nysdelight » Turkish Cuisine

OVEN ROASTED YELLOW & GREEN ZUCCHINI & EGGPLANT

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:26:49 +0000

This recipe is a real great and healthy alternative to deep frying the zucchinis and the eggplants. The preparation is easy, the baking takes no effort and the clean up is even simpler. When ever I make anything that is fried the stove top and near by cabinets are completely greased up and the house smells of oil and vegetables. Anything that is fried states much better especially eggplants, but its good to know alternative method of making our favorite dishes. Lately I’ve been really into oven roasting most of the vegetables we consume. It is both easy and healthy.

Ingredients:

3 medium yellow zucchini, cut into small quarters
3 medium green zucchini, cut into small quarters
2 large eggplants, cut into small quarters
3/4 cup of olive oil or vegetable oil
salt for seasoning

Preparation:

Preheat to 450° – Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven.
Wash and cut yellow zucchini in small quarters and place in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil and season with salt toss well to coat.
Arrange on to your baking sheet.
Wash and cut green zucchini in small quarters and place in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil and season with salt toss well to coat.
Arrange on to your baking sheet.
Wash and peel the every other skin of the eggplant, cut into small quarters and place in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil and season with salt toss well to coat.
Arrange on to your baking sheets.
Arrange baking sheets in the oven. Bake all vegetables until tender and slightly charred, stirring occasionally, about 25 – 35 minutes longer. For the last 5 minutes, turn on your oven broiler and leave the vegetables to char lightly on top.
Arrange vegetables on large platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sauce:

3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of yogurt
salt
mint

Dice the garlic into tiny pieces or press through a garlic presser. Place in a mixing bowl.
Add in the yogurt and a little bit of salt and mix well.
Lightly drizzle mint on top and serve.

FIRST DINNER GUESTS OF 2012

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:30:35 +0000

A New Year and new hopes, dreams, ideas, invites and cooking adventures. To start of the New Year right, I invited my aunt Havva’s family along with my parents to host a traditional Turkish sit down dinner. Since my aunts father in law is visiting and he visits so rarely I took upon this opportunity to host a graceful dinner. In rare occasions like this, I love our Turkish hospitality. When great friends and/or immediate families are visiting we take the opportunity to invite them to our homes and show our respects. If anyone of you have visited Turkey, I am sure you have experienced this first hand. It is such a warm, humble and welcoming feeling. For me this dinner was a special one because Grandfather Haci Muzaffer, resembles my own late grandfather in more then one way. As he sat, chatted and played with daughter I thought about my own grandfather and how delighted I would have been to have him here with us.

Since it the New Year and we are all weight and health continuous, I opted to keep the menu light and yet still delicious. The above picture is Meat Dolma made by mom.

Middle Eastern aka Gray Squash – Stuffed with chopped meat, onions, pine nuts

Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Rosemary

Brussels sprouts with onions & carrots

Oven roasted, Yellow & Green Zucchinis and Oven roasted Eggplant

Not Pictured but served along with:

Turkish Peasant Soup
Turkish Style Lamb Chops
Jasmine Rice cooked Turkish Style
Which recipes would you like first? Please leave a comment below.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:49:34 +0000

It is a frigid Tuesday night in New York City in the New Year 2012, one of the coldest couple of days we are having this winter. I’m not a big fan of the cold weather, I rather take the snow and sleet any day as long as I am not trapped indoors during that time. Days like these call for hot, body and mind warming soups that comforts your souls. These last several days, I’ve been into making different variety of soups. Like yesterday, I made a butternut squash soup since we were not really digging the flavor we winded up having left overs today again. Unlike the roasted cauliflower soup I made on Sunday, the whole pot was finished during lunch and dinner. I’ve made this soup several times before and each time I make it tastes better and better! Maybe it’s the soup or maybe it’s the Creme Fraiche! We’ve yet to decide!

Note: The plate is Lenox the Mediterra Menorca Collection

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Slightly Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower - cut into small pieces
3 garlic cloves sliced
2 small onions diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 bay leaf
1 – 8 oz Creme Fraiche or 2 cups heavy cream
Salt for seasoning
Black Pepper for Serving

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut cauliflower into 1-inch florets. In a large baking pan toss cauliflower, garlic, and onions with 2 tablespoon of oil to coat and roast in middle of oven about 30 – 45 minutes, or until golden.

In a heavy large saucepan over medium heat add in the vegetable broth, roasted cauliflower mixture, and bay leave and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.

Discard bay leaf and puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender, until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids). (If using creme fraiche add it in while pureeing and blend until smooth.) Return soup to medium heat and stir in cream. Heat soup over moderate heat until just heated through.

Serve warm with a pinch of black pepper on top.

ASURE ~ NOAH’S PUDDING

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:28:11 +0000

It is time for Asure! Here is the link for the Asure recipe! This past weekend, I walked into my mom’s kitchen and to my delight she has already cooked and cooled her Asure, even before I had began mine! My mother was extra delighted to see me and already prepared the table so that I can start clicking away! Since I did not know she was making Asure and that she wanted me to take and post the pictures, I took these pictures with the iPhone 4S! They came out amazing, don’t you think so? Wishing you all a wonderful Asure Day & an even better week!