Honey-Sesame Tofu

I used to hate tofu, but I learned to like it a few years ago. Normally when I order it at a Chinese restaurant it's deep fried, which kind of misses the point. It's a light, low-fat, high-quality protein. I really like it now that I have a band in my tummy. It's nice and soft and doesn't get stuck on the way down :)

This is a recipe that I have made with other forms of protein too. I've used chicken and shrimp (my favorite). It works really well with all three, and you can adjust the sauce to taste. The sauce only has 3 ingredients (4 if you had red pepper flakes).

To begin, you need:



1 block of firm tofu, pressed, drained, and sliced
corn starch to dredge the tofu

And for the sauce:
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (yum!)

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if you like

Dredge the slices of tofu in corn starch. This is the key to crispy, delicious tofu. Fry the slices of tofu in a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil. Let it cook for a few minutes on each side, until it is brown and crispy. GIve it about 5 minutes on one side, and 3-4 minutes on the other.

Whisk together your sauce ingredients and pour over the tofu. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for just a couple of minutes, to glaze the tofu. Add the toasted sesame seeds once it's plated.





I served mine with Basmati rice and a frozen vegetable mix. The vegetables were tossed with 1 minced clove of garlic and 1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger. I also added a couple splashes of soy sauce.

Nom!

Mercimek Koftesi - Red Lentil Patties

Today I decided to make a couple of my favorite Turkish dishes. These savory lentil patties are a mezze dish - a cold appetizer. They make a great meat-free meal on their own, served in lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredients



Red lentils - 1 cup
Fine bulgar - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
Green onions - 2 or 3, finely sliced
Parsley - 1/2 bunch, finely chopped
Cumin - 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional) - 2 tsp

Rinse the lentils and cook them in 3 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add the bulgar. Stir, cover and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes.



Using a spoon, finely mash the lentils to a paste. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and chill for 1 hour. When chilled, form into patties. Chill until times to serve.






I like to serve mine with more garlic-dill yogurt.

Sunday

Today is the sun's day, and to honor the sun, I decided to hit the kitchen and make some foods the remind me of the sun, whether in color, heat, or (masculine) energy.

Carrots - Masculine. Obviously a phallic symbol. The orange color resembles the sun, especially when the vegetable is sliced into discs.

Dill - Masculine. Ruled by Mercury. Element: Fire.
Uses: intelligence, mental powers, psychic powers, self-improvement, study, travel, and wisdom. Can also be used in love spells.

Parsley - Increases sexual energy and increases fertility (w00t!)

Onion - Same as parsley

I have included some feminine ingredients today as well. Yogurt is one. I am also going to share a lentil recipe with you. Lentils are ruled by the Moon. Tomorrow is the moon's day and I am getting ready.

Now, some books state that we should not incorporate ingredients with conflicting energies into the same recipes. For example, you do not want to make a recipe that includes foods for promoting psychic or mental powers with ingredients that promote increased sexuality. However, I am not making anything for a specific magical purpose. I'm cooking because I'm bored, hungry, and have some ingredients to get rid of before I travel to the US for my vacation!

Baked Carrot Fritters - Firinda Havuc Mucver

Maybe some of you were wondering what I eat now that I live in Turkey. Okay, so most of you probably weren't, but I'm going to share a recipe with you anyway. The original recipe contains zucchini and it's usually deep fried. I found a baked zucchini fritter recipe at http://almostturkish.blogspot.com and have adapted it a bit. If you have a lot of zucchini this summer, I highly recommend Burcu's recipe. It's delicious. This is my carrot version.

Cast of Characters



Flour - 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsps
Grated carrot - approximately 3 cups
Parsley and Dill, fresh - about 1/3 cup each
Green onions - 3
Oil - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 3
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional) I used about 1 teaspoon

Grate the carrots and finely chop your herbs. Thinly slice the green onions. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, oil, red pepper, and eggs. If your batter is a bit too thick, you can thin it out with some milk. I sometimes add another egg too, if I'm using both carrots and zucchini (about 2 cups each).



Isn't that pretty? I wish you could smell the combination of green onions, parsley, and dill. It's heavenly!

Fold those beautiful vegetables and herbs into the batter and spread into a greased baking dish. Place into a preheated oven (375 degrees) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Check it by placing a knife in the middle. When it comes out clean, you're good to go.

Before



After



The Perfect Accompaniment

Mince 1 clove of garlic with some thick, plain yogurt (1 cup) and add 2 tablespoons fresh dill and salt to taste.




There's nothing left to do but eat!

Seasonal Eating

One of the ways in which we can better attune ourselves to the cycles of nature is by buying and eating seasonal produce. Not only is it cheaper to buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season, but the produce is also much more flavorful. Since different states and countries have different growing seasons (especially when you think about the Northern and Southern hemispheres), it isn't a bad idea to hop on the internet and search for what is in season in your particular area.

www.nrdc.org allows you to search by state and season.

If you are outside of the US as I am, you can still find information on the internet. No matter where yo uare, one of the best ways to see what is in season is to visit a farmer's market.

For many of us, spring means asparagus and spinach. It also means broccoli, cauliflower, arugula (rocket/roka), peas, spring onions, new potatoes, rhubarb, apricots, strawberries, and cherries. I've been seeing watermelons in Istanbul for weeks. I don't know where they're coming from, but they're already ripe and delicious. What a treat!

Seasonal eating and cooking is good for our bodies and our souls because it helps us tap into the wheel of the year. It is important for us to become aware of our surroundings and see the bounty that the goddess bestows upon us throughout the year, every year.

The goddess provides wonderful things for us. We just need to be able to recognize it. I recommend picking up a good book on wild foods and learning to recognize some of the edible plants that might be growing in your very back yard. However, I do not recommend foraging for wild mushrooms. It is much too risky, and one mistake may be all it takes. Also, if you do wish to forage for wild food such as dandelions and purslane, don't pick anything that is growing close to the road or anything that has been sprayed with pesticide. Wash everything very well.

Talking about the abundance of foods that are provided for us also reminds me of the people on this planet who do not have enough food. It is important that we keep these people in our prayers, and it is also imperative that we help them when we can. If you are able to do so, please make a contribution to your local food bank. And yes, I mean even if it isn't a secular organization! You know who you are... There are also sites on the internet that provide donations of food to the less fortunate. Visit them, and contribute when you can.

Until next time, afiyet olsun.

Midsummer

Midsummer is only a few short weeks away. I'm happy to say I will be back in my home state during that time, but as of yet I have no plans for the actual celebration.

Midsummer celebrates the God in all his glory. The Goddess is heavy with child, as the trees and plants grow heavy with their bounty. The Oak King and the Holly King are one. The Oak King is young and full of vigor, while the Holly King represents maturity and wisdom. Midsummer is a classic time to perform all kinds of magick. Herbs harvested at dawn on this day are considered to be especially potent.

Some symbols of Midsummer are the sun, fire, blades, oak leaves, mistletoe, sun wheels, and faeries.

Some of the foods and herbs in tune with this holiday include lemons, oranges, , fresh vegetables, lavender, chamomile and thyme.

Decorate your table/altar with herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables of the season, blue and green candles, and burn lavender, rose, cinnamon, or citrus incense.

Set up tables outside in your yard if you can, or find a nice park. Provide your loved ones with the following feast and nourish their bodies they can perform their healing, purifying, or love magick. They will be fed in body and spirit.

Midsummer Menu

Chamomile-Lavender Iced Tea with Honey

Pumpernickel Bread (with spinach-dill dip)

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

Grilled Summer Salmon with Herbs

Key Lime Pie



Iced Tea
This couldn't be simpler. Depending on the amount of iced tea you want to make, steep chamomile tea bags in hot water for a few minutes, along with a good tablespoonful of dried lavender buds, wrapped in cheese cloth. Sweeten with honey. Chill. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Grilled Veggie Salad

1 each red and orange/yellow bell pepper
2 small zucchini
1 small eggplant
4 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned
1 red onion
3 small leeks (optional, if you don't want too much onion flavor)
Assorted salad greens
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
4-6 ounces goat cheese

Rub the bell peppers with oil and roast on the grill until the skins blacken. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to sit and steam for about 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel, core and slice into strips.

Preheat the grill. Blanche the leeks (carefully cleaned) and the red onion (sliced into wedges) in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Slice the zucchini and eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Brush all the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables separately until barely done, about 5-7 minutes, turning once. Slice the mushrooms into strips after they come off the grill.

Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a 2:1 (oil to vinegar) ratio. Add the fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad greens with the dressing and arrange on plates. Top with the grilled vegetables and chunks of goat cheese. If desired, a little extra balsamic vinegar can be drizzled over the grilled vegetables. If you aren't a fan of goat cheese, some shaved Parmesan would also do nicely, or leave the cheese out completely.


Grilled Summer Salmon with Fresh Herbs

4 medium to large salmon fillets
4 sprigs each fresh thyme, basil and rosemary
1/2 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
3 - 4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper

In a blender combine everything except the salmon. If using fillets that have the skin, apply the herb mixture on the skinless side. On a preheated grill that has been sprayed with nonstick spray, grill the salmon 3-4 minutes on each side.

Stay tuned for Pumpernickel Bread with Spinach-Dill Dip and Key Lime Pie

I need a typing break! :)