Turkish Foods

Potato Gratin  Ingredients With Easy Cooking Method

If you have ever eagerly anticipated the potato gratin at a restaurant or a friend's house only to be confronted with an angry mass of gray, underdone potatoes, this is a recipe for you. We potato gratin lovers have to band together to teach the world about the true meaning of potatoes cooked in cream and salt. They have to bake for over an hour, the cream must be abundant, the potatoes must be layered semi-vertically and staggered, and fresh herbs and pepper only, please.



This recipe can be scaled up or down if needed.

Ingredients
6 lb. potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold are fine)
2 to 3 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
Pinch black pepper (or to taste, freshly ground)
1 to 2 c. grated cheese (4 to 8 oz. such as Emmentaler or Gruyere)
Optional: marjoram or other herbs
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.

Potato Gratin Easy Cooking Method

For this amount of gratin, a 9-inch by 13-inch, the buttered pan is a good choice.


Preheat oven to 375 F.


Peel the potatoes and slice by hand 1/8 inch thick. (Do not do this in the food processor, since they slice too thin.)

Line up the potatoes in rows across the back of the pan, not flat in the bottom. They should sit reclining and the rows should be staggered, like at a movie theater. Alternate slices of different potatoes in the same row, and make sure each slice has been separated from its sister slice (make sure all slices have broken contact with each other, otherwise they cannot absorb the cream). See image.

When the pan is getting full, you can push the rows back to a vertical position and fit more potatoes into the pan.

Fill the pan one-half to two-thirds with cream, pouring over the potatoes. Salt (I start with one teaspoon) and pepper. You might want to sprinkle a little marjoram on it, fresh or dried, too.

Bake in a preheated oven for one hour, then sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until the potatoes are very tender when poked with a fork.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips
The baking time varies with the type of potato, the elevation where you live and how hot your oven really is. It has always taken about 90 minutes for me, yet so many cookbooks say 45 minutes, it burns me up.
​This is not a low-fat food, but it does not work very well with milk, so maybe you will make it once or twice a year as a special treat. You may also leave off the cheese if you want.
You may cover the casserole with foil in the middle of the baking time if it is becoming too brown. Remove it before you add the cheese.

Moroccan Meat and Potato Tagine Ingredients and Preparation 

This easy recipe for lamb and potato stew (called a tagine) is a popular family meal in Morocco and is traditionally cooked in a tagine (a ceramic or clay vessel by the same name). However, this recipe offers three different methods for cooking the dish—tagine, pot, and pressure cooker—so you can choose which is best for you. The meat can be lamb, beef, or goat meat, and carrots or other vegetables can be added to the recipe. Use as much preserved lemon as you like—the more lemon, the tangier the dish; they will also add saltiness, so adjust the seasoning accordingly.



Moroccans serve the stews directly from the tagine in which it was cooked. Moroccan bread is traditionally used as a utensil to scoop everything up, and harrisa (hot chili pepper paste) can be offered as a condiment.

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion (sliced for tagine, chopped for pot or pressure cooker)
3 cloves garlic (pressed or finely chopped)
1 1/2 pounds/700 grams potatoes (peeled and sliced for tagine, cut into wedges for pot or pressure cooker)
1 pound/about 1/2 kilogram lamb, beef, or goat meat
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: Pinch of saffron threads (crumbled)
A small handful of fresh parsley or cilantro sprigs (tied into a bouquet for tagine, chopped for pot or pressure cooker)
Large handful of red or green olives
1/2 or 1 whole preserved lemon (quartered)
1 1/2 cups water for tagine (3 cups for pot or pressure cooker)
Steps to Make It
Tagine Method
Pour the olive oil into the base of a tagine; arrange the onion slices across the bottom and distribute the garlic on top. Add the potato slices (you can arrange them neatly if you like) and place the meat on top of the potatoes in the center.


Sprinkle the spices as evenly as possible over the meat and potatoes. Add the parsley bouquet, olives, preserved lemon, and about 1 1/2 cups of water.


Cover the tagine and place on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat and allow the tagine to reach a simmer. This can take some time, so be patient. Once a simmer is achieved, reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the simmer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and can be pulled apart with your fingers.

Conventional Pot Method
Mix the meat with chopped onion, garlic, chopped parsley, spices, and olive oil in a large pot. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Add 3 cups of water and cover. Simmer the meat for about 1 1/2 hours.

Add the potatoes, olives, and preserved lemon, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the potatoes. Partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is reduced until thick. Toward the end of the cooking, taste for salt and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Pressure Cooker Method

Mix the meat with chopped onion, garlic, chopped parsley, spices, and olive oil. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 3 cups of water and cover. Cook the meat with pressure for about 35 minutes, or a little longer if using lamb or goat meat.

Add the potatoes, olives, and preserved lemon, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the potatoes. Partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is reduced until thick. Toward the end of the cooking, taste for salt and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Double bean & roasted pepper  Ingredients with easy Cooking Method

Ingredients
2 onions

, chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 yellow or orange peppers

, finely chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil

 or rapeseed oil
2 x 460g jars roasted red peppers
2 tsp chipotle paste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
400g can refried beans
3 x 400g cans kidney beans

, drained and rinsed
2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed

easy Cooking Method

Put the onions, celery and chopped peppers with the oil in your largest flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan, and fry gently over a low heat until soft but not coloured.

Drain both jars of peppers over a bowl to catch the juices. Put a quarter of the peppers into a food processor with the chipotle paste, vinegar, cocoa, dried spices and herbs. Whizz to a purée, then stir into the softened veg and cook for a few mins.

Add the tomatoes and refried beans with 1 can water and the reserved pepper juice. Simmer for 1 hr until thickened, smoky and the tomato chunks have broken down to a smoother sauce.

At this stage you can cool and chill the sauce if making ahead. Otherwise add the kidney and black beans, and the remaining roasted peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces, then reheat. (This makes a large batch, so once the sauce is ready it might be easier to split it between two pans when you add the beans and peppers.) Once bubbling and the beans are hot, season to taste and serve.

Moroccan Kefta Kebab Ingredients And Preparation

Kefta is ground beef or lamb, typically mixed with cumin, paprika, minced onion, coriander, and parsley. The cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and mint leaves are optional, but highly recommended. This recipe includes the traditional quantities of these spices and herbs, but you may adjust to your taste.



Seasoned kefta makes a superb grilled kebab (brochette)—the meat mixture is formed onto a skewer like a skinny meatloaf and grilled. The kefta kebabs are delicious with a fresh salad and a side of couscous, as well as served on bread with tomato and roasted pepper salad. It is also the foundation of a number of other Moroccan dishes.

Moroccan Kefta Kebab Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or lamb, or a combination of the two)
Optional: 3 ounces beef or lamb fat
1 medium onion (chopped very fine or grated)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: 1 tablespoon mint leaves (chopped, excellent with lamb)
Steps to Make It

Moroccan Kefta Kebab Preparation

Gather the ingredients.


Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and let sit for 1 hour or longer to allow the flavors to blend. The kefta is then ready to shape and cook.

combine meat and seasonings

Turkish kebabs with tomato chilli sauce Ingredients with Cooking Instruction

Ingredients
2 garlic cloves
200g Greek yogurt
1 lemon
, juiced
2 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp chilli flakes (Aleppo are nice)
2 tsp sumac

4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
300g baby plum tomatoes
1 thumb-sized red chilli, stem removed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
To serve
4 Middle Eastern flatbreads
long pickled chillis (guindillas)
a handful fresh coriander
a handful fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Instruction

Crush 1 garlic clove and mix with 3 tbsp yogurt, the lemon juice, 1 tsp tomato purée, half the spices, and some seasoning in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, toss, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr or overnight.

Make the chilli sauce. Put 100g of the tomatoes, the whole red chilli, the remaining spices, garlic clove and tomato purée, plus 1 tbsp olive oil, half the red onion and the pomegranate molasses in a food processor. Add some seasoning and pulse until puréed, then set aside.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and heat a griddle pan. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers or wooden ones that have been soaked, then wipe off the excess marinade. Skewer the remaining tomatoes on a separate skewer. Lightly oil the griddle with the remaining olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 mins, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, griddle the tomatoes for 1-2 mins, turning halfway through so they have griddle marks on both sides.

Serve the chicken and tomatoes on flatbreads with the remaining red onion, pickled chillis, the remaining Greek yogurt, parsley and coriander with the chilli sauce spooned over.

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