Mushrooms Sauteed with Chickpeas

(Alanya - Alanya Usulu Mantar Kavurma)

~25 medium-size mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1/3 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
Salt
Pepper

Saute the onion with olive oil and butter for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to saute for 2 more minutes. Then, add in the mushrooms, chickpeas and water. Season with salt and pepper. Saute 4-5 more minutes at medium heat while stirring occasionally.

Serve while still warm.

Butternut Squash Cheesecake

(Balkabakli Labneli Pasta)

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or wholewheat or oatmeal or ginger cookies)
2 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
4 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cream 35%
300 g labne cheese*
300 g creamy yogurt, room temperature
2 tbsp corn starch

Topping:
500 g peeled butternut squash, cut in bite size
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-2 tbsp water

9inch-22cm. spring-form pan, the bottom lined with the parchment paper

To prepare the topping; cook all the topping ingredients in a medium-size pot at low heat, mash while still hot. Strain the puree through a medium mesh strainer. Let it cool, cover and keep in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

In a bowl, stir the crumbs, sugar and butter until well moistened; press onto bottom of pan, put in the freezer.

Meanwhile; In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs with sugar. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix until smooth on low speed. Pour it over the crust.

Bake it for about an hour. Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. Cover with plastic wrap. It is essential to chill overnight.

Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing spring-form ring.

Spread the butternut squash puree over the top equally. Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheese cake before removing the spring-form ring.

*Labne cheese: a soft, cream cheese made from strained yogurt. Labne is easy to make and low in calories, making it the perfect alternative to traditional cream cheese. Labne can be used just as you would normally use cream cheese, as a spread on bagels or a dip for your favorite fruit and vegetables.

Sujuk (Turkish Sausage) Stuffing

(Sucuk İçi - Kayseri)

500 g ground veal from breast meat (brisket), medium or regular
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
~
1/2 cup hot water

Mix all the ingredients with your hand and knead. Start to saute in a large Teflon pan using a wood spoon to break up the ground veal at medium heat. When the colour of the veal turns, add the hot water and continue to cook until there is no water in it while stirring at low-medium heat. Serve immediately with the freshly baked Turkish bread or pide on the side.

It is a great dish for brunch at weekends:)

Actually, “Sucuk içi” is a mixture of meat to stuff the casing and to make a sucuk.
It is also eaten without the casing; just cook the sucuk ici and eat with the Turkish bread.
You can eat it either with a fork full of the meat and bite of bread, or by stuffing the corner of the bread with the cooked sucuk ici. Have it with Turkish tea!

Red Lentil - Bulgur Soup with Caramelized Onion

(Aşlık Çorbası - Erzincan)

1/4 cup Turkish bulgur, small grain, washed, drained
1/2 cup red lentil, washed, drained
3-4 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
1 cup beef broth
3 cups warm water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
1 medium size onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dry mint

Cook all the soup ingredients in a medium size pot at medium heat.

Meanwhile caramelize the sliced onion with butter at low heat. Then add in the soup. Season with the mint. Serve the soup with lemon wedges.

2-3 servings.

Swiss Chard Salad with Feta Cheese

(Peynirli Pazı Salatası)

Bunch of Swiss chard, washed
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 green onions, chopped
2 medium size tomatoes, peeled, diced
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese, cut in cubes
2-3 tbsp walnuts, chopped, lightly toasted

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

Stack individual leaves on top of one another and roll them up lengthwise. Then cut them into thin slices. Chop the stems, too.

Saute the onion and stems with olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a large pot. Add the Swiss chard leaves, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the Swiss chard is softened. Do not overcook! Turn the heat off, add the feta cheese and walnuts, mix. Let it cool down.

Serve the salad with Garlic-Yogurt Sauce.

2 servings.

Pot Kebap

(Tencere Kebabı)

~350 - 400 g lamb cubes
1 tbsp flour
1 medium size onion, thinly sliced
1-2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp butter
1 medium size carrot, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup frozen green peas, rinsed with hot water
4-5 whole sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
~400 g Jerusalem artichokes
1 3/4 cups hot water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Dill, chopped

Cook the lamb cubes in a medium size pot at medium heat until there is no water in it. Then add in onion, carrot, flour and butter and saute for 7-8 minutes at low-medium heat. Do not burn it!

Add the remaining ingredients except Jerusalem artichokes. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add in Jerusalem artichokes, stir. Continue to cook until Jerusalem artichokes are tender, it takes app 6-7 minutes at medium heat. Garnish with dill and serve with Turkish Rice Pilaf or Turkish bread on the side.

2 servings.

Rice Pilaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Kurutulmuş Domatesli Pirinç Pilavı)

3/4 cup long-grain rice, washed, drained
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, grated
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup hot chicken broth
2 tbsp currants
2 tbsp pistachios
Salt
Pepper

Saute the onion with butter in a pot for 3-4 minutes. Add in the rice, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper and continue to saute for 3-4 more minutes. Then, add the currants, pistachios and chicken broth into the pot. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook until the rice absorbs all the water.

Remove the cooking pot from the heat. Open the lid, place a clean kitchen towel across the top of the pot on the rim, and cover. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes.

2 servings.

Spicy Spread with Walnuts

(Aydın Çemeni - Aegean Region)

2/3 cup walnuts, pounded
1-2 garlic cloves
5-6 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp red pepper paste, hot
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with dried yufka or pide or a slice of Turkish rustic bread or rye bread...