Yasemin's Kitchen

Mediterranean Recipes with a Turkish Flair

Carrots Braised in Olive Oil

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Carrots Braised in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Havuç)

 

Carrots and onions sautéed in olive oil is a simple dish. Easy to prepare and takes less than 15 minutes to cook. Typically a table spoon full of rice is also added to the dish, however, I always omit the rice. This recipe calls for fresh dill for garnish, parsley would work just as well.

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Barley Salad with Pomegranates

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Barley Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
I make a quinoa salad similar to this. I was having my friends for lunch and I planned to cook quina pilaf to serve with stew. So, I did not want to have a quinoa salad and decided to use barley instead.  It came out just as delicious. Pomegranate seeds add a fresh sweet taste to this tangy salad. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 5 cups boiling water
  • ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, julienne cut
  • Zest of one medium orange
  • ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 3 table spoon olive oil (you can also use any good oil like avocado or grape seed oil)
  • 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1-2 table spoons lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
 
Soak barley in cold water at least for 2 hours or overnight. It soaks a lot of water, use a large bowl and plenty of water. In a large pot, boil 5 cups of water. Drain barley, add it to the boiling water and let it simmer until it is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, let it cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, mix barley with all of the ingredients except pomegranate seeds and avocado. Toss well, then add pomegranate seeds and diced avocado. Gently stir and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve chilled.
Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!
 
Dry barley
Barley soaked in water
Pomegranate seeds
Orange zest
Coarsely chopped walnuts
Barley Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
 

Creamy Vegetable Soup – Kremalı Sebze Çorbası

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Creamy Vegetable Soup – Kremalı Sebze  Çorbası

Ingredients:

  • 2 stalks of leeks, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 2 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1 bunch Swiss Chards, chopped
  • 1 medium to large potato, peeled and cut to pieces
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cups water or chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

  • 2 table spoons butter
  • 1 table spoon all purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Wash, coarsely chop all vegetables. Combine water (or chicken stock) and vegetables in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, let it simmer over medium heat until all vegetables are cooked. Using a hand blender, puree vegetables in the pot until the mixture is smooth. Add salt to taste. Set aside. (If you don’t have a hand blender, you can also use a regular blender to puree the vegetables. You may need to do it in 2 batches, but it works just fine).

For the creamy sauce, melt butter (or oil) in large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly over medium heat about 4-5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and cream (optional) and salt to taste. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Slowly add the vegetable puree to the pot, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. If the soup is too thick, add more water (or chicken stock) to it. Bring it to a boil over medium to slow heat . Add pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Creamy Vegetable Soup – Kremalı Sebze  Çorbası

3 Layer Potato Salad – 3 Katlı Patates Salatası

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3 Layer Potato Salad – 3 Katlı Patates Salatasi

This in fact, is an appetizer/salad that consists of 3 different appetizers in three different colors layered on top of each other in a bowl. When transferred onto a serving dish upside down, it looks very delectable.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large potatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups strained or Greek style yogurt
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 1 table spoon lemon juice
  • 1 table spoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh dill, parsley or mint for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Line a medium size bowl with plastic wrap, set aside. This will be your molding bowl.

Boil potatoes in water until they are fully cooked. Set aside, let it cool.

Layer 1: For the first layer, mix 1 cup of strained (or Greek style) yogurt with dill, onions in a bowl. Add salt to your taste. Transfer this dip into the molding bowl which is lined with plastic wrap. Firmly press on it with a spoon, evenly leveling the top.

Layer 2: For the second layer, mix grated carrots with 1/2 cup of strained (or Greek style) yogurt in a separate bowl . Add salt to taste. Carefully transfer this mixture to the molding bowl on top of the first yogurt dip. Press firmly, leveling the top.

Layer 3: For the final layer, peel the potatoes and mash them in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and transfer to the molding bowl. Press firmly, level the top. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. You can leave it overnight. When ready to serve, carefully place a flat serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down. Garnish with chopped fresh springs of dill, parsley or mint (optional)

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Line the bowl with plastic wrap
First layer is thick yogurt and herb mixture
Grated carrots mixed with thick yogurt
Second layer is thick yogurt and carrot mixture
Seasoned mashed potatoes
Third layer is seasoned mashed potatoes
3 Layer Potato Salad – 3 Katlı Patates Salatasi

Chicken Casserole – Tavuk Gratin

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Chicken Caserole – Tavuk Gratin


This is a very healthy, tasty comfort food. No mayonnaise, no canned soups in the sauce. Just chicken, veggies and home- made white sauce similar to Béchamel sauce (no milk) and some cheese. Kids of all ages love it. It goes well with rice or pasta on the side. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium whole chicken
  • Water for boiling chicken
  • 1 package frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 cup water for cooking peas and carrots
  • 1+1 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 heaping table spoons flour
  • ½ stick of butter
  • 3 cups grated jack cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean and rinse chicken inside and outside. Place chicken in a large pot, add water, about 5-6 cups, making sure it covers the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce to low-medium heat when it starts to boil. Remove foam that forms on the surface of the boiling chicken. Cook until very, very tender. Carefully transfer chicken to a separate bowl, set aside to cool.
Using a strainer, pour the chicken stock into a bowl or a pot. About 2 cups of this will be used to make the sauce, the rest of the stock can be used to make rice or soups.
Rinse and strain frozen peas and carrots. In a small pot, combine 1 cup of water with peas and carrots, bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.
When chicken is cool to touch, remove skin and bones. Shred it to small pieces. Place chicken evenly in an oven safe dish (14”x10”).

For the sauce, melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly over medium heat about 4-5 minutes. Slowly add about 2 cups of chicken stock left over from boiling the chicken, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. You may need to add more or less than 2 cups. It should have the consistency of yogurt. Bring to a simmer , remove from heat. If the sauce is lumpy, you can use a hand mixer to make it smooth.
Add strained peas and carrots to the white sauce, gently stir with a spoon, making sure the vegetables mix in the sauce evenly.
Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the mixture. Evenly distribute grated cheese on top of the dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Bake until the cheese melts, about 20-30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake until the top is golden brown.

Serve hot. It goes well with rice.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Shredded chicken placed in an oven safe dish
Peas and carrots cooked, strained
Peas and carrots mixed with the white sauce
Peas and carrots mixture spread over the chicken
Grated cheese sprinkled over the dish
Chicken Caserole, ready to be served

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Yasemin Ari

I love cooking, especially cooking with friends and family.

I believe that some of the best conversations take place around the kitchen counter... [Read More]