Hors D'oeuvre and Salad

Cig Kofte (Raw Meatballs)

Ingredients

* 500 grams of finely minced veal
* 1 onion
* 5 tablespoons hot red pepper paste
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* salt
* black pepper
* cummin, to taste
* 1 bunch parsley
* 1 tablespoon dried mint
* 500 grams fine bulgur

1- Soak bulgur for several hours. Drain, mix with mince and knead mixture until it resembles a thick paste: approximately 25 minutes.
2- Add salt, black pepper, cummin, grated onion, chopped parsley, red pepper paste, tomato paste and continue kneading.
3- When mixture becomes soft and is well combined, shape walnut size pieces into sausage like shapes. Place on a platter of lettuce leaves and serve imediately.



Humus (Humus)

Ingredients:

* 400 grams chickpeas
* 200 grams tahin ( ground sesame seeds)
* 110 grams olive oil
* Juice of 2 lemons
* 3 teaspoons cummin
* salt
* chopped parsley

1- Soak chickpeas overnight in plenty of salt water.
2- Drain, rinse and boil chickpeas in plenty of water. Drain and remove skins of chickpeas.
3- Crush chickpeas with a fork or put through a food processor.
4- In a bowl, mix tahin, lemon juice and cummin.
5- Stir in chickpea mixture. If too thick add a small amount of water to thin out.
6- Add olive oil, stir and place on a serving plate. Dress with chopped parsley.

Patlican Salatasi (Eggplant Salad)

Ingredients:

* 4 large eggplants
* 400 grams yogurt
* 65 grams olive oil
* salt
* 3 cloves garlic

1- Grill whole eggplants until are well browned overall. Peel, add salt and olive oil and mash with a wooden spoon.
2- Add yogurt and crushed garlic. Mix thoroughly. Spoon onto serving dish and decorate with whole olives, if desired.

Fasulye Piyazi (White Beans Salad)

Ingredients:
400 grams white beans

* 2 onoins
* 90 ml olive oil
* 2 eggs
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 10 olives
* parsley
* salt

1- Soak beans overnight in plenty of water. Rinse and remove any remaining skin on beans.
2- Place beans in a suacepan with enough water to cover beans. Cook until beans are soft.
Skim the surface of water at intervals.
3- When cooked, drain and rinse beans under cold water.
4- Cut onions into rings. Place beans in a serving dish and add onion rings. Add salt to taste.
5- Drizzle olive oil over beans. Place slices of hard boiled eggs on top. Decorate with olives and pour lemon juice. Serve.

Arnavut Cigeri (Fried Liver)

Ingredients:

* 1 sheep's liver
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt
* parsley, chopped
* 220 ml oil

1- Wash liver thoroughly and remove any remaining membranes.
2- Cut into small cube shaped pieces. Wash again and allow to drain.
3- Stir through cayenne pepper. Flour and shake excess off.
4- Fry in hot oil for 1 minute, remove with slotted spoon.
5- Add chopped parsley and serve.

Beyin Tavasi ( Fried Veal Brains)

Ingredients:

* 1 veal brain
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 90 grams olive oil or sunflower oil
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1/2 lemon
* 1 Lt water
* salt
* black pepper

1- Soak brain in salt water for 1 hour. Remove inner membrane.
2- Boil the water with salt and vinegar. Add brain to boiling water and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl of cold water until it cools.
3- Remove and dry with paper towel. Cut brain in two. Slice brain halves into 1cm pieces.
4- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with a teaspoon of the flour.
5- Place brain pieces in remaining flour and then dip in egg mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle black pepper over pieces and serve hot.

Cacik (Yoghurt with Cucumbers)

Ingredients:

* 500 grams yoghurt
* 2 large cucumbers
* 30 ml olive oil
* 30 ml vinegar
* 1 teaspoon ried mint
* 4 cloves garlic
* salt

1- Peel cumcumbers, grate and mix with salt.
2- Whisk yoghurt until smooth. Add grated cumcumbers, crushed garlic, dried mint, olive oil and vinegar. Mix well. Serve.

Cerkez Tavugu (Circassian Chicken)

Ingredients:

* 1 whole chicken
* 2 pieces of bread, crust removed
* 300 grams walnuts
* salt
* cayenne pepper

1- Clean and wash chicken. Place in a pot of salt water and boil. Remove from water and set aside.
2- Grind walnuts finely. Add cayenne pepper and salt. Lightly saute walnuts on low heat until the oil of the walnuts is released. Add a tablespoon of the water used to boil the chicken. Continue to stir. Remove from heat.
3- Place mixture in cheese cloth and drain the oil.
4- Add bread pieces to walnuts and blend in a food processor.
5- Add some of the water used to cook the chicken to mixture until a thick sauce consistency is achieved.
6- Shred chicken into small piece, removing all bones. Place on serving dish and pour the walnut sauce over chicken. Drizzle some of the oil from the walnuts over entire dish.

Note: You may wish to add crushed garlic to this dish for extra taste.