Friday, August 27, 2010

Ricotta Stuffed Red Peppers (Lor Dolgulu Kirmizi Biber)

½ lb ricotta cheese
10 big red peppers, roasted
1 egg
1 tsp salt to taste
1-2 eggs for egg wash
½ cup canola oil for frying

Take out the skins and stalks of roasted peppers. Remove the seeds. In a bowl; mix ricotta cheese, one egg and half of the salt. Take 2-3 Tbsp of this mixture and fill in the peppers. Gently press over peppers to spread the mixture evenly inside. Fill all the peppers in the same way. Sprinkle with the remaining salt. Adjust the amount of ricotta mixture as you like.
Meanwhile, whisk 1-2 eggs in a wide plate. Take canola oil in a frying pan and heat it up. Dip stuffed peppers into egg wash and fry both sides over high heat.
Serve hot/warm.
ENJOY

TURKCE
250-300 gr lor peyniri
10 tane buyuk kirmizi biber, kozlenmis
1 yumurta
1 tatli kasigi tuz
1-2 yumurta, pisirmek icin
½ su bardagi kanola yagi, kizartmak icin

Kozlenmis biberlerin kabuklarini soyun ve saplarini cikararak cekirdeklerini temizleyin.
Bir kapta; lor peyniri, 1 yumurta ve tuzun yarisini karistirin. Bu karisimdan biberlerin icine yaklasik 2-3 yemek kasigi olacak sekilde doldurun . Biberlerin uzerinden hafifce bastirarak lor karisiminin icerde esit olarak yayilmasini saglayin. Butun biberleri bu sekilde doldurun. Geri kalan tuzu uzerlerine serpin. Lor miktarini istediginiz gibi ayarlayabilirsiniz.
Ote yandan, 1-2 yumurtayi genis bir kapta cirpin. Kizartma tavasina kanola yagini alin ve kizdirin. Birberleri yumurta karisimina daldirin ve kizgin yagda her iki tarafi da kizarana dek pisirin.
Butun biberleri ayni sekilde kizartin ve sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Eggplant Mousaka (Patlican Musakka)

½ lb ground beef
1 lb eggplant
3 medium potatoes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 big onion, chopped
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 green peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup hot water
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cumin
1 tsp salt to taste
1 cup canola oil for frying

Peel eggplants and slice in ½ inch wheels. Leave them in salty water for about 15-20 minutes. Peel potatoes and slice them in 1/3 inch thick wheels as well.
Take canola oil in a frying pan and fry both sides of potatoes lightly. Place them over a Pyrex or oven tray. Sprinkle with salt. Dry eggplants with paper towel and fry them as well. Place fried eggplants over potatoes and sprinkle with salt.
Take 2 Tbsp of canola oil and ground beef in another pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat. Add pepper, garlic, salt and spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes and add hot water.
Transfer this mixture all over the Pyrex/oven tray evenly. Make sure the eggplants and potatoes are covered with the mixture. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and bake for about 35-45 minutes.
Serve hot/warm.
ENJOY

I definitely encourage anyone who is taking  holidays to Turkey to try this meal in Turkey. It's one of my favorites and the taste is fantastic with the scorching heat.

TURKCE
250 gr kiyma
½ kg patlican
3 orta boy patates
2 domates, kup seklinde dogranmis
1 buyuk boy sogan, dogranmis
2 yemek kasigi kanola yagi
2 yesil biber, dogranmis
1 yemek kasigi salca
2-3 dis sarimsak, dogranmis
½ su bardagi sicak su
1 tatli kasigi tuz
½ cay kasigi karabiber
½ cay kasigi kimyon
1 su bardagi kanola yagi (kizartmak icin)

Patlicanlari soyun ve bir parmak kalinliginda halkalar seklinde dilimleyin. Tuzlu suda yaklasik 15-20 dakika bekletin. Patatesleri soyun ve onlari da 1cm kalinliginda enine halka seklinde dilimleyin.
Kizartma tavasina kanola yagini alin ve patatesleri her iki tarafi da hafifce kizaracak sekilde kizartin. Genis bir borcam ya da firin tepsisinin dibine dizin ve uzerine tuz serpin. Patlicanlari kagit havlu ile kurulayin ve onlari da ayni sekilde kizartin. Patateslerin uzerine dizin ve tuzlayin.
Baska bir tavaya kiymayi ve 2 yemek kasigi kanola yagini alin. Orta ateste 2-3 dakika kavurun. Sogani ilave edin ve yine 3 dakika kadar kavurun. Salca ve domatesi ilave edin. Yaklasik 5 dakika kadar pisirin. Biber, sarimsak, tuz ve baharatalari ilave edin. Bir iki dakika cevirin. Son olarak, sicak suyu ilave edin.
Bu karisimi tepsinin uzerinde gezdirerek esit olarak yayin. Onceden isitilmis 200 C (400 F) firinda yaklasik 35-45 dakika kadar pisirin.
Sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Lutenitsa

Lutenitsa is a sauce-like “salad” and a special spread for bread and other food that is made from tomatoes and peppers, sometimes eggplant pureed together. It looks like a thick ketchup or a thick salsa, but it tastes a little more peppery.
It is very commonly used in Balkan countries especially in Bulgaria. My recipe is for Bulgarian Lutenitsa which I’ve grown up with and still loving it!

900-1000 gr(~2 lb) roasted red pepper /red pepper paste
6 lb tomato, crushed
1 ½ lb roasted eggplant
1 cup canola oil
1 ½ cup sugar
4 Tbsp salt to taste
4 Tbsp dried summer (balkan) savory

Take tomatoes in a big pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, turn the heat low and cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
If using roasted red peppers take the skins and seeds out. Puree them in a food processor. Stir in the pot. If using red pepper paste, just stir it in. Cook for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Take the skins of roasted eggplants out and puree them in the food processor as well. Stir them into the pot.
Once the mixture gets thicker and boils, add salt and sugar. Cook over low medium heat stirring constantly for about 10 minutes (or you can adjust the thickness as you like). Finally, add canola oil and summer (Balkan) savory. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Fill either glass jars or glass containers, close the lids and store in the refrigerator. This recipe makes for about 8-9 lb Lutenitsa.
ENJOY



















TURKCE
Lutenitsa, sosa benzeyen fakat “salata” olarak bilinen ekmege surulen veya yemeklerin yaninda ikram edilen domates, biber ve bazen de patlicanin pure edilerek yapildigi super bir karisimdir. Gorunusu ketcabin ya da salsanin kivamli haline benzer, fakat tadi daha biberimsidir.
Lutenitsa Balkan ulkelerinde ozellikle Bulgaristan’da cok yaygindir. Sizinle paylasmak istedigim tarif kucuklugumden beri onunla yetistigim ve hala cok sevdigim Bulgaristan Lutenitsa’sidir.

900-1000 gr kozlenmis kirmizi biber/ kirmizi biber salcasi
3 kg domates, ezilmis
~750 gr patlican, kozlenmis
1 su bardagi kanola yagi
1 ½ su bardagi seker
4 yemek kasigi tuz
4 yemek kasigi kuru Balkan mercimek otu/zahter otu

Buyukce bir tencereye once domatesi koyun ve yuksek ateste surekli karistirarak biraz koyulasmasini bekleyin. Kaynadiktan sonra kisik ateste yaklasik 15 dakika kadar pisirin.
Kozlenmis kirmizi biber kullaniyorsaniz cekirdeklerini temizleyerek mutfak robotundan gecirin. Pure haline gelen kirmizi biberleri tencereye ilave edin. Eger kirmizi biber salcasi kullaniyorsaniz direk olarak tencereye ilave edin. Karistirarak 10 dakika kadar daha pisirin. Kozlenmis patlicanlarin kabuklarini soyun ve mutfak robotundan gecirin. Tencereye ilave edin.
Tenceredeki karisim koyu bir kivama gelip kaynamaya baslayinca tuz ve sekeri ilave edin. Hafif ateste surekli karistirarak 10 dakika kadar pisirin (kivami istediginiz gibi ayarlayabilirsiniz). Son olarak kanola yagini ve Balkan zater otunu ilave edin. Karistirmaya devam ederek 2-3 dakika daha pisirin.
Kavanozlara ya da kapali saklama kaplarina koyarak buzdolabinda saklayabilirsiniz. Bu tariften yaklasik olarak 4kg Lutenitsa cikiyor.
AFIYET OLSUN

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Semolina Halvah with Ice-Cream (Dondurmali Irmik Helvasi)

1 cup semolina
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
1 lb ice cream
Cinnamon (optional)

Take butter and pine nuts (optional) in a pot and sauté over medium heat until the pine nuts turn pinkish. Stir in semolina and sauté until it goes yellow.
Then, stir in sugar, water and milk. Bring to a boil and close the lid. Simmer over low-medium heat until the water is absorbed. Let it cool for a while.
While the semolina halvah is still warm, fill a small bowl’s bottom and sides with semolina halvah. And then, fill it up with ice-cream. Cover the top of the bowl with semolina halvah. Immediately turn the bowl upside down over a serving plate. Serve with cinnamon on top.
ENJOY

TURKCE
1 su bardagi irmik
2 yemek kasigi tereya
1 su bardagi seker
1 su bardagi su
½ su bardagi sut
2 yemek kasigi cam fistigi (istege bagli)
~500 gr dondurma
Tarcin (istege bagli)

Tencereye tereyagini ve cam fistiklarini alin. Orta ateste cam fistiklari pembelesene dek kavurun. Irmigi ilave edin ve sararmaya baslayana dek kavurun.
Sonra, seker, su ve sutu ilave edin. Kaynamaya baslayinca karistirin ve kapagini kapatin. Kisik ateste suyunu cekene dek pisirin. Biraz sogumaya birakin.
Irmik helvasi daha ilik iken kucuk bir kasenin dibini ve kenarlarini irmik helvasi ile doseyin ve icini dolduracak sekilde dondurmadan koyun. Uzerini yine irmik helvasi ile kapatin ve bekletmeden kaseyi ters cevirerek servis tabagina kapatin. Uzerine tarcin serperek servis yapabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Pan Fried Walleye Pike (Tavada Walleye Pike)

1 lb walleye pike fillets
1 egg
½ cup flour
½ tsp salt to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
1/3 cup canola oil for frying
Lemon wedges

Rinse Walleye Pike fillets under cold water and dry with paper towels. Rub them with salt and pepper.
Take canola oil in a frying pan and heat it up. In a wide bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt. Take flour over a flat plate. Then, dip the fillets first in flour and then in egg.
Fry until both sides are evenly cooked. Fry all the remaining fillets in the same way. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

*****************************
TURKCE
½ kg Walleye pike (Sander vitreus) fileto
1 yumurta
½ su bardagi un
1 cay kasigi tuz
½ cay kasigi karabiber
1/3 su bardagi kanola yagi, kizartmak icin
Limon dilimleri

Walleye pike filetolarini soguk su altinda yikayin ve kagit havlu ile kurulayin. Tuz ve karabiber serpin ve elinizle yedirin.
Bir kizartma tavasina kanola yagini alin ve kizdirin. Genis bir kasede yumurtayi bir tutam tuz ile cirpin. Genis bir tabaga unu alin ve filetolari once unun icinde yuvarlayin. Fazla unu silkeleyin.
Sonra yumurtaya batirin ve kizgin yagda her iki taraflari da kizarana dek kizartin.
Butun filetolari ayni sekilde kizartin ve limon dilimleriyle servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Monday, August 2, 2010

Roasted Lamb (Firinda Kizarmis Kuzu)

2 lbs lamb leg
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt to taste
½ tsp thyme
3-4 potatoes, cut into wedges

Cut the lamb leg into pieces or use the whole leg (it will take longer to cook). Salt the lamb rubbing with your hands. Mix canola oil, thyme and paprika in a small bowl. Then, cover all the lamb with this mixture.
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and grease an oven tray. Place all the potatoes and lamb. Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until the lamb is cooked.
ENJOY

****************************
TURKCE
1 kg kuzu bacagi
2 yemek kasigi kanola yagi
1 tatli kasigi kirmizi toz biber
1 tatli kasigi tuz
½ tatli kasigi kekik
3-4 patates, dorde bolunmus

Kuzu etini istediginiz sekilde parcalayin ya da butun olarak da pisirebilirsiniz, fakat pisirme suresi uzayabilir. Elinizle etlere tuzu yedirin. Sonra bir kapta kanola yagi, kirmizi toz biber ve kekigi karistirin. Karisimi etlerin her yerine surun.
Patatesleri soyun ve elma dilimi seklinde dilimleyin. Bir miktar tuz serpin ve karistirin. Bir firin tepsisini yaglayin ve patateslerle etleri yerlestirin.
Onceden isitmis oldugunuz 200 C (400 F) firinda etler pisene dek veya 45-60 dakika arasi pisirin. Sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN