Lentil Soup

11/2 cups brown or green lentils
21/2 cups water (for boiling)
4 cups meat stock 1/2 eriste (homemade pasta)
2 tbsps clarified butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp mint Salt to taste
Serves 4

Wash the lentils and put on to heat in a saucepan with the water. When it comes to a boil turn down the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain the water.

Place the hot meat stock and lentils in a casserole dish. When it boils add the pasta. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and brown the onions. Add the mint, salt to taste and cover. Simmer on a very low heat for approximately one hour, until thickened. Serve in the casserole dish.

Bulgur Wheat w/Onions and Meat

When we prepare this recipe we need to fry three or four green peppers along with the onions. After the bulgur has been fried we also add tomato puree or fresh tomatoes.

2 tbsps clarified butter
1 onion, finely chopped
11/2 cups bulgur wheat
11/2 cups lamp kavurma
4 cups hot meat stock
Serves 4

Fry the onion in the clarified butter. Add the bulgur and continue to fry. Add the kavurma and meat stock and cover. When it begins to boil, lower the heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the bulgur becomes soft. Pour in a dish and serve.

For the baklava filling
2 cups shelled walnuts, almonds or pistachios
1 tbsp caster sugar

For the syrup (choose one type of syrup depending on taste)
Sugar Syrup

31/3 cups caster sugar
21/2 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice Serves
11 or more Honey Syrup
31/3 cups water 2 cups honey
Pekmez Syrup

31/3 cups water
21/4 lb pekmez
For the baklava pastry

33/4 cups strong white plain flour
33/4 cups self-raising flour
1 egg
3/4 cup water with ashes, water or milk
2 tbsps melted butter
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
11/2 cups plain flour and 1 1/2 cups | corn starch, for rolling out flour
1/2 cup melted butter or clarified | butter for brushing pastry sheets
21/4 cups butter for pouring over | baklava before baking

Baklava

You will need a baking tray 16-18 inches in diameter. Grease it with 1 tbsp of butter or clarified butter. Pound the walnuts, almonds or pistachios for the filling and mix with sugar.

Put a saucepan on to heat with the water for the syrup, add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. When it begins to boil turn down the heat, boil for two minutes and remove from heat. If you are making honey or pekmez syrup, boil the water, add the honey or pekmez, stirring continuously, and remove from the heat when it begins to boil.

Sift the flour on to a pastry board, break the egg into it, add the water, melted butter vinegar and salt. Gathering the flour from the center, knead into a soft, pliable dough. It is ready when it stretches like chewing gum instead of breaking when picked up. Once it has reached the desired consistency, divide the dough into 20 pieces. Allow it to rest under a damp cloth for at least 30 minutes.

Mix the flour with the corn starch. Roll out the pastry with the melted butter after every two layers, piling the sheets on top of each other. When you have placed half the sheets onto the baking tin in this way, add the filling, then continue to add the layers of pastry, brushing with butter every two layers, as before. Dip the edge of a sharp knife into melted butter, press it down and cut into triangles without lifting the blade of the knife. Repeat to make 10-14 layers.

Drizzle hot baklava butter over the top. Preheat the oven to 395 degrees F and bake the baklava for 30-40 minutes. When it comes out of the oven pour the hot, but not boiling syrup evenly over the top.

Serve when cool.

Yogurt and Cucumber Salad

1 portion yogurt with garlic
2 cucumbers
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or 1/2 tsp dried mint
Water
Serves 4-6

Prepare the yogurt with garlic and dilute to the consistency you desire. Peel the cucumbers and chop them into tiny cubes. Mix with the yogurt and sprinkle with the mint.