Sauceless Lasagna with Feta Cheese - Su Böreği

Börek is a family of baked or fried filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough known as phyllo (or yufka). Börek is the most probably invented in what is now Modern Turkey, in the Anatolian Provinces of the Ottoman Empire in its early era, to become a popular element of Ottoman cuisine. To make it easier, lasagna noddles used instead of phyllo in this recipe. Here is the recipe:

Sauceless Lasagna with Feta Cheese - Su Böreği

Sauceless Lasagna with Feta Cheese - Su Böreği
Origin: Turkish
Difficulty: Esay

Ingredients:
-(Must) 16 lasagna noddles
-(Must) 1 tbsp olive oil
-(Must) 1 large egg
-(Must) 100 gr or equivalently 0.4 Ibs melted butter
-(Must) 1/2 cup milk
-(Optional) 2 tsp salt

Filling:
-(Must) 400 gr or equivalently 1 Ibs feta cheese
-(Optional) 1 cup thinly chopped parsley

Upper: 
-(Must) 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 

Sauceless Lasagna with Feta Cheese - Su Böreği

Directions:

Boil  10 cups of water in a large pan. Add olive oil, salt, and lasagna noddles. Cook about 5 minutes until soften but not too much. Drain the boiling water and gently rinse lasagna noddles to prevent them stick to each other. 

Combine parsley and shredded cheese to prepare filling. 

In another bowl, mix egg, butter and milk.

Place a layer of noddles(with 4) on greased baking tray. Rub some of your egg-milk sauce on noddles and place one more layer.  Lay cheese mixture and some of egg-milk mixture on noddles. Place other noddles with rubbing with mixture in all layer. Cover the top with mozzarella cheese and bake in 180 C (or 350 F) until it becomes golden. Serve hot.

Sauceless Lasagna with Feta Cheese - Su Böreği

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves:8	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	487 kcal	51 gr	30 gr	24 gr	2 gr

Leek With Olive Oil

Leek with olive oil is a common winter dish in Turkish Cuisine, but ironically served cold. Leek is almost always cooked in the way below. Here is the recipe of a wonderful vegetarian dish that doesn't require much skill:

Leek With Olive Oil

Leek With Olive Oil

Origin: Turkish

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

-(Must) 1 medium onion, chopped

-(Must) 1/4 cup olive oil

-(Must) 2 medium carrot, scratched, sliced round

-(Must) 1/2 kg or equivalently 1 Ibs leek, sliced round or crosswise

-(Must) 2 cup hot water

-(Must) 1/3 cup rice

-(Optional) 1/2 lemon juice

-(Optional) 1 tsp sugar

Leek and Carrot

Directions:

Saute onions and carrots preferably in a broad pot with olive oil until onions are browned. Add sugar and leek and saute without mixing almost 5 minutes. Add water and cook leeks for about 30 minutes. Add rice and cook 20 minutes more until rice is softened. Add additional water if necessary. Try not to mix much since leeks may fall to pieces. Add salt if you desire. Since it's contains mainly olive oil, it's suggested to serve cold with lemon juice. Bon appetit!   

Leek With Olive Oil

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves:4-5	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	223 kcal	29 gr	11 gr	2 gr	7 gr

Yogurt Soup

Yogurt soup is one the basic soups of Turkish cuisine. Its a filling soup with low calorie and since it contains dairy products its very healthy. Here is the recipe:  

Yogurt Soup

Yogurt Soup
Origin: Turkish
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
-(Must) 1 cup plain yogurt
-(Must) 1 egg 
-(Must) 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
-(Must) 1/2 cup rice or orzo, if you use rice, rinse well 
-(Must) 5 cup water
-(Must) 2 tbsp butter
-(Must) 1 tbsp dried mint
-(Optional) Salt, pepper

Directions: 

Scramble the egg in a bowl, add yogurt and flour. Mix them well, you would better use a blender. Cook rice in 5 cups of water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into boiling rice and then quickly rinse. Rinse well until it starts to boil again. Cook for 3 more minutes.

In a pan, melt butter and add mints when butter is hot. Fry them for 30 second. Pour the sauce into bowl, add salt and pepper and gently mix. Serve hot, with fresh mints and newly baked bread.    

Yogurt Soup

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves:5-6	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	143 kcal	18 gr	6 gr	4 gr	2 gr

Potato Salad

Potato salad is typically eaten at weekend breakfast, it's also such a nice alternative to serve at afternoon tea to subdue the discomfort of desserts. Here is the recipe:

Potato Salad

Potato Salad
Origin: Turkish, Armenian
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

-(Must) 3 pounds small red potatoes, boiled in their skins until tender, 20 to 25 minutes
-(Optional) 1/3 cup slivered mint leaves
-(Optional) 1/4 cup slivered basil leaves (see note)
-(Optional) 1/3 cup chopped chives
-(Optional) 3 1/2 teaspoons salt (divided)
-(Must) 6 tablespoons olive oil
-(Optional) 1/4 cup lemon juice
-(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian half-sharp paprika (or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne)
-(Optional) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-(Optional) 12 or more pitted Kalamata olives, for garnish

Directions:

Peel the cooled potatoes and dice them. Add herbs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and and toss lightly.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, black pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Pour over potatoes and herbs; toss lightly. Garnish with olives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Lemon basil or the cinnamon-tinged African blue basil is especially good in this. You may also add any steam vegetables, potherbs or boiled and chopped eggs.

Potato Salad

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves:6	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	387 kcal	62 gr	13 gr	7 gr	3 gr

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

This is the recipe of delicious stuffed grape leaf which is made with olive oil in Aegean part of Turkey and with ground beef in the eastern part. Stuffed grape leaf with olive oil is suggested to serve cold with lemon while meaty one is suggested serve hot with yogurt. Here is the Aegean style stuffed grape leaf recipe:  

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves
Origin: Turkish, Armenian
Difficulty: Hard
Ingredients:
-(Must) 1 jar (about 36) grape leaves, drained
-(Must) 3 cups water (divided)
-(Must) 2 tbsp plus 1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
-(Optional) 3 tbsp pine nuts
-(Optional) 3 tbsp black currants
-(Must) 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
-(Must) 1 cup short-grain rice, such as arborio
-(Must) 1 tbsp sugar
-(Optional) 1 tsp allspices
-(Optional) 1 tbsp chopped dill
-(Optional) 2 tbsp lemon juice
-(Optional) 2 lemons, sliced
-(Optional) 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
-(Optional) Salt, pepper

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

Directions:

In large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a full boil. Unroll 20 of the best-formed leaves. Place 2 or 3 at a time in the water and boil them 2 minutes. Gently remove leaves with tongs or a slotted spoon and drape them over a colander to dry. Snip away the tough stem of each leaf with scissors, to create a small v-notch.

Set 2 cups of fresh water in a saucepan over medium heat.

In another saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add pine nuts; after 1 minute, stir to turn; after 30 seconds more, stir them continuously until they are brown but not burned. Add currants, onion, rice, sugar, parsley, allspice and dill. Stir 2 minutes.

By now, the 2 cups of water should be coming to a boil; stir it into rice mixture. Reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer about 20 minutes, until rice is cooked and water absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.

Arrange the 20 softened grape leaves on a sheet of wax paper, with bases of leaves facing you. When rice stuffing has cooled, put 1 tablespoon (heaping for large leaves, level for smaller leaves) on each leaf, just above the v-notch cut into the base. Fold the bottom (that is, the lower flanges) of the leaves over the stuffing, fold in the sides of the leaves, and roll them up -- not too tightly, lest they burst in the next phase of cooking.

Place them tightly side by side in a saucepan. Place the lemon slices on the surface and add 1/4 cup olive oil and  1 cup of hot water. Put a small lid or plate on top of them. Cover and cook on low heat for 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Let cool. Arrange on a serving dish and serve with fresh lemon slices and yogurt.

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves:4	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	403 kcal	51 gr	20 gr	4 gr	11 gr

Zucchini Fritters - Mucver

Expression "zucchini taste" refers to be sick of something, in Turkish. However, I share below a recipe that you will never be sick of zucchini taste. This zucchini fritters recipe is really healthy, since it's not fried but baked. It's very easy recipe but so delicious!

Zucchini Fritters - Mucver

Zucchini Fritters - Mucver
Origin: Turkish, Mediterranean
Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

-(Must) Zucchini (500 gr or equivalently 1 Ibs), grated

-(Must) 1 small onion, grated

-(Must) 2 eggs

-(Must) Cream cheese (150 gr or equivalently 0.3 Ibs)

-(Must) 1 cup all purpose flour

-(Must) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-(Optional) Salt, pepper

-(Optional) 1/2 cup finely chopped dill

-(Optional) Pine nuts

Description:

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F

In a bowl combine all ingredients but pine nuts and mix well. Portion the mixture out to cake molds. 

Zucchini Fritters - Mucver

Cook for about 30 minuted until it's toasted. When you subtract from oven wait until it became tepid. Decorate with pine nuts and enjoy!

Zucchini Fritters - Mucver

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves: 6	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	281 kcal	23 gr	18 gr	8 gr	4 gr