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.

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.

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.

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.

GOURMET BURGERS WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES( kuru domatesli burger)

YOU NEED

• 250 g lean steak mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 chillies, medium hot
• 6 sun dried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp goats cheese
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• pinch of cumin powder
• salt.

1) Place onion, garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor and pulse it couple of times. 

2) Add mince tomatoes,mince, cheese, parsley, salt and cumin powder and mix to  bind.

3) Take the burger mixture out of the processor and form into 2 large burgers.

4) Cook the burgers under hot grill or in a non stick pan until the both sides are browned and cooked to your taste.

5) Serve with salad, pitta bread or buns. 

NOT: I served mine with carrot, red cabbage, white turnip, celery, curly kale and parsley salad with lemon and olive oil dressing.

 Sun dried tomatoes in oil, in a jar  will be fine to use for this dish.

Makes 2 large or 4 small burgers.