CRANBERRY CAKE

CRANBERRY CAKE

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite cake recipe. Easy , quick and stays  fresh a week. I use less sugar  then my usual measurement because dried cranberries are already sweetened. Unfortunately cranberry does not grow in my country. I can find only dried cranberries. 

Cranberries are major commercial crop in US and Canada. They are harvested in fall when the fruits are deep red color. Normally cranberries are not eaten raw, they are  too much sour and bitter . They are processed into products such as juice, sauce and sweetened dried. Cranberry sauce is most well-known product of cranberries which is served with roasted turkey. Cranberry sauce is the indispensable of Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner.

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

3 medium size eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 cups flour

1/4 cup  ground almonds

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup dry cranberry

 

 Beat sugar and eggs with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add oil continue to mixing. Mix flour, almond flour , baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Add half of flour  mixture  , beat   and  add milk

 and than remaining flour mixture, beat until just combined.. Stir dried cranberries. Grease a bar cake tin, line base with baking paper. Spread cake mixture into the pan. Bake in 375F-180C about 45 minutes. Let cake cool in the cake tin. 

 

 

 

 

STUFFED LEEK

STUFFED  LEEK

 

   

 

Cooking has been always interested me from  my young age. Everybody knows that who knows me.  My cousin gave me my first cooking book when I was 17 years old. It is a classic cooking book  written by a famous Turkish chef. I do not use it much now . Most of the recipes are so complicated and heavy. They are not suitable my today's cooking style. On the other hand some of the recipes still remains valid , such as Stuffed Leek....

It is possible to find stuffed leek in some other countries cuisines. This one is Turkish way to cook it. It is easy and tasty. I am sure you will not regret if you try it.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

 3 thick leeks

1lb-500g ground beef-minced meat

3  tbsp. rice

1 onion , grated

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1tsp salt

1tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dry mint

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. tomato paste, extra

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup hot water 

   

 

  

 

 

Cut the white part of leeks into 5cm-2 inches pieces. Soak into hot water 10 minutes. And then push the inside of tubes out with your finger. Keep only one layer. If you want to get more leek taste keep two layers of leek.

For filling, mix ground meat, grated onion, rice, tomato paste, salt, pepper and dry mint. Fill each  tubes of  leek with this mixture . Place in pan, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and chili flake . Dissolve 2 tbsp. of tomato paste in a cup of hot water and pour over leeks. Add  oil  and lemon juice . Cover, bring to boil, then turn heat low and simmer 10-15 minutes or until  rice is tender.





 

LAYERED CREPPES WİTH MEAT SAUCE

LAYERED  CREPES
             WITH  
       MEAT SAUCE

   

 Crepe is a gift from French Cuisine to  the world. There are many variation of crepes, sweet or savory. The savory crepes can be served for lunch or dinner, filling with meat or  chicken or seafood or vegetables or cheese. The sweet crepes can be eaten for breakfast or as a desert, filling with fruit or chocolate sauce or cream or syrup.

This recipe is a good sample of savory crepes. The differences  for the recipe is that the crepes are layered on top of each other, instead of rolling. This presentation provides a nice view and easy serving. It can be cut into wedges like a cake. Bon appetite!

 

 INGREDIENTS

 

FOR CREPES

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tbsp. oil

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

 

 

MEAT SAUCE

500g-1lb ground beef-minced meat

4 chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

1 celery stick, chopped

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup white vine

1 tbsp. thyme , chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

 

 

FOR WHITE SAUCE

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup grated Cheddar

 

Pour vegetable oil in a pan, add ground meat, stir constantly until meat is brown. Add onion, stir few minutes , and then add grated carrot and chopped celery stick. Add chopped mushrooms. Stir until all liquid absorbed. Add tomato paste, vine and water. Season with salt, pepper, copped thyme  and nutmeg. Simmer 10 minutes.

On the other side prepare the crepes. Combine all ingredients in a blender, mix well. Heat a frying pan  over  medium heat. Grease with vegetable oil. Pour 1/2 cup  of batter into the pan, swirl round to cover the base of the pan. When one side of crepe is lightly brown turn the other side. Make 10 big crepes.

For white sauce; heat oil in a pan add flour, stir until it turns lightly brown, pour milk. Stir and simmer until sauce boils and thickened Add  1/4 of cheese, stir.

Place one crepe into a ovenproof dish, cover with meat sauce, top with a crepe. Continue layering with remaining crepes and meat sauce. Lay the last crepe on top, cover with white sauce, sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake in 375F-180C for about 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown.  For serving cut into wedges. This measurement is for 8 person. It can be made half of the measurement for 4-6 person.

 

  

 

MOZZARELLA AND ROASTED RED PEPPER

 MOZZARELLA AND
ROASTED  RED PEPPER

 

 

 

 Antipasto ( means before the meal) is the traditional first course in Italian Cuisine. Antipasto includes anchovies, olives, cured meat, seafood, pickled vegetables and cheese.... such as mozzarella.    Mozzarella is a fresh cheese from Italy. It is semi-soft cheese. Traditionally it  is served the day after it is made. Can be kept weeks in brine when sold in vacuum sealed packages . 

 

 INGREDIENTS

 

1/2 lb-250g mozzarella

2 red bell peppers

2 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili pepper flake

2 tbsp. virgin olive oil

4-5 fresh bail leaves , for decoration

 

 

Place red peppers on a tray.Broil-grill 10 minutes. Blacken the peppers on all sides. Wrap in foil , leave it until cool. Peel the skins of, and deseed. Cut into thin strips. If you do not have time to roast- grill pepper you can buy ready one in a jar at Mexican Food section.

Put sliced  mozzarella in a serving plate.  Place  pepper strips over mozzarella. Seasoning with salt and chili flakes. Sprinkle chopped basil . Pour over olive oil. And then serve. 



 

 

APRICOT AND CREAM DESSERT

  APRICOT AND CREAM
             DESSERT



 

 

 

 

My today's recipe is a traditional  Turkish dessert.   Turkey is the number one apricot producer country in the world.  Fresh  apricot is a very tasty fruit but season of it  is short ,   mostly dry apricot is used . Apricots are used in different ways,  not only for the good taste,   also for the benefit of health.  There are many recipes using apricot.....from sweat to savory; chicken, pork, lamb, salad , tart, cake, jam, compote, dessert.

The cream which we use for this dessert is kaymak- clotted cream. Kaymak is a creamy dairy product. It is made from milk of cows. It has a thick creamy consistency and rich taste. I know you can not find it , instate of kaymak- you can use clotted cream or heavy cream or double cream .

 

INGREDIENTS

 

250g-1/2lb dry apricot

1  cup sugar

2 cups water

1tsp lemon juice

250g cream

For decoration:

1/2 cup hazelnut or pistachio ,ground

 

Place apricot in a bowl ,pour water to cover. Soak overnight. Drain. Combine water and sugar in a pan. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes . Add lemon juice simmer 2-3 minutes further or until syrup is thickened. Add apricots , cook 15 minutes. Do not let apricots get too soft. Transfer apricots in a plate and let them cool.

Cut apricots along seam, just half, open a small slit. Spoon cream in it. Dip cream  side into ground hazelnut.  Place stuffed apricots in a serving dish, cream on side is facing up. Pour syrup over. Leave in refregaretor 30 minutes and then serve.

                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 



 





MEXICAN BEAN SALAD

MEXICAN BEAN SALAD

I hosted my lady friends for luncheon yesterday. We have been friends for 16 years. We are meeting every fortnight, some times  at a restaurant , mostly  at one of us home.
We are not young anymore and some of us have health problem. We have decided to eat light and serve just salad . It is not easy to find different salad every time. This time I wanted to make something new. This recipe is one of them. I am going to give others later. I made this salad inspired from Mexican Cuisine. My friends loved it hope you will too.


INGREDIENTS

1  can (29oz-822g)  red kidney beans or pinto beans
1 sachet Fajta seasoning mix
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 red Jalepeno pepper, diced
1 cup fresh coriander, cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Most canned beans are packet in a thick and salty liquid. It is good to rinse before use. Pour beans in a colander, rinse well with cold running water and drain. Place beans in a pan add Fajita seasoning mix and water. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Turn of heat and pour olive oil and let it cool.
Cube avocado, tomato, onion and Jalepone pepper. Place in a bowl. Pour lemon juice, add salt and chopped coriander. Mix well.
Put the cooled beans in a large serving bowl. Place vegetable mixture on top of beans. Serve with tortillas chips.



TURKEY MEAT BALLS WITH SWISS CHARD

TURKEY MEAT BALLS

   WITH SWISS CHARD

I was not well last two weeks . I had a very bad flu, high fever, aching body. Not only that I could not cook and  eat , even I could not stand smell of food. It was interesting period for me. I have been felling myself well for last  two  days . Now I am thinking all day what I can  cook.... something light and tasty .This recipe emerged for a moment like this.
My favorite kitchen equipment is my stand mixer. I have got food grinder  part as a Christmas present. I am so please to have it, it is so  useful.  I find turkey meat much more tasty than beef and chicken. They do not sell ground turkey in my country.. Now I can make ground turkey when ever I need.
I prefer Swiss chard because it is more sour and spicy than spinach.   I  hope you like it as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS
500g -1lb minced turkey
1 egg
2 slices white bread
1  medium onion
1 clove garlic
2 medium carrot, cut into quarters
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 bunch of Swiss chard or spinach, chopped
1egg yolk
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Place ground turkey in a large bowl. Proses onion, garlic, bread and egg in a food processor. Transfer this mixture to the bowl. Add dry thyme, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon.  Make small balls
Boil 2 1/2 cups water in a pan ,add 1/2 tsp salt. Add carrots and turkey balls. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes or until turkey balls cook. Add chopped Swiss chard or spinach. Cook further 10 minutes.
Mix egg yolk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add few spoons of hot juice of meal. Then pour the mixture very slowly into the pan. Simmer 2 minutes. And then it is ready to eat for cold winter days.

RICE WITH PINE KERNEL AND CURRANTS

RICE WITH PINE KERNEL
        AND CURRANTS

Rice pilaf is a very common dish  in Turkish Cuisine. There are cold and hot variations. It  serves with meat or chicken dish.
This recipe is a very good combination of  rice, pine kernel, currants and spices. Roasted turkey stuffed with this spicy rice is traditional  meal at New Year Eve dinner in Turkey. Usually chestnut and chicken livers are added. I will give this recipe another time.


INGREDIENTS
2 cups short grain rice
1 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, grated
2 tbsp. pine kernel
2 tbsp. currants
1 tsp allspices
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken stock

Place rice in a bowl, cover with hot water and add 1tsp salt. Soak 30 minutes. Then drain and wash several times, drain
Heat the butter or oil in a pan , add grated onion and pine kernel. Stir and fry until onion and pine kernel turn brown. Now add the rice, stir and sauté the rice 3-4 minutes. Add allspices, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Stir 2 minutes more. Pour hot chicken stock , bring to boil. Cover tightly, turn heat very low and cook 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender. Let the rice rest covered for 5 minutes before to serve.

SECRET CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE

SECRET  CHICKEN
      WITH PINEAPPLE

Several years ago a friend of mine opened a small restaurant.  Their specialty was meat and chicken. My friend was looking for a new recipe . I prepared some marinade sauces and we selected one  of them.   It  was a big hit. Customers  loved it  and  they kept asking for the recipe. They did not tell their  trade secret! I  encountered this question many times, also I did not tell  anyone. We named this recipe SECRET CHICKEN.

Actually  it is a very simple  combination   and nobody could correctly guess the ingredients.This  maybe  because some of the  ingredients were not common in  Turkish  Cuisine. Unfortunately after many years of operation,  restaurant is now closed .It  does not need to be a 'secret ' anymore. I am delighted to share this recipe with my readers...enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces chicken tights
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 fresh pineapple
1 tsp cinnamon

Cut  chicken tights into big chuncks. Wash and dry with kitchen towel. Mix ginger, ketchup, garlic, soya sauce and salt in a bowl. Add chicken pieces. Cover, refrigerate several hours or  overnight. Grill or cook in a non-stick frying pan adding 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cook each sides until the chicken pieces well browned. Sprinkle cinnamon  sliced pineapple. Grill until turn brown. Serve with rice and grilled  pineapple .

 

 

 

 

Tips; thread  chicken pieces and pineapple onto skewers. Grill until chicken is tender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPICY GREEN LENTILS

SPICY GREEN LENTILS

 

 

 

 

 Turkey is one of the lentils producer countries in the world. Lentils are low in fat and high in protein and fiber. There are several different varieties...from yellow and red to green, brown and black.  They may be sold whole or split halves .

Lentils are quick and easy to prepare, they do not need to be soaked. The trick is to wait to add salt until the lentils are done cooking. Salt can cause the lentils to stay crunchy.

I cook lentils at least ones a week, as  salad, soup, lentil balls or main dish like this recipe. Lentils is the best if cooked with spices.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups green lentils, washed and drained

4 cups water

1/2 lb /250g  ground beef/ minced meat (optional)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

 

 

Put lentils in a saucepan, pour in water. Bring to boil, simmer 10-15 minutes. And drain. 

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan, add ground meat, stir and fry  until  it is brown. Add chopped onion, stir 5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder. Continue to stir, add tomato paste  . Add lentils and  hot water.  Bring  to  boil, cover. Turn heat low and simmer. Cook 20 minutes until lentil is tender. Just few minutes before end of cooking time add salt. Add hot water as needed.

It can be cooked without meat. Heat vegetable oil , add onion and follow the above recipe .

Serve with rice and salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 



GUACAMOLE SAUCE WITH MEAT BALLS

GUACAMOLE SAUCE
WITH MEAT BALLS

 



 

I like Mexican food, it is colorful, tasty and exotic. Mexican cuisine is one of well known and reach cuisines in the world.  Generally it  is known by very hot food. But it doesn't need to be very hot when the food is spicy. Cumin, coriander, cinnamon are favorite spices in Mexican cooking.  Tomatoes, avocados, pineapples, chillies and cocoa are all growing in Mexico. These products are very important in Mexican cooking.

My recipe is mixture of Turkish meat ball and Mexican tacos. It is a good chose for week end food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb- 500 g ground beef-minced meat
2 sliced white bread, soak in water
1 onion
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

FOR BEAN
1 can red Mexican bean
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water


FOR SAUCE
2 ripe avocado
1 medium tomato
2 green-spring onions
1 Jalapeno pepper
1/2  cup fresh coriander-cilantro,
1 clove garlic
1  lime juice
1 tsp salt

FOR TOPPING
1green pepper
1 red pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
yogurt
grated cheese

pita bread

Place meat, onion, cumin, pepper, salt and bread in a food processor. Mix well, make fat finger shape meat balls. Keep in the fridge until the others get ready.
Drain red beans, put in a pan add ketchup, cumin, salt and hot water. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes.
For the sauce  place avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, coriander, lime juice and salt in a food processor, proses 1-2 minutes , do not over mash. Transfer sauce in bowl and cover with  stretch film.
Cut red and green pepper into small cubes, saute  them with 1 tbsp. oil.
Heat a non-stick pan , grease with 1 table spoon oil, fry meat balls.
Meanwhile  grease   another  non-stick pan   with oil  and heat over a low flame,  add  pita  breads. Fry 1 minutes both sides.
Serve pita bread topped with  beans,  meat balls, sauteed  pepper, cheese, guacamole sauce and yogurt.