Romano Beans Braised in Olive Oil

November 08, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner, Meze

With leaves already turning yellow and red in Seattle, berries, beans and peppers are leaving their spots to pumpkins and apples. Romano beans braised in olive oil, served cold, is the dish that encapsulates summer for me. I wanted to share this recipe to thank this summer for all the great adventures and officially say goodbye to it with a big hug.

I wrote about the Turkish tradition of cooking vegetables in olive oil in a previous post about cooking fava beans. These “olive oil dishes” are almost always served cold to help fight the summer heat and add a refreshing, light meal to the table. Without a doubt, this romano bean dish is a classic summer meal that visits the tables of every Turkish household. Dishes like this one is a great example of home cooking that you can’t easily find at any restaurant.

Romano beans are also known as Italian green beans and are much wider and flatter than your common green beans. In the United States I can only find them at the farmers markets during summer. I highly recommend using romano beans for this recipe but if you can’t find them most other fresh green beans will work as well.

In the next few weeks, as I get myself ready to welcome fall, expect to see more and more soups and stews on the blog. I will also ramp up posting desserts as the holidays approach. Dear fall, long time no see, bring on the blankets, cozy sweaters, rain boots and lots of festive meals.

Yields: 4 servings Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 pound romano beans

2 tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup water

Pinch of pepper

Preparation

1. Cut the ends of the romano beans and give them a good rinse.

2. Put the olive oil in a pot.

3. Dice the onion and add into the pot. Turn the heat to high and cook the onions, stirring a couple of times, for 2-3 minutes until they are translucent.

4. Dice the tomatoes and add them into the pot. Give everything a stir. If you have the time I recommend peeling the tomatoes first.

5. Add in the romano beans. Some people prefer to cut them in half both leghtwise and widthwise. I prefer to keep them whole as this preserves their shape better.

6. Add in the teaspoon of salt and sugar and a cup of water and give everything a stir.

7. Turn the heat to low and let cook for about 45 minutes with the lid closed.

8. When cooked, the beans should be soft but they should preserve their shape. Transfer them to a serving container. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge. Serve the beans room temperature or ideally, cold with some slices of bread to dip into the juices.

Lentil Kofte Balls

November 04, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner, Meze

My immediate family is not big, it is just me, my younger brother, our parents, and our dog Buddy. My extended family, especially on my mom’s side, is much bigger. Mom and Tiya (my aunt) have lots of cousins with whom we spent many holidays, bayrams and family reunions. When family comes together, it is almost always around food. This is partly very Turkish and partly my family’s tradition. You never invite guests over and not serve them food. There has to be some kind of pastry or appetizer ready to be served with tea at all times. You also never go to someone else’s house empty handed. So naturally, a lot of family get togethers turn into potlucks. Everyone brings a dish and sometimes my mom, aunt and all the cousins coordinate who is bringing what to make sure there are no duplicates. Lentil kofte is one of the dishes that my mom likes to make often for these get togethers and it is loved by everyone.

Lentils are the magic ingredient. They can be cooked in many ways, from soups to salads to curries, and I think they provide the perfect stage for spices to shine. This lentil kofte recipe is a meatless, lentil and bulgur “ball” with herbs and spices. They are great to serve for large groups and always a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know why but I haven’t made lentil kofte in a long time. I think I tend to forget some Turkish foods because I am often not exposed to them here in Seattle. Also, I like to try my hand at cooking different cuisines as Cesar and I enjoy a wide variety of food. So when I finally made this recipe after a long time, I kind of broke the tradition and did not invite anyone over for tea. Instead, Cesar and I gobbled down half of it in a day, both for lunch and dinner and finished the rest the day after. But, sharing is caring right? I am sharing the recipe with you so you can bring it over for your next get together and impress your friends and family (or just keep it to yourself, I won’t judge you, I promise).

Yields: 6 servings Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup red lentil

3/4 cup fine grain bulgur*

1 large onion, grated and cooked (about 1 cup cooked)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh dill, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2-3 scallions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin

Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation

1. Thoroughly rinse the lentils in a strainer or colander under running water until the water is running clear and not murky.

2. Transfer lentils to a pot. Pour in 3 cups of water.

3. Over high-medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender and no longer crunchy.

4. Put the bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Once the lentils are cooked, while still hot, add the cooked lentils to the mixing bowl with bulgur. Give everything a quick stir.

5. Cover the mixing bowl with a dish towel and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Bulgur is going to absorb the steam and the liquids from the lentils.

6. While the bulgur and lentils are resting, prepare the onions. Grate the onions with a grater or chopper. In small pan, over high-medium heat, cook the onions with olive oil for 3-5 minutes.

7. Uncover the mixing bowl. Add in the cooked onions, tomato paste, all the spices, chopped herbs and green onions. Mix everything until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

8. Take small chunks of the mixture, shape them like ellipses and transfer to a plate. Serve immediately or after refrigerating, with lemon wedges.

Note: Lentils go bad quickly if left at room temperature for a long time. If you are not going to serve this dish immediately store it in the fridge. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

* Fine grain bulgur can be found in specialty grocery stores. I generally find it at stores that sell Middle Eastern or Indian ingredients. In the first picture below, I tried to show you the difference between coarse grain bulgur (on the left) and fine grain bulgur (on the right).

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

November 04, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner, Meze

Last week I found fresh squash blossoms and fava beans at the Phinney Neighborhood Farmers Market. The guys at Alvarez Farms told me that they picked the blossoms that same morning. I knew I had to buy some given how fresh they were. I have to admit, I don’t cook with squash blossoms that often. Their season is super short and they are kind of difficult to work with. But, once a year, I buy some to make this dish and teleport myself to the beachy summer days in Turkey.

There are many ways to cook squash blossoms. You can fry them with a batter or stuff them with cheeses like ricotta or burrata. Stuffed squash blossoms is a specialty of the Aegean region of Turkey. In this region, squash blossoms are stuffed with rice mixed with lots of herbs. The squash blossoms are served cold with a drizzle of lemon juice. It is definitely a summer time favorite on dinner tables.

I always choose larger squash blossoms as they are easier to stuff. They don’t stay fresh for long so it is best to cook this dish on the same day you buy the blossoms. If the blossoms wilt, they become hard to stuff so keep them protected from warm weather and sun.

Yields: 2-3 servings Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

8 squash blossoms

2 and ½ tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced (about ⅓ cup)

½ cup white rice

3 tablespoons water for stuffing, 1 cup water for cooking

Fresh mint, chopped, keep the stems (about 1 tablespoon)

Fresh dill, chopped, keep the stems (about 1 tablespoon)

½ tablespoon pine nuts

½ fresh tomato, pureed (or 2 tablespoons of canned tomato sauce)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Preparation

1. Gently remove the stem inside the flower that has the yellow pollens on it.

2. Using a paring knife, cut off the small, green, hairy sepals if there are any, near the base of the flower (see pictures).

3. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the diced onions in 1 and ½ tablespoons of olive oil, until softened, 3-5 minutes. We will use the rest of the olive oil later.

4. Rinse the rice and add it to the pan. Give everything a stir for about a minute.

5. To puree the tomato, I use the chopper attachment of a hand blender. You can also use a grater.

6. Add in the tomato puree, dill, parsley, mint, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Give everything a stir.

7. Add in 3 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring, until the all the water has been absorbed. The rice should be cooked a little bit but still quite crunchy.

8. Remove from heat and let the stuffing cool for about 10 minutes.

9. Once the stuffing has cooled down, with the help of a teaspoon, take a spoonful of stuffing and gently fill the inside of the squash blossom. It is important not to overstuff the blossom. The rice is going to absorb more water so it needs room to expand. If we overstuff the blossom, it can rip during the cooking process.

10. Once the center of the squash blossom is stuffed, close it by folding the petals of the blossom one by one (see pictures).

11. Depending on the size of your blossoms, you might have some stuffing leftover. Transfer the leftover stuffing into another container. You can always add water and cook it just like cooking normal rice.

12. I use the same pan that we used to make the stuffing for cooking the blossoms. The leftover olive oil in the pan helps enhance the flavor. Lay the herb stems on the bottom of the pan. They help raise the blossoms so that they don’t stick to the pan.

13. Transfer the stuffed squash blossoms to the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of warm water. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, with the lid closed, for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

14. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve the dish room temperature or cold with lemon wedges on the side.