Bulgur Pilav

This dish may seem to have a lot of ingredients for an everyday side dish, but it's actually very simple and quick to make. Everyone I have made it for likes it, even my dad... and even though he eats everything, he doesn't always like it! My son likes it, too... definitely worth a try.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups onion, diced medium
4 tablespoons olive oil
2.5-3 cups fresh diced tomatoes OR 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes (with no added salt or flavorings) plus 1/2 cup water. Do not use canned diced tomatoes.
1 tablespoon dried mint OR 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon dried dill OR handful of fresh chopped dill
1 tablespoon dried parsley OR 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 cups large grain bulgur

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In a skillet or pot with a tightly-fitting lid (without vent hole), saute onions in oil over medium heat until transparent but not browned. Add herbs and stir. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and stir. Cover and cook for four or five minutes. Add the bulgur, stir, and cover. Turn off the heat immediately if you have electric burners. If you have gas burners, cook on the lowest flame for five minutes, then turn off heat. The bulgur will absorb the liquid from the tomatoes in about half an hour, and then this dish is ready to eat.

I highly recommend that you use fresh tomatoes for this one, even if they are flavorless winter ones...

Baked Brussels Sprouts

You say you don't like brussels sprouts but wouldn't mind liking them? If this easy and delicious dish doesn't do it, nothing will. I have always had my brussels sprouts steamed, with butter and I have always liked them that way. But then I heard something on NPR about making them crispy in the oven. I tried it, and they came out even better than I expected. As they lay on their baking sheet, waiting for the other elements of dinner to be ready, everyone who walked by was popping them into their mouths, and about a quarter of them were gone before the rest of dinner was on the table. That is something you might expect for fries, not brussel sprouts! I urge you to try these while they're in season:



Ingredients:
Any quantity of brussels sprouts, dirty or grainy outer leaves removed, cut in half lengthwise (so that each half gets part of the base, and they thus don't fall apart) and soaked in salted water.
olive oil, to coat
salt and garlic powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/around 200 degrees C. Drain the sprouts and toss them in the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Spread them on a foil-lined (for easier cleanup) baking sheet, cut side up. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until they are browned but not burned. Serve.

I recommend that you make more than you think you want to eat because believe me, they will be better than you expect!

Zeytinyağı kereviz salatası (Celery Root Side Dish)

1 medium celery root
1 carrot, diced
3 tablespoons peas (optional)
½ onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar
dill, fresh parsley, to garnish


Sauté onion in olive oil in a large skillet. While it is softening, peel celery root with a sharp vegetable peeler, and cut off knobby ends, saving as much of the root as possible. Slice into 1/2" to 1” thick rounds and place rounds over olive oil. Add diced carrot, peas, a sprinkle of dill, the salt and sugar, the lemon juice and ½ cup of water and cover. Slowly simmer until celery root becomes soft. When root is soft (the texture should be like that of a boiled potato that you’re going to use for potato salad), place the rounds individually onto a plate, and top each one with the cooked carrots, peas, and onions. Garnish with a sprinkle of dill and fresh parsley, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Kısır (cracked wheat salad)

3 cups small cracked bulgur wheat, rinsed
6 cups water
1 onion, grated
Chopped tomatoes, to taste
6 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chopped mint (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped firm lettuce (such as romaine)
3 green onions, chopped

1 small green chile, chopped
Cumin, to taste
¾ cup olive oil
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Lemon, to taste
Salt, to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Add bulgur, stir once, cover tightly, and turn off the burner. Let sit until bulgur has absorbed water, at least ten minutes.

Put grated onion, tomato paste, chopped fresh parsley, chopped green onions, chopped green chile, cumin (start with about a half teaspoon), and a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper into a large mixing bowl. Stir a few times to mix.

Uncover the bulgur and fluff it up. Put hot bulgur into bowl and mix together with other ingredients. Add olive oil and salt (start with a teaspoon) and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed or knead with your hands to mix ingredients well. Taste for seasoning. Add oil if dry, tomato paste and/or cumin if bland. Add salt, to taste. When it tastes good, add tomatoes, mint, and lettuce, and stir. Serve on a bed of lettuce with fresh lemon squeezed on top.

Karnabahar ezmesi (cauliflower salad)

1 package frozen cauliflower pieces or one head of cauliflower, cut into large pieces
3 cloves garlic, mashed or chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small container plain yogurt
½ teaspoon salt
Dried or fresh mint, for garnish
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Bread or melba toasts, for serving

Steam or boil the cauliflower until it is soft and easy to mash. Drain and cool slightly. Put cauliflower in a bowl and mash it. Add garlic, yogurt, and salt and mix until smooth. In a cool, small frying pan, add oil and tomato paste and mix together. Warm this mixture and pour over the top of the cauliflower. Sprinkle with mint to garnish.

Sarımsaklı havuç salatası (garlicky carrot salad)

This recipe is everyone's favorite. It is unbelievably simple to make, is healthy, and tastes great. Every time I've taught a Turkish Cooking class and asked what everyone's favorite dish was, this one wins it every time (and therefore gets taught every time).

10 carrots, grated or julienned
4 cloves garlic, mashed or chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 small container plain yogurt
Salt
Bread or melba toasts, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the carrots and about ½ teaspoon of salt and cook until carrots are soft. Do not brown the carrots!

You must continue stirring them occasionally as they cook so that they do not brown. While they are cooking, mix yogurt and garlic in a bowl. When carrots are soft, add them to the bowl with the yogurt-garlic mixture and stir until mixed. Serve warm or cold with bread.