Turkish Style Tabouli (Kisir) with Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)

For Father’s Day we had an amazing backyard picnik and barbeque, unfortunately because we were so crowded I was not able to get a table shot.  By the time I had gotten everything ready, everyone had begun eating.  The table & the food were awesome.

Turkish Sytle Tabouli with Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)

• 2 cups of cracked fine whole wheat – known as Bulgur
• 2 cups of boiling hot water
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons of red pepper paste (available at all Middle Eastern Stores)
• 2 tablespoons of mild ajvar (available at all Middle Eastern Stores – can be found in some supermarkets as well)
• 2 medium size yellow onions – diced
• 2 medium size tomatoes – diced
• 2 medium size italian frying peppers/can be substituted for long peppers – diced
• 2 kirbies/can be substituted for one large cucumber
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (2 nice size lemons)
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley – need extra for decoration
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint - (can use 2 teaspoons of dry mint as well)
• 1/2 cup of fresh dill – i used it for decoration

Bring two cups of water to a boil.  Place the bulgur in a deep salad bowl, add the salt and mix.  Add the boiling water and mix with a fork (I used a large serving fork because it is much easier), set a side until the bulgur absorbs all the water and becomes fluffy and soft to touch.  If you feel as if it is still hard add a 1/3 cup of more boiling water.  In the mean time you can prepare the following.

Dice the onions, tomatoes, and peppers.  In a deep pan, heat the olive oil add first the onions and sauté until they become very soft, add in the tomatoes and peppers.  Sauté till they all become soft, by this time the tomatoes will have released its juices.

Once the bulgur feels soft to touch, add in the red pepper paste and ajvar and mix till the bulgur becomes a nice orange color.  Again mix with the large fork, as if you’re rubbing in the red pepper paste and ajvar.  Next, add in the sautéed mixture and mix well until all ingredients are evenly spread in the bulgur.

Juice the lemon, peel and dice the kirbies (i zebra peeled & diced in half bite sizes).  Chop the parsley, mint and dill.  Add and mix into the tabouli.  Mix well and taste.  Add more salt if you feel as if it not enough.  Transfer the tabouli into a nice serving dish and decorate as you wish.

Please remember – everyone has a different style and recipe for tabouli – kisir.  Over the years I’ve experimented with a lot and this is my favorite recipe.  Sometimes instead of the lemon juice, I add in 1/3 cup of pomegranate concentrate.  This can be found in all middle eastern stores.

I made 2 dishes of tabouli, I did not double the recipe, I made it 2 times.

(Fine Bulgur & Ajvar Mix)

Turkish Style Tzatziki – Cacik

Need:

• 4 medium size kirbies (can use 2 cucumbers just remove the seeds)
• 2 cups of yogurt (i used lowfat)
• 1 cups of cold water
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cups of diced fresh mint (can use 2 teaspoons of dry mint)
• a tray of ice cups
• 2 teaspoons of salt (or more depending on your taste buds)

Preparation:

Wash and peel the kirbies, again I zebra peeled or (pj peeled).  In a deep serving bowl, grade the kirbies with a grader.  If you can grade the peeled cloves of garlic, or press with a garlic presser and add into the bowl of the graded kirbies.  Add in the yogurt and one cup of ice cold water and mix with a whisker.  Chop the mint and add into the yogurt mixture and mix.  Add in the tray of ice cubes ~ the ice cubes will provide the extra water as they melt.

Tomatoes & Avacado Salad

Need:

• 1 – ripe avocado
• 1-2 nice size tomatoes
• a pinch of salt
• a tablespoon of olive oil
• a handful of diced parsley
• a handful of diced mint

Preparation:

Cut the avocado in half, peel off the skin and remove the seed.  Place the cut face half side down and slice the avocado vertically, the skinner side up, slice as thin and evenly as you can.  Do the same with the tomatoe, cut in half and place face down, slice thin and evenly.  In a nice serving dish, place one tomatoe and one avocado, do this until all the avocados and tomatoes are arranged.  Drizzel with Olive Oil and sprinkle the salt.  Dice the handful of parsley and mint and sprinkle over the top and serve.  I sprinkled some red paprika over the edges of my plate to give it a nice decorative look.

Green Salad Mixture

Recipes will be up tomorrow for the rest!  Along with the BBQ recipes! Here is a peak!

BBQ – only Halal Meat

Dessert will follow in next post!

Tiramisu , Seker Pahare

Tags: KISIR, TURKISH KISIR