BÖREK WITH MALLOW, GOOSEFOOT AND FETA

This is the börek in my dreams! It is extremely delicious! 

I used to see goosefoot on the stalls in the open air markets here; but a few years ago I did not like it so much when I tried it raw in the salad. It was too crunchy for my liking. But this plant does just wonders in the börek! A must try!

goosefoot is just delicious in börek

Ingredients: (serves 3 – 4)

2 thin flaky dough (known as yufka or phyllo)

For the stuffing:

A handful of mallow, washed and drained

Half a bundle of goosefoot, washed and drained

200 gr. Feta, grated

grated feta

1 tea spoon of dried red pepper flakes (optional)

For the sauce/milky wash

1 egg white

Half a glass of milk

2  spoons of olive oil

Half a glass of sparkling water

2 spoons of yoghurt

 

For the top of the börek/ for the glaze

1 egg yolk

Black cumin or sesame seeds 

Method:

1. Keep the stalks and the leaves of the mallow seperately. Steam-cook the mallow leaves for 1 minute. Alternatively you can soak them in boiling water for a minute and take them out immediately. As for the stalks, steam-cook or boil them for 10 minutes as they are harder. Chop the mallow.
2. Steam-cook the goosefoot for 1 - 2 minutes. Alternatively you can soak them in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes and take it out and drain.
3. Mix the ingredients of the filling.
4. Whisk the ingredients of the sauce. Add 2 -3 spoons of this mixture into the mixture for the filling.
5. Lay one of the phyllo over a flat area. Cut it into half. Set one of the halves apart in order to use later. Moisten the phyllo with a 3 – 4 spoons of the sauce (or 6 -7 dessert spoons).
6. Take ¼ of the börek filling and place it on phyllo going parallel to the long end of the phyllo. Fold the left and right ends inside with 1 cm. and start rolling the phyllo over the filling.
7. Place the roll in an oven dish by giving it a spiral shape.
8. Apply the same process for the rest of the phyllo; going over the spiral shape in the middle everytime.
9. Brush the egg yolk over the börek.
10. Sprinkle the rest of the milky wash over the börek.
11. Sprinkle black cumin or sesame seeds.
12. Bake the börek until it becomes golden on top in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees celcius. 

Step 1 & 2 - mallow and goosefoot chopped

Step 3

Step 5 - cut the phyllo into two from the middle

Step 6

Step 6 - start rolling

Step 6 - that is what you will get after having rolled each phyllo over the filling

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9 - 10 - 11

börek with mallow, goosefoot and feta - just delicious!

TURKISH STYLE LAMBS MEAT SAUTÉ

This is one of the simplest yet really delicious recipes of the Turkish home cooking! When I don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, that’s something I quickly prepare and it goes very well with a bowl of fresh green salad!

Ingredients (serves 3)

700 gr. Lambs meat, cubed

2 green peppers, ringed (if you have paprika at hand to use, then use max 1 paprika)

2 – 3 tomatoes, peeled and cubed

2 – 3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 pinch of cumin

1 pinch or less of pimento

Pepper and salt

Method

1. Take the meat in a pan and sauté on high heat until the meat releases some water and soaks this water back.
2. Add the garlic and the peppers and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes.
3. Add the tomato and the salt, close the lid and cook on low heat for 2 -3 minutes more.
4. When the tomatoes are cooked, turn off the fire. Add the spice and mix. 

Step 1

TURKISH STYLE LAMBS MEAT SAUTÉ

 

FENNEL WITH BLACK EYED BEANS AND MEAT

Delicious! 

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 su cups of black-eyed beans, soaked in water overnight

black-eyed beans

250 – 300 gr. Lambs meat, in small cubes

meat in cubes

1 fennel, washed and cubed

fennel cubed

1 onion, cubed

1 dessert spoon of tomato paste

2 – 3 spoons of olive oil

1 – 1.5 warm water

Salt 

Method:

1. Take the black-eyed beans  in the pressure water, add water just to cover the beans and cook them soft for 10 – 15 minutes in your pressure-cooker. When they are soft enough, drain.
2. Take the olive oil in a pan and heat. Add the onions and saute for two to three minutes.
3. Add the meat and saute until the meat releases some water and soaks the water back again.
4. Add the tomato paste and saute for 2 -3 minutes more.
5. Add the fennel, the black-eyed beans and the water and mix. Close the lid and cook over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes until the fennel gets soft. Add the salt. 

Step 3

fennel with black eyed beans and meat

 

TURKISH STYLE MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW

Something typical for Turkish home cooking! It is delicious!

I suggest you to combine it with this delicious bulgur pilaf and green cacik; it will be a typical Turkish dinner :-)

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 aubergines, peeled in stripes and in big cubes

3 courgettes (I remember that the courgette in Belgium was bigger than the ones in Turkey, so you can limit the courgettes to two)

250 – 300 gr. Beans, washed and the strings should be cleaned

150 – 200 gr. Lambs meat, in small cubes

1 onion, cubed

1 spoon of tomato paste (turkish “salça”; please consult your Turkish or middle eastern supermarket)

1 dessert spoon of pepper paste (turkish “biber salçasi”; please consult your Turkish or middle eastern supermarket)

2 peppers, sliced in big pieces

2 – 3 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 – 3 spoons of olive oil

1 – 1.5 warm water

Salt 

Method:

1. Soak the aubergines in salty water for 10 minutes. This we do in order to get rid of the bitter taste of the aubergines.
2. In a deep and big pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté meat until it soaks the water that it releases. Add the onion and the garlic and sauté two or three minutes.
3. Add the pepper and continue sauteing for 3 – 4 minutes.
4. Add the salça (tomato and pepper paste) and continue sautéing for 2 -3 minutes more (or until you do not smell the raw odor of the tomato and pepper pastes.
5. Add the aubergines, the courgette and the beans and mix. Add the water and close the lid. Cook over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes. 
6. When the vegetables are soft enough, add the salt and mix.

step 1

Turkish style meat and vegetable stew

Turkish style meat and vegetable stew

 

GOLDEN THISTLE WITH LAMBS MEAT

In the past weeks I discovered the golden thistle plant :) I tried three different recipes with it and I guess my favourite one will be this one (Click here for the golden thistle recipe with chicken); it is delicious! 

I notice that I have not posted the other recipe with golden thistle yet but it will be here soon!

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5)

1 kg golden thistle, washed and drained. Cut roughly into 2 – 3 pieces

1 onion, cubed

300 gr. Lambs meat, cubed

2 – 3 spoons of olive oil

1.5 – 2 glasses of warm water

Salt

For the liaison

1 egg yolk

1 spoon of flour

The juice of 1 lemon(you may consider adding more or less than this amount depending on how much you like sour)

Method:

1. Take the meat to the pressure cooker and saute it on high heat. When the colour turns a bit and the meat sticks to the cooker, add the olive oil and mix; cook the meat a few minutes more until it releases some water and soaks that water back again.
2. Add the onion and sauté 2 – 3 minutes more.
3. Add the golden thistle and saute for 2 minutes more.
4. Add the warm water and close the lid and pressure-cook it for 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, prepare the creamy sauce: whisk the liaison until the flour dissolves well.
6. When the golden thistle is cooked, take a soup ladle of the water in the pressure-cooker and mix it fast into the liaison. After that, pour the liaison into the pressure cooker and mix. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes more until the smell of the flour disappears. Add salt, mix and serve.

Step 2

Step 4

GOLDEN THISTLE WITH LAMBS MEAT

GOLDEN THISTLE WITH LAMBS MEAT