SPINACH AND POTATO SALAD (PATATESLI ISPANAK SALATASI)

Super easy, healthy, delicious and versatile (you can serve it as an appetizer with crakers or pita bread or a side dish as salad)... What else can you ask for??  What's interesting about it is..spinach is uncooked.

If you feel, it would be even healthier without the Mayonnaise, try replacing it with crushed garlic.

1 package (250 to 300 gr.) spinach leaves
3 medium sized potatos
1 cup plain yogurt (juice drained)
2 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

• Boil potatos in water.  Everyone has their own way of boiling potatos.  Some people peel and cut them before boiling in salt water.  I like to boil mine whole with skin on.  I drain and let them cook before peeling.
• You only use the leaves for this recipe.  Wash spinach leaves and let them dry completely.
• Drain juice of plain yogurt.  Easiest way to do this is put it in a strainer over a bowl and leave in the fridge for an hour.
• When ready to put it all together, mash the potatos and using a food processor chop spinach leaves very small
• Mix together mashed potatos, spinach leaves, olive oil, salt, yogurt, and mayonnaise
• Put in a bowl and decorate as you please.  I used parsley for my picture

COTTAGE CHEESE PUFFS

My friend Peri served these as an appetizer at our last visit with her family.  She took the recipe from one of her friends at a visit.  I served it as an appetizer for friends last weekend who also asked for the recipe.  I guess this is one of those favorites passed on from friend to friend.  I am sure everyone will add their own touch.  For example, I added the sesame seeds as they were not in the original recipe.  I may even try this with half the butter replaced with plain yogurt for more "healtier" version.  Mix of shapes like stars, circles and hearts or sizes may also be good for fun variations.

2 cups butter (500 gr)

2 cups pressed cottage cheese (see the picture below)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour (500 gr)

1 egg yolk

Sesame seeds for the top (optional)

• If butter is room temperature, then just mush it together with all of the ingredients.  If out of the fridge, you can grade it first into the flour.
• Add in salt.  Please be careful with the salt.  If you are using unsalted butter, you will need 1 teaspoon but if you are using salted butter, you'll need to reduce salt.  Add in the cottage cheese.  You'll get a nice soft dough.
• Roll out to 1.5 cm sheets and cut into shapes with small cookie cutter
• Put on a cookie sheet lined with cooking paper and cover with plastic and leave in the fridge overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare egg yolk glaze by separating the yolk from the white and mixing it with a teaspoon of cold water.
• Remove plastic.  Glaze puffs with the egg yolk glaze.  Sprinkle sesame seeds.
• Cook at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown 

LADIES THIGH MEATBALLS (KADIN BUDU KOFTE)

It is interesting that many Turkish dishes are named after women's body parts. I think it is because they are passionate about food. Eating and drinking together is a very big part of the culture. These "meatballs" are called Ladies Thigh Kofte. Years of living in Canada, I had forgotten about this dish until my Aunt came to visit us and made it for us. I remember as a child this dish being part of picnic baskets because they are just as good cold as they are warm

500 gr. ground beef
2 onions (medium)
1/3 cup cooked plain white rice
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 bunch parsley
salt
black pepper
6 tablespoons flour

• Cook plain white rice as usual (1 measure rice, 2 measures water, cook for 15 minutes covered and at low heat). Set aside to cool
• Stir fry 1/2 the ground beef in 1 tablespoon oil until fully cooked and set aside to cool
• Clean and chop parsley
• Combine remaining uncooked beef, chopped onions, cooked rice, stir fried beef, 1 egg, salt and pepper together. Make oval looking meat balls
• Sprinkle bottom of a pan with half the flour and place the meatballs on the flour. Sprinkle remaining flour on top of the meat balls
• When ready to serve, mix together 2 eggs and dip each of the meatballs in eggs and fry them in low heat

I served mine with rice in this picture but you can try serving it with Frech Fries.

TURKISH EASTER BREAD (PASKALYA COREGI)

I thought I would be topical with this recipe with Easter just around the corner. Turkiye may have been the very first true multi-cultural community hundereds of years ago where all religions lived together in piece and respected one another's views. To the point where neighbours helped celebrate each other's special days together regardless of their religion, culture, or language. Turkish easter bread was cooked in homes all over through the easter season.
2 eggs (save the yolk of one for the top)
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon mahalep
Flour

• Put 1/2 cup warm milk in a tall glass. Add in 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoon yeast. Stir and let it sit for 15 minutes until the yeast rises
• Mix the 1 egg and the white of the second egg together. Add in sugar, salt, milk, cooking oil and mahalep.
• Start adding flour. After the first cup, start adding a little at a time until you make a dough that is soft. Add enough flour that it does not stick to your hands.
• Let it rest for a couple of hours. The dough will rise.
• Take small pieces of dough and roll into "strands" (look like long pencils)
• Use three "strands" to "braid" your dough together to take the shape of the easter bread
• Continue until you use all your dough
• Mix 1 tablespoon cold water with the remaining egg yolk and spread over the easter bread
• Cook at 350 until golden brown

CREAM CHEESE FILLED CHOCHOLATE CUPCAKES

A different taste in cupcakes with cream cheese filling. Can be changed to be topical. For example, for St. Patrick's day, you can make your topping green using green food colouring with white chocolates or on Valentines day, you can add red food colouring with white chocolates for the topping. Mint flavored chocolates give it a nice scent too.

When you use packaged cake mix, it is easy but if you feel ambitious, you can make your own cake for the base as well. This recipe makes 12 large cupcakes (or 24 small).

1 (520 gr) package chocolate cake mix

Cream Cheese filling:

250 gr. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon corn starch

• 3 tablespoons mint flavoured chocolate chips
  Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. This usually requires 2-3 eggs, oil and water.
• Line a cupcake pan with paper cupcake holders
• Fill 2/3 of the cupcake holder with cake batter
• Prepare the filling by mixing all of the ingredients together
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in each of the cupcakes. If you choose, you can add another spoonful of cake batter on top but that is not necessary because the cake rises over the cream cheese filling
• Cook at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes. You can test if it is ready by sticking a wooden skewer or a toothpick in the middle of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, they are ready
• Set aside to cool
• Prepare topping by combining all (except chocolates) in a small pot. Make sure everything is blended well. Cooking over a low heat until it thickens remove from heat. Add in the chocolate chips and let them melt by mixing it continually.
• Spoon the topping over the cupcakes and let cool completely before serving
  

WALNUT PASTE (MUHAMMARA)

This appetizer can be served with Crackers, Melba Toast or Pita Bread. For brunch, breakfast or afternoon snack you can spread on pieces of bread. It is full of garlic and spices. When stored in a tightly closed jar and kept in the fridge, it can last a long time.

150 gr walnuts
2 slices of day old bread
1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
2 pieces of garlic
Cumin
Black Pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

• Chop walnuts into small pieces (I use a blender because I don't like this very crunchy)
• Soak bread in water to soften. Squeeze the water out in your hand. Crumble and add to the walnuts
• Crush garlic and blend with walnut and bread mixture and all of the remaining ingredients
• Serve with crackers or toasted bread pieces
• You can decorate with parsley if you like

LEEK FILLED PUFF PASTRY (PIRASALI BOREK)

This recipe is very easy to make simply because the pastry is store bought so there is no fuss. It can be your main dish when served with salad or a side dish when company is coming but left overs always make a good lunch.


1 package puff pastry

1 bunch leek
2 carrots
1 medium sized onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 tespoon salt
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon rice (optional)

For glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

Sesame seeds

• Clean and wash the leek. This is likely the most complicated part of this recipe. I personally don't enjoy having to do this part. Cut the top part. Peel outer layers. Cut in small circles and wash. I usually leave it in cold water for about an hour in case I miss some of the sand that is usally between the leaves. Then I remove them out of the water by hand and rinse again to make sure all of the sand is washed away.
• Scrap the carrots and cut them in small pieces
• Chop the onions
• In a big pot, stir fry the onions and then add all of the remaining ingredients.
• Bring to boil and reduce heat immediately. Cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture cool fully before using it as filling
• Roll out the dough with some flour (normal thickness) and cut into squares
• Put 1 or 2 tablespoon of your leek filling. Be sure not to take too much of the juice as it will spill out while cooking
• Fold the ends over each other to make a little pouch
• Turn them over on the lined cookie sheet. Make sure there is enough space between each one

• Mix egg yolk with cold water and glaze each of your "pouches" with this mixture
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook 30 to 45 minutes until they are golden brown