Turkish recipes – My Whisk and I

Bulgur Wheat Salad

July 27, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml cooked bulgur wheat
250ml parsley, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
80ml chopped pickled cucumber
125ml roasted red peppers, chopped
250ml pomegranate seeds
80ml raisins
Dressing:
60ml olive oil
60ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
2,5ml granulated mustard
5ml sugar
2,5ml salt

Add the cooked bulgur wheat, parsley, onion, pickled cucumber, red peppers, pomegranate seeds and raisins to a large mixing bowl and toss together.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together until amalgamated and drizzle over the salad.

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Aubergine Flatbread

July 25, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

60ml olive oil
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
150g – 200g aubergine, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml sumac
lemon juice
pomegranate seeds
8 – 10 small flatbreads, about 8cm diameter

Pour the olive oil in to a pan and set it over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the chickpeas, aubergine cubes, garlic and sumac and cook for about 10 minutes, until the aubergine is soft.
Take from the heat and roughly mash together so that you have mashed chickpeas with texture.
Smear the mixture on to the flatbreads, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds.
Serve as a canapé with drinks.

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Easy Turkish Delight

July 24, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

It is best not to attempt making Turkish delight when rainy – the moisture in the air prevents the sweets from setting properly.

50ml water
45ml powdered gelatine
300ml water
100ml red grape juice, store bought
450g sugar
1ml citric acid (you will find it in the baking isle)
5ml rose water
50ml cornstarch
25ml icing sugar

Line a 28cm x 18cm container with plastic wrap. Leave an overhang of the plastic so that you can lift the Turkish delight out of the tin once it has set. (2 x 14cmx9cm Tupperware containers also work well)
Pour the 50ml water in to a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Pour the 300ml water and grape juice in to a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat.
Add the sugar and citric acid and stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Melt the gelatine by placing it in the microwave for 5 second bursts at a time – it should be liquid.
Remove the grape juice mixture from the heat and drizzle in the melted gelatine . Mix well and set aside until the mixture is at room temperature.
Add the rose water, mix through and pour in to the prepared container.
Refrigerate for 8 hours.

Lift the Turkish delight from its container, pull off the plastic wrap and slice into even-sized squares.
Sift the cornstarch and icing sugar together and roll the Turkish delight in it.
Place it on a pretty serving dish and be the star of the show!!

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Beef Kebabs / Shish Kabob

July 23, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 skewers
2kg beef, cut into 2cm cubes
60ml soy sauce
125ml teriyaki sauce
15ml steak seasoning
250ml red wine
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 red onion, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares`

Sauce:
250ml greek yoghurt
80ml parsley, finely chopped
60ml mint leaves, finely chopped
2,5ml salt
15ml lemon juice

Add the beef cubes to a mixing bowl and pour over the soy sauce, teriyaki, steak seasoning and red wine.
Toss the beef with your hands and ensure that it is covered with the marinating ingredients.
Set aside for 1 hour or longer.
Thread the beef, bell pepper and onion on to a skewer – you should have 12 kebabs.

For the sauce:
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix through.

Grill the kebabs on an open fire – 3 minutes per side x 4, until beautifully charred.
Serve the kebabs with the yoghurt sauce.

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Falafel

July 21, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
a big handful of parsley, chopped
a big handful of coriander leaves, chopped
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
2,5ml salt
45ml flour
vegetable oil for frying

Add all of the ingredients, except the vegetable oil, to a mixing bowl and blitz together with a stick blender.
Lift the blender often and stir the mixture around – you want everything mixed together but not too fine.
Wet your hands and scoop up 15ml of the mixture. Roll into a ball and place on a tray.
Keep going until you have rolled all of the mixture into balls.
Pour enough oil to come 7cm up the side of a saucepan and allow to heat up.
Fry a few of the falafel balls at a time until beautifully golden and crisp on the outside.
Serve with a dipping sauce as a starter or fill a pita bread with falafel, salad and tzatziki sauce.

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Raspberry Cups

July 19, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 shortbread biscuits
250ml cream
5ml rose water
12 squares of Turkish delight, chopped into small pieces
1 punnet fresh raspberries
a small bunch of mint leaves, finely chopped
icing sugar

Line up 6 small glasses.
Crush the shortbread biscuits roughly and place in a bowl.
Pour the cream in to a mixing bowl and add the rose water.
Whisk until medium-stiff peaks.
Spoon some of the biscuit into the glasses and add 2 spoonful of cream.
Top with a few raspberries and scatter some of the chopped Turkish delight and mint leaves over.
Repeat the layers once more.
Sift the icing sugar over the cups to serve.

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Lentil Soup (Mercimec Cobrasi)

July 16, 2023June 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a traditional Turkish soup that is delicious, easy and quick to make and freezes beautifully!

30ml + 30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 + 1 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml tomato paste
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1,5litres of vegetable stock
5ml + 5ml smoked paprika
250ml lentils, rinsed
5ml ground cumin
2,5ml ground coriander
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in 30ml of the olive oil.
Add the onion and fry until translucent.
Add the 2 cloves of garlic (minced) and tomato paste and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the carrots and potato and pour in the stock.
Add 5ml smoked paprika, about half a teaspoon of salt and the lentils.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
Take the soup from the heat and blitz with an immersion blender, until smooth.
Pour the remaining 30ml oil, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 5ml smoked paprika, cumin and coriander to a pan and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper.
Spoon the soup into bowls and drizzle over the flavoured oil.
Serve with a lemon wedge.

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Turkish Yoghurt Cake

July 5, 2023June 13, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

4 eggs, separated
100g granulated sugar
45mll flour
400g greek yoghurt
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk on a medium-low speed until the whites are frothy.
Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until soft peaks form.
Spoon the whites into another bowl and set aside.
Add the yolks and sugar to the mixer’s bowl and whisk on a high speed until pale and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and gradually add the flour, yoghurt, lemon zest, juice and salt.
Continue whisking until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Take the bowl from the mixer and add half the egg whites. Gently fold through with a spatula.
Add the rest of the whites and fold in.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so that you end up with a very evenly mixed batter.
Spoon the batter in to the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
Bake for 55 minutes – if the cake becomes too brown place a piece of aluminium foil loosely over it while baking.
Take the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

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Chicken Stew/Tavuk Sote

July 4, 2023May 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml olive oil
600g chicken breasts, cut into 2cm cubes
1 onion, chopped
half a green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes
2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm cubes
75g tomato purée
5ml smoked paprika
5ml sugar
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
200ml water
a large handful of parsley, chopped

Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and wait for it to heat up.
Brown the chicken in batches and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir every now and then and add more olive oil if needed.
Add the tomato purée, paprika and sugar and cook for another minute.
Now add the chopped tomato, chicken and water and stir to mix.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, lower the temperature and simmer for 25 minutes.
Take off the heat. Sprinkle in the parsley, mix through and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve the stew on rice or bulgar wheat.

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Turkish eggs

February 23, 2023February 22, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

You may poach or fry the eggs for this traditional recipe.

250ml Greek yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced
30ml chopped mint leaves
grated rind of 1 lemon

45ml olive oil
30g butter
5ml smoked paprika
5ml chilli flakes
5ml Szechuan pepper
1ml ground cumin

4 eggs

Add the yoghurt, garlic, mint and lemon rind to a small bowl.
Season with salt and whisk to mix.
Divide the mixture between 2 serving plates and set aside.

Pour the olive oil into a small pan, add the butter and allow to melt over a medium heat.
Add the smoked paprika, chilli flakes, Szechuan pepper and cumin to the pan and stir around for a minute or so.
Take the pan from the heat and set aside.

Place a saucepan on high heat and fill it 10cm deep with water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a very low simmer.
Crack one egg at a time, into a cup and gently slide it into the simmering water.
Wait about 20 seconds before adding the next egg.
Poach the eggs for 3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon and set 2 eggs on the yoghurt mixture.
Spoon the spicy butter over the eggs and drizzle the rest on the plate.
Serve with small pita breads to mop up the sauce.