Lentil Soup – Mercimek Çorbası STARTER Lentil Soup – Mercimek Çorbası Ingredients • 1 red lentils, soaked in water for one hour and drained • 1 onion, grated • 2 tomato paste, diluted in 1/4 cup cold water. • ¼ tablespoon butter • salt to taste • 1 teaspoon paprika Process Place lentils, onion, tomato paste, butter, and salt into a sauce pan. Cook stirring occasionally on very low heat until lentils are tender and soup is creamy. – (about one hour or less). Add paprika and let soup simmer for 5 minutes before serving. Dried mint, not fresh is used for the topping. ENJOY-AFİYET OLSUN

Chick peas ( Nohut Yemegi) MAIN COURSE Chick peas ( Nohut Yemegi) Ingrediants 1 onion, chopped 1+1 tbsp olive oil 2 cups chick peas, cooked 3-4 cups water 1 tbsp salt to taste 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste Process Soak the chick peas in water at least for 5-6 hours. Drain and cook with 3-4 cups of water till they get soft. Drain and leave aside. Meanwhile, sauté onions with 1 tbsp olive oil and stir in tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes. Add sautéed onions and cooked chick peas to the pot. Cook them all for an additional 5-7 minutes. ENJOY – AFİYET OLSUN

Bulgur Pilaf (Bulgur Pilavi) Ingrediants 1 cup bulgur wheat, whole grain large, washed and drained 1 chopped onion 1 diced tomato, 1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional) 1 banana/green pepper, chopped 2 tablespoon butter/oil 2 cups hot water 1 teaspoon salt Process In a medium saucepan, sauté butter/olive oil and onions for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Then stir in tomato paste and tomatoes, sauté for about 2 minutes. And then stir in peppers. After a while add bulgur and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add hot water and salt.Stir well and turn heat low when it boils. Close the lid and simmer till the bulgur absorbs all the water. Do not stir while cooking. Let it cool for a while with the lid on. Before serving, stir well with a wooden spoon. Then place to a serving plate and garnish with fresh parsley. ENJOY- AFİYET OLSUN

Semolina Halva (İrmik Helvasi) DESSERT Semolina Halva (İrmik Helvasi) Ingredients Measure Amount Margarine 2 cups 150 grams Pine nuts 2 tablespoons 20 grams Semolina 2 cups 300 grams Water 2 cups 500 grams Sugar 1 1/3 cups 240 grams Process Melt the margarine, add the nuts and the semolina and brown them for about 15 minutes until the ingredients change color slightly, stirring all the time. Boil the water in a separate saucepan, add and melt the sugar. Add the syrup to the semolina, stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover with a napkin and let rest for 20 minutes. Toss before serving. ENJOY- AFİYET OLSUN

ENJOY! AFİYET OLSUN!