Sores Dogan : Root vegetable recipes

Root vegetable recipes: Turkish carrots and lentils

Serves four to six
You can serve it as a side dish, or as a main course with rice or bulgur wheat. It also makes a very good meze, served at room temperature with other ‘little’ dishes.
4 tbsp olive oil
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1 onion, cut into slim crescent-moon slices
4 cloves garlic,
finely chopped
1½ tsp coriander
seeds, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
100g (3½oz) green or puy lentils
6 large carrots, cut into rounds
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp caster sugar
275ml (9½fl oz) water or vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped mint, parsley or dill (or a mixture of two of these)
good squeeze of lemon
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it is soft and pale gold. Add the garlic, coriander seeds and chilli and cook for a further two minutes. Now add
everything else except the herbs, lemon and extra-virgin oil. Season, going easy on the salt if you are using stock rather than water. Bring to the boil and cook until
the carrots and lentils are tender and the liquid has been absorbed (top up the liquid if you need to). It should take about 30 minutes, but it might be a bit more.
The lentils should not become mushy but should retain their shape; green ones need extra vigilance. Taste, add whatever herb you are using and a good squeeze of lemon,
then taste again and adjust the seasoning. Add a good slug of extra-virgin oil. Serve at any temperature you like. Greek yogurt into which you have stirred some
crushed garlic is great on the side.

Clay Pot Cookery

Cooking Tip of the Day

Clay pot cooking is one of the oldest methods of food preparation, dating back to Roman times. The Romans knew that by soaking clay pots before cooking in them, you create a moist cooking environment that results in a most moist and tender food with a wonderfully robust flavor with a minimum amount of effort.

Since the clay pot was soaked prior to cooking, during the cooking process, the walls of the pot help to diffuse the heat from the oven and as it warms, it releases the water in the clay as steam. The most famous clay pot cooker is the Römertopf (literally meaning “Roman pot”) from Germany. Since it was first introduced in 1967, it has influenced the way people cook.

With today’s emphasis on healthful eating, the Römertopf clay pot is perfect since there’s no need to add any cooking oils or fats to meat dishes since they will cook in their own juices. Food is thoroughly cooked and retains its natural flavors, nutrients and vitamins. Additionally, clay is a natural product and perfectly safe to use.

The clay pot is very versatile and adapts easily to existing recipes written for other cooking methods. It fits today’s busy lifestyle perfectly since you can place it in your oven and go out and not worry about overcooking the meal. Also you can make foods that would normally take 5-6 hours in a crock pot and make them with as good or even better results in a Römertopf clay pot in a fraction of the time. My Chili recipe that normally takes 7-8 hours in a crock pot took only 1 ¾ hour and was perfect…

One pot can do it all…. roast meat… make casseroles… bake vegetables… bake bread…. a truly versatile pot…. and if you prefer Römertopf has a complete line of clay cookware that comes in all sizes, shapes and types… there are various sizes of the basic Römertopf pot and also Garlic Bakers, Bread Bakers, Vegetable Bakers… not to mention the really unique Banana Baker and Corn Baker…. and much more.