Stuffed Potato Croquette

(Tavuklu Patates Kroketi)

Croquette Ingredients:
2 medium-size white potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated
1 or 2 slices of Turkish bread (insides only), crumbled
1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper

Chicken Filling:
Cooked chicken breast (as required) or left over chicken or Turkey meat, shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
Small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

For frying:
1/2 cup flour, all purpose
1 egg yolk + 1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup sunflower oil

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
2 tbsp flour, all purpose
Salt
Pepper
1 Bay leaf

First, cook all the tomato sauce ingredients in a small pot. Then discard the bay leaf.

Saute the onion with salt and pepper in a small pan. Stir garlic until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken pieces and oregano. Cook for a few more minutes. Put it aside.

Place all the croquette ingredients in a bowl. Mix them with your hand. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat it up. Meanwhile, take a ball of the croquette mixture, make a hole and stuff the inside with the filling, close. Give it a long shape as seen in the picture. First roll it in the flour, then soak in the egg mixture, then roll it into the bread crumbs. Repeat for the remaining potato mixture and fry all the croquet until golden brown. Place them on the paper towel to soak up the extra oil.

Serve with warm tomato sauce poured over the tops:)

Rice Pilaf with Cherries and Almonds

(Vişneli Pirinç Pilavı - Ottoman Kitchen)

Rice Pilaf:
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 cup hot water
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp salt
Pinch pepper
1/3 cup sour cherry in a jar, drain and mix with pinch of cinnamon (Use red sour pitted cherries in light syrup or frozen cherries)
1/4 cup almond, slivered, lightly toasted

Toast the pine nuts in a medium-size pot. Add the butter and rice, saute for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Pour 1 cup of hot water, salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates.

Take the cooking pot away from the heat. Add the cherries and almonds. Place a clean kitchen towel across the top of the pot on the rim and cover. Let the Cherry Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes, then serve.

2 servings.

Turkish Noodles with Chicken & How To Roast The Whole Chicken

(Tavuklu Erişte)

2 servings of medium-size egg noodles
2 tbsp butter
Half of barbecued chicken*
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp lemon zest, optional

Remove the skin and bones of the chicken. Meanwhile, boil the egg noodles, drain. Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Add the noodles, chicken, salt, pepper, and toss. If there is some juice of the chicken in the plastic container, add it into the noddles for extra flavor:)

You can serve the Turkish Noodles with Chicken with Shepperd's Salad or Mixed Green Salad with Yogurt Dressing.

*You can buy ready, warm barbecued chicken sold in plastic containers. After a busy day at work, stop by a supermarket on the way back home. It is very convenient and you can easily prepare a delicious meal:)

** Or you can use the leftovers of turkey or chickens:)

How To Roast The Whole Chicken

Whole chicken, cleaned, washed, pat it dry with paper towel
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Herbs, like thyme, oregano rosemary...

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Drizzle the olive oil on it, rub. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. If you like, you can rub the inside of the chicken with herbs.

Place it in a roasting pan and cook for about 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F (190 C) and continue roasting until the juices run clear for about an hour. Or pierce the chicken with a knife in the thick part of the breast to see if the juices run clear. If you bake it for too long, it becomes too dry and tasteless.

Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Red Pepper Paste Dip

(Biber Ezmesi - Antakya - Mediterranean Region)

3 tbsp red pepper paste
2 tbsp pomegranate paste
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables:
2 fresh onions, finely chopped
1 large tomato, peeled, finely chopped
2-3 branch parsley, finely chopped

Whisk the red pepper paste, pomegranate paste and olive oil. Add the tomato, fresh onion and parsley, mix. Place the dip on the flat service plate. Drizzle extra olive oil all over the top. Serve the Red Pepper Paste Dip with the toasted pide slices.

Mung Bean Salad

(Maş Piyazı - Gaziantep)

1 cup mung beans, soak in water overnight, washed and drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
3-4 tbsp pomegranate paste or syrup
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
1/3 cup walnuts, crumbled

Cover the beans with water and boil until they are softened. Rinse well with hot water and let it cool. Place in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients, mix. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for about an hour. Arrange on a serving platter, garnish with olives, serve.

Green Lentil with Bulgur Soup

(Alacatene Çorbası - Uşak - Aegean Region)

3/4 cup lentils, soak in water overnight, washed and drained
4-5 tbsp bulgur, large grain, rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 3/4 cups water, hot
Salt

Garnish:
Red pepper flakes

Saute the onion with olive oil. Then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook until lentils and bulgur are done. Adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking by adding more water.

Serve while still warm with onion and pickled vegetables:)

2 servings.

Chicken Beyti

(Tavuk Beyti)

Kofte Ingredients:
500 g extra lean ground chicken
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp red pepper paste, sweet
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
Salt
Pepper

For Roll (sarma):
1 packet Original Tortillas (keep them warm)

1 tsp butter, melted
Parsley, finely chopped

Yogurt Sauce & Tomato Sauce:
Yogurt, at room temperature
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes, heated up with a few tablespoons of water

Knead all the kofte ingredients for 3-4 minutes. If you can, use the flat metal skewers for this kebab. Take a fist-sized ball and place it on the skewer starting from the tip of the skewer. Squeeze and flatten it on the skewer going back slowly, so that it is thin and flat.

Preheat the barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers on the rack. Make sure to turn the skewers so that all sides of the meat cook equally. Afterwards, roll the Kebab pieces with a Tortilla, but only one layer, it shouldn't be thick. Brush the surface of the Tortilla with the melted butter. Sprinkle some chopped parsley all over and cut in 2-inch wide pieces. Arrange them on a serving dish along with yogurt and tomato sauce, and serve while they are still hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Feta Cheese Wrapped with Roasted Red Peppers in Molasses and Olive Oil

(Pekmezli Peynir ve Közlenmiş Biber)

Red Bell peppers
Feta cheese
Walnuts

Dressing:
Extra virgin olive oil
Grape molasses

Cut off the top of the red peppers. Cut it in half and discard the seeds. Set the oven to broil (grill), and heat it up. Place the red peppers on an oven tray with internal parts facing down and place in the oven. Roast it for about 15 minutes. Then, place them in a paper bag for a few minutes so you can peel off the skins easier.

Slice them in strips. Wrap the pieces of feta cheese with them. Arrange them in a serving platter. Garnish with some walnuts. Drizzle with some molasses and extra virgin olive oil and serve as a breakfast or as an appetizer with bread or pide slices.

Para Para Soup

(Para Para Çorbası aka Hamur Çorbası - Sinop - Black Sea Region)

Soup ingredients:
~2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes, canned
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
1/3 cup Turkish noodles, broken into small pieces
Salt
Pepper

Meatball ingredients:
~150 g lean ground beef
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Mint
Sumac

Garlic Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt, plain, room emperature
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt

Knead all the meatball ingredients, make hazelnut size balls. Put aside.

Bring to boil the water, crushed tomatoes, red pepper paste, salt and pepper in a medium-sized pot. Add the meatballs and noodles in it. Cook at medium-low heat, until the noodles are done.

Turn the heat off. Sprinkle some mint and sumac over the top. Serve with garlic yogurt.

2 servings.

Dried Eggplant Dish

(Kuru Patlıcan Aşı - Sinop - Black Sea Region)

~150 g extra lean ground beef
1 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
5-6 dried eggplants
2-3 dried tomatoes
1-2 tbsp rice, rinsed
1/2 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

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

First, soak the dried vegetables in hot water for half an hour and drain.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and ground beef with olive oil and butter. When the ground beef is cooked, add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 1-2 more minutes. Then add the dried vegetables, rice and warm water. Cover and cook until the rice is done at medium-low heat.

Serve it with Garlic Yogurt Sauce.

Spicy Ground Beef-Walnuts Börek

(Semsek - Southeastern Anatolia Region)

Bread or Pizza Dough
Olive oil

Spicy Ground Beef Filling:
Ground Beef, medium or regular
Butter
Onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Walnuts, crumbled
Red pepper flakes
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

To prepare the filling; saute the onion with butter until it is soft. Add the garlic. When the smell of garlic comes out, add the rest of the ingredients except parsley. Cook at medium-low heat until all the water evaporates while stirring.Then add the parsley, stir. Put it aside.

Generously flour your work surface. Break the dough in egg-size pieces. Flatten the dough pieces using a roller. Place some filling on one side of the circle and fold over to make a half circle. Seal the edges of the dough with your fingers to make a scalloped edge (picture). Pace the parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange on it. Brush some olive oil over the tops.

Place the tray at the middle rack of the oven. When the top turns to light golden colour, take them out and drizzle a little bit olive oil all over them. Serve while still hot with Ayran or Turkish Tea.

Meatballs with Vegetables

(Sebzeli Sahan Köftesi)

Meatball ingredients:
350 g medium or regular ground beef
1 slice of Turkish bread without the crust (1 cm thick); soak the bread into milk, then squeeze the milk out
2 tbsp bread crumbs 1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp canned crushed tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

For frying:
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp butter

Vegetables:
1 medium-size onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp red pepper paste
1 medium-size potato, peeled, cut in bite size
7-8 medium-size brown mushrooms, cleaned, cut in 4
2 tbsp vermicelli
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper
1 handful baby spinach, washed, drained, chopped

Knead all the meatball ingredients. Make 14-15 meatballs, put it aside. Lightly fry them in the mixture of sunflower oil and butter in the medium-size pot. Put them aside.

Place sliced onion and potatoes in the same pot and lightly fry. Add the lightly fried meatballs, garlic, crushed tomatoes, red pepper paste, mushroom, vermicelli, chickpeas, warm water salt and pepper into the pot. Cover and cook until a small amount juice left inside at low-medium heat. Then add the spinach, stir. Turn the heat off, serve while still warm.

2 servings.