Turkish Ravioli (Manti)

Preparation :
Sift flour into a large dish and set aside 1/3 cup. Add one tablespoon salt to the remaining flour, mix and make hole in the center. Blend in the eggs, gradually add 2/3 cup water and make a stiff dough. Knead for 7-8 minutes and divide into three balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel the onions, wash and chop finely. Wash the parsley, separate the leaves and chop finely. Add the onion, parsley, ½ tablespoon salt and the black pepper to the ground meat and mix. Sprinkle with flour and roll out one of the dough balls until 1 millimeter thick. Cut it into 2 cm squares, place about half a teaspoon of the filling at the center of each square and bring the four corners together at the top, press and seal. Process the remaining dough balls in the same way.

Place the remaining water and the salt in a pan and bring to boil. Add the little dough bundles (manti) and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Wash the tomato and grind into another saucepan, add margarine and simmer for about 5 minutes, add the red pepper. Pele, wash and crush the garlic and mix into the yogurt. While serving, pour the garlic yogurt over the manti and then sprinkle with the tomato sauce.

Nutritional Value (in approximately one serving)
Energy 580 cal, Protein 25.1 g, Fat 17.9 g, Carbohydrates 77.9 g, Calcium 172 mg, Iron 2.75 mg, Phosphorus 319 mg, Zinc 4 mg, Sodium 2463 mg, Vitamin A 766 iu, Thiamine 0.20 mg, Riboflavin 0.36 mg, Niacin 3.97 mg, Vitamin C 6 mg, Cholesterol 134 mg.

Notes :
It is known with the same name in many parts of Anatolia. This is a dish which has originated in the Central Asia and has survived as a very popular dish to our days. It is eaten as a single course at lunch or dinner. Depending on choice, it is either served with its cooking liquid or drained. The left over liquid is used for making soup. In Bolu region yogurt-tomato sauce is replaced with a hard cheese (kes) - walnut sauce. ¼ cup grinded kes is mixed with 1 cup crushed walnuts and sprinkled over the drained manti with browned butter sprinkled on the top. It is eaten with dried fruit paste (pestil) or pickles. In some regions the manti over which garlic yogurt is poured, is sprinkled with a red pepper - melted butter mixture.

Vine Leave Wraps with Olive Oil (Zeytinyagli Yaprak Sarmasi)

Preparation :
Wash the vine leaves and remove the coarse stems. Put the water and a teaspoon of salt in a pot. Bring to boil and add half of the leaves. Simmer them for 4-5 minutes, turning over once. Simmer the other half in similar fashion. Measure the cooking liquid and complete it to 2 3/4 cups and set aside.
Peel the onions, wash and chop finely, place in pot together with oil and nuts, cover and sautè for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir a few time with the lid removed so that the nuts are browned. Wash and drain the rice and add to the pot and stir a couple of times. Add the remaining salt, sugar and the 1 ¾ cups of the hot cooking liquid, stir and sprinkle with currants. Simmer it on first medium and then low heat for 10-15 minutes, until all the liquid is reduced. Wash the parsley and the dill and remove the stems and chop finely. Add them to the cooked rice together with mint, spices and the lemon juice and leave covered for 10 minutes. Place the vine leaves so that the side with veins face inside when wrapped. Place the prepared filling to one side, fold the side edges over he filling and then wrap it. Cover the bottom of a shallow saucepan with vine leaves and the removed parsley and dill stems and place the wrapped vine leaves over them.

Place a heat-proof flat plate over the leave wraps (dolmas). Heat the remaining boiling liquid and add to the pan slowly, pouring from the edge of the dolmas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 50 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish when cool, and garnish with lemon slices.

Nutritional Value (in approximately one serving)
Energy 441 cal, Protein 5.8 g, Fat 26.0 g, Carbohydrates 47.8 g, Calcium 137 mg, Iron 2.73 mg, Phosphorus 101 mg, Zinc 2 mg, Sodium 1136 mg, Vitamin A 4224 iu, Thiamine 0.15 mg, Riboflavin 0.07 mg, Niacin 1.11 mg, Vitamin C 28 mg, Cholesterol 0 mg.

Notes:
It is a very popular dish in all regions. It is a favorite at tea and coctail parties and picnics. The vine leaves can be pickled in brine and used out of season. In that case, they should first be soaked in warm water to reduce the salt, and the amount of salt used in the recepie should be halved.

Cold Stuffed Green Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)

Preparation :
Peel and finely chop the onions, place in a sauce pan together with the oil and the nuts, cover and put on low heat to get tender, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and stir for a few minutes to get the nuts slightly browned. Wash the rice and drain, add to the pan and stir a couple of times. Wash the tomatoes, set aside one and grate the others into the pan.

Add 2 desert spoons of salt, sugar and 1 cup of water, stir, sprinkle the currants and cook for 10 - 15 minutes first on medium and then low heat until the juices are reduced. Wash the peppers, parsley and dill, push open the stalk ends of the peppers and clean out the seeds. Sprinkle the remaining salt to the insides. Sort the parsley and dill, chop finely and add to the rice together with the mint and the spices. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Quarter the remaining tomato and slice half cm. thick. Fill the peppers with the prepared stuffing and cover the tops with tomato slices and place in a shallow pan. Cover them with a heath resistant plate. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of hot water and cook for approximately 50 minutes.

Nutritional Value (in approximately one serving) :
Energy 467 cal., Protein 6.8 g., Fat 27.7 g., Carbohydrate 50.7 g., Calcium 66 mg., Fe 2.83 mg., Phosphorus 136 mg., Zinc 2 mg., Sodium 1205 mg., Vitamin A 1576 ju., Thiamine 0.21 mg., Riboflavin 0.17 mg., Niacin 2.03 mg., Vitamin C 99 mg., Cholesterol 0 mg.

Notes :
Mostly favored in the Western regions. During meals it is served as a second course after a meat course. Also popular as an appetizer or picnic food. 

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