FESTIVE GOODIES

This holiday season I have been enjoying making traditional sweets as well as some Turkish sweet dishes like pistachio sarma, kadayif and baklava. Also made selection of Turkish delights which was nice to give away as gifts to friends.

I enjoyed making little meringue nests with chocolate chips and flaked almond in them, they were delicious. I will be giving you the recipe in the new year for you to try them.

FIGS filled with walnuts, dipped in honey or maple syrup then rolled in roasted sesame seeds.

APRICOTS filled with whole almonds and rolled in sheared coconut flakes.

DATES filled with pistachios and almonds rolled in crushed pistachios.

CHOCOLATE AND DRIED FRUIT SWEET MINCE PIES WITH BRANDY

HI ALL, Merry Xmas and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. This festive season I enjoyed trying different recipes and yummy foods with my family and friends. One of the new things I made this year was "chocolate and fruit sweet mince pies". Personally I have not been so fond of jars of sweet mince mixture for making pies. I found them too sweet and also not so keen of suet that they add into it.

This year, I chopped up some dried apricots, figs, dates, prunes, sultanas and walnut together in a bowl with some cranberry sauce. Added splash of brandy and mixed it well. Instead of sugar I used some maple syrup and some spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Grated some %70 coco dark chocolate to the mixture( which i got the idea from a TV show for the chocolate ). It was a lovely mixture and the result was very good indeed. Didn't need to add any oil or fat to the mixture because of the coco butter in the chocolate. Using shortcrust pastry, I baked the pies with this filling and sprinkled icing sugar before serving. Everyone loved the pies and it was a change from the traditional sweet mince pies.

NOT: Can be served cold or warm with cream or custard.

QUINCE JAM - AYVA RECELI

In my opinion, quince jam is one of the nicest jams of all. Today I used 3 large quinces, diced into small pieces, sugar,lemon juice and cloves for that extra special taste.. I included the seeds of the quinces to get a lovely dark pinkish colour as seen above.

First wash and peel the quinces then cut them in to small pieces. Place them into a deep pan with 4 cups of water and juice of a lemon. Prepare a muslin bag with 6-7 cloves and the pips from the quinces, tie and drop it into the pan. Bring it to boil. Boil the quinces for 5 minutes then add 1 cup of sugar. Boil it for 10 minutes and then add the second cup of sugar, boil for 10 minutes. Then add the last cup of sugar ( 3 cups of sugar in total ) and boil until it just starts to thicken. After about 30 minutes in total your jam will be ready . Cool it for 5 minutes before transferring the jam into sterilized jar.

WHAT IS GI ?

Today I am going to talk about GI, THE GLYCAEMIC INDEX.

This is close to my heart as I know eating high GI foods really effect my well being and how I keep myself healthy by following a low GI way of eating.

Glycaemic Index is the measurement of the speed that we burn food. Foods with high glycaemic index are converted rapidly to glucose in the body, while foods with low glycaemic index are converted more slowly. Then the glucose is taken to the bloodstream by insulin. If we eat too much of high GI foods, high level of glucose enters the bloodstream and body panics and too much glucose can be harmful. It can lead to weight gain, cell damage also negatif effect on heart and the skin. By switching to low GI diet we can prevent the panic reaction and have a pozitif effect on our body function and condition. Below are the CARBS with high and low GI.

LOW GI carbohydrates

Granary bread, soya bread, barley bread, porridge, bulgur wheat, egg noodles, new potatoes, milk, yogurt, low fat ice cream, plain chocolate, nuts and seeds.

HIGH GI carbohydrates

White bread, flaked cereals, millet, pasta, potatoes, rice, boiled sweets, popcorn, waffles, pretzels, rice cakes.

LOW GI fruits

Apples, avocado, kiwi, white grapes, citrus fruits, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, grapefruit, peaches, pears, apricots, blackberries.

HIGH GI fruits

Dates, watermelon.

HIGH GI vegetables

Parsnips, pumpkin, swede, turnip. Rest of the vegetables are LOW GI.

All the beans and pulses are LOW GI except Broad beans.

All of the protein foods are LOW GI.

I collected some of the information above, from the book GI basics by Helen Foster.

VEGETARIAN BULGAR WHEAT KOFTE ( etsiz cig kofte )

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fine bulgur ( bulgar ) wheat
• 1 onion
• 4- 6 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 sun dried tomatoes, diced finely
• 2 cooked potatoes, mashed
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp pepper paste ( optional )
• bunch of parsley, chopped
• cumin, chilli pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

METHOD

1) Wash the bulgur in cold water and drain. Set aside.

2) Place onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes in a food processor and pulse it a few times. (or grate onion, garlic and tomatoes by hand and mix everything well to make this dish.)

3) Add the oil, mashed potatoes, bulgur wheat into the food processor. Mix in the tomato paste, pepper paste, parsley, cumin, chilli, salt and pepper. Pulse it several times until it all bind together. Add sprinkle of cold water if needed to form a stiff mixture.

4) Shape them into little sausages by hand and serve them on bed of lettuce leaves.

CHICKEN MARINATED IN YOGURT SAUCE

This is my quick and tasty recipe for chicken legs. You can use chicken thighs or chicken breast if you prefer it. Today I served the chicken with roasted winter vegetables and baked potatoes but very good served with rice, pasta or with just a simple salad.

YOU NEED

• 8 chicken drum sticks
• 5 tbsp natural yogurt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar or normal vinegar
• 2 tsp mixed dried herbs
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste.

1) First wash chicken pieces and drain.

2) mix the marinade: Mix yogurt and tomato puree. Add the crushed garlic, oil and vinegar.

3) Add the herbs, spices , salt and pepper. Mix well.

4) Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover with cling film and keep it in the fridge preferably overnight. ( if you don't have time, minimum 2-4 hour will be fine )

5) Cook the chicken pieces in preheated oven ,190 C for 45 minutes to one hour.

FRESH FIG CAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups plain flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped fresh figs
• sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

1) Sieve the flour with, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2) In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, add sugar, milk , oil and beat well.

3) Pour the wet mixture to the flour little at a time to make a soft pourable cake mix.

4) Fold the figs in and pour the mixture in a oiled tin.

5) Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and bake at preheated oven 180C for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into slices before serving.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

Yorkshire pudding, rosto etli yemeklerin yaninda servis yapilan tuzlu kucuk keklerdir. Ingilterenin Yorkshire bolgesinden gelen bir kekdir. Ben bugun 12 lik muffin tepsisinde pisirdim ama, normal duz tepsidede pisirip, dilimlere keserek servis yapabilirsiniz.

MALZEME

• 225 g un
• 2 yumurta
• 600 ml sut ve su karisimi
• 1-2 yemek kasigi kiyilmis maydanoz
• 1-2 fiske tuz
• Tepsiyi yaglamak icin yag.

1) Once unu eleyin ve yumurtalari icini kirin. Tuz, sut, su ve maydonozu ilave ederek karistirin. Ya mixerle yada elde bulamac halinde hamur oluncaya kadar iyice cirpin.

2) Firininizi 220 C de onceden isitin.

3) Tepsinizi yaglayip firinda 5-10 dakika isitin.( Tepsinin iyice isinip sicak olmasi lazim hamuru dokmeden once.)

4) Hazirlanan hamuru sicak tepsiye dokup, firinin kapisini acmadan 30-35 dakika pisirin. Muffin tepsisinde 15- 20 dakika yeterli oluyor 12 kusuk pudding icin.

5) Dana rosta ve buharda pismis sebzelerin yaninda servis yapin.

SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Sun dried tomatoes are my favourite amongst dried peppers, dried aubergines and dried green beans. Every year I enjoy drying my own vegetables to last me until the next summer. I use them in casseroles, stir fries, rice, even in salads in olive oil. This year I used beef tomatoes. First I washed the tomatoes and slice them about 1 cm thick. Place all the sliced tomatoes on a clean cloth and sprinkle salt on them ( normal table salt is fine ). Make sure all the tomatoes salted on both sides. Then leave them to dry on a sunny spot. It takes about 4-5 days on hot days. Turn them over after 2-3 days for other side to dry.

Place them in airtight bags before storing.

TAHIN VE PEKMEZLI KEK

Bugun misafirlere ne yapayim diye dusunurken dolapta tahin ve pekmez gozume carpti. Kuru uzumde ekleyerek bu keki yaptim ve sonucda guzel oldu. Ben 37 x 37 cm capinda buyuk tepside pisirdim ama malzemeri yarilayarak daha kucuk bir kek yapabilirsiniz.

MALZEME

• 4 su bardagi tepeleme un
• 2 paket kabartma tozu
• 1 paket vanilya
• 2 yemek kasigi tarcin
• 1 bardak cekirdeksiz kuru uzum
• 3 yumurta
• 1 bardak pekmez
• 1 bardak seker
• 1 bardak tahin
• 1 bardak sivi yag
• 1 bardak sut
• Uzeri icin hindistan cevizi ve seker tarcin karisimi.

1) Tarcin, vanilya ve kabartma tozunu unla karistirip eleyin. Uzumu de unla karistirin.

2) Mixerde veya elde yumurtalari cirpin. Pekmez, seker, tahin, yag ve sutu ilave ederek biraz daha cirpin.

3) Bu karisimi unlu karisima yavas yavas ilave edin ve kekin hamuru olunca yaglanmis tepsiye aktarin.

4) Uzerine hindistan cevizi, sonra tarcin ve seker karisimi serpip, onceden isitilmis firinda 175C derecede 25-30 dakika pisirin.

5) Pisip soguduktan sonra kesip servis yapin. Afiyet olsun.

FRESH FIG MUFFINS

YOU NEED

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 cups of chopped figs
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup yogurt
• slices of figs for decoration
• cinnamon and sugar mixture for sprinkling.

1) Sift flour with baking powder and cinnamon. Mix chopped figs with flour.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, add oil, sugar, yogurt and vanilla and whisk well.

3) Pour the wet mixture into the flour little at a time.

4) Place the muffin mixture into muffin cases and decorate with fig slices. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture and bake at preheated oven 180 C, for 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown.

5) Cool on a wire rack before serving.

LEMON AND PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

YOU NEED

• 1 large pineapple diced into small chunks
• 1/2 a lemon, cut into small pieces
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, diced
• 1 chopped apple
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp sultanas
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp mix spice
• pinch of chili powder
• 2 cups of cider

1) Place pineapple, lemon, onion, apple, tomatoes and ginger into a large pan. Add the water and bring it to boil. Then simmer for 10- 15 minutes.

2) Add the sultanas, sugar, chili, spices and cider. Simmer gently further 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

3) Let it cool for 5 minutes and then store the chutney in sterilized jars.

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

INGREDIENTS for 2 servings

• 2 tubs of strawberries
• 6 tbsp natural yogurt
• 2 tbsp cherry liqueur
• 6 tbsp light cream cheese
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• extra strawberries for decorating

1) Wash and chop up strawberries. Mix yogurt, cherry liqueur and add the strawberries. Divide them into two serving dessert dishes.

2) Mix cream cheese with milk and sugar. Pour over the yogurt and strawberry mixture.

3) Decorate with strawberries and chill in the fridge before serving.

ROSE JAM ( GUL RECELI )

INGREDIENTS

• 150 - 200 gr scented rose petals
• 1 lemon
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2-3 tbs rose water ( optional )

1) Wash and cut and discard, bitter yellow or white bases of the rose petals. Place them in a bowl and pour 2 cups of sugar over them. Squeeze the lemon juice together with the pips and add to the bowl. ( Pectin in the pips will help jam to thicken ). Let it stand overnight.

2) Place 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a heavy pan and bring to boil. Then add the rose petals and sugar mixture into the pan. Simmer for 20 -30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the rose water 10 minutes before the cooking time.

3) Take the jam off the heat when the sugar thermometer reads 105- 106 C.

4) Pour the jam into sterilized jar, cool and seal. Store in a cool place.

CHICKEN WITH WALNUTS ( CERKEZ TAVUGU )

This is another classic dish that prepared and served to Sultans at the height of Ottoman Empire. It is a dish that served as a side dish or meze. It is an ideal meal for lunch or as a buffet food.

YOU NEED

• 4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced and diced
• 3 cups of stock.
• 1 onion. chopped finely
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• crumbs from 2 slice of stale bread
• 1 cup of walnuts or pecan nuts
• 4-5 tbsp milk
• salt and pepper to taste

For garnish

• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp paprika or chili flakes

METHOD

1) Boil the chicken pieces in stock, then lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes until the chicken cooked and tender. (Use stock cubes or make your own stock and boil for at least half an hour or 1 hour before adding to the chicken. I made the stock by placing 1 onion, 1 carrot, some celery and mixed herbs for this dish). Remove the chicken from to pan and set aside to cool.

2) Fry the onion in butter until golden, then add the bread crumbs and stir. Place the walnuts, garlic in a mortar and pestle or whiz in a blender. Add to the pan with onion and bread crumbs. Add the milk and some stock to make a smooth and creamy mixture. Simmer this mixture for 2-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

3) In a separate bowl, tear the chicken flesh into thin strips. Spoon the creamy walnut sauce over the chicken and mix lightly. Add more salt to the dish to taste.Transfer the mixture on a serving plate.

4) Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the chili flakes or paprika and drizzle over chicken.

5) Decorate with walnuts and parsley just before serving.

AUBERGINE AND CHICKPEA RICE (nohut ve patlicanli pilav)

Hi all, today I made this delicious rice dish with chickpeas, aubergine and sun dried tomatoes. I served it for lunch with green salad. This is also good warmed up to accompany the main meals or cold as a party dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 4 cups hot vegetable stock or hot water
• 2-3 tbsp oil or butter
• 1 large onion chopped finely
• 1 aubergine, diced finely
• 2-3 tbsp diced sun dried tomatoes
• 1 cup cooked and drained chickpeas
• 1 level tsp mixed spice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh, chopped parsley and dill

1) Fry the onion in a pan until well browned. Add the aubergines and cook together for 5 minutes coating and mixing well.

2) Add the sun dried tomatoes, chick peas and mix spice, mix.

3) Toss in the washed rice coating it well in the spice. Pour the stock into the pan, season with salt and pepper and bring it to boil.

4) Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 12-15 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed. Turn of the heat and place a 2-3 pieces of kitchen paper on top of rice and place the lid back on tightly. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes.

5) Fluff the rice with fork and sprinkle some dill and parsley over it just before serving.

GREEN BEANS WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS

This is another vegetarian dish which is enjoyed in summer months made with olive oil. It is generally served cold as a side dish.  In Turkey people prepare these vegetables dishes cooked in olive oil and fresh tomatoes in advance and keep them the fridge as standby for meal times. These dishes traditionally served after the meat dish and before the rice but can be served as meze or side dish. 

YOU NEED

• 500 g stringless beans
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1-2 clove of garlic, diced
• 4-5 medium fresh chopped tomatoes or can of tomatoes
• pinch of sugar
• handful of chopped fresh parsley and dill
• salt and ground black pepper.

1) Trim the beans and cut them into small pieces. Wash and set aside.

2) Fry chopped onions in the olive oil until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, beans and stir.

3) Bring it to boil on the stove then turn the heat to very low and cook the beans with the lid on for 20-25 minutes.

4) You don't need to add any water to this dish but if it is going dry just add splash of water.

5) When it is nearly cooked, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs just before serving.

SIYAH ZEYTIN VE KURU DOMETESLI KAHVALTI EKMEGI

MALZEME

• 2 fincan un
• 1-2 cay kasigi tuz
• 1 paket kuru maya
• 2-3 yemek kasigi zeytin yagi
• 3 yemek kasigi sut ( ilimis veya oda sicakliginda )
• 2 cirpilmis yumurta
• 50 gr kuru tomates
• 10 tane siyah zeytin
• 1 yemek kasigi susam

1) Once unu tuzla eleyin. Mayayi karistirin ve zeytin yagi, sut ve cirpilmis yumurta ile guzel bir hamur yapin.

2) Hamuru unlanmis bir zemine aktarip 5-6 dakika yugurun. Hamuru yaglanmis derin bir tasa aktarin ve 2 saat bir kenarda mayalanmaya birakin.

3) Iki saat sonra bir iki yumruklayarak havasini alin. Kucuk parcalara kesilmis kuru dometesi ve cekirdegi alinmis zeytinleri hamura ilave edin.

4) Hamuru 8 parcaya ayirin ve yuvarlak sekil verin. Hafif yaglanmis tepsiye aktarin ve 25-35 dakika daha tepside mayalanmasi icin bekletin.

5) Sonra sutle uzerlerini fircalayin ve susam serperek, onceden isitilmis ( once firini 10-15 dakika isitin ) firina verin. 230 C derecede 10-15 dakika pisirin ve servis yapmadan once biraz sogumaya birakin.

Afiyet olsun.

LAVAS ( HERB TORTILLAS )

This is a very good savory flat bread recipe that is very similar to tortillas. it is used to wrap up kebabs, salads and cheese fillings.

YOU NEED

• 1 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chopped shallot or spring onion
• 2  tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp warm water.

1) Place everything in a food processor and pulse it several times until you achieve a soft dough.

2) Transfer into a bowl and cover with a cling film. Let it rest 10-15 minutes in the fridge if you have time.

3) Cut the dough into equal pieces about the size of an egg on a floured surface.

4) Heat the griddle pan or non stick frying pan.

5) Shape each dough into a round shape with the rolling pin to fit your pan. Cook both sides  on medium heat.

6) Serve them warm with butter on or roll them with cheese, tomatoes, meat or salad of your chose.

SOGAN VE MAYDANOZLU LAVAS (BAZLAMA )

Bugun sizlerle degisik bir lavas tarifi paylasmak istedim. Sogan , yumurta ve maydanozla lavas  yumusak ve lezzetli oldu. Bu hamur buzdolabinda 2-3 gun kalabilir ve istediginiz zaman cikarip kullanabilirsiniz.

MALZEME

• 2 cay fincani un ( 1 fincan cavdarli, 1 fincan beyaz un olabilir )
• 1 cay kasigi tuz
• 1 yumurta
• 2 yemek kasigi kiyilmis taze sogan veya kuru sogan
• 2 yemek kasigi kiyilmis taze maydanoz
• 2 yemek kasigi yogurt
• 1 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi
• 3 yemek kasigi ilik su.

1) Once unu tuzla karistirip robota diger malzemeleri de ilave ederek yumusak bir hamur haline gelinceye kadar karistirin. Vaktiniz varsa 10-15 dakika dinlendirin.

2) Yumurta buyuklugunde parcalara ayirip, oklava ile tavanizin buyuklugune gore acin.

3) Teflon tavayi isitin ve orta atesde lavasin iki tarafini pisirin.

4) Sicak tutmak icin bir bezin arasinda saklayip, obur hamurlarida ayni sekilde pisirin.

5) Tereyagi surup ekmek olarak servis yapin veya arasina lor, peynir, tomates, marul koyup durum yapin.

Afiyet olsun.

NO FAT, LOW CALORIE SOUP

This is my favorite low cal soup that I keep in my fridge on most days. It is good hot and cold. When I feel peckish I have cup of this soup and it is much better than those packet soups. I used my favorite vegetables but vary them and use the vegetables you like. I worked it out the calories and 3 scoops of this soup is only 45 calories so it is great. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 large onion,
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Half of butter nut squash
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 1 -2 leeks
• 1-2 carrots
• 5-6 mushrooms
• vegetable or chicken stock cube
• 1-2 small chili or pinch of chili powder ( optional )
• 1 piece of ginger stem
• handful of fresh herbs or 1 tsp dried herbs
• Water
• salt and pepper to taste
• Soy sauce.

Chop up all the vegetables, tomatoes  and  herbs, add  spices. Place them in a pan or pressure cooker. Add the stock and water. Cook until soft. Cool and blend to make a smooth soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and soy sauce before serving.

ISPARTA USULU EKMEK

Merhabalar, Turkiye'de butun ekmekler guzel ve her yorenin kendine gore yemekleri oldugu gibi ekmekleri de meshurdur bilirsiniz. Bugun ben yavas metoddan bu ekmegi yaptim ve ayni Isparta ekmegimiz gibi oldu. Bu ekmegin ozelligi, yugurmadan, sadace karistirip, uzun sure bekletiyorsunuz. Ekmege tadi verende uzun surede mayalanmasi.

Ingiltere su an hala serin, onun icin ben 18 saat mayaladim. Turkiye buraya gore sicak tabii ve mayalama 9- 10 veya 12 saat olabilir. Deneyin ve serin bir yerde mayalayin. Gordugunuz gibi kopurur gibi gorunurse olmus demektir. Sizlere hem fincan hemde tarti olculerini veriyorum ama tarti ve olcu kullanmanizi tavsiye ederim mumkunse, cunku fincanla olcu biraz kararlama oluyor ve hamurun sonucunu etkiliyor. Umarim begenirsiniz.

MALZEME

• 3 1/2 cay fincani beyaz ekmek unu ( 1 fincan un = 125 gr )
• 1/2 fincan cavdar unu ( 65 gr )
• 1/2 Turk cay kasigi kuru aktif maya
• 2 veya 3 Turk cay kasigi tuz
• 500 ml ( 2 fincan ) ilik su
• Uzeri icin bugday kepegi.

YAPILISI

1) BIR GUN ONCE, AKSAM :Unlar derin bir tasa olculur ve yarim cay kasigi kuru maya ve tuz ilave ederek karistirilir. Cok ilik su yavas yavas ilave edilir ve hamur karistirilir. ( Baya civik bir hamur olacak )

2) Simdi uzerini ya sitrecle, ya foil le kapatip, mutfaginizin bir kosesinde mayalanmaya birakin. ( Kisin 18-20 saat, yazin kaldiginiz yerin sicakligina gore bir saat ayarlayin, sabah kontrol edin ve kopuklu ise, hamurunuz hazir demektir.

3) Mayalandiktan sonra,hamuru karisitip havasini alin ve unlanmis bir zemine hamuru plastik bir kasikla aktarin. Unlu ellerle hamuru biraz yayin ve 4 defa katlayin. Sepet turu bir tasi hafif yaglayin ve kepegi her tarafina yayin. Hamuru 2 saat daha dinlenmeye birakin. ( Yazin 1 saat ). Hamurun uzerine kepek serpip temiz bir bezle kapatin.

4) Bu arada hamurun hazir olmasina yarim saat kala firina kapakli ve firina dayanikli kabinizi koyun ve 240 C derecede yarim saat hem firini hemde kapakli tencerenizi isitin. ( Tencerenin baya sicak olmasi lazim )

5) Yarim saat sonra hamuru sicak tencereye aktarin ve tencerenin kapagini kapatip ekmegi 35 dakika pisirin. Sonra kapagini alin firinin derecesini 220 C dereceye dusurun. Ekmegi bu sefer kapaksiz 15- 20 dakika daha pisirin ve firndan alin.

6) Iki saat sogumaya birakin. ( Beklemek cok zor oluyor ama, ekmek bu iki saat icinde hala pisiyor onun icin sabirli oluyoruz. )

Afiyet olsun.

NOT : Bulundugunuz yer cok sicaksa buzdolabinda saklayin sonra mayalamaya devam edin.

SMOKED SALMON WITH CAVIER

Smoked salmon is one of my favorite fish that I love. I use it in sandwiches, in salads, as a starter and as a side dish. We had friends round the other day and I served this as a starter which was lovely and light and enjoyable.

YOU NEED

• Tub of low fat creme fraiche
• 1 slice of smoked salmon per person
• Rocket leaves, cleaned and washed
• Jar of caviar
• 2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Some water to mix
• Salt and ground black pepper

1) Wash and spin the rocket leaves, set aside. Mix mayonnaise and tomato puree with water and set aside.

2) Place 1 tbsp of creme fraiche on each serving plate and place the rocket leaves on top. Then place one piece of salmon and top it up with 1 tsp of caviar.

3) Drizzle mayonnaise and tomato pure sauce over it.

4) Season with salt and pepper and serve it chilled. 

ISKOCYA KUKISI ( SHORTBREAD )

Bu gun sizlere shortbread tarifini sunuyorum. Iskocya'ya ait olan bu kuki cok lezzetli ve kolay yapilan bir biskuvi turu. Burada tek deginecegim konu tereyagi yerine baska yag kullanmayin. Bu kukinin ozelligi tereyagi ile yapilmis olmasi. Benim gibi, shortbread yaptiginizda ailenizle, arkadaslarinizla hemen paylasin ve bitsin, ha ha!!Umarim begenirsiniz.

MALZEME

• 1 su bardagi un
• 1 yemek kasigi ince irmik
• 1 cay kasigi kabartma tozu
• 100 gr oda sicakliginda tereyagi
• 50 gram seker ( 4 yemek kasigi )

1) Unu irmikle eleyin ve kabartma tozunu ilave edip karistirin.

2) Elde veya robotla tereyagi ve sekeri, beyazlasincaya kadar cirpin.

3) Unlanmis bir zemine aktarip elle az yugurun.

4) Sonra tepsiye gore acarak, hamurun kenarlarini bicakla ufak ufak hafif kesin, suslemek icin. Hamurun uzerini catalla batirip hafif delikler olusturun. Sonra bicakla hafifce 8 parca isaret yapin, yukarda goruldugu gibi.

5) Onceden isitilmis  180C, 160 fan ayarli firnda 25- 35 dakika acik sari renk oluncaya kadar pisirin.

6) Firindan alinca uzerine seker serpin ve ucgenleri bicakla kesin.

7) Servis yapmadan once shortbreadi tepside sogumaya birakin. Sonra hava girmeyen kaplarda saklayin. Afiyet olsun.

EGGLESS MUFFINS

Hi all, this is my latest experiment of egg less muffins. My son's friend who is allergic to eggs, inspired me to make these muffins. They turned out very nice and you will never know the difference from ordinary muffins. Hope you like them. Below makes 12 muffins.

YOU NEED

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp coco powder
• 1 cup of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate drops mixture
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 -7 tbsp melted butter or oil ( I prefer to use less butter )
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• Brown sugar and sunflower seeds for sprinkling

1) Sieve the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and coco powder. Add the nut and dried fruit mixture, mix.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, butter, milk and vanilla essence.

3) Pour the wet mixture slowly to the dry mixture and mix. Fold with a wooden spoon and drop 2 tbsp of the mixture to each muffin case.

4) Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and sunflower seeds and bake at preheated oven 180 C, 160 fan setting for 20 minutes.

5) Cool them on wire rack before serving.

TAHINI FLAT BREAD ( TAHINLI KATMER )

INGREDIENTS for 4 tahini bread

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup mixture of milk and warm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg

For the filling

• 8 tbsp runny tahini ( sesame paste )

METHOD

1) Sieve flour with salt. In a separate bowl, mix egg, oil, milk and water. Make a dough with this mixture. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

2) After the resting period, break the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each dough about 30-32 cm in diameter. Spread 2 tablespoonful of tahini for each bread and roll up the dough to form a twisty log. Then roll it again, this time 20-23 cm in diameter.

3)Pre- heat a lightly greased non stick pan or griddle then turn the heat to low and place the bread to cook slowly for about 7-10  minutes each side until they are golden and cooked through. Repeat the same with remaining dough.

4) Cool the bread 5-7 minutes before serving.

5) when cooled, wrap them in a grease proof paper and store them in a plastic bag. They will keep for 3-4 days. Re heat them in a non stick pan the next day to warm them before serving.

APPLE AND YOGURT FACE CLEANSER

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• half an apple peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 10 drops of rosemary MT
• 2 tsp runny honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp rice flour or corn flour

1) Place slices of apples, yogurt, honey, lemon juice  in a blender and make a pulp.

2) Add the rice flour with a spoon and mix.

3) Mix lavender and rosemary drops and stir.

4) Massage the mixture over the face then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

NOT : This cleanser will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

YAGSIZ REVANI

MALZEMELER

• 3 buyuk yumurta
• 100 g seker
• 150 g ince irmik
• 1 cay kasigi kabartma tozu
• 2 cay kasigi vanilya.

Serbet icin

• 2- 3 cay bardagi saf portakal suyu

1) Yumurtalari ve sekeri  ya robotta yada telle elde iyice cirptiktan sonra, irmigi kabartma tozu ile eleyin.

2) Yumurta ve seker karisimini irmikle karistirin ve vanilya ilave edin.

3) Yaglanmis bir tepsiye hamuru dokun ve onceden isitilmis firinda 190 C de 30 dakika pisirin.

4) Firindan cikan revaniyi 5 dakika dinlendirdikten sonra karelere kesip soguk portakal suyunu uzerine dokun.

5) Buz dolabinda soguduktan sonra servis yapin. Afiyet olsun.

YENILEN  CICEKLER

Gordugunuz gibi bugun ben revaniyi ciceklerle susledim. Internetten bilgi alarak arzu ettiginiz yenilebilen cicekleri toplayip yumurta aki ve seker serperek  kurutun sonra sus olarak kullanin. 1 yumurta akini cirpin ve fircayla ciceklerin uzerine surun. Sonra uzerlerine seker serpin ve bir tepside bir kac saat veya 1 gun kurutun.

HOMEMADE TURKISH DELIGHT ( ROSE )- GUL LOKUMU

When I make Turkish Delight at home, the smell of rose oil takes me back to my home town of Isparta where I grew up in Turkey. During rose season in Isparta, rose fields stretch for miles and produce a wonderful fragrance all through the town. It is the only place in whole of Turkey where roses are grown purely for making rose oil and rose products. Rose oil has been exported from Isparta to France and many other countries for perfume making. Also the best rose Turkish Delights are made in the Isparta region as well as rose water and rose jam.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg sugar
• 1400 ml water

For the paste

• 90 g corn or wheat starch
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 350 ml water

For the colour and aroma

• 2-3 drops of rose oil
• natural red food colouring ( optional )

For dusting the Turkish delight

• 150 g icing sugar
• 50 g wheat starch

METHOD

1) Place sugar and water in a heavy pan and bring it to boil. Then turn the heat to medium and continue boiling the syrup for 1 hour.

2) Mix wheat starch with cream tartar and make a paste with 350 ml water.

3) Take one soup ladle of syrup and mix it with the starch mixture to warm it up.

4) Pour the starch mixture into the pan of boiling syrup. Bring it to boil, stirring continuously.

5) When syrup and starch mixture boils, turn the heat to low and simmer it for further 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it wont stick to the bottom of the pan.

6) When it is pale yellow in colour and glue like in constancy, turn the heat off.

7) Add the rose oil drops and red food coloring with a tooth pick. Mix it well with a wooden spoon and pour it into lightly greased and wax paper lined, square dish 23cm x 23 cm. Sprinkle the top with some wheat starch and set aside to cool for 24 hours.

8) Mix icing sugar and starch for coating.

9) Tip Turkish delight on a clean surface dusted with sugar and starch mixture. Cut it into slices with a knife dipped in, sugar and starch mixture.

10) Coat them in plenty of icing sugar and starch mixture before serving. Makes 90 - 100 Turkish delights depending on the size you cut them. Leave them on a tray for 2-3 days to dry out before storing them in a box on single layer.

COOK'S NOTE : Use a candy thermometer if you have one and insert into the pan towards the end. 235F, 113C is an ideal temperature for the lokum.

Add nuts or different fruit aromas that you prefer at the end of cooking.