Zucchini Fritters - Kabak Mucver

Ingredients:
Fritters:
2 & 1/2 cups grated zucchini (2-3 zucchini)
6 tbsp chopped green onion (1-2 onions)
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 eggs
4 tbsp gluten-free or rice flour
1 tsp salt
3 oz feta cheese
oil for cooking
Optional: spicy red pepper flakes

Yogurt sauce:
2 garlic cloves, pressed/grated
1/4 cup cucumber grated or fine chopped
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice (about 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon)
salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:
1. Shred zucchini and set aside.
2. Mix all yogurt sauce ingredients and set aside.
3. Squeeze water out of the zucchini.
4. Mix zucchini, green onion, dill, flour, salt and eggs.  Then fold in cheese and spicy red pepper flakes.
5. Heat a pan and spray oil.  Add 1/6 of the zucchini mixture and cook 3 minutes on both sides, or until browned.
6. Serve as pictured, with dollop of yogurt sauce on top.

Red Sonja Mercimek Koftesi

Ingredients: 

1 cup red lentil

1/2 cup fine bulgar (cracked wheat)

2 cups water

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp salt

3 lemons: 2 juiced, 1 zested, & 1 cut into slices for serving

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped and dried

1/2 bunch green onion, finely chopped

romaine lettuce pieces

Optional ingredients: 1 tsp red pepper powder, 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tsp black pepper

Recipe: 

1. Soak the red lentils in water for 4-5 hours. Drain.

2. Boil 2 cups water in a pot, and add the red lentils.  Cook until almost all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

3. Add bulgar and salt to the lentils and water, mix gently, and then cover for 10-15 minutes.

4. In a different pan, add oil and onions.  Sautee until translucent. Then add paprika, cumin powder, and tomato paste.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Let cool.

5. Mix both mixtures and add green onions, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice from 1 lemon, and optional ingredients.  Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary.  

6. Form into koftas with your hand, and then place in lettuce leaves with cut lemon. Serve!!! 

Muhammara dip

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 
flakes or 1 small red chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
, plus more to serve
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 to 3 roasted red peppers
 (or to roast yourself, just place in oven with aluminum foil at 450 and then peel and take off stems)
1/2 to 1 cup warm water
 (if you roast the peppers yourself, don't add this - just use the juice from the peppers)
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

to serve: torn basil

Recipe (from 101 Cookbooks):

Using a hand blender or a conventional blender, puree the chile flakes, cumin, most of the walnuts, bread crumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, and red peppers to a smooth, even consistency. Mix in the warm water in increments to achieve an easily spreadable consistency similar to a thick yogurt. If you¹re going to use it for dipping, you might want to leave it a touch thicker. Stir in the salt and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve topped with torn basil, the remaining walnuts, and a thick thread of olive oil.

Fresh spring wraps

For the rolls:

• Spring Roll Wrappers (I like small ones)

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1/2 English cucumber, julienned

• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

• 2 medium carrots, peeled & julienned

• 2 green onions, chopped

• mung bean sprouts (a handful)

• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, minced

• 1/4 cup cilantro, thick stems removed and minced

• 1/3 cup roasted & salted peanuts

• Herbamare or sea salt, to season

• large bowl of hot tap water

• OPTIONAL: thin slices of jalapeño (hopefully not too spicy!)

For the peanut sauce:

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1/4 cup natural roasted peanut butter

• 1/2-1 tbsp peeled & roughly chopped fresh ginger

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 2 tbsp low sodium tamari

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1-3 tsp water, to thin out as needed

1. You can make the peanut sauce in advance (use a garlic press for the garlic cloves, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.)
2. Press the water out of the tofu.
3. Julienne-cut all the vegetables, slice the tofu length-wise, and chop the cilantro and basil.  (slice the jalapeño if using).
4. Take a wrapper, hold it under water for 10 seconds and then lay it out on a tea towel.  Add the filling ingredients,  a few peanuts, and a sprinkle of salt.
5. Wrap the roll anyway you can and enjoy with the peanut sauce!!

Spanakopita with tzatziki sauce

Spanakopita:
1 large onion
2 bunches or bags of fresh spinach
most of a block of feta cheese (leave about 1 square inch)
1/2 container of cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful fresh parsley (optional)
1 inch of a block of tofu (optional)
1 egg
1 box of phyllo dough (defrosted)
1 stick of melted unsalted butter

Add the first 4 ingredients to a food processor in the order written. Then add salt and pepper according to taste, and then add the parsley and tofu and taste again.  If it tastes delicious, add the raw egg.  Meanwhile, take a pastry brush and add butter to the top of one phyllo dough sheet, and then add another on top.  Repeat until you have four sheets.  Cut the sheet into four long sections (with kitchen scissors).  Spoon one tablespoon of the spinach mixture onto the bottom of a section, and then  fold the right-hand corner up to the left side of the spoonful. Continue to fold into triangles, adding butter to help the dough stick and do the same until you're out of mixture!  Stick in the oven at 350 degrees, and turn over once the color starts to change.  Depending on your oven, it should take around 15 minutes to complete.  Eat with tzatziki sauce (recipe below).

For tzatziki sauce, mix the following ingredients:
1 sq inch of feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 grated cucumber (drain after grating)
3 cloves of garlic (pressed)
small amount of chopped fresh dill
lemon juice (optional)
salt, pepper to taste (optional)

Beet-Potato Cutlets

2 large beets (shredded)

2 large potatoes (there should be more potatoes than beets)

2 handfuls of frozen peas (optional)

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

breadcrumbs

oil

Boil or steam potatoes, then peel. While they are cooking defrost peas and place with shredded beets into a large mixing bowl. Add peeled potatoes, chili powder, garam masala, and salt (add more masalas and salt to desired taste), and mash altogether. Form patties and cover with breadcrumbs. The pan fry on both sides and serve with coriander-chili-mint chutney!

This is Netra's mom's recipe :)

Favorite Pistachio Pizza

2 Handfuls of sundried tomatoes, cut
Pizza dough (if making from scratch, add fresh tarragon leaves)
chopped pistachio (lots)
some balsamic vinegar
mascarpone cheese
mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves (also cut)
black pepper to taste

Cook pizza crust about half-way. Flip over, let cool, then spread mascarpone cheese on the bottom of the crust, spread cut sundried tomatoes, chopped pistachios, and then add mozzarella cheese on top. Put in oven, and then when you take it out, add fresh basil leaves, balsamic vinegar (very little) and if it seems dry at all, a little of the olive oil that the sundried tomato came in. Also add fresh black pepper.

Enjoy! This is Tushar's recipe/idea, Sheeba's pic, Smita's adaptation.