Mushroom cookies

Ingredients:

125 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 icing sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cornflour

1 cup plain flour, all purpose

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp cocoa powder

Steps:

1. Cream the sugar with butter using a small egg whisker, then add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk. Add the cornflour, and then mix with your hand. Gradually add the flour and baking powder, knead. You will have very soft dough.
2. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then make chestnut sized balls with your hands. Put parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange them on it.

3. Place cocoa in a small bowl and pour 1 tbsp water in another small bowl. Wash and dry a glass soda bottle. Soak the rim of the bottle into the water, and then dust it with cocoa. Press the rim of the bottle lightly on the dough . Finish them all. Wipe the rim of the bottle with tissue paper every 3-4 times.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Arrange them on the wire rack so they cool down.

 

Usulü Piyaz: Turkish beans salad

Ingredients:

•1 Can White Kidney Beans

•1 Small Onion

•50 ml Olive Oil

•Lemon Juice of half a lemon

•1/2 tbsp Salt

•Half Bunch of Curly Parsley

•1 tsp Black Pepper

•1/2 tsp Paprika (Optional)

•1 Small Tomato

•1 Egg (Medium- Optional)

•Black Olives

•1 tsp Dry Mint

Steps:

1. Wash and drain the kidney beans.
2. Peel the onion and halve it lengthwise. Cut it in half moons.

3. Add onion onto the kidney beans, include dry mint, paprika, black pepper and salt to the mixture and mix them all. Cut tomatoes into small squares and add into the mixture.
4. Add parsley, lemon juice and olive oil and mix well
5. Adorn with olives and egg.

Dawoud Pasha: داوود باشا Meatballs in tomato sauce

Minced lamb 500g

1 tin chopped tomatoes

One large onion

1 cup chopped coriander leaves

Tomato paste 1tbsp (adjust to taste)

Chickpeas 1 can

1tsp allspice

1tsp cinnamon

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Chicken stock 2cups (water instead)

1. Start by making the meat balls. Add salt and allspice, cinnamon and coriander leaves to the meat. Mix well and make into walnut size balls. Put aside.
2. You can grill them or dry fry them to get rid of most of the fat.
3. In a heavy bottom pan heat some olive oil and fry the chopped onion, cook on low heat until it becomes soft, add the chopped tomatoes (blend until smooth before) and the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper, add 1 to 2 cups of water and cook for 20 to30 minute.
4. Add the meat balls and cook for another 15 minutes. Five minutes from the end drain and add the chickpeas.
5. Serve next to vermicelli rice or cooked Bulgar wheat.

Havuclu Haydari: Carrots and yoghurt salad

Ingredients:

5-6 carrots
3-4 tbsp olive oil
3-4 clove garlic
¾ cup plain yogurt
Salt to taste
Parsley, a bunch

Steps:

1. Grate the carrots and sauté carrots in olive oil for about 10 minutes.
2. Combine yogurt and garlic, and mix this with fried carrots.
3. Decorate with parsley, drizzle of olive oil and some olives.

Turkish Meze luch and fundraising

The SVS Class Restaurant

Turkish Mezze Lunch

22/02/2011

Hot Mezze

• Dawood Pasha (meatballs in tomato sauce)
• Sigara Boregi (cheese and herbs rolls)

Cold Mezze

• Imam Bayildi (stuffed aubergine in tomato sauce)
• Biber Dolma (peppers stuffed with fragrant rice)
• Havuclu Haydari (carrots and yoghurt Salad)
• Shepherds salad
• Mercimek koftas (red lentils burgers)
• Beans salad (Usulü Piyaz)
• Cacik (yoghurt, cucumber and mint salad)
• Pancar Salatası (beetroots and dill salad)

On the side

•  Pide (Turkish bread with sesame seeds topping)

Pudding

• Revani Chahrazed’s style (Orange and pistachio semolina cake)

Seved with:

• Orange segments
• Home made sticky Turkish ice cream
• Orange sauce 
• Mushroom cookies

• Mint Tea/coffee

Imam Bayildi (Stuffed aubergines in olive oil)

 

 

 

 

Imam bayildi (down)
Stuffed peppers and courgettes (up)

This is a Turkish speciality called Imam bayildi, meaning ‘the imam fainted’, as it is believed that the quantity of olive oil used in this tender and delicious dish caused him to faint. There are two versions for him fainting, the first one is because of delight and the second one is because he liked it so much that he kept enjoying this dish day after day until he became ill (or may be died). It is up to you to choose your favourite version.

I am going to keep experimenting cooking this dish with as little oil as possible (I am thinking about steaming the aubergines instead of frying them) and I will update you on that.


Ingredients: serves 4-6
1 large onion, finely sliced
3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
A bunch of fresh parsley and dill, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
2-3 long aubergines, partially peeled in zebra-stripes and soaked in salted water for 5 minutes
5 tbsp water
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve


Steps:

1.      In a bowl, mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic and herbs with the salt and a little of the olive oil

2.      In a frying pan, heat up enough oil to just cover the base. Pat the aubergines dry and pop them into the pan to soften them quickly on all sides.

3.      Place the aubergines on a board and, carefully, slit them open from top to bottom, making sure you create a deep pocket to fill. Pack the onion and tomato filling into the pockets and place the aubergines, side by side, in a deep pan.

4.      Mix together the remaining olive oil and water and pour it over the filled aubergines. Cover with the lid.

5.      Cook the aubergines (on the hob or in the oven) gently for about 1 hour, basting them from time to time, until they are soft and tender and only the olive oil is left in the bottom of the pan. Leave them to cool and serve cold with a little of the oil spooned over them and lemon wedges to squeeze.

Aubergines cooking beside the pappers and the courgettes
just ou of practicality

Dolma Felfel (Stuffed green peppers)



Stuffed peppers and courgettes (left), served beside iimam bayildi (right)



Dolmas in Algeria are vegetables stuffed with minced meat filling and cooked either in a meaty broth or a tomatoes sauce. Vegetables used in dolmas include peppers, courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, onions and even potatoes. Dolmas make a hot hearty dish with one or a selection of the above mentioned vegetables.

In the Middle East, the same vegetables (except potatoes) are stuffed with aromatic rice and served cold as a mezze dish.

I have to say that I hesitated to use raisins in the filling, but I can assure you that the result is really nice. The addition of grated carrots is my own twist.

Ingredients: serves 4

6-8 small green peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons currants
1-2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup short-grain rice, washed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tomatoes
Juice of a lemon mixed with 3 tbsp olive oil
2 lemons cut into wedges

Steps:

1.      Cut the stalks off the green peppers and remove any seeds and pith from inside the bell. Wash them inside and out and put aside.

2.      In a heavy-based pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in the onion . As the onion begins to colour, stir in the pine nuts and currants. When the currants plump up and the nuts begin to brown, stir in the mint.

3.      Add the spices, followed by the rice, and pour in enough water to just cover. Stir in the seasoning, bring the water to boil, and simmer until the water has been absorbed.

4.      Cut the sides off the tomatoes to make lids for the peppers. Spoon some of the rice mixture into each pepper, fit them with the tomato lids, and place them upright, side by side, in a heavy-based pan.

5.      Mix together roughly 1cup water with the olive oil and lemon juice mixture and pour over the peppers. Sprinkle with a little sugar, cover the pan and cook gently for approximately 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

6.      Leave to cool in the pan. Serve cold with wedges of lemon to squeeze over them.

Coring courgettes using a teaspoon

Ready to receive fragrant rice filling

Peppers and courgettes cooking beside the aubergines (see imam bayildi)
just out of practicality