cook-food

My uncle was the inspiration for the way I cooked this fish. He used to grill a whole flounder for us quite often and it used to turn out so flaky and moist. We always had a salad and fresh bread with it. Since I do not have space for an outdoor grill, as an alternative, I broil. The flesh of flounder is so soft and delicate; you have to pay extra attention when cooking. You may notice that I use the same or similar combination of ingredients (salt, pepper, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice) for marinating poultry, meat and fish. This combination works very well and produces a very Mediterranean taste. Observing my uncle’s grilling, I noticed he used this combination often and I loved the result. When buying fish he always advised me to purchase wild fish rather than farm raised. Farm raised fish do not get the chance to swim around and eat food from nature. For that reason, they are given antibiotics and pesticides and who knows what else. I am not an expert on this subject, but I re...

There are times when I crave very light vegetable dishes. This was one of those days when I had a few vegetables on hand and did not feel like cooking anything elaborative. I just wanted something light and easy. It is simple to make and very nutritious. In Turkey, many types of vegetables are mixed together to produce a nutritious and light meal. This is one of them. ½ head cauliflower (diced) 3 yellow medium zucchinis (diced) 2 small potatoes (diced) 3 carrots (diced) 3 medium tomatoes (peeled and diced) ½ cup frozen peas 1 large clove garlic (chopped finely) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp tomato paste ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 cup hot water 1 tsp salt Heat olive oil. Sauté garlic for a minute and add potatoes, zucchinis, carrots and cauliflower. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and add tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix together and add the hot water. Cover and cook on medium heat until the water starts to boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat ...

Kale, a dark green, leafy vegetable from the cabbage family has numerous nutritional benefits. In fact, kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables. It contains vitamin C, B6, carotenes, manganese, iron, dietary fiber, calcium, minerals and many other nutrients. This is another vegetable that is an excellent protector against cancer. In Turkey, kale is mainly popular in the Black Sea region in Northern Turkey. In Northern Turkey, kale and collard greens are used for soups, sautés and for other types of dishes. I was not very familiar with kale as it was not cooked in the region I lived. I love taking advantage of this nutritious vegetable when I see it in supermarkets or the local farmer’s market. I found this particular kale at the local farmer’s market. 1 bunch kale ½ onion (chopped) ½ cup pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sesame seeds ¼ tsp red pepper flakes ½ tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp salt (adjust to your taste) Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add the on...

Another version of the hummus is with eggs. My husband informed me that sometimes this is how his family makes hummus. It is very easy and tasty. You may cut this in pizza-like slices and place between bread slices as a sandwich. That’s exactly what we did when we had extra hummus leftover and wanted a quick dinner. We placed one or two slices of the eggs with hummus between bread slices with the tomato and parsley garnishes. The homemade, pickled small peppers (home preserved) which came all the way from Turkey with me last summer are perfect match for such a sandwich. We placed the pickled small peppers in the sandwich. A small bowl of yogurt would also be a great complement to this. It was one of the most delicious meals I had ever eaten. 4 eggs 1-2 cups hummus 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 1 tomato for garnishing (cut in 8 piece wedges) 2-3 leaves of parsley for garnishing Heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add...

One of the most famous Mediterranean foods is hummus. Hummus has become so popular in America, it is very accessible in regular supermarkets. It is sold already prepared in small tubs. I still think homemade hummus is the best. This dish can be a perfect appetizer or a nice lunch full of nutrients. In my household in Turkey, hummus is rarely prepared for some reason. Maybe my mother does not like hummus much; I really don't know. Although, it is prepared and consumed all over Turkey. My husband’s family prepares it very frequently though. Therefore, my husband actually made this dish (his second time). I had never made hummus myself, as I was not a big fan, however I am very much liking it now. This was prepared on a cooking get together with friends mentioned in the previous post. Of course the whole thing was a collaborative effort, as I boiled the chickpeas and our friends peeled them. My hubby was the one who determined the ingredients and completely decorated it himself withou...

During a cooking get together with friends a while back, we prepared various dishes. I could not resist publishing a few pictures of these foods. Usually, I do not get a chance to take pictures of the food when I have company, but since this was a cooking together activity, many pictures were taken. Here are a few. I will start explaining the dishes made during this feast. I will use the 3rd picture as a reference. However, the 2nd picture is taken from the opposite side of the 3rd picture. The ‘Roasted Chicken’ was rubbed with various dry spices, olive oil and lemon juice before it was roasted. I did not write down the recipe that day as I just wanted to just enjoy cooking. Sometimes I feel like cooking something without measuring. In that case, I do not publish the recipes until I make them with measurements. To the left of the chicken is ‘Poğaça’ which is a savory pastry filled with white cheese (similar to feta) and parsley. These poğaças were made with yeast rather than baking po...

I love lamb chops. These turned out just out of this world. The tenderness and juiciness of these lamb chops were very noticeable. Combining and pureeing all the common Mediterranean ingredients such as parsley, garlic, thyme, lemon and olive oil created a wonderful sauce. Enjoy with pilafs, pasta or potatoes. 7 lamb chops 2 cloves garlic 5-6 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs mint ½ cup fresh parsley Juice of 1 lemon or lime 2 tbsp olive oil Ground black pepper Salt Salt the lamb chops on both sides. Sprinkle the black pepper on them. Set aside 1 thyme sprig and 3-4 mint leaves for garnishing purposes. Remove the rest of the thyme leaves from the twigs and place in a food processor. Add the mint, parsley, garlic cloves, olive oil and juice of 1 lemon. Puree all the ingredients in a food processor. Set a small amount of this sauce for garnishing purposes. Rub the lamb chops with this sauce and set aside for 30 minutes. Wrap the exposed bones with aluminum foil to prevent the bones from burning. Bro...