Antalya Bean Salad (Antalya Usulü Piyaz)

Wine Circle

Being my turn again for being responsible for the food, here is what I prepared.

Golden jubilee chicken salad

“Nigella Fresh” by Nigella Lawson

This started off live as a reworking of “coronation chicken,” that mixture I can’t help liking, against all contemporary culinary strictures, of cold chicken, mayo, mango chutney, curry powder and apricot puree (or that’s how both my grandmothers made it). But still, I wanted to pare it down, make it lighter and fresher, and so this is it. Given the year of its inception, and its derivation, it seemed only historically right to rename it thus; believe me, no political affiliations are thereby intended.

Ingredients

• 1 mango, cut into approx. 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 - 2 red chillies (to taste), seeded and finely chopped
• Juice of 1 - 2 limes (to taste)
• 1 cold, cooked whole chicken breast, cut into chunks
• 1 Little Gem or small Boston lettuce, sliced or shredded
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• Few drops toasted sesame oil

Preparation

Tumble the mango cubes, and any juice they make, into a bowl and, with your hands, mix in the chopped scallion and chilli and squeeze over the lime juice: use as much or as little as you want; frankly, the amount of juice you can get from a lime varies enormously from one to another.

I tend to leave all these to steep while I get on with the rest of my shredding and chopping, but whatever way you do it, tumble in the chunked chicken and shredded lettuce and most of the cilantro and, using your hands, toss to combine. Add the oils and toss again, then decant onto a large serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining bit of cilantro.

Serving Size

Serves 2-3

Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

• 
  Preparation
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• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
2. 2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
3. 3. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.
4. 4. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Antalya Bean Salad (Antalya Usulü Piyaz)

Piyaz is what we call bean salads in Turkey, but the term is actually Persian and means "onion." Piyaz is usually prepared with northern beans and kneaded onion; dressed with olive oil and vinegar; spiced up with pepper flakes; and decorated with tomatoes, parsley, and hard-boiled eggs. Depending on the region, piyaz might have green onions or sumac. However, in Antalya, a beautiful city with magnificent beaches and historical places on the Mediterranean coast, piyaz is made differently than the rest of Turkey. The difference is tahini and garlic, which, to my surprise since I'm not a great tahini fan, enriches the taste incredibly. In Tekirdag, my hometown, piyaz is served always with Tekirdag Meatballs. However, with tahini it can be a main dish as well.
2 cups of cooked northern beans
1 onion, cut finely in half-moons
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 or two hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 / 1Picture by:  larkspur

 

Bean and rice salad

Makes : 6 

• 190g uncooked brown rice
• 350ml water
• 1 (400g) tin kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 25g sliced fresh mushrooms
• 25g bite-size broccoli florets
• 35g chopped green pepper

• 35g chopped red pepper
• 35g chopped yellow pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped raw almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light Italian dressing
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

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Directions

Prep:20min  ›  Cook:50min  ›  Extra time:1hr chilling  ›  Ready in:2hr10min 

1. Combine the rice and water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Place cooled rice in a large bowl. Stir in the kidney beans, red onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers and almonds; season with pepper. Toss salad with the Italian dressing and olive oil.
3. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

SPINACH & FETA PIE

100g pine nuts
 5 eggs
300g feta cheese
50g Cheddar cheese
dried oregano
1 lemon
a knob of butter
400g prewashed baby spinach
1 x 270g pack of filo pastry
cayenne pepper
1 whole nutmeg, for grating

Next Crack 5 eggs into a mixing bowl and crumble in 300g of feta. Grate in 50g of Cheddar. Add a pinch of pepper, a couple of pinches of dried oregano, zest
of 1 lemon and a lug of olive oil. Once the nuts are light golden, add them to the egg mixture and mix well.

Put the empty frying pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of butter and pile in half of the spinach. Gently push and move it around and add more as it wilts down.
Meanwhile, take the pastry out of the fridge. Lay a large sheet of greaseproof paper, approximately 50cm long, on the worktop, rub a little olive oil all over it, then scrunch it up and lay it out flat again.

Arrange 4 filo pastry sheets in a large rectangle, overlapping at the edges, so they almost cover the paper. Rub some olive oil over them. Sprinkle over a good pinch of salt & pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Repeat until you have 3 layers.

Once the spinach is really nice and wilted, take the pan off the heat. Add the wilted spinach to the egg mixture and grate in ½ a nutmeg, mix well.

Move the greaseproof paper and filo into the empty frying pan so the edges spill over. Push it down into the sides of the pan, then pour in the egg mixture and spread it out. Fold the filo sheet over.

Put the pan back on a medium heat for a couple of minutes to get the bottom cooking, then put the pan into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Cherry Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 125 grams crumbled digestive biscuits
• 75 grams soft butter
• 300 grams cream cheese
• 60 grams icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 250 ml double cream
• 1 x 284 grams jar black cherry spread (e.g., st dalfour rhapsodie de fruit)

Method

1. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whiz again to make the mixture clump.
2. Press this mixture into a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.
3. Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.
4. Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
6. When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, unmould it and spread the black cherry over the top.
7. Additional information - for vegetarains make sure the cream cheese is a brand suitable for vegetarians.