Beef, chicken, fish, seafood main courses as well as some hearty vegetarian and vegan dishes.

March 5, 2023

Stuffed Eggplants – Karnıyarık

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 […]
July 8, 2016

Cauliflower Rice with Lentils

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 […]
October 30, 2014

Eggplants, Peppers & Tomatoes in Olive Oil – Kırlı Kızartması

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 3, 2013

Diced Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs

Diced Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs This is a common dish from the rural areas of the Aegean region of Turkey where I grew up. When I was […]
February 23, 2013

Garbanzo Balls – Nohut Köftesi

  Garbanzo Balls   Ingredients: 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (dry or canned) If you are going to use dry garbanzo beans, you need to soak […]
November 26, 2012

Bar Pilaf with Shrimps – Karidesli Meyhane Pilavı

Bar Pilaf with Shrimps – Karidesli Meyhane Pilavı Meyhane is a cross between a restaurant and a pub. “mey” means “wine” and “hane” means “house”, however, […]
November 23, 2012

Baked Salmon Wrapped in Grape Leaves – Asma Yaprağında Somon

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 […]
October 31, 2012

Chicken Casserole – Tavuk Gratin

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- […]
October 26, 2012

Sautéed String Beans with Eggs – Yumurtali Borulce Kavurmasi

Sautéed String Beans with Eggs – Yumurtali Borulce My friend Nuran cooked this for us on our boat trip this summer. She told us that this […]
October 19, 2012

Spinach and Mushrooms in Olive Oil – Zeytinyağlı Mantarlı Ispanak

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 14, 2012

Uzbek Pilaf with Chicken – Tavuklu Özbek Pilavı

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 Tomatoes, Onions and Garlic in Olive Oil – Imam Bayıldı

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 – Scrambled Eggs with Onions, Tomatoes and Peppers Menemen is a close cousin to omlettes, but it is typically a summer lunch classic in Turkish […]
May 30, 2012

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce – Salçalı Köfte

Meatballs in tomato sauce – Salçalı Köfte Definitely a comfort food. Kids love it, so do the adults. These classic meatballs are not only a great […]
May 20, 2012

Swiss Chard Rolls with Bulgur Stuffing – Bulgurlu Pazi Dolmasi

Swiss Chard Rolls with Bulgur Stuffing Ingredients: 2 bunches of Swiss Chards (about 12 leaves) 3 cups boiling water 1 ½ cup No1(fine) or No 2 […]
May 15, 2012

Fava Beans in Olive Oil – Zeytinyagli Bakla

Fava Beans in Olive Oil – Zeytinyagli Bakla Fava Beans in Olive Oil – Zeytinyagli Bakla Ingredients: 1 lb fresh fava beans 4 cups water 1 […]
May 10, 2012

Purslane with Ground Beef – Kiymali Semiz Otu

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 […]
May 5, 2012

Swiss Chards with Bulgur in Olive Oil – Zeytinyagli Bulgurlu Pazi

Swiss Chards with Bulgur in Olive Oil This dish is a sort of “West meets East” version of the traditional Swiss Chard dish from Turkey. Swiss […]
April 12, 2012

White Beans in Olive Oil – Kuru Fasulye

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 3, 2012

Couscous with Feta Cheese

Couscous with Feta Cheese and Garbanzo Beans Couscous, originally from North Africa, is a pasta dish fairly common throughout the Middle East. In Turkey it mostly […]
March 20, 2012

Baked Chicken with Mixed Vegetables

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 5, 2012

Black Eyed Peas & Peppers in Olive Oil

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 […]
March 2, 2012

Cauliflower Au Gratin – Firinda Karnibahar

Ingredients: 1 medium cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets 2 cups boiling water ½ lb lean ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 2 table spoons olive […]
February 23, 2012

Stuffed Zucchini & Peppers – Kabak ve Biber Dolmasi

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 17, 2012

Lady’s Thigh Meat Paddies – Kadin Budu Kofte

Lady’s Thigh Paddies – Kadin Budu Kofte This is a kind of kofte (meat paddies or meatballs) that is made with ground beef and rice. Turkish […]
February 7, 2012

Oruk

Oruk – Meat and Bulgur Patties Oruk – Meat and Bulgur Patties: Before talking about ORUK, let’s first talk about BULGUR, the main ingredient in Oruk […]
January 28, 2012

Green Lentils in Olive Oil

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 4, 2012

Stuffed Eggplants – Karniyarik

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 […]
December 5, 2011

Seabass Stew

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 […]
July 1, 2011

White Roughy in Tomato-Olive Oil Sauce

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 […]
June 11, 2011

Kofte – Turkish Burgers

Ingredients: 1 egg 1/2 cup olive oil 1 lb lean ground beef 1 medium onion, cut into 4 pieces 3 cloves of garlic, crushed ½ cup […]
June 11, 2011

BOREK: Savory Cheese Pastry Squares

Savory Pastry Squares: BOREK This is a recipe from my dear late father-in-law, Vakif Ari who had many “signature dishes” from borek to omlettes, salads, and […]