Leeks, A Turkish Side Dish

If you have not tried leeks, they are a mild, onion-like taste, eaten raw with a crunchy and firm texture or cooked in many types of recipes. The entire leek is edible as well. 

Bite of history: Drawings of leeks were found on ancient Egyptian walls and were also grown in Mesopotamia, ca 2000 BCE. Even Porrophagus, nickname for Roman Emperor Nero, the "Leek Eater", ate leeks as a stable in ancient Rome diet. It was preferred instead of onions or garlic. 

Pırasalar (Turkish)

Serves 5

olive oil

3 each: organic leeks and carrots, sliced into small rings

3 organic garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. (2 g) cumin

1/2 tsp. (1 g) each: sweet paprika and cayenne pepper

3 Tbs. (45 g) organic rice

juice and zest of 1 organic lemon

2 cups (480 ml) water

parsley for garnish

optional:

• little red wine vinegar
• grated organic tomatoes
• ground grass-feed beef or lamp
• chopped organic chicken

bir /beer/ 1. Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) of oil over medium-high heat.

iki /ee-kee/ 2. Sauté the vegetables with the spices, about 6 minutes.

üç /üch/ 3. Add the water, rice, and lemon juice. 

dört /durt/ 4. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer 15-20 minutes.

beş /besh/ 5. Cool to room temperature.

altı /al-tuh/ 6. Stir in the lemon zest and parsley. Little extra olive oil is good also.

yedi /ye-dee/ 7. Add any optionals ingredients.

Try some other Turkish dishes: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkish

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Potato Soup à la Berlin

Each German region has its take on "their" soup. Berlin is a huge metropolitan. The idea of soup shops date back to 1784, not in Berlin but in Bavaria. Their soup had potatoes, barley, peas, bread, beer (of course), salt, and bone broth. The soup recipe reached Hamburg, Frankfurt, and London. Today, this Kartoffelsuppe is a large part of Berlin's cuisine. I know, after living in West Berlin for six years. -Mike

Makes about 6 cups (1.440 ml)

~Use organic as much as possible.~

4 potatoes, diced

1 large carrot, sliced 

1 leek, sliced 

4 cups (1 liter) vegetable broth 

1 cup (150 g) sausage, sliced 

1/2 cup (120 ml) (dairy-free) cream or yogurt

Himalayan salt and pepper to taste  

garnish with parsley

eins 1. Bring the broth to a boil.

zwei 2. Add the vegetables. Cook about 15 minutes.

drie 3. Add the sausages and cream/yogurt.

vier 4. Simmer for 5 or more minutes so the vegetables are tender.

fünf 5. Season and garnish with parsley before serving.

Try some of our other soups: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/soups

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Lamb Doner Kabab

There seems to be  stands on "every" German corner, but you will not see one in Türkiye. It is a Berlin invention from 1971 and is now as popular as a Currywurst stand.

Lamm Döner Kebab (German)

Kuzu döner kebap (Turkish)

Serves 4

Preheat the over to 430ºF/221ºC

1 1/2 pounds grass fed lean veal, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp. (1 g) ground cumin or doner-kabab seasoning*

2 grated organic onions

5 Tbs. (75 ml) olive oil

pressed organic garlic 

3/4 cup (180 ml) (dairy free) yogurt

chopped parsley

(gluten free) flatbread, sliced in half but not all the way

on a serving plate:

1 cub (130 g) each thinly sliced organic: onion, red cabbage, cucumber and diced tomatoe

eins 1. Season the cut veal.

zwei 2. Place on four skewers.

drie 3. Make a paste with grated onions and oil.

vier 4. Brush on the meat. 

fünf 5. Grill and turn the skewers for about 20 minutes, inside temperature 145ºF/63ºC.

sechs 6. Mix the garlic with the yogurt.

sieben 7. Stir in the parsley.

acht 8. Drizzle a little oil into the flatbread.

neun 9. Warm in the open about 7 minutes.

zehn 10. Remove the meat from the skewers, placed on a plate.

elf 11. Make your individual donor kebabs with the meat and the condiments.

Guten Appetit!

Afiye olsun!

/a-feh-yet ol-sun/

*doner-kabab seasoning:

Mix...

1 Tbs. (6 g) each: coriander, onion power, Himalayan salt, paprika, black pepper, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper

1 tsp. (2 g) thyme

1/2 tsp. (1 g) cumin and savory

Use with 

• vegetables: zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers with olive oil
• grain bowls: sprinkle over cooked quinoa, couscous, or rice
• marinades: blend into tofu, tempeh, or seitan for at least 30 minutes; with lamb, beef, or chicken (add little water to form a paste)
• dip and sauces: mix into (dairy-free) yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt

Add a Turkish mixed salad: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2021/06/turkish-mixed-salad.html

Try five other kabobs: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2017/06/kabobs-to-go.html

or Vegetable Kababs: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2014/09/vegetable-kababs.html

with a nice refreshing Turkish yogurt drink, "Ayran": https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2015/11/ayran.html

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Spicy but bit Sweet Salmon

We hope you like spicy food! Try this using jalapeños. 

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC

• 4 wild salmon fillets
• 2 Tbs. (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs. (15 ml) organic honey
• 1 organic bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 small jalapeño pepper (or more if you can take the heat), remove the seeds, and finely chopped
• olive oil
• 2 organic scallions, just the green leaves, sliced
• parsley
• serve with cooked organic brown rice or organic French fries

1. Place the salmon on a baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Whisk other vinegar and honey.

3. Drizzle half over the salmon.

4. Bake about 15 minutes, inside temperature 145ºF/74C.

5. Drizzle the rest of the vinegar/honey.

6. Sauté the peppers over medium heat, about 4 minutes.

7. Remove and add the scallion greens.

8. Plate the fillets, topped with the pepper mixture and sprinkle with parsley.

9. Serve with the rice or French fries.

There are a lot more fish recipes to try: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/fish

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Pumpkin Soup à la German

German soups are diverse, use a wide variety of ingredients, mostly what is in season. So for the fall, pumpkin is #1 ingredient. 

Kürbissuppe (German)

Serve 2

little organic ginger, thinly sliced

littler  chili flakes, seeds removed, cut into thin rings

2 Tbs. (30 ml) (dairy-free) organic butter

1 chopped organic onion

1 pound (455 g) pumpkin, cut into cubes

organic potatoes, cut into cubes

3 cups (720 ml) organic vegetable broth

1 cup (240 ml) (dairy-free) organic cream or yogurt

juice of 1 organic lemon

+4 slices of (sodium nitrate free) ham

herbs to taste: galic, coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and/or coves

eins 1. Met the butter and sauté the onions.

zwei 2. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, ginger, and chili. 

drie 3. Pour in the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.

vier 4. Purée the soup.

fünf 5. Add the cream/yogurt and bring to a boil.

sechs 6. Add the lemon juice.

sieben 7. Microwave the slices of ham for a minute or two, then roll each slice.

acht 8. Small plates of each herb, roll the ham onto ones of your choice, serve with the soup.

Try some of our other soups this winter: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/soups

or use the soup as a side dish with a German main course: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/German

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