Freekeh Pilaf with Garbanzo Beans

Freekeh Pilaf with Garbanzo Beans

Firik (freekeh) pilaf is from the Southeastern part of Turkey. It is an ancient dish originated around 2300 BC in the Middle East . Most commonly it is cooked with lamb, however, often it is cooked as a pilaf to accompany other meat dishes like lamb, beef or chicken. Firik (or freekeh, frikeh, farik) is a grain made from young, green wheat. Wheat grains are harvested while wheat is still full of moisture, soft and green. It is sun dried before being burned or roasted over an open fire. This process burns the straw and chaff around the grains, however, high moisture content of the seeds protects the grains from burning. The process gives the grain a nutty, smoky flavor. The grains look like bulgur (cracked wheat), expect they are green. It is high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Typically in Turkey, freekeh pilaf is made with 2 parts freekeh, 1 part bulgur so that the smokey flavor of the freekeh is not over powering the flavor of the dish.

Thanks to uncle Meray for the recipe. I cherish his wonderful lessons on Antep and Kilis specialities when his contagious passion for family and food shapes memories of a lifetime for me.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green Firik (Freekeh, Frikeh, Farik)
• ½ cup size 4 (coarse) bulgur
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water (or chicken or beef broth)
• 8 ounces cooked garbanzo beans
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tea spoon crushed red pepper for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Place freekeh on a tray. Remove any chaff or straw mixed with grain. Add bulgur to it. Rinse and drain, set aside. Rinse garbanzo beans, drain and set them aside as well.

Finely chop onions. Place olive oil in a pot, sauté onions in oil over medium heat until onion pieces are translucent. Add boiling water (or broth). Add mixed grains and salt to the pot. When it starts to boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to slow and let it simmer until grains are cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and black pepper, gently stir and remove from heat. Serve hot. Sprinkle crushed red pepper on the pilaf (optional).

Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!

Remove chaff  (long, brown grains in the picture) from the freekeh

Chopped onions

Canned garbanzo beans are used 

Coarse bulgur

Freekeh and bulgur mixture 

Sautéed onions

Grains added, simmering in the pot 

Cooked freekeh pilaf

Freekeh pilaf with garbanzo beans

Rice-Meatball Soup Seasoned with Lemon

Rice-Meatball Soup Seasoned with Lemon - Terbiyeli Ekşili Köfte

Ingredients:

• 3 table spoons all purpose flour
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small-medium onion, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup rice
• 5 cups boiling water
• Salt & Pepper to taste

For Seasoning:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 egg yolk

For garnish:

• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• A few sprigs of parsley

Directions:

Put the flour on a tray, spread it evenly forming a thin layer of flour on the tray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, grated onions, chopped parsley, rice, salt & pepper. Knead well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Chilling the mixture will make it easier to shape the meatballs. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry.

Take a small piece of the mixture, roll it between your palms, forming a ball about ½ inch in diameter. These meatballs with be considerably smaller than those in "spaghetti & meatballs". Place rice-meatballs on the floured tray. Repeat this until all of the mixture is formed into rice-meatballs. Gently move the tray horizontally in a circular motion. This will make the balls roll in the tray, covering them with flour without having to roll each ball in flour.

In a large pot boil 5 cups of water. Add all the rice-meatballs into the pot. Gently stir with a spoon. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to slow, cover the pot and let it simmer until the meatballs are tender and the rice in them are cooked, about 45 minutes. It will be a thick soup, however, if it looks too thick, you may need to add more boiling water to obtain desired consistency. Remove from the heat, set aside.

In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and lemon juice with a whisk. Take two spoons full of the liquid part of the soup, slowly add to the egg yolk-lemon juice mixture as you continue to whisk. Then, add this mixture to the pot, as you continue to stir the soup.

In a pan, melt butter over medium heat, add the paprika stirringly. When it starts to foam, set aside.

Pour soup into bowls; drizzle paprika butter on top with a spoon. Add a sprig of parsley to garnish.

Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!

Rice-Meatball Ingredients in a bow

Flour spread over a tray

Rice-Meatballs placed on floured tray

Rice-Meatballs rolled in flour

Rice-Meatballs placed in boiling water

Rice-Meatballs simmering in the pot

Paprika butter

Rice-Meatball Soup Seasoned with Lemon

Savory Kataifi Balls with Cheese

Savory Kataifi Balls with Cheese - Peynirli Çıtır Kadayıf

Couple of years ago we were in the small Greek Island of Leros. We enjoyed many delicacies at Mylos restaurant by the windmill. Most of the appetizers were familiar tastes of the Aegean, however, this one was a pleasant surprise. Typically kataifi (shredded dough) is used for desserts in the Turkish cuisine, very few savory versions exist. This one was quick fried, very light, savory with a drizzle of honey on top. My award winning friend Oya (www.oyascuisine.com) has successfully deciphered the recipe when the owner refused to share his secret with her. She has the recipe on her blog. I've tried it at home in California with fresh mozzarella cheese and we loved it. Then, I tried a baked version. Although it was delicious, by the time the dough was baked to golden brown, some of the cheese oozed out of the dough and hardened on the tray. I decided to try it in a different format and came up with this recipe where I rolled the dough into a ball not allowing the cheese to melt and ooze out. It turned out great. Enjoy!

Variation: If you like kunefe, a kataifi dessert with cheese in the middle, you can place the cooked balls in a deep dish and pour over hot sugar syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, boiled for 5 minutes) over the balls and this will be a dessert very similar to kunefe.

Ingredients:

• 24 small balls of fresh mozzarella, drained
• 8 oz kataifi dough (shredded fillo), about half a box. You can buy this at Middle Eastern Markets where you can find regular fillo dough.
• 2 Table spoons butter, melted
• 1-2 table spoons honey to drizzle on top (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt butter. Using a brush, grease a mini muffin tray with melted butter.

Take out the kataifi dough. On a clean, flat surface, loosen the strand of dough. You may need to cut the strands in half. If the dough is very dry, you may need to sprinkle some water on it to soften it. This will make it easy to work with. Take a few strands, place 2 small balls of fresh mozzarella on one end of the dough. Start wrapping the dough around the cheese by rolling it. Form it into a ball in your palm. Wet your fingers to make sure the ends of the dough will stick to the ball. Place the ball in a mini muffin hole. Repeat making balls until you full the mini muffin tray.

Bake until golden brown. About 20 minutes. Remove from the muffin tray, place on a serving dish. Drizzle some honey on the balls (optional). Serve hot or warm. 

Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!

Kataifi dough out of the box

Loosen up the dough on a flat surface

Place cheese on the dough

Start rolling into a ball

Kataifi ball

Place balls into a mini muffin tray greased with butter

Ready to be baked

Baked until golden brown

Serve them hot or warm

Honey drizzled over the savory balls

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Almonds and Mint - Nazuktan

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Almonds and Mint - Nazuktan

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Almonds and Mint - Nazuktan

Nazuktan is a Central Anatolian recipe. I have first tasted it in my friend Nesli's house and loved it. There's a similar meze with roasted eggplants and yogurt, however, what makes this one a special delicacy is the toasted almonds and a little drizzle of molasses on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants or a 23 oz jar of fire roasted eggplants
• 1 cup thick, Greek style yogurt
• juice of 1 lemon, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons of fresh mint, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: 

• A few sprigs of fresh mint
•  1 tablespoon of toasted sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon grape molasses

Directions:

If you are using fire roasted eggplants from a jar, skip this paragraph. If you are using fresh eggplants, first wash the eggplants. Poke into the eggplants with a skewer or a small knife at 3-4 places for even cooking. Roast them on the barbecue, approximately 15 minutes on each side. Turn to make sure all sides are evenly cooked. The skin will look dark, almost charred, but when you press on it with a fork, the inside will feel soft. Remove from heat, set aside to cool. Peel the outer skin, place on a board and gently chop to small pieces.

If you are using eggplants from a jar, drain the juices by placing the contents in a strainer for about 15 minutes. In a bowl, combine eggplants, yogurt, lemon juice and mashed garlic. Mix well with a spoon. Add almonds, fresh mint, salt and pepper to taste and gently mix with a spoon. Place on a serving dish. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh mint leaves and toasted sliced almonds. Drizzle molasses over the plate and serve.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Fire Roasted Eggplant in a Jar

Eggplant in Strainer

Nazuktan Ingredients

Salad Mixture

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Grape Molasses Drizzled

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Almonds and Mint - Nazuktan

Diced Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs

Diced Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs

This is a common dish from the rural areas of the Aegean region of Turkey where I grew up. When I was a little girl, especially during summer months, I used to pop in and out of our neighbors' homes. I used to play with their kids most of the time. One of my favorite neighbors was aunt Bedriye, a sweet lady whose kids were grown and already out of the house. She used to live by herself. Although she had no young kids to play with, I remember visiting her often because I always felt happy and welcomed in her house. This giggley woman would tell me little stories all the while she did the daily chores of her house, like cooking, sweeping her yard, painting the old tin olive oil containers to plant flowers in them. I have many fond memories of her. One of the things I learned from her was this zucchini dish. It is very easy and quick to make. It has simply, healthy ingredients. It is a vegetarian dish, yet the egg you add to it adds a bit of protein, making it a healthy, light and delicious dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 zucchini, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Wash, peel and dice zucchini about 1/4 inch size. Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash and remove the seeds of the bell pepper. Dice it finely. In a large pan, saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, add paprika, salt and pepper and stir. Cover the pot and reduce heat to slow. Let it cook until all vegetables are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

In a small bowl, scramble the egg. Add it to the pot, stir gently until the egg is cooked, about 1 minute. Add finely chopped dill (optional) and stir to mix it in or sprinkle over the dish. Transfer to a serving dish, serve hot.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Chopped onions

Cubed zucchini and bell peppers

Chopped fresh dill

Onions and bell peppers sautéed in olive oil

Zucchini is added to the pot

All vegetables are sautéed stirring occasionally

All vegetables are cooked, ready to add scrambled eggs

Diced Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs ready to be served

Spinach Salad with Orzo & Cheese - Sehriyeli Ispanak Salatası

Spinach Salad with Orzo and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup orzo (barley shaped pasta)
• 1 table spoon pine nuts, roasted
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup black olives, pitted sliced
• 1/4 cup green olives, pitted sliced
• 1/2 cup pearl tomatoes
• 1/4 cup feta cheese or goat cheese, crumbled

For Salad Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:
Prepare salad dressing first by mixing all ingredients and shaking well.

Wash and drain spinach, set aside.
Boil 2 cups of water in a pot. Add orzo and a pinch of salt, cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Roast pine nuts in a pan, stirring constantly. Roast until golden brown, set aside.

Place spinach and the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add salad dressing. Toss the salad making sure all ingredients are mixed well. Serve.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Uncooked Orzo

Baby Spinach and Pearl Tomatoes

Sliced Black and Green Olives

Raw Pine Nuts

Roasted Pine Nuts

Spinach Salad with Orzo (without Cheese)