Nettles with Rice (Isırgan Çeşitlemesi)

Makes 3-4 servings

250 g fresh nettles * 1 onion * 50 g parsley * 2 tbsp olive oil * 1 coffee cup rice * 1 cup water (from boiling the nettles) * ½ tsp red pepper * salt

Use plastic gloves. Wash the nettles and remove the thicker stems. Cook the nettles in some water with salt. Meanwhile, sauté the minced onion with the olive oil. Add the nettles and minced parsley and mix. Add the rice, seasonings and water. Cook for about 15 minutes over low fire.

Yeşillikler

Green chickpeas (yeşil nohut), a variety of parsley (firik maydonoz) and nettles (ısırgan otu).

Potato Salad (Patates Salatası)

Makes 5-6 servings

5 medium sized potatoes * 50 g parsley * 1 carrot * 1/2 lemon juice * black pepper * salt

Boil the potatoes and the carrot. Filter and mash them with a fork or in the mixer. Mince the parsley. Mix the mashed potatoes and carrot with the minced parsley, lemon juice and a bit of black pepper and salt. Let it cool down a little. Make small balls and serve cold or warm with pickles.

Çorum Bread (Çorum Ekmeği)

Although it seems ordinary bread equal to many others, it surprises for its crustiness, lightness and has also the typical flavor of bread baked in firewood stove.
This is the type of bread most consumed in Turkey, and is also used in the döner and other Turkish fast-food, especially in fried fish sandwiches, which are also very typical.
This bread is made with Çorum flour. Çorum is a Turkish province located in the Black Sea region, which is also known for having the best flour of the country.

Almond Pudding (Keşkül)

Makes 2 servings

2 cups milk * 1 cup sugar * 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch * 2 egg yolks * 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar and the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until boil and thicken. Add the almonds and cook one minute more, stiring continuously. Place in a serving plate or in individual bowls. Garnish with chopped almonds and serve cold.

Orchid Root Drink (Salep)

Seller of Salep in the center of Ankara, December 2007.

The salep is a drink made of orchid root in powder called salep, which lends its name to the drink. It is a hot drink very common in Turkey during the winter, like the boza, another drink made with bulgur.
The popularity of salep extended from Turkey and the Middle East to England and Germany before the coming of coffee and tea, and later remained as an alternative beverage.
The Romans used the orchid roots to produce some beverages considered a powerful aphrodisiac.
In Turkey there are desserts made with salep and also ice creams. The Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş is the biggest salep producer and the delicious Kahramanmaraş ice creams are famous throughout Turkey.
The popularity of salep in Turkey led to the decrease in the amount of wild orchids in the country. As a result, it is illegal to export salep. Also due to this fact, there are many instant mixtures for sale to make salep drink with artificial aroma.



Makes 1 serving

1 cup milk * 1 tsp salep * cinnamon powder * sugar

Mix the salep and the milk very well until boiling. Add sugar to taste and sprinkle with cinnamon. Drink hot.

Note: In Turkey, the genuine salep powder can be found for sale in herbalists (Lokman Hekim). The instant preparations are sold in any supermarket.

Ground Beef and Swiss Chard Stew (Pazı Kavurması) with Yogurt Dip (Sarmısaklı Dereotlu Yoğurt)

Makes 4 servings

300 g swiss chard * 300 g ground beef * 2 garlic cloves * 1 onion * 1 cup water * 3 tbsp olive oil * salt * red pepper

Cut the swiss chard and remove the stems. Cook with water. Filter and reserve. Sauté the minced onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the ground beef and go on sautéing for more 3-4 minutes. Add the swiss chard, seasonings and water and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with yogurt dip.

For the yogurt dip:

6 tbsp plain Turkish yogurt (or Greek) * salt * 2 tbsp minced fresh dill * 3 garlic cloves

Mix the yogurt with the minced dill and garlic. Pour this dip over the stew.

Ground Beef with Eggs (Kıymalı Yumurta)

Makes 2 servings

200 g ground beef * 2 small green peppers * 2 eggs * 3 tbsp olive oil * salt * dried thyme

Sauté the ground meat in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add the peppers cut in small pieces and the seasonings. Stir and cook for more five to seven minutes. Find some space in the middle of the meat for the eggs or cover the meat with the two eggs. You can spread a little the egg over the meat.

Chickpea Salad (Nohut Salatası)

Makes 4 servings

400 g cooked chickpeas * 6 tbsp olive oil * 6 tbsp vinegar * 1 lemon juice * 4 tbsp minced scallions * 6 tbsp minced parsley

Mix the olive oil with the vinegar, lemon and salt. Cover the chickpeas with the sauce and mix. At the time of serving add the parsley and scallions and mix.

Turkish Baggels with Mahaleb (Açma)

For 8 baggels

500 g flour * 20 g fresh yeast * 1/2 cup milk * 1/2 cup water * 1/4 cup oil * 1 tbsp sugar * 1 tsp salt * 2 egg whites * 2 tsp mahaleb

To garnish:

2 egg yolks * sesame seeds * nigella seeds

Mix the yeast with the milk and the sugar and stir well to dissolve the yeast. Place the flour in a bowl and open a hole in the center. Put all the ingredients inside and knead very well. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces and open each one with a roller pin. After opening, divide it again in two equal parts. Make a roll with each and then make rings. Arrange them on a greased oven tray and brush each one with the beaten egg yolks. Sprinkle with the seeds. Let it rest for 30 minutes before placing in the oven. Cook on a 180° pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes.