KISIR ( Bulgar Wheat )

This dish is very similar to Tabbouleh and I think the main difference is the this is that the Tabbouleh is very dry and has no tomato or pepper paste.

2 cups Bulgur ( fine grain ) http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=FB500315UB288

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley

1 bunch green onion

5 mint leaves

1 lemon juice

1 finely chopped cucumber

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp pepper paste http://www.tulumba.com/icy_qsrch.asp?ops=s&x=top&tag=&s=pepper+paste

1 tbsp pomegranate sour ( optional mulberry vinegar or omit it ) http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=FB424041RE784

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

• Put the bulgur into a large bowl
• Boil 2 cups of hot water and pour it over the bulgur and stir it twice.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it stand for 7 minutes.
• Chop the green onions, mint and parsley finely.
• Stir the bulgur with a large wooden or silicon spoon and make sure bulgur soften and doubled the size (if not add some more hot water )
• Add the tomato and pepper paste and stir well.
• Add the lemon juice, paprika, green onion, parsley, mint, salt and pomegranate sour and mix well.

I used tomato and mint to decorate. Serve this with Pita or as a snack or as a side dish. This is one of my favorite party dish. It's easy to make and healty.

Pears in Red Wine

This recepei from the Mediterranean The Beatiful Cookbook.

3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) dry red wine

1 cup (8 oz / 250mg ) sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1 orange or lemon zest strips

1 teaspoon fennel seeds or aniseeds

a few peppercorns

6 large firm pears

• Peel and core the pears from the bottom and leave the steams intact


• In a sauce pan combine everything except the pears. Stirr the sugar to dissolve and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.


• Then put the pears into the liquid, cover the pot and simmer untill the pears are tender for about 30 minutes.


• Take the pears into a serving plate and refrigerate.


• Discard the seeds, zest and cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppers and thicken the liquid into a sauce (reducing it) until it is tick enough to coat a spoon, then remove from the heat and let cool.


• When the syrup is cold, pour it over the pears. Re-cover and chill for a few hours before serving.

I served this with Kaymak, Turkish Tick Cream .

Rhubarb & Orange Crumble

This recipe is from 1000 Classic Recipes for Every Cook.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 35 min

Serves: 6-8

FRUIT MIXTURE

3 or 4 stalk of Rhubarb

2 large cooking apples (I used Fuji)

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup light brown sugar

CRUMBLE

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup light soft brown sugar

1/2 cup or more toasted chopped hazelnuts

• Cut the rhubarb into 1 inch lengths and place in a large saucepan.
• Peel, core, and slice the apples .
• Grate the orange and add the rind and the juice to the apples.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 to 3 mintes.
• Add the cinnamon and sugar (1/2 cup sugar) and transfer to a oven proof dish (I used pyrex)
• Put the flour in a bowl and add the butter cubes and mix until it resembes fine bread crumbs ( a food processor can be used)
• Stir in the sugar and the nuts.
• Spoon the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit and even the top and sprinkle some nuts.
• Cook in preheated oven at 400F for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is browned. Serve hot or cold.

I adjusted the ingredients according to my taste. I like lite deserts so I am using less flour than the original recipe calls for. I made this 3 times already. The second and third times, I added blueberries into the fruit mixture and they were great. I never had rhubarb before and I love it.