Potato pancakes

Weekend breakfast is always a big deal in my home. Breakfast is prepared with anything you can think of: assorted pastries, egg breads, freshly baked breads and salami, sausage. We have this great breakfasts because family members come together for breakfast and we have long cheerful conversations. This potato pancake (this is how we call them but they are potato omelette) recipe is a favorite for weekend breakfasts at our home. It takes only 15-20 min to prepare and it's delicious. This recipe makes enough for 4 or 5 people.

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes
1 medium red pepper
1 green pepper sharp
1 medium tomato
3 eggs
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup grated cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut them in cubes, put oil into the pan and saute them for a little while. Add half a cup of boiling water to soften the potatoes and put the lid on. When potatoes are almost cooked add the peppers and continue sauteing. Season with salt, black pepper, cumin. Peel the tomatoes and cut them in cubes and add them in the pan and cook for 10 min. In a bowl whip 2 egg. Flip it over to cook both sides well. When it's done add the cheese. Serve piping hot. Bon appetit.

Fat-free cheesy eggy bread

You can easily prepare this for breakfasts or afternoon snacks.

Materials

2 eggs
4 slices of bread cut thin
1 cups milk
1 tsp thyme
50 gr of mozzeralla
salt, black pepper

Direction

Put eggs in a bowl and whisk up them until it makes smooth mix. Add milk, thyme, salt, black pepper ,mix again.Finally put cheese into the bowl. Dip both sides of the bread into the bowl and fry them in a pan which is spreyed with oil. Bon apetit,

Yummy Baby Soups: Yellow Lentils (Moong Dal)

I have a granddaughter, and my daughter is always in search for new recipes for my grandbaby. This recipe is rich in proteins and beta carotene. Yellow lentil (moong dal) is known to cause less gas in infants than red lentils with the same benefits; lots of protein and fiber. My daugther tells me my little one loves this soup.

Ingredients

1/2 cup yellow lentils
1 carrot
1 small sweet potato
1 tomato
1 small shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Heat olive oil in a pan and lightly saute chopped onions. Rinse lentils and add to pan with 1 1/2 cups of water. When lentils begin to cook add sweet potatoes, carrots and diced tomotoes. Puree in the blender to you little ones liking, sprinkle some dried mint and serve. This soup is suitable for babies older than 6 months.

Shell Beans (Red Beans)

My daughter Gozde loves shell beans or red kidney beans. When I ask her what to cook for dinner, she said "let's cook beans". Fresh beans are no longer in season, but last season I bought fresh beans and froze it half kg. bags.


Ingredients

1 kg beans
2 carrots
1 large onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 cubes of sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tomatoes
parsley to decorate

Directions

Put some oil in the saucepan, saute chopped onions. add peeled, chopped carrots. Add peeled chopped tomatoes on onions and carrots mix and continue sauteing. Put tomato paste and add beans. Season with sugar and salt and let it simmer with some water. Cook until softened, decorate with chopped parsley and serve.

Baked Okra

As a child, I never liked okra. One day, my late father prepared okra in the oven and that was the day I started eating okra... Now my children love the baked okra.I f your children or your spouse doesn't like okra, try this version. Also, my daughter specifically asked me to tell you that she prepared this okra.

Okra is a very healthy vegetable that helps the digestive system. I's a vegetable high in fiber, and a powerful diuretic.

Ingredients

500 g okra
250 g cubed beef

4 tomatoes
2 long hot peppers
1 medium onion
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili paste
salt, black pepper

Directions

Chop the onion, and add one tablespoon oil in the pan and saute until onions are transparent. Add beef and continue sauteing. Clean okra and rinse. Lay the beef at the bottom of the pan, then add a layer ofokra, chopped tomatoes and peppers. In a bowl is mix paste, lemon juice, salt, and add a glass of water. Add the mixture in the pan.

Bake at 400 F in preheated oven covered with aluminum foil for 20 min. Then remove aluminum foil cook 20 min more. Remove from oven and serve with rice.

Bon appetit.

Stuffed artichokes with olive oil

Ingredients

8 artichokes
1 cup rice
1-2 pieces onion
Pine nuts
olive oil
fresh mint
dill
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
salt

Directions

Toast pine nuts in a little bit of oil, then add chopped onions and saute. Put rinsed rice, some fresh mint, a little dill, salt, sugar and mix and continue sauteing. Place washed and cleaned artichokes in a baking dish. Fill artichokes with stuffing and drizzle them with some olive oil. Add half an inch of water and put on the stove. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer until the rice is done.

Grilled chicken

You can enjoy grilling at home. You know firing the grill in balcony is forbidden in Istanbul, so we miss the fragrant smell of the grill. I bought an electric grill for home use and even grill tomato, pepper and eggplant.

I believe the delicious smells coming from the grill will be preserved. I recommend grilling to everyone.

2 chicken drumsticks (varies according to the number of people)
1 chicken breast
2 tomatoes
5- 6 green peppers

For the marinade

2 tablespoons yogurt
6-7 leaves of fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried)
black pepper, salt
1 teaspoon curry
grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Cut the chicken breast in cubes. In a deep dish mix together yogurt, salt, red pepper, curry, basil, lemon peel, and add balsamic vinegar. Put the chicken in the marinade and mix well. Cover the chicken and let it sit in the marinade in the refrigerator for one hour. Then start your electric grill and heat. Put two tomatoes and peppers on the grill before chicken. Skewer chicken and grill. Place grilled and peeled tomates in a serving dish and put the skewered chicken on top of it.
Bon appetit.

Easy pizza

I took this recipe from my aunt, Oya. I decided to try it immediately as it was very very easy to make and seemed delicious.

If you don't have access to an oven or it doesn't work for some reason, try this. Ingredients are simple pantry items.

Ingredients

For dough

1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
salt

Toppings

3 tomatoes
2 hot green pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cup cheese
15 olives
1 sausage of your choice
1 tbsp thyme

Directions

Crack eggs into a bowl, add other ingredients and mix well. Lightly grease a non-stick pan. Add some warm water and thyme to tomato paste to make the tomato sauce. If you have ready made tomaoto sauce, go ahead an use it. Prepare the ingredients: chop tomatoes, peppers, slice sausage, take the seeds out of olives.

Heat your pan, and pour the batter. Start with the tomato sauce, then add chopped tomatoes. Put cheese, and other toppings you like. Close the lid and let it cook on low-medium heat for 20 min. Voila! Pizza on the oven- let it sit for a couple of minutes and you know how to proceed.

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

5 zucchini
250gr ground beef/lamb/turkey
2 onions
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili paste
black pepper, salt

Directions

Put your choice of meat in a pan and saute. When meat is done, add chopped onions. Add chopped green peppers, paste, and black pepper and cook for 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile prepare zucchini: Wash and dry. Depending on the size cut in 2 or 3. Using a small tea spoon scoop out zucchinis. Fry them in hot vegetable oil untul they turn yellow and let them sit on a paper towel for a few minutes. Fill the zucchinis with meat filling and place them in a baking dish open sides up.

Put a cup of hot water in the baking dish, and bake in 400F until zucchini is softened for about 20 min. Before taking out of the oven place a piece of mozzarella on stuffed zucchinis. You can also cook them covered on a stove top.

Zucchini Cheese Omelette

This omelette is a perfect match to your weekend brunches. Hope you like this one. It's also a great recipe when you are dieting.


Ingredients

2 zucchini
1/2 bunch parsley
100 gr feta
1/4 bunch fresh mint
4 scallions
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
salt

Directions

Dice zucchini very small or process in a food processor. Chop scallions, parsley and fresh mint. Mash feta with a fork. Beat two eggs, add flour, salt and feta and mix. Add chopped vegetables to the mix. Grease you omelette pan and pour the batter. Cook both sides medium well and serve with some cheese of your choice on top.

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup crushed walnuts
3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
half a teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup water
vanilla

Directions

Mix flour and all dry materials. In a separate dish, mix carrot and walnut thoroughly. Whip eggs and sugar in another bowl, add oil and continue mixing. Then add dry ingredients and mix. Finally, fold the carrots and walnuts. If you get dry batter than you expect, you can add water as necessary.

Put your cake in pre-heated oven at 350 F (180 C) and let cook 40 min until a toothpick inserted into the center of your cakel comes out clean. This means you are ready to taste your yummy cake.

Bon appetit.

Wheat salad

Ingredients

1 cup wheat (Husked)
1 tomato
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1/2 bunch parsley
2 onions

For dressing

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper
salt

Directions
Leave wheat in water overnight. In the morning cook and rinse. Chop tomatoes, peppers, onions and parsley Add cooked wheat to chopped vegetables and mix.

In another dish mix vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, red pepper, and salt well. Add the dressing to your salad.

Bon appetit.

Hot sauce

In preparation for winter I also made jarred hot sauce. You can use it as a pasta sauce, serve it with meats, and even mix it in scrambled eggs. You can try it with eggs by adding two tablespoons just when the eggs are almost done.

Ingredients

1 kg red peppers
600 gr hot green peppers
1 kg tomatoes

10 cloves garlic

1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
salt
1 bunch mint

Directions

Seed red and green peppers, wash them, and put in the food processor. Peel the tomatoes, clean a bunch of fresh mint and process in the food processor. Put the mixture in a saucepan, put salt and sugar, and simmer for a while. Then add the vinegar. Boil thorougly. Fill the jars with hot sauce. Close the lids tight and leave jars on the lids. Let them cool. After they are completely cooled, store them in a cool dry place. After you open the jars, store them in refrigerator.

Yogurt Zucchini Salad

I came across this recipe when I was cleaning. I have no idea when or where I got this recipe. I jot down every recipe I hear and try them. Not only recipes, cooking tips, beauty tips.. I have collected 5 notebooks worth of recipes and tips in time, and tried most of them. When I started blogging I went searching for these notebooks, and theis recipe is one of them. It's delicious and light.

Ingredients

2 zucchini
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices of stale bread
1 cup strained yogurt
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch fresh dill
salt

To season

2 tablespons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Put zucchinis in food processor Put one tablespoon olive oil in the pan, add zucchinis and sautee them until they release their water. Crumble bread and mix minced garlic and yogurt in a separate dish. Mix everything with sauteed zucchinis. Transfer the salad in a serving dish. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a pan, add paprika. Add the olive oil-paprika mixture on the salad and serve.

Sour cherry jam

For jam

2 kg sour cherry
2 kg granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Wash sour cherries thoroughly. Remove the pits. My usual sugar-to-fruit ratio is 1 cup sugar to 1 cup fruit for almost all jams. In a deep pot I laid one layer (one cup) of sour cherry and then one layer of sugar. Repeat this process until you use use all the fruit. Put a cheese cloth on the pot and leave it somewhere that gets direct sunlight for a day.

After a day bring the mixture to a boil and lemon juice, and bring to a boil again. Pour the jam in dry jars, close them tightly and put them on their lid. Let them sit like this for a couple days and your jam is ready. After you opened the jars, remember to refrigerate.

These ingredients yielded three jars of jam: one for me, one for my son and one for my daughter.

Next peach jam.

Baked macaroni

I cooked this pasta by special request of my son. He does not eat meals which are cooked with butter. So,I don't use Béchamel sauce in this recipe. This pasta is very light and delicious. He will come tonight for dinner. I hope he will like it.

Ingredients

1 package thick spaghetti (the hollow ones)
1 cup feta cheese (grated or crushed)
1 small bunch finely chopped parsley
1 cup milk
1 cup of mozzarella or cheddar
1/2 cup of olive oil (You can use less)
black pepper, red pepper

Preparation

Boil pasta until it becomes al dente. Mix grated feta cheese, half cup of cheddar, parsley, black pepper, red pepper, milk and olive oil in a bowl. Add this mixture to the boiled pasta and mix gently. Pour all mixture into the a casserole dish and even the surface of mixture. Put half cup of grated cheddar or mozzarella on pasta. Pre-heat oven and bake pasta 40 minutes in 180 C ( 350 F) until it is done completely and turns golden brown. Take out this delicious baked macaroni from oven. Serve in slices after letting it sit 15 minutes.

Pickled Roasted Red Peppers

This recipe is a part of my winter preparations. First I made three types of jams, canned tomatoes, oregano in red pepper paste, and then I made these roasted red pepper pickles. I will give the recipes to all these soon. While I was making roasted red pepper pickles I searched for the health benefits of red peppers. I think it's best to consume what we eat knowing benefits of it.

A research conducted in Gaziantep University shows that red pepper contains a substance called "capsaisin", which has pain reliving and anti-inflammatory effects. Plus, red peppers has cholesterol reducing properties, regulates stomach acid secretion and has anti-septic properties.

We should be eating more red peppers. Now to the recipe:


Ingredients

2 kg red peppers
7-8 cloves of garlic
vinegar
salt

Directions

Roast the peppers in the oven or on the stovetop. Let them cool and peel. Cut garlic in half and put them in a jar with some vinegar. Fill the jars with roasted red peppers and top them off with vinegar. Store them in a cool place. Roasted red pepper pickle goes well with Lentil Kofte or Kisir.