♥︎Turkey with pointed cabbage & ginger

For ➋ 

piece of ginger root (approx. 1 cm), grated 

2 tbs sherry (or mirin) 

2 tbs soy sauce 

1 ts sambal 

1 ts lemon juice 

200 g turkey fillet 

500 g pointed cabbage 

1 small yellow pepper 

2 balls of ginger (e.g. sushi ginger) 

1 tbs oil 

1 clove of garlic 

½ orange juice 

salt & pepper 

Peel the piece of ginger root and grate it finely. Make a marinade of the ginger root, the sherry (or mirin), the soy sauce, the sambal and the lemon juice. Cut the turkey fillet into cubes. Marinate the meat in the mixture for 1 h in the refrigerator. 

Clean the pointed cabbage and cut the pointed cabbage into strips. Clean the pepper and cut into cubes. Cut the ginger into small pieces. 

Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the turkey in it for a few m until brown. 

Squeeze the garlic clove over it. Add the bell pepper, pointed cabbage, ginger and orange juice and stir fry the dish for another 8 m until done. Season the dish with salt and pepper.

♥︎Egg clouds with pancetta, thyme & oregano

For ➍

80 g pancetta*

4 eggs

2 sprigs of thyme

1 ts oregano

2 tbs olive oil

pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until foamy with the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover an oven tray with baking paper and spoon 4 mounds of meringue onto it. Make a well in each meringue and carefully pour in the egg yolks. Sprinkle with the finely chopped pancetta and place in the oven for 8 m.

Drizzle the eggs with a dash of olive oil and serve. Finish with arugula or another fresh herb if desired.

*Replace the pancetta with smoked turkey bacon or smoked salmon for a heart-friendly version or with spicy chorizo for an extra spicy version.

♥︎Turkey stew with Oude Geuze

For ➍

300 g fresh pearl onions

a large knob of butter*

300 g smoked bacon**

2 cloves of garlic

250 g mushrooms

2 stalks celery

1 kg turkey leg (turkey cubes from breast or leg)

3 tbs  flour

3 dl Oude Geuze Boon

40 cl chicken stock*

2 tbs grain mustard

some sprigs of sage

a few sprigs of thyme

4 bay leaves

3 cloves

1 bunch of (young) carrots

pepper & salt

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

800 g pine cones potatoes***

a dash of cream****

Preheat the deep fryer to 170 °C.***

First soak the fresh pearl onions in a bowl of hot water and remove the outer skin of the onions.

Melt a large knob of butter* in a large stew. Cut the bacon into strips and stew. Peel and crush the garlic and add, followed by the pearl onions. Cut the mushrooms into pieces and stew them. Rinse the celery under cold water, finely chop the stalks and stew. Season the turkey cubes with salt and pepper. Stew them and sprinkle some flour over them. Stir well so that the flour is evenly distributed over all the turkey pieces and vegetables. Pour the Oude Geuze and the chicken stock into the stew. Add the mustard. Make a herb bouquet from the sage, thyme and bay leaf and add it together with the cloves. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat down. Let the stew simmer gently for at least 1 h. 

About 20 m before dinner time, peel the carrots and put them in a pot over a gentle heat with a good splash of water and a good knob of butter. Season the carrots with salt and pepper and some finely chopped fresh thyme. Cook for 10 to 15 m under a lid. In the meantime, fry the pine cones until golden brown in the deep fryer at 170 °C. 

Season the stew with a little extra salt and pepper. *****  

Add the pasta in small pieces to your sauce and let it melt. 

Finish the stew with a dash of cream. ****

Spoon some turkey with sauce onto a plate and add the fried carrots and pine cones***.

*replace with vegan

**replace with smoked turkey meat

***replace with heart-friendly alternative

****optional

*****If necessary, add some beurre manié to thicken the sauce by kneading 1 tbs flour  into a paste with a knob of butter*.

Turkey with broccoli & lemon

For ➍

600 g turkey or chicken fillet

800 g broccoli

1 lemon

2 garlic cloves

2 tbs sesame oil

salt & pepper

2 tbs parsley, freshly chopped

Cut the turkey breast into cubes or strips. 

Pheasant salad with fennel

For ➋***
1 whole pheasant or chicken breast, or a half of a turkey breast
1 l pheasant, turkey or chicken stock
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
2 ts fennel pollen (optional)
1-2 tbs green fennel seeds (optional)
1 tbs mint leaves, chopped
1 small, red hot chilli, minced
zest & juice of 1 lemon
6 cl olive oil
salt &  black pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer in a lidded pot. Turn the heat off and drop the pheasant breasts in. Make sure they are submerged. Cover the pot.
Meanwhile, chop the fennel bulb into pieces. Add all the remaining ingredients and set aside.
The pheasant breasts should be fully cooked in 20 m.* ** When the pheasant is cool enough to handle, shred it into pieces.
Mix everything together and let it stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 h. You can also store it overnight in the fridge.

*Turkey and chicken breasts are larger and will take longer. A turkey breast might require a full 45 m in the warm broth.
**Save the broth for soup or something else. It will keep in the fridge a week or so.
***Double quantities for 4.

Imam bayildi (Turkish stuffed eggplant)

For ➍
2 medium or 4 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced very thin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600 g tomatoes, peeled & chopped
4 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbs dill, finely chopped
2 tbs basil, finely chopped (optional)
salt
4 tbs olive oil
4 tbs water
2½ ts sugar
2 tbs lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 m, until the outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from the oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 30 m.*
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender, 5 to 8 m. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 s to 1 m, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste and 1 ts of the sugar and 1 tbs of olive oil.*
Turn the eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1½ h, checking the pan for liquid and basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry. By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat and the liquid in the pan slightly caramelized. Spoon this juice over the eggplant.
Allow to cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature with börek or flat bread.

*You can roast the eggplant and make the filling through several hours before assembling and cooking the imam bayildi. Once cooked, the finished dish can sit for several hours.

This is a lighter version of a classic Turkish dish. Imam bayildi is a variation of karnıyarık, which contains minced beef, and is served warm (and is close to Greek moussaka).
It spread through the Turkish and Arab world, from Iran to the Balkan, the idea resounding in French ratatouille.

Turkish kofta kebabs with minted yogurt & kohlrabi & carrot salad

For ➍
900 g minced lamb
2 onions, finely grated
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ts dried chilli flakes
1 small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
oil for brushing
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
carrot & kohlrabbi salad with minted yogurt

Preheat a charcoal barbecue 40 m ahead of cooking or a gas barbecue 10 m ahead of cooking. If using a cast-iron griddle pan, heat it over a high heat, then lower the heat slightly before cooking.
Cover 8 bamboo skewers with cold water and leave them to soak.
Put the minced lamb into a bowl with the onions, garlic, chilli flakes, parsley, 1 ts of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix together with your hands until bound together.
Divide the mixture into 8 and mould it into long sausage shapes around the drained bamboo skewers.
Brush the kofta generously with oil and lightly oil the bars of the barbecue or griddle. Cook for 5 m, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through.
Spread the minted yogurt over 1 large or 4 individual serving plates. Lay the kofta on top, garnish with the sliced tomatoes and serve with the salad.

Carrot & kohlrabbi salad with minted yogurt

For ➍
for the minted yogurt:
200 g Greek natural yoghurt
2 tbs chopped mint
for the carrot salad:
2 large carrots, peeled & halved
2 kohlrabi, peeled
2 tbs sunflower oil
4 ts cumin seeds
4 ts lemon juice

Mix the yoghurt with the mint, ½ ts of salt and some pepper. Set aside.
Finely shred the carrots and kohlrabi, on a mandolin or on the coleslaw setting of your food processor so you get nice long, thin, crunchy strips.
Put these in a bowl with a large pinch of salt and mix together well.
Heat the sunflower oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds and, as soon as they start to sizzle, add them to the vegetables with the lemon juice and toss together.
Add 1 or 2 sliced tomatoes. Serve with kofta kebabs or as a salad with a chunk of flat bread.

Asure (Noah's pudding)

For ➍
125 g barley or pearl barley (or a grain product like Ebly)
4 tbs rice
75 g sugar
1 ts vanilla extract (or 1 small package vanilla)
1 tbs custard powder (or 125 g drained chickpeas)*
water
8 dry apricots, soaked in water overnight, cut in pieces***
4 dry figs, cut in pieces***
4 tbs ½ cup raisins***
2 tbs cup walnuts, crumbled, for garnish

Boil the barley and rice in separate pans. Drain.
Mix barley, rice, chickpeas* and other ingredients*** (except walnuts), add some water**, and let cook for 30 m. Stir occasionally.
Pour into a large service bowl or individual serving bowls and let cool for 2 h.

*When using custard powder, mix it with 2 tbs of warm milk. Use Turkish asure powder instead. Adjust the sugar, as the asure powder is very sweet. Or use chickpeas to thicken.
**Any amount you see fit: the lesser, the thicker the pudding will become.
***Save some of the fruit to garnish the pudding.

This recipe is one of the oldest and best known desserts of Turkish cuisine. It is traditional to give some away to friends and family, and stems from a popular Middle East legend, echoed in the Bible. The feast is still repeated every year by the Islamic community. The recipe uses the age-old habit of making sweets with beans and cereals (instead of modern sugar) and dates back from at least the Ottoman times.
...5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Noah was king of the city of Shuruppak. His was a trade empire, and he built a large trading ship. At that time, there was a raging flood and rainstorm. He and his family loaded animals, grain, fruit and beer on board. The rain continued for 40 days. Afterwards there was no land in sight for 7 days. They ran out of drinking water and since the sea was salty, they had to resort to drinking beer. They eventually landed on Mount Ararat, still one of the most spectacular sights on earth, now bordering the Armenian region of Turkey, close to the Iranian border. As a celebration for their survival, Noah made a pudding out of some cereals, dried beans and fruits for his family...
The image shows an old etching of Mount Ararat and the Lake Van.

Tomato & pomegranate salad with garlic dressing

For ➍
200 g red cherry tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
200 g tiger (or plum) tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
4 medium vine tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice (500 g net)
1 red pepper, cut into ½ cm dice (120 g net)
1 small red onion, finely diced (120 g net)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ ts ground allspice
2 ts white wine vinegar
1½ tbs pomegranate molasses
6 cl olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle at the end
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (170 g of seeds)
1 tbs picked small oregano leaves, to garnish
salt & black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, red pepper and onion and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and ⅓ ts of salt, until well combined. Pour this over the tomatoes and gently mix.
Arrange the tomatoes and the juices on a large flat plate. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and oregano and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint, pomegranate & cucumber salad, pomegranate & quinoa salad, Friuli winter salad, pomegranate fruit salad

Kirmizi mercimek corbasi (Turkish red lentil soup)

For ➍
200 g red lentils, washed & drained*
1 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 tbs crushed tomato, in can
1 ts red pepper paste
1½ cubes (beef) stock
60 cl water
1 tbs butter, 1 tbs red pepper, 1 tbs cayenne pepper**

Place all the main ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Cook for about 20 ms on medium-low heat. Then mix thoroughly using a blender. If necessary (too thick), add more hot water. Pour into soup bowls using a ladle.

Melt the butter in a small pan and add in the peppers**. When it starts bubbling, pour over the soup.

Serve the soup while still hot with fresh flat bread. Add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to taste.

*It’s best to soak the lentils and make the stock the day before cooking. Ideally the lentils should be pre-soaked for 12 h, but if that is not possible, rinse them well under cold running water.
**Or use a mix of 3 tbs Turkish mint (nanne), 1 tbs red pepper (pulbiber), 2 ts tumeric (curcuma) (kunyit), a knife-point of cumin

Poached eggs with yogurt

For ➍
1 leek, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
350 g Turkish or Greek strained yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed to pulp
4 eggs
1 ts vinegar
1 ts Turkish pepper flakes or paprika
30 g butter
sea salt & black pepper
1 Turkish flat bread

Fry the leeks in a little butter on low heat until nicely caramelized. Keep aside.
Fry the sage leaves now with a knob of butter on a low heat until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Melt the remaining butter with 3 sage leaves until brown.
Bring water to boil with the vinegar. Stir with a whisk, and break an egg into the water. Sculpt the egg white strands with 2 forks to cover the yolk. Poach the eggs for 4 m. Put in cold water. Place each egg in a bowl.
Mix the yogurt with the garlic pulp.
Sprinkle the eggs with leeks, 1 tbs of caramelized butter, pepper flakes and crispy sage. Finish with sea salt and pepper.
Serve with flat bread.

tip: basic mushroom & meat blend

For ➑
225 g white button mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed & coarsely chopped
1½ tbs vegetable oil
½ tbs kosher salt
225 g pound ground turkey, chicken, pork or lean ground beef
½ ts freshly ground black pepper
1 ts Worcestershire sauce
water (optional)

Place the chopped mushrooms in a food processor. Pulse until almost pureed. The consistency will resemble that of tapenade.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the mushrooms and half of the salt. Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 m. Some, but not all, of the mushrooms' moisture will have evaporated.
Add the ground meat, pepper, the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining salt, stirring to incorporate. Cook, stirring often to break up the meat, for 10 to 12 m (depending on which meat you've chosen) until cooked through. Add water by the tbs during that time if the mixture seems dry before the meat is done.

If you're using the blend right away, drain any remaining liquid from the skillet. For cold storage, retain the liquid; drain before using.

*A batch of this mixture, whether it's made with ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken, is handy to have on hand for lasagna layering or fillings for crepes, tacos, meat pies and more.
The mushrooms add moisture and flavor. They won't chop so well in a blender, so if you don't have a food processor, take the time to chop them finely by hand to enable them to cook down quickly.
Make ahead: the cooked mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.