Artichokes Stuffed with Mushrooms

(Mantarlı Enginar Dolma - Istanbul)

4 Arhtichokes - peeled, cleaned (see Artichokes with Rice in Olive Oil)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt

Filling:
10-12 brown mushrooms, brushed, sliced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Place the artichokes in a shallow pan. Add the water, olive oil, sugar and salt. Cover and cook at medium heat until the artichokes are tender.

Meanwhile saute the onion and mushrooms with olive oil for 2-3 minutes at medium heat in a pan. Add the garlic, allspice, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes. Turn the heat off.

Place the cooked artichokes on an oven dish. Heap the artichokes with the filling. Sprinkle some grated mozzarella cheese over the tops.

Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven and cook until the cheese melts.

4 servings.

Lamb Saute with Tomatoes

(Etli Domates Yemeği - Adana)

~250 g lamb cubes
1 cup water, warm
2 tbsp butter
4-5 pearl onions, peeled, cut in 4
5 medium size tomatoes, peeled, diced
Salt
Pepper

Cook the lamb cubes in their own juice. Then add 1 cup of hot water. Cook at medium-low heat until the lamb cubes are tender.

Add the onion and butter, saute for 2-3 minutes.Then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are softened at medium heat. Do not overcook the tomatoes! Season with some oregano, basil or parsley. You can serve it with any kind of Turkish Pilaf.

2 servings.

Apricot Rice Pudding

(Kayısılı Sütlaç)

1/3 cup short grain rice, washed and drained
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups whole milk
1 cup of half and half cream 35%
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp corn starch, melted in 4 tbsp milk (use from 3 cups milk above)
Pinch of salt

Apricot Sauce:
8 apricots, dried, sliced
2 tbsp Sultana or Golden raisins
6 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water

Garnish:
2-3 walnuts, crumbled or sliced almonds

To cook Rice Pudding; Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil, then add the rice and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes (until a little water is left) in a medium size pot. Add in the cream, milk, vanilla extract, sugar and salt. Then slowly add the dissolved corn starch. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook at medium heat until you see bubbles on the surface. Turn the heat off after one minute or so. Pour into 6 small glass bowls with a ladle.

Meanwhile to prepare the apricot sauce; Cook the apricots and raisins for 2-3 minutes in water, drain. Then cook the apricots, raisins, sugar and 1/4 cup of water in the sauce pan until the water evaporates. Equally pour the sauce over the Rice Pudding. Garnish with walnuts. Serve warm or chilled.

6 servings.

Swiss Chard Rolls with Potatoes

(Patatesli Pazı Sarma - Black Sea Region)

1 bunch Swiss chard, with the stems cut off, washed
1/4 cup hot water or a little bit more
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Filling:
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp bulgur, fine, rinsed, soaked into hot water for about 5 minutes, drained
Salt
Pepper

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

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

To prepare the filling: saute the onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, stir. Turn the heat off. Let it cool down.

Cut off the hard parts in the middle of the leafs. Place the hard parts into the bottom of the medium pot. Cut the leaves in 2 or 3 depending on their size. Use a teaspoon to place the filling on the leaves. 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 of hot water and olive oil into the pot. Close it, first turn the heat up to high for about a minute or so. Then turn the heat down to low-medium. Cook at low-medium heat until most of the water evaporates. Let it cool down first.

Serve it at room temperature with Garlic Yogurt Sauce, garnish and crushed red pepper.

*Like all the olive oil meals it becomes more tasty the following day:)

Royal Kebap

(Saray Kebabı - Ottoman Kitchen)

350 g milk-fed veal, cut in cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup hot water
10-12 mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
1/4 cup 35% cream
Salt
Pepper

Saute the meat and onion with butter. Add the hot water. Cover and cook at low heat for about 50 minutes until a little bit of water is left and the veal is tender. Add the mushrooms, cream and salt. Cover and continue to cook for 20-25 more minutes at low heat. Season with black pepper. Serve it with pilaf on the side.

2 servings.

Salad for Breakfast

(Kahvaltı Salatası)

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Cucumber, cut in bite size
Red onion, sliced
Feta cheese
Egg, hard boiled, sliced
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Dressing:
Lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

Place all the salad ingredients on a serving platter. Season with lemon juice and olive oil. It is a great salad for breakfast!

Tomatoes Stuffed with Ricotta Cheese

(Lorlu Domates Dolması)

4 mini size tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Water

Stuffing:
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Insides of 4 tomatoes
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2-3 stems of parsley, washed, drained, chopped
1 tbsp walnuts, crumbled, lightly toasted
Pinch of cumin
Salt
Pepper

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes 3/4 of the way horizontally, leave the rest attached. Remove the insides of the tomatoes (used for the filling) with a teaspoon, put them aside.

To prepare the filling: saute the onion with olive oil until the color of the onions turns to light brown. Stir in the insides of tomatoes and cook until they are soft. Turn the heat off. Then add the cheese, parsley, walnuts, cumin, salt and pepper, mix. Fill the tomatoes with the filling using a spoon and close up the tops. Place the filled tomatoes in an oven-proof dish.

Set the oven to grill (broil) and place the oven dish on the middle rack, cook for 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 400 F (200 C) and cook for another 15 minutes. Drizzle some extra virgin oil all over the tops. These are perfect if served at room temperature.

Bulgur Pilaf with Fresh Fava Beans

(Taze Baklalı Bulgur Pilavı - Antakya - Mediterranean Region)

3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, rinsed and drained
8-10 fresh fava beans, cleaned, trimmed, cut in bite size, soaked into the 1/2 cup water with lemon juice
2 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium size onion, sliced
1 tbsp dill, chopped
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

Saute onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a medium size pot. Add the fava beans and 1/2 cup of water with lemon juice. Cover and cook until the beans are tender at low heat.

Add the bulgur, dill, red pepper paste, warm water, salt and pepper, stir. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates at low heat. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with fresh dill and serve with yogurt on the side.

2 servings.

Artichoke - Black Olive Pide

(Enginarlı Zeytinli Pide - Aegean Region)

Tandoor Baked Naan

Filling:
1 medium-size artichoke, peeled, cleaned, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Turkish Kashar or Mozzarella, grated
6-7 Turkish black olive halves
1 green onion, sliced

Preheat the oven to 500 F (260 C).

Saute the artichoke with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 2 minutes.

Place generously the grated cheese all over the naan. Arrange the artichoke with olive oil, green onion and black olive halves all over the cheese.

Place the pide on an oven tray. Cook until the edge of the pide turns to light golden colur on the middle rack.

Serve it with parsley and red or white onion slices.

This is the easiest and yummy pide recipe that you can do at home:) But, if you like to make this pide from scratch; here:)

1 Artichoke - Black Olive Pide.

Swiss Chard Stems with Eggs

(Yumurtalı Pazı Sapı)

Bunch of red Swiss chard stems, washed and cut in 1 cm long
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp pickled hot pepper rings
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Cayenne pepper or red pepper

Saute the stems and onion with olive oil for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the hot pepper rings. Then, make room and break the eggs. When the egg white is cooked, remove it from the heat. Do not overcook the egg yolk!

Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Serve immediately as a breakfast or light meal with freshly baked Turkish bread.

Stuffed Onions with Beef

(Etli Soğan Dolması)

4 medium size onions
4 pieces of tomato slices
1/2 cup beef broth + 2 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes

Stuffing:
Inside of onions, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
200 g medium ground beef
2 tbsp fine Turkish bulgur, soak into the hot water for 5-6 minutes and drain
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Garnish:
Pomegranate paste
Cinnamon

Peel the onions and cut off the tops and carve out the insides (picture). Cut off a thin slice of the bottom of each one, so that they can stand up straight. Finely chop the insides of the onions.

Prepare the filling: Saute the onion with butter and olive oil in a pan for 4-5 minutes. Then add the remaining of the filling ingredients, stir. Turn the heat off about a minute or so.

Fill the onions with the filling using a spoon and close up the tops with the tomato pieces. Place the stuffed onions in a small oven-proof dish. Arrange the leftover stuffing around onions if there is any. Mix the beef broth with crushed tomatoes and pour all over them.

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Place the dish on the middle rack and cook for about an hour. Take it out from the oven. Sprinkle some cinnamon and drizzle a little pomegranate over the tops. Afiyet olsun!

Makes 2 servings.

*Ottoman Kitchen.

Labne Cheese with Tomato Paste

(Labneli Domates Salçası)

Fresh tomato paste
Labne cheese
Oregano
Paprika
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Walnuts, crumbled, lightly roasted
Pine nuts, lightly roasted

Place the Labne cheese and tomato paste on the serving platter. Season with the oregano, paprika and a little salt. Sprinkle the nuts and drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over them. Serve with bread, pide or lavash bread on the side.

Turkish Noodles with Artichoke-Ricotta Sauce

(Enginarlı Lorlu Erişte - Aegean Region)

Egg noodles (Eriste)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Artichoke-Ricotta Sauce:
Artichoke hearts, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Ricotta cheese, whisk with some plain yogurt to give the sauce consistency
Zest of lemon
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Walnuts, crumbled

Boil the egg noodles and drain. Season with the olive oil, salt, pepper and toss.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce; Saute the artichokes and onions with olive oil until they are tender at medium-low heat. Turn the heat to down and add the ricotta-yogurt mixture, toss. Season with zest of lemon, salt and pepper.

Place the noddles on a service plate and place the sauce over the tops. Garnish with walnuts and serve.