Dishes that are gluten free. Some of the Mediterranean and Turkish recipes are naturally gluten free like dishes that contain legumes like lentils, different beans. Those recipes that contain bulgur (cracked wheat) can be modified by substituting quinoa for bulgur, making it a perfectly gluten free dish.
March 5, 2023
Stuffed Eggplants – Karniyarik Karnıyarık word by word translates as “split belly”. Eggplants are stuffed with seasoned minced meat. This is a very Turkish recipe which […]
May 14, 2018
Here’s a sinfully decadent vegan dessert that is healthy at the same time. Looks delicious and is always a party favorite as an appetizer. It is very […]
July 8, 2016
This is a healthy, gluten free variation of a classic bulgur (cracked wheat) pilaf with green or brown lentils. Cauliflower rice is substituted for bulgur, giving […]
July 2, 2016
Here’s a perfect example of an Aegean-California fusion dish, if there is such a thing. Although the Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing avocados, they are […]
March 20, 2015
Here’s a refreshing fruit dessert that looks appetizing and tastes heavenly. It is easy to make, easy to serve. It makes a great breakfast/brunch dessert as well. I’m […]
January 10, 2015
Carrots and onions sautéed in olive oil is a simple dish. Easy to prepare and takes less than 15 minutes to cook. Typically a […]
December 12, 2014
Quinoa Pilaf with Garbanzo Beans (Nohutlu Kinoa Pilavı) OK, I admit I did not know what quinoa was until just a few years ago. But then, […]
December 2, 2014
Hummus with Red Beets Ingredients: 1 small-medium beet (1 cup) 2 cups of water 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained 2 table spoons tahini (sesame paste) […]
November 8, 2014
Tarator is a garlic-olive oil based sauce that is commonly used in summer salads in Western Turkey. Cooked long string beans (börülce), zucchini, peppers of all […]
October 30, 2014
Eggplants, Peppers & Tomatoes in Olive Oil Literally meaning “peasant fries”, Kirli Kizartmasi is a local dish from Aydin province in the Aegean region of Turkey. […]
May 22, 2014
Cauliflower Tabule (Tabbouleh) Salad – Karnıbahar Kısırı Tabule (Tabbouleh) is a traditional Lebanese salad made with fine bulgur, finely chopped herbs, seasoned with olive oil and […]
March 11, 2014
Spinach Purée with Cheese Ingredients: 2 lbs fresh baby spinach 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 cup grated romano or […]
March 7, 2014
Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing Ingredients: 6 cups baby kale 1 medium green apple, sliced 1 medium orange, peeled 1 small avocado, diced 2 Tbsp hemp […]
January 31, 2014
Collard Greens Soup with Corn and Beans My friend Nur is is a master chef in the kitchen. She is from the Black Sea region of […]
November 23, 2012
Baked Salmon Wrapped in Grape Leaves – Asma Yaprağında Somon Although the term “stuffed grape leaves” typically refers to grape leaves stuffed with rice or bulgur […]
November 2, 2012
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 […]
October 19, 2012
Spinach and Mushrooms in Olive Oil – Zeytinyağlı Mantarlı Ispanak Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil 1 small or 1/2 medium onion, sliced 1 lb baby spinach […]
October 16, 2012
Cauliflower-Broccoli Salad – Karnıbahar-Brokoli Salatası Ingredients: 1 medium cauliflower 1 lb broccoli juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon mustard salt and pepper […]
October 14, 2012
Uzbek Pilaf with Chicken – Tavuklu Özbek Pilavı Uzbek Pilaf is traditionally prepared with lamb browned in butter or lamb fat. I’ve modified the recipe by […]
October 5, 2012
Eggplants Stuffed with Onions and Garlic in Olive Oil – Imam Bayıldı The name of this famous dish “Imam Bayıldı“ means “Priest Fainted”, supposedly with pleasure […]
October 1, 2012
Menemen – Scrambled Eggs with Onions, Tomatoes and Peppers Menemen is a close cousin to omlettes, but it is typically a summer lunch classic in Turkish […]
August 18, 2012
Tuna Salad with Arugula and Roasted Eggplants Ingredients: 1 5 oz can of Solid Tuna in water 1+3 table spoons extra virgin olive oil Juice of […]
July 22, 2012
Walnut Stuffed Figs – Cevizli Kuru İncir Tatlısı I grew up in the Western part of Turkey. The region we lived in (Aydin) is famous for […]
July 18, 2012
Shepherd’s Salad – Çoban Salatası Especially popular during summer, Shepherd’s Salad (Çoban Salatası) is light, refreshing and easy to make. It is a combination of finely […]
June 26, 2012
Garbanzo Bean Dip with Cumin and Dills This is a dip similar to hummus, except that it does not have tahini (sesame paste) in it. Not […]
June 4, 2012
Carrot Salad with Garlic Yogurt “Raki” is an anise based drink that is unofficially considered to be the national drink of Turkey. Raki is not just […]
May 28, 2012
Pickled Beets Another easy, healthy recipe. Like other colorful root vegetables, beets are very good for you. Beets are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron and […]
May 22, 2012
Quinoa Salad with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes This is a simple summer salad that I make with Quinoa and other grains. You can use cooked […]
May 13, 2012
Haydari – Yogurt Dip with Walnuts and Herbs Haydari – Yogurt Dip with Walnuts & Herbs Haydari is a typical meze (appetizer) made with strained (thick) […]
May 10, 2012
Here we go, two purslane recipes backt o back! Spring and summer are the time a lot of olive oil based vegetable dishes are cooked in […]
April 12, 2012
White Beans over Rice – Kurufasulye – Pilav is one of the most basic, traditional, comforting dishes in the Turkish Cuisine. If you go to a […]
April 1, 2012
Piyaz – Classic Piyaz – Antalya Style Piyaz is usually a bean salad, mostly of white beans, with lots of onions and parsley, olive oil & […]
March 20, 2012
Baked Chicken with Mixed Vegetables When our kids were young, working full time and making sure the family was properly fed was always a challenge. I […]
March 14, 2012
Mung Bean Salad – Maş Fasulyesi Piyazi Piyaz in general is a bean salad with chopped onions and herbs in an olive oil – vinegar dressing. […]
March 9, 2012
Red Cabbage Salad In the summer of 2009, we went on a 3 day bus trip with our friends from high school to Amasra, a small […]
March 5, 2012
Black Eyed Peas & Peppers in Olive Oil Here’s a simple dish that could be eaten hot or cold, either by itself or as a side […]
February 28, 2012
Pink Sultan – Pembe Sultan Here’s a meze bursting with color and flavor. Its almost florescent pink color comes from the beets. When one day, my […]
February 23, 2012
Dolma means “stuffed” in Turkish, referring to stuffed vegetable dishes. Best known dolma by far is the stuffed grape leaves. Other vegetables that are used in […]
February 14, 2012
Pumpkin Glace, a heavenly dessert I thought for Valentine’s Day, I should post something sweet. This is one of my favorite non-chocolate desserts, one that is […]
February 10, 2012
Black Eyed Peas Salad – Borulce Piyazi Piyaz is a kind of salad or meze that is made from some kind of dry beans, onions, parsley, […]
February 3, 2012
Quince is a funny looking, lumpy shaped fruit that is not very easy to eat. When mature, they get sweeter, but they are never very sweet. […]
January 28, 2012
Green Lentils with Carrots in Olive Oil In Turkish cuisine, like throughout the Middle East, both red and green lentils are used quite often, especially […]
January 18, 2012
In the Aegean region, when artichokes are in season, the most common way people cook them is to stuff whole heads of fresh artichokes with seasoned […]
January 12, 2012
Ingredients: As I mentioned before, there’s supposed to be 41 different eggplant dishes in Turkish cuisine. This is one of the simplest ones. Though it is […]
January 4, 2012
Stuffed Eggplants – Karniyarik Karniyarik word by word translates as “split belly”. Eggplants are stuffed with seasoned minced meat. This is a very Turkish recipe which […]
January 4, 2012
Sautéed Mushrooms in Olive Oil This is one of the rare olive oil dishes from my kitchen that the directions does not start with “sauté onions […]
December 18, 2011
Celery Roots Braised in Olive Oil Ingredients: 2 celery roots 1 medium onion ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 can organic garbanzo […]
December 17, 2011
Holiday Quinoa Salad Quinoa Salad with Red & Green Peppers Ingredients: · 1 cup organic quinoa · ½ cup olive oil · 1 medium onion · […]
December 11, 2011
Black Bean Salad I have to admit that there’s nothing Turkish about this recipe. Practically no one has heard of black beans, cilantro or quinoa in […]
December 9, 2011
Roasted Eggplant Salad When people see me buying eggplants at the supermarket, sometimes they ask “how do you cook them?, do you steam or stir […]
December 8, 2011
Lemon Frozen Yogurt Lemon Frozen Yogurt My family had a vacation home in Kusadasi, a coastal town on the Aegean. We used to spend our care-free […]
December 5, 2011
Seabass Stew If you look up “Blue Cruise”, also known as Blue Voyage, you’ll discover the beauty of the Turkey’s southwestern coast and the magical excursions […]
December 5, 2011
Green Beans Braised in Olive Oil There are several kinds of green beans in Turkey. Some are broad, some not. Fresh form of black eye beans […]
July 11, 2011
Gypsy Salad (Cingen Pilavi) Although the original name, Cingen Pilavi means Gypsy Pilav when translated word by word, this is a salad. It is only known […]
July 1, 2011
This is a recipe from my sister Nuvit’s friend Ahu who lives in Istanbul. Ingredients: 1 cup dry green lentils ½ cup rice ¼ cup […]
July 1, 2011
White Roughy in Tomato-Olive Oil Sauce Ingredients: 3 pieces of white roughy, approximately 4 oz each. 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional) 2-3 medium tomatoes, coarsely […]
July 1, 2011
Cabbage Salad I had this salad at my friend Vega’s house first. Her husband Haluk is the king of salads. I came home and tried to […]
June 11, 2011
Japan meets Turkey! Many vegetable dishes are cooked with olive oil and onions in Turkey, and most of the Mediterranean countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, France […]