Hosgeldiniz! (Means “Welcome” in Turkish)
Turkish cuisine is a healthy, delicious cuisine, and we use lots of grains, nuts, olive oil and vegetables. This is one of my favorite mezes of all time; it is very easy to make and very, very more-ish, you just can’t stop eating them. It is one of my mother’s recipes and whenever I make it, I feel like I am home. You can find the red pepper paste in specialty stores and in many big supermarkets.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
3 slices of white stale bread, crusts removed
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Turkish red pepper paste or 2 tablespoons Amore chili paste
1 cup English walnuts, shelled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of Salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
To serve:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Toasted baguette slices or wide crackers
Ground the walnuts with the onion, cumin, salt and red pepper paste in the food processor. Soak the bread into water and squeeze the excess water. Crumble the bread and add to the mixture in the food processor. Add the olive oil and water and blend to make a smooth spread. If it appears to be too thick, add a little more olive oil.
Place the spread on a small salad plate or bowl. Pour the extra virgin olive oil all over and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve the spread with toasted baguette slices or wide crackers.
Afiyet Olsun!