Speedy Shredded Carrot, Cabbage and Caraway / Cumin Salad

A five minute side dish for something slightly different - almost a cross between a salad and a slaw...

Great with my quick Turkish griddled chicken breasts.

You can throw this together in minutes, and it will happily keep chilled for a few hours (or while your Turkish chicken marinates for a minute and you prepare the other side/s), as there's no lettuce in it to wilt

Serves two, generously - easily doubled and a great one to stick through the food processor if you're making in larger quantities and want to save time. 71 calories per serving.

Quick Turkish-Marinated Griddled Chicken Breasts

For when you can't be bothered with lighting the barbecue, or marinating things for several hours then threading them on skewers, but still want the flavour of traditional chicken shish kebabs...

This is a great 'cheat', and it takes minutes to make the marinade and prepare the chicken - then you can leave it to sit while you prepare your salad and any sides you fancy with it. 

You could even salt a handful of grated cucumber while your chicken is marinating it, then squeeze and mix with Greek yoghurt for a dip just before you cook the chicken (or make full on cacik / tzatziki), along with my speedy shredded cabbage, carrot and cumin salad (like a cross betweeen a salad and a slaw, with Turkish flavours which takes about 5 minutes to prepare and you can have a generous helping about 4 times bigger than what you can see on the plate above for only 71 calories! Click here for the recipe) and a mixed side salad. Also shown with my Turkish red cabbage salad and easy Turkish rice.

Serves two, 153 calories per serving.

How to butterfly a chicken breast...

"It's only easy when you know how"...

'Butterflying' chicken breasts is basically opening them out, so that they're as flat and even as they can be, in order that they cook evenly. It only takes a minute or less, once you know how to do it, and saves on cooking time, giving you juicy, tender chicken which is evenly cooked through in minutes, without burning or drying out the outside layers, making it really easy and quick to grill, griddle or barbecue chicken breasts.

Above are two chicken breasts, both the same size and weight, the only difference being that the one on the left has been 'butterflied' by opening it out so that it's approximately the same thickness all over.

Get the BBQ Out for a Turkish Night In! (Or the Grill or Griddle...)

The nights are getting warmer, and it's time to get the BBQ out and fire it up - whether it's for friends, or family, or just the two of you.

There are some foods just made for barbecuing. Many countries have their own versions of kebabs, and barbecued meats and fish and vegetables. Turkey is no exception, and cooking food over burning coals (as on a mangal) is a speciality.

And, bonus - it can be pretty healthy too, and you wouldn't even know it!

So I've put together a little collection of my Turkish recipes, for a tasty evening to share with friends or family - you can either scale down by half, warm up leftovers the next day, or freeze half of the meat uncooked for another time if the quantities are too large for you (the rice and hummus freeze well too). I've also included a shopping list below, as well as a key to what to prepare and when, to make it easy to put together.

If you're counting calories, then here's an example of how surprisingly few it adds up to per portion - you can eat everything pictured on the above plate for under 500 calories (and that's with full fat Greek yoghurt, and full fat organic lamb mince - so no compromise on flavour with dry, extra lean beef steak, either!) - and if you're not counting, you can have some nibbles beforehand, and go back for seconds! You could have just chicken skewers, or just lamb skewers with everything else and adjust the calorie count accordingly.

All in all, this is fantastic as either a healthy and delicious meal that's a real treat - or use the recipes the next time you get the BBQ out to entertain your friends, for something a little bit different and completely delicious! Click on the highlighted  text to go to each different recipe. [Calories in square brackets if you're counting]

Turkish (Lamb) Adana Kebabs / Kofta Kebabs - the Really Mouth-Watering Recipe... (AKA How to be a Kebab King/Queen!)

It may seem like I enthuse a lot over some of my recipes, but I only do that when I think they're really, really good and I've spent time perfecting them!

And this one, I tried making with different levels of herbs and spices, then different ratios of lamb and beef, and different fat proportions, until the combination of the spices, and the flavour and succulence of the meats just sang. Even thinking about how juicy and tasty these kebabs are, straight off a hot smoky barbecue makes my mouth water!

For me, there has to be lamb present as a majority. And I'm afraid it can't be lean, or extra lean lamb. If you're able to mince your own, or go to the butcher to buy your mince, then make sure it's from shoulder of lamb. The fat content is pivotal in getting those kebabs all juicy and sizzling and tasty ('Fat is flavour' as someone once said).

I've tried it with beef mince only, and for me, it just doesn't work. (Because the whole 'lamb' flavour is missing, obvs). Making it with lean or extra lean beef alone just yields a really dry result, I'm afraid. And I'm spoilt by having tasted really good Turkish Adana kebabs and being fortunate enough to have a really good Turkish restaurant within 20 minutes drive. Who cook their kebabs on a proper mangal, on top of burning coals. Mmmmm.

Anyway, I digress. I found my perfect balance of lamb vs. beef, and rather than using my local butcher, I used something from a supermarket, so that you can recreate exactly what I cooked and I know it will be good, rather than me getting all the good stuff, then you going down to [insert name of supermarket] and feeling like you got a duff deal. If you can cook this on the barbecue, you will be achieving near-as-damnit-perfection from a domestic point of view. So go on, give it a go... it's delicious served on top of my easy Turkish rice, with some Cacik as a dip (think Tzatziki) and a simple Vegetable Kebab as a must to compliment it, Turkish red cabbage salad, maybe a warm flatbread to hold it with and a side salad. And you can make them the day before, along with maybe my Turkish chicken shish kebabs (similarly perfected flavour-wise, of course!), and invite your best, most appreciative friends over to enjoy them with!

Oh, and it would be rather rude not to make them some of your own hummus, perfected with my recipe and tips, along with a selection of spiced pitta crisps to serve them with.

If you fancy making up a whole Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan then have a look here!

So, here you are... lamb-on-a-skewer perfection! And as for Adana/Kofta - if you want to impress your friends by telling them which of the two they're eating, use wide metal skewers, and shape the lamb around them in one length per skewer and call them Adana kebabs (and you could get away with a little more spiciness). Or if you want to call them Kofta kebabs, roll the lamb into walnut-sized balls and slide them onto a skewer. Me? I find it easiest to use soaked wooden skewers as the meat seems to stick better, and squidge the mince around them in a flatt-ish sausage shape and to hell with it - it tastes good any which way! Oh, and if you Google kofta kebabs (not the right spelling, but I've had to use it too, for continuity!), you'll see a lot of the well-known chefs get it wrong and just wrap it around the skewer in a sausage too... ;)

Makes 12 skewers, at 133 calories per skewer (two skewers per serving). Serves six as the protein part of the dish on its own, or more with other kebabs (e.g. alongside my chicken shish kebabs). [Calories in square brackets]

Turkish Chicken Shish Kebabs (Şiş Kebabs)

Flavours inspired by my favourite local(ish) Turkish restaurant, The Mangal.

Delicious, moist chicken kebabs with a really tasty, slightly spicy marinade. Perfect cooked on the BBQ to capture that authentic smoky taste, or cook indoors on a ridged griddle to capture the charred flavour.

Serve alongside my Spicy Lamb Adana Kebabs (just like kofte kebabs in flavour, but shaped around the skewer rather than rolled into balls), with a Vegetable Kebab, Easy Turkish Rice, Red Cabbage Salad and some Cacik (the Turkish version of Tzatziki) for a full on Turkish meal with a side salad and flat breads. And you can make most of it the day before, ready to go if you feel like inviting friends over for a BBQ!

Serves four (or eight, if serving alongside the lamb Adana kebabs), 76 calories per skewer if made from chicken breasts, 105 calories with chicken thighs. Two skewers per serving. [Calories in square brackets, if you're counting].

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Vegetable Kebabs with Za'atar

Less of a standalone recipe, more of a suggested traditional accompaniment to my Turkish chicken shish kebabs and spicy minced lamb kebabs.

Whenever we eat at Turkish restaurants and order chicken shish kebabs (Pilic shish, as they're called in the local-ish, Şiş tavuk or Shish taouk to the rest of the world), or spicy minced lamb kebabs (Adana kebabs) they always serve them with skewers of onions, tomatoes and Turkish green peppers roasted over the grill, which make a delicious side.

So of course, when I make the meat kebabs myself, I like to serve them with little vegetable kebabs also. Me, being me, I have to meddle with them slightly, by adding a sprinkle of za'ater - a condiment made from dried herbs, sesame seeds and frequently salt, sometimes with sumac in it (coeliacs beware - sometimes this contains wheat / gluten, so check the ingredients) - and a cheeky pickled pepper for a kick sometimes, too! If you wanted to make these into something more substantial as part of a vegetarian meal, you could add cubes of halloumi cheese to them, and other vegetables such as thick courgette slices and mushrooms.

Serves four, 45 calories per serving. [Calories in square brackets, if you're counting]

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Turkish Red Cabbage Salad

This is a must if you're barbecuing some Turkish Kebabs...

It's so simple, and goes so well along with a few other sides, that it would be a crime *not* to make it the next time you're having a barbecue (regardless of what you're cooking!).

It's something I became familiar with as a side dish in Turkey, and from a Turkish restaurant I frequent from time to time who make exceptionally delicious kebabs; and it has now become synonymous (along with a few other side dishes) with eating good kebabs.

Serves 4 as a small side dish, 28 calories per serving. Easily doubled (or quadrupled, of course!) for a crowd.

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Easy Turkish Rice

This is so simple and delicious, and tastes much naughtier than it really is!

Only three ingredients, and about 20 minutes, and you have savoury, glossy, buttery rice - perfect served with Turkish kebabs and all the trimmings.

This quantity will serve four to eight - if you're eating it with kebabs, salads, tzatziki and all the trimmings, possibly with pitta or Turkish bread, it will serve six to eight, if you're just having it with kebabs and a side salad., then it's more likely to serve four to six.

Calories per serving: 145 for an eighth of the total quantity, 193 for a sixth, and 290 calories per serving between four (I found an eighth was more than enough with everything else!).

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Pitta Crisps - a selection of flavours

A delicious, quick and healthy alternative crunchy snack, or tasty appetiser with dips before a Turkish or Greek meal.

Really simple and quick to make, these are just wholemeal (you could use white if you prefered) pitta breads, halved and cut into triangles with a selection of different toppings, toasted in the oven until crispy and light.

You could serve them with my Hummus (with tips for perfectionists!) and Tzatziki / Cacik along with some sticks of raw vegetables such as cucumber, carrots, peppers and celery for a really healthy, balanced snack or light lunch, or as part of a spread. They will keep in an airtight container for a day quite happily, although if you want them fresh and crispy, I wouldn't keep longer than this to serve to other people (although they will last quite happily a couple more days, just lose a little crispness).

Serving sizes are easy - served with raw vegetables, half a pitta bread will do per person (each half cuts into 6 crisps - half a wholemeal pitta from e.g. Sainsbury's would be 77 calories) for a snack; or use a whole one per person for something more substantial to eat, (154 calories), plus dips - see Notes below for more information. (Slimming World - SuperValu Round Wholemeal Pitta Breads 8 pack (1 x 48g) can be used as a healthy extra - therefore provided you choose a pitta bread without any added oil, a 48g portion before cooking could be used).

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Tzatziki (also known as Cacik)

A delicious, creamy dip infused with garlic, salted cucumber and lemon juice, dressed with extra virgin olive oil.

I've given this its most popular name of Tzatziki, but my recipe and reason for posting it, is as a collection which go together (with some other Turkish recipes), remniscent of my favourite foods from there including this, the Turkish version known as 'Cacik'. They both contain essentially the same (or at least very similar) ingredients, and both vary slightly regionally, so I'd be hard-pressed to say for definite which was which from any given region or restaurant! The main difference is that Turkish cacik is slightly thinner than Greek tzatziki.

It's very easy to make, but the fundamental thing about Tzatziki is that it's not just cucumber grated or chopped in yoghurt, the cucumber has to be salted first to give it that authentic flavour.

Serves six, 54 calories per portion (or 38 calories per portion if using fat free Greek yoghurt, see notes).

If you fancy putting together a nice Turkish feast, with a shopping list and preparation plan, then have a look here!

Thai-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup (includes Thermomix instructions)

A nice light soup full of Thai flavours, perfect as a light starter to a meal or a tasty lunchtime snack.

This makes a smooth, light soup - if you want a thicker soup, then just halve the amount of stock, and add extra at the end to reach your desired consistency.

The quantities as below will yield you approximately 1.8 litres. For me, two small ladle-fulls constitutes a portion of soup, so this gives me ten portions at 62 calories each, but divide yours up as you feel fit (especially if you've made a thicker soup, and want, say, six large bowls of it at 103 calories each). The total calorie count for the whole batch is 617 calories.

Chicken in a Smoky Chipotle Chilli and Tomato Sauce

Spice up chicken breasts with a sauce redolent of Mexican flavours in this easy oven-baked dish.

Delicious served with my Mexican 'Green Rice' (which has a cauliflower rice option too to cut down the calories and carbs), and Cheat's Mexican 'Pot' Beans with a dollop of sour cream (or Greek yoghurt if you're counting the calories) and a quick fresh Tomato Salsa (as pictured).

Do something a little bit different for dinner, and easily tailor the heat to suit your tastes.

Serves four, 216 calories per serving.

Easy Mexican 'Green Rice' - Arroz Verde (with cauliflower rice substitution method)

Give your rice a bit of colour and flavour for a change! Also good the next day as a cold dish.

Rice cooked the Mexican way in chicken stock, flavoured with garlic, coriander, Jalapeno chilli and a squeeze of lime - the next day, add extra lime juice, fresh coriander and a slug of olive oil, and serve cold as a delicious rice salad.

Delicious served with my Chicken in Chipotle sauce and Frijoles di Olla (Mexican beans), or cold the next day with my Yucatecan-Spiced Chicken Skewers and salad.

Serves four to six as a side dish (I eat about an eighth of this quantity!), 191 calories per serving for six servings (scale up or down as appropriate, it's 144 calories for an eighth etc. ). [Calories in square brackets]

If making with cauliflower rice (see Variations below), 78 calories per serving between six; 117 calories per serving if served between four, .

Cheat's Frijoles di Olla (Mexican 'Pot' Beans) and Frijoles Refritos ('Re-Fried Beans')

If you can't get hold of dried black or pinto beans, then use tinned in this quick cheat's version!

Save on the hours of soaking and boiling, by using pre-cooked beans and cooking them in a little of their own liquid with onions and garlic until the alliums are cooked out and the sauce thickens.

Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream (or dairy free substitute, or half fat Creme Fraiche, or even Greek yoghurt if you're counting calories) and Fresh Mexican Salsa, as a side dish, or use as a vegetarian filling for tortillas and tacos with the sour cream and salsa and some grated cheese and shredded lettuce or Napa cabbage. These were lovely served alongside my Chicken in Chipotle Chilli Sauce.

If you want to add to the authenticity of the flavour and texture, you can add a further tablespoon of lard to the beans while they're cooking, but I haven't included this in the recipe. For 'Re-Fried' beans, see Notes at the bottom. You could also cook them in an earthenware pot if you have one suitable to go on the hob, which is how they would be traditionally cooked in Mexico.

Serves six, 110 calories per serving.