My Turkish-Inspired Cuisine- Green Beans and Rice Pilaf

I was stationed in Turkey for 3 ½ years in the early 90s. I loved being there. I enjoyed the travel, the people and the food. I won’t say that I’m proficient at Turkish cooking, but I have my adaptations of some of my favorite Turkish dishes. Turks use a lot of tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. Meat is usually lamb or ground lamb. This is my version of Turkish Green Beans, or Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye. It is a tava- or stew-like dish. Turks would use ground lamb. I substitute ground beef. It is typically served over rice pilaf, truly one of my favorite treats from my time in Turkey.

These recipes would probably serve 8 to 12 people.  We have 3 adults at our house, and I make this amount counting on having plenty of leftovers. 

1 large can of tomato juice, about 46 oz

1 can diced tomatoes, about 15 oz

2 large cans green beans, about 46 oz

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces, about 1”

2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1 large onion, chopped

8-12 garlic cloves

Lawry’s seasoned salt

Lawry’s garlic powder with parsley

Chili powder

1- Pour tomato juice and tomatoes into a 6 qt Dutch oven pot. 

2- Add green beans and seasonings. 

3- Add onions. 

4- Leave garlic cloves whole, or cut into thin horizontal slices.  Add to pot. 

5- Bring to low boil, covered. 

6- Add cubed potatoes. 

7- Mix eggs, seasoned salt and garlic powder with hamburger. 

8- Form “footballs” with meat mixture by cupping fingers against the palm of your hand. 

9- Drop meat footballs one at a time into simmering pot. 

10- Continue simmering on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meatball texture softens. 

11- Remove garlic cloves if desired (if you only want the flavor.) 

Olive oil, about ¼ to ½ cup

Butter, about 2 to 4 Tbsp

1 cups medium grain rice, like Hindoe

2 cups Uncle Ben’s long grain rice

½ cup pasta, such as orzo, tiny bowties, or fideo

5 ½ cups water

2 heaping Tbsp chicken Knorr powder or chicken bouillon paste

1-2 tsp salt

1- Pour oil into Dutch oven pot.  Heat over medium high. 

2- Get rice and water ready.  Rinse rice, which will leave some liquid in the rice. 

3- When oil is hot, add pasta.  Stir frequently, until pasta begins to brown. 

4- Add butter and continue to heat until pasta is brown.  Some of my Turkish friends use only butter, but it burns easily, so I use oil, then add butter near the end. 

5- Add rice, water, bouillon and additional salt.  Stir to distribute bouillon. 

6- Allow to come to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and cook over medium for 25 minutes, until water is absorbed.  Try not to peek! 

7- Stir rice and check to see that water is absorbed and that rice is done.  Add water &/or more cook time as needed. 

Serve Green Beans over Rice Pilaf and enjoy!  Break off a piece of crusty French bread, which will be close enough to Turkish ekmek. 

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