Pumpkin / Butternut Squash Soup

(Bal Kabağı Corbası)

~450g Butternut squash* (butternut pumpkin), peeled, cut in small cubes
~125 g carrots, peeled, cut in cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, cut in cubes
1 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Tulum cheese* or blue cheese or strained yogurt

Saute the onion and red pepper with butter for 2-3 minutes in a medium-sized pot. Add the pumpkin and carrots, saute for 5-6 more minutes at medium-low heat. Add the chicken broth and the remaining ingredients, stir. Cook for about 20 more minutes at medium-low heat. Then, mix thoroughly using a blender (or immersion blender). It is a thick soup, do not add more water than required:)

Pour into soup bowls using a ladle. Sprinkle some Turkish Tulum cheese or blue cheese or Creamy Yogurt over the tops. Or if you like dairy free soup, sprinkle some pumpkin seeds and serve:)

4 servings.

*Tulum cheese -sharp and salty cheese wrapped in goatskin.
**Pumpkin is good for carving but butternut squash has a sweet and mellow flavor that works well in a variety of dishes like soup or pie, etc.
~
-Butternut squash is actually a fruit.
-Zero fat, no cholesterol or sodium, and high in antioxidants.
-It has Vitamin A, C and fiber.
-The orange color of butternut squash is from carotenoids (antioxidants) which are beneficial to eye health, and may reduce certain forms of cancer, and help prevent arterial disease.

Turkish Fish Wraps

(Balık Dürüm)

1 Lavash Bread or Original Tortillas, small size

1 Sole or Cod or Tilapia Fillets
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice
2 tbsp Turkish Kashar or Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 small onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil

Some greens

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat up the oil in a Teflon pan. Fry the both sides. Squeeze some lemon juice. Sprinkle some grated cheese over the top of the fish while still in the pan. Cover the pan and let the cheese melt.

Meanwhile, caramelize the onion with olive oil.

Place the greens, fish and caramelized onion on the flat bread. Close the ends and wrap. Brush some olive oil on and fry a little bit each side in a pan. It is more delicious when crispy:)

Lamb Kavurma with Eggs

(Kavurmali Yumurta)

Kavurma
Onions, thinly sliced
Butter
Eggs
Paprika
Salt
Pepper

Saute the onion with butter in a pan. Then, spread the Kavurma and heat it up.

Make rooms for the eggs, then break the eggs and cover. When the egg whites are cooked, remove it from the heat. Do not overcook the egg yolks!

Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Serve it with freshly baked Turkish bread and Turkish Tea on the side for breakfast or for lunch. This delicious dish is easily put together and is really tasty.

Mud in Heaven

(Cennet Çamuru - Kilis - Southeast Anatolia Region)

125 gr shredded dough
2 tbsp butter, unsalted, melted
2-3 tbsp pistachio or walnuts, crumbled
2 tbsp Kaymak

Sherbet:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp lemon juice

To prepare the syrup place the water, sugar and cinnamon stick in a medium sized pot. First bring to a boil and continue boiling for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon juice, then simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Place the shredded dough in a earth-wear plate. Drizzle the melted butter all over it.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and bake for about 30 minutes until the colour of the top turns golden.

Immediately pour the syrup all over it. Let it cool down a little bit. Serve with a dollop of Thick Turkish Cream (Kaymak) on the top. Sprinkle some pistachios and serve while still warm.

Two or one servings

Bairam Menu:
-Vegetable Soup with Yogurt, Lamb Kavurma with Mushrooms, Turkish Coffee Cup Börek, Dandelion Salad, Stuffed Grape Rolls with Cherry and Mud in Heaven with Turkish Coffee:)

Lamb Kavurma with Mushrooms

(Mantarli Kuzu Kavurma)

500 gr lamb, cut in cubes
2 tbsp butter
1 cup hot water
5-6 pearl onion, peeled, sliced
8-10 brown mushroom, cleaned, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Oregano

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.

Then add the butter, onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Continue to saute while string for about 5-6 more minutes at medium heat. Turn the heat off, sprinkle some oregano and serve with Turkish Rice Pilaf and Shepherd's Salad.

2 servings.

Grape Rolls with Cherry in Olive Oil

(Visneli Yaprak Sarmasi)

~200 gr grape leaves, washed one by one
3/4 cup hot water

Filling:
1/2 cup rice, washed and drained
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp pomegranate paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp dry mint
1 tbsp sugar

Salt
1/2 cup red sour pitted cherries syrup (red sour pitted cherries in light syrup, in jar)
Red sour pitted cherries, cut in half

Saute the onion with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and salt, stir. Cover and cook over very low heat until the rice looks almost see-through. Add the pomegranate paste, pine nuts, cinnamon, mint and 1/2 cup red sour cherries syrup. Cook until all the water evaporates, stirring occasionally over low heat. Put aside and let it cool down.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot half way with water and boil. Add all the leaves in it and boil for about 1-2 minutes. Drain and cut off the stems. The matte (not shiny) side of the leaf is the inside, that's where the filling will go. Use a teaspoon to put filling on it, place two halves of cherry (picture). First fold over the top, then the two sides and roll to close it up. Line up all the rolls in the pot side by side tightly, without any holes in between.

Pour in 3/4 cup of water from the side of pot. Cover and cook over low heat until most of the water evaporates. Leave a little bit of water at the bottom, it will go away as it's cooling down.

After it cools down, place on a serving dish. Serve the Stuffed Grape Rolls with Cherry at room temperature or chilled.

Ottoman Kitchen

Dandelion Salad

(Hindiba Salatasi)

1 bunch dandelion, cur off the stems, wash, cut in big pieces
Red onion, sliced
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Turkish green and black olives, tossed with pinch of oregano
Lemon wedges

Boil the dandelion for about 4-5 minutes, drain. Rinse with cold water, drain. Toss with red onion slices, olive oil, salt and pepper. Chill for about an hour in the refrigerator.

Serve the Dandelion Salad with Turkish black and green olives and lemon wedges.

Benefits of Dandelion/Radicchio/Chicory:
-Good for diuretic
-Softens bowels
-Useful for chronic rheumatism, gout, kidney and gallbladder diseases
-Rheumatic patients can cure by drinking dandelion tea in the mornings and evenings for 4-6 weeks.

Turkish Coffee Cup Börek

(Fincan Böreği)

4 sheets of Phyllo Pastry

Filling:
~150 gr medium ground beef
1 small onion, sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 large potatoes, cooked, mashed
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 tsp red pepper, powdered
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp olive oil

Garnish:
Sesame seeds
Nigella seeds

To prepare the filling; cook the ground beef with sliced onion and tomato paste. Let it cool down a little bit. Add the mashed potatoes, cheese, red pepper, salt and pepper in it, combine.

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Cut the sheet of phyllo in half and fold each of them (picture). Take a folded phyllo pastry and place over a Turkish Coffee cup, leave the sheet hanging over the rim of the cup (picture). Place some filling in it. Then fold over the sides. While folding the sides brush some sauce to close it up (picture). 4 sheets Phyllo Pastry makes 8 Turkish Coffee Cup Borek.

Place the parchment paper on an oven tray. Gently turn the tea cup upside down on the paper and pull up. The Börek will be arrange with the folded side facing down. Brush all over the surface of each Böreks with sauce and sprinkle some Nigella seeds and sesame seeds over the tops.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Bake until golden colour, for approximately 25 minutes.

8 Turkish Coffee Cup Börek.

Ottoman Kitchen

Vegetable Soup with Yogurt

(Yogurtlu Sebze Corbasi)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized tomato, grated
1 small carrot, peeled, grated
1 small potato, peeled, grated
2 green onions, chopped
3-4 mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
1/4 cup mini size pasta
2 1/2 cup warm water
1 handful, baby spinach, washed, drained
Salt
Pepper

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg yolk

Garnish:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp mint

In a medium size pot, saute the tomato, potato, carrot, mushroom, fresh onion with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta, warm water, salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low, until the pasta is done. Then turn heat down.

Meanwhile in a bowl, mix yogurt and egg yolk. After the pasta is cooked, take a ladle of liquid from the pot and mix with yogurt sauce. Then slowly pour the mixture into the pot while stirring very slowly. Simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the spinach, stir. Turn the heat off.

Place the olive oil in a small pan. When it begins spitting, stir in the mint and pour into the soup. Serve immediately.

*Adjust the water amount to your liking, I prefer to use less water.

Makes 4 servings.

Swiss Chard Stems with Chickpeas

(Nohutlu Pazi Sapi)

Bunch of red Swiss chard stems, washed and cut in 1 cm long
1 small size onion, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, in can
1 tsp red pepper paste
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

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

Saute the onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for 8-10 more minutes at medium-low heat or until stems are softened.

Serve while still warm as a light meal with Garlic-Yogurt Sauce and Turkish bread.

Makes 2 servings.

Antep Style Chicken Pasta

(Antep Usulu Tavuklu Makarna - Gaziantep-Southeast Anatolia Region)

2 servings of bow tie pasta
1 tbsp butter

2 Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs, boneless, skinless, cut in bite size
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
~1/4 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Boil the pasta with salty water following the instructions on the package, drain. Toss it with butter.

Meanwhile in a medium size pot, saute the chicken cubes with olive oil for about 4-5 minutes while stirring. Then add 1/4 cup water, tomato and red pepper pastes, salt and pepper. Continue to cook. The chicken should be coated with the sauce well. Add the pasta in it, toss. Serve immediately.

2 servings.

Potato Salad with Chickpeas

(Nohutlu Patates Salatasi)

3 medium size yellow potato, boiled, peeled, cut in bite size
1/2 cup chickpeas, canned, boil for about 5 minutes, drain
2 medium size tomato, diced
2-3 green onion, chopped
1 cubanalle pepper, chopped
2-3 tbsp parsley

Dressing:
1/4 cup or more:)extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt
Pepper

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

Mint
Paprika

Toss all the salad ingredients while the potato still hot. Pour the dressing, toss. Sprinkle some mint and paprika over, serve with the potato Salad with Chickpeas the garlic-yogurt by the side.

Turkish Carrot Balls

(Havuc Toplari)

2 cups carrot, peeled, finely grated
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup walnuts, hazelnut or pistachio, coarsely ground
1 cup social tea biscuits, use thin ones or Turkish Ulker or Eti Petit Beurre
1 tbsp butter, unsalted

Coating:
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened

Place the carrot, sugar and water in a medium size pot. Cook until the carrot is purred and all the water evaporates at low heat. Stir time to time. Meanwhile put the biscuits in a Ziploc bag. Use the roller to make them almost ground. Add all the biscuits, nuts and butter into the pot, stir. Take the pot from heat. Put it aside for about 15 minutes to cool down.

Place the coconuts in a large plate. Take a small ball from the carrot puree and give a small ball shape in your palms. Wet your hands to make the balls often and cover with the coconut. Place them in a container with the lid. Keep it in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, then serve.

Turkish Carrot Balls are great for the parties:)

20 Turkish Carrot Balls.

Butternut Squash with Walnuts in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Balkabagi Kavurmasi - Aegean Region)

~400 g butternut squash, cut in bite size
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 red Bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Walnuts, crumbled
Red pepper flakes, optional

Saute the onion with olive oil until it is softened at medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook at low heat until the squash is tender. Do not over cook! Turn the heat off. Let it cool down in the pot.

Place on a serving platter. Garnish with walnuts. Serve at room temperature or chilled. It is also delicious with Garlic Yogurt Sauce:)