cook-food

Seafood in general is enough to get me excited for a meal, especially when accompanied with a fresh, green salad and good bread. Seafood is light, nutritious and delicate which makes it attractive for any meal. Scallops, which I mostly prepare broiled or seared with wine are at the top of my seafood choices. These particular scallops are prepared in a Turkish/Mediterranean style. The simplicity of the recipe allows me to cook them often. When served with rice pilaf and salad, scallops can make a filling and tasty meal. 6 large scallops 1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme Juice of ½ lime 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp salt 1 tbsp chopped parsley for garnishing 4 round slices of lime for garnishing Rub the scallops with salt. Sprinkle the thyme, paprika, ground black pepper on both sides of the scallops. Keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Place the scallops in the oil. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes until the scallo...

As far as I know, this kebab is mainly prepared in the Hatay-Adana-Mersin provinces which are in Southern Turkey. Although, the ingredients are very Mediterranean, the name of this dish may not be familiar to many people. The fact that Hatay province shares a border with Syria (an Arab country), the food culture in Hatay has been influenced by Syrian cooking and flavors. Probably, that’s where the name of this dish comes from. This kebab that is made in the pot was prepared by my husband without my assistance. It is very simple to make and it tastes really good with some good bread. Some people choose to make it with ground beef or beef cubes. For you vegetarians out there, I would substitute the meat with portabella mushrooms. 1 lb lamb (stew meat) 4 juicy ripe tomatoes (coarsely diced) 1 green pepper (coarsely chopped) 1 medium onion (coarsely chopped) 2 large cloves garlic (sliced) 3 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp pepper ¼ tsp cumin 2 tsp salt Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute the onions a...

A wonderful light summer dish ‘Türlü’ encompasses a variety of vegetables with different tastes in one dish. Other summer vegetables such as okra and zucchini also can be added. This is known and consumed in most of Turkey; perhaps under different names. Rice or bulgur pilaf is a perfect complement to Türlü. Beef or lamb cubes can also be added to the recipe. Both vegetarian and with meat versions are excellent. 5 medium eggplants 3 medium potatoes 1.5 lb green beans 1 green pepper 7 small ripe tomatoes 1 cup frozen peas 3 cloves garlic (chopped) 1 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tbsp red pepper paste 3 tsp salt (adjust to your taste) 2 cups water Water for pot Prepare a large pot full of cold water with 1 tsp salt. Peel the eggplants in lengthwise stripes. The eggplants will have a peeled stripe and an unpeeled stripe. If the eggplants are thin, slice them diagonally, if they are thicker, cut in half and slice diagonally and place in the salty water. This will prevent them from turning brown. Cut...