Session # 3 Recipes

Turkish Cooking Class February 6th Menu

STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH YOGURT

Ingredients:

6 zucchinis

Stuffing

½ cup rice

1 onion

2 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 tablespoon tomato or red pepper paste

½ pound ground beef

2 tablespoons butter

2 tomatoes

Wash and drain the rice. Chop the onion and crush the tomatoes. Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing thoroughly. Wash the zucchinis and cut from the middle so you will have two pieces from each zucchini, carve out the insides. Stuff the zucchini and leave some room at the top for rice to expand. Place the stuffed zucchinis into a pot. Place a small butter cube on all zucchinis and place a tomato slice on the top. Pour hot water from the side about an inch long and cook at low heat around 30 minutes.

FELLAH VEGETARIAN BALLS

Ingredients:

2 cups fine bulgur

2 cups hot water

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice, Salt

Sauce

1 tablespoon sour pomegranate molasses

3-4 grated tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Black pepper, red pepper

Chopped parsley

Dried mint flakes

Salt

In a bowl wet bulgur with hot water. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or a lid and let soak for 10 minutes. Later, add tomato paste and ground cumin and knead about 15 minutes. Add the flour and egg and make dough. Take dime size pieces from the mix and roll it in between your palms. Press on top with your index finger, use warm water to wet your hand to prevent sticking and place then on a tray. In a big pot add about 2 quarts of water, salt and lemon juice and boil. Throw the balls in boiling water slowly. Boil the button shaped balls about 15-20 minutes and drain the water after they are cooked. Meantime, prepare the sauce by putting the oil into a pan and mixing it with tomato paste, grated tomatoes and minced garlic. Simmer them all until cooked. Add sour pomegranate molasses last and turn off the heat. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, dried mint and parsley as desired. Serve fellah balls with the sauce.

YOGURT

4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Boil the milk in a pot and let it cool down at room temperature until you can put your finger in few seconds. Milk should be quite warm but not too hot. Lay a towel or a cloth on your kitchen bench and place the pot on it. Mix the plain yogurt into the milk and close the lid of the pot. Cover the pot with the cloth well. Let it incubate 8-10 hours in winter and 6-8 hours during summer days. You can serve yogurt after it is refrigerated at least one day.

SEMOLINA HALVAH

Ingredients:

1 lb semolina

2 cups milk

2 cups water

3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

½ cup pine nuts

Boil milk and water with 1,5 cup sugar. In a separate pot, stir roast pine nuts with butter, add semolina and fry until nuts turn brown (not too much). Turn the heat off, pour the syrup on the semolina and mix them well. Close the lid of the pot while still on the stove until all the syrup is absorbed. Remove the pot from the stove and spread 1,5 cups sugar, mix very well and close the lid. Stir everything again 5 minutes later and close the lid. Serve with coconut flakes or cinnamon.