A Turkish Delicacy

 For everyone who knows that squash is not only the name of a kind of sports, let’s admit that summer squash (zucchini) is not the tastiest vegetable. Turkish cuisine has always had some solutions for this matter though, and here is one of them:Mucver.

So why on earth should we cook a dish of summer squash at all?  

Let’s see… Eating good is being healthy, being healthy is living good, living good is a lifestyle. These green vegetables are low in calories (approximately 15 food calories per 100 g fresh zucchini), rich in fiber and contain potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron. They are very good laxatives, which means something very good for people with lazy intestine. They clean up our inner body like natural detox and help calm our nerves down. 

So I think these give at least some of you enough reason to follow me to the kitchen to cook a nice & healthy Turkish dish, mucver, with summer squash. 

Let’s start cooking!  

While I was searching the Internet to get some information about squash vegetable, I was amazed by the varieties of summer squash. I use the “middle eastern” ones because this is the main type that we have in Turkey, but if you have other forms of it around where you live, I think they will also do too. 

I cook mucver in the oven but you can also fry them in hot vegetable or olive oil by making flat round discs of mucver by the help of a spoon, which will of course ad more calories than necessary to it. 

Ingredients ( for 2 serves):  

* 2 summer squashes ( medium size will be enough)

* 4 scallions

* 2 eggs

* Dill & parsley ( a handful from each will do)

* 3 tablespoons of wheat flour

* Salt & pepper (season according to your taste but summer squash itself contains a lot of salt in it so it doesn’t need too much extra salt)

* 2 tablespoons of olive oil   

Cooking Instructions:  

*Cut the stalk and bottom part of the squashes off. Grate them. Water comes out of the squashes while grating. To squeeze it you can use your hand or put the grated squash in a strainer and get the water out with the help of a spoon.

*Chop the scallions into little bits.

*Chop the dill & parsley.

*Put grated squash, chopped scallions, dill & parsley into a deep bowl.

*Add the two eggs, salt, pepper, olive oil and wheat flour into the bowl.

*Stir the mixture.

*Get a pot suitable to use in the oven not too deep or too shallow, rub its interior with some oil, in order to prevent the mucver from sticking. Pour the mixed ingredients into the oven pot.

*Cook mucver for 25-30 minutes in 200 Celsius degrees. The cooking period and the heat might give different results in different oven so for the first time watch it from time to time while cooking. When the top becomes deliciously brown it is usually the time to take it out of the oven. 

Serving tips:  

Enjoy your light healthy delicious meal with yogurt if you like. I like it better with yogurt myself.