Life 'n' Such

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This is another really tasty salad made by turkish people. I think its more like a snack. Hacer made it yesterday. Her recipe for this salad.

Ingredients:
Bulgur (cracked wheat, the smallest size you can find- I think Turkish women use #1 type)
Hot water enough to soak the bulgur completely
Chopped onions
chopped lettuce
1 tsp tomato paste,
salt,
red pepper,
black pepper,
cumin,
lemon juice
oil

First soak the bulgur in hot water and cover and keep about 15-20 mins. In the mean time, fry the onions, then add tomato paste and the spices. After the bulgur is ready, add the onion mix to the bulgur, and the chopped lettuce (few handfuls). Add salt as per taste. Put few spoons of lemon juice, and drizzle more oil if required. Toss the salad till mixed well.

Its ready! Serve before a meal or eat as a snack.

Note: I think Ulfet adds a pinch of oregano to this too.

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This is Hacer’s recipe to make the mint yoghurt soup. Today Hacer, Nurhan, Fatime, Aysun and AyseGul visited me. Hacer made this soup. I think this recipe is much easier.

For about 10 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups yoghurt,
1 egg yolk,
6-8 tbsp all purpose flour,
8 oz rice,
about 7-8 cups water
salt, red pepper, mint
oil and butter

Mix the egg, and yoghurt, then add the flour, mix well. Add the water gradually stirring continuously (try to get rid of lumps). Cook stirring until it starts boiling. Then stir once in a while, cook until the flour taste is gone and the rice is soft. Add salt.

Boil the butter and oil together. Turn off the heat, and add the red pepper and mint. Add this to the soup, and mix well. Sounds pretty easy, doesnt it!

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Doctors recommend eating vegetables and meat, so why not mix the two and make cooking easier!

This recipe is by Ulfet’s mother in law. She is in Turkey now, hope I get to see her again soon.

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion,
Boneless chicken, chopped
chopped zuchini
1 tomato or 1 tsp tomato paste,
yoghurt garlic sauce,
salt,
red pepper,
black pepper
oil and hot water for cooking

Fry the onion (most of the recipes start with frying onions). Add the chopped chicken, fry for say 5 mins, add the zuchini and the tomato or tomato paste. Cook till the color of zuchini changes and the chicken is done.

Add the salt, red and black pepper. Done!

Another variation is adding about 2-3 tbsp of bulgur (cracked wheat), just before adding the spices.

Serve with yoghurt garlic sauce, can be eaten with bread or rice.

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In India, we make Chana or chole with chick peas, with lots of spices and tomatoes. We eat it with rice, bread or flat breads.

This is a turkish recipe by Ulfet in which no spices are used, but its amazingly delicious.

Ingredients:
Chick peas(canned or soak and boil till done; I use pressure cooker)
1 chopped onion,
1 chopped tomato,
salt
oil and water for cooking

Fry onion in oil, add the chopped tomato and fry some more time. Add the chick peas and salt. Add hot water and cook covered till you get a thick sauce and the chick peas are tender.

I suggest eating this with Old Round world bread (found in grocery stores), I ate this recently at Nurhan’s house. Its yummy. She said, its almost like turkish bread.

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I didnt really like to eat spinach or any kind of greens/vegetables as a child. My dear mother used to force me to eat good homemade food, but I just lived on potatoes, chocolate and milk. But now, I wish I had eaten what my mom made. Well, this is one easy recipe for making spinach (infact 2 recipes, at the end there is a variation suggested with eggs)

This could be made for breakfast(with eggs-recipe at the end), lunch or a simple dinner.

Ingredients:
Spinach,
chopped onions,
1-2 tsp tomato paste,
salt
red pepper
black pepper
oil and water for cooking

First fry the onions in oil, then add the spinach. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the spinach leaves change color and become soft. Add 1-2 tsp of tomato paste, mix then slowly add a little hot water. Season with salt, red and black pepper. Done!

Note: To make breakfast with spinach, add eggs after cooking onions and spinach to make spinach omlette. Top with some cheese; turkish, feta, mozarella, any kind of cheese.

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I dont remember whether it was Ulfet or her mother in law who told me this recipe. Well doesnt matter, its tasty, easy, and best of all, also healthy! So give it a try.

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion,
1 tomato chopped,
1 can green beans (or fresh beans cooked a little bit)
1 turkish tsp tomato paste
Salt,
red pepper,
water and oil for cooking

First fry the onion in oil, then add the chopped tomato, cook some time. Add the green beans and the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, then add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for about 15-20 mins, till the beans are done. Add salt and the red pepper. Done!

Serve with hot pilaf or bread.

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Who doesnt like mashed potatoes! Potato is not the most attractive looking vegetable and surprisingly it is a world wide favorite. It is so versatile, you can make very quick recipes to some very elaborate ones with them. It tastes great as baked with sour cream, or ofcourse deep fried as french fries.

This recipe is Ulfet’s version for making mashed potato.

Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed(ofcourse!)
Oil and butter (lots of butter!)
few tbsp of warm milk.
Salt and pepper.

Mix oil and butter in the mashed potatoes, then add the milk, and finally salt and pepper. Mix well (so there are no lumps, and its smooth and creamy).

Always taste great, but best when its served hot.

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We all use filo dough for many purposes; baklava commonly. Did you know that you could make kol berek (turkish special bread) with filo dough. This recipe is by Ulfet’s sister from NJ, she has the cutest kids.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk,
2 cups yoghurt,
2 eggs,
1 tt oil,
salt,
filo dough # 7 (thawed as per directions on the box)

for filling:
ground meat with spices,
or turkish cheese/feta cheese with parsley,
potato mix

Put one sheet of filo dough on the tray, spoon the mix over it evenly. Then keep another sheet of the dough over this. Spoon a little bit of mix just enough to act like glue. Then either put the filling of your choice and/or just roll to form a rope like structure. Then lift this and gently arrange in your baking tray, starting in the center, and coiling it. Make more ropes like this, and then arrange them starting where the last one ended. This will look like a spiral once finished.

Now with a pastry brush apply egg yolk over the entire surface. Sprinkle black/white sesame seeds or poppy seeds over this. Bake at 350 deg F till done.

Cut this as if you are cutting a pizza and serve hot.
Enjoy!

Update: Ulfet’s sisters name is Gulay. Gul means rose/smiling and ay means moon, and together it means Smiling moon. Isnt that lovely?

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