48 turkish recipes

This is loosely based on a Turkish dish I recently learned how to make. It's tomatoy aubergines with rice.

Why buy salad dressing? This is so easy. You can always quickly make a salad dressing using these kitchen staples. Add your own herbs and voila! Instant personality.

Hunkar begendi, a classic Turkish dish of smoked eggplant folded into a creamy bechamel sauce with mozzarella and nutmeg. Smoky, silky, and rich from charring the eggplant whole.

Traditional Turkish bulgur pilaf sauteed with butter, serrano chiles, and tomato, then steamed in stock and finished with fresh mint. An authentic kavurma-style side dish with gentle heat.

Turkish lamb stew (Kuzu Tas Kebabi) with leg of lamb, three colors of bell pepper, tomatoes, and potatoes. Slow-simmered for two hours until the lamb falls apart.

Turkish firinda pilav layers tomato-rice cooked in beef broth with peas and carrots inside a puff pastry lattice. Savory rice pie with golden flaky crust.

Turkish-style cucumber and tomato salad with paper-thin onion, fresh dill, green chili peppers, and a lemon-vinegar dressing. A bright, crisp side dish.

Classic Turkish çoban salatası, the chopped 'shepherd's salad' of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, and parsley dressed with lemon and olive oil. Bright, fresh, and built for summer.

Turkish-style marinated roast peppers charred until blackened, peeled, and bathed in a sharp garlic-vinegar dressing. Smoky, silky vegetable side served at room temperature.

Turkish eggplant pilaf cooked in olive oil with pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, allspice, tomatoes, and a full cup of fresh dill. A traditional zeytinyagli dish served cold as a vegetarian main or mezze.

Kaymakli kayisi, the Turkish cream-filled apricot dessert: dried apricots simmered in lemon syrup, then sandwiched around almond-flecked whipped cream and crowned with chopped pistachios.

Turkish-style sauteed eggplant with a garlicky tomato sauce finished with vinegar. Salted and drained for silky, golden slices. Served warm or at room temperature.

Stuffed artichokes in olive oil: trimmed artichoke hearts filled with fava bean and dill rice, then slow-braised in lemony olive oil. Classic Turkish 'zeytinyagli' meze served cold.

Serve as an appetizer spread on thick slices of country-style white bread, or flat pita bread, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.

Stuffed eggplant pickles filled with minced cabbage, red bell pepper, garlic, and dill, tied with softened celery ribs and fermented in vinegar brine. A traditional Middle Eastern style pickle ready in 2 to 3 weeks.

When I have abundant seasonal vegetables, I love making this vegetable casserole, and most of the time I just enjoy it with a loaf of good bread. That is all you need for a good meal.