with the spoon through to the other end. Or if you like you can sprinkle handful white chocolate chips over the top:)

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Place the mold on the middle rack. Bake it until toothpick comes out clean. Wait for 15 minutes, then place the cake on the wire rack to cool it down.

Vegetable Pasta

(Sebzeli Makarna)

2 servings of fusilli
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium size onion, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized carrot, grated
1 cubanelle pepper, julienne cut
1/2 red Bell pepper, julienne cut (I used the orange one)
3-4 tbsp sweet pea, frozen
Salt
Pepper

2-3 tbsp walnuts, crumbled

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

Boil the pasta with salty water following the instructions on the package, drain. Toss the pasta with olive oil.

Saute the onion with olive oil, salt and pepper for 3-4 minutes at medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, turn the heat off.

Toss the pasta with vegetables. Place pasta on a service plate. Sprinkle some walnuts over the top. Serve with Yogurt Sauce immediately.

2 servings.

Fig Ice Cream

(İncir Uyutması - Teleme - Incir Dondurmasi - Sakarya)

3 Turkish dried figs, washed with hot water, cut off the stems
1 1/3 cup whole milk

Cut the figs in small pieces as much as possible on the cutting board.

Boil the milk first for about 1 minute, then put aside until lukewarm. The best and traditional way to measure the temperature of milk is to dip your pinkie in it. It should be warm but shouldn't burn. Add the figs into the milk. Blend the lukewarm milk and figs for about 35-40 seconds in a blender (or mix thoroughly using an immersion blender).

Pour the mixture into two earth wear bowls. Cover the bowls first with the lid, then with the towel or shawl to keep them warm. Fermentation takes about 2 hours.

Serve Fig Ice Cream at room temperature or chilled. If you like you can sprinkle lightly toasted walnuts over the top:)

2 servings.

*The Fermentation takes place from the seed of the fig which gives taste and makes it firm. Hence, it is a healthy recipe as there is no sugar in it and strongly advised for those who wish to minimize the sugar level.

Mixed Daikon Radish Salad

(Karisik Beyaz Turp Salatasi)

1 medium size Daikon Radish*, peeled, grated
2 small sized carrots, peeled, grated
1/4 red or white onion, sliced, crushed with salt

Dressing:
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed with salt
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
50 ml wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Mix Daikon Radish and onion. Place middle of the salad plate. Arrange the carrot around it. Whisk all the dressing ingredients pour all over the salad. Keep it in the fridge about half an hour to absorb all the dressing. Place few Turkish black olives over the top.

This salad goes very well with any kind of fish or Kebab:)

*Daikon Raddish: White Japanese radish. If you can't find it use large size red radish.

Tantuni

(Mersin)

Beef, cut in thin strips or small cubes
Butter
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Paprika, optional

Garnish:
Tomato, cut in small cubes
White onion, sliced, crushed with sumac and salt with your hand
Parsley

First cook the beef with their own juice in Teflon pan at medium heat. Then add the butter, stir. Cover the meat lavas bread in the pan. Turn the heat off after 1-2 minutes. Season the meat with cumin, salt and pepper, stir.

Place the cooked meat on the Lavash Bread. Arrange the Garnish next to it. Serve the Tantuni with Ayran.

Lavash Bread

(Lavas Ekmegi)

7 gr active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir well so the yeast dissolves. Let it rest 7-8 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift flour and salt. Add the bubbly yeast mixture and 3/4 cup warm water. Mix and put the dough on the lightly floured counter and knead well for about 5-6 minutes until it becomes smooth (no more crumbles). Place the dough in a large bowl and spread olive oil with your hands all over the dough. Then cover it with a clean, damp towel. Put aside for about 40 minutes at room temperature until the dough rises to double its size.

Place the dough on the lightly floured counter. Press all over it with your hands to get rid of air bubbles. Cut the dough in 8 pieces with a knife. With your hands to flatten and then use a roller give a round shape each one.

Heat up the medium sized Teflon pan just under medium heat. Cook one side of Lavash bread until there are some light brown colours on it. Then turn it over and cook.

Keep them in the folded towel to keep warm. Finish them all. You can put them in a Ziploc and store in the freezer.

Makes 8 Lavash Bread.

Walnuts- Hazelnuts Yogurt Dip

(Ceviz ve Findikli Cacik - Black Sea Region)

1/2 cup Turkish yogurt
1 small sized cucumber, washed, grated
1/4 cup walnuts, ground
1/4 cup hazelnuts, ground
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Crushed red pepper, optional
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt

Garnish:
3-4 leaves of fresh mint or basil, cut in small pieces

Mix all the ingredients and place in a bowl. Sprinkle some fresh mint or basil over the top. Serve with toasted Turkish pide or bread slices.

Easy Sesame Sticks

(Susamli Kolay Cubuklar)

1 Pkg Puff Pastry (Tender flake 397 g)
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, lightly beaten
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Nigella seeds

For the Puff Pastry, follow the instructions on the box. Each block of pastry rolls out into a 12-inch (30 cm) square. Egg wash the dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds and Nigella seeds all over them. Lightly roll the pin over them. Cut them into 2 cm wide strips from left to right and 10 cm long. Hold both ends and twist them.

Put parchment paper on the oven tray, the place them on it. Preheat the oven 350 F (175 C), bake until golden color.

Serve them while still warm with Turkish Tea and Feta cheese as an afternoon treat.

Lemon Marmalade

(Limon Marmeladi)

4 large sized lemon
4 1/2 cup water
2 cup sugar

Cut in half the lemons, squeeze the juice out. Place 4 1/2 cup water, lemon juice and lemon shell into the large pot. Cook for about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hr until the shells are softened. Strain, discard the deposit over the strainer. Measure the juice (mine was 2 cups) and put the same amount of sugar into the pot. Stir with the wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Then continue to cook at medium-low heat for about 20* minutes. Turn the heat off.

Let it cool down for about 20 minutes. Place the Lemon Marmalade in a clean jar with the lid. Store in a dark and cool place.

Lemon Marmalade has sweet-bitter and sour taste. It is great to serve with the Brie cheese, sultana raisin and walnuts:)The appearance of lemon marmalade is more likely a jelly, not jam;)

*Take one spoon from jam on a cold plate, if it is not runny and stays, then it's done.

Dried Figs Stuffed with Walnuts

(Cevizli Incir Dolmasi)

15 Turkish dried figs
~1/2 cup walnuts halves
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 stick cinnamon

Topping:
Ice Cream or Thick Turkish Cream

Place the figs in a pot and cover with water. Cook for about 15 minutes until they are softened at medium heat.

Drain and cut off the stalks. Make a room and fill in the walnuts. Place the stuffed figs in a small pot and sprinkle the sugar all over them. Pour the water and milk. Place the cinnamon on top and cook for about 15-20 minutes at medium-low heat. Leave some syrup in it.

Serve the Dried Figs Stuffed with Walnuts with ice cream or Kaymak.

Green Lentil in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Yesil Mercimek)

1/2 cup green lentils, soak in water overnight and drain
3 green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small carrot, peeled, finely sliced
1 tomato, peeled, diced
75 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after)
Juice from half an orange
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup water
1 tsp cumin
Salt

Garnish:
Dill, chopped

Place all the ingredients in medium sized pot. Cook medium-low heat until the lentils are tender. Do not over cook!

Let it cool down first in the pot. Then, place it on a serving dish. Pour the rest of the olive oil. Sprinkle fresh dill all over it. Serve the Green Lentils in Olive Oil at room temperature or chilled.