Hasan Pasa Meatballs

(Hasan Pasa Koftesi)

Meatball ingredients:
500 gr medium ground beef
2 medium size onion, grated
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 slices Italian bread, throw away the crusts, soak in water and squeeze the water out
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mashed potato:
4 medium sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
100 ml milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Garnish:
2-3 tbsp mozzarella, grated

Sauce:
4-5 tbsp crushed tomato, mixed with 3/4 cup water
Salt
Pepper

Smash boiled potatoes in a pot, and add the milk, butter and salt. Stir on medium heat then add the egg into the mixture. Put aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C). Knead all the meatball ingredients. Make them into ball shapes (see picture). Make a hole in the middle of each meatball with your thumb. Fill it in with the mashed potatoes using a teaspoon. Place them on a large casserole dish. Cook for about 25 minutes in the oven.

Take the casserole dish out, put the mozzarella cheese on top of the meatballs. Pour 1 tbsp of sauce on each piece. Pour the rest of the sauce between the meatballs. Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Serve with Pilaf with Almonds (or any other kind of pilaf) and Red Cabbage Salad.

Red Cabbage Salad

(Mor Lahana Salatasi)

1/2 head of red cabbage

Sauce:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp, and 1 tsp salt
Pepper

Remove and throw away the white centre of the cabbage. Cut it in thin slices (julienne cut) on a wooden board. Put into a large sieve. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt all over and squeeze the cabbage pieces with your hand. Put aside for at least half an hour. This way the cabbage will soften and won't be bitter.

Wash, drain and place in a service plate. Pour the sauce on top and mix well. This salad will taste even better if you let it rest for another half hour.

Chocolate Pudding

(Krem Sokola)

4 cups homogenized milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp rice flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa
For each bowl: 2 tea biscuits, broken in half

Put 2 biscuits at the bottom of each bowl.

Melt the rice flour and corn starch with the water in a pot. Add sugar, cocoa and milk, and stir constantly on medium-high heat. When you see the bubbles on the surface cook for one more minute. Don't stop stirring. Pour in the bowls equally. This recipe makes 6 or 7 servings.

After letting them cool, place the bowls in the fridge. Serve cold and if you like, you can put vanilla ice cream on top. This one's popular with the kids :)

Cig Borek

1 pkg egg roll wraps (large size 5 1/2 inch)

Filling:
200 gr medium ground beef
1 small onion, grated
4 tbsp water
Salt
Pepper

For frying:
1/2 cup sunflower oil

Mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, onion and water with a spoon. Take some filling and spread it over one half of the wrap diagonally (picture). Have a cup of water nearby, and use a finger to dampen the sides around the filling so the dough will stick (picture). Fold the other half over and close them up tightly (picture). Cut off (2-3 mm thin) and throw away the sides of the triangle (picture).

Pour the oil in a large frying pan. When it heats up place two borek side by side. Fry both sides until they get a light golden colour. Grab a large pot and put a paper towel at the bottom to soak up the oil. Place the borek inside as you fry them and keep the lid closed so they stay warm.

Serve Cig Borek while still warm with Ayran.

Orange Jam

(Portakal Receli)

4 oranges, with thick skin
5 cups granulated sugar
1 lemon juice

Grate the oranges rinds with thin side of the grater and place in a large pot. Cover with water. Cook on medium heat until they are softened, for about 45 minutes. Drain and put aside. Place the sugar in a pot and melt it with a little bit of water. Cut the oranges in chunks and throw them over the melted sugar. Cook for another 45 minutes on medium heat. Afterwards, squeeze the lemon juice on top and let it cool down. Put them in jars and cover the lid.

Celery Root with Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Kereviz)

3 small celery roots, or 1 large celery root
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 lemon juice
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice from half an orange
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Filling:
1 cup carrot, sweet peas and potato mix in a can or frozen

Garnish:
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Pour the water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel the celery roots. Slice them about 1.5 inches thick (see picture). Hollow out one side with a knife which will be filled with the vegatables. Wash them with water and soak in the lemon juice mixture to prevent them from getting dark.

Place the celery roots in a large pot with the hollow sides facing up. Add the lemon mixture, olive oil, salt, sugar and orange juice on top. Put the lid on and when the water gets hot, cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Add the vegetable mixture in the pot and cook for another 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Place them on a service plate. Put the vegetables on each one equally using a spoon. Sprinkle dill on top and serve when it is cold.

* This is a vegetarian dish.

Vegetable Soup

(Sebze Corbasi)

3 cups water + 1 cube chicken bouillon, or 3 cups chicken broth
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium potato, grated
1 small celery root, grated
2 tbsp red lentil, washed
2 tbsp pearl barley
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt

Cook the water, barley, lemon juice and salt on medium heat. In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables and lentils. Add them into the pot. Cook until all the ingredients soften. Serve while still hot. Adjust the water amount to your liking, I prefer to use less water.

* This is a vegetarian dish (just use 3 cups of water).

Tulumba Dessert

(Tulumba Tatlisi)

Dough:
1 2/3 cup (400 ml) water
45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
3 eggs

2 cups sunflower oil

Syrup:
6 1/4 cups sugar
4 cups water
1 tsp lemon juice

Boil all the syrup ingredients in a large pot for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool down, then divide into two different bowls.

Heat the water, butter and salt in a pot. When it starts boiling, lower the heat and add in the flour. Stir constantly until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot and becomes doughy. Remove from the heat put aside for a few minute. Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is well blended before adding the next.

Heat the oil in a large cooking pot on low heat. Fill in your Pastry Bag with the dough. Squeeze out pieces the size shown in the picture. Break them off with your finger. Turn the heat up to over medium. Fry each piece uniformly, mixing with a perforated spoon. Take out the fried Tulumba and place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Throw in all the fried tulumba into the cold syrup in the two bowls. Leave them in for about 20-25 minutes and stir occasionally. Make sure they all soak in the syrup.

Use a perforated spoon to remove them from the syrup. Place on a large service plate and serve while they are still crispy.

Lamb Kavurma

(Kuzu Kavurma)

1 kg Boneless Lamb Stew Chunks
4 cups warm water
1 medium sized onion, sliced
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
1 tsp oregano

In a large pot place lamb and warm water. Cook on medium high to get water the water boiling. After 10 minutes, remove the scum from the surface with a wooden spoon.

Then add the onion, salt and pepper. After 15 minutes lower the heat. Simmer until most of the water evaporates. This will take approximately 5 to 6 hours. When the water level is at the top of the meat level, turn the heat up to medium. When the water evaporates, stir constantly for 4-5 minutes to prevent the lamb from sticking. Be careful not to over-cook.

Sprinkle some dry oregano on top and serve immediately with Shepherd's Salad and with Pilaf with Sweet Peas, Pilaf with Orzo or Pilaf with Almonds.

Pilaf with Sweet Peas

(Bezelyeli Pilav)

1 cup rice, washed and drained
2 cups water
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp dill, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 pinch pepper

Boil water in a medium-sized pot and add the rice, peas, oil, salt and pepper. Turn the heat to simmer, stir and put the lid halfway on. Cook until the rice is done (when all the liquid has evaporated). Then add chopped dill and stir. Put aside for a few minutes.

You can serve this dish warm or cold as a side dish with any kind of lamb, beef or chicken.

* This is a vegetarian dish.

Sultan's Jello

(Elmasiye)

4 cups orange juice, no pulp
1/3 cup corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp sesame, roasted

Melt the corn starch in 1 cup of orange juice. Then add the sugar and 3 cups orange juice and put in a medium-sized pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. When you see bubbles on the surface, cook for one more minute. Then pour into small cups. Let them cool. Sprinkle the roasted sesame on top. Put them in the fridge and serve when cold.

If the orange juice is sweet, you don't need as much sugar. If you use orange juice sold in stores, don't add sugar.