Broiled Zucchini (Izgara Kabak)

Here is another tasty, yet simple to make appetizer/side dish. The zucchinis would taste much better if you throw them on an outdoor grill. Enjoy.

2 lb medium zucchinis
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Remove stem and cut zucchinis in half. Arrange in a large baking pan. Add salt, pepper, paprika and oregano to both sides of the zucchinis. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Heat oven broiler at 500º F. Keep the oven door half open to avoid any fire dangers. Broil each side of the zucchinis for 7-8 minutes until golden brown. Serve as a side dish or an appetizer.

Red Cabbage Salad with Tomatoes (Domatesli Kırmızı Lahana Salatası)

First off, thanks to those of you who left comments while I was out. Sorry for posting the comments so late; I was traveling overseas. It’s great to be back, however lots of work was waiting for me at home and at the office! No cooking yet, although I can always count on those recipes that I have accumulated over time. I have been doing that a lot lately and thus have become lazy to photograph my food and write down recipes. I am running out, so I need to make another deposit of recipes to come in handy at times when cooking is not convenient.

This salad deserves a place on the table both in the winter and summer. In the summer, it would be sufficient for a meal all by itself as well as with an entrée, but in the cold winter, I think it would be too light to fill a stomach. If you are a vegetable lover, any time you have this salad, it will be very satisfying.

1 small head of red cabbage
3 firm tomatoes
2 green peppers (cubanelle)
1 small red onion
½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sumac
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

Cut the cabbage in half and slice each half. Put in a large bowl. Cut each pepper lengthwise, clean out the seeds and slice. Follow the same procedure for the onion by cutting the onion in half and slicing it in thin slices. Dice the tomatoes. Add all the vegetables including the parsley to the bowl on top of the cabbage. Add sumac. Sprinkle with salt, add the olive oil and lime juice. Toss and serve with any meal you like.

Turkish Style Seared Scallops (Türk Stili Tavada Tarak)

Seafood in general is enough to get me excited for a meal, especially when accompanied with a fresh, green salad and good bread. Seafood is light, nutritious and delicate which makes it attractive for any meal. Scallops, which I mostly prepare broiled or seared with wine are at the top of my seafood choices.

These particular scallops are prepared in a Turkish/Mediterranean style. The simplicity of the recipe allows me to cook them often. When served with rice pilaf and salad, scallops can make a filling and tasty meal.

6 large scallops
1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme
Juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped parsley for garnishing
4 round slices of lime for garnishing

Rub the scallops with salt. Sprinkle the thyme, paprika, ground black pepper on both sides of the scallops. Keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Place the scallops in the oil. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes until the scallops are golden brown.

Arrange in a plate. Garnish with parsley and lime slices. Serve warm.

Arab Kebab (Arap Kebabı)

As far as I know, this kebab is mainly prepared in the Hatay-Adana-Mersin provinces which are in Southern Turkey. Although, the ingredients are very Mediterranean, the name of this dish may not be familiar to many people. The fact that Hatay province shares a border with Syria (an Arab country), the food culture in Hatay has been influenced by Syrian cooking and flavors. Probably, that’s where the name of this dish comes from.

This kebab that is made in the pot was prepared by my husband without my assistance. It is very simple to make and it tastes really good with some good bread. Some people choose to make it with ground beef or beef cubes. For you vegetarians out there, I would substitute the meat with portabella mushrooms.

1 lb lamb (stew meat)
4 juicy ripe tomatoes (coarsely diced)
1 green pepper (coarsely chopped)
1 medium onion (coarsely chopped)
2 large cloves garlic (sliced)
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cumin
2 tsp salt


Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute the onions and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add the lamb. When the lamb takes a light brownish color, add the peppers, tomatoes, pepper, salt and cumin.

Give it a stir and close lid. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes and then turn to low heat for another 20 minutes. If the tomatoes are not juicy, you may need to add a little water so that the dish is not dry.

Mixed Vegetables (Türlü)

A wonderful light summer dish ‘Türlü’ encompasses a variety of vegetables with different tastes in one dish. Other summer vegetables such as okra and zucchini also can be added. This is known and consumed in most of Turkey; perhaps under different names. Rice or bulgur pilaf is a perfect complement to Türlü. Beef or lamb cubes can also be added to the recipe. Both vegetarian and with meat versions are excellent.

5 medium eggplants
3 medium potatoes
1.5 lb green beans
1 green pepper
7 small ripe tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp red pepper paste
3 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
2 cups water
Water for pot

Prepare a large pot full of cold water with 1 tsp salt. Peel the eggplants in lengthwise stripes. The eggplants will have a peeled stripe and an unpeeled stripe. If the eggplants are thin, slice them diagonally, if they are thicker, cut in half and slice diagonally and place in the salty water. This will prevent them from turning brown.

Cut the ends of the green beans and cut them diagonally in an inch and half length. Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Cut each half in squares. Slice the green pepper. Peel and dice the tomatoes and set aside.

Heat the olive oil. Add the green beans and sauté for 7-8 minutes. Drain the water from the eggplants and add to the beans. Add the potatoes, green pepper, garlic and peas.

Dissolve the tomato sauce and the red pepper paste in the water. Add this mixture to the pot. Sprinkle salt. Taste the salt so that it is according to your taste.

Cook covered on high heat until the water in the pot starts to boil. Turn to low heat and cook for 50-60 minutes. Enjoy warm with rice or bulgur pilaf.

Bulgur Balls with Spinach and Garlic (Sarımsaklı ve Ispanaklı Bulgur Köftesi)

One of my favorite snacks/appetizers is the bulgur balls with spinach and garlic. These bulgur balls have numerous names. The funny thing is that I did not know the name until I started to write the recipe and begin to think about its name. I grew up with this food, no question about it, but I had no idea what it was called. In my internet search, I found out that it can be called ‘Fellah Köftesi’, ‘Sarımsaklı Köfte’ and some other names. I have to emphasize the spinach and garlic in it, hence I am calling it ‘Sarımsaklı ve Ispanaklı Bulgur Köftesi’ meaning ‘Bulgur Balls with Spinach and Garlic’. To me, that is the most reasonable way of describing it. This dish is mainly known in Southern provinces of Turkey such as Hatay, Adana and Mersin. I would not be surprised if it is also known in Gaziantep and other Southeastern provinces where a very rich variety of food exists.

Instead of spinach, you may also use green beans with red pepper paste sauce. Bulgur balls with tomato sauce and garlic are also very popular. I will start with this as it is my favorite one and will continue with other versions of this recipe at later dates.

In Turkey, generally, this recipe is made in get-togethers and ladies tea parties. Usually, one person does not sit and make the whole thing; it’s a collaborative effort where a few friends or neighbors get together to make it. As you may imagine, rolling every single of these balls can be pretty time consuming if you are making them in large amounts. Having help does allow these bulgur balls to be rolled in no time. Back home in Turkey, these are made in large quantities and shared with neighbors and friends.

The last time I ate this at home was two years ago as a result of my request. Every year when I visit home, my mother would ask for my wish list. What would I like to eat? She certainly prepares my favorite foods first, such as İçli Köfte (Stuffed Bulgur Balls) just before I arrive and just before I leave. My mom never allows me to cook or even help her while I am on vacation as she sees it more like work rather than enjoyment (I am sure most moms are the same). Only if she knew... :) Even though I have shared my blog with her, she probably still does not believe I am able to cook all this food as I had no culinary interests when I was living at home. I guess since I have no access to my mom’s food, I kind of had to learn myself. Although, I never have time to cook there anyway as a result of travel, the beach, catching up with family, friends and relatives.

Before I get off the subject, one day during my vacation, my mother in law was visiting. My mother had asked me what I wanted to eat earlier. I had mentioned that I was craving bulgur balls with spinach and garlic. She was surprised as she thought I came all the way from America and I want to eat bulgur balls with spinach and garlic? She was making every effort to prepare the fanciest, the best food she could think of during my short visits. My mother in law is also one that makes every effort to make the best meal possible and almost forces me to eat more and more. She either thinks I need to gain some weight or that I should be crazy not to stuff myself with all this food that I cannot find in the States. No wonder why after we finish our meal and slow down, they (women in the area I grew up) start complaining about their weight and half of the conversation goes about how to lose weight ... Then, they try to figure out why they gain weight; most of the time the conclusion amazingly would be that their weight gain occurs due to ‘water’ or/and ‘air’! ‘Water’, because they drink too much water and ‘air’ because they swallow air which “causes” them to look inflated than they actually are! Eventually, reality sinks in and they realize that it is really not ‘air’ or ‘water’ that causes the weight gain but the amount of food they eat. :)

Of course, their intention with insisting on eating lots of food is certainly a good one since in Turkish culture, food is a big part of hospitality. With an enormous pleasure, they will cook a feast for their guests and would probably get offended if you do not eat. I think it would be very difficult to stay very slim in Turkey as guests come and go daily and when there are guests, many types of snacks/foods are served. The guests are joined by the host in eating; otherwise it would be impolite.

I know I am going off track here… Back to the bulgur balls... My mother in law and my mom started to make the bulgur balls together. Half of the mixture was made with spinach and the other half with green beans. They finished quickly and we had it for lunch that day.

I decided to try to make it here by myself, since I do not cook in large quantities unless I have company. This is the result of my recipe and both my husband and I were pleased with the result.

For the Bulgur Balls:

2 cups bulgur (fine grind)
1 cup flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup hot water

For the Spinach Mixture:

2 bunches fresh spinach
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
½ cup olive oil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)

Ttriple wash the spinach. Let the spinach soak in a big pot or bowl filled with cold water. Wash each leaf of spinach individually if you do not like to have any kind of dirt on them. I wash them individually and then soak them in cold water and drain them three times.

Put the spinach leaves in a large pot full of boiling water. If you have a pot that comes with colander (usually used for cooking pasta), that will make boiling the spinach easier. Cook for two minutes and remove the colander from the pot. If you use a regular pot, just pour the contents of the pot into a colander. Place the colander under cold water so the spinach stops cooking. Let them drain.

In the mean time, prepare the bulgur balls. Place the bulgur in a large shallow bowl. Pour the hot water and mix to make sure all the bulgur is soaked. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes until the bulgur is soft.

Add all the other ingredients to make the bulgur balls. Knead for 10 minutes. You will need to dip your hand in water while kneading so have a bowl full of water ready. The bulgur balls will dry easily and that is why soaking the hand is necessary when kneading.

You may also use a stand mixer to mix the ingredients for the bulgur balls. Combine all the bulgur ball ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer and using the flat beater attachment, mix the ingredients for the bulgur for a few minutes on speeds 2 and 4 respectively. Do not add any of the ingredients for the spinach mixture.

Once the bulgur is soft enough and ready to be shaped, dip your hands in the water, pull a small amount of the bulgur in the size of a quarter, roll it and give it a gentle punch with your finger. See picture.



Fill half of a large pot with water and boil. Add the bulgur balls and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Cool the bulgur balls.



Since the bulgur balls are ready, now it is time to prepare the spinach mixture. Squeeze the spinach to let out the water it holds. I usually create large balls of spinach and squeeze them until all the water is drained. Give the spinach a coarse chop. Place the spinach in a large bowl and add all the ingredients listed above for the spinach mixture. Mix well so that the salt and the seasonings are evenly distributed.


Add this mixture to the cooled bulgur balls and mix again so that the spinach mixture and the bulgur balls are married together.

Serve at room temperature along with cold yogurt.

Fried Chicken Wings (Tavuk Kanat Kızartması)

As we all know, fried foods are always delicious, but not very healthy as fried foods contain excessive oil. As a substitute, I have turned to broiling foods that are conventionally fried. I seldom fry anything as I try to minimize the oil intake into our bodies. In fact, for the longest time, I turned away from frying completely as I was probably influenced by my uncle who to my knowledge has never ever fried anything.

In the past couple years, I realized that I was longing for some of the traditional foods that I grew up with (such as İçli Köfte and Fried Potatoes) that taste best when fried. Now, once in a blue moon, I do fry either potatoes or chicken and of course İçli Köfte.

One day, I felt like having some comfort food and decided to allow us to eat something unhealthy (chicken wings)! The oil I used is incomparable to what most restaurants use. In my house, canola or olive oil is used for frying and for regular cooking only olive oil is used. The chicken wings used in this recipe are organic as I purchase organic poultry and meat. What I am trying to get to is that, these chicken wings are much healthier home made than buying them at a restaurant.

With a simple Mediterranean twist on the chicken wings, they had a great taste.


16 chicken wings
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup olive oil
3 tbsp parsley (chopped)
1 tsp red pepper flakes for garnishing
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)


Heat the olive oil in a large pan.

In a medium sized bowl, place the eggs, paprika, black pepper and 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley. Mix vigorously until all ingredients are mixed together.

In a large plate or Pyrex dish spread the flour.

Salt the chicken wings. Dip them in the egg mixture, then immediately in the flour. Fry until golden brown. Garnish with the rest of the parsley and red pepper flakes and serve hot.