Showing posts with label turkish specialities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkish specialities. Show all posts

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Turkish Pide Bread (Ramazan Pidesi)

 2 tsp dry yeast/25-30 gr active fresh yeast
½ tsp sugar
1 ¼ lukewarm water
3 ¾ cups bread flour/all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

For glaze:
1 egg and 1 tbsp water, beaten
1 tsp nigella seeds or sesame seeds

Place the lukewarm water, sugar and the yeast into a bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and the yeast. Add the salt, olive oil and flour; knead for 10 minutes, till dough becomes elastic. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap or a clean cloth (see the picture) and let it rest for 2 hours in a warm place, till it rises up to double its volume (see the picture).
Place dough on the counter and punch to release air. Then try to flatten the dough with your hands to fit to the tray (Use a 8-12 inch round tray or Pyrex). Then place it into the baking tray with baking paper and flatten it to fit the tray. Brush surface of the Turkish Pide Bread with egg wash and press all over it with your finger tips. Then sprinkle nigella seeds or sesame seeds on top (see the picture). Cover it with a clean cloth and leave it for ½-1 hours to rise in a warm place (If you have time let it rest for 2 hours).
Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Put some water in an oven-safe bowl and place it on the bottom of the oven. Place the bread on the middle rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes, till it becomes golden brown.After taking it out of the oven cover with a clean cloth or towel to keep them soft.
It is good to go with butter, honey-butter dip or spicy olive oil dip when warm.
ENJOY
P.S: Do not use metal container when kneading or resting the dough. Metal spoils the texture of dough.

Back to Main Page TURKCE
2 tatli kasigi instant toz maya/25-30 gr yas maya
1 cay kasigi seker
1 ¼ su bardagi ilik su
3 ¾ su bardagi ekmek unu/ all purpose flour
1 tatli kasigi tuz
2 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi

Uzeri icin:
1 yumurta ve 1 yemek kasigi su, cirpilmis
1 tatli kasigi corek otu/ susam

Ilik suyu ve mayayi bir kaseye alin, icine sekeri ilave edin ve sekerle maya cozunene kadar iyice karistirin. Sonra, zeytinyagi, un ve tuzu ilave ederek, 10 dakika hamur elastik olana dek yogurun. Uzerini seffaf film ya da temiz bir bez ile ortun (resime bakiniz) ve sicak bir ortamda, hamur iki kati kadar kabarana dek, yaklasik 2 saat, bekleyin (resime bakiniz).
Hamuru tezgahin uzerine alin ve havasini indirmek icin uzerinden bastirin ve 20-25 cm capinda yuvarlak bir tepsiye sigacak sekilde elinizle acin ve uzerinde yagli kagit olan tepsiye koyun. Uzerine cirpilmis yumurta ile su karisimini surun ve parmak uclarinizla hamurun yuzeyini bastirin. Corek otu ya da susam serpin (resime bakiniz) ve hamur iki kati buyuyene kadar yaklasik ½ -1 saat bekletin (Vaktiniz varsa 2 saat beketin).
Firini onceden 220 C (425F) ye isitin ve firina dayanikli bir kase icine su koyup alt rafa yerlestirin. Ekmegi orta rafa koyun ve uzeri kizarana dek 10-15 dakika pisirin. Firindan cikarinca, tepsinin uzerini temiz bir mutfak bezi ya da havlu ile ortup hava almasini engelleyin. Boylece Ramazan Pideniz yumusacik olacaktir.
Ramazan pidesi sicakken, tereyagi, balli tereyag ya da baharatli zeytinyagi ile cok guzel olur.
AFIYET OLSUN
NOT: Hamuru yogurmak ya da dinlendirmek icin metal kap kullanmayin. Metal hamurun yapisina zarar verir.

Ana Sayfaya Don

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Shish Kebab (Sis Kebap)

1 lb boneless beef or lamb
1 tsp salt
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
1tbsp lemon juice
Green/yellow/red pepper, cut in big chunks
2-3 medium onions, cut into 4
Any kind of vegetables you like
Wooden/ metal skewers

In a bowl, combine salt, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika and lemon juice. Cut the meat uniformly sized 1 to 2 inch cubes for quick and even cooking.
Then add the meat into marinade sauce and mix them all. Leave for marinating at least 1 hour, preferably one night in the fridge.
Drain the meat and discard the marinade sauce, do not use it again.
Put the meat and vegetables on skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, leave them in water for 30 minutes, to prevent them catching fire over the grill.
Cook Shish Kebabs on the grill, electric grill or you can bake them in the oven at 400F (200C) till all sides are golden brown and tender.
ENJOY

The History of Shish Kebab

Back to Main Page TURKCE
½ kg kemiksiz dana ya da koyun eti
1 tatli kasigi tuz
1-2 sarimsak, dovulmus
2 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi
1 cay kasigi kimyon
1 cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber
1 yemek kasigi limon
Yesil/kirmizi/sari biber, buyuk lokmalar halinde kesilmis
2-3 tane orta boy sogan, dorte bolunmus
Her turlu istediginiz sebze
Tahta/metal mangal sisi

Bir kasede, tuz, sarimsak, zeytinyagi, kimyon, kirmizi toz biber ve limon suyunu karistirin. Etleri 3-4 cm lik kupler seklinde dograyin.
Marine sosuna etleri ilave edin ve guzelce karistirip, en az 1 saat, tercihen bir gece buzdolabinda bekletin.
Pisireceginiz zaman marine sosunu suzun ve atin, geri kalan sosu tekrar kullanmayin.
Eti ve sebzeleri sislere dizin. Eger tahta sis kullaniyorsaniz, sisleri en az 30 dakika suda bekletin. Tahta suyu cekip, mangal esnasinda alev almayacaktir.
Sis kebablari mangalda, elektrikli izgarada ya da firinda 200 C (400 F)de her taraflari kizarana dek pisirin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Inegol’s Traditional Meatball (Inegol Kofte)

1 lb lean ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 big onion, shredded
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp baking soda
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
2-3 stems parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. And knead for 3-4 minutes to form a stiff mixture. Cover it and leave in the fridge for the night. Then, the next day make finger shape meatballs.
Shallow fry them in a skillet or grill. Make sure that all sides turn to a golden brown color.
You can serve Inegol’s Traditional Meatball with; pilaf, roasted peppers, French fries, kidney bean salad, tomato salad or onion salad and ayran.
ENJOY
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TURKCE
½ kg yagsiz kiyma
½ cay bardagi ufalanmis kuru ekmek
1 buyuk sogan, rendelenmis
1 cay kasigi kimyon
½ cay kasigi karabiber
1 tatli kasigi karbonat
1 dis sarimsak, dovulmus (istege bagli)
2-3 dal maydanoz, ince kiyilmis (istege bagli)
1 tatli kasigi tuz

Butun malzemeleri bir kasede karistirin ve elinizle 3-4 dakika yogurun. Kiymanin sikilastigini goreceksiniz. Kiymayi agzi kapali olarak bir gece boyunca buzdolabinda bekletin. Ertesi gun, kiymadan uzun, parmak sekilli kofteler yapin.

Tavada az yagda her tarafini guzelce kizartin. Mangal ya da izgarada da pisirebilirsiniz.
Inegol Kofteyi yaninda; pilav, kozlenmis biber, patates kizartmasi, piyaz, sogan salatasi ya da domates salatasi ve ayran ile servis yapabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN


Inegol Kofte'nin Tarihi


Ana Sayfaya Don

Friday, January 2, 2009

Kisir (Taboule-Turkish Bulgur Wheat Salad)

1 ½ cups cracked wheat (fine bulgur)
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 ¾ cups boiling water
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 cucumber, chopped finely (optional)
½ bunch of fresh parsley/dill, chopped finely
2-3 leaves of lettuce, chopped finely
1-2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup lemon juice
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp salt to taste

In a large bowl place fine bulgur and add boiling water. Stir and leave bulgur for 5-10 minutes to absorb all the water. Make sure that bulgur is not wet. The size of bulgur should be doubled.
Meanwhile, place olive oil and onions in a skillet and sauté over medium heat. Then add tomato paste and salt, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add this mixture to puffed up bulgur and combine them using your hands. Then add lemon juice, cumin and dried mint. Mix them all and let them cool.
Finally, add tomato, cucumber, green onions, lettuce, parsley /dill and mix them all.
You can serve Kisir with lettuce leaves. Kisir is also good to go with pickles or pickled chili peppers and Ayran.
ENJOY

Back to Main Page
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TURKCE
1 ½ su bardagi ince (koftelik) bulgur
1 sogan, dogranmis
2 yemek kasigi domates salcasi
1/3 su bardagi zeytinyagi
1 ¾ su bardagi kaynak su
1 domates, kucuk dogranmis
1 salatalik, kucuk dogranmis (istege bagli)
½ demet taze maydanoz/dereotu, ince dogranmais
2-3 yaprak marul/kivircik, ince dogranmis
1-2 yesil sogan, dogranmis
1/3 su bardagi limon suyu
1 cay kasigi kimyon
1 tatli kasigi kuru nane
1 yemek kasigi tuz

Buyuk bir kaseye bulguru koyun ve uzerine kaynak suyu bosaltin. Karistirip, bulgurun butun suyu cekip pismesi icin 5-10 dakika bekleyin. Bulgurlarin islak olmamasina ve buyun suyu cekmis olmasina dikkat edin. Bulgur miktari suyu cekince iki katina cikacaktir.
Bu sirada zeytinyagi ve soganlari bir tavada orta ateste kavurun. Sonra domates salcasini ve tuzu ilave edip 1-2 dakika daha kavurun. Bu salcali sogan karisimini pismis bulgura ilave edin ve ellerinizi kullanarak salcali karisimi bulgura iyice yedirin. Sonra kimyon, nane ve limon suyunu ilave edip karistirin ve biraz sogumasini bekleyin.
Son olarak; domates, salatalik, marul/kivircik, dereotu/maydanoz ve yesil soganlari ilave edin ve hepsini karistirin.
Kisiri marul ya da kiviricik yapraklari ile servis yapabilirsiniz. Ayrica Kisir, salatalik yada aci biber tursusu ve Ayran ile guzel gider.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Turkish Sesame Bagel (Simit)

1 ½ cup lukewarm water
7 gr instant yeast
3 egg whites
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
100 gr (7 tbsp) butter/margarine, soft in room temperature
3 ½ or 4 cups of all purpose flour
For topping:
½ cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup oil

In a bowl mix all the ingredients except flour. Then slowly add flour and knead for about 10 minutes. Form soft, elastic and sticky dough, then cover it with a clean cloth or plastic wrap (see the picture). Leave for 1 hour in a warm place (see the picture).
Place the dough on the counter and punch to release the air in it and cut into 8-10 pieces. With your palms round them and form little balls (see the picture). Then with each ball make 30-40 cm long strips and form a ring shape by sticking the ends (see the picture). Place some water in a wide plate (also you can add 1 tbsp of grape molasses) and sesame seeds in another plate. Dip one side of them into water and then to the sesame seed (see the picture).
Place them on a baking tray with baking paper, making some room between each other and cover. Leave them for about 2 hours till the rings puff up and double in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 F (230C) and bake for 7-8 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 F (So they will be soft inside, crunchy outside) and bake for 18-20 minutes until they are golden brown. When you take them out of the oven you can brush the top surfaces of Simits with some oil.
Serve warm with cream cheese or feta cheese, black olives and Turkish Tea. Simit is good to go at breakfasts or lunch.
Simit is a traditional and favorite pastry in Turkey.
ENJOY
P.S: Do not use metal container when kneading or resting the dough. Metal spoils the texture of dough.

Back to Main Page TURKCE
1 ½ su bardagi ilik su
7 gr instant maya/ 30 gr yas maya
3 yumurta beyazi
1 yemek kasigi tuz
1 yemek kasigi seker
100 gr (7 yemek kasigi) tereyagi/margarine, oda sicakliginda yumusak
3 ½ ya da 4 su bardagi un
Uzeri icin:
½ su bardagi susam
½ cay bardagi sivi yag

Genis bir kasede un haricindeki butun malzemeleri karistirin. Sonra azar azar unu ilave ederek, 10 dakika kadar yogurun. Yumusak, elastik ve hafif yapiskan bir hamur elde edin. Hamuru temiz bir bez ya da plastik film ile ortun (resime bakiniz) ve 1 saat ilik ortamda dinlendirerek kabarmasini saglayin (resime bakiniz).
Hamuru tezgaha alin ve havasini indirmek icin biraz bastirarak yogurun ve 8-10 parcaya bolun ve elinizle yuvarlayarak kucuk toplar elde edin (resime bakiniz). Her toptan 30-40 cm uzunlugunda cubuklar yapin ve kenarlarini yapistirarak halka seklini verin (resime bakiniz). Genis bir tabaga su koyun (icine 1 yemek kasigi uzum pekmezi de ilave edebilirsiniz), baska bir tabaga da susamlari koyun. Hamur halkalarinin bir tarafini once suya batirin sonra susama batirin (resime bakiniz).
Yagli kagit serilmis firin tepsisine aralarinda bosluk birakarak yerlestirin. Halkalar 2 kati buyukluge cikana dek yaklasik 2 saat ilik ortamda bekletin.
Onceden isitilmis 230 C (450F) firinda 7-8 dakika pisirin ve isiyi 220 C (400F) dusurun (boylece simitlerin ici yumusak, dislari citir citir olacaktir). Sonra 18-20 dakika daha uzerleri kizarana dek pisirin. Firindan cikarinca simitlerin uzerine sivi yag surun ve sicak servis yapin.
Simitlerin yaninda krem peynir, beyaz peynir, zeytin ve cay ile ikram edebilirsiniz.
Simit, Turkiye’de cok sevilen geleneksel bir hamur isidir.
AFIYET OLSUN
NOT: Hamuru yogurmak ya da dinlendirmek icin metal kap kullanmayin. Metal hamurun yapisina zarar verir.

Ana Sayfaya Don

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Tortilla with Ground Beef (Kolay Lahmacun)

½ lb (250 gr) lean ground beef
1 big onion, finely chopped
½ cup tomatoes, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp dried parsley / ½ bunch fresh parsley
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili pepper (optional)
1 ½ tsp salt
6 original flour tortillas

Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. (You can leave the mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours for ground meat to absorb the flavors of the spices). With a spatula spread a thin layer of the mixture evenly on the tortillas.
Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) and place 1-2 tortillas with ground beef on a tray and place it on the third rack from the top. Turn the oven to broil (grill) and broil for 2-3 minutes. Make sure not to burn the edges of tortillas. Place the broiled tortillas with ground beef in a large pot on top of each other and close the lid. So, they will stay warm and also soft.
The traditional serving style of the Tortillas with Ground Beef is: Squeeze some lemon and place some kebab salad and onion salad inside then, roll it up. Serve warm with ayran.
ENJOY
TURKCE
250 gr (½ lb) kiyma
1 buyuk sogan, dogranmis
½ su bardagi domates, rendelenmis
1 yemek kasigi domates salcasi
2 yemek kasigi kuru maydanoz/ 1/2 demet dogranmis taze maydanoz
1 cay kasigi kimyon
1 cay kasigi karabiber
½ cay kasigi aci pul biber (istege bagli)
1 ½ tatli kasigi tuz
6 tane orjinal tortilla (lavas ekmegi)
Butun malzemeleri bir kasede karistirin. (Baharatlarin kiyma ile butunlesmesi icin 1-2 saat buzdolabinda bekletebilirsiniz). Tortillalarin uzerine spatula yardimi ile kiyma harcini ince tabaka halinde yayin.
Firini 190 C (375 F) ye isitin ve ustten ucuncu rafa firin tepsisine 1-2 lahmacun koyun ve ustten kizartma (broil) ayarinda 2-3 dakika kizartin. Kenarlarini yakmamaya dikkat edin. Hazir olan lahmacunlari bir tencereye ust uste koyarak tencerenin kapagini kapatin. Boylece lahmacunlar hem sicak kalacak, hem de yumusacik olacaklar.
Lahmacunun geleneksel servis sekli; icine limon sikilarak ve kebap salatasi ve sogan salatasi koyulup, rulo yapilarak ayran ile sunulur.
AFIYET OLSUN

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Milky Semolina Dessert (Sutlu Irmik Tatlisi)

*This recipe is dedicated to Tugce*

4 cups (1lt) milk
100 gr (1/4 lb) margarine or butter
15 tbsp sugar
10 tbsp durum semolina
1 tsp vanilla extract
Walnut pieces or cinnamon for garnish

In a pot, melt the butter/ margarine. Add milk and sugar, stir occasionally over medium heat. When the bubbles form on the surface add semolina and stir continuously till it becomes thick (3-5 minutes).
Finally, add the vanilla extract and stir. You can pour the milky semolina dessert into a Pyrex dish, small bowls or cups. Cool and garnish with walnut pieces or cinnamon.
ENJOY!
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TURKCE
4 su bardagi (1 lt) sut
100 gr margarin ya da tereyagi
15 yemek kasigi seker
10 yemek kasigi irmik
1 tatli kasigi vanilya ekstrakti / 1 paket vanilin
Uzeri icin ceviz parcaciklari ya da tarcin

Bir tencerede margarin ya da tereyagini eritin. Sutu ve sekeri ilave edip ara sira karistirarak orta ateste kaynatin. Kaynamaya baslayinca irmigi ilave edin ve koyu bir kivam olusana dek, yaklasik 3-5 dakika pisirin.
Son olarak vanilyayi ilave edip, karistirin. Sutlu irmik tatlisini borcam tepsiye ya da kucuk kaselere koyabilirsiniz. Soguduktan sonra uzerine ceviz parcaciklari ya da tarcin koyarak servis yapabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Turkish Style Lemonade (Limonata)

2-3 lemon
1 cup sugar
2 lt (8-10 cup) water

Wash the lemons and slice them finely with the skins. Place one layer lemon slices on the bottom of a wide bowl (see the picture). Then spread half of the sugar on them (see the picture). Then put another layer of sliced lemons (see the picture) and spread the remained sugar on top (see the picture). Cover the bowl with plastic wraps; make sure it is air and sun light tight.
Leave it all night long (10-12 hours). In the morning, you will see that the sugar is dissolved in the lemon juice. Then with a food processor smash the lemon slices with their skins. Add 8-10 cups of water and mix. Strain the mixture to remove the skins.
You can also adjust the sugar amount at the end. Serve lemonade cool with some ice.
ENJOY!

P.S: To prevent the loss of Vitamin C, keep your lemonade covered and cool. Do not leave it under sun light. Do not use metal spoon to mix. Consume in 30 minutes after serving.
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TURKCE
2-3 limon
1 su bardagi seker
2 lt su (8-10 su bardagi)

Limonlari yikayin ve kabuklarini soymadan ince ince dilimleyin. Genis bir kasenin dibini limon dilimleri ile doseyin (resime bakin) ve uzerini seker ile kaplayin (resime bakin). Uzerine geri kalan dilimleri de yayin (resime bakin)ve sekerin tamamini uzerini ortecek sekilde yayin (resime bakin). Uzerini hava almayacak ve gunes gormeyecek sekilde kapatin.
Bir gece boyunca (10-12 saat)bekletin. Sabah, limonlarin su saldigini ve sekerin limon suyu icinde eridigini goreceksiniz. Rondoda ya da meyve parcalayicida kabuklariyla beraber limonlari parcalayin ve 2 lt su ilave edip karistirin. Bir kevgir ya da suzgec ile suzun.
Seker miktarini ayarlayabilirsiniz. Limonatayi uzerine buz ilave ederek soguk servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN!

NOT: C vitamin kaybini onlemek icin, limonatanin uzerini kapali tutun, sicakta ve gun isiginda birakmayin. Metal kasik ile karistirmayin. Servis yapildiktan sonra 30 dakika icinde tuketin.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Stuffed Baked Potato (Kumpir)

1 big sweet or yellow potato
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp mozzarella/ cheddar /parmesan, shredded
A pinch of salt

Filling options:
Grated carrots
Sliced pickles
Green olives /pepper stuffed green olives, sliced
Black olives, sliced
Sweet corn
Coleslaw
Sweet peas
Red cabbage, sliced finely (squeezed with salt, washed and drained)
Chopped dill
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Mustard

For microwave: Pierce the potato with a knife in several places and bake in the microwave till it is soft and tender. The time depends on the size of the potato, generally it takes about 10-15 minutes.
For oven: Pierce the potato with a knife in several places and bake in the oven at 425 F (220 C), till it is soft and tender. The time depends on the size, generally it takes about 40-50 minutes.
When it is ready, cut the baked potato lengthwise in half and add salt, shredded cheese and butter inside. With a spoon smash the potato and mix them all. Then you can pick any fillings you like and add into the baked potato.
ENJOY!
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TURKCE
1 buyuk boy tatli patates / sari patates
1 yemek kasigi tereyagi
2-3 yemek kasigi rendelenmis kasar peyniri
Bir tutam tuz

Ic malzeme secenekleri:
Rendelenmis havoc
Dilimlenmis salatalik tursusu
Yesil zeytin / biberli yesil zeytin, kucuk dilimlenmis
Siyah zeytin, kucuk dilimlenmis
Misir taneleri
Bezelye taneleri
Mor lahana, ince dogranmis (tuz ile sikildiktan sonra, yikanip, suyu suzulmus)
Beyaz lahana salatasi
Dogranmis dereotu
Ketcap
Mayonez
Hardal

Mikrodalga icin: Patatesi bicakla bir kac yerinde delin ve mikrodalgada yumusayana dek pisirin. Genelde 10-15 dakika olmak uzere patatesin boyutuna gore degisir.
Firin icin: Patatesi bicakla bir kac yerinden delip firinda yumusayana dek 220 C (425 F) sicakliktaki firinda yaklasik 40-50 dakika yumusayana dek pisirin.
Pistikten sonra sicak iken ortasindan ikiye bolun ve icine tuz, tereyagi ve rendelenmis kasari ilave edip, bir kasikla patates ile pure haline gelene dek karistirin. Sonra kumpirin uzerine istediginiz ic malzemeden ilave edin.
AFIYET OLSUN!

Home Made Yogurt (Evde Yogurt Yapimi)

4 cups milk
1-2 tbsp plain yogurt

Please keep in mind that the most important points in making yogurt are adding sample yogurt to the milk at the right temperature and keeping it warm for a while. The exact temperature for fermentation is between 42-45 C.
Place the milk in a pot and heat it until the boiling point. If you like creamy yogurt, simmer the milk a few more minutes to let the water evaporate more. Take the milk from the stove and wait about 10-12 minutes. Occasionally, dip your finger into the milk and try to count till 7. If you can bear the heat till 7, it means the milk is ready for fermentation. Don’t let the milk cool more than that since if the milk is not hot enough, fermentation won’t take place.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of yogurt with lukewarm milk by using a wooden spoon (don’t use metal spoons). Add this mixture to the milk and stir with the wooden spoon. Then, pour the milk to the containers and close their lids. (see the picture) The best container for making yogurt is glass. To keep the milk warm, cover the container completely with a cloth and then cover again with a blanket or something similar. Make sure to cover tightly to keep the milk warm for a while. (see the picture) Generally, it takes 5-6 and 7-8 hours for fermentation in summer and winter, respectively. After fermentation, take yogurt out of its cover without shaking. Store in the fridge for at least 3-4 hourr before serving.
I often make yogurt in the evenings and it stays covered all night. I remove the covers in the morning.
ENJOY

nutritional benefits of yogurt
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TURKCE
1 lt sut
1-2 yemek kasigi yogurt

Yogurt yapilisindaki onemli nokta sutun sicakligidir. Eger isi olceriniz varsa; sutun mayalama sicakligi 42-45 C arasinda olmalidir.
Sutu bir tencereye koyun ve kaynama sicakligina kadar isitin. Eger biraz kaynatirsaniz, sutun icinde bulunan su buharlasir ve daha siki yapida bir yogurt elde edersiniz.Kaynayan sutu 10-12 dakika bekletin ve ara sira sute parmaginizi sokup yediye kadar sayin. Yediye kadar eliniz sicakliga dayaniyorsa, sutunuz mayalamaya hazir demektir. Sutun cok ilik olmasi yogurdun mayalanmasini engeller.
Kucuk bir kasede bir yemek kasigi yogurdu bir miktar ilik sut ile iyice karistirirak hazirlamis oldugunuz bir litre ilik sute ilave edin ve tahta kasik ile karistirin. Sutu mayalamak icin kullanacaginiz kaba dokup, kapagini kapatin. (resime bakin) Sut mayalamak icin en ideal cam kaplardir. Sutun sicakligini muhafaza etmek icin, etrafini kalin bir ortu ile sarin, bir sofra bezine sarip uzerini de bir battaniye ile sikica ortebilirsiniz. (resime bakin)Yazin mayalanma suresi; 5-6 saat iken, kisin 7-8 olabilir. Mayalanma islemi gerceklestikten sonra yogurdu fazla sarsmadan ortuden cikarin ve buzdolabinda en az 3-4 saat bekletin.
Ben genelde yogurdu aksamlari mayaliyorum, gece boyunca mayalaniyor ve sabah aciyorum.
AFIYET OLSUN

Creamy -Strained Yogurt (Suzme Yogurt)
To make a creamy yogurt, you can just strain it.Place a paper towel or coffee filter over a strainer then, place the strainer inside a bowl. Place some yogurt on paper towel and fold the edges of the paper towel over the yogurt.

Leave in the fridge at least 5-6 hours. You'll see the juice in the bottom of the bowl and creamy yogurt over the paper towel.

TURKCE

Suzme yogurt yapmak icin sadece bir tel suzgec ve kagit havlu/kahve filtresi ya da tulbente ihtiyaciniz var.

Once tel suzgecin uzerine tulbent/kagit havlu/kahve filtresi koyun. Sonra tel suzgeci bir kasenin icine koyun. Suzgecin uzerine yogurdu koyun ve en az 5-6 saat boyunca buzdolabinda bekletin. Yogurdun suyu kasenin dibinde toplanacak ve suzgecin uzerinde suzme yogurdunuz hazir olacak.

Stuffed Eggplants With Ground Beef (Karniyarik)

1 lb (450-500 gr) eggplant
1 cup oil for frying
1 onion, chopped
200 gr (~1/2 lb) ground beef, medium
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tomato, diced / 5 tbsp crushed or diced tomato
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper

Sauce:
3 tbsp crashed tomato / 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup warm water

Wash and peel the eggplants. If they are slim, cut them in half in length. If they are chubby ,cut them into four slices lengthwise. Then place them in a bowl and add water to cover the slices. Leave them in water for 15-20 minutes for better taste. Then take the slices and dry with a cloth.
Place the oil in a skillet and turn heat to high. Fry both sides of eggplants till they become soft. Do not over fry. Place the fried eggplants into a Pyrex dish and sprinkle some salt on them. With a spatula or spoon, smash them lightly to make them softer.
Place ground beef to a skillet and without adding oil cook until it changes its color. Add the chopped onions and sauté them for 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat. Then add the chopped pepper, tomatoes and salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes and add spices. Spread this mixture on the fried eggplants.
For the sauce, place the warm water, sugar, salt and tomato paste/ crushed tomatoes in a bowl. Mix them and pour onto the eggplants in Pyrex dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 -400 F (190-200 C) and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Serve Stuffed Eggplants with Ground Beef warm. Also you can serve it with yogurt, ayran , cacik and pilaf.
ENJOY!
**********
TURKCE
½ kg patlican
1 su bardagi yag, kizartma icin
1 sogan, dogranmis
200 gr yemeklik kiyma
1 yesil biber/ 2 sivri biber, dogranmis
1 domates, dogranmis/ 5 yemek kasigi domates puresi ya da dogranmis
1 cay kasigi tuz
½ cay kasigi kimyon
½ cay kasigi karabiber

Sos icin:
3 yemek kasigi domates puresi / 1 ½ yemek kasigi domates salcasi
1 cay kasigi seker
½ cay kasigi tuz
½ su bardagi ilik su

Patlicanlari yikayip, kabukalrini soyun. Eger patlicanlar ince uzun ise boyuna ikiye bolun, tombul ise boyuna 3-4 esit dilim elde etmeye calisin. Daha lezzetli patlicanlar elde etmek icin; patlicanlari su dolu bir kapta 15-20 dakika bekletin. Sonra bir bez ile kurulayin.
Bir kizartma tavasinda yuksek ateste yagi kizdirin ve patlicanlar yumusayana dek kizartin. Cok fazla kizartmayin, sekilleri bozulur. Kizarttiginiz patlicanlari borcam tepsinize alin ve uzerlerine tuz serpin. Bir spatula ya da kasik yardimiyla, piserken daha yumusak olmalari icin hafifce ezin.
Patlicanlari kizarttiginiz tavaya kiymayi koyun ve renk degistirene dek cevirin. Yag koymayin. Ardindan soganlari ilave edip, orta ateste 2-3 dakika kavurun. Sonra biberleri, tuzu ve domatesi ilave edip, 3-4 dakika sote edin. Baharatlari ilave edin ve karistirin. Bu karisimi, kizarmis patlicanlarin her birini dolduracak sekilde uzelerlerine yayin.
Sosunu hazirlamak icin, ilik suyu, domates puresi/ salcasini, seker ve tuzu bir kasede karistirip tepsiye dokun.
Onceden 190-200 C (375-400 F) isittiginiz firinda, 18-20 dakika boyunca pisirin.
Karniyarigi sicak servis yapin. Ayrica yaninda yogurt , ayran ya da cacik ve pilaf ile servis yapabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Grape Leaves Stuffed With Rice (Zeytinyagli Yaprak Sarmasi)

2 cups rice
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 onions, shredded
200 gr (1/2 lb) grape leaves, fresh/ preserved
2/3 cup olive oil
3 cups water
½ lemon, sliced
2 tbsp dried mint
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

In warm water, leave the rice for 30 minutes, then wash and drain.
If you are using fresh grape leaves; Put the leaves in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes till they are soft. Drain and remove the stems. If you are using preserved grape leaves just remove the stems. Place the stems at the bottom of your pot or saucepan. (It is to prevent burning the bottom layer)
Place 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan and let the onions sauté until they change in color. Add the rice and stir a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. After a while add 1 cup of hot water and cook until the water evaporates. Finally add ½ cup olive oil, dried mint, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, salt and sugar and mix them all.
Place each leaf on a plate. Put ½ tablespoon of filling on the larger end of it (see), fold the two sides in (see) and roll it on (see)like a cigarette (see). Do not roll them too tight. Place them tightly side by side in a saucepan. Place the lemon slices on the surface and 2 cups of warm water. Put a small lid or plate on top of them. Cover and cook on low heat for 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Let cool. Arrange on a serving dish and serve with lemon slices and yogurt.
ENJOYTURKCE
2 su bardağı pirinc
1 domates, kucuk kucuk dogranmis
1 yemek kasigi domates salcasi
2 sogan, ince doğranmıs sogan
200 gr asma yaprağı taze / salamura
1 1/3 cay bardağı zeytinyag
3 su bardagı su
1/2 limon, dilimlenmis
2 yemek kasıgı kuru nane
½ çay kasıgı karabiber
½ cay kasigi tarcin
1 cay kasigi yenibahar
1 1/2 tatlı kasıgi tuz
1 cay kasigi seker

Ilik tuzlu suda pirincleri 30 dk. kadar bekletip yikayıp suzun.
Yapraklari sicak suda sapları yumusayana kadar haslayin. Sonra soguk sudan gecirin ve bekletin. Bir taraftan da soganlari kucuk kucuk dograyin ve 3 yemek kasigi zeytinyaginda pembelesinceye kadar kavurun. Pirincleri ilave edin ve karistirin. Sonra once domatesleri, sonra da salcayi ilave edin ve karistirin. 1 su bardagi sicak su ilave edin, su cekene kadar hafif ateste pisirin. 1 cay bardagi zeytinyagi, nane, karabiber, yenibahar, tarcin, tuz ve seker ilave edin ve karistirin.
Yapraklarin saplarini koparin ve tencerenin dibine dizin (tencerenin dibinin tutmasini onler). Bir tabaga yapragi yayin ve icine bir tali kasigi ic malzeme koyun (bakiniz). Yan taraflari ice dogru bukerek (bakiniz), rulo gibi (bakiniz) ince ince sarin (bakiniz) ve tencereye dizin. Cok siki sarmayin.
Sarmaların üzerine dilim dilim kesilen limonlardan koyun. Sonra 2 su bardagi ilik su ilave edilerek üzerinde 1/3 cay bardagi zeytinyagi gezdirin ve tencerenin üzeri düz bir kapak ile kapatın. 40 dk süreyle , suyunu cekene dek kisik ateste pişmeye bırakın.
Soguduktan sonra servis tabagina alin, limon dilimleri ve yogurt ile servis yapabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers (Zeytinyagli Biber Dolmasi)

2 lb (~1kg) bell peppers
1 cup rice, washed and drained
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp tomato paste
½ cup olive oil
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp dried/fresh mint
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
½ tomato, sliced in 4 pieces for caps

Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds and wash. In a saucepan, place the olive oil and finely chopped onions. Sauté lightly. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, sauté for 3 more minutes.Add the rice and braise for 5 minutes. Then add salt, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, dried mint and1 cup hot water. Stir and simmer until all liquid is evaporated.Let it cool.With a spoon fill the peppers with the mixture. Place one slice of tomato as a cap on top of each pepper. In a large saucepan or pot, place the rice stuffed bell peppers in the bottom. Add warm water, enough to almost cover half height of the peppers.
Close the lid and cook on low-medium heat, until the peppers get soft, for about 15-20 minutes. Cool before serving.
ENJOY

Back to Main Page
TURKCE
~1kg dolma biber
1 su bardagi pirinc, yikanip suzulmus
2 sogan, ince dogranmis
1 domates, dogranmis
1 tatli kasigi domates salcasi
½ su bardagi zeytin yagi
1 su bardagi sicak su
1 yemek kasigi kuru/taze nane
1 cay kasigi yenibahar
½ cay kasigi tarcin
1 cay kasigi seker
1 yemek kasigi tuz
½ domates, 4 parcaya ayrilmis (biberlerin uzerine koymak icin)

Biberlerin tepesini duzgunce kesin, cekirdeklerini temizleyin ve yikayin. Bir tavada, zeytinyagi ile soganlari kavurun. Domates ve salcayi ilave edip 3 dakika daha kavurun.
Yikanmis pirinci ilave edin ve 5 dakika boyunca kavurun. Sonra, tuz, seker, nane, tarcin, yenibahar ve 1 su bardagi sicak suyu ilave edin. Karistirin ve suyunu cekene dek pisirin. Harcin sogumasi icin biraz dinlendirin.
Bir kasik yardimiyla biberlerin icini harc ile doldurun. Her biberin uzerine dilimlediginiz domatesten bir parca koyun. Genis bir tava ya da tencere dibine doldurdugunuz biberleri yerlestirin. Biberlerin yuksekliginin yarisina cikacak kadar ilik su ilave edin.
Kapagini kapatip, kisik ateste biberler pisene dek yaklasik 15-20 dakika pisirin. Sogumasini bekleyin ve servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Friday, December 12, 2008

Pickled Vegetables (Karisik Tursu)

1lt glass jar or plastic container
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (%5 acidity)
10-12 baby carrots or 2 carrots, sliced in bite sizes or larger (as you like)
¼ bunch of cauliflower, separated in small pieces (as you like)
¼ cabbage, cut into bite sizes or larger (as you like)
1-2 green tomatoes, sliced (cut a tomato in 6-8 slices)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp salt
6-8 coriander to taste
8-10 ungrounded whole black pepper to taste
1-2 slice celery heart for taste and to be firm
1lt purified water

Put all the vegetables including the garlic and celery, in the glass jar or container. Try to fill as much as you can by pushing from the top. Add the salt, coriander and black pepper and vinegar. Finally add the water till it covers the vegetables. Close the cap tightly and turn the jar or container upside down for a while to let the salt dissolve and mix the water and vinegar.
You can use the same procedure for pickled gherkins and pickled chili peppers. You can make it less spicy by adding 1-2 tsp sugar.
Place them in a dark and cool place. Leave for fermentation for about 2-3 weeks. When it’s done, the vegetables will change in color, they will be crispy.
Tursu goes well with the meat dishes and especially kidney beans (kuru fasulye).
ENJOY
TURKCE
1lt lik cam ya da plastic kavanoz
1/3 su bardagi uzum/ elma sirkesi ( %5 asit orani)
10-12 minik havuc ya da 2 tane buyuk havuc, istenilen boyutta dogranmis
¼ bas karnabahar, kucuk parcalara ayirilmis
¼ bas lahana, istenilen buyuklukte dogranmis
1-2 yesil domates, dogranmis (bir domatesten6-8 dilim elde edin)
2 dis sarimsak
1 yemek kasigi tuz
6-8 tane kisnis aroma icin
8-10 tane karabiber
1-2 dal kereviz, aroma ve siki olmasi icin
1 lt icme suyu

Sarimsak ve kereviz de dahil olmak uzere, butun sebzeleri cam/plastic kavanoza koyun.Ustunden bastirarak iyice sikistirin.Tuz, kisnis, karabiber ve sirkeyi ilave edin. Uzerine cikana dek su ile doldurun. Kapagini sikica kapatip, tuz ve sirkenin sui le iyice karismasi icin kavanozu bir kac defa alt ust edin.
Ayni islemleri salatalik tursusu, biber ya da aci biber tursusu yapmak icin de kullanabilirsiniz. Tursu biberlerin aciligini azaltmak icin 1-2 tatli kasigi seker ilave edebilirsiniz.
Hazirladiginiz tursulari, serin ve karanlik bir yere koyup, 2-3 hafta fermente olmalari icin bekleyin. Hazir olduklarinda, sebzelerin rengi degisecek ve yediginiz zaman sert, kitir kitir oldugunu farkedeceksiniz.
Tursu ozellikle kisin, kuru fasulye ile iyi gider ve butun et yemeklerine yakisir.
AFIYET OLSUN

Turkish Coffee With Milk (Sutlu Turk Kahvesi)

1 tsp Turkish Coffee
1 tsp sugar
1 Turkish coffee cup of milk (see the picture)

Put the coffee and sugar in the coffeepot (cezve: see the picture) and stir. Fill the Turkish coffee cup with milk, leaving some room at the top and add the milk to the cezve.
Put it on high heat and stir with a spoon to let the sugar dissolve and coffee to mix with the water. When it starts being foamy on the surface, take some of the foam with a spoon and put into the coffee cup. (It is for a foamy Turkish coffee) When bubbles form on top and starts rising, take the cezve off the stove and pour the coffee into the cup.
There would be grinds at the bottom of the cup, do not drink this part.
You can serve the Turkish coffee with a glass of water and a piece of chocolate.
ENJOY!
Turkish Coffee has been an important part of Turkish Culture. There is an old saying about it. “Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir”(A cup of Turkish coffee will be remembered for forty years.”) It means that the person who offers the coffee is to be respected and remembered for a long time for the sake of his offering. For many people, the most enjoyable side of Turkish coffee is when another person reads the coffee grains, which is a kind of fortune telling.
*******
TURKCE
2 cay kasigi Turk Kahvesi
2 cay kasigi seker
1 kahve fincani sut

Seker ve kahveyi cezveye koyup, karistirin. Kahve fincani ile suyu olcup cezveye ilave edin. Yuksek ateste, sekerin erimesi ve kave ile sutun butunlesmesi icin biraz karistirin. Cezvenin uzerine kopuklenmeye basladigi zaman, kasik yardimiyla biraz kopuk alip, kahve fincanlarina paylastirin. (Kahvenin bol kopuklu olmasi icin)
Yuzeyi kaynamaya ve kabarmaya basladigi zaman, cezveyi ocaktan alin ve kahve fincanlarina paylastirin.
Fincanin dibinde kahvenin telvesi birikecektir, bu kisim icilmez.
Turk kahvesini bir bardak su ve bir parca cikolata ile servis edebilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN!
Turk kahvesi, Turk Kulturunun onemli bir parcasi haline gelmistir. Bununla ilgili eski bir soz de vardir. “ Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir” Turk kahvesini ikram eden kisiye uzun zaman boyunca saygi duyuldugu ve ikramindan dolayi uzun zaman hatirlandigi anlamina gelir. Cogu kisiye gore, Turk kahvesinin en eglenceli yani, birinin kahvenin telvesinden fal bakmasidir.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Turkish Coffee (Turk Kahvesi)

1 tsp Turkish coffee
1 tsp sugar
1 Turkish coffee cup of purified water (see the picture)






Put the coffee and sugar in the coffeepot (cezve, see the picture ) and stir. Fill the Turkish coffee cup with water, leaving some room at the top. Then pour it to the cezve. Depending on how many cups of coffee you want, repeat the previous process.
Put cezve on high heat and stir with a spoon to let the sugar dissolve and coffee to mix with the water. When it starts being foamy on the surface, take some of the foam with a spoon and put into the coffee cup.( It is for a foamy Turkish coffee) When bubbles form on top and starts rising, take the cezve off the stove and pour the coffee into the cup.
There would be grinds at the bottom of the cup, do not drink this part.
You can serve the Turkish coffee with a glass of water and a piece of chocolate.
ENJOY

Turkish Coffee has been an important part of Turkish Culture. There is an old saying about it. “ Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir”(A cup of Turkish coffee will be remembered for forty years.”) It means that the person who offers the coffee is to be respected and remembered for a long time for the sake of his offering. For many people, the most enjoyable side of Turkish coffee is when another person reads the coffee grains, which is a kind of fortune telling.
TURKCE
2 cay kasigi Turk Kahvesi
2 cay kasigi seker
1 kahve fincani olcusu icme suyu

Seker ve kahveyi cezveye koyup, karistirin. Kahve fincani ile suyu olcup cezveye ilave edin. Yuksek ateste , sekerin erimesi ve kave ile suyun butunlesmesi icin biraz karistirin. Cezvenin uzerine kopuklenmeye basladigi zaman, kasik yardimiyla biraz kopuk alip, kahve fincanlarina paylastirin. (Kahvenin bol kopuklu olmasi icin)
Yuzeyi kaynamaya ve kabarmaya basladigi zaman, cezveyi ocaktan alin ve kahve fincanlarina paylastirin.
Fincanin dibinde kahvenin telvesi birikecektir, bu kisim icilmez.
Turk kahvesini bir bardak su ve bir parca cikolata ile servis edebilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN

Turk kahvesi, Turk Kulturunun onemli bir parcasi haline gelmistir. Bununla ilgili eski bir soz de vardir. “Bir fincan kahvenin kirk yil hatiri vardir” Turk kahvesini ikram eden kisiye uzun zaman boyunca saygi duyuldugu ve ikramindan dolayi uzun zaman hatirlandigi anlamina gelir. Cogu kisiye gore, Turk kahvesinin en eglenceli yani, birinin kahvenin telvesinden fal bakmasidir.