Herb Rice with Slivered Almonds / Yeşil Pilav

Writer's Note: There is nothing I miss more than the rice in Turkey.  For some reason, no matter how many pots of rice I cook in the States, it never has the same flavor as the pots my grandmother cooked up for every meal (it may have to do with the fact that I will never be able to justify dropping a whole stick of butter in the pan).  I found this recipe for spinach rice in Greg and Lucy Malouf's Turquoise and made it over the holidays.  I had to adapt the recipe for almonds instead of pistachios, and the amount of liquid listed was too much, but the recipe is a pretty good facsimile of my grandmother's rice.  You can even replace most of the butter with olive oil, but for a real authentic flavor the nuts should be browned in butter (you only live once).  Now if I only had a balcony overlooking the Bosphorus and a nice breeze . . .

Ingredients:

7 oz. basmati or jasmine rice
1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
6 tbsp. butter or 4 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/4 lbs. spinach, washed and shredded
3 oz. slivered almonds
1/2 cup shredded fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup shredded fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Bring the stock to a boil and then lower the heat and keep at a simmer.

Melt 4 tbsp. butter or heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan.  Add the onion and saute over low-medium heat until translucent.  Add the spinach and fresh herbs and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated.

Add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and add the stock.  Boil and then simmer covered over very low heat for 12 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. butter and add almonds and stir continuously over medium heat until the almonds start to color; remove immediately from the heat.  Do not let them burn!

Add the nuts to the rice, without stirring, and replace the lid for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and use a fork to fluff the rice just enough to combine the nuts and rice.  Check the moisture level in the rice -- if it seems too wet, leave it uncovered for about 5-10 minutes.

Cover the pan with a clean folded towel, replace the lid, and let it sit until you serve it.  

Tomato Bulgur Pilaf / Domatesli Bulgur Pilav

Writer's Note: I've neglected this site for way too long. Excuse? Ten-day trip to Turkey with classmates. No earthquake, no coup, no lost students. Entirely a success. The food was, as always, amazing. Before I left I made a Turkish dinner for a small group of friends with this bulgur pilav. Serve it with any meat dish.

Ingredients:

2 cups course-grained bulgur, washed

3 cups onions, diced

1-2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3-4 small peeled tomatoes, canned or fresh, diced

6 tbsp. butter or 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions and stir until translucent. Add the green pepper, jalapeños, and tomatoes and cook down until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the bulgur, salt, and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the beef broth, bring to a boil, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid.