Turkish White Bean and Beef Stew with Pine Nut Rice Pilaf

Following my cravings for comfort food, I turned to my beloved Turkish cookbook, Turkish Cookery by Inci Kut.  I love Turkish food for it's delicious simplicity.  I am always amazed by how few ingredients can make a dish that satisfies so deeply.  My husband and I planned this meal together, drooling over the pictures in the cookbook, deciding we wanted hot soup and fluffy rice pilaf.  We decided on a simple white bean soup with beef (instead of mutton...where are you supposed to get that in the states?) and a gorgeous rice pilaf with pine nuts (maybe the best nuts ever!).

The first great thing about this meal is that it's cheap...only about $20, give or take a little.  But it makes over 12 servings, which means it's only about $1.50 per serving.  And my husband and I can eat happily for 2 days!

The second best thing is that these recipes are simple.  They takes some time, yes, but they are both one-pot dishes.  There is very little prep, and mostly just reward!  Even though I love Turkish food so much, I wasn't sure that I would be able to recreate the flavors that I remember from my time in Turkey.  However, these recipes are clearly tried and true...they are hard to mess up and with a little patience, the flavors combine into perfection.

I did have to change a few ingredients, though, since some of them are hard to find in the states.  For example, mutton (or adult sheep) is not eaten by Americans, so that's out.  I would have used lamb, but lamb in the states is highly prized and expensive.  It it very difficult to find lamb stew meat...I could only find specialty cuts like the loin or shank.  So, I stuck with beef.  Beef doesn't have quite the rich taste that lamb provides, but it is cheap and hearty.  Also, Turkey has an abundance of delicious sweet green peppers.  They use them in many dishes, but we don't have a great substitute here.  The best I could find were Anaheim peppers: long, green, and only slightly spicy.  Although they weren't quite the same, they still made the soup taste great!

So, if you're looking for some warm, comforting, easy, one-pot dishes...look no further!  These recipes are wonderful on their own, or combined.  

Side Note: I bought my cookbook in Turkey, but I found it online for any of those who are interested.  I highly recommend it.  All the recipes are good and easy to make!  Find the link HERE.


Original Recipe: "Etli Kuru Fasulye" Or White Beans with Meat
From the Cookbook Turkish Cookery by Inci Kut

2 glasses (or cups) white beans
250 grams (or about 9 oz) mutton
4 TB margarine
2 large onions
2 large tomatoes or 3 TB tomato paste
4-5 glasses (cups) meat stock or water
1 green or red pepper
salt

1. Soak the beans in cold water for 8-10 hours. Drain. Put them in boiling water and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or until they are half done. Drain them.
2. Chop onions and brown them lightly in margarine.  Add the meat and cook them, stirring from time to time, until the juice evaporates.  Add peeled and chopped tomatoes or tomato paste, the pepper cut into 4-5 pieces and 2 tsp salt.  Cover and cook on very low heat for 45 mins.
3. Add the beans and stock.  Cover and let simmer until beans are tender. Sprinkle with red pepper (I believe they mean paprika or red chile flakes) before serving with rice and mixed pickles.



T.E.A's "American-ized" Version
makes about 3 quarts (enough for 12 servings or leftovers!)

1 large onion, large dice
2 Anaheim peppers, cut into circles
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
3 cup tomato juice (or 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock...though you can use any meat/veggie stock or water!
3 15 oz cans white beans (about 3 cups)...you can use dried beans by using the directions above.
olive oil, as needed
salt to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat 3 TB olive oil on medium high heat.  Add onions and brown lightly, about 5 mins.

  Add in pepper circles and saute until slightly browned and softened, about 3 mins.  

Add in beef cubes and brown the outsides, stirring occasionally.  

Add in tomato juice and paste and about 1 tsp salt. Stir together well.  Cover and let simmer on low for about 45 mins.

2. Add in stock and beans.  Simmer for another 20-30 mins.  Taste and season with salt as necessary.
3. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Original Recipe: Garnished Rice
From Turkish Cookery

2 glasses rice
3 glasses meat or chicken stock or water
4 TB margarine
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1/4 sheep liver or 2 chicken livers
1 TB pine nuts
2 TB currants
1 bunch of dill
2 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Cover the rice with lukewarm salted water.  Leave for 20 mins. Wash 3-4 times and drain.
2. Melt margarine in a saucepan.  Add cleaned and diced liver and saute lightly. Take them out.
3. In the same saucepan, put chopped onion and pine nuts.  Brown them lightly.  Add rice.  Brown on high heat for 10 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, sugar, currants, peeled and chopped tomato and stock or water.  Mix well.
4. Cover and cook first on medium heat, later on low heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
5. Add the spices and chopped dill.  Cover well and let simmer on very low heat for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let stand for 20 more minutes.  Mix well with a wooden spoon and serve.



T.E.A's Version: Pine Nut Rice Pilaf

2 cups white rice
1 cup onion, small dice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
2-3 cup water or stock
2 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp cinnamon
olive oil, as needed

1. Add rice to a mesh colander and rinse well under cold water until the water runs clear.  Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat 2 TB olive oil on high heat.  Add onions and pine nuts and brown quickly.  Add rice and stir until each grain is coated with oil.  Saute until slightly browned and toasted.  This will ensure that the grains of rice stay separate and fluffy.

3. Add in raisins, water or stock, salt, and sugar.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.  Simmer on low until the water in absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

4. Mix in dill and cinnamon.  Turn off the heat, and let sit for another 5-10 minutes.  
5. Serve hot and enjoy!

*My rice was a bit sticky...I think I added a bit too much water.  And I don't think I toasted it long enough.  Toasting the rice properly helps the rice stay fluffy instead of sticky.

ENJOY! :)

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls...with BONUS Tomato Soup Recipe!

It's a good food night when your husband asks that you make the same dish again as soon as possible.  I'm not sure what it is about these cabbage rolls, but they just really hit the spot.  This dish was inspired by a recipe I saw on my favorite food show of all time: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.  Usually, Zimmern is seeking out the most unusual looking and tasting foods, however, in his Pennsylvania episode, he finds little corners of traditional home cooking that made my mouth water.  One tiny Polish mother made simple, but great food, and her specialty was stuffed cabbage rolls.  This dish wasn't the best looking, nor did it take up more than a few seconds of screen time, but for some reason, it hit a nerve with me.  I had to have it.  I have been deeply craving comfort food.  The type of food that is simple and warm and makes you feel perfectly content.  It isn't too rich, or complicated, or even pretty...it's just right.  

I had to look up a couple recipes to find the one I wanted, though I ended up blending a few together.  Polish cabbage rolls (traditionally called Golabki) are basically just meat stuffed cabbage leaves covered with a simple tomato sauce.  Some of the recipes that I found used pork, others used beef.  Some even used V8 as tomato sauce, though that wouldn't be my first choice.  I chose to go with beef (because we are a no-pork household), and make my own tomato sauce.  I didn't want just any tomato sauce...I wanted perfect tomato sauce that could be eaten straight out of the pot, which, I knew, would make these simple cabbage rolls into something divine.  

So, the tomato sauce below is also a great tomato soup.  It begs for a crusty baguette and a little cheese.  Tomatoes are in season right now, so this recipe would be even better with fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes work just as well.   

Also, on a little side note, I did, in fact, use simple white rice in the meat filling.  I usually cook with brown rice (if we have rice at all), but brown rice would not work well in this case because the rice in this recipe is used mainly as filler.  It is important to have a rice that will cook quickly and have a neutral flavor.  Brown rice takes too long to cook, is too chewy, and has a very distinct flavor.  It would only work in this case if you cooked it before hand, which you can do, but will take more time (and this recipe is already a bit time intensive).  I recommend using plain white rice.  It will give you the best result.


Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:
(Inspired by Ina Garten's Recipe: HERE)

 T.E.A's Tomato Sauce (or soup!)
Makes about 3 quarts

2-3 TB olive oil
1 cup carrot, medium dice
1 cup celery, medium dice
1 1/2 - 2 cups onion, medium diced
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped
1 TB fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem
1 TB fresh oregano leaves, stripped from stem (and chopped if large)

Summer herbs from my garden :)

[OR: 2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano]

5 cloves garlic, chopped
2-4 TB balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
2 28oz cans tomatoes (preferable diced.  If you have whole can tomatoes, crush them before adding to the pot)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat 2-3 TB olive oil on medium heat.  Add carrot, celery, and onion and a pinch of salt.  Stir to cover with oil.  Cover and let sweat until soft, about 10 mins.
NOTE: "sweating" is when you allow veggies to release their moisture and cook slowly in their own juices.  Covering the pot helps to keep all the liquid in.  You don't want your veggies to brown, so if they start to, turn down the heat a little bit and add a little water if needed to stop them from sticking. 

You definitely want to trap all that steam!

2. Add about 2-3 TB of balsamic vinegar and stir to coat.  Cook for another 2-3 mins or until vinegar has reduced slightly.
3. Add garlic and herbs.  Saute for 1-2 mins or until fragrant.

4. Add in tomatoes and enough water to just cover all the veggies.  Stir until combined.

5. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 mins.
6. Taste and season with more vinegar (if desired) or salt and pepper as needed.
*7. Scoop out 1 cup of sauce and add to meat mixture (see below)
8. Let soup cool slightly, then add to blender (in batches as needed) and blend into a smooth puree.

9. Serve immediately as tomato soup OR return to pot and keep warm until you are ready to pour it over your cabbage rolls.


Meat Filling
Makes about 4 cups

1 pound ground beef (I used 10% fat, though you can use lean if you like)
1/2 cup white rice
1/4 cup onion, small dice
1 egg
1-2 tsp salt, or more to taste
pepper, to taste
1 cup tomato sauce (before you puree it)

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix well.  Set aside for stuffing cabbage leaves.

Cabbage Roll Assembly:

1 head savoy (the one with wavy leaves) or green cabbage
Meat filling
Tomato sauce

casserole dish (or dutch oven if you have one!) for assembly and baking

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Heat water in a sauce pot (big enough to fit your cabbage) to boiling.
3. Wash your cabbage and remove outer leaves.  Take a sharp paring knife at cut out the core of the cabbage.

4. Turn off the heat on the sauce pot, and add the cabbage whole to boiling water.  Let sit for about 3-5 mins or until outer leaves wilt and soften.

I had to keep turning my cabbage over so that it softened evenly.

5. Remove cabbage from hot water (but keep water hot...you might need it again for the inner leaves) and let cool until you can work with it.

6. On a cutting board, lay down softened cabbage leaf and cut out the hard spine in a "V" shape with a pairing knife, making sure to leave most of the leaf intact.

7. Put about 3-4 TB meat filling on the "U" shaped end of the leaf and roll it up, tucking the leaf in on the sides.  Put the roll into a large casserole or baking dish.  Repeat this process until meat filling is gone.

8. Pour enough tomato sauce over rolls to cover them completely.  Make sure it gets in all the empty spaces between the rolls as well.

9. Bake for 1 hour or until meat and rice are fully cooked through.
10. Eat and Enjoy!

Curried Carrot Soup

Ahhh, it feels like fall here in Portland, and I've been craving apples and root veggies.  We've had company the past week, and since they're vegetarian, I've focused my cooking on vegetables.  We've had ratatouille and rice noodles, and veggies with an Asian Peanut Sauce.  Yesterday, I wanted something warm and comforting, which usually means I make some sort of soup.  And what soup is so easy and cheap....and impresses your company?  Curried carrot soup, of course!  This is one of my favorites, and now that I have a blender, I'm able to achieve that smooth, silky texture that makes this soup special.

Also, on a side note, I always wondered if it was necessary to peel your carrots.  I have learned since that it is only necessary if your carrots have a tougher skin or have been packaged for some time, because the skin becomes bitter.  If you buy fresh, farmer's market carrots that have been pulled just a few hours before and still have smooth, thin skin, there is no reason to peel them! 

Actually, I rarely, if ever, peel my carrots (even if they have slightly bitter skin).  Most of the time I don't find it necessary.  However, with this soup, I recommend it because carrot is the star of the show.  The soup should be warm and savory, but with the delicious hint of natural sweetness that comes from the carrots themselves.  Peeling insures that there will be no bitterness.

On another note, I recommend using whole coconut milk, not light or fat-free.  You need a little fat to create a smooth emulsion in this soup.  You can use light or even skip the coconut milk and just use water, but you won't get quite the same texture.  Plus, coconut is a healthy fat!

This soup is the perfect early fall/late summer offering.  It pairs well with meat or veggies.  It would be great with tiny beef or lamb meatballs.  It would also be delicious as a sauce over chicken.  The base recipe is great, but it is so simple that you can invent many different recipes around it! :)


T.E.A's Curried Carrot Soup

2 TB coconut oil (or vegetable oil for sauteing)
1 medium onion, medium dice
4 cloves garlic, fine chop
1 TB curry powder (see homemade recipe below, but storebought is ok too!)
10 large carrots, peeled and chopped in a large dice
1 can whole coconut milk
salt to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil on medium high heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt.  Saute onions until they are soft and translucent.  Add a little water as needed to keep the onions from browning too much...watch for steam as you add the water!
2.  Add garlic and curry powder to onions.  Saute for 1-2 mins or until fragrant.

3. Add chopped carrots to onion mix and add enough water to just cover the veggies plus about 3 tsp salt.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a slow boil.  Boil until carrots are soft, about 20-30 mins (depending on how large you chopped them!).  I judge softness by how easily a butter knife goes through them...it should feel like butter when you cut them: soft, but with a little firmness.
5. Pour the soup through the colander that is set over a large bowl to catch the carrots, but still preserve the liquid.  Add carrots to a blender and add enough coconut milk to cover them (you might have to do several batches) and puree until silky smooth (about 1-2 mins).  Add more coconut milk or preserved liquid as needed.  The consistency of this soup should be silky and about as thick as heavy cream (or thicker if you like...I usually make mine a little thick).
6. Taste soup and season with salt as necessary.  Enjoy immediately! Or pour finished soup in a smaller pot and keep warm until you are ready to eat.         

The Experimental Alchemist's Curry Powder:  makes about 1/4 cup

(This recipe takes from both Indian and African influences.  There are thousands of different curry recipes depending on the cuisine, region, and household. So, don't be afraid to experiment with your own curry mixtures!  After all, it's all about how you want your food to taste.  Some additions to curry powder can be dried ground ginger, fenugreek, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and chili powder.)

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp cardamom seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Heat a dry skillet on medium high heat.  Add in the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds.  Toast seeds while shaking pan continuously for about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn seeds.
Add all ingredients into a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle) and grind into a smooth powder.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!