Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Vegetable in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyağlı Sebzeli Lahana Sarma - Turhal - Black Sea Region)

1 medium-size white cabbage
Mix hot water with;
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned

Filling:
3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, medium grain, soak into the hot water, drain
13-14 flat green beans, boiled for about 10 minutes, drained and finely chopped
5-6 green onions, finely chopped
1/ small Bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp mint
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
1 small onion, sliced
7-8 mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Fill a large pot halfway with water with salt and bring to boil. Cut off the leaves and boil for about 4-5 minutes and drain.

Mix all the filling ingredients with a spoon in the bowl.

Cut off the hard part at the center of the leaves (core). Cut the leaves in medium sizes to fill them. Use a teaspoon to put the filling on each leaf. First fold over the top, then the two sides and roll to close it up (picture). Place the cores at the bottom of the pot. Arrange the stuffed rolls into the pot. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and crushed tomatoes with enough water to cover the rolls and pour from the side of the pot. Cover and cook at low heat until most of the water evaporates. Leave a little bit of water at the bottom, it will go away as it cools down.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and mushrooms with olive oil at medium-low heat. Let it cool down.

After the "Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Vegetable in Olive Oil" cool down, place them on a serving dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms over the top. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Baked Potato-Onion-Garlic Wraps

(Közlenmiş Patates ve Soğanlı Dürüm - Gaziantep)

Lavash Bread or Original Tortillas, small size
Tomato paste

Baking Potato
Onion, do not peel, cut in half
Head of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil
Sumac
Red pepper flakes
Mint
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450ºF (230 C). Pierce the potato with fork on a few spots, then place on the oven tray along with the garlic and onion (inside facing down). Bake an hour or more or until tender. Check if it is tender by piercing with the tip of the knife. Check often as onion and garlic will be roasted earlier. Peel the potato and break in pieces. Peel and slice the onion. Squeeze out the garlic.

Spread the tomato paste over the Lavash Bread. Place the roasted vegetables on it. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle sumac, mint, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper all over them. Wrap and serve with Ayran and Parsley Salad on the side.

Creamy Yogurt Dip with Arugula

(Rokalı Haydari)

1 cup Creamy Turkish yogurt
Half bunch of arugula, washed, drained, cut in julienne
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
1/2 tsp mint
1/2 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt

Garnish:
Extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients and place on a serving dish. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top. Serve it with the toasted pide slices.

Ground Beef on Bread

(Kiymalı Ekmek Aşı - Turhal - Black Sea Rgion)

3 slices of Turkish bread (or Artisan or French bread), 1 or 2 days old, cut in cubes

150 g ground beef
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced
1 tomato, peeled, diced
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
3 tbsp rice, rinsed
1/2 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs

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

Saute the ground beef and onion with butter for 2-3 minutes at medium heat in a small skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir. Cover and cook until the rice is done at medium-low heat. Break the eggs into skillet, stir.

Place the bread cubes on a serving dish. When the eggs are cooked (don't overcook the eggs) pour it over the bread bites. Serve it with Garlic Yogurt Sauce on the side.

2 servings.

Green Tomatoes in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyağlı Yeşil Domates - Thrace Region)

4 medium-size green tomatoes, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
75 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after cooking)
1/4 cup rice or medium size Turkish bulgur, rinsed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon
Enough hot water to cover the vegetables
Salt

Saute the onion with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced tomatoes, continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook at medium-low heat until the rice is softened.

Let it cool down in the pot. Then, place on a serving dish. Pour the rest of the olive oil, sprinkle some chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Long Beans Salad with Cheese and Walnuts

(Cevizli-Peynirli Taze Börülce Salatası)

Branches of long beans or Chinese beans, wash, trim both ends, cut in 2 or 3
1/4 cup red onions, sliced, rubbed with salt and 1/2 tsp sumac
1/3 cup Turkish Tulum* or feta or goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled
Salt
Pepper

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt

Bring the water to boil. Add the beans and boil for about 15 minutes, drain. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk all the dressing ingredients. Pour all over the beans while they are still warm. Sprinkle red onions, cheese and walnuts over the top and serve.

*It is a Turkish cheese made from sheep's or mixed milk, harder and saltier than white (feta) cheese.

Bulgur Pilaf with Walnuts

(Cevizli Bulgur Pilavı)

3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, washed and drained
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper or shepherd pepper, sliced
1 small cubanelle pepper, sliced
1 1/4 cup chicken broth, warm
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
1/3 cup walnuts, crumbled
Handful parsley, chopped

Saute the onion, red and cubanelle peppers with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes at medium. Add the bulgur and continue to saute for about 2-3 more minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients, stir. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates. Let the Pilaf with stand for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle some chopped parsley and walnuts over the top. Serve it with home-made yoğurt or Ayran on the side.

2 servings.

Green Tomato with Garlic-Yogurt Sauce

(Yoğurtlu Yeşil Domates- Thrace Region)

2 green tomatoes, thinly sliced
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt

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

Garnish:
Extra virgin olive oil
Red pepper flakes

Saute the sliced green tomatoes with, sugar, salt and olive oil for about 4-5 minutes at medium heat in a pan. Turn the heat off. Let it cool down.

Place the Garlic-Yogurt on a serving dish. Arrange the tomato saute over it. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle red pepper flakes all over it.

Serve with Turkish pide or bread as a breakfast or brunch or as an appetizer at weekends:)

Shrimps in Olive Oil

(Karides Pilaki - Istanbul)

250 g shrimps, cooked, de-veined and peeled
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in bite sizes
1 small carrot, sliced
1 potato, peeled, cut in cubes
1 large tomato, diced
2-3 green onions, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
~1 kap water, warm
40 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Garnish:
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Place all the ingredients in a pot except the shrimps. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes at medium-low heat. Then, add the water. Cook for another 10 minutes at the same heat with the lid half open.

Add the shrimps, stir. Turn the heat off after 2 minutes. Pour the rest of the olive oil. Let it cool down. Then, place on a serving dish. Sprinkle fresh parsley and lemon zest all over it. Serve the Shrimps in Olive Oil chilled or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Phyllo Pastry Stuffed with Chicken Pilaf

(Çullama - Aegean Region)

1 chicken leg and 1 breast, bone in, with skin

Pilaf:
3/4 cup long grain rice
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
100 g liver, chicken or lamb, cut in small pieces
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp currant
1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled
3 tbsp pistachio
1 cup hot chicken
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove, ground
Salt
Pepper

Phyllo Pastry
1 egg white
Extra virgin olive oil
Nigella seeds
Sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Cook the chicken with water seasoned with salt and pepper. Remove the skin and bones, pull out the chicken. Drain the chicken stock, put aside.

To cook the pilaf; melt the butter in a cooking pot. Saute the onion with butter for about 2-3 minutes while stirring at medium-low heat. Add the liver, nuts, currant and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Then add the rice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, stir. Pour hot chicken stock in it. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until the rice absorbs all the water. Add the pulled chicken, stir. Let the Pilaf cool down. Taste the pilaf, and if necessary, season with salt and pepper.

Place the three sheets of phyllo pastry on top of each other on the counter with the long side facing you. Cut in 4 equal pieces from top to bottom. Place one or two tablespoons of pilaf filling on the bottom end of each sheet. Fold it diagonally with the bottom right corner from outside to inside forming a triangle. Continue to fold triangles from the bottom side of the pastry by going up (picture).

Spread the egg white with your finger on the open end of the last fold and close it up. Brush some olive oil over the tops. Sprinkle some Nigella seeds and sesame seeds over the tops.

Place the parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange them on it.

Then bake until the tops take a light golden colour, for approximately 20-25 minutes. Serve it with Ayran or your choice of Compote.

*The Phyllo Pastry may dry while you're rolling them - try to be quick or cover the unused ones with a clean towel while you roll the rest.

Sachma Tava

(Saçma Tavası - Gaziantep - Southeast Anatolia Region)

150 - 200g lean ground beef or lamb
1 medium-sized onion, sliced
1 large eggplant, peel the skin in strips lengthwise, cut in bite size, soak in water with salt for about 15-20 minutes, then squeeze
1 large-sized yellow potato, peeled, cut in small cubes
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato, canned
3 tablespoonful canned crushed tomatoes + 1/2 cup water
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or 3 tbsp butter
1/1 tsp all spice
Salt
Pepper

On top:
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced
1 tomato, sliced

Saute the ground beef with onion until the colour turns to light brown. Do not over cook! Leave some of its juice in it. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. Place in a shallow casserole dish. Arrange the green pepper and tomato slices over the top.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Cook until all the vegetables are tender. It takes for about 1 hr.

Serve the Sachma Tava with Turkish Rice Pilaf and traditional Turkish Yoğurt Drink (Ayran) by the side.

2 servings.

Antep Style Tomato Bulgur Pilaf

(Domatesli Aş - Gaziantep)

3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, washed and drained
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1 tsp red pepper paste
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
3/4 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2-3 spring onions, chopped

Saute the onion with olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato and continue to saute for about 2-3 more minutes at medium heat. Then, add the remaining ingredients, stir. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates. Let the Pilaf stand for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle some chopped green onions over the top. Serve it with home-made yoğurt or Ayran on the side.

2 servings.

Cheese Filled Zucchini

(Peynirli Kabak Dolması - Istanbul)

2 small-size zucchinis

Filling:
Inside of the zucchinis
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Topping:
4 tomato slices
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Cut the zucchinis lengthwise in half. Make a slit around the seeds with the tip of a small knife. Remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Do not discard! Mix the filling ingredients with a teaspoon and fill in the zucchinis equally. Drizzle the olive oil and place the tomato slices on the tops.

Place parchment paper on your oven tray. Arrange the zucchinis on it. Cook for about 25 minutes until they are softened. Sprinkle some chopped dill and drizzle olive oil over the tops.

Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.