Tahini Roasted Eggplant Salad

(Tahinli Patlıcan - Hatay)

1 large eggplant, roasted, peeled
1 red bell pepper or long red sweet pepper, roasted, peel and discard the seeds, cut in medium size
1 cubanelle pepper, roasted, peel and discard the seeds, cut in medium size
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
Red pepper flakes
Salt

Mash the roasted eggplant using a fork and mix with the tahini. Then add the remaining ingredients. Place on a serving platter and serve.

Parsley Stew

(Maydanozlu Yahni)

500 g lamb cubes
2 tbsp butter
10 pearl onions
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 stick of cinnamon
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
1 cup water, hot
Half bunch of parsley, washed (cut off the stems)
Salt
Pepper

Cook the lamb cubes in their own juice at medium heat. Add the pearl onions, butter, garlic, bay leaf and stick cinnamon. Saute until the smell of garlic comes out. Add the tomatoes and stir. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the hot water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 25 minutes at medium-low heat.

Add the parsley, cook for a minute or so, allowing the spinach to wilt. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Serve the dish with Turkish Rice Pilaf on the side.

2 servings.

Bulgur Pilaf with Egg Noodles

(Erişteli Bulgur Pilavı)

3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, rinsed
1/3 cup Egg noodles (Eriste)
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
3-4 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp crushed (flake) pepper
Salt
Pepper
~
1 tbsp butter

Saute the onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles and continue to saute for about 2 more minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Then add the tomatoes and continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes at medium heat. Then add in the remaining ingredients, stir. Turn the heat down to low heat. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates.

Place the butter on the cooked pilaf, gently stir. Put the lid back on. Let the Pilaf stand for 5 minutes.

2 servings.

Tomato-Rice Cooked in Olive Oil

(Domates Civesi - Antalya)

1 small onion, sliced
1 small eggplant; peel the skin lengthwise in strips, cut into bite size, soak in 2 cups of water with salt for about 15 minutes, dry with paper towel
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tbsp rice, rinsed
3 medium-size tomatoes, peeled, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hot water
Salt

Garnish:
Fresh mint leaves

Saute the onion and peppers with salt and olive oil for 4-5 minutes in a shallow pan at low-medium heat. Add the eggplant, garlic and rice, continue to saute for about 2 more minutes. Cover the vegetables with the tomatoes. Pour the hot water, do not stir! Cover and cook until the rice is soft enough at medium-low heat. Do not open the the lid while it is cooking.

Let it cool down first in the pot. Then, place on a serving platter. Garnish with chopped fresh mint. Serve it at room temperature or chilled.

2 servings.

Milas Meatballs

(Milas Köftesi - Muğla - Aegean Region)

Kofte (meatball) ingredients:
~350 g medium ground beef
1 small onion, grated
Salt
Pepper
~
1/3 cup flour, all purpose
1/3 cup sun flower oil, for frying
~
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 medium-size tomato, grated
3/4 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

Garlic-mint Sauce:
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp mint

Garnish:
Parsley, chopped

Knead all the kofte ingredients. Make little balls (larger than hazelnuts) and flour them all. Heat the oil and lightly fry. Place on a paper towel to soak the excess oil.

Meanwhile, saute the tomato paste with olive oil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add the chickpeas, grated tomato, water, salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes at low heat. Then, add the koftes, stir. Close and cook for about 15 more minutes.

Mix and add in sauce, stir. Bring to boil, then turn the heat off. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Serve with Turkish Pilaf on the side.

2 servings.

Green Lentils-Bulgur in Yogurt

(Mercimekli Katma - Mediterranean Region)

1/4 cup green lentils, soaked in water overnight, rinsed
1/3 cup Turkish bulgur, medium or large grain
1 cup water
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
~
1/2 cup yogurt, plain
2-3 fresh mint leaves, chopped
Paprika
Extra virgin olive oil

Place the green lentils, bulgur, water, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium-size pot. Cover and cook at low heat until all the water evaporates. Let it cool down. Cover it with the plain yogurt. Sprinkle some paprika and chopped mint leaves and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top.

Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled. It is a great summer dish:)

Purslane with Pomegranate Syrup

(Pirpirim Ekşisi - South East Anatolia Region)

Purslane*, washed, drained
1 small cucumber, cut in half-moon slices
1 tomato, peeled, chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 long red sweet pepper, chopped
8-10 slices of white onion

Dressing:
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp pomegranate syrup/paste or 1 tbsp sumac or lemon juice
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
Salt
Paprika

Whisk the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad ingredients. Serve immediately.

*Purslane is one of my favorite vegetables and not well known in Canada. The plant has thick, small, round shaped moist leaves. The stems are especially juicy and delicious. It grows like a weed everywhere. I used to have them in my backyard, but they were smaller than they should be. Recently a friend of mine told me that she found something that looks like Purslane at Loblaws and Longo’s in Toronto with the name of Rosettes:) They smell like roses when you chew it:)

Beef Stew with with Mini Eggplants

(Bütün Patlıcan Yemeği - Urfa - South East Anatolia Region)

~400 g beef or veal, cut in cubes
8 small size eggplants ~6 cm long - peel the skin in strips lengthwise without removing the stalks, soak in 2 cups of water with salt for about 15 minutes, dry with paper towel
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
~1 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper
~
2 tbsp pomegranate paste or grenadine syrup

Saute the meat with olive oil. Then add the chickpeas, tomato, tomato paste, water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes at low-medium heat. If necessary, add more hot water. Then place the eggplants into the pot. Cover and continue to cook for 15-20 more minutes. Turn the heat off. Add the pomegranate paste, stir.

Let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve it with Pilaf with Orzo and Ayran.

2 servings.

Zucchini with Eggs

(Yumurtali Kabak Kalye - Aegean Region)

2 small zucchinis, cut in medium size
1 small onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, diced
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt
Pepper
~
One handful grated mozzarella
Red pepper flakes

Saute the onion with olive oil in a small pan. Then add the zucchinis and tomatoes, continue to saute, stir occasionally. Do not overcook! Then add the eggs, salt and pepper, stir. Sprinkle the cheese and red pepper flakes over the top.

Cover and cook until the eggs are done at low heat. When the eggs are done, turn the heat off. Do not overcook the eggs! Serve immediately.

2 servings.

Roasted Vegetable Kebap with Yogurt

(Közlenmiş Sebzeli Yoğurtlu Kebap)

Vegetables:
2 medium-size zucchinis, washed, cut in bite size
2 small Japanese eggplant, cut in bite size
1 red Bell pepper, washed, cut in bite size
2 cubanelle peppers, washed, cut in bite size
14-15 small mushrooms, brushed, cut in 3 or 4s
1 onion, peeled, cut in 8
2-3 garlic cloves, do not peel
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
~
Paprika
Mint
~
Pide, cut in bite size

Sauces:
Yogurt, room temperature
Canned crushed tomatoes, heated up

Set the oven to broil (grill) and heat it up (or use the barbecue). Arrange all the vegetables on an oven tray. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over them, mix. Roast them on the second rack from the top in the oven. Keep checking often enough as some will be roasted earlier. Peel the garlic.

Cut the pides in bite size diagonal shapes and place on the serving plates. Season the grilled vegetables with paprika and mint. Spread them over the pide pieces. Pour the tomato sauce on top and place a few spoons of yogurt on the side.

Serve it as a light lunch. It is a great vegetarian dish:)

Makes 2 servings.

Anchovies Tava / Fried Anchovies

(Hamsi Tava - Black Sea Region)

Anchovies, gutted & washed with cold water
Salt
Yellow corn meal
1/4 cup liquid oil for frying

Season the fish with salt. Dip the anchovies in the yellow corn meal. Heat up the oil in a large Teflon pan. Fry the each side of the fish for 2 or 3 minutes. Serve with the green salad, radish, Pickled Flat Green Beans, Cornbread, etc.

Summer Soup with Chickpeas and Yogurt

(Nohutlu-Yoğurtlu Yaz Çorbası)

1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove of garlic, mashed with salt
1/2 cup cucumber, grated
1/3 cup canned chickpeas*, rinsed, peeled
Salt

Garnish:
Cumin
Mint
Paprika
Extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Keep it in the fridge.

If you like, add a couple of ice cubes or a little bit of cold water before serving. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some cumin, mint and paprika on the top.

Serve with Tandoori bread on the side. It is a great Turkish cold yogurt soup for hot Summer days.

* To peel the chickpeas; Soak them in hot water for about 5-10 minutes. Then gently rub them with the palm of your hands while they are still in the water.