Searching4Zen

Welcome to Searching4Zen, a recipe sharing and blog discussing adventures in Food & Wine, Travel and Cycling. We hope you will register with us and share your comments.

  • Citrus-Drizzled Vegetable Kebabs

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    Ingredients 8 medium red and yellow beets, scrubbed 8 wooden (or metal) skewers 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 1 lb. brussels sprouts 1 medium red onion 2 medium zucchini 2 medium yellow squash 1 tbsp lemon zest 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp orange Zest ¼ cup orange juice 1 tbsp grapefruit zest ¼ cup […]

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  • Zucchini Mousakka with Garbanzo Beans (Nohutlu Kabak Musakka)

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    Ingredients 4 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/4 cup ground meat 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced 3-4 tomatoes, diced or 1 can of petite diced tomato 1 cup of canned garbanzo beans 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste or chile […]

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  • Black Olive Cake (Zeytinli Kek)

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    Ingredients 2 cups of chopped and pitted black olives (I was going low with my delicious Turkish olives, so I used canned olives) 3/4 cup sun flower, canola, or olive oil 1 cup plain yogurt 2 cups of flour 3 eggs 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or 1 1/2 tbsp dried mint flakes 1 bunch […]

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  • Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce

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    Ingredients 1 pound russet potatoes 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 6 ounces Parmesan, finely grated, divided 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup heavy cream 1 sprig rosemary 1 1/4′-thick slice fresh ginger 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, […]

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  • Patates Salatasi – Turkish Potato Salad

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    Ingredients Olive oil — 1/2 cup Paprika — 1 tablespoon Ground cumin — 1 teaspoon Scallions, chopped — 1 bunch Garlic, minced — 2 to 3 cloves Waxy potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into thin slices — 2 pounds Lemons, juice only — 1 or 2 Salt and pepper — to taste Parsley, chopped — […]

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  • Baklava With Pistachios And Walnuts – Fistikli Ve Cevizli Baklava

    1 1/2 hours
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    Ingredients 230 gr/ 8oz / 1 cup melted unsalted butter 440 gr/1 lb. 2 packs of filo pastry sheets – total 24 sheets – 375 gr/ 13 oz. walnuts and unsalted pistachios, finely chopped 10 ml / 2 tsp ground cinnamon For the syrup 450 gr/ 2 ¼ cups sugar 420 ml/ 14 fl. oz. […]

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  • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Zeytinyağlı Biber Dolma)

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    Ingredients 2 lb small green bell peppers (approximately 18-20 peppers) 2 cups white rice 4 medium size onions, finely chopped (you can use a food processor) 3 tomatoes, grated 1 tomato (this one is for covering the tops of bell peppers after stuffing) 1/3 cup pine nuts 1/3 cup currants 1 tbsp all spice 1 […]

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  • Grilled Duck Breast With Charred Greens, Grapes, And Celery

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    Mellow duck, crisped skin, a garlicky, pine nut emulsion, juicy grapes, and the textures of burnt greens and crisp celery: This is a dish that hits almost every pleasure center in my brain. These duck breasts (and the following sausage coil) serve as a bridge in this chapter, leading us away from the straightforward grilling […]

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  • Garlic And Pine Nut Emulsion

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    Smoked salt is the chef-y ingredient du jour, and normally I am skeptical of such things. But in this creamy sauce of milk-soaked pine nuts blended with garlic, the seasoning lends a hit of depth and aroma. Of course, if you’d rather not make a trip to the fancy food store for it, sea salt […]

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  • Charred Greens With Green Grapes And Celery

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    I love duck best in the fall, so I’m quick to work another autumnal favorite, grapes, into this meal. Though tart green grapes are specified, any variety would work here. I like Concords, for example. This side is really more of a savory-sweet-tart garnish that cuts through the gamy meat. To make it more robust, […]

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