SMOKED FISH WITH SPINACH

 YOU NEED

• 2 fillets of smoked cod or haddock
• skimmed milk
• half a packed spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp fresh dill  and parsley
• red chili flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

1) Wash the fish and drain. Place the fillets in a pan with the milk to cover the fish and heat gently. When it boils, turn the heat to low and cook the fish for 5 minutes. Take the fish out, set aside.

2) Saute the chopped leeks in the oil for couple of minutes. Add the spinach and stir. Cook for further 2 minutes with the herbs and the pine nuts. Add chili pepper and season with salt.

3) Divide into 2 serving plates . Flake the fish and place it on top the spinach and leek. 

4) Sprinkle with paprika or chili flakes and decorate with dill before serving.

VEGETARIAN ICLI KOFTE ( Veceteryan icli kofte )

This type of stuffed kofte, traditionally made with minced meat but some friends requested the vegetarian version. It was tasty and I enjoyed making these with different vegetarian fillings. Makes 15- 16 icli koftes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, 
• 4 heaped tbsp fine bulgur ( bulgar wheat )
• 4 heaped tbsp coarse semolina
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• pinch of chili and cumin powder ( optional )
• Salt and pepper to taste.

FILLING VARIATIONS

1) Chick peas, cooked with onion, tomatoes, herbs and spices

2) Beans with mix veg

3) Cheese and onion

4) Lentils cooked with leeks, ginger, chili and garlic

5) Boiled and grated potato mixed with spring onion, spinach and grated cheese.

6) Chopped nuts and mashed chick peas.

METHOD

1) Place  roughly chopped onion in a food processor, pulse it couple of times. Add bulgur, semolina, egg, tomato puree, salt and spices. Pulse it several times until you achieve a  smooth paste. Bring it out and make 16 walnut size balls.

2) Take each piece and make a hole  in the middle with your thumb. Then turning the index finger inside the bulgur balls to make thin holes. Wet your fingers while doing so. Make the holes as thin as possible.

3) Fill the holes with vegetarian filling of your chose about 1 tsp in  each ball and close them to make oval or round shapes. At this stage if it breaks, just mend it and close it with little water and cover the holes.

4) Bring 6 -7 glasses of  water to boil, add some salt. Drop 6-8 koftes at a time so they wont overlap. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Take them out carefully with perforated spoon and let them cool on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.

5) Shallow fry them in hot oil, drain them on kitchen paper  and serve them with sweet and spicy sauce.

POTATOES WITH EGG AND MUSHROOMS ( mantarli, yumurtali patates)

YOU NEED

• 350-400 g new potatoes, diced
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion or 50 g leeks, chopped
• 50 g peppers, diced
• 50 g mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 eggs
• Salt, pepper.

METHOD

First stir fry the onions on high heat for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, pepper and cook on medium heat with the lid on until the potatoes are cooked and golden for about 1o minutes stirring and mixing occasionally. Add mushrooms , cook for 5 more minutes. Add eggs, salt and pepper and cook for couple of minutes more until the eggs are to your taste. Serves 2-3.

TOMATO SOUP ( Domates corbasi )

YOU NEED

• 1 kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 100 leeks, chopped
• 100 peppers, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small chilli ( optional )
• Handful of parsley and dill, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD

First wash the tomatoes and chop them roughly. Fry the leeks in the oil until they go brown, then add the tomatoes together with the rest of the ingredients and bring the soup to boil. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 20- 30 minutes until it is cooked. Let it cool. Now pour the soup into a liquidiser and blend until smooth. Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper just before serving.

Serve with crusty bread or pitta bread. Serves 4-6

NOTE

You can sieve the soup before liquidising it, if you don't like tomato skins.

This soup can be served hot and cold.

The ingredients are easily halved to serve 2.

LEEKS WITH CARROTS ( Havuclu pirasa)

INGREDIENTS

• 300 g leeks, about 3 medium size
• 100 g carrots, 2 medium
• 1 medium potato
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp mix spice
• Dash of soy sauce
• Juice of half a lemon
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• 300 ml water or vegetable stock
• Salt and black pepper

METHOD

First wash and chop leeks, carrots and the potato into small cubes. Heat the oil in the pan and add the leeks. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Tip in the carrots, potatoes and garlic. Add tomato puree, sugar, spice, soy and lemon juice. Pour stock or water and bring it to boil. Add parsley, salt and simmer gently for 10- 15 minutes until the vegetables cooked but still crunchy. Serve it with more parsley and lemon wedges. Serves 2.

TURKISH LAMB WITH ROSEMARY & THYME ( Biberiye ve kekikli kuzu)

Hi ALL , this is an all in one dish which is filling and nutritious. It is best cooked slowly but you can achieve equal results using the pressure cooker if you are in a hurry.

The above pictures show 2 versions of the dish. One with added beans, the other with new potatoes. My family love them both.

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

300 g lean lamb chunks

1 tbsp olive oil

400 g fresh tomatoes, about 6-7 medium, cut in large chunks

200 g onions, about 2 large, chopped

2 fat cloves of garlic, left whole

75 g leeks, green bits, chopped

100 fresh peppers ( i used yellow ones )

200 g white beans or new potatoes,

2 tbsp Rosemary and thyme, chopped finely

Salt and black course pepper to taste.

METHOD

Heat the oil in the pan and brown the meat, add tomatoes onions, garlic, cover and cook very slowly for about an hour or until the meat is soft. Then add the beans, leeks, peppers and herbs and cook further 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables cook to your taste. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle more herbs just before serving.

COOK'S TIP

Cooking time with pressure cooker is 15 minutes for the meat then 5 more minutes to finish it off with the vegetables.

You can also cook this dish with chicken or beef rather than lamb to suit your taste.

SMOKED MACKEREL & HARICOT BEANS IN LEEK AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

This simple yet nutritious dish is filling, tasty and quick to make. With each portion you will have vitamins D, E, iron all the daily requirement for selenium. Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 leeks, chopped finely
• 50 g mushrooms, chopped
• 75 g tomatoes, chopped
• 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 level tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Little salt
• Hand full of fresh thyme, chopped
• 150 g cooked haricot beans
• 2 tsp of tomato paste
• 200 ml vegetable stock or hot water
• 2 fillet of ready to eat peppered smoked mackerels
• 100 g feta cheese, crumbled

50 g of RISI ( RISONI ) pasta per person to serve.

METHOD

First add the leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic in a pan with the olive oil, stir and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water for approximately 6-7 minutes. Reserve 200 ml pasta water (or vegetable stock) for the sauce. Drain the pasta.

Add thyme, beans, tomato puree and pasta water to the leek and mushroom mixture. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, add mackerel fillets, some feta cheese, mix and serve immediately with riso pasta. Sprinkle some thyme and feta just before serving.

COOK'S TIP

• If you cant find risi pasta, any small sized pasta of your choice will be just fine.
• Arpa sehriye ( risi ) pasta is produced from durum wheat semolina also called risoni. Widely available in continental food stores.
• I used haricot beans from my freezer but a can of drained beans will work just the same