May 30: Kolay Patates Puresi ( Easy Potato Puree)

Prep. Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes (peeled and divided in 4-5 pieces) 
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup hot milk
• 1 1/2 stick butter
• Salt
• You may also add any of you favorite spices or herbs like black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, thyme, mint,oregano, etc. (optional)

1. Put potatoes,add water, salt, 1 stick butter and cook until potatoes are tender about 15-20 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat, add milk and 1/2 stick butter.
3. Put all the ingredients through a food mill set and beat them fine. Enjoy!

May 30: Patlican Kapama (Eggplant Kebab with Beef)

Prep. Time: 30 min.

Cooking Time: 15-20 min

8-10 Servings

Ingredients:

4 adet eggplant (preferably Chinese eggplant) (sliced diagonally)

2 medium tomatoes (sliced vertical)

2 medium potatoes (sliced vertical)

2 lb beef (cubed about 3/4")

1 medium onion (diced)

1 red pepper (diced)

1 green pepper (diced)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

 1/2 cup olive oil

 

 

May 30: Easy Coffee Cake with Pecan and Berries -

Prep. Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 35-45 min
12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1 pack vanilla powder
• 1 pack baking powder
• 1 lemon peel
• 1 cup pecan or walnut (optional: chopped)

April 18 - Incir Uyutmasi / Sleeping fig (dessert)

Prep. Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min - 3 hours
8 Servings

Ingredients:

April 18 - Easy Bulgur (Cracked Wheat) Pilav - Sebzeli Bulgur Pilavi

Prep. Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, washed and drained
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
• 1 green pepper, chunk
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt 

1. Saute the onion with the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot. 
2. Add the tomato (optional), green pepper, green onion, salt and warm chicken broth. 
3. When the water stars bubbling, pour in the bulgur add butter and stir. 
4. Cook on low heat with the lid half covered. 
5. Stir occasionally until the water evaporates.

Bon appetitte! 

April 18 - Piyaz / Kidney Bean Salad

Prep. Time: 15 min.
(Cooking Time: 20-40 min)
4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can white kidney beans (540 ml)
• 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced or 4 fresh onions, chopped
• 1 small pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, sliced

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt
• Pepper

Garnish:

• 3 boiled eggs, cut in four pieces
• Black olives

1. Wash and drain the kidney beans. Mix with all the main ingredients and place on a service plate.
2. Pour the dressing ingredients on top and then garnish with eggs and black olives.

April 18 - Kabak Kavurmasi (Sauteed Squash) 2 styles

Prep. Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
12 Servings


1st Style, without tomato paste:

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs Mexican squash (chopped in 1"cubes)
• 1 medium onion (chopped in 1/18" cubes)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, half for cooking, the other half for after
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste (optional) 
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Garnish:

 1/4 cup fresh dill or mint, chopped

1. Saute the onion with olive oil and salt for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
2. Cut off both ends of the squashes. Peel and cut in four pieces lengthwise. Then cut horizontally in pieces 2 inches tall. Throw them in the pot, add sugar.. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Place on a serving dish. Pour the rest of olive oil on top and sprinkle chopped dill. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.

2nd Style, with tomato paste, just add and saute tomato paste and red pepper paste with onion and garlic, the rest is the same.

March 21 - Kremali Kadayif / (Shredded Dough with Pudding)

Prep. Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Package Shredded Dough ~225 gr (1 package = 454 gr)
•  1 stick unsalted butter (125 gr = 8 tbsp = 1/2 cup), melted
•  3/4 cup pistachios, ground
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

Pudding:

1. Prepare the syrup first; place the water and sugar in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then simmer for 15 minutes and turn the heat off. Add lemon juice and put aside.
2. Put half the package of Shredded Dough in the food processor and pulse a few times. 
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add shredded dough, sugar and pistachios.  
4. Saute stirring until dough is light golden brown.
5. Turn off the heat.
6. ..
7. ..

March 21 - Coban Salatasi / Shepherd's Salad

Prep. Time: 15 min.
2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
•  2 tomatoes, diced
•  1 pepper, chopped
•  1/4 red onion, sliced
•  1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:

•  2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•  1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
•  Salt
•  Pepper

 Place all the vegetables in a medium size salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper to liking. Add the feta cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Don't add any other dressings!

March 21- Manti / Turkish Ravioli

Prep. Time: 30 in.

Cooking Time: 15-20 min
12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (approx 400 g) wanton wraps, 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares

Filling:

• 150 g medium or regular ground beef
• 1 small onion, ground
• Salt
• Pepper

Garnish:

• Yogurt with minced garlic and salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• Powdered red pepper, spicy or non-spicy to taste

1. Cut the wraps diagonally, ie. two triangles per wrap. 
2. Take approximately half a teaspoon of filling in the shape of a ball and put in the center of each triangle. 
3. Have a cup of water nearby, and use your little finger to dampen the sides of each triangle (so the dough will stick) and close them up. manti
4. Put all the uncooked manti into the big size Ziploc or in a container with the lid. Keep it in the freezer at least for a day. Then keep it in room temperature for an hour before cooking.
5. Boil some water with a tablespoon of salt in a large pot. 
6. Put all the manti in and stir occasionally. Cook for exactly 5 minutes and then drain. 
7. Put in plates. 
8. Fry the butter in a small pan with the red pepper. 
9. First put some garlic yogurt on top of the manti, then add the fried butter.
10. Makes 2 servings. You can also try keeping the manti in the freezer for a couple hours before you cook it. 

*If you like to make the dough from the scratch, you can use Gozleme dough to make yufka. But I give you another recipe to make Yufka and Cig Borek:)

• 2 cups milk
• 750 gr all purpose flour
• Salt

Mix and knead them all.