Swiss Chard Pie (Pezik Mücveri)

This is a delicious recipe typical from the Black Sea region.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 bunch swiss chard (about 750 g) * 1 onion * 1 tbsp flour * 2 eggs * 2 cups cooked rice * dry mint * black pepper * salt * olive oil to fry

Wash the swiss chard and cut the stems. Mince the swiss chard and boil with water. Filter and reserve. In a bowl, mix the eggs, the flour, the minced onion, the cooked rice and all the seasonings. Add the swiss chard and mix well. Put oil in a large and anti-adherent frying pan. The pan must be completely covered with olive oil. Pour the mixture in the whole area of the pan. Cook on low heat, one of the sides, for about 10 minutes. When that side is cooked, fry the other side of the mixture. For that, use a plate with the same diameter of the frying pan or bigger. Place the dish on the pan and turn the pan, so that the mixture falls on the plate. Place the side that has not been cooked in the pan. Cook that side for about 10 minutes. Let cool down a little and turn on a serving plate. Serve cut into slices.

At the Market

Purple / black carrots (kara havuç).


White cabbage - brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba (beyaz lahana). This is the most common cabbage in Turkey, and is always very big.


Oranges (portakal).




Turnips (turp).


Jerusalem artichokes (yer elması).




Pumpkin (bal kabağı).


Chestnuts (kestane).


Cauliflower (karnabahar) and broccoli (brokoli).

Weekly market in Ankara, December 2007.

Sautéed Potato Puree (Patates Kavurması)

Makes 2-3 servings

6 medium potatoes * 1 large onion * 1 tbsp pepper paste or 1 small tomato * 4-5 tbsp olive oil * red pepper * dry mint * black pepper * salt

Boil the potatoes. Mince the onion and sauté slightly in the olive oil. Add the pepper paste or a peeled tomato cut in small pieces. Add the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and spices. Stir for about one minute over medium heat. Take from the fire and serve.

This dish is usually served as an appetizer, but it is also delicious as a side dish.

Vermicelli (Tel Şehriye)

In Turkey, this kind of pasta is used specially in soups and pilafs.

Tomato and Vermicelli Soup (Domatesli Şehriye Çorbası)

Makes 4-6 servings

3 large tomatoes * 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil * 1 liter water * 1/2 cup vermicelli (tel şehriye)* salt * dry mint to sprinkle

Peel the tomatoes and cut them in medium pieces. Place them in a cooking pot along with the olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes with the pot covered, stirring occasionally. Add the water and use a mixer to mash. Season with salt and add the vermicelli. Bring to fire until the vermicelli gets soft. Sprinkle with dry mint while serving.

Kırkağaç Hamburgers (Kırkağaç Köftesi)

Kırkağaç is the name of a village located near the coast of the Aegean Sea and included in the province of Manisa. This köfte has the name of this village and is typical of the region.

Makes 4-5 servings

300 g ground beef or veal * 1 onion * 1 1/2 cup (approx.) old bread, crumbled * 100 g parsley * salt * oil to fry * plain yogurt

Mince the onion and parsley very finely. Mix all ingredients well, except the yogurt, and knead very well with the hands. Give shape to very thin and small hamburgers and fry them in hot oil. Put them on a kitchen towel, and then pass them to a serving plate. Serve hot, accompanied with plain yogurt.

Borlotti Bean Stew (Zeytinyağlı Barbunya)

Makes 4 servings

400 g boiled borlotti beans * 2 tomatoes * 1 onion * 3 tbsp olive oil * 1 carrot * 2 green chili pepers * 1/2 litre water * salt

Bring to fire the minced onion, the peppers cut in small pieces and the olive oil. Cook on low heat for about three minutes. Add the carrot and tomatoes cut in small pieces and cook a few more minutes. Add the boiled beans, water and salt and cook over low heat for about 20-30 minutes. Decorate with fresh minced parsley, if you wish.

In Turkey, this dish is usually served cold and eaten as an appetizer. It is included in the vast catalogue of meze (appetizers) so typical of the Turkish cuisine. A meal in Turkey can be only composed by a group of meze. The drink that usually accompanies the meze is the raki, the national drink of Turkey. This dish is also delicious eaten hot and served with a pilaf.

Bulgur Pilaf (Sade Bulgur Pilavı)

Makes 4 servings

1 cup bulgur * 1 1/2 cup water * 2 tbsp butter (or olive oil) * salt * black pepper

Place the olive oil in a pot or melt the butter. Wash the bulgur and sauté it slightly in the olive oil or butter for about two minutes. Add the water and seasonings and cook over low fire until the water evaporate completely. Turn off the fire, gently stir the bulgur and serve hot.

Note: This recipe is usually made with butter but you can also do it with olive oil.

Beypazarı Baklava (Beypazarı Baklavası)

Beypazarı is a town belonging to the province of Ankara and located nearly 100 kilometers far from the centre of the capital of Turkey. Walking in the streets of Beypazarı is a discovery of new flavors in every meter square. One of the most typical and famous products of Beypazarı is the baklava with 80 layers (80 katlı Beypazarı baklavası). It is a baklava made with 80 sheets of very thin dough and filled with walnuts. So many layers of dough contribute to a unique and different flavor, but always delightful.











You can find here a baklava recipe

.

Turkish Chicken And Orzo Soup (Tavuklu Şehriye Çorbası)

Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cup cooked and minced chicken * 1 cup chicken stock (from cooking the chicken) * 5 cups water * 3 tbsp olive oil * 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta) * 3 tbsp lemon juice * minced parsley * salt

Put the chicken and the water in a pot. Place over medium heat . When the water starts to boil, add the orzo and cook until it gets soft. Take from the fire and add the lemon juice and the minced parsley.

Chestnut Cookies Covered With Chocolate (Çikolatalı Kestane Şekeri - Karyoka)

With the arrival of cooler weather, the ice cream give rise to small kiosks selling these delicious cookies that may have various shapes. Apart from being traditionally called Çikolatalı Kestane Şekeri, they are also called Karyoka.

It is quite easy to make these cookies at home. Here is the recipe:

2 cups cooked and mashed chestnuts * 1/2 cup powdered sugar * 2-4 tbsp cream * 1 tablet of bitter chocolate (100 g) * grated pistachios to garnish

Beat the chestnuts, the powdered sugar and two tbsp of cream in the mixer. The resultant mixture should be easily shaped with the hands. If necessary, add a little more cream to get the ideal consistency. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in water-bath. Add a tbsp of cream and mix. Give shape to the chestnut puree. Place the cookies over parchment paper and cover them with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with grated pistachios and keep in the refrigerator. Pass them to a serving plate and serve.

Istanbul: Foodie Destination 2008

The New York Times chose Istanbul as the Foodie Destination 2008.

Find here the article on the subject.

Chicken Phyllo Rolls (Tavuklu Börek)

For around 15 rolls

1 onion * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 1 cooked and shredded chicken breast * black pepper * salt * red pepper * dried thyme * 3 sheets of filo pastry (yufka) * 1 egg * 3 tablespoons yogurt * 125 g melted margarine

Garrison:

1 yolk

Heat the chopped onion with the oil. Add the chicken and seasonings and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Mix the yogurt with an egg and melted margarine. Lay the filo sheets on top of each other, brushing the surface of each one with the liquid mix. Cut equal squares and top each one with the chicken. Roll each one up, tucking the ends inwards. Place on a tray greased with oil. Bake in a preheated oven at around 200º until golden and crispy.