Turkish Beef Casserole Food

TURKISH EGGPLANT AND GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Begin by peeling your eggplants. Using a vegetable peeler, begin at one end and remove a strip of peel from end to end. Leave a strip of peel about the same width, then peel another strip from end to end.
• Repeat this until your eggplant is peeled in a striped pattern. Peel all eggplant this way.
• Slice the eggplants about 1/4-inch thick. Put all the eggplant slices in a large bowl of salty water and let them soak for about 30 minutes. This removes the bitterness.
• Slice the green pepper into thin rings. Grate 1 tomato. Peel and chop the onion finely and fry it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender.
• Add the green pepper slices and continue frying until soft. Add the ground beef and fry until browned. Add the grated tomato, tomato paste, and spices.
• Cover the pan and let the meat simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Grate the other 3 tomatoes and put them in a small saucepan.
• Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, and sugar and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Remove the eggplant slices from the water and blot them dry with paper towels.
• Fry them on both sides in vegetable oil until tender and golden brown on both sides. Drain them well on paper towels.
• Line the bottom of a large baking tray with the fried eggplant slices to make a single layer. Make sure there are no gaps between the pieces.
• Spread the tomato sauce over the eggplant. Next, cover the tomato sauce layer with the meat mixture.
• In a large pan, melt the butter over high heat. Add the flour and turn it around a few times with a wooden spoon.
• Add the milk and seasonings and use a wire whisk to make the mixture smooth as it thickens. Your béchamel sauce is ready when it's the consistency of pudding.
• Pour the hot béchamel sauce over the meat layer, covering it completely. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
• Bake the casserole in a 360 F / 180 C oven until the top turns golden brown.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into squares.
• Serve your musakka with Turkish-style rice pilaf.

TURKISH BEEF CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and saute until soft.
• Remove seeds and rib of pepper, chop, add to saucepan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add beef cubes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cut tomatoes into small pieces, add to suacepan and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add stock and thyme.
• Season with salt and simmer for about half an hour.
• Serve with cooked rice.

TAVA OR TURKISH STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken until juices run clear.
• Puree the roasted red peppers in a blender or food processor until smooth. In the prepared casserole dish, mix the cooked chicken, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

TURKISH BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper to taste and allspice.
• Brown in batches in a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil at a time, with the onions and garlic.
• Place in a 5 litre Dutch oven, add tomatoes. If you're using whole tomatoes rather than diced, break them up a bit with a spoon. Sprinkle with thyme and oregano, add bay leaves. You can add more salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil, then decrease heat, cover and simmer for about 3 hours or till the beef is fork tender.
• If sauce gets too thick, you can add some water. If it gets too thin, bring to a boil and reduce, but do not add any flour.
• Note: my Dad used to do this in a pressure cooker all the time to save time, you can certainly do this but make sure you have enough liquid (I would probably add another can of tomatoes) and pressure cook for about 25 minutes.

BULGUR AND GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, soak bulgur in cold water for 15 to 30 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.
• meanwhile, heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat from pan.
• Add onions to skillet and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain bulgur and add to meat mixture with cilantro, dill weed, salt, pepper, chipped tomatoes, vegetable juice and lemon juice. Stir gently.
• Place mixture in a 10 x 10 x 2 inch baking dish or oven proof casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly.