Asparagus Soup

(Kuşkonmaz Çorbası - Istanbul)

1 cup asparagus, rinsed (break and discard bottom stems), thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup warm water + 1 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Vinaigrette Sauce:
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
2 tbsp vinegar (I used wine vinegar with raspberry juice)

Saute the onion, asparagus and flour with olive oil for about 3-4 minutes at medium-low heat in a medium-size pot. Add the 3/4 cup warm water, stir. Cover and cook until the asparagus is softened. Then add the 1 cup hot water, salt and pepper, stir. Cover and continue to cook for about 8-10 more minutes at medium-low heat.

Meanwhile whisk the mashed garlic with vinegar and pour into the soup, stir. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the top and serve.

2 servings.

Eggplant Tava

(Patlican Tava - Adana)

250g lamb, cut in cubes
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled, cut in medium size (soak into the salty water for about 20 minutes)
2 large tomatoes, peeled, sliced
7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced
1 a tablespoonful red pepper paste, mild or hot, mixed with 1/4 cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper

Pour the olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Place the lamb cubes in it. Remove the eggplants from the water, squeeze and place them over the lambs. Arrange the tomato slices over the top, side by side, don't leave any empty spaces. Place the garlic cloves on top (picture). Arrange the cubanelle peppers over them like wind rose. Season with salt and pepper and pour the diluted red pepper paste all over it (picture).

First, turn the heat to high and heat up the pot for about a minute or so. Then, turn the heat down to low heat. Cover and cook for about 1 hr and 30 minutes.

Serve the "Eggplant Tava" with Pilaf with Orzo and Cacık.

4 servings.

Sauteed Vegetables with Black Olives and Feta Cheese

(Zeytin-Peynirli Sebze Sote)

1 zucchini, cut in bite size
1 onion, cut in chunks
10 mushrooms,cleaned, cut in 4
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Red pepper flakes, optional
Salt
Pepper

Turkish black olives
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Saute the vegetables with olive oil in a large pan at medium heat. Do not over cook! Turn the heat off. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese and black olives over the top, then serve.

It is a great brunch on hot Summer days:) You can also serve as a side dish with beef or chicken.

Fried Chili Peppers

(Sivri Biber Kızartması)

Chili Peppers
Sunflower oil
Mint, optional

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

Put sunflower oil in a medium-size skillet. When the oil heats up, fry the peppers on both sides until golden brown. While you're frying the pepper, cover it with a paper towel since the oil will splash. Afterwards, place them on a paper towel and wait until they cool down, then peel.

Serve with the Turkish Garlic Yoğurt Sauce. If you like sprinkle some mint all over the garlic yogurt sauce. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled as an appetizer.

I served these with my homemade Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers:)

Sardines Stuffed with Ricotta

(Lorlu Sardalya Dolması - Istanbul)

Large size Sardines, butterfly fillets
Salt
Pepper

Stuffing:
Ricotta cheese
Green onion, chopped
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

To top:
Bread crumbs
Lemon slices
Extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the filling ingredients. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and place them on an oven-proof dish with the skin side down. Spread some of the stuffing on each sardine and then cover with another sardine (as seen on the picture). Sprinkle some bread crumbs, place lemon slices and drizzle some olive oil over them.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Cook for about 20 minutes on the middle rack. Serve the “Sardines Stuffed with Ricotta” with Arugula Salad by the side:)

*Ottoman Kitchen

Yogurt Soup with Wheat and Beans

(Gendime Çorbası - Erzincan - East Anatolia Region)

1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium tomato, peeled, diced
~100 g flat green beans, trimmed, chopped
1/4 cup kidney beans, canned, rinsed
1/2 cup crack wheat, rinsed
3 cups hot water
Salt
Pepper

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp dill, chopped

1 cup Ayran; 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water, at room temperature
2 tbsp dry mint

Saute the onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and flat green beans. Continue to saute for a few more minutes. Then add the kidney beans, crack wheat, hot water, salt and pepper, stir. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened at medium-low heat.

Turn the heat off. Add fresh parsley and dill, stir. Let it cool down for a few minutes. Then slowly pour the ayran while stirring constantly. Add the dry mint, stir.

Gendirme Soup can be served hot or chilled in hot summer days:)

4 servings.

Avukma

(Avukma - Mediterranean Region)

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized tomato, peeled, chopped
1 small sized cucumber, chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 leaves of mint, finely chopped
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Garnish:
Ricotta cheese

Crushed the onion with 1 tsp salt. Add the rest of the salad ingredients, toss in a medium sized bowl. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle the cheese all over.

Kilis Kebab

(Kilis Kebabı- Mediterranean Region)

Köfte Ingredients:
~200 gr medium ground beef
1/2 tsp all spice
Salt
Pepper

1-2 Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cut in kofte size, soak into salty water for 15 minutes and squeeze
1 medium-size onion, cut in 8
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp crushed tomatoes, in can
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp pomegranate paste or Grenadine syrup
1 cup water, warm
1 small tomato, sliced
Salt
Pepper

Knead the meatball ingredients. Shape them into medium-size balls. Place the meatballs and eggplants on 4 skewers as one piece of meatball followed by one piece of eggplant. Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers on the rack. Grill them for about 4-5 minutes until their colour turns lighter!

Meanwhile, saute the onion with butter and olive oil for about 3-4 minutes in shallow cooking pot. Remove the skewers and place lightly cooked koftes and eggplants into the pot. Mix 1 cup water with crushed tomatoes, red pepper paste, pomegranate paste, salt and pepper. Pour into the pot. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes under medium-low heat.

Serve the Kilis Kebab Turkish Rice Pilaf by the side while still warm.

2 servings.

Eggplant Salad with Pomegranate Paste

(Nar Eksili Patlican Salatasi - Hatay - Mediterranean Region)

1 large eggplant, roasted
1/2 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
Parsley, chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate paste (or pomegranate syrup)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Strained (creamy)Yogurt, seasoned wit salt

Mix all the salad ingredients. Place on a serving dish with strained yogurt by the side. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over and serve with toasted pide slices.

Roasted Eggplant:
Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Place it on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Then peel it and soak in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice to prevent dark colour. Leave it in for about 5 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened.

Yogurt Soup with Spinach

(Ispanaklı Yoğurt Çorbası)

Half package (150 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups water
1 cube beef bouillon
1 cup Turkish yogurt, plain
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp flour

Red Pepper Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
Red pepper
Cayenne pepper

In a medium-size pot, saute the onion with butter for about 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach, stir. Add the water and bouillon. Cook at medium high for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix yogurt, egg yolk and flour in a bowl. Transfer a few spoons of liquid from the pot into the bowl. Then, slowly pour your mixture into the pot while stirring very slowly. Cook for 10 more minutes at low heat.

Place the butter in a frying pan. When it begins spitting, add the peppers and pour into your soup. Serve immediately.

4 servings.

Eggplant Borek

(Patlıcanlı Börek)

3 or 4 sheets Phyllo Pastry

Filling:
1 large eggplant, roasted
1 red or yellow Bell pepper, roasted
2 tbsp bread crumbs
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 egg white
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Glaze:
1 egg yolk
Sesame seeds

To prepare the filling; saute the bread crumbs in a pan for a few minutes. Do not burn! Put it aside. Saute the onion with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes in the same pan. Add the garlic, when the smell of garlic comes out, turn the heat off. Mix all the filling ingredients.

Place the sheets (4 of them) on top of each other on the counter and position them vertically. Place all the filling on the bottom side of the sheet. Then roll up, do not squeeze! Brush the open end with water and close it up.

Place parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange the Eggplant Borek on it. Brush the tops with egg yolk and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Bake for about 25 minutes until the tops turn to a golden colour.

Serve as an appetizer or as a supper treat with Turkish Tea.

4 servings Eggplant Borek.

Roasted Eggplant:
Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Place it on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Then peel it and soak in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice to prevent dark colour. Leave it in for about 5 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened.

Roasted Cubanelle Peppers:
Cut off the tops of the red peppers. Discard the seeds. Cut each pepper in half. Set the oven to broil (grill), and heat it up. Place the peppers on an oven tray (inside facing down) and place in the oven. Roast them for about 15 minutes and peel off the skin.

Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Just place the peppers outside facing down on the barbecue.

Lamb Stew with Sweet Peas

(Kuzu Etli Bezelye)

250g lamb, cut in cubes
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups sweet peas, frozen
1 small white potato, cut in small cubes
1 small carrot, cut in small cubes
2-3 fresh onions, chopped
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2 tbsp dill, chopped

Cok the lamb cubes in their own juice in a medium-sized pot. Then add 1 cup of hot water. Cook at medium-low heat until the lamb pieces are tender. Then add the remaining ingredients, stir. Leave the lid halfway open and cook at medium heat until the potatoes are tender.

Garnish with dill and serve with Turkish Rice Pilaf.

2-3 servings.

*It is easy to find fresh sweet peas in summer time. To remove the shell of the fresh Sweet Peas: Push with your two fingers side of the pod to open. Run a finger along the inside of the pod to pop out the peas:)

You should cook fresh sweet peas with more hot water until they are soft.

Peach Marmalade

(Şeftali Marmeladı)

1 kg peaches (not too soft or too hard, choose the medium soft ones), washed, peeled, pitted, sliced
2 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

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

Test the marmalade 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, boil for about 2-3 minutes. Use the immersion blender to puree.

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.

Bulgur Pilaf with Flat Green Beans

(Taze Fasulyeli Bulgur Pilavı)

1/2 cup bulgur, large grain, washed and drained (I always use Turkish Bulgur that has a better taste:)
8-10 flat green beans, trimmed, cut in medium-size chunks
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1/2 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped

Boil the flat green beans with salted water for about 10 minutes, drain.

Place the green beans, tomato, salt and pepper in a medium-size pot. Cover and cook for about 10 more minutes at low heat. Add the bulgur and hot water, stir. Cover and continue cooking until the bulgur is well cooked, i.e., when all the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan. Saute the onion at medium heat until it is softened. Add the garlic and when the smell of garlic comes off, turn the heat off. Toss it into the cooked Bulgur Pilaf.

Let the Bulgur Pilaf with Flat Green Beans stand for about 5 minutes. Serve with Cacık or Ayran by the side.

2 servings.

Peach Iced Tea

(Buzlu Şeftali Çayı)

1 cup Turkish Tea (brewed tea + hot water)
3 ripe peaches, peeled, diced
3-4 tbsp natural honey, adjust the amount as you wish
2 fresh mint leaves
2 cups cold water

Add the peaches, mint and honey into the freshly brewed Turkish Tea. Put it aside to become tepid. Puree the mixture in the food processor or blender. Add the ice cold water. Blend for about 35-40 seconds.

If you like, you can add a couple of ice cubes. Serve immediately.

The benefits of the Peach Tea:
-Removes the bad breath
-Cleans the blood vessels
-Softens the bowels
-Clears the urinary tract
-Makes it easy to digest

Okra and Fish Stew

(Balıklı Bamya - Aegean Region)

200 g Haddock fillet, cut in medium sized
375 g (drained weight) okra, canned, rinsed
2-3 green onion, sliced
2 medium sized tomato, peeled, diced
1 small cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, cut in bite size
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 Bay leaf
2-3 peppercorn
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for later)
Salt
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Oil the casserole dish and place the fish pieces in it. Toss the rest of the ingredients and spread all over the fish.

Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C) and bake for about 45-50 minutes. Discard the Bay leaf. Pour the remaining olive oil over the top. Serve while it is still hot or chilled.

2 servings.