Summer Salad with Tiger Shrimp

(Karidesli Yaz Salatasi)

250 gr tiger shrimp, cooked, frozen, thawed
3-4 Romain leaves, washed, cut in medium size pieces
1 cucumber, washed, cut the ends, sliced
1 medium sized tomato, washed, cut in bite size
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/2 lemon juice
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1-2 clove garlic, smashed with salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Place Romain leaves on a serving dish. Put half of the cucumber slices on it. Arrange the shrimps, rest of the cucumbers, tomatoes and onion slices.

Whisk all dressing ingredients and pour all over it. Garnish with parsley.

This is a very nice salad that can be made as a side dish or a light summer meal:)

Chemen

(Çemen)

3 tbsp red pepper paste
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp or 1 tbsp fenugreek, adjust the amount as you wish
1 tsp cumin
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 drops of lemon juice
Pinch of black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well so that the mixture reaches the consistency of paste. Place in a jar. Keep it in the refrigerator for at least one day before serving.

Serve with the toasted pide (pita) or toasted bread pieces. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

Sardines on Turkish Bread

(Sardalyali Ekmek)

Half loaf of Turkish or French bread
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sardines in oil, in can, drained
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Pepper
1 tomato, sliced
2-3 sun dried tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced
Pomegranate paste or Grenadine syrup

Split in half the bread. Spread the olive oil to the surface the both half of the breads and place them on the oven tray.

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Place the tray middle rack. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the edges of bread golden.Place the sardines on the bread. Sprinkle the oregano, crushed pepper and pepper. Arrange the sliced tomatoes, dried tomatoes and red onion over the top. Drizzle olive oil and pomegranate paste all over them. Serve this delicious and healthy open Turkish bread with Arugula Salad and Turkish Lemonade for lunch:)

* Sardines provide over two and one-half times as much calcium as whole milk:)

Zucchini with Tomatoes

(Çitme - Konya)

1 zucchini, cut the zucchini vertically in half, then slice them up
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 small cubanelle pepper
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
Salt
Pepper

Place the onion in a medium-sized pot. Arrange the cubanelle pepper and tomato on it. Place the zucchini over the top. Drizzle them with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook at medium-low heat until the zucchinis are tender. Do not over cook!

2 servings.

Lemon Blancmange

(Limonlu Paluze)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup corn or wheat starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water

Seedless white or red grapes
Coconuts, sweet, shredded
Pistachios, sliced

Place lemon juice, lemon zest, starch and sugar in a medium size pot. Slowly add the water and whisk with the egg beater. Stir constantly and cook until it gets enough thickness. When it starts bubbling boil 1-2 more minutes. Turn the heat off.

Place enough grape into the cups. Pour equally over the grapes. Let it cool down and turn it up side down, empty the Lemon Jelly on to the plate. Sprinkle some coconuts and pistachios on top. Keep it in the refrigerator.

5 cups of Lemon Blancmange.

Apricot Jam

(Kayisi Receli)

500 g fresh apricot, choose the small ones, wash, halved and stoned
2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Meanwhile soak one handful almonds into the hot water, then peel.

Layer apricots and sugar in a saucepan overnight. The following morning, cook at medium-low heat. With a spoon, remove any scum that may have formed on the top of the jam. Cook until the mixture reaches jam consistency.

Test the jam by dabbing a little on one of the cold plate. Wait for a few seconds, then push it with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, it is done:) If not, cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and almonds boil for about 2-3 more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool for a few seconds. Pour carefully into the canning jars and seal. Store in a dark and cool place.

Swiss Chard Rolls with Kisir

(Kisirli Pazi Sarma)

1 bunch Swiss chard, cut off the stems, washed
1/4 cup hot water

Kisir:
1/2 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
Salt

First place the bulgur in a large bowl and pour a cup of hot water on it (it should stay like this for 5 minutes). Meanwhile in a medium sized pot, place the onion and olive oil. Cook until the onions turn light brown. Add the salt, tomato paste, lemon juice and cumin.

Then wash and drain the bulgur, and mix it into the pot with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat off.

Add in the following, toss:
1 tomato, diced
2 fresh green onions, diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Meanwhile, fill a large pot half way with water and boil. Cut the stems off the leafs boil for about 1-2 minutes and drain. Pour the cold water all over it.

Cut off the hard part at the middle of the leafs. Place the hard parts in a medium pot first. Cut the leaves in 2 or 3 depends how long they are to fill them. Use a teaspoon to put the Kisir on the leaf. First fold over the top, then fold the two sides and roll to close it up. Line up all the rolls over the hard parts in the pot tightly.

Pour 1/4 cup hot water in to the pot. Cover and turn the heat up to high first. Then turn the heat down. Cook at low-medium heat until all the water evaporates. Let it cool down first. Serve the Swiss Chard Rolls with Kisir at room temperature with lemon wedges.

*Like all other olive oil dishes, it becomes more tasty the following day:)

Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna

(Ton Balikli Domates Dolması)

2 medium sized tomato
2 Romain salad leaves
1 green onion, chopped

Filling:
1 can (net 184 gr.) Flaked white Tuna, drained
6 small pickled cucumbers (cornichons), cut in small cubes
6 Turkish black olives, pitted, cut in 3-4
1 tbsp dill, washed, drained, cut in small pieces
2-3 slice of red onion, chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch black pepper

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes, discard. Spoon out the inside of the tomatoes. Toss all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Stuff the tomatoes with a teaspoon. Sprinkle chopped green onions over the tops.

Serve on green salad leaves as an entree.

2 servings.

Lamb Stew with Fennel

(Etli Rezene - Marmara Region)

150 gr lamb, cut in cubes
1 + 1/2 cup warm water
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced vertically - rinsed the fronds
1 medium sized onion, chopped
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
1 tbsp flour, all purpose
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cook the lamb cubes with their own juice. Then add 1 cup hot water and cook over low heat until the lamb pieces are tender.

Add the onion and olive oil, cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the fennel, 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat.

Mix the flour and lemon juice in a small bowl. Take 4-5 spoon of juice of the dish and pour into the bowl. Whisk them well. Slowly pour this mixture over the dish, stir. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the fronds over the tops, then serve the Lamb Stew with Fennel while still hot.

2 servings.

Pub Style Meatballs

(Meyhane Usulu Kofte)

Meatball Ingredients:
500 g ground veal
1 small onion, grated
2 slices of Turkish bread without the crust (1 cm thick), crumbled
1 egg
1 handful parsley, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 allspice
Salt
pepper

1/2 cup flour, all purpose
Sunflower oil for frying

Place flour on a large plate. Knead all the kofte ingredients in a bowl. Break off small pieces and give a small ball shape with your palms. Place them in the flour. Keep them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Then, coat the koftes with flour again.

Pour the sunflower oil in a frying pan and heat it up. Fry the meatballs evenly. Afterwards, place them on a paper towel to soak up extra oil. Sprinkle some oregano. Serve Pub Style Meatballs with mustard and ketchup.

14-15 Pub Style Meatballs.

Strawberry Juice with Yogurt

(Yogurtlu Cilek Suyu)

1/2 cup strawberry, washed, cut in 3 or4
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt, plain
1 tbsp honey

Put the strawberries and milk into the blender. Blend for about 35-40 seconds. Add the yogurt and honey in it, blend for about 35-40 more seconds. Pour into a glass and drink with the bubbles.

When you blend the strawberries with a small amount of milk at first, there won't be any strawberry chunks left:)

I would recommend that you have it in the morning on an empty stomach or between the meals:)

Pastrami Enveloped in Paper

(Kağıtta Pastırma)

4 slice of Turkish pastrami (Pastirma)
4 slice of tomato
1 cubanalle pepper, sliced
Half of small onion, sliced
3 half-moon shaped lemon slices
Salt
2 tsp butter

Cut some parchment paper spread some olive oil at the middle part. Place the Turkish pastrami slices in the middle of it. Arrange tomato slices, cubanelle pepper and onion on top. Place the lemon slices on top as well. Sprinkle butter and some salt all over (picture). Fold the parchment paper over the top and the sides to prevent the juice from leaking out. Place the pocket on the oven tray.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Cook for about 15-20 minutes on the middle rack. Then remove the tray and place the pocket in a service plate. Open up the paper, serve with freshly baked Turkish bread.

History of Pastirma

The Turkish horsemen of Central Asia used to preserve meat by placing slabs of it in pockets on the sides of their saddles, where it would be pressed by their legs as they rode. This pressed meat was the forerunner of today's pastirma, a term which literally means 'being pressed' in Turkish, and is the origin of the Italian pastrami. Pastirma is a kind of cured beef, the most famous being that made in the town of Kayseri in central Turkey.

The 17th century Turkish writer Evliya Çelebi praised the spiced beef pastirma of Kayseri in his Book of Travels, and Kayseri pastirma is still regarded as the finest of all. Good quality pastirma is a delicacy with a wonderful flavour, which may be served in slices as a cold hors d'oeuvre or cooked with eggs, tomatoes and so on. Although pastirma may also be made with mutton or goat's meat, beef is preferred.

Bici Bici

(Bici Bici - Adana)

500 ml water
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp corn starch + 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup rose syrup, cherry syrup, etc.
Blend enough ice to make snow
Icing sugar

Place the water and sugar in a medium-size cooking pot. Melt the sugar at medium heat. Dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup water and add into the pot. Stir constantly for about 4-5 minutes to get it thick. If you like you can add a little bit of rose water in it.

Pour the mixture into a shallow dish. The mixture's depth should not be more than 1 cm. Let it cool for an hour. Cover the top and place it in the fridge. Then, cut in small cubes.

Place the cubes in a serving bowl. Place some snow on it. Pour some rose syrup and sprinkle some icing sugar all over the top. Serve immediately.