KISIR

This another life saver for hot summer days. Well, I wouldn't say preparation is minimal as lots of cutting is included but so light, delicious and nutritious. It is also known as a tabbouleh but tabbouleh is a Lebanese version, has only greens, it is equally delicious but different than Turkish version.

You will need fine bulgur wheat which available in London, some leading markets are selling and also in Turkish food shops, but you need to choose fine one as coarse one is to make pilav and cooks like a rice. (pilav = pilaf) I give the ingredient for 4-6 people, you can adjust as you wish but bear in mind that this is very moreish dish and you will keep going for more..

1. 2 cup bulgur wheat
2. 2-3 medium tomatoes
3. parsley
4. mint
5. 1 red onion
6. bunch of spring onions
7. half iceberg
8. 3 tbsp tomato or red pepper paste
9. cucumber
10. 1 squeezed lemon juice (add slowly and keep testing)
11. extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tbsp

salt, pepper, chili flakes if you like, dried oregano etc.. any dried herb that you like
pour hot boiling water over the bulgur wheat until it will just slightly over the top, careful not to put too much. Put the lid on and leave it to rest and absorb water. In the mean time chop everything very very finely and put in a big bowl except the paste. When you finish chopping wheat will be ready, open the lid stir it with fork and add tomato or red paper paste. You need to work with your hands now and make sure all the bulgur wheat absorbs equally the paste and became a red colour. Then add bulgur to the chopped ingredients, add salt, pepper, all the other dried herbs you like, lemon juice (put the half of it at first and increase the amount gradually to your taste) and olive oil. Mix it well with a spoon. Try not to eat half of it while you are testing ;-) Serve it in small bowls or you can put in a big serving bowl and spoon it into fresh big lettuce leaves and eat hmmmmmmmmm........ Bon appetite

Fish with Tomato Sauce

Everyone has to have an Italian friend. Not only they are so warm hearted, typical Mediterranean people but their cuisine never cease to surprise you. You just left to keep thinking why on earth I never think of that. Simplicity is the key, as they say less is more. Only few ingredients and there you go, light and delicious dish that make you say "Mamma Mia". I have to thank to my friend Lella and her gorgeous mother Nonna Maria (as children call her, not that she looks like a nonna ) for that utterly delicious and easy recipe.

You will need a white fish fillet, cleaned, 1 per person, haddock or cod works well
Chopped tomato, 1 tin is enough for 4 person serving ( I used sugocosa)
few garlic, crashed, some water,( I used less than a glass), salt, olive oil and parsley

Put fish in a pan and cover with chopped tomato, add some water, crash few gloves (depends on your test, I like to use more than a few garlic to be honest) of garlic and add to the fish and tomato, add some salt, sea salt works better, dash of olive oil, extra virgin of course, and finely chopped parsley, a good handful. That's all really, and cook it on medium heat for 20-25 minutes till tomatoes soften and their juice reduced.Best to serve is with nice crusty fresh bread and ice cold chardonnay. I like to put some chili on my plate as I cant put it while I am cooking because my son can't eat it. This dish is ideal on a hot summer day as you can prepare it in less than 10 minute and very little cooking required, we reached to 32 on London last week and this was a life saver. Also very nutritious for children, 3 veg and a fish in one plate, what else you can ask?????

BANANA PANCAKE

This is great as a healthy snack after school for children. You can put any jam you like on top, honey, chocolate spread, peanut butter or if you want completely healthy one without sugar nothing at all. I sometimes sprinkle with xylitol, that's natural, doesn't rise the blood sugar level as ordinary sugar does, not a sweetener and doesn't have aspartame like other sweeteners has. And available most health food shops and some leading supermarkets.

All you need to do is mash 1 ripe banana, mix it with 1 egg, 1small espresso cup of milk (about 70ml) and same cup for the measuring flour which is approximately 2 tbsp. Mix everything with a fork. Put few tbsp olive oil to the frying pan and when hot enough fry the pancakes adding 1 tbsp of mixture, 2min each side. You don't need to put any sugar into the pancake mixture as banana gives its sweetness. Children usually like these little pancakes and they are a good, healthy treat after a hard day at school ;-)

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese always reminds me Heidi and Peter, cartoon characters from my childhood who lives on Alps with her granddad.. Her grandad used to make goat cheese and all her friends bullied her except Peter, because of her smelly cheese, and I used to feel very sorry for her and quite angry with her obnoxious school mates :))) Since then goat cheese is always my favorite and take me to my childhoods..

This is so easy to make and so delicious, especially on toasted bread. You will need a bottle of goat milk and small pot of live yogurt. Yogurt has to be live and plain. You need to boil the milk first then let it rest to come correct temperature. Tricky part is to find a correct temperature. Leave it for 10 min. and then put your little finger in, if first few second was OK then starts burning your finger, you are on the right track. It shouldn't feel too cool or too hot when you first put your finger in. Put the hot milk in to a glass or a ceramic cup and add 1-2 tablespoon of live yogurt and mix well but gently not vigorously. Put the lid on and cover it with blanket, especially fleece, if you have one. Leave it 8-10 hours and gently remove the blanket and put it to fridge for overnight. When your goat yogurt is ready, add tsp of salt and tbsp of lemon juice and gently heat it on stove, when it starts separated turn the heat of leave it on the pan until its cool.

Put a nice clean cloth on top of a colander replaced in a pan, purr boiled, separated yogurt gently to cloth and tie the ends, make a knot and put it on your tab to drain all the water, it will take quite a few hours. Your home made goat cheese is ready to put in the fridge. I used 2L goat milk and 2 tbs live, plain yogurt. You can also use cow milk or even a sheep milk if you can find it. It seems like a very long and complicated procedure but actually each step takes only few minutes and all you need to do is being patient and wait and remember good things always comes whom know to wait.

Caramelised shallots

This is ready in half an hour, perfect to serve with any roast meat or even with the barbecue food. All you need is 1 bag of shallots, tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and a glass of red wine, errr.... table spoon of butter too, not margarine though, real butter pleaseeee.

Fry shallots with butter until all browned then add a sugar and shake the pan time to time till sugar is melted then add balsamic vinegar and vine, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, take the lid off and fry again in high heat that any remaining juice will go and shallots will be dark brown and shinny. That's all really and enjoy..

Keleftiko

This is another amazingly easy and truly delicious dish. It is Greek origin and I am sure there is many different way of cooking it but the way I do is the best for me and all friends and family are always asking for it whenever I am holding a dinner party. Meat is so tender and off the bone even a baby can chew it without a problem as it's just melts into your mouth. I served it with steamed broccoli, rice (absorption method, it is a Turkish way of cooking and I will write the recipe in another post), caramelised shallots, and green salad of course. Festive food for Sunday :))

Ingredient:

Lamb shoulder
as we were only 3 of us this time, I just used half a shoulder, if you will serve for more person my advice is get the whole shoulder and ask your butcher to cut it into thick slices, 1 shoulder usually gives 4-5 slices and serve 4-5 , 6 to 8 people you will need 1 1/2 to 2 shoulders cut it thickly on the bone

I sprayed olive oil lightly into non-stick large pan which can also go in the oven. Fried the shoulder all over in high heat until golden brown, put little salt and approximately 750ml to 1L hot boiling water. Reduce the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes on very low heat lid on. Adjust the oven to gas mark 2-3 and put the pan with the lid on to the oven then forget all about it next 3 hours at least. If you sliced the shoulder put a slice per person or just divide it if it is whole. Serve with rice or boiled or roasted potatoes, some steamed or roasted vegetables and salad. Or caramelised shallots which really complimenting this dish. I promise this will be a dish to remember....

Pasta with Aubergine

This is truly delicious dish, easy to make and so filling. I quite like aubergine and made it up this pasta sauce last week. My son went mad about it and was asking for me too cook again. Tonight he even had his second helping, that's the only way he can eat aubergine as it is blended with the sauce.

Ingredients

1 medium aubergine (0r 2 small)
1 big onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 bottle of sugocasa (bottle of Spanish chopped tomato, if you can not find it you can use 1 tin of chopped tomato)
1 small bottle of sliced black olives
2 cubes of chicken stock
small bunch of basil
Parmesan
Pasta, fusilli is good for this recipe

Peel the aubergine skin, (I always leave some thin layer of skin). Cut it in small cubes and soak in salted water for 5-10 minutes. Drain and fry with vegetable oil until browned, put it aside. Finely chop onion and garlic and gently fry till its soft. ( I use olive oil) add sugocasa and same amount of water, add fried aubergine and olives and chicken stock cubes. Simmer 15-20 minutes, when its cooked tear basil leaves and add to the sauce. Meantime start cooking pasta when you add sugocasa to the onion. Mix pasta with the sauce, scatter some parmesan flakes when you serve. Bon Appetite..