(OK so if you are reading this I am still heading home from the Commonwealth Games!! But can’t keep you all waiting too long – so here is a bonus recipe, one of the one’s we ate in our lunch boxes on holiday this month – fill you in on our Sporting Adventures soon!!!)
I am so lucky – since I started writing about Frugal Cooking and getting our family more into eating the more affordable staples that we can store I have made many foodie friends from around the world.
It has expanded my family menu into all sorts of interesting places ……… and I have quite a collection of “this is so fabulous you gotta try it” recipes that have been emailed to me from all corners of the planet.
This one – this Turkish Salad is totally one that you need to make this summer! The recipe list reads “ho-hum” but when everything is blended together it is a show-stopper.
White beans, herbs and tomato dressed in a tahini and garlic dressing that is to die for!!!
Best of all – most of the ingredients came from my store cupboard …. and most of those were bought at cracking prices from Approved Foods. Cheap and delicious!!! My favourite combination.
From the first mouthful I was back in Turkey ….. although we ate this for lunch today with some hard-boiled eggs and flatbreads I can see this being a favourite BBQ dinner dish – a heaping pile, some bread and grilled chicken with a half decent bottle of wine. If only the Scottish weather was as great as Turkey – Eh?
YASMEEN’S TURKISH PIYAZ SALAD
- 2 large handfuls of white beans – soaked and cooked (or two tins of cannellini or butter beans)
- 1 ripe tomato -diced
- Half a red onion – finely chopped (optional)
- 1 handful of parsley – chopped
- Half a tin of black olives
DRESSING
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 garlic clove – crushed
Whiz all the dressing ingredients together in a small blender – or whip together with a fork until you get a thick “mayonnaise” consistency. If its too thick then add a tablespoon of olive oil to thin it a little. Set aside for the flavours to blend.
Just before serving – mix the cooked beans, olives, tomato, onion if using and most of the parsley together and stir in enough of the dressing to coat the salad.
Serve piled up on a plate with a sprinkle of parsley and garnished with some hard-boiled eggs. How easy is that??
Eating cheap really needn’t be boring … there is a whole world of recipes that you can tap into once you have a decent store cupboard full of staples your weekly shopping bill becomes tiny in comparison to everyone elses.
So what are your favourite summer-time store cupboard dishes? If you got a call now for a “pot-luck Barbecue” tonight – what would you whip up from what you already have in ?
Let me know!!
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Mmm, that looks yummy to me!
I hope that you and the boys had a grand old time at the games today!
An utterly brilliant time …. will sort out the photos and show you just how much today.
How I wish I liked olives! The rest I really fancy. Watched the men’s gymnasts today. How they do the swingy round the bar thing and don’t dislocate their shoulders I’ll never know. Hope you had a good time.
Olives are a bit of a marmite thing – leave them out and enjoy your salad without them. AS for the gymnasts – I think its magic cos it can’t be physically possible – right?
I am totally hooked on the Games. Am so proud of Glasgow. I am going to “soak the ambiance” on Friday. Bought tickets for my mammy, but not actually going to an event myself. I know you will have had the best of times. Great looking recipe, Elaine. Will definitely try it. Tend not to bbq as I live on my own, but any kind of fish on the barbie is delish and I always have some. Nothing wrong with burgers, either!
We had a fabulous time yesterday – I need to go figure how to get my photos from the new phone onto here so that I can share with you all. The boys first words to me this morning were “I Love you – thank you for yesterday” ………….. feel a bit guilty as all I did was the driving … Andy provided the treat :-)
Another recipe to add to the list of things I must try. :) However, if I got the call I’d make your microwave sauerkraut. Fell in love with that one.
I know what you mean hon – made it again this week and we had forgotten how much we love it. Its a great BBQ bring-along and so cheap to prepare.
Hi Elaine, glad you are enjoying games. I am going to try this recipe tomorrow, do you use white wine vinegar.
Yes a mellow white vinegar is perfect – keeps the dish nice and “clean” looking
It would have to be 3 Bean Salad if it was mainly storecupboard – Black, red kidney & cannellini beans with bits of onions and bell peppers (something I always have in the fridge) and dressed with a HM vinaigrette. Or, I usually have a can or two of crab (or even lobster if it’s on sale) and I’d make up a dip for crudites, crackers or flat bread.
Your recipe has reminded me that I need a new jar of Tahini – and then I can give it a try.
Hope you all had a wonderful time today.
Funnily enough I bought a new jar yesterday when I was out with my Mum (Last of the big spenders Eh?). Mind you a little goes a very long way.
As a diabetic this is going to be a must eat.
Totally hon – we went “bean heavy” on holiday to make sure no-one got the three o’clock snoozies or the grumpy-mumpies. Slow release carbs keeps blood sugar steady for busy days out and about.
Yum, and vegan so it gets and extra star from me.
And it’s mega tasty …. so good as part of a meze type meal with friends.
Looks so yummy!
Perfect for me, I don’t like olives though, any suggestion of what to swap it for?
I adore Turkish food!!