Cacık (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumber and Garlic)

Whether consumed as a cold soup, a meze, or a condiment atop rice or bulgur, cacık adds a hint of brightness to any meal.  This very popular Turkish dish combines plain yogurt, salt, crushed garlic and cucumber.  Thinned with a bit of water and/or ice, it is generally served very cold. Beyond that, there are many cacık variations.  Here is mine -- which I daresay is the bomb!

I start with really good plain, full-fat yogurt.  Nowadays, good quality plain "Greek-style" yogurt is easy to find.  That was not always the case.  Chobani is quite good, as is Fage, and The Greek Gods, but my husband Asaf and I have sworn by Alta Dena for decades, and it remains an excellent choice despite all the competitive and trendy brands that have recently emerged in the marketplace.

As for the cucumbers, it's best to use organic because some of the skin is consumed.  My first choice is always the old fashioned pickling cucumber, followed by English hothouse.  My contempt for Persian cucumbers is certainly no secret on my blog (I find them sweet and often rubbery), but they are a popular choice for Middle Eastern salads, and my husband thinks they are fine in cacık. (We have just agreed to disagree on this point.)

The other essential ingredients for delicious cacık include fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and really fresh mint leaves.

I start by measuring out 1 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of cold water, which I stir or whisk together until creamy.  To that I add 1 large or 2 small cloves of crushed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  At this point I taste and adjust the seasonings and consistency by adding more of whatever might be needed (yogurt, water, salt, and/or garlic).  I prepare it so that the texture is just slightly thicker than desired, as I will be adding some ice cubes to the cacık later -- to make it really cold -- and I like to factor in the melting ice effect.

Next I partially peel 1 pickling cucumber (or 1/2 English hothouse cucumber) in stripes, and then I thinly slice and dice the cucumber, into very, very small pieces, like so.

I also slice 8-10 fresh mint leaves into very thin ribbons (chiffonade), just like this.

Then I stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture and top it with the fresh mint, a nice drizzle of really good olive oil, and a couple of grinds of freshly ground black pepper.  Finally, I plunge 2 ice cubes into the bowl and let it sit a good 15 minutes before serving, so the flavors fully develop.

Ingredients/Recipe:

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup of cold drinking water

1 large or 2 small cloves of fresh garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (more or less to taste)

1 pickling cucumber or 1/2 English hothouse cucumber, partially peeled and diced very small

8-10 fresh mint leaves cut into ribbons

About 1 tablespoon of very good extra virgin olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the first 4 ingredients, and then taste and readjust by adding more yogurt, water, garlic or salt, until the flavor and consistency are to your liking.  The mixture should be creamy, and just slightly thicker than desired.  Next, stir in the diced cucumber and top with mint, olive oil, and black pepper.  Plunge in two ice cubes and let everything rest for at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors develop.  The ice cubes will keep it cold.

Spinach and Feta Cheese Börek (Turkish Savory Spinach and Feta Cheese Pie)

Earlier this week I celebrated my 29th wedding anniversary.  For 29 years I have been married to my husband Asaf, and for at least 29 years I have been cooking the food of his homeland, not because he insists at all, but because I do.  Turkish cuisine is simply the greatest cuisine in the world. There, I've said it! 

So, having cooked so many Turkish recipes for so many years, how is it possible that I had never made a full on börek before?  After all, börek is a Turkish staple food, much like bread or rice or soup, and in fact every Turkish cookbook I own has an entire section devoted to börek.  Don't get me wrong -- I've made all kinds of sigara börek and little triangular börek, both stuffed with various fillings, but I never attempted to make full pan of honest to goodness börek, and I'm not exactly certain why.  I think I just generally have an aversion to frozen filo dough.  Frankly, the very thought of working with those paper-thin sheets of fragile pastry scares me a bit.  So why now?  Well, a few weeks ago I made an impulse purchase and bought a really pretty Turkish glass pedestal serving plate.  I had been enjoying the plate as a decorative piece, but I had been unable to figure out what to serve on it.  It seemed to call out for a dessert of some sort, such as a cake or a pie, but I'm just not that into desserts.  As I stared at it, I kept envisioning the golden glass serving plate filled with beautiful buttery pie wedges.  And then it dawned on me that my new plate might best fulfill its destiny if it were covered it with wedges of Turkish savory pie, (i.e., börek), cooked in a circular pan.  My vision was so clear that I decided I must confront my fear of filo dough head on and give this börek thing a try, and I'm so thankful that I did, as the börek was a resounding success.  Asaf, who is quite picky when it comes to börek, absolutely loved it as did the other Turks that were force fed my börek over the last two days.  In fact, Asaf's first comment was, "Mandy, you could sell this! It's that good."  (Thanks, honey.  You made my day!)  So here is the recipe, step by step. 

First defrost and squeeze all the excess water from 2 pounds of frozen chopped spinach.

Then assemble the remaining ingredients:  1 roll of defrosted filo dough (about 16-20 sheets), 1-1/4 cups of plain Greek yogurt, 2 sticks of butter, 10 ounces of good feta cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of chopped white onion, and 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley.

First carefully melt the butter and allow it to completely cool down.

In the meantime sauté the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil, as well as a tablespoon of the melted butter, for about 2 minutes, and then add the chopped spinach and continue to sauté for about 5 more minutes.  Season with a bit of salt and allow the mixture rest until cool.

Crumble the feta cheese with a fork, and add in the chopped parsley.

Once the melted butter comes to room temperature, combine it with the yogurt.  Then lightly whisk the two eggs and stir them into the yogurt and butter mixture.

Now it's time to assemble the börek.  First, lightly grease the baking pan.  I used a large round pan, but you can certainly use a rectangular pan, which is actually the more common presentation.  Carefully place one or two sheets of filo dough on the bottom of the pan to fully cover it, allowing the sides to droop over the edges of the pan.  Generously brush on the yogurt mixture, fold in the drooping edges, and then add another layer of filo dough and brush again with the yogurt mixture. Continue layering in this manner until you have used half of the sheets of filo dough.

Now fold the sautéed spinach and onion into the feta cheese mixture, stir well, and spread all of it evenly over layers of filo dough in the pan.  At this point I like to add a few grinds of black pepper, and a teaspoon of Turkish red pepper, but both are optional.

Now cover the mixture with another layer of filo dough, brush with the yogurt mixture, and continue layering and brushing until you have used up all the filo dough in one roll.  Be sure to brush the very top layer with the yogurt mixture as well.

With a sharp knife, before any baking commences, cut the pastry into serving sizes, whether they be wedges or squares, and cook uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.  

The börek is ready when the top is golden brown.

It's best warm, 10 minutes out of the oven.  Wow, I feel like I've met a culinary challenge head on, and I am certain I have a lot of börek dishes in my future.

Meat-Filled Vegetables (Delicious Dolma) - The Quintisential VB6 Dinner

Dolma means "stuffed" in Turkish, and I think this meal of stuffed vegetables is a quintisential VB6 dinner.  It is a vegetable-dominated dish that features a small amount of meat, some rice, and plenty of herbs.  Topped with garlic infused yogurt, dolma is a healthy, well-balanced, easy-to-prepare and very delicious non-vegan meal that represents the perfect compromise for the part-time vegan who is carefully watching his or her meat consumption.

I start with 1 lb. of high quality organic ground beef.  You can also use lamb, or a combination of beef and lamb.  To that, I add 1grated white onion, 1 grated juicy red tomato, a cup each of well-chopped fresh dill, mint, and Italian flat leaf parsley, 1/3 cup of uncooked long-grain rice, 1 clove of garlic (finely minced), and some salt and black pepper.  Combine.

For the vegetables, you will want about 15 of of your favorite in-season stuffable vegetables.  The most common choices are small, thinner skinned bell peppers, slender eggplants, such as Japanese eggplants, zucchinis, tomatoes, and stuffable leaves, such as cabbage and grape leaves.  Today I chose Japanese eggplants, round zucchinis (one of my favorite dolma vegetables), red and green bell peppers, poblano chiles (definitely not a traditional choice, but really delicious in dolma), and tomatoes.

I prepare the vegetables for stuffing by cleaning them and carefully removing (and reserving) all the tops.  I remove and toss the pepper seeds and membranes.  Next, I hollow out the eggplants, zucchinis, and tomatoes with my nifty vegetable corer, reserving all of the removed pulp to line the bottom of my cooking pot.  I also partially peel the eggplant, leaving long zebra stripes (pictured below).

Then I stuff all my vegetables.  And if I find I have any leftover stuffing, I just dig out another vegetable or two from the refrigerator.

Once all the vegetables are stuffed, I pull out a really big pot and line the bottom of it with all the pulp that I removed from the eggplants, zucchinis, and tomatoes.  Then I start layering the pot with the stuffed vegetables -- the firmest and heaviest vegetables go on the bottom, and the lightest and most delicate vegetables go on top.  I then add several pats of butter and about 2-3 cups of hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.  Next, I sprinkle in about 1/2 teaspoon salt and place an ovenproof plate on top to weigh down the vegetables.  Finally, I bring the liquid to a boil, and cover and cook on a low heat until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, but not mushy.  It should take about a hour, but start checking for doneness after 45 minutes.

We love our dolma served with cooked bulgur on the side, and topped with a generous portion of creamy plain yogurt mixed with fresh minced garlic.  And a sprinkling of Turkish red pepper (pul biber) sets it off perfectly!

Bulgur Pilaf -- Better than Brown Rice!

In case you haven't heard, bulgur is better than rice, even brown rice!!  I promise you.  Compared with brown rice (the "healthy" stuff), bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, more protein, more iron, and a lot more fiber.  Also, bulgur tastes great.  If you are not already a bulgur fan, here is a very simple recipe for Bulgur Pilaf that is sure to win you over.  

I start with one cup of medium grain bulgur (Bulgar No. 2, or even No. 3 if you want a toothier grain), as well as 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 white onion, 1 Anaheim pepper, and a big handful of Italian flat leaf parsley.  (Note if your bulgur brand does not have a number on it, it's probably number 2 or 3.  What you don't want to use in this recipe is fine bulgur (Bulgur No. 1), as the texture is too fine for this dish.)

First, I rinse and strain the bulgur really well.

Then I slice the onion into long thin strips, chop the tomatoes into medium sized chunks (and sprinkle a bit of salt on them), and slice the pepper into small ringlets (removing any seeds and membranes).  

Next, I sauté the onion and pepper in about a tablespoon of good olive oil for a few minutes until tender.

Then I add in the tomatoes and sauté for another minute or two.

Next I add 2 cups of liquid.  I like to use one cup of tomato juice or vegetable juice and 1 cup of vegetable broth, but you can also use chicken broth, or even water.  Once the liquid comes to a boil, I carefully stir in the bulgur, and then tightly cover the pot and turn the heat to a very low simmer.  The bulgur should simmer over a low heat, undisturbed, until all the liquid is absorbed (about half an hour or so).

While the bulgur is cooking, I chop up the parsley and set it aside.

Once the bulgur absorbs all the liquid it should be tender but not mushy (just like rice, only better!).  At this point, I remove it from the stove, and I stir in the chopped parsley and about a teaspoon of red pepper.  The red pepper is totally optional, but I recommend it if you want a little kick.  

Finally, I season the bulgur with salt and pepper, and serve it warm.

A perfect grain for vegans, part-time vegans, and non-vegans alike, Bulgur Pilaf is wonderful served all on its own for lunch, and it makes a great dinner side dish, especially when complimented with a big dollop of really good plain yogurt!

Vegan Red Lentil (& Bulgur) Balls - Mercimek "Köftesi"

Mercimek Köftesi are these delicious, nutritious, and very satisfying vegan bitesmade of red lentils, bulgur, onions, and lots of herbs and spices.  They are full of flavor, loaded with protein, and really quite substantial.  I often make a batch and take several to work with me for lunch, and most recently I brought a platter to book club to share with the amazing group of women that I read and socialize with every month.

First, I measure out 1 cup of red lentils and 1 cup of very fine bulgur (also known as "Bulgur No. 1").  Both items are commonly available in supermarkets that carry a variety of ethnic foods, and any Middle Eastern market should definitely have them in stock.  Bulgur No. 1 is distinguishable from its coarser bulgur brethren (that is, Bulgur Nos. 2, 3, and even 4) in that it is so fine that it can be used in recipes where the bulgur is not actually cooked, such as in Tabbouleh.  Here, Bulgur No. 1 is essential and can not be replaced with another grade.

I start by rinsing the red lentils really well. 

 

Then I cook the lentils in 2 cups of boiling hot water, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until completely tender.  Some water should remain in the pot after cooking.  Next, I turn off the heat and add 1 cup of fine bulgur to the lentils, stir, cover the pot, and let the ingredients rest together for about an hour until the mixture cools off and all the water has been absorbed.  In the meantime, I finely dice and saute 1 white onion in about a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes tender.  Then I add a teaspoon of paprika to the onion, saute for another minute, and set it aside.

During this waiting period I also measure out the dry ingredients --1 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of red pepper (depending on the level of heat you want) -- and I coarsely chop up 4-5 scallions and finely chop up a handful of fresh mint and a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 1/3 cup each).

After the hour has passed, I spoon the well-rested lentil/bulgur mixture into a large bowl, and check to make sure it is moist. (It should be about the consistency of cookie dough.)  If it is too dry, I add a bit of hot water and some olive oil until a dough-like consistency is reached.  Then I stir in the sauteed onions along with 1 tablespoon of good tomato paste.

Next, I fold in the herbs and spices, followed by juice from half a lemon and some salt and black pepper.  Now it is time to taste the mixture and adjust the spices by adding more salt, lemon, cumin, or red pepper to taste.

Once the flavor is perfect, I form about 20-25 oval or round bite-sized balls, like so, and arrange them on a serving plate.  They should be served at room temperature with fresh lemon and a side of small lettuce leaves.  And if you would like to make them in advance, simply cover and store them in the refrigerator, and bring them to room temperature before serving. They are delicious on their own, with a squeeze of lemon...

... or wrapped in a lettuce leaf for a bit of crunch.