Lamb Shank (Kuzu İncik)

Today’s recipe is lamb shank! I have never made lamb shank before, so I was proud of myself when it turned out delicious. The recipe is not labor intensive; once I browned the shank, I threw all the ingredients together in a pot, grabbed a glass of wine and sat on one of the two pieces of bar furniture I have on my kitchen island with a good book.

Before we get to the delightful recipe, I would like to express my pleasure on my upcoming product review with CSN Stores. In the past, CSN Stores offered a giveaway or a review and I chose the giveaway and one of my lucky readers won a 10” and 12” Calphalon Non-Stick Omelet Combo Set. This time however, I would like to actually review one of their products. CSN Stores has an amazing selection of products in their 200 plus online stores. Please stay tuned.

Now back to the lamb shank…

Note: 1 lamb shank can be enough for two people

1 lamb shank
4-5 cloves of garlic (sliced)
2 shallots (sliced)
2 portabella mushrooms (sliced)
2 potatoes (cubed)
3 small carrots (sliced 1 inch thick)
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp olive oil
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup water

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Brown the lamb shank in the pot on all sides. Add sliced garlic and shallots. Stir for about 3 minutes until the shallots are transparent. Add the portabella mushrooms and stir. Add the white wine. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots and the rest of the ingredients including the water. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Then, turn heat to low and cook covered for 2 hours or until the lamb shank is tender. Serve with rice and salad.

Shrimp in Red Sauce (Salçalı Karides)

Here's a simple and very tasty dish!

1 lb shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
1 ½ tbsp red pepper paste (available at Mediterranean grocery stores)
¼ cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients except the shrimp and olive oil in a bowl. Add shrimp to the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are integrated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy with rice and salad.

Spinach and Spicy Cheese Bread Pockets (Katıklı Ekmek)

Katıklı ekmek is very popular in Antakya, Turkey. Some stuff the dough with spinach and çökelek mixture and some spread this mixture on top of a thin sheet of dough. The preparation of the dough is different than mine because in Antakya, Turkey, the mixture is sent to a bakery and the dough from the bakery is used. Then, it is baked in the wood ovens in the bakery which gives the bread/borek a very distinct and wonderful texture and flavor.

Katıklı can be served during breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack with hot tea.


For the Dough:

4 cups flour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups water


For Stuffing:

2 bunch spinach
3 çökelek balls
½ tsp salt


For Brushing:

2 tbsp olive oil


Preparation of the Dough Using a Mixer:

Combine all ingredients for the dough in the bowl of the mixer, except the water. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Make sure to attach and remove it when the mixer is unplugged. Using the speed control knob, put the speed of the mixer to 2. Then increase the speed to 4. Pour the water gradually to the bowl while the mixer is working. Increase the speed of the mixer to 6. Mix for 3-4 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer.

Preparation of the Dough Manually:

Combine all ingredients in a deep bowl except the water. Pour some of the water in the bowl and start kneading for 5-10 minutes. Keep adding water gradually while kneading until the dough becomes soft.

Let it sit for about 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 small pieces and make small balls with each piece.

Wash the spinach thoroughly so that there is no dirt in the leaves. Boil water in a large pot. Place the clean spinach leaves in boiling water for two minutes and remove. Immediately, run cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking process. Squeeze all the water out of the spinach. Chop the spinach coarsely.

Crumble the çökelek onto the spinach.

Add the salt. Set aside.

Grease two large baking trays. Place a ball of the dough on the tray and start stretching the dough with your hands until each ball is side enough to place some stuffing.

Place the stuffing one side of the dough and cover it with the rest of the dough.


The dough will stretch and the stuffing will become visible from the outside of the dough. Repeat this process for all eight pieces of dough. Brush some olive oil on top of these pockets.

Bake at 375º F in the middle rack of the oven for about 20 minutes. You may need to brush the top of the pockets with olive oil while baking once or twice. When the top portion is golden brown, turn around and brush the other side with olive oil and bake until golden brown.

Enjoy warm with hot tea.

Swordfish Kebab (Kılıçbalığı Kebabı)

Swordfish is perfect for kebabs because of the texture and thickness of the fish. Any type of sauce with olive oil, lemon and spices will go very well with this fish. Enjoy with rice pilaf and salad.

1 1/3 lb swordfish filet
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp red pepper paste
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 tbsp chopped shallots

Wash and pat dry fish with paper towel.


Cut the fish filet in bite sized cubes.



Mix all the ingredients except the fish in a large bowl. Add the fish and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.


Slightly grease the skewers and skewer each piece one by one. Leave enough space on the end of the skewer in order to hold it.


Grill on an out door grill or broil in the oven for 10 minutes on each side or until fish is completely cooked. Serve with rice pilaf and salad.

Note: If bamboo skewers are used, they need to be soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling in order to prevent them from burning.

Eggs with Turkish Sausage (Sucuklu Yumurta)

Finally, I am publishing another recipe on my blog. Although I promised more blogging in my previous post, I became unexpectedly busy and could not deliver on my promise. Hopefully, this time I’ll be posting more recipes than I have been in the past few months.

This simple, yet delicious egg and Turkish sausage omelet is perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast along with warm bread, white cheese, olives and hot Turkish tea. Eggs and Turkish sausage complement each other very well creating a delicious taste. Enjoy.

Note: Turkish sausage can be found in Turkish/Mediterranean grocery stores.

4 eggs
8-9 slices Turkish sausage
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

In a small bowl add the eggs, black pepper and salt. Mix vigorously until the eggs whites and yolks are integrated.

Heat oil on medium heat and cook the sausage slices for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Pour the eggs on the sausage. Leave on heat until eggs are cooked. To cook eggs faster, cover the pan for a couple minutes.

Eggplant Lamb in the Pan (Kuzu Etli Patlıcan Tava)

After a nice, long and rejuvenating vacation, I am back to my regular blogging and my home cooked food. We stocked our refrigerator with lots of fruits and vegetables and the pantry with legumes as soon as we returned since we intend to eat vegetarian for the next couple of weeks. Eating out can be fun and adventurous; however in my and my husband's case we lose appetite when eating out every day for a long time. We tend to eat more heavy foods such as meats, fried foods and rich desserts when we order at a restaurant. The good looking and smelling food can be very tempting and hinder us from making the right food choices.

Immediately upon my return, I made grape leaves stuffed with rice and green bean stew with tomatoes. Since I already have the stuffed grape leaves and green bean stew on my blog, I am publishing a recipe that I made a couple months ago that I never got the chance to publish. The lamb can be omitted for vegetarians or substituted with beef for beef lovers.

This eggplant dish is very tasty especially when served with rice pilaf and yogurt on the side.



1 lb london broil lamb or any type of meat (cubed)
3 large eggplants
2 green cubanelle peppers (sliced lengthwise)
1 medium onion (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
4-5 peeled ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp paprika

Peel eggplants lengthwise in stripes like a zebra. Cut the eggplants in fourths and cube. Place in a pot full of salty, cold water to prevent discoloration.

Heat a small pan. Add the cubed lamb and cook until the juices and blood in the meat is released. Drain the meat and set aside.

Heat olive oil on medium heat in an oven proof pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the meat and stir. Drain the eggplants and add to the pan. Sprinkle salt, cumin, black pepper and paprika and mix. Arrange the sliced tomatoes and green peppers on top. Cook covered for 30 minutes on the stove.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Remove pan from stove and bake uncovered for 15 minutes in the oven. Enjoy with rice pilaf and plain yogurt.

Turkish Food Culture

According to many culinary experts, Turkish food is considered to be among the top three greatest cuisines in the world along with French and Chinese. Some may agree with the French and Chinese but find the Turkish one debatable. When looking back at Turkish history, the reason for Turkish cuisine being ranked among the top three cuisines in the world can be understood better. Let’s take a look.

Original Turks lived a nomadic life style and migrated from the Far East Asia, (mainly Western China Tibet and Mongolia regions) to the current geographic location of Turkey and surrounding areas. As they moved from the Far East to Asia Minor (current Turkey), the Turkish ancestors adopted various foods from various cultures along the way which led to a very diverse although developed and refined cuisine. For instance, ‘mantı’ which is small pieces of dough stuffed with minced meat and spices topped with yogurt sauce is supposedly adopted from Chinese dumplings. It is said that the idea of ‘dolma’ (stuffed vegetables) came from ‘mantı’. Due to their nomadic lifestyle, the nomadic Turks’ diet was mainly based on animal products such lamb, goat and game. Different techniques of preserving food were invented in order to prevent food from spoiling. Perhaps ‘pastırma’, which is dried cured beef mainly made in the city of Kayseri in Cental Anatolia region came about from the need to preserve meat without spoiling. It is no secret that the integration of nomadic Turks with other civilizations, geographic locations and weather had influenced their culinary traditions which brings us to food culture of the Ottoman Empire. The vast Ottoman Empire which covered three continents for a length of almost 600 years and controlled the spice road, influenced food culture from North Africa to Eastern Europe (up to Vienna, Austria) and most of the Middle East leaving a trace of similarities in the current Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern cuisines. The Imperial Palaces had enormously large kitchens that had separate cooks for each kitchen specializing in one single type of dish that was developed and perfected over time. For example, each cook specialized in ‘pilav’ (pilaf), ‘dolma’, ‘baklava’, ‘kebabs’, ‘desserts and so on. Dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, currants and the best quality spices frequently were employed in cooking. Through development and improvisation, the Ottoman Cuisine evolved to be the current Turkish cuisine. After the end of Ottoman Empire, the modern Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 adopted the same delicious cuisine and cooking techniques.1

The importance of food during the Ottoman days and now in the current Republic of Turkey cannot be overstated. It is a significant part of the culture and daily life. This solid sense of food culture can be found in every single part of Turkey albeit the food itself is very heterogeneous. Although some dishes are prevalent throughout Turkey, every region, even province has its own type of cuisine that may not be recognized by other regions.

Almost every region or province is renowned with one or more types of foods. The South/Southeast region encompassing mainly Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Şanlıurfa provinces is known for its spicy and versatile foods. Red pepper paste and many types of spices are frequently used in its food such as ‘kısır’, ‘dolma’, ‘kebaps’, ‘stews’ and many other dishes to enhance flavor of a dish. Mersin is known for its ‘tantuni’ (sauted minced meat with spices placed inside bread), Antakya is renowned with its delightful dessert ‘künefe’, Adana with ‘Adana kebap’, Gaziantep with ‘baklava’, ‘antepfıstığı’ (pistachios), Şanlıurfa with ‘çiğ köfte’ (fine bulgur mixed with raw ground meat and spices) and Central Anatolia with ‘keşkek’ (meat and wheat or barley stew). When ‘hamsi’ (anchovies) is mentioned, the first place that comes to mind in Turkey is the Black Sea region which is located in Northern Turkey. This area is also known for its ‘kara lahana’ (collard greens) dishes, black tea and hazelnut farming. Kayseri province which is in the Anatolian region is known for the best ‘mantı’ and ‘pastırma’ (pastrami). The Mediterranean region in southern part of the country and Aegean region in the west part of the country are popular with vegetable and olive oil dishes and the list goes on.

The variation of Turkish food from region to region is as a result of a diverse weather, lifestyle due to geographic location and ancestry. Turkey is composed of people from different ancestries who carry on their food traditions for centuries allowing a wide range of foods to be served in Turkey. Thanks to the diverse weather, numerous types of crops grow in Turkey enabling a rich cuisine to form. The wheat farming that started with the nomadic Turks for centuries has given a focus on doughy foods such as ‘ekmek’ (bread) which is a main staple throughout the country, ‘böreks’ (stuffed pastries) and ‘bulgur pilafs’. Due to proximity to the seas, fish and other seafood are a crucial part of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea region diets.

The foundation of Turkish food is based on the freshness of the ingredients. In rural areas the vegetables come right out of people’s garden just before cooking, the meat comes from a farm or local butcher. As society changes and more and more women participate in the work force, naturally many urban dwellers are adapting the modern conveniences eagerly leaving behind some of the food traditions. Although, there are still some people who are living in cities and perform the routine of grocery shopping daily to get the freshest available ingredients. In smaller cities and less populated areas, fresh ingredients are still the biggest factor in cooking.

Some of the main ingredients used in Turkish food can be stated as follows:

Tomato paste, red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, yogurt, olives, cheese, cumin, sumac, red pepper flakes, paprika, black pepper, lemon, oranges, parsley, mint, dill, garlic, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, cucumber, cabbage, fish, chicken, beef, lamb, yufka (phyllo dough), kadayıf (shredded phyllo dough), chick peas, dried beans, lentils, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds.

Turkish food can be divided into the following groups:

1) Mezeler (Appetizers)
2) Dolmalar (Stuffed vegetables with rice or meat)
3) Çorbalar (Soups)
4) Salatalar (Salads)
5) Baklagiller (Legumes)
6) Zeytinyağlı Sebzeler (Olive oil vegetable dishes which are usually served cold)
7) Pilavlar (Rice or bulgur pilafs)
8) Etli Sebzeler (Vegetables with meat)
9) Börekler (Stuffed pastries with meat, cheese or vegetables)
10)Pideler (Flat bread with cheese, meat or vegetables)
11)Kebaplar (Kebaps which range from kebabs cooked in a pot to skewered kebaps)
12)Balık ve Deniz Ürünleri (Fish and other seafood items)
13)Tatlılar (Desserts)
14)İçecekler (Drinks such as Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, rakı, ayran)

Turks love eating and relishing food. As a result, feast-like meals are not out of the ordinary in a Turkish home. If you are present in a Turkish home for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the variety and the effort put into preparing the table will be very evident. In Turkey, having people over for dinner or a tea party is a very common and frequent tradition which involves socializing. It is part of the society, the culture and tradition.

Note: If you live in Houston or surrounding areas and interested in Turkish food or culture, there will be an annual Turkish Festival taking place on October 16-17, 2010 that will have delicious food, music, dancing and etc. This is sponsored by the American Turkish Association of Houston which is a non-profit organization. For more info visit the following website: http://www.turkishfesthouston.com/


1- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Culinary Culture