ARTICHOKE, BROAD BEAN AND RICE SALAD

ARTICHOKE , BROAD BEAN
AND  RICE SALAD

 

Artichoke season is coming , this is glad news of spring for me. The fresh artichoke season is short in Turkey. It can be frozen but I think the taste is not the same.  

 The health benefit of artichoke are many, especially for liver. The antioxidant capacity of artichoke is one of the highest in vegetables.

 In Turkish Cuisine the leaves of the artichoke are broken, only  the  heart is eaten. The remaining concave -shaped heart is filled with meat  orchicken  , ( vegetarian variety )  rice or  fresh  broad beans  or carrot and peas.

 This dish can be served as a starter  or salad and also warm or cold.

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

 

6 artichoke hearts

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

200 g fresh broad beans,

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp. sugar

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups  short-grain  rice

3 tbsp. olive oil , extra

3 cups, liquid of meal plus hot water

2 tbsp. dill, chopped

 

 

 

  From my local market-Yesilkoy Pazarı

 

Soak rice into salted hot water 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan add onion, stir until soft. Pour 1 cup of water. Add lemon juice, salt and sugar bring to boil add artichoke hearts and broad beans. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or both are tender. Take of artichoke hearts and beans  keep the liquid. Cut heart into 6 pieces.

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a pan add rice stir 5 minutes and measure the liquid ,complete 3 cups adding hot water. Pour into pan. Bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Add artichoke heart pieces, broad beans, leave to cool. Add chopped dill. Mix gently with fork. Serve warm or cold.

 

 

 

INDIAN EGGPLANT

INDIAN EGGPLANT

 

  

 The eggplant/aubergine is a though vegetable....you love or hate it. Eggplant is commonly used  in  South East , Middle East and South Europe cuisines. There are many different ways to cook eggplant. It can be deep fried, stewed or roasted.. I have to admit that deep fried eggplant is the most delicious  dish in  the eggplant dishes.   But deep fry is not suitable for today's healthy diet. 

 Eggplant is widely used everyday cooking in India. Today's recipe is an example from Indian Cuisine.  It is  not fried but spicy and tasty. It goes well with grilled chicken or meat as a side dish. It can be prepare a day ahead.

 

 INGREDIENTS

 

1kg-2lb eggplant-aubergine

4 big tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, well chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp chili pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh coriander /cilantro, well chopped

 

Peel all skin of eggplants. Put in a bowl, add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp flour, cover with water. Stand 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Chop into small cubes.

Pour oil into a pan , heat, add eggplants. Stir 10 minutes or until light brown. Add onion , garlic, coriander, cumin,  and turmeric, stir further 5 minutes add tomatoes and season with salt and chili. Cook 15 minutes or until all the juice absorbed. Add lemon juice and fresh coriander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EASY KEBAB

EASY  KEBAB

I prepared this dish inspired by Bodrum-Cokertme Kebab. Bodrum is a well known summer resort at The South West of Turkey. Cokertme is a beautiful bay at Bodrum region and also there is a very sad song which named Cokertme. I do not know about the history of the dish. Great possibility  one of the Bodrum restaurant started to serve and named. There are many good restaurants in this region.
In the original recipe sauce  and meat are cooked separately. I tried to make the easy way and I cooked meat into tomato sauce. The result was good , and liquid of meal was tasty.
Meat can be cooked a day ahead.




INGREDIENTS

750 g -1 1/2lb beef or dark turkey meat, cut into cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tomatoes, skin peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped or 1tsp dry thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup hot  water

3 medium potatoes, Julienne cut
oil for frying

 2 cups plain yogurt
 1 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

Peel and cut potatoes  into  Julienne  (matchstick) cut.  Soak in  salted water 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile  heat oil in a pan add meat , stir until turn light brown. Put chopped  onion continue to stir . Add pepper , cumin, salt , black pepper, chili, and thyme, then  chopped tomatoes , tomato paste. Pour water into the pan. Bring to boil and simmer, cover with a lid. Turn heat low, cook 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

Drain and rinse Julienne cut potatoes until all starch is gone. Drain and lay on a paper towel, dry well.

Heat frying oil, fry potatoes until light brown. Transfer on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil.

 Put yogurt in a bowl.Add crushed garlic, mix.

For to serve; place fried  potatoes in a plate, put meat on top , pour the liquid  of  meal over. Place 2 spoons of yogurt on top, serve . 



CHILI PRAWN

CHILI PRAWN

Prawns or   shrimps  are tasty seafood.  For most of the people prawns are large , shrimps are smaller. I have searched what is the difference between them. Biologically they are different species but very similar. I think for cooking we do not need to know more then that. Both of them are edible delicious  species .  Fresh  prawns/ shrimps  are always   much more tasty then frozen ones for me . So choose your prawns / shrimps based on , how they taste, what size you want and they have been caught from sea / freshwater or raised.
This recipe is Mediterranean way to cook prawns.  Juice of  this dish  is so tasty because of spices and fresh prawns flavor .It goes very well  with fresh French baguette. I think it is a very good choose for Saturday night dinner.


INGREDIENTS

500g -2lb fresh prawn, shelled
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tsp chili
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. parsley, fine chopped

Shell prawns, cut each prawn down back and remove back vein. Heat butter and olive oil in a pan.  Add garlic and cumin  sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato puree stir 2-3 minutes , add chili, paprika and salt. Pour water. Bring to boil, simmer until the sauce is thick. Add prawns, stir until prawns have turned light pink and cooked. Add chopped parsley. Serve with French baguette and green salad. Yummy, yummy......

MINESTRONE SOUP

MINESTRONE SOUP

 

 

 

 

Minestrone is a thick soup from Italy. It  is made with vegetables and pasta or rice. Italian say that there is not a set recipe yet. Ingredients depend on tradition and which vegetable are in season. Minestrone is a very good choose for cold days, very rich and healthy.

When I think about Minestrone soup, an Italian restaurant   comes to my mind which  was  in  Wolverhampton  -England. It was a small restaurant , running by a big, talkative Italian lady. She was a   marvelous  cook. Only lunch was  served .  They did not have many chooses  in the  menu  but all  were special and delicious. Minestrone soup was one of them. After tiring shopping me and  my dear friend( who we lost  two years ago) had lunch there many times. We always enjoyed.

 And then that Italian lady decided to retire and left the restaurant her son, went back to Italy.  Unfortunately after her  leaving, food was not the same. Her son could not be successful  as much as his mother and the restaurant closed.  All the good memories of my friend and the restaurant are still with me.


 

 

INGREDIENTS
2  tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 zucchinis, chopped
150 g- 5 oz green beans, cut into short lengths
250g-8 oz  cabbage, shredded
2 cups chicken stock- broth
2 cups water
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 can 400g- 14 oz, diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree-paste
1 can 300g-10 oz  cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leave
1 cup small  pasta
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan chees

      Herbs are from my garden.















Top and tail beans and chop into small pieces, shred cabbage. Chop onions .  Slice celery stick. Peel and diced potatoes , zucchinis and carrots.
Heat the oil in a deep pan, add onion and garlic , cook until they are golden brown. Add carrots and celery stick, beans, zucchinis , cabbage, oregano and bay leave. Stir in water , chicken stock , tomato puree and tomatoes . Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to boil reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add pasta and cannellini beans cook further 15 minus or until soup is thick, vegetables are cooked and pasta is tender. Add parsley. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

BULGUR PILAF WITH EGGPLANT

BULGUR PILAF
 WITH EGGPLANT

 

 

 

Bulgur wheat is most common ingredients in Middle East cuisine. It is used in tabbouleh, kibbeh, pilafs, breads, and soups. Bulgur wheat is a kind of creal food made from durum wheat,  boiled, dried  and  cracked.  Bulgur wheat comes in three different textures; fine ,medium and coarse. Each one must  be chosen carefully depending upon which type of recipe is being used in. Different type of bulgur wheat needs different cooking time. So its best to check package instruction before start to cooking.

At the old days bulgur wheat was seen poor people's food , because it was cheaper than rice. Today health value of bulgur wheat is known very well.As a whole grain, bulgur wheat is naturally high- fiber, low fat .It is much healthier than rice in terms of health, specially  for diabetics. Bulgur wheat raise blood glucose much less and slowly than rice.
If you have not tasted it  yet I recommend you to try soon , you will be surprised to taste.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups  coarse bulgur- creak wheat
2 medium onion
3 tbsp.  olive oil
500g-1lb eggplant
1/2 tsp dry mint
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 medium tomatoes , skin peeled
4 cups water

cooking oil for to fry eggplants

Peel skin of eggplants into strip. Place in a large bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp flour and cover with water. Leave 30 minutes. Rinse and dry with kitchen towel. Diced into cubes. Heat cooking oil in a deep pan , fry eggplants . Put on a kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil.
Heat olive oil in shallow pan, add onion, stir few minutes until get light brown. Blend tomatoes and water into a blender, pour over onion. Add cinnamon, allspice, mint, salt, and sugar. Bring to boil, add bulgur wheat, cover. When it start to boil , turn  heat to very low,  and simmer 15-20 minutes  or until bulgur wheat is tender. If it  does not tender yet  add more hot water. Add fried eggplants, cook further 5 minutes.  Leave 10-15 minutes covered for to set. Also it can be eaten  cold.       

 

STIR FRY CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

STIR FRY CHICKEN
       AND VEGETABLES

 

 

In Chinese cooking the preparation time is longer than the cooking time. Frying and steaming are  Chinese cooking methods.  Stir fry is  the most known  method.   A wok is  the best for stir-frying which is frying  foods over high heat . Wok is a round-bottomed  Chinese cooking utensil. A small amount of oil is poured   into the wok, and heated to high temperature, and   food is added  and stirred a few minutes. Possible to find many different kind of wok, but the most common woks are made from  cast iron and carbon steel.. 

There are some rules for to get good result when use a wok ,such as;

-use high heat

- always heat the wok before add the oil,

-stir constantly while cooking,

-cook the food just crisp-tender

- serve immediately,

This recipe can be made with meat and different vegetables, like; cabbage, mushroom, green beans, zucchini, spinach, and cauliflower. Enjoy it.

 

  

INGREDIENTS

500 g -1 lb chicken tight

2 medium onion, sliced

2 green pepper, sliced

2 medium carrots, Julienne cut

2  sticks celery, sliced

2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

250g-8oz  broccoli, cut into small flowerest

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbsp. corn flour- meal

3 tbsp. ketchup

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 cup water

 

Cut chicken   into 2,5cm-1 inch lengths. Slice green pepper, onion  and celery sticks, cut carrots into Julienne cut, break broccoli into small flowerest.

 Heat  wok ,pour oil, add ginger and garlic stir until light brown. Add chicken pieces, stir until chicken is cooked. Add  onion,  green pepper, celery stick and carrot , continue to stir. Mix water, corn flour, ketchup and soy sauce well. Pour over chicken. Cook further 2-3 minutes, add broccoli  continuously stir until sauce is thick. Serve with rice or noodle.

 

 

 

 

QUICKLY PICKLED CHINESE CABBAGE AND CAROT

QUICKLY PICKLED
CHINESE CABBAGE
 AND CARROT

 

 

 

 

Chinese cabbage also called Napa cabbage  has delicate , mild, and sweet flavor. It can be eaten  raw, stir-fried, baked or pickled.

Julienne or matchstick  is a type of  cut that makes the food items into long thin strips. To make Julienne cut you need a sharp knife. Also  there are many  good vegetable slicers for to make the job easier.

This salad goes very well with roasted meat or chicken. Also it can be eaten as a salad or side dish. Must be kept it in the refrigerator.

 

  

INGREDIENTS

 

1 Chinese cabbage, chopped thinly

2 medium carrots,  Julienne cut

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2  tsp salt 

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili flakes

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

 

 Trim the skin of carrots and make Julienne cut, place into a pan. Chop cabbage into thin strips  1inch-2,5cm  , add to the pan , pour water over, cover and bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes or until carrots are tender. If there is any liquid left, drain.

 While still warm add vinegar, garlic, sugar , salt and chili. Stir, cover and leave until cool. Keep in refrigerator several hours or over night and then serve.

 

 

 

CHILI CON CARNE

CHILI CON CARNE

Chili con carne is a Mexican dish , but I ate it  first time in England .I remember very well  where and when I ate Chilli con Carne ; in London - Greenwich ,at a beautiful traditional pub ,  at Christmas time , in 1993. It was a very cold and windy day. After seeing Maritime Museum, Queen's House, Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory, Clocktower Market, and Greenwich Market-which is home to delicious   street food- . I was so cold and hungry.   The warm atmosphere and good food at the pub were impressed me. Actually I am always happy to be  in UK. I must admit that I sympathize with this country.
 Before 70s pubs did not serve cooked food in England. Still some conservative pubs refuse to serve hot food. I like pubs and pub  food: like pork pie and mash, fish and chips.  Many of the pubs have really good foods, simple and tasty.
Chili con carne  is a spicy hot dish. But you can alter it to your own spice levels to get your perfect chili. It is served with rice and green salad. A glass of cold  draught beer goes very well with it.


INGREDIENTS
1 lb-500 kg ground beef-minced meat
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
    red kidney beans
1 can chopped tomato
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 fresh red chili, chopped or 1 tsp or more chili flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp  oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup red wine
2 tbsp. corn meal
1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, fry onion and garlic until softened. Add the meat stir until browned. Stir in a can of chopped tomatoes  and their liquid , tomato paste, wine,  fresh chili, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, cover and cook over on low heat 30 minutes.
Drain kidney beans and add into meat sauce. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered.
In a small bowl mix corn meal and water , stir into bean and meat mixture , cook further 10 minutes until it is thickened.  Serve with rice and green salad.

Tips: Cut into cubes an avocado, mix with 2 tbsp. lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander. Serve with chili con carne.