Semolina Halva/ Irmik helvasi

Bowl tells it all, I love semolina halva!

Definitely one of the most famous desserts in Turkish Cuisine is Halva
The one with flour is more common but semolina version, especially when served hot with icecream is among the favorites...
Easy to make too..

Ingredients
2 cups of Turkish semolina (other types of semolinas have different texture so your dessert mayfail)
12 tb spoons of unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
1 tb spoon pinenuts

1.5 cups milk
2 cups water
1.2 cups sugar


How to make Semolina Halva
Melt the butter in a pan, add the pine nuts and semolina.
Stir conitnously until it turns light brown. Be craful, dont overcook!
Meanwhile mix water,milk, sugar and warm till sugar melts.
After smelona is ready add mil mixture, mix and cover, and turn the heat off.
 Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
You an enjoy immediately, or serve later.

Picture and recipe from Selva, a well known semolina brand

Notes:

I did not have pine nuts so used coconut.

Cinnamon can be used as topping.

You can try other nuts ,too but pine nuts go best with semolina halva.
Afiyet olsun!

Home-made chocolate pudding (from scratch)

Home-made chocolate pudding (from scratch) 

Easy to make and so delicious, trust me! No need to buy those instant mixes that are full of additives, artifial ingredients and (to me) artifical tastes.

Ingredients

Takes 10 minutes to cook, serves 4-6

1/2 half corn starch

1 cup sugar

4 cups of milk

2 table spoons of dark cocoa ( I use special dark Hershey's cocoa)

How to prepare the chocolate pudding:

Put the dry ingredients in  saucepan over medium heat,

add milk slowly, stirring continuously.

After it comes to full boil, lower the hear, let it simmer for 2 minutes. Yes, still keep stirring!

I like toppping with coconut flakes or nuts, so top with your favorite as fruit, strawberry, banana, toffe bites.

Afiyet olsun!

Yogurt dessert (Yogurt cake with syrup)

Yoghurt Cake with Syrup/ Yoghurt Dessert 

3 eggs

1 cup yoghurt

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 table spoons melted butter

2 cups flour

1 table spoon baking powder

Lemon zest (optional )

Syrup

3 cups sugar

3 cups water

1 table spoon lemon juice

How to prepare:

First prepare the syrup and set aside.The cake should be hot, syrup should be cold fro best results.

Beat the yoghurt and confectioner's sugar. 

Add eggs, butter and 

Sift flour and baking powder, add to the mixture.

bake at 360F until the top is golden.

Cut into slices, diamond or square or heath shaped :), add syrup let is absorb all. Covering with a tray would be helpful.

Let it cool in the refrigerator before serving.

Top with coconut flakes or  nuts as desired.

Enjoy! Afiyet olsun!

This picture was taken at the competition

Notes:

I made this dessert for the International Potluck Competition at Pitt last year. It was the winner of dessert category! Everyone enjoyed the taste as well as the hearty , beautiful look ;)

Ramadan is just a week away! This dessert is ideal for iftar dinners, for the family or for the guests!

Homemade Turkish baklava (from filo-dough)

 The easiest baklava ever!

Takes 10 minutes to prepare, no kidding!

Recipe , coming soon!

1 packet of (1 lb ) filo dough

1.5 sticks of butter, unsalted, melted

1.5 cups of shredded walnuts (pistachios or hazelnuts)

Syrup

1.5 cups sugar

1.5 cups of water

1/2 lemon juice

Naturally green cupcakes!

Here is the rule:

Before serving somene this cake, ask what is inside and get impressed with the creative guesses you get AND

enjoy their suprise when they hear this is 'spinach cake!'

No! it does not taste spinach at all!

Great for not-so-spinach-lover kids a!

If you are not friends with food coloring like me, here is a formulas for naturally green cakes!

You can call this Hulk cake to make it more attractive for little ones.

If you are not scared to reveal about spianch, you can call 'Favorite of pop eye!" as well!

naturally green cupcakes with colorful sprinkles 
(nope, sprinkles are not natural:()

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1  cup sugar

1 cup of spinach, washed, drained

3/4 cup  oil

2 1/2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

Also:

2 cups of whipped cream, I prefer extra creamy

Topping

Kiwi, pistachios, coconut or cake crumbs

Green crust cheesecake!

How to make the green cakes:

Blend the spinach with oil at high speed

Beat the eggs and sugar with mixer.

Add the spinach puree , mix well.

Then add flour and baking powder. 

Bake at 350 F.

Cut cake into two after it cools down

Put 3/4 cups of cool whip, place the half of the cake on top and cover the whole cake with cool whip.

Top with  Kiwi, pistachios, coconut or cake crumbs that you saved from the middle of the cake when you cut.

 

This can be a birthday cake as well as colorful cupcakes or even a green cheesecake crust!

Ashura/ Aşure / Noah's Pudding

12.18.2010
Click here and here to see the winner Asure of the "Best Asure competition"!

This was chosen as the best Ashura at a local competition. The judges were diverse : Turkish, American and Peruvian  :) So this means this Ashura has an internationally proven taste:)

I should mention that I am not a picky cook, the amount of the ingredients are subject to change ( I don't even remember for some of them how much I added.) Actually for ashura, in general there is no unique way and ingredient list to cook but major ones: wheat, beans, raisins ( I don't like it so skipped) apricots and of course sugar!
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

This would yield ~40 cups

1 cup wheat (I used a little more than that)

1 cup rice (precooked)
1 cup chick peas ( I used canned )
1 cup navy  & northern beans ( I used canned) )
1 packet ~ 100 gr of dried apricots (Turkish ones are the best! You can find in many American grocery stores as well) ( diced into small pieces and stayed in water to make it softer)

Figs ( diced into small pieces and stayed in water to make it softer)

Poppy seed

Sesame ( at least 2 full teaspoons, i cooked them)

Black seeds

1 table spoon butter

1cup milk

1 table spoon honey

1 pinch salt

1 orange peel, (diced into cubes and boiled in water, discard the water, it has a bitter taste)

Half lemon zest

~5 cups sugar

Other options  may be but not limited to:
Almonds, peanuts, apple,orange, pear, raisins, prune, any dry or or fresh fruit  as desired

Clove, rose water for the flavor

Topping: 

walnuts, pistachios , peanuts, sesame, coconut, almonds, pomegranate 

Also cinnamon, hazelnuts

How to prepare Asure / Ashura/ Noah's Pudding?

One night before: 

(Soak wheat  in water before if possible)

Boil wheat in a big pan with 5 cups of water for about 10 minutes and turn the heat. It will adsorb the water and get soften in the morning

The day you cook:Add ~4 cups of water to the precooked wheat and let it boil. 

*At each step stir continuously ,don't let the bottom stick Add chickpeas, dry beans and precooked rice. 

Add dry fruits.

Add seeds.Add milk

Add salt and sugar and boil for additional 10-15 minutes.
Serve with toppings, decorate and enjoy!

It will get thicker as it cools down so you may add boiled water as needed while cooking.*You can add more/less water/ sugar depending on your preference.
Afiyet Olsun, Good Appetite!