Turkish Style Pasta Salad (Turk Usulu Makarna Salatasi)

½ lb elbow pasta

¾ cup carrot, diced

¾ cup sweet peas

¾ cup corn

½ cup pickles, diced

1 Tbsp canola oil

3-4 Tbsp mayonnaise

3 Tbsp yogurt

Cook the elbow pasta with 1 Tbsp canola oil in salty water as directed in the package. Rinse and drain.

Meanwhile boil carrots and sweet peas for about 3-4 minutes. Immediately rinse under cold water and drain.

Mix yogurt and mayonnaise in a bowl and stir in carrots, sweet peas, corns and pickles. Mix them all. Combine with drained pasta.

Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Serve immediately, otherwise it dries out.

ENJOY

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TURKCE

250 gr dirsek makarna

¾ su bardagi havuc, kup seklinde dogranmis

¾ su bardagi bezelye

¾ su bardagi misir

½ su bardagi kornison tursu, kup seklinde dogranmis

3-4 yemek kasigi mayonez

3 yemek kasigi yogurt

1 yemek kasigi kanola yagi

Dirsek makarnayi paketin uzerindeki talimatlara gore 1 yemek kasigi kanola yagi ilave ederek tuzlu suda pisirin. Soguk su altinda yikayin ve suzun.

Bu sirada, havuc ve bezelyeyi yaklasik 3-4 dakika haslayin. Hemen soguk su altina tutun ve suyunu suzun.

Bir kasede, mayonez ve yogurdu karistirin. Makarnayla beraber geri kalan malzemeyi ilave edin, hepsini karistirin.

Istege gore maydanoz ile susleyebilirsiniz.

Hemen servis edin, yoksa makarna salatasi kuruyarak tazeligini kaybedecektir.

AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Peach Jam (Seftali Receli)

14 medium peaches, peeled

7 cups sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Peel peaches and cut them in cubes or any shape you like (not thin). Place one layer peach one layer sugar into a pot. Then keep in the refrigerator overnight. The next day bring it to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat and cook stirring occasionally until it thickens (for about 35-40 minutes). Stir in lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour into jars or containers with lids.

ENJOY

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TURKCE

14 tane orta boy seftali, soyulmus

7 su bardagi seker

1 tatli kasigi limon suyu

Seftalilerin kabuklarini soyun ve dilimleyip, kup seklinde ya da istediginiz sekilde dograyin (cok ince olmamak sartiyla). Bir tencerenin dibine bir tabaka seftali bir tabaka seker olacak sekilde hepsini tencereye koyun. Buzdolabinda bir gece bekletin. Ertesi sabah, yuksek ateste surekli karistirarak kaynatin. Kaynamaya baslayinca atesi biraz kisin. Karistirmaya devam ederek yaklasik 35-40 dakika boyunca ya da istediginiz koyuluga ulasana dek pisirin. Limonu ilave edin ve 1-2 dakika daha pisirdikten sonra agzi kapali kaplara ya da kavanozlara doldurun.

AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

100% Whole Wheat Bread (100% Tam Bugday Unlu Ekmek)

3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

¼ cup honey

1 cup lukewarm water

¼ cup canola oil

1 ½ tsp salt to taste

For glaze:

1 Tbsp yogurt

1 Tbsp water

Place the lukewarm water, honey and the yeast into a bowl. Stir well to dissolve the honey and the yeast. Add milk, canola oil, salt and flour; knead for 10 minutes, till dough becomes elastic. The more you knead the better your bread will come out. 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. Cut the dough into two pieces then make a loaf shape. Grease two loaf pans and place both of the dough pieces. 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).

Mix 1 Tbsp yogurt and 1 Tbsp water in a small bowl, then brush the surface of the bread with this glaze. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Place the bread on the middle rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until becomes golden brown. Take out of the oven and cover with a clean cloth or towel to keep the bread soft.

ENJOY

P.S: Do not use metal container when kneading or resting the dough. Metal spoils the texture of dough.

P.S 2 : Whole wheat bread does not rise as much as usual breads.

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TURKCE

3 ½ su bardagi tam bugday unu

1 paket kuru maya

1/3 su bardagi ilik sut

¼ su bardagi bal

1 su bardagi ilik su

¼ su bardagi kanola yagi

1 ½ tatli kasigi tuz

Uzeri icin:

1 yemek kasigi yogurt

1 yemek kasigi su

Ilik suyu ve mayayi bir kaseye alin, icine bali ilave edin ve homoejn bir karisim olana dek iyice karistirin. Sonra kanola yagi, sut, tuz ve unu ilave ederek, 10 dakika hamur elastik olana dek yogurun. Hamuru ne kadar cok yogurursaniz o kadar guzel ekmek elde edersiniz. 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. Hamuru ikiye bolun ve her birine uzun ekmek hamuru seklini verin. Uzun iki tane ekmek kalibini yaglayin ve hamurlari icine yerlestirin. Uzerini temiz bir bez ya da seffaf film ile ortun ve hamur iki kati buyuyene kadar yaklasik ½ -1 saat bekletin (Vaktiniz varsa 2 saat bekletin).

Sonra 1 yemek kasigi yogurt ve 1 yemek kasigi suyu karistirip firca ile hamurun uzerine surun. Firini onceden 200 C (400F)’ye isitin, ekmegi orta rafa koyun ve uzeri kizarana dek 25-30 dakika pisirin. Firindan cikarinca, uzerini temiz bir mutfak bezi ya da havlu ile ortup hava almasini engelleyin. Boylece ekmeginiz yumusacik olacaktir.

AFIYET OLSUN

NOT: Hamuru yogurmak ya da dinlendirmek icin metal kap kullanmayin. Metal, hamurun yapisina zarar verir.

NOT2: Tam bugday uu ile yapilan ekmekler normal ekmekler gibi kabarmayacaktir. Daha siki ve kati bir ekmek olur.

Ana Sayfaya Don

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

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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

Ana Sayfaya Don

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.

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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

Ana Sayfaya Don

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

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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

Ana Sayfaya Don