Turkish Stuffed Eggplant. Karnıyarık

In Turkey eggplants are everywhere - meze, main dishes, appetizers; broiled, roasted, mashed, diced!
The name of this dish translates as split belly or the belly is split and it originates in the Ottoman cuisine. When in Turkey I saw it in restaurant menus but stuffed eggplant seemed not-exotic enough to try in a new country's cuisine. So I filed it in my 'to-do' list and viola!

The recipe is quite complex and time-consuming to prepare but it is well worth the effort. As with many Turkish dishes, there is no overwhelming combination of spices, just a bit of pepper - that is why the vegetables should be the freshest and the best.

• 6 eggplants (one per person), 20 cm in length, the ones you find at the farmers' market ones are best or in the worst case scenario use Chinese aubergines (but adjust the cooking time)
• 2 medium white onions, diced finely
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped finely or minced
• 1 lb ground beef or lamb (using lamb is in the authentic Ottoman recipe)
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 tsp red pepper / paprika
• 3 tbs tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato for decoration
• green banana peppers or slices of green bell peppers, as many as eggplants, for decorating
•  salt, pepper to taste

1. Wash the eggplants. Using a peeler, peel the eggplant lengthwise, in 1cm-wide strips. Put the eggplants in salted water and press them down with a plate to prevent from floating up. Leave for 30 minutes - this will remove any bitterness.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 375 F.
3. In a frying pan, saute the onions in olive oil, add meat and cook until no longer pink. Add the chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and red pepper. Mix gently, add the parsley, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
4. Roasting eggplants: Remove the eggplants from water, dry with a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil, drizzle with oil and lay eggplants. Prickle the white strips with fork to allow better roasting. Pour 1 tsp oil over each eggplant and put the sheet in the oven for roasting. Check them in 15 minutes, turn them over, add more oil if needed. In 45-50 minutes the eggplants should be a bit charred. Prickle with a knife to check if they are ready - the knife should go in easily. Take them out, let them cool. 
5. Now, a bit tricky here - with the two spoons, slit eggplants into two leaving the tops and bottoms attached. Fill with meat. The eggplant flesh should be very soft and give in easily for stuffing. On the top of each filled eggplant put a slice of tomato and a green bell / banana pepper slice.
6. Lay the stuffed eggplants in an oiled baking dish. Mix 1 tbs tomato paste with 1 cup of boiled water and pour to cover the bottom of the dish.
7. Put in a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until the peppers on top have softened.
8. Serve with pide bread or plain white rice.

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Turkish Zucchini and Walnut Dip. Cerkez Kabak

After the recent trip to Turkey, I have been so taken with the wonders of the Turkish cuisine - it is so diverse and plentiful! The flavours and variety of meze dishes were so amazing that I really wanted to keep a few recipes from this country. This dip comes from Binnur Turkish Cookbook (http://turkishcookbook.com/) and it super easy to make (especially if you are using a processor to grate zucchini. 

• 2 medium sized zucchini, finely grated
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled
• 1 slice of bread, crumbled (French or Italian style)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed with salt
  
  Red Pepper Sauce:
  
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red pepper (paprika)
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1. Saute the zucchini with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan until all the water evaporates. Let it cool down. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Place on a service plate. 
3. To make the sauce, heat up the olive oil in a small pan, add the red pepper in it and turn the heat off. Don't burn the pepper! Pour all over the zucchini and serve with toasted French baton bread or toasted pide slices.

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Bosnian Meat Bureks

 

 

While away from home, what Canadian food do my kids miss the most in France?! Not a burger, nor an apple pie, but the bureks that we used to buy at the local market in Canada. They had mentioned it so many times over the past weeks that my heart couldn't take the kids' culinary suffering no longer and I started the quest for a pseudo-burek.

Burek is a Mediterranean pie with various fillings, from meat to apples, made by a variety of ethnicities in Europe and Asia: Turks, Greeks, Croats, Bulgarians, Bosnians, Czech, etc. The commonality among all recipes is phyllo dough and the rest of the ingredients, as well as the shape, vary from region to region.

I call this particular recipe Bosnian because I tried to approximate the bureks that we buy at the local market in Canada, whose owner is (or at least I heard is) from Bosnia.

From the start I knew it would never make the dough the way it is supposed to be made - beautifully thin, flexible, moist, and live. I just don't have the skills for it. I went to the box French supermarket, Carrefour, bought a pack of phyllo dough. Unfortunately, the pre-made phyllo dough is not as flexible as home-made and I couldn't make those perfectly round pies.

Next time I'll try making Turkish cigar-shaped bureks by laying out the bureks in straight lines vs. trying to roll them.

What I created is not the original recipe by any means, mostly in the difference of the dough. Nevertheless, these bureks turned out to be really good. The phyllo dough added crunch to the top dough layer and the filling was savoury, tender and moist. Although the original bureks are great, these turned out different, but quite delicious.

Servings: 10 bureks, 10cm in diamer
Time: 1 hour

• 1 pack phyllo dough, 10-12 sheets
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 med. potato, grated
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a large baking sheet. 
2. In a large bowl mix ground beef, garlic, onions, grated potato, egg, and spices.
3. Choose a large working surface, at least the size of a phyllo sheet - this can be a counter top or a large cutting board. Make sure it is not granite or wood: oil will ruin both.
4. Grease the surface with oil and lay out the first phyllo sheet. Cover the rest of the dough with a towel to prevent drying out. Grease the sheet with more oil.
5. Spread some filling length-wise. It should not be too much, just a bit of meat for each inch.
6. Starting with the side closest to you, start wrapping the sheet in a loose tube. Once done, form a snail-shaped circle. Alternatively, lay them out in straight lines next to each other.
7. Put the baking sheet with bureks in the oven for 30 minutes. Once done, let them cool for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

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Bulgarian Potato Gratin

Back when I was a graduate student, my friend from Bulgaria inspired me to try out this dish, one of her favourites. Since then, this gratin is among the alternatives to gratins. It can be as a side for a casual dinner or a part of a more elaborate menu.

Serves: 6
Time: 1,5 hours
Difficulty: medium

• 1 kg potatoes, sliced very thinly
• 200 grams feta cheese
• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 300 ml Greek or Balkan-style plain yogurt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• salt, pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease an oven-proof / pyrex dish and layer 1/3 of the pototaes, cover with 1/3 of feta, followed by another 2 layers of potato and feta.
2. Mix yogurt and eggs, add salt and pepper, beat slightly. Pour over the potatoes. 
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour. 
4. In an hour remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes till the top is golden brown.

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Bourride. Fish Soup

A Mediterranean classic that you will find in Provence and Languedoc, bourride is a fish stew made with white fish and served with rouille and crusty bread. I wanted to recreate the most delicious thin fish broth I had in Le Chalut in Port Vendre, by Collioure, served with rouille (aioli with garlic and saffron) and slices of crusty bread. This particular recipe creates a burst of flavors and it can be served as broth or puree, or as traditional fish stew, similarly to Bouillabaisse.

Since I was looking for a thin broth, I've strained the soup and served only the broth, just as I tasted it Le Chalut.

Level: difficult
Serves: 8
Makes in: 2 hours

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• ¼ tsp. cayenne
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 leeks, white parts only, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ cups dry white wine
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 2 lb. skinless firm white fish, such as halibut or monk fish, pin bones removed
• 10 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• ½ tsp. saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. minced parsley
• Toasted baguette, for serving

For the rouille

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 egg yolks
• 150ml (5fl oz) olive oil
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 tsp tomato purée
• lemon juice 

1. Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel, cayenne, garlic, leeks, onions, tomatoes, and bay leaf; cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, 4–5 minutes. Add stock and 2 cups water; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until broth is slightly reduced, 12–15 minutes. Strain broth; return to saucepan over medium heat. Add fish, shrimp, saffron, salt, and pepper; cook until fish is firm and shrimp are pink, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide fish and shrimp between 6 bowls.
2. For the rouille, put the garlic into a pestle and mortar with some salt and grind to a purée. The salt acts as a good abrasive. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the yolks, then start adding the oil drop by drop, beating all the time (use a wooden spoon or an electric hand beater). The mixture should thicken as you add the oil. Stir in the cayenne. Add the tomato purée, then lemon juice to taste. Add more lemon juice or cayenne if you want.
3. Serve the soup hot, offering bowls of gruyère, toasted baguette, and rouille on the side. 

Original source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/, http://www.saveur.com

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Eggplant Moussaka

Easy to make, no-hassle, relatively light. Great mid-week dinner.

• 3 eggplants, peeled, cut lengthwise 1,5cm-thick 
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 300g - 1lb ground beef or lamb
• 1 can 8oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 clove minced garlic
• 50 grams pine nuts
• 3 eggs, split into white and yolks 
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
• 1/2 cups red wine 

1. Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in one beaten egg.

3. To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.

4. Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

5. Bake on 365F for 40 min. or 1 hour at 350F.

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Mustafa

I'm not sure how this recipe came to be or from where I got it. But this is a terrific, flexible recipe. I omitted potatoes and mayo for a healthier choice. Any veggies can be added.

• 1 lb any meat, beef or ground beef, chicken, etc 
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 5 potatoes
• 1 white onion
• 200 grams prunes
• 1 eggplant
• 5 tomato
• 6 Tablespoon(s) mayonnaise 

*All ingredients should be first sliced 1cm thick

Pour 1/4 cup of boiing water into a heat-proof dish and layer the following:
-meat;
-minced garlic, salt, pepper, spices;
-potatoes
-onion;
-prunes;
-eggplants;
-marinated mushrooms;
-tomatoes, layer so the slices overlap;
Put a bit of mayo on each layer.

Bake in a oven, 360F for 1 hour. Cover with foil if needed. 

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Moroccan Salmon Cakes with Garlic Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cups couscous
• 2/3 cups orange juice
• 1 can 14oz salmon drained  fillet
• 1 pk 10oz, frozen chopped spinach
• 2 beaten egg yolk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Garlic Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 1/8 tsp paprika

1. In a small stainless steel or glass bowl, stir together mayonnaise, garlic, and paprika. Set aside.
2. Prepare couscous according to package directions using the 2/3 cup of orange juice in place of water.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked couscous, red salmon, drained spinach, egg yolks, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Form into patties.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and fry patties until golden brown turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with garlic mayonnaise. 

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Lamb Tagine

A great and subtle Mediterranean flavor of this dish make it a wonderful meal for a friendly get-together. Can be served with couscous and cucumber raita. I made it with ground lamb.

• 3 tbsp divided olive oil
• 2 lbs lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp  cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cardamom pods
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp  +1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 2 white onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 carrots, sliced and peeled, cut into fourths, 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 zested lemon
• 14oz chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp water 

1. Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.
3. If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes. 

Original recipe: Allrecipes.com

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Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

Great week-night entree with a wonderful light cumin flavor. I scaled the recipe in half. It was good for a 5-6 people.

• 8 cups water
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 lb dried brown lentils, rinsed drained
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 lb thinly sliced chicken breast
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped parsley 

1. Combine 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add lentils; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cold water and drain again. Place in large bowl.
    
2. Whisk 1 cup olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in large measuring cup. Pour 1 cup dressing over warm lentils and toss. Cool.
    
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until dark brown and soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and cinnamon. Sauté until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
    
4. Arrange lentils on large platter. Place sliced chicken atop lentils. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with parsley. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) 

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Mint Couscous with Almonds

• 1 can 14oz vegetable broth
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced apricot
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup dry couscous
• 100g / 3oz toasted, sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp mint leave, chopped

1. Combine broth, onions, apricots and oil in medium saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat.
2. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Fluff couscous with fork.
3. Add almonds and mint; mix lightly.

The photo credit: KraftFoods website

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Prosciutto-Covered White Fish in Caper Herb Butter

The Mediterranean flavour of the sauce makes it a light and great accompaniment to any white fish

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cups coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rinsed, dried capers
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 4 fillets white fish

1. In a food processor mix butter, parsley, garlic, capers till the mixture turns into paste.
2. Spread the mixture over one side of the fillets, cover with 2 slices of prosciutto.
3. Heat olive oil, fry the fish pancetta side down. Turn over and cook till ready.
4. When serving drizzle with butter from the pan. serve with asparagus. 

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Banica with Meat

Banica is a traditional Bulgarian dish, a version of a Mediterranean burek or Greek spinakopita. It can be made with various fillings but the most common one is cottage cheese. I made this recipe with ground beef.

• 1 pack phyllo dough
• 3 eggs
• 1 lb ground beef
• 300g yogurt (greek or balkan style)
• 100g butter
• 3-4 white onions, chopped
• salt, pepper to taste
• oil

1. In a heated pan saute chopped onions until soft and translucent. Add ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, and cook 15-20min. Remove un-evaporated liquid, if  any. Cool.

2. Whip together eggs and yogurt. Add to the meat and onion mixture.

3. Oil a pyrex dish and follow the procedure:

• put one layer of phyllo dough, oil
• add another layer, oil
• repeat again with 3 sheets of phyllo at the bottom
• add half of the meat/egg mix and spread
• cover with 2 dough layers oiled in between
• spread the meat/egg mix

4. Cut into serving pieces before putting into the oven.
5. Cook on 400F/200C till ready (20 min). Sprinkle with cheese 10minutes before removing from the oven. 

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Hungarian Goulash

• 1 1/2 lb / 750g stewing beef, cut into 1" inch pieces
• 1/2 cups water
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 white onion, chopped
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Place all ingredients except sour cream in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low. 
2. Add sour cream to the slow-cooker 10min before serving. Serve over noodles.

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