Şekerpare - Turkish cookies in syrup

Tonight I'm going to have some guests at my place and decided to prepare easy but really tasty Turkish cookies which are soaked in sugar syrup - şekerpare.

What we need:

1 egg
1 Turkish teacup of sugar ( 1 cup - 150ml)
250gr of butter
1 teascup semolina
1 pack of vanilla sugar
1 tbsp of baking powder
3,5 water glasses of flour ( 1 glass = 200ml)

for decoration:

50-60gr of nuts (you can use any you want, I decided to use pistachio, use almond, hazelnut or walnut)
1 egg yok for brushing the cookies

for Syrup:

2 glasses of sugar
2 glasses of water
½ lemon juice

What we have to do:

1. Put sugar and water in a pot and cook for 6-7 minutes, then add lemon juice and continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Leave it to cool.
2. Mix egg, sugar, butter, semolina, vanilla in a bowl. Mix flour with baking powder and add slowly into cookie dough. Knead the dough until it's soft and combined.
3. Take small pieces of dough and shape the cookies. Put one nut in the middle of each cookie and brush with egg yok.

4. Pre-heat the oven 180C and bake the cookies for 30 min until light brown.
5. When you take the cookies from the oven, put them into a casserole dish and pour over cool syrup. Leave it to soak up the syrup for at least 15 min and serve. You can also serve it with ice-cream, yogurt or Turkish kaymak and a cup of Turkish black tea! Enjoy!!!

Beetroot and poached salmon salad

Just one more way enjoy those lovely fresh beetroots...


What we need:
250 gr cooked beetroot
3 tbsp of capers, rinsed and drained
handful of leaf parsley and dill
1 red onion
salt and black pepper
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp of olive oil
300gr of poached salmon
a slice of lemon

What we have to do:

1. Poach your salmon fillet in water with fresh herbs or in a stock until cooked.
2. Roughly chop the beetroot and onion and place in a bowl, add capers, roughly chopped parsley and dill, add some salt and pepper, sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Mix it all together.
3. In a plate put some tablespoons of beetroot salad and add salmon flakes on the side or on the top. Drizzle with some lemon juice and serve! Enjoy!!!

Seeded Honey Loaf

Healthy eating is a topic close to my heart and every time I look for ways to enrich daily meals with nutrients. This time I took Gordon Ramsay's 'Healthy Appetite' and chose to make a loaf of bread because it's enriched with nutrient-packed seeds. Also, it reminds me of traditional Lithuanian rye bread... It's a pity that I couldn't get rye flour in here. Hopefully some other time...
The loaf turned out really soft with lovely crust. Just it would have been better if I waited until it's completely cool. Still DELİCİOUS and HEALTHY!!! What else can I ask for?
Recipe makes two 500gr loaves ( I made 1 huge loaf)

What we need:

7gr dried yeast
275ml tepid water
225gr wholemeal flour
225gr strong white flour
1½ teaspoon fine sea salt
50gr mixed seeds ( about 2 teaspoons each of poppy, sesame, pumpkin, linseed and sunflower)
3 tbso olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp milk, to glaze

What we have to do:

1. Put tepid water in a bowl and add salt and yeast, stir to dissolve. Leave to sponge for a few minutes.
2. Put the flours into a large mixing bowl, add the seeds and stir to mix. Make a well in a centre and add the olive oil, honey, yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine, adding more flour if the dough seems too wet. It should be soft, but not sticky.
3. Press the dough into a ball, then knead on a floured surface for about 5-10 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave the dough to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for an hour or so until doubled in size.
4. Punch the dough down on a lightly floured surface and knead it lightly. Divide into two pieces and shape each into a loaf. Place each on a lightly oiled large baking sheet and cover with lightly oiled clingfilm. Leave to prove in a warm spot until almost doubled in size.
5. Heat the oven to 200C. Remove the clingfilm and brush a thin layer of milk over the loaves. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly golden in colour. The loaves should sound hollow when tapped underside. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Best served lightly warm. Enjoy!

Chicken Souvlaki (wicked kebabs)

It's a real Greek fiesta in my home tonight! Together with lovely haloumi and eggplant salad, we are going to enjoy chicken souvlaki with tzatziki and grilled flat bread! Great combination of mint, oregano and lemon! The recipe is taken from Jamie Oliver's latest book 'Jamie Does'. Originally this is the recipe for pork souvlaki , but living in Turkey, chicken is the easiest and the most appropriate option.

What we need:

800gr of chicken breast ( originally pork, shin) cut into 2cm chunks
1 tbsp of dried mint
1 tbsp of dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
100ml of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
a pinch of black pepper and salt

For the tzatziki:

½ large cucumber
200ml natural yoghurt
1 clove of garlic
1 heaped tablespoon of dried mint ( I used some fresh mint as well)
1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar

What we have to do:

1. Put all kebab ingredients into a bowl and mix everything together really well. Cover with clingfilm, and put into the fridge for at least 30 min.
2. Make tzatziki by coarsly grating the cucumber in a sieve set up over a bowl. Add a few good pinches of salt, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Pour the water away. Put the cucumber in a bowl and add the yoghurt. Pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt until you have a paste, and spoon that into the bowl with the cucumber. Add the dried mint and red wine vinegar, and mix very well.
3. Preheat the griddle pan or a grill. Thread your skewers through the marinated chicken pieces, leaving little spaces between them so that the heat cooks everything evenly. Cook for about 8-10 min, turning occasionally. Warm the flatbreads in the oven or on the grill while the kebabs are cooking.
4. Serve kebabs with some tzatziki and flatbread. You can also make some roasted pepper salad with some lemon dressing. Enjoy!

Griddled haloumi and aubergine/ eggplant salad

Haloumi or hellim ( in Turkey) is a cypriot cheese traditionally made from a combination of goat's and ewe's milk. However, nowadays it can also include cow's milk. I love the texture of this cheese because after grilling it, you get meaty texture and of course it tastes really great. This salad recipe I took form Gordon Ramsay's 'World Kitchen' cookbook and since then I can't get enough of it!
What we need:
1 large aubergine/eggplant
salt and black pepper
6 plum tomatoes
40 gr Kalamata olives, pitted ( I used a combination of Turkish black and green olives)
small bunch of mint
olive oil
500gr haloumi
2-3 tbsp of plain flour

Olive dressing:

75gr Kalamata olives, pitted
3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
75ml olive oil
75ml groundnut oil

What we have to do:

1. Cut the aubergine/eggplant into thin slices. Place in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to stand for 20min. Then pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and put into a large bowl with the olives and mint. Set aside while you make the dressing.
3. For the dressing, put the olives, vinegar, and dried oregano into a blender and blitz to a smooth puree. Gradually add olive and groundnut oil and season well with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Before serving, put a griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and griddle for about 2 minutes on each side until softened and slightly charred. Add to the bowl of tomatoes, pour over some of the dressing and toss to coat.
5. Thinly slice the haloumi, and coat with flour. griddle the slices until they are turning golden brown around edges and just starting to melt.
6. To serve, arrange the griddle aubergine on a larger platter and top with the haloumi. Spoon the tomato and olive salad on top and drizzle over a little more olive dressing. Sever at once, while the haloumi is still warm. Enjoy!

Asian style roasted chicken with sauteed pak choy

I'm secretly in love with Asian cuisine but the problem in Turkey is that it's not that easy to enjoy it. The only place where you can find some Chinese or Japanese restaurant is the central Istanbul - Taksim. So I leave asian restaurants for special occasions and if I get any asian ingredient, I try to play with it. This time this ingredient is pak choy. I've never tried it before and have no idea how to prepare it properly but went with the easiest way - sauteed with some garlic and oyster sauce. Absolutely delicious!

What we need:

1 chicken

for marinate:

200ml apple juice
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 teaspoon of paprika
salt and pepper
3 tbsp of soy sauce
3 cloves of garlic
a pinch of ground corriander seeds


2 pak choy
1 red hot pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
salt and pepper
oil

What we have to do:

1. Mix all marinate ingredients and pour them over the chicken and marinate it for at least an hour. Then put on a baking tray and roast it for 45-50 min in 180C oven ( depending on the size of your chicken).
2. Chop the pak choy. Preheat a pan or a wok, add some oil and grated garlic. When it turns light brown, add sliced pepper and pak choy. Sautee until the leaves turn dark green and the stems get soft. Season with salt and pepper. Then pour 1-2 tbsp of oyster sauce and stir. Finally sprinkle some sesame seeds and remove from the heat.
3. Serve chicken with sauteed pak choy. Enjoy!

Fake pizza with zucchini pad

When lovely zucchinis come into season, everyone's asking what to do with them as they grow quickly and grow big. The most common use of them is to dd to stews, soups, salads. This time I decided to cheat making pizza dough and added one more cup of veggies into our daily intake! It was more that tasty!!! I'll definitely make it again, or maybe just the pad... as with some caramelised onion and yogurt sauce it would be as great too.

What we need:

For the pad:

1 medium size zucchini with soft skin and very small seeds ( if it's bigger, then peel the hard skin and remove the seeds, you should get two handfuls of grated zucchinis)
1 egg
1 tbsp of yogurt
50 ml of milk
1 glass (220ml) of flour
baking powder
1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
salt and pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan.

For the topping:

3 tbsp of tomato sauce
1 onion
2 mushrooms
some leftovers of roasted chicken
3 tomatoes
a good lump of mozzarela cheese
oregano
salt
pepper
olive oil

What we have to do:

1. To prepare the pad, grate the zucchini and mix in all the ingredients. It should turn into a thick pancake batter.

2. Pre-heat the pan and grease it with olive oil. Pour all the batter into the pan, even the top and let it fry for 3-4 minutes until the bottom turns beautifully brown. Then turn it upside down ( as it turns into a big pancake, the easiest way to turn it without breaking is to slid it into a big plate, then put the pan over the plate and using a thick towel turn the plate and the pan, then put the pan on the cooker and continue frying the other side). When it's brown on both sides, then it's time to prepare the topping.

3. You can always put whatever your favourite pizza has to have. As our favourite pizza is with caramelized onions and mushrooms, that's what I put. I sliced the onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and slowly fried it until caramelized. Then fried the mushrooms. On the pad I spread some tomato sauce, then put the onions, then the mushrooms and some chicken leftovers, tomatoes and cheese. A good sprinkle of oregano and into the oven until the cheese melts. Enjoy!!!

Sauteed mıushrooms, spinach and chickpeas

An easy snack or a side dish for any occasion!

What we need:

5-6 mushrooms
a handful of fresh spinach
1 glass of boiled chickpeas
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
lemon
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
fresh thyme
parsley

What we have to do:

1. Pre-heat your pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add chopped garlic. When it starts to brown, add sliced mushrooms and slightly brown them on each side.
2. Season your mushrooms with salt and pepper, add red pepper flakes. When mushrooms are almost done, add chopped onion and continue frying them for 2-3 minutes. Then add boiled chickpeas.
3. Finally, carefully wash the spinach, dry them on a paper towel, then add into a pan with the mushrooms, chickpeas and the onion.
4. Sautee the spinach until they are beautifully whilted. Then add fresh thyme, parsley and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and serve! Enjoy!

Welcoming Ramadan with sweet and lovely honey and pistachio cake / Medaus ir pisacijų pyragas

Today is the first day of a holy Islamic month Ramadan. So it happens I live in Turkey and cannot ignore local traditions, that is after the sunset to gather around the table for iftar ( meal after fast). Traditionally iftar is started with some dates and followed by loads of appetizers, main dishes and dessert. That is why I decided to welcome Ramadan with the cake made from all local ingredients. Originally I found the recipe in Jamie Oliver's latest book 'Jamie Does' Greek food section. But it was so similar to Turkish yogurt and semolina cake, that I gave it a try! Absolutely lovely and moist cake, perfect with seasonal fruit, ice-cream or fresh yogurt! Great for afternoon tea or as a part of iftar dessert!

Honey and pistachio cake

( adapted from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie Does)

What we need:

For the sponge:

5 large eggs

225ml natural yogurt

225 gr sugar

75 gr ground almonds

zest of 1 lemon and orange

150gr of flour

200gr semolina

2 teaspoons of baking powder

200ml of mild olive oil

For the topping:

150gr shelled pistachios

150 gr runny honey

To serve:

seasonal fruit or berries ( I used figs as they are at their best in August, but Jamie Oliver suggests using strawberries)

Yogurt ( I would suggest using yogurt or a lovely scoop of vanilla ice-cream)

What we have to do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Mix all the sponge ingredients in a large bowl. Grease a cake tin with a little olive oil, then dust over a sprinkling of flour and shake the tin about. Spoon in the sponge mixture from the bowl and use a spatula to spread it evenly.

3. Put the cake into the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. When done, remove from the oven and put it aside to cool for about half an hour.

4. When you are about to serve the cake, toast pistachios in a dry saucepan over a low to medium heat. Once they start to get colour, use a rolling pin to gently crush a few of them. Add the honey to the pan and give it a good stir. Squeeze the juice of zested orange and lemon, then boil for 1-2 minutes.

5. Stab the cake all over with a small knife to create holes for the syrup to sink into, then pour the pistachios and syrup all over the top and use the back of the spoon to smooth and spread it out. Leave for 15 min or longer for the syrup to be soaked up.

6. While it's still warm, slice your cake and serve with some chopped fruit and a good dallop of yogurt on the side! Heaven!

Medaus pyragas su pistacijom

Reikia:

5 dideli kiaušiniai

225ml naturalaus jogurto

225 gr cukraus

75 gr maltų migdolų

tarkuoto apelsino ir citrinos žievelė

150gr miltų

200gr manų kruopų

2 arb.š. kepimo miltelių

200ml alyvuogių aliejaus

viršui:

150gr pistacijų

150 gr skysto medaus

pateikimui:

šviežių vaisių ir ledų arba naturalaus jogurto ar grietinėlės

Gaminam:

Įkaitinkite orkaitę iki 180C. Dubenyje sumaišykite jogurtą, kiaušinius, cukrų, migdolus, žieveles, miltus, kepimo miltelius ir alyvuogių aliejų iki vientisos masės. Apvalią kepimo formą ištepkite aliejumi ir apibarstykite miltais. Sudėkite tešlą ir išlyginkite paviršių. Kepkite 25-30 min. Tada atvėsinkite.

Prieš pateikiant, puode paskrudinkite pistacijas, kai jos pradės rusti, supilkite medų. Supilkite apelsino ir citrinos sultis ( nuo kurių nutarkavote žievelę) ir pamašius pavirkite 2-3 min.

Subadykite pyragą pagaliuku. Užpilkite medaus sirupu ir leiskite susigerti kelias minutes. 

Pateikite su vaisiais ir ledais. Skanaus!