HAZELNUT COOKIES ( FINDIKLI KURABIYE )

These  little cookies are so nice and ready in no time for tea. it is my friend Funda's recipe with hazelnuts and raisins in, but you can use any dried fruit you desire. I also added the rose water which made it lovely and fragrant.

YOU NEED

• 1 cup natural yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs ( keep one yolk for the top of the cookies )
• Half a cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbls chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2tbsp rose water
• 4 cups self raising flour

First mix the sugar and oil well together, add the beaten eggs. Mix  well. Add the hazelnuts, raisins, cinnamon to the flour and mix with all the ingredients into a smooth dough with the rose water. Shape into rounds, brush it with egg yolk and decorate with whole hazelnuts. Cook in pre-heated oven on 175C for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm. 

FRIDAY MARKET IN KUSADASI / TURKEY

Yesterday I was in town for the Friday market. It was vibrant and colourful with fresh fruit and vegetables from the surrounding villages. The farmers are going back to growing everything organic, just like the old times which was the only way many years ago. A farming village called Kirazli is going organic for all their produce. Kirazli is famous for beautiful peaches, cherries, tomatoes, peppers as well as other fruit and vegetables. It is also great place to go for a home cooked meal , prepared by the local women and enjoyed ,with all the produce freshly picked from their own garden.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH FRESH TOMATOES

This dish was cooked with organic chicken and fresh tomatoes and and fresh peppers which tasted quite delicious. I served it with Turkish round rice which is fried with some butter first then cooked with chicken stock.

YOU NEED

• 4 pieces of chicken breast, diced
• 2 tbls olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove of garlic ( optional )
• 5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2-3 tblsp full of  green peppers, diced
• 1 cup stock stock or water
• Salt and black pepper
• fresh parsley and dill, chopped

METHOD

First wash and dry the chicken then dice into small pieces. Fry in a non stick pan with the oil for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and fry for further 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes,  peppers and the stock, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until it is cooked. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh herbs just before serving. Serves 4.

KUSADASI /AYDIN / TURKEY

The lunar eclipse, taken from my balcony in Kusadasi.

These photos were taken at MILLI PARK, Guzelcamli, near Kusadasi. It's a national park with beautiful beaches, and plenty of picnic areas underneath the pine trees.

This is the sunset, taken on our way home from Milli Park.

EDIRNE AND SELIMIYE MOSQUE

On our travels from England through Europe to Turkey, we stopped at the border town of Edirne where my brother lives with his wife and two sons. We spent delightful 3 days there with lots of historical sites to visit and places of interest to see. The biggest and most magnificent site was SELIMIYE CAMII ( mosque ) which was designed and built some 500 years ago by great arketect MIMAR SINAN. It was his second and the biggest mosque which he built after the AYASOFYA CAMII IN ISTANBUL. 

The train is the museum piece in the grounds of the university which was the first station in Turkey from Bulgaria.

During our stay in Edirne, we had a lovely meal by the riverside restaurant under the palm trees. We had all kids of starters called MEZE then lovely lamb dish which is boiled with some garlic and herbs first then cooked in the wood fire oven with fresh peppers and tomatoes.  The evening was wonderful and it was a great 3 days to remember.

SAC BOREGI

This is the traditional way of making lovely boreks  in all the villages and towns in Turkey. It is filo pastry made with flour, salt water and little oil, rolled into a very thin pastry, almost paper like, round shaped and filled  with various fillings like Cheese and parsley, potatoes and onion, mince and onion.It is then folded over and cooked  on the open wood fire with special large round pan called SAC. That is how it has the name 'sac boregi.'

it is very light, delicious and great snack any time of the day freshly made as you want them.

NOTE : Please see my HOME MADE SAC BOREGI recipe, posted on 14- NOV- 08.

SIRINCE

HI ALL

Yesterday  I visited a delightful little Aegean village called SIRINCE, in Turkey just outside of SELCUK / IZMIR. it is only 600 in population and it is surrounded by hills, peach orchards, vineyards and olive groves.

Most of the houses are built in 19TH century or earlier. As well as a mosque, there are also 2 Churches, The St John Baptist Church, set in a beautiful courtyard with a fountain on top of the hill.

It has authentic village atmosphere, famous for producing wine, olive oils and handicrafts. 

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TURKISH BREAKFAST

HI ALL

Here is a selection of dishes served for breakfast  in Turkey.

• It is boreks made with filo pastry, filled with cheese and spinach or ground mince with herb and spices.
  
• White  goats cheese and edam like kasar cheese.
  
• Sliced fresh tomatoes and green peppers,
•  Meze made with tomato paste mixed with grated cheese, chopped cucumber, herbs and spices.
• Black and green olives,
• Pomegranate concentrate mixed with dried herbs,
• Fresh bread and butter,
• Jams and honey.