Stuffed Zucchinis with Ground Meat (Etli Kabak Dolması)

INGREDIENTS:

12 round zucchinis or 6 thickish zuchinis ~

1 lb ground meat (preferably beef)

2 onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup rice

1/4 cup olive oil salt

1-2 tsp black pepper

1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

2 tomatoes, grated 2 tomatoes, sliced

1 1/2 cup hot water

-If you're using globe zucchinis, wash them, cut tops off, and carve out each carefully. If you're using regular zucchinis, wash them, cut them in half and carve out each half carefully. Save the carvings for dishes such as Baked Zucchini Fritters or Baked Vegetable Fritters

-Slightly salt inside of all and set aside.

-In a bowl mix well ground meat, onion, rice, olive oil, parsley, dill, salt, black pepper, and 1 grated tomato.

-Loosely stuff each zucchini with the stuffing half inch to the top and place them in wide pot. -Cover the tops with a tomato slice. (You can place the globe zucchini tops on tomato slices if you wish)

-Mix 1-2 cup of hot water with the remaining grated tomato and pour on top.

-Let it boil first, then cook on low for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

It goes well with yogurt.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Ground Meat (Etli Lahana Sarması)

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium (leaning towards big) cabbage [Pick one that is not rock hard, but kind of soft when press on top, they're easier for taking the leaves out)

1/2 ground meat (beef - ~80% lean)

1/2 cup short grain rice

2 medium onions, very finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped dill

1 heaping tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp or 1/2 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp butter juice of half lemon

salt

-Put ground beef, onion, rice, tomato paste, parsley, dill, black pepper, olive oil, and salt in bowl and mix well.

-Cut the 1 1/2-2 inches from the bottom/stem of the cabbage. Carefully try to take the leaves out one by one. [Check this site out for step by step how-to pictures]

-Boil some water with salt in a big pot.

-Boil the cabbage leaves 4 0r 5 at a time depending on how big a pot you are using for ~5 minutes flipping them over once. Take them out and place on a tray or a flat plate to cool down. -Once the leaves cool down. Place one on a flat surface. Cut the big vein of the leaf out; it might be too stringy for rolling. If you have a very big leaf, cut it into two.

-Line the bottom of a pot with the cut out veins and the very outer leaves. -Add 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of rice and ground meat filling to one cabbage leaf, closer tot the bottom. Fold sides of cabbage over the filling. Roll it up starting from the stem end, it looks something like this. Repeat the same for the remaining leaves.

-Place rolled cabbage leaves in the pot lined with cut out veins and leaves in an orderly fashion. -Chop butter in small pieces and scatter it on top. Pour lemon juice and hot water to cover the stuffed cabbage.

-Place a flat-ish plate on top of stuffed grape leaves so that they won't move around. -Let it boil first on medium. Then cover and cook on low for 30-35 minutes.

Cut - Belly Eggplants (Karniyarik)

INGREDIENTS:
1 eggplant
olive oil, for frying
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
7 oz ground beef or lamb
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp tomato paste
salt and ground black pepper
1 tomato, sliced into thin rings

1
Peel the skin of the eggplant in stripes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin. The eggplant halves should look like two boats.
2
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and fry the eggplants on all sides until lightly browned. Drain and place in a roasting pan, hollow sides up.
3
Preheat a 375 F oven. Melt the butter or margarine in a separate pan and cook the meat, onion, parsley, and tomato paste together.
4
When cooked, fill the eggplant shells with the meat mixture and place a few tomato rings on each one. Pour 1-1/4 cups water into the roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are cooked. Serve with rice.

Artichokes with Broad Beans

Ingredients

10 artichokes
Broad beans
8 cups water
To rub the artichokes: 1 lemon, salt
3 medium onions
To soak the artichokes: 8 cuos water, Juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
6 teaspoons sugar
7 teaspoons flour

Directions

Pull off the outer leaves of the artichokes. Cut off the stalks and pare. With a small sharp khife slice away the purple choke horizontally. Pare away the leaves and hard sections until the white heart is left. Remove any fine hairs left from the choke with a spoon. Rub the atichoke hearts with lemon juice mixed with a little salt so that they do not discolour. Toss the prepared artichokes into the water mixed with lemon juice and flour. Put 8 cups of water into a large soucepan, add the artichokes, pared stalks, peeled whole onions and other ingredients (mix the flour with a little water first to prevent it going lumpy). Cover with a round sheet of greaseproof paper (pushing it down inside the saucepan), and weight down with a plate. Cover and bring to the boil over a high heat, then cook over a gentle heat for about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool without removing the soucepan lid. When cool place the artichokes on a serving dish and fill the centres with the broad beans cooked. Pour the juice in which the artichokes cooked over, and decorate with springs of dill. NOTE Instead of broad beans you may cook button onions and diced carrots and potatoes with the artichokes, and when cooked fill each artichoke with these to serve.

Fried Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

1 medium eggplant, sliced

1 tsp salt +

2 cups water

1/2 cup sunflower oil

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 green bell pepper, discard the seeds, sliced in round shape, then cut in 4 or 6

1 red bell pepper, discard the seeds, sliced in round shape, then cut in 4 or 6

1 large onion, sliced in round shape, separate the rings

4-5 large size mushrooms, sliced

Sauce:

2 large tomato, peeled, diced

2 clove garlic, sliced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp vinegar

1 pinch sugar

Salt Pepper

Soak the eggplants into the salty water for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the eggplants with your hand and dry them with paper towel.
Saute the onion, green pepper and red pepper with olive oil for about 10 minutes in a large pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 more minutes. Don't over cook!Turn the heat off.
In the meantime, cook all the sauce ingredients in a small pot for about 15 minutes. Put it aside.
Fry the eggplants on both sides until golden brown in sunflower oil. Afterwards, place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Place them on the cooked vegetables in the pan. Pour the cooked tomato sauce all over the vegetables. Cook for about 10 minutes on under medium heat. Turn the heat off and let it cool down first.
Then place the dish in a service plate carefully. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on it. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.

Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic

2-3 red Bell peppers

Sauce:

2 - 3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar)

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Cut off the top of the red peppers. Cut it in half and discard the seeds. Set the oven to broil (grill), and heat it up. Place the red pepper on an oven tray, insides facing down and place in the oven. Roast it for about 15 minutes. Afterwards place it in a paper bag for a few minutes so you can peel the skins off easier.
Slice them in a big chunks. Arrange the roasted red pepper on a service plate. Whisk the sauce ingredients and pour all over them. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top.
Serve it with any kind of fish, meat, chicken or pasta as an appetizer or salad.

TOMATO SOUP WITH VERMICELLI

Ingredients: (4 servings)

· 1 lt. meat stock

· 4 oz. vermicelli pasta
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 3 ripe tometoes

· 1 bunch parsley
. Salt and pepper

Boil the meat stock. Add the vermicelli and the tomatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces. Let simmer for 10 minutes, until the vermicelli are soft. Garnish with melted butter and chopped parsley.