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.

SARDINES WRAPPED IN VINE LEAVES

The vine leaves I am using today is from our  vineyard in Turkey. We only pick  the fresh and young leaves and then preserve them with salt. We sprinkle salt on each leaf and stack them up on top of each other, in piles until we use all the leaves. Then store them for winter in air tight containers. It will keep moist and in perfect condition for months. When I bring them to England, I keep them in the freezer and use them as I need them. 

INGREDIENTS

• 8 fresh sardines, gutted and washed
• 8 vine leaves, fresh or preserved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and black pepper
• extra oil for brushing

1) Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.

2) Pat dry the sardines and brush them with  above mixture of oil and lemon juice.

3) Spread the vine leaves out and wrap the sardines on each leaf.

4) Brush each leaf with oil and place seam side down to prevent from unravelling.

5) Cook the sardines on the barbecue or griddle pan for 3-4 minutes each side until the vine leaves are charred.

6) Serve with grilled vegetables and lemon wedges.

SUCUKLU FASULYE (beans with sun dried tomato and spicy sausage))

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups pre-cooked white beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp sucuk (spicy sausage ), diced
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomato, diced finely
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• splash of water
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh, chopped parsley to garnish.

1) Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan and the onions. Cook the onions until lightly browned.Add garlic and sausages and stir.

2) Add tomatoes and tomato paste together with same water. Mix.

3) Add the beans to the pan and mix to coat. Add little more water just to cover the beans.

4) Bring the beans to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

5) Add salt and pepper to taste and take off the heat.

6) Sprinkle with handful of fresh parsley just before serving.

TURKISH PIDE - BREAD

This bread is delicious hot from the oven with butter or with any savoury dish with your meal.

PIDE

• 4 cups of strong bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• half a cup warm water
• 2 tsp easy blend dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds

For glazing

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp milk

Sieve the flour with salt. 

1) Mix the yeast and sugar in a jug with warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes until is is frothy.

2) Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Add the oil, egg white and the yogurt. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Alternatively use an electric mixer with the dough hook for 6-7 minutes. Add little more flour if sticky but make sure the dough is not too hard.

3) Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2 hours until it has doubled in size. Knock back the dough and knead for 1-2 minutes.

4) Place the dough on a floured surface and divide dough into 2 pieces.. Flatten each dough with the heal of your hand, use your fingers to stretch it from the middle.

5) First mark the dough with a knife  like a diamond shape on the surface. Then push your fingers into the dough to achieve a dimpled effect.

6) Place the dough on to a baking tray, brush with milk and egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Cover and leave the dough to rise again for 30 minutes.

7) Place 2 cups of water in a oven proof dish and place at the bottom of the oven. Bake the pide in preheated oven 220 C, 200 Fan setting for 10 - 15 minutes. Bake the other pide the same way.

8) Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH MIX HEBS (Limon ve baharatli tavuk)

I have cooked this chicken today for dinner and enjoyed it so much that I thought I share it with you all. While the chicken was roasting, the smell of the lemon and herbs was lovely through the house. I served the chicken with roasted vegetables and gravy.

YOU NEED

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs
• salt and ground black pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan setting.

1) Wash the chicken inside out. Place the whole onion, carrot and garlic cloves inside the chicken. Tie the legs with a string and  sit the chicken in roasting tin.

2) Mix olive oil, juice of  2 lemons, dried herbs, salt and pepper.

3) Rub the oil, lemon, herb mixture all over the chicken, pressing lightly with herbs.

4) Cover the chicken loosely with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours basting it 2-3 times while it is roasting. Take the foil off and roast the chicken for further 20-30 minutes until it is golden and crispy.

5) Serve with roast vegetables and gravy or serve it cold with salad.

POTATO SALAD ( PATATES SALATASI )

YOU NEED

• 2 medium potatoes  per person
• 2-3 tbsp of finely chopped leeks or spring onion
• Handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of chili flakes ( optional )
• salt and pepper to taste
• 15- 20 black olives

 Wash and boil the potatoes in their skins. Drain the water and let the potatoes  cool for 15 minutes.  When they are warm enough to handle, peel and dice them into small squares.

Add chopped spring onion, parsley, oil, chili pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well and decorate with black olives. Serve warm.

ETLI DOLMA ( STUFFED PEPPERS WITH GROUND MINCE )

Hi all, I have been asked by friends to make  some etli dolma but without too much hassle. Capsicum peppers are widely available in this country  and although  they are quite firm fleshed, this method of cooking was very successful and easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g mixed capsicum peppers, about 5 medium
• 200-250 g lean beef or lamb mince
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 1-2 cloves of garlic,crushed ( optional )
• handful of fresh parsley or 1 tsp of  dried mix herb
• 4-5 tbsp of rice (100 g ), washed
• 1  cup of water ( about 300ml )  
• 1 tbsp of pepper paste or tomato paste
• salt and black pepper to taste
• I medium tomato, sliced
• 2  cups of hot water (500 ml )
• drizzle of olive oil.

METHOD

First wash the peppers and remove the tops by cutting them round with a knife. Scoop out the seeds from peppers with a spoon.

PREPARE THE FILLING

 Fry the chopped onion with olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the mince, garlic to brown the meat together with the onion. Add the washed rice, pepper paste, parsley and pour 1 or 1 and a half cup of water, enough to cover the rice and mince mixture. Stir, add salt and pepper then bring it to boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pan and let the filling simmer 10-12 minutes until the rice is soft enough  but still al dente. Turn the heat off. 

TO COOK

Spoon out the filling, 2 tbsp per pepper to fill them but not over fill the peppers. Place one tomato slice on top of each pepper and press all round gently so that tomatoes covers the filling securely. ( You can use the pepper tops that we removed but tomato slices holds the filling better.)

Stand the peppers upside  down  in a dip saucepan.( In doing so, the filling will cook better through the tomato lid ). Add 2 cups of hot water in the pan about half way up to the  peppers. Drizzle with olive oil and bring the peppers to boil. Then  turn the heat to low and simmer the peppers about 45 minutes with the pan lid on. When the peppers are soft enough, turn the heat off, let it rest for 5  minutes. 

Then lift them into an oven proof dish carefully. Pre heat the grill and brown the peppers for about 5- 7 minutes just before serving.

 

NOTE: This dish is ready to serve after you cook the peppers  on the stove and it is not essential to grill them. But it is  presented better if you brown the peppers for a few minutes.

MEVLANE BOREGI ( Mevlane pasties )

These boreks ( pasties ) are the speciality of City KONYA  where MEVLANE ( see above ) lived.

These are delicious filled with mince meat, but today I used  mince meat  and some  goats cheese, parsley filling  for some of the boreks  which was equally nice.

INGREDIENTS

• half a kg lean mince meat
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 lage onion, chopped finely
• fresh parsley, chopped
• half tsp chili flakes
• salt and pepper
• half a kg flour
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1tsp sugar

First cook the mince with the onion in oil until it is browned nicely. Add the parsley, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tbs water if it starts to stick to the pan. Take off the heat and set aside. This should take  about 10 - 12 minutes.

NOW MAKE THE DOUGH

 

Mix yogurt, oil with sifted flour. Add the egg, sugar and bind it together until you achieve a soft dough. Take a size of a walnut open the dough piece about 10 cm round shape on a floured surface. I do this by hand but a rolling pin can be used if it is easier.

Place 1 tbsp of cooled mince mixture in the middle and fold it over to cover it. Seal the edges well and brush the pasties with egg yolk. Transfer the pasties on a greased baking tray, brush with whisked egg yolk and cook on preheated oven 180C for 15- 20 minutes until they are cooked and golden in colour. Makes 20 -25.

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.