Cigarette Borek (Sigara Boregi)

½ lb (200-250 gr) Phyllo Pastry
1-1 1/2 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup fresh parsley/ dill, finely chopped
½ cup oil for frying

Mix feta cheese and dill/parsley in a small bowl. Place Phyllo Pastry sheets on top of each other and cut them in half. Then again cut the 2 pieces crosswise from the corners and form 4 pieces (see the picture). Place 1 tsp of filling on the wide sides (see the picture) and fold the corners inside (see the picture). Then, roll them up (see the picture) and soak the end to water and close it up. Roll all the sheets up in the same way (you can use 2 pieces of sheets together since the sheets are very thin, but it is up to you).
Sizzle the oil in a large skillet and fry the both sides of Cigarette Boreks over medium heat till their color turn into a light golden brown color. After that, place them on a paper towel to soak the excess oil up.
Place them to a serving plate and serve warm.
ENJOY
P.S: If you are using Turkish-style pastry sheets, cut them in 16 triangular-like pieces and then follow the intructions described above to roll up and fry.
P.S: The Phyllo Pastry dries quickly, so roll them up quickly or cover the ones you aren’t using with a clean cloth.

TURKCE
½ paket (200-250 gr) Phyllo Pastry

1-1½ su bardagi ufalanmis beyaz peynir
1/3 su bardagi taze maydanoz/ dereotu, dogranmis
½ su bardagi siviyag, kizartmak icin

Peynir ve maydanoz/ dereotunu bir kasede karistirin. Yufkalari ust uste tezgahin uzerine yayin ve enine 2 parcaya bolun. Sonra her parcayi kosesinden caprazlamasina kesin ve 4 parca elde edin (resime bakiniz). Sonra genis kisimlarina 1 tatli kasigi ic malzemeden koyun (resime bakiniz) ve ust kenarlarini ice dogru kivirin (resime bakiniz). Sonra rulo seklinde dolayin (resime bakiniz). Uc kismini su ile islatarak yapismasini saglayin. (Yufkalar cok ince oldugu icin 2 yufkayi birden de sarabilirsiniz.)
Yufkalar bitene dek bu islemi uygulayin. Genis bir tavada yagi kizdirin ve sigara boreklerin her iki tarafida kizarana dek orta ateste kizartin. Sigara boreklerini kagit havlu uzerine alip, fazla yagini almasini saglayin.
Servis tabagina alin ve sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

NOT: Eger normal yufka kullaniyorsaniz, yufkayi 16 esit parcaya bolun ve yukarida anlatildigi bicimde sarin ve kizartin.
NOT: Phyllo Pastry cabuk kurudugu icin, sigara boreklerini cabuk sarin ya da kullanmadiginiz yufklari temiz bir bez ile ortun.

Roasted Nuts (Kavrulmus Kuruyemis)

1 lb unshelled nuts (walnut, almond, hazelnut, pecan etc.)
½ tsp salt

Wash the unshelled nuts and drain. Then, sprinkle the salt and mix. Place them on a baking tray with baking paper (see the picture).
Preheat the oven to 350-375 F (180-190 C) and roast the nuts till they change to light brown color (8-10 minutes). Also when they are ready, you can hear them cracking.
Cool the roasted nuts and rub them with your hands to remove their thin skins.
ENJOY
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TURKCE
½ kg kabugu soyulmus kuruyemis (ceviz, badem, findik, v.s)
1 cay kasigi tuz

Kabugu soyulmus kuruyemisleri yikayin ve suyunu suzdeukten sonra tuz serpip harmanlayin. Yagli kagit yaydiginiz firin tepsisinin dibine kuruyemisleri yayin. (resime bakiniz)

Onceden isitilmis 180-190 C (350-375 F) firinda 8-10 dakika kavurun. Renkleri hafif kahverengiye donecek ve citirdamaya baslayacaklardir.
Soguduktan sonra, elinizle ovalayarak ince kabuklarindan ayirabilirsiniz.
AFIYET OLSUN

Spicy Potatoes (Baharatli Patates)

1-2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
½ tsp dried mint
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them all. For the microwave, place them in a microwaveable tray and bake till they become soft and tender (8-10 minutes).
For baking in the oven, preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) and bake for about 20-30 minutes till potatoes become soft and tender.
Serve the Spicy Potatoes warm.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
1-2 orta boy patates, soyulup, dilimlenmis
1 cay kasigi kuru nane
½ cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber
½ cay kasigi tuz
1 yemek kasigi zeytin yagi

Butun malzemeleri bir kasede harmanlayin. Mikrodalgada pisirmek icin, mikrodalgaya uygun, borcam, cam ya da porselen bir tepside patatesler yumusayana dek pisirin (8-10 dakika).
Firin icin, patatesleri firin tepsisine alin ve 220 C (425 F) de yumusayana dek yaklasik 20-30 dakika pisirin.
Baharatli Patatesleri sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Mousaka with Bechamel Sauce (Besamel Soslu Musakka)

200 gr (~1/2 lb) ground beef, medium
4-5 medium potatoes, chopped in bite sizes
1 big onion, chopped
2 tbsp tomato, diced or crushed
½ tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup hot water
Béchamel Sauce:
3 cups milk
3 tbsp flour, heaping
8 tbsp (100-125 gr) butter /margarine
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp salt

Place the ground beef in a large skillet and sauté over medium heat till its color changes (no need to add oil). Add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and spices and mix. Finally, add potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Place the mixture into a Pyrex dish and add the hot water. Place the Pyrex dish into 400F (200 C) preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (see the picture).
Béchamel Sauce:
Place the butter in a pot and melt. Add the flour and sauté over low heat till its color change to yellow. Then, add milk and stir continuously to make Béchamel sauce smooth and even. If flour particles don’t dissolve use a blender. Add the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the eggs and stir.
Take the Pyrex dish off the oven. Pour the Béchamel sauce evenly on top of it. Place the Pyrex dish back to the oven and bake until the surface of Béchamel sauce is brown (about 20-25 minutes).
ENJOY
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TURKCE
200 gr yemeklik kiyma
4-5 orta boy patates, kup seklinde dogranmis
1 buyuk sogan, dogranmis
2 yemek kasigi domates, dogranmis yada pure
1 yemek kasigi salca
1 yemek kasigi tuz
1 cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber
½ cay kasigi kimyon
½ cay kasigi karabiber
1 su bardagi sicak su
Besamel Sosu:
3 su bardagi sut
3 yemek kasigi tepeleme un
100-125 gr margarin/ tereyagi
2 yumurta, cirpilmis
1 cay kasigi tuz

Genis bir tavada kiymayi orta ateste renk degistirene kadar kavurun (yag koymaya gerek yok). Sonra sogani ilave edin ve 2-3 dakika kavurun. Domates, salca, tuz ve baharatlari ilave edin ve karistirin. Son olarak patatesleri ilave edin ve 5 dakika kadar orta ateste kavurun. Hazirladiginiz karisimi borcama yada bir tepisiye aktarin ve 1 su bardagi sicak suyu ilave edin. 200C (400F) ye onceden isitilmis firina borcami koyun ve yaklasik 20-25 dakika pisirin (resime bakiniz).
Besamel Sosu
Bir tencereye margarini koyup eritin. Unu ilave edip kisik ateste sararana kadar kavurun. Sonra sutu ilave edin ve surekli karistirin. Eger un parcalari dagilmazsa blendir ile krema kivamina getirin. Tuzu da ilave edip kaynadikdan sonra kisik ateste 3 dakika pisirin. Pistikten sonra ocagi kapatip cirpilmis yumurtayi ilave edin ve guzelce karistirin.
Tepsiyi firindan cikarin ve hazirladiginiz besamel sosunu uzerine esit olarak yayin ve tekrar firina koyun. Sosun uzeri kizarana kadar pisirin (yaklasik 20-25 dakika).
AFIYET OLSUN

Spicy Olive Oil Dip (Baharatli Zeytinyagi)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp dried mint
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp chili pepper (optional)
¼ tsp salt

In a bowl mix all the ingredients and leave for 15-30 minutes to have the flavor of the spices.
You can increase or decrease the types of spices as you like.
Spicy Olive Oil Dip goes well with hot bread, especially at breakfast.
ENJOY
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TURKCE
½ su bardagi sizma zeytinyagi
1 cay kasigi kuru nane
½ cay kasigi kekik
½ cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber
½ cay kasigi kimyon
½ cay kasigi aci pul biber (istege bagli)
½ cay kasigi tuz

Bir kasede butun malzemeleri karistirin ve 15-30 dakika bekleterek, baharatlarin aromasinin zeytinyagina gecmesini saglayin.
Baharat cesitlerini kendi zevkinize gore azaltip, cogaltabilirsiniz.
Baharatli Zeytinyagi karisimi sicak ekmek ile ozellikle kahvaltida cok guzel olur.
AFIYET OLSUN

Rice Pilaf with Chick Peas (Nohutlu Pilav)

1 cup long-grain rice
2 tbsp orzo
1 ½ chicken stock, hot
½ cup chick peas in a can
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter

Wash the rice several times with warm water and drain. Cover the rice with warm water and leave it for 15-20 minutes and drain. If you do not have time for this, just wash the rice and then drain. Place the butter in a saucepan or pot and add the orzo. Over low-heat, fry until their color starts changing to golden brown. Do not over fry, take the pot from the stove as soon as you see the golden brown color and add the rice. Then, again place the pot on the stove and stir for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Finally, add the hot chicken stock (If you leave the rice in water before cooking, use 1 ½ cup hot water otherwise use 2 cups). Add the salt and close the lid and cook over low heat, until the rice absorbs all the water. Meanwhile you can stir once or twice. Finally add the chick peas and stir. Let the pilaf stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Pilaf goes well with any kind of dish and yogurt. I like it with plain yogurt.

ENJOY!

P.S: You can also add 1 tsp of lemon juice with the water, to make the pilaf shine.

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TURKCE
1 su bardagi baldo pirinc
2 yemek kasigi arpa sehriye
2 yemek kasigi tereyagi /margarin
1 ½ su bardagi tavuk suyu, sicak
½ su bardagi nohut konservesi ya da haslanmis nohut
1 tatli kasigi tuz

Pirinci temiz su cikana dek yikayip suzun. Uzerini ilik su ile kaplayin ve 15-20 dakika dinlenmeye birakin. Sonra suzun. Eger buna zamaniniz yoksa, pirinci sadece yikayip, suzun. Tereyagini bir tava ya da tencereye alin ve arpa sehriyeleri ilave edin. Dusuk ateste sehriyeler kizarmaya baslayana dek cevirin. Ates uzerinde fazla birakmayin, kizarmaya baslar baslamaz ocaktan alin ve pirincleri ilave edin. Orta ateste 3-4 dakika pirincleri kavurun. Son olarak, sicak tavuk suyunu ve karistirin (Eger pisirmeden once pirinci suda beklettiyseniz, 1 ½ su bardagi sicak su, eger bekletmediyseniz 2 su bardagi kullanin). Tuzu da ilave edip kapagini kapatin. Pilav suyunu cekene dek, dusuk ateste pisirin. Pisme esnasinda 1-2 defa karistirabilirsiniz. Son olarak nohutlari ilave edin ve karistirin. Servis yapmadan once 15-20 dakika dinlendirin.
Pilav butun yemek cesitleriyle ve yogurt ile guzel gider. Ben pilavi yogurt ile severim.

AFIYET OLSUN!

NOT: Eger pilavinizin parlamasini ve tane tane olmasini istiyorsaniz suyu ilave ederken 1 tatli kasigi limon suyu ilave edin.

Chicken Soup with Vermicelli (Sehriyeli Tavuk Corbasi)

1 whole chicken leg or ½ lb chicken breast
1/2 cup vermicelli
1 medium carrot, grated
3 gloves of garlic, sliced
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Sauce:
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp lemon juice

Place the chicken in a pot and add 6-8 cups of water. Add 1 tsp salt and boil until the chicken is cooked. Then, cool the chicken and cut into small bite sizes.
Add carrot, garlic, 1 tsp salt to the chicken broth you got before and cook over medium heat. When it boils, add vermicelli and chicken pieces. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Let it cool for a while. Mix the beaten egg and lemon juice in a bowl and slowly stir in to the Chicken Soup with Vermicelli. Finally sprinkle black pepper on top and serve warm.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
1 butun tavuk budu yada gogsu
1/2 su bardagi tel sehriye
1 orta boy havuc, rendelenmis
3 dis sarimsak, dilimlenmis
2 tatli kasigi tuz
1 cay kasigi karabiber
Sos:
1 yumurta, cirpilmis
2 yemek kasigi limon suyu

Tavugu ve 6-8 su bardagini bir tencereye koyun. 1 tatli kasigi tuzuda ekleyip pisene dek kaynatin. Tavugu sogutun ve kucuk parcalar halinde dograyin.
Tavuk suyuna havuclari, sarimsagi ve 1 tatli kasigi tuzu ilave edin ve orta ateste kaynatin. Kaynamaya baslayinca tel sehriyeyi ve tavuk parcalarini ekleyin ve 8-10 dakika pisirin. Ocagi kapattiktan sonra 10-15 dakika biraz sogumasini bekleyin.
Cirpilmis yumurta ile limon suyunu karistirin ve yavasca karistirirak Sehriyeli Tavuk Corbasina ilave edin. Son olarak karabiberi serpin ve sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN