ELMALI KURABİYE

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COOKIES WITH APPLE FILLING

These cookies from Rabia's blog. I can easily say that it is so delicious and very easy to make. The dough is very easy to work with which is very important when you are making these kind of cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter (melted )
  
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla sugar
• 4 cups of all purpose flour ( approx )

Filling:

• 4 large size off apples
• 1 cup of finely diced walnut
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon

Peel and grate apples. Take sugar and the grated apple in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until it absorbs all of its juice.Then add walnut and cinnamon to the pot. Turn the heat off.Stir and set a side.
Shift flour, baking soda and vanilla sugar all together in a large mixing bowl. Take melted butter, vegetable oil, milk and sugar in another large bowl and mix. Add shifted flour gradually to the liquid and make a soft dough.
Take a small piece of dough ( about the size of an egg) and make it flat with your hands. Place 1 tbs of filling in the middle of the dough and close it up. Place them on a baking tray.When putting the cookies to the tray, the closed part of them should face up. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake them until golden brown.

ÖCCE/MÜCVER

HERB FRITTER

Most people know about zucchini fritter in Turkey and it is called "mucver' in Turkish. It is a pretty popular dish. This version of fritter is just made in my hometown and we call it "öcce." The taste of both fritters are similar but the ingredients are almost completly different.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunch of green onion ( finely chopped )
  
• 1 large onion ( finely chopped )
• 2 bunch of parsley ( finely chopped )
• 10 cloves of garlic ( finely chopped )
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp of dried mint
• 1 tbsp of red pepper paste
• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1+ 1/2 cups of water
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• salt
• olive oil for frying
  

Take chopped green onions, chopped onion,chopped garlic, chopped parsley in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, red pepper paste, dried mint, and cumin into the bowl and rub it with your hands until it loses its volume. Whisk eggs in another bowl and add to the mixture and stir. Add water into the bowl and mix. Add flour and baking soda together to the mixture and mix it.
Place some paper towel on a serving dish. Take olive oil in a large frying pan, turn the heat on high. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and put it into the pan. Fry both sides, drain away the excess oil and place fritters on the serving dish. Repeat this steps until the mixture is finished.

MERCİMEKLİ KÖFTE

RED LENTIL & BULGUR BALLS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of red lentil
• 3/4 cup of extra fine bulgur
• 1 small size of onion (finely chopped )
  
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped )
  
• 1/3 bunch of parsley (finely chopped )
  
• 4 green onion (finely chopped )
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
  
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of hot red pepper paste
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• salt
  

Wash and drain lentils. Take it in a medium pot and cover with just enough cool water to cook. Turn the heat on high and bring it to the boil then turn the heat down to low. Do not add too much water. Watch it closely if water is needed during the cooking process you could add some more.
Turn the heat off when lentil becomes mushy. At this moment you may drain if it has access water. The consistency of cooked lentil should be thick. Add bulgur to the pot and stir. Cover the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Take olive oil and chopped onion in a small skillet and saute it over medium heat.
Take the lentil-bulgur mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add sauteed onion, tomato paste, red pepper paste, cumin and salt to the bowl and knead it until well combined. Then add chopped green onion, chopped parsley, chopped garlic and knead again.
Place some lettuce leaves on a serving dish. Take a small piece of mixture ( about the size of a walnut ) and give it a shape of football with your palm and put it on the lettuce leaves.
Serve it with ayran and pickles.

DEREOTLU POĞAÇA

POGACA WITH FRESH DILL

This recipe is from Kibele Sofrasi. Banu is a professional cook.
She made this pogaca with feta cheese and mixed the dough with the cheese.
This is how I made it;

Ingredients:

• white of 2 eggs
  
• 6 tbsp of butter ( melted )
  
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• juice of a half lemon
• 4 tbsp of finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 tsp of salt
• 2 cups of all purpose flour (approx )
  

Filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese

Glaze:

• yolk of 2 eggs

In a big mixing bowl, take butter and egg white and whisk. Add baking soda, lemon juice,dill, salt and mix. Add flour slowly and knead. Continue adding flour until the dough reaches soft consistency.
Take a small piece of dough ( about the size of a walnut ) and make it flat with your hands. Place 1 tsp of cream cheese in the middle of the dough and close it up. Place them on a baking tray. Brush all of the pogacas with egg yolk.
Preheat the oven 350F and bake until pogacas are golden brown.

SOĞAN YAHNİSİ

 ONION STEW

The original recipe of Onion Stew is belongs to Naile who has a great blog with a lot of delicious recipes. I decided to try this recipe as soon as I saw it. I was right. It is so delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound white pearl onions
• 1/2 pound beef ( or lamb ) cubes
• 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1/2 tbsp of red pepper paste
• 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses (or lemon juice )
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 cups of boiling water
  
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• salt
  

Cut root ends of pearl onions and peel. Rinse in cold water and then drain.
Take vegetable oil and beef cubes in a large pot. Cook it until it absorbs all of its juice over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and red pepper paste to the pot and stir for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Add peeled onions and chickpeas to the pot. Bring it to the boil. Add black pepper, pomegranate molasses, and salt to the pot, stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until onions are cooked.
Serve it with rice.

FIRINDA PATATES KIZARTMASI

OVEN BAKED POTATO FRIES

Ingredients:

• 4 large golden potatoes
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil
• 1/2 ground red pepper
• 1/3 tsp of black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut them into long fry shapes. Take potatoes in a big mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix. Preheat broiler to medium heat. Take potatoes in a baking tray. Broil potatoes until crisp, turning sides every 5 minutes.

HURMALI&CEVİZLİ KURABİYE

DATE&WALNUT COOKIES

I didn't think I would post this recipe until I had my first bite. It is very tasty. The combination of walnut and date is just perfect.

Ingredients:

• 1+ 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of chopped dates
• 1/2 cup of finely diced walnuts
• 1 egg
• 1/2 stick butter ( softened )
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
  
• a pinch of salt
  

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk egg, melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add sifted mixing and mix it with a spatula. Add chopped date and walnut to the bowl and mix. Take one tablespoon of cookie dough and place it on a greased baking tray. Leave some room between the cookies. Preheat the oven 350 F. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes.