My Aşure

Aşure has and will always be meant for sharing, no matter how good or terrible your aşure is.. It took me many years to experiment the making of the turkish aşure that my beloved and I would love.So here it is....my recipe...especially for my sweet Hatice...who loves this Aşure so much and may need the recipe one day to cook in her own home...
Çiçeğim... işte... bu senin için...

-500 gram of wheat.
-Wash it again and again until you see no brown color coming out of the water.
-Leave it in water overnight to soften.
-Cook it in a pressure cooker (duduklu tencere) for 1 hour (dont forget to add in enough water!!).
Turks love their wheat extremely soft...so one hour is actually not long enough.. trust me..

-Add in 3/4 more glasses of water into the cooked wheat.
-Turn the heat to minimal.
-Add in 1 kg of granulated sugar.

-Cook half a glass of rice with loads of water.
-Blend the rice into smooth paste.
The rice paste will act as a thickening agent.
-Add in the rice paste into the pot
-Continuosly stir the mixture. Do not let the bottom part of the pot burn.

-Add in 1 litre of milk

-Add in 200 grams of fresh almonds.
The almonds should be boiled for around 5 minutes until the skin can slide off easily from the nut.
-The skin free almond will then be added into the aşure pot.
-keep stirring...

-Slice the dried apricot into small pieces
-Add in the sliced apricot once the Aşure mixture starts boiling.
-Never stop stirring.
-Once the sliced apricot looks soft, add in the dried raisins
-Dont add the raisins too early as it may color the Aşure.

REMEMBER: TURKİSH AŞURE MUST BE WHITE!

-Add in the sliced dried figs into the Aşure mixture AT THE LAST MINUTES..
The figs can colour the aşure. We dont want that...do we?

-crush the hazelnuts and walnuts (forgot to take the walnuts' pics) to be sprinkled on top of the aşure before service...

ops..did i tell you that you can also add in cinnamon stick to the aşure recipe? Yup... dont add it in too early though... add in at the last minute...

Here is the end finish of my aşure...made today... my 2nd aşure this year..3rd coming up after the bursa trip...
I love it when my Aşure is topped with pomogranate (nar/buah delima)...
NOTE: Almost every turkish Aşure will have chick peas and broad beans in it. I do not put them in as my hubby do not like them in his Aşure. You can also add in the skin of oranges, thinly sliced,pistachios, and any other things one feel like adding (this year, i ate an aşure with cucumber in it!)...so the choice is basically yours...

Afiyet Olsun...
Try it... it is simple really...

Simahz style* Lavaş ekmek ile Doner Eti *

This is something i basically made up in order to serve hatice's teacher and the moms of her classmates (2008)when they came to our place for *veli çayı* as well as *taziye ziyarete*..

Ingredients

-Ready made doner meat (sold at supermarkets)
-Wheat floor wrap
-2 green pepper (diced)
-2 onions (diced)
-taugeh (soya filiz)...cant remember the word in english..sori
-2 tomatoes (diced)
-2 tablespoon of veg oil
-salt
-pepper
-ketcup
-fresh parsley,cucumber and onion(very smally diced for last step decoration)
-one egg


Steps
-Heat the oil in a pan.
-Add in onion and green pepper. Cook till soft.
-Add in diced tomatoes till it is soft
-Add in the taugeh (soya filiz). Let it be half cook. The crunchiness gives the whole thing a wonderful crusnch.
-Stir till all the ingredients till they are thoroughly mixed up.




-Take one layer of the wheat flour wrap (sold at markets and bakeries)
-Follow the pics below for the next steps...

One layer on a clean surface

Fold it *almost* into half

brush the eggs as above

again fold it into half

the egg will make sure that the surface sticks to each other

-Open the inside of the fold.

-Add in the already prepared doner meat.

-Add in the combination of small diced tomatoes,cucumber n parsley.

-Sprinkle a bit of ketcup.

-Heat the whole thing in the oven not more than 5 minutes covered with aluminium foil

-It shouldnt be left dry.

-To be eaten immediately

Afiyet olsun!

Havuç-kabak salatası

Ingredients

-2 Zuchinni squash (courgette)*grated*
-3 carrots *grated*
-2 onions *diced*
-parsley (chopped)
-Walnuts (roughly blended)
-Mayonaise
-Thick yogurt
-Salt
-Pepper
-Olive oil (2 tablespoon)

Steps
-Heat the olive oil in a pan
-Add in the onion.Cook till it is softened.
-Add in the grated carrot till it is half soft
-Add in the zuchinni squash
-Cook everything till they r soft (but not soggy)
-Add in the salt and pepper to taste
-Take everything off the heat. Put them in a bowl. Let cool.
-Add in the thick yogurt
-Add in the mayonaise according to personal taste
-Add in the parsley and crushed walnut.-
-Put in plate and decorate

Reminder:

-Put the mayonaise after the yogurt to ensure the whole salad is not t00 full with mayonaise.Too much of it will destroy the taste of the whole thing.
-If possible, use *suzme yoğurt* or yogurt which has been strained of its liquid.
-The amount of walnet to be added is also a matter of personal's choice

Afiyet olsun!

Humus

Ingredients

-One and a half glasses of dried chick peas
-Tahin (sesame seed paste)
-Juice of one lemon or more (up to u)
-Olive oil
-A turkish coffee cup of water (depending on the needs)
-Salt
-Pepper

Steps

-Soak the chick peas overnight
-Boil the peas till cooked
-Take off the skin
-in the blender, add in the rest of the ingredients and blend till a smooth paste is formed.
-The thin is ready.
-Decorate to serve.

Tahin

Reminder:

- The olive oil and tahin amount to be added depends on one's personal taste.
-The water addition is important to help it turn into a paste.

Turkish Aşure

Forgive me for this late entry.. i know i promised this recipe ages ago..This year, the first time i made it.. i was so sick...i had lost my taste n smell bud that my aşure was a dissaster.. the second one was good..though i just make it a bit coz this time.. halil got sick hehehehe So here is my aşure recipe ....

Ingredients

500g Wheat (buğday = gandum) -soaked overnight n washed thoroughly

1 litre fresh milk

Water

Sugar (depending on ur taste..starts with 1kg sugar..add more according to taste)

2 glasses of rice (to be boiled in loads of water.. then blended into paste)

200g almond (boiled n the skin taken out)

200 g dried apricot (cut into small sizes)

200g dried raisin

50g dried fig (cut into very small pieces)

250g walnut

250 g hazelnut

1 Glass Chick Peas (kacang kuda) -soaked overnight n boiled separately

1 glass white dried beans -soaked overnight n boiled separately

Pomogranate (nar - buah delima for decoration)

Steps

-Boil the wheat in the pressure cooker between 1 hour to one hour and a half (depending on the wheat) It will take much much longer if u boil using normal pan..pressure cooker is the easiest way

-Add in the milk into the already boiled n softened wheat.

-Add in the rice paste

-Add in sugar

-Add in water

-Add in the chick peas n the white dried beans

-Stir everything till they reach to the consistency of an asure (approximately half an hour or so)

-10 minutes before u turn off the heat, add in the raisin n the apricot

-4 minutes before u turn off the heat.. add in the dried fig

-Let the aşure cool.. the consistency of the asure (not so watery..not so thick) will be definite once the aşure is cool..

-Sprinkle the walnut, hazelnut n pomogranate on the aşure before serving

Reminder

-Turkish Aşure should be white.. the ladies r proud if their aşure is white in color..

-That is why, the wheat should be washed again n again n again before boiling..

-The rice paste is to thicken the aşure.. u can cheat as well by using rice flour added with cold water..but then the milky taste of the rice paste will be lost

-Pls do not add in the dried fig too early coz it will kae ur aşure dark..n like i said.. we want the aşure white..

-İ strongly suggest the pressure cooker for boiling the wheat coz it really will make ur life easy in making the aşure.. less tiring..

Good Luck!

İşkembe Çorbası -Sup Perut - Cow's Stomach Soup

The Cow's stomach
The stomach's soup

Ingredients

500g Cow's stomach (the amount is up to u) -dice into small pieces

Chicken stock (fresh or cube)

2 tablespoons of flour

Grape vinegar

Red pepper powder (kırmızı biber)

Butter

Salt n Pepper

Garlic

Steps

A

-Boil the cow's stomach (in my case- one hour in pressure cooker)

B

-Prepare the chicken stock (i always boil one full chicken in water, add in onions, salt n pepper to produce the stock)

-Or add in one or two (up to u) cube chicken stock into boiling water

C

-Add in the soft boiled cow's stomach (with the water used for boiling) into the chicken stock

D

-Slightly brown the four with a bit of butter to decrease the smell of flour in the soup

-Add in a bit of cold water to the flour... Stir n later add it into the soup

-Add in salt n pepper to taste.

The soup will be cooked in low heat till it has reached the soup consistency (not too thin n not too thick)

Pour the ingredients in step E on top of the soup before serving

E

-Slice the garlic thinly (u may chop it if u want)

-Fry the garlic lightly in butter (not too less..as much as possible)

-Add in the grape vinegar

-Add in the red pepper

Note:

This is a smelly super delicious soup. Not everyone like the smell of işkembe..esp with garlic smell added.. if u r conscious of the smell..or how u will smell later... better not try this soup :0)

Baddin's Chocolate Cup Cake

Ingredients

125g Butter
1 Glass sugar (left at room temperature)
2 eggs
Half a glass of fresh milk
3 tablespoon of cocoa powder
25g vanillin sugar (1 small packet -Dr Öetker)
25g baking powder (1 small packet - Dr öetker kabaratma tozu)
1.5 to 2 glasses of flour (depending on the consistency of the cake)
loads n loads of chocolate chips (let ur kids decide on that)
Small cake cups

Steps
-Mix the butter and sugar well.Use the electric mixer if u have one.
-Add in the rest of the ingredients.
-Mix the ingredients well for 5 minutes (i am making up the time.. coz i have no idea how long hehe)
-Add in the chocolate chips.
-Mix the cake mixture n the choc chips well.
-Put everything in the provided cake cups
-Bake it in the oven for around 15-20 minutes (160 degree celcius)
-Yum yum.. Eat it while it is still fresh n the chocolate chip is still somehow soft..it is not so healthy but definitely heavenly..:0)

P.s - the cup cake in the picture has no choc chips.. that is because we have none at home at the time of the baking.. but usually, i definitely let the kids decide how much choc chips they wanna add in..

Have a nice try!

Balık Guvec

U see.. fish is definitely good for health.. For us in turkey, fish is only sold fresh in the winter..the rest of the season, fishing comercially is forbidden by law..I make it a point to serve fish once a week to halil n the kids..Alhamdulillah, even baddin accepts his fate.. HE MUST EAT BALIK (fish) coz his mom will force him to hehehehe.. Halil.. he eats without complaints....he doesnt complain..but if i take out the bones.. he would love it more hehehe (lazy bump :0)).

This is a recipe i've created myself.. something i just made up at the spur of moment while i was in the kitchen..u bet he loved it... so i thought i'd share it with u here..life is about sharing, right?

Ingredients A (The greens)
Onion(s)
Tomatoes
Ginger
Green Chilli(es)
Leek
Carrot
Celery roots
Dill
Parsley

Ingredients B
Fish (preferably meaty fish like Salmon ..Levrek..Çupra)
Or any seafood things like Squids, Prawns..lobsters..Crabs

Ingredients C (The Sauce)
Mayonaise
Mustard
Lemon Juice
Dried mint
Dried oregano
A bit of olive oil
Salt
Peppper
Red chilli (powdered or grinded)

Ingredients D
Cheese to spread on top (Mozarella or kaşar peynir or dil peynir)

Steps
A
-Thinly slice ingredients A. If u want, u can dice them too..the cutting style is up to u.
-Add all of the sliced greens into a pan.. Add in either a bit of water or a bit of oil.
-Turn on the heat,let the veggies cook till softened and the water is absorbed.

B
-Grill the fish.
-Debone the fish..taking out the bones can be tedious job. Hence, i recommend salmon.. but then other fish like levrek or çupra (dunno the names in english) is wonderful as well since they taste quite milky.

C
-Mix all the ingredients in section C.
-The sauce shouldnt be too watery...not should it be too thick. U decide.

-Take out a clay pot (see picture above)
-Arrange the fish meat inside the clay pot
-Arrange the softened veggies on top of the fish in the clay pot
-Spread the sauce in C on top of the veggies ( a thin layer)
-Sprinkle the cheese on top
-Bake it in the oven.

A reminder:
*If u r a health concious person, u can replace the sauce with mashed potato and later top it with low fat cheese.
*U can also use caserole dish pan instead of clay pot
*This dish is to be eaten with fresh salad...

Have Fun trying!! I've won my tem's heart with this recipe..u can win urs too..:0)

Kavurma

This is a dish cooked in the Kurban Bayram (Raya Haji) in the Zaim family...it is also generally cooked by the turkish population in general using the meat slaughtered on that holy day (be it sheep or cow).









The Kavurma cooked at baba every bayram. Recipe by Kerim n Meşe. I think this is the traditional version.

Ingredients

Salt
Pepper

Water

Butter

Fresh meat

Fresh Kidney

Fresh Liver

Steps

-Melt the butter in a pan (how much depending on ur meat)

-Add in the meat into the pan

-Add in a bit of water... just enough to cover the meat.

-Turn the heat to maximum.

-Once the water starts boiling,cover the lid, turn the heat to the minimum and let it cook for at least one hour and a half or until the meat is soft.

-Add in the salt and pepper to taste right before u turn off the heat.

-Do all the above processes for liver and kidney.. all in separate pans. U can mix all the liver n kidney and meat all together in the while cooking them. The zaims cook them all in separate pans since not everyone likes to eat liver and kidney. Hence the separation.

-Kavurma is to be eaten with rice...

Kavurma-Simah's way (My modified version)

Ingredients

Onions-diced

Tomatoes -diced n chopped into small pieces

Basil (dried or fresh)

Meat,Kidney and Liver

Water

Salt

Pepper

Steps

-Add n the butter into the pan

-Fry the diced onions till soft

-Add n the chopped tomatoes and basil. Cook it till it is soft.. n turn into some sort of sauce. Turn off the heat.

-In another pan, stir fry the meat with a bit of butter for 5 minutes. Put the meat in the pan with the onion n tomato sauce in it

-Repeat the same stir fry processe for liver n kidney.

-Once all the meat, liver and kidney have been stir fried, Turn on the heat of the pan again. Add in water... The water should be just enough to cover the meat.

-Turn the heat to the maximum.

-Once the water starts boiling, cover the lid and turn off the heat to the minimum. Let it cook till the meat is soft.

-Add in salt and pepper before turning off the heat.

-I love to eat kavurma with rice and fresh green salads.

Reminder:

The salt should be put into the pan at the last minute. This is to prevent the meat from being hard.

Afiyet olsun!