Sweet Coffee Bar

This is a very old recipe that I have tried many years ago. Today I found it in an old recipe book and felt so nostalgic that I had to bake it. And this time, I added a little touch. You need to use Turkish coffee or Espresso with this recipe, but instant coffee will also do.

Ingredients
For the cake :
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
1 egg
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2 espresso cups of water 
1/2 espresso cup of Turkish coffee (without sugar) 
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For the icing:
115 gr icing sugar
2 tablespoons of milk
1 packet sugar vanilla

How to:
1. Beat the egg with the sugar and (room temperature) butter.

2. Continue mixing and gradually add the flour, baking powder, raisins, hazelnuts, water, coffee, cinnamon and salt at the same time. 

3. Spread the mixture evenly onto a square or round cake tin  and bake in the 175 degree oven for 22 minutes.

4. Leave to cool and make the icing. Once the coffee cake has completely cooled down, spread the icing evenly and serve. Eat and enjoy!

For Babies: Lentil Soup With Carrots

For babies 8 months and up.

Ingredients:
1 small carrot
1/2 cup red lentils
1 small onion
3 cups water
1 soup spoon unsalted butter

How to:
1. Chop the carrots and boil them together with chopped onions and red lentils. Lower the temperature when it starts boiling and cook for half an hour.

2. Once the carrots are soft and the lentil is cooked, turn off the heat and add butter. Mix well and serve warm.

This is a very good soup for adults, too, with a bit of salt, pepper and dry mint. Eat and enjoy!

Filo Rolls With Caramelised Onions and Mushrooms

This is a very easy vegetarian and vegan recipe. You can also add chicken into it.

Ingredients:
1 medium size onion
500 gr mushrooms
1 (espresso) cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt, pepper
2 sheets of filo pastry
Olive oil

How to:
1. Chop the onions and fry at a low temperature until soft and sweet. Add the chopped mushrooms and increase the heat.

2. Add the raisins, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper and cook until everything is tender. Then, leave to cool.

3. Spread the filo sheet on a clean surface and sprinkle with some extra virgin olive oil and water. Fold it in half and spread the mushrooms on the longer side. Roll it carefully and roll into itself like a coil.

This is from my Snapchat account (bigeturan); follow me for more recipes and tips! 

4. Repeat the same for the second filo sheet. You can increase the amount of the mushroom stuffing and use more filo pastries.

5. Take your pastries onto a tray and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle some water to make it crispy. Sprinkle some sesame seeds to decorate. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 175 degrees Celsius for 45 min. Eat and enjoy!

Summer Vegetables Quiche

This is a practical and easy recipe that I improvised on the go. The result was really tasty and light.

Ingredients:
4-6 portions

1 fresh courgette
1 red pepper
5-6 spring onions
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Salt, pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Grated cheese (any type of melting cheese you like; I used fresh Turkish kasar cheese)
Olive oil

How to:
1. Wash and chop the courgette, red pepper and spring onions and fry them in olive oil for 5-10 minutes until they soften. Put them in a small rectangular dish and leave aside.

2. In another big bowl, whisk the eggs with flour, milk, salt, pepper, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, nutmeg and a little bit of olive oil. Mix them until well combined.

3. Pour the batter over the vegetables and mix lightly with a spatula. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes.

4. Take the quiche out and spread the grated cheese, then bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve when warm with a bit of fresh greens. Eat and enjoy!

                                    

Quick Pumpkin Bread

Good morning! Been such a long time but from now on, I will be more hardworking to share my recipes here as well. I need your support! Here goes a very simple, quick bread recipe. It takes only 15-20 minutes to prep and 30 min to bake. So if you have a leftover slice of pumpkin or squash, go for bread baking this Sunday.

Ingredients:

300 gr flour
100 gr wholemeal or rye flour
1 packet (7 gr) of baking powder
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
130 gr grated pumpkin or squash
300 gr buttermilk (or add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice into 300 gr of milk)

How to:

1.Start by heating your oven to 220C. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt) (Make the buttermilk in another bowl if you don't have buttermilk.)

2. Add the grated pumpkin into the dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon, try not to have big clumps left.

3. Then make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the buttermilk. This time mix everything with your hands to form a sticky dough.

4. Take the dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead for 2-3 min until it comes together. If you need, add some more flour at this stage.

5. Form the dough into a big ball and put on a tray. Score with a knife to make it rise easily.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 220C for half an hour. Once it's risen and brown, it is ready. Enjoy!

Cookie With Dry Fruits

This is my own recipe to make a light, guilt-free cookie. Using only olive oil, rye flour and little sugar, mixing the dry fruits into the batch, creates a really light, really yummy, perfect-with-coffee cookies. :)

Ingredients: 
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup milk
6 dry figs 
6 dry apricots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
1/2 cup brewed, cold tea 
1 level teaspoon cinnamon 
1 packet baking powder (2 teaspoons)
2 and 1/2 cups rye flour 

How to:
1. Chop the dry figs and apricots into small pieces and soak in the tea. 

2.Whisk the eggs with oil and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients to have a soft and a bit sticky cookie dough. If your dough is too sticky, you can add some flour; if it is too tough add some olive oil and milk. Do not add all of the tea with the fruits; just 2 or 3 tablespoons will be enough.

3. Take small pieces of dough and round them in your palm. Put onto a baking sheet, then bake in the 170 degree oven for 12 - 14 minutes. Do not overbake them as they will get very hard to bite. Eat and enjoy!

Mum's Cookies With Raisins

Traditional Turkish mum's cookies with raisins and walnuts; perfect for kids to have after school. I know because that was what I would do! =)

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup yoghurt
1 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 - 3 cups flour (enough to make a soft but not sticky dough)
1 packet baking powder
1 packet vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Walnuts (cut in half)

How to:
1. Whisk two eggs together; seperate the other egg and put the egg yolk aside and add the egg white into the two eggs. Then add yoghurt, oil, sugar and make a runny mixture.  

2. Add a cup of flour first; then add another cup of flour with baking powder and vanilla. Combine well. If the dough is still very sticky, keep on adding flour little by little until you have a soft and not-so-sticky dough. This is traditional home-baking recipe, so there is no set amount, you have to trust your instincts.

3. Lastly mix your raisins with the dough and make big round lumps. Mix the egg yolk that we set aside earlier, and brush the cookies with it. Press half a walnut on top of each cookie.

4. Bake in the 170 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until they have a golden colour. Leave to cool and serve on the same day. Keeps for a week outside the fridge; can be kept in the freezer as well. Eat and enjoy!