Chocolate Pudding Covered Cake

(Çikolatalı Puding Kaplı Kek)

5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
250 gr unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

Cake mold with a hole in the center

1 1/2 cup milk, cold

Beat the butter with sugar, egg and vanilla extract using a wooden spoon (or mixer) in a large bowl. Then add flour, rice flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix for a few minutes. Pour into the oiled mold.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Place the mold on the middle rack. Bake for about 50 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. Wait for 15 minutes, then pour the cold milk slowly all over the cake. Then place the cake on the plate. When it cools down, pour Chocolate Pudding all over. Sprinkle some crushed pistachio on top, then serve.

Chocolate Pudding:
1 + 3/4 cup = 425 ml milk
1/2 or 3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa

Melt the corn starch in the water in a medium-sized pot. Add sugar, cocoa and milk, and stir constantly on medium-high heat. When you see the bubbles on the surface, cook for one more minute. Don't stop stirring. Pour all over the cake.

* If you use Piyale Kakaolu Puding use 425 ml milk instead of 750 ml.

Shrimp-Feta Cheese Saute

(Beyaz Peynirli Karides Sote)

250 g frozen, peeled and de-veined, thawed shrimp
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely copped
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch crushed pepper
1 cup diced tomato, canned
1/2 cup feta cheese, cut in bite size cubes
1/2 tsp oregano

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

Saute the onion with butter and salt on medium heat. When the colour starts to turn, add the garlic. When the smell of garlic comes out, add the tomato, black pepper and crushed pepper. Turn the heat down to low, cover on and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp, feta cheese and oregano, and cook more for about 6-7 minutes, then turn the heat off. Place the dish on a serving dish. Sprinkle parsley and lemon zest all over.

Serve Shrimp-Feta Cheese Saute with Pilaf or toasted bread slices as a light lunch.

2 servings.

Kidney Beans with Turkish Pastrami Casserole

(Pastirmali Kuru Fasulye)

1 can of kidney beans (540 ml), gently rinsed and drained
1/2 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
2-3 fresh green onions, chopped
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
3 tbsp butter
1/4 + 1/2 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper
7-8 slices of Turkish Pastrami, cut in 2 or 3 pieces

Cook all the ingredients with 1/4 cup of hot water (except the kidney beans and pastrami) at medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes with the lid on. Then, add the kidney beans with 1/2 cup of hot water. Replace the dish with an earthenware pot (Guvec/Terra Cotta) or oven safe dish. Cover the pot with the aluminum foil. Make 4-5 holes on the aluminum foil with the tip of a knife.

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Place the pot on the middle rack and cook for about an hour.

Meanwhile fry the Turkish Pastrami slices in a pan with 1 tbsp butter on both sides. Don't over fry them! Then, place them all over the cooked beans. Serve with Pilaf and Pickled Vegetables.

Makes 2-3 servings.

History of Pastirma
(Source: TurkishCulture.org)

The Turkish horsemen of Central Asia used to preserve meat by placing slabs of it in pockets on the sides of their saddles, where it would be pressed by their legs as they rode. This pressed meat was the forerunner of today's pastirma, a term which literally means 'being pressed' in Turkish, and is the origin of the Italian pastrami. Pastirma is a kind of cured beef, the most famous being that made in the town of Kayseri in central Turkey.

The 17th century Turkish writer Evliya Çelebi praised the spiced beef pastirma of Kayseri in his Book of Travels, and Kayseri pastirma is still regarded as the finest of all. Good quality pastirma is a delicacy with a wonderful flavour, which may be served in slices as a cold hors d'oeuvre or cooked with eggs, tomatoes and so on. Although pastirma may also be made with mutton or goat's meat, beef is preferred.

Spinach with Ground Beef

(Kiymali Ispanak)

500 g fresh baby spinach, washed, drained, coarsely chopped
150 gr medium ground beef
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp rice, rinsed
1 small tomato, peeled, cut in small cubes
1 tsp red pepper paste
3 tbsp crushed tomato, canned
Salt
Pepper

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

Saute the onion with olive oil and butter for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat in the medium sized pot. Then add the ground beef, salt and pepper, then stir. Cook together until the colour of the ground beef turns to light brown. Add the rice, tomato, red pepper paste and crushed tomato, stir again.

Add the spinach in it. Cover and cook on medium heat until the rice is tender without adding water.

Place a couple of spoons of Garlic Yogurt Sauce over the top. Serve with freshly baked Turkish Bread.

2 servings.