Turkish Salad Recipes

http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2005/03/turkish-salad-recipes.php

Chickpea Salad
(Nohut Salatasi)

1 can chickpeas (540 ml), rinsed
14-15 grape tomato halves
1/4 red onion, sliced
100 gr feta cheese, cut in cubes
8-10 black olives

Dressing:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dry mint
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
Pepper for taste

Put all the ingredients in a salad bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients and toss.

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Cauliflower Salad(Karnabahar Salatasi)

2 serving cauliflower florets
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Crushed pepper, as you like

Dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Pepper

Boil the florets for about 8-10 minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a salad bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients. Immediately pour all over them. Sprinkle the parsley and crushed pepper, toss. Wait until it cools down.

2 servings.

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Cabbage Salad


1/4 head of white cabbage
2 small carrots, peeled, grated

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 the cabbage in thin slices (julienne cut) on a wooden board. Place into a large sieve. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt all over and squeeze the cabbage pieces with your hands.

Wash, drain and place on a service plate with the carrots. Pour the sauce all over and toss.



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Red Cabbage Salad


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.


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Roasted Eggplant Salad(Patlican Salatasi)

1 eggplant
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium-sized tomato, seeds discarded and diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper

Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Then place on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Then peel it, remove any seeds and place in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice. Leave in for about 10-15 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Place in service plate and keep refrigerated.

If you don't want to bother with roasting the eggplant, you can skip the step above and instead just use approximately 350 gr of Roasted Eggplants in a jar. Just mix all the ingredients together and you're good to go.

This recipe goes well with any kind of meat, Kofte or Kebap on the side.

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Kidney Bean SaladPiyaz

1 can white kidney beans (540 ml)
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 small cubanelle pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced

Dressing:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
3 boiled eggs, cut in four pieces
Black olives

Wash and drain the kidney beans. Mix with all the main ingredients and place on a service plate.

Pour the dressing ingredients on top and then garnish with eggs and black olives.

You can try serving this salad with Kofte, fried chicken or beef.

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Turkish Green Bean Stew

..............................Turkish Green Bean Stew................................
A medium onion (or an equal amount of shallots) diced or grated. Grated is traditional but it makes me cry, so I chop.

Olive oil and unsalted butter, about a tablespoon of each

About three fresh tomatoes, halved, seeded and sliced. You can also use grape or cherry tomatoes cut in quarters. If you like, the tomatoes can be peeled but I like the little "curls" of tomato skin that result from sliced tomatoes that are diced.

About a pound of fresh green beans, French cut or sliced down the middle OR about a pound of frozen green beans, but when I use frozen I don't like the Frenched as well as whole or cut.

A scant teaspoon of sugar.

Salt and pepper to taste

Water (NOT stock or broth!)

Heat olive oil first, then add the butter to melt. Saute the onions in buttered oil until they're transparent and very lightly golden. Add tomatoes and continue to saute until they begin to break down and the peels curl; this could take up to five minutes depending on your heat. Be careful not to brown. Add green beans, sugar, salt and pepper and about 3/4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to a light boil/heavy simmer and cover with a tight fittting lid and cook for 40 minutes. If the lid on your pan allows steam to escape, check every once in a while and add enough water to keep from burning and reduce heat if needed. At the end of the cooking period the liquid should be reduced to a buttery sauce. Serve hot as a side dish to roasted red meats or poulty.

VARIATION: Add some finely cut fresh lamb (NOT ground!) when you're sauteeing the onions, then proceed with the rest of the recipe. American and New Zealand lamb is so mild it doesn't come up to Turkish or Greek lamb in flavor, so be sure to include all the lamb fat up to half meat and half fat to maximize flavor. The ratio of meat to green beans (before cooking for both) should be about five parts of green beans to one part of lamb max. This makes a delicious main dish with a rice or bulgur pilaf and a salad of sliced tomatoes with olive oil and chopped fresh mint and dill.