FETA CHEESE BUNS (PEYNIRLI PASTANE POGACASI)

Feta filled buns are my favorites.  All my years of cooking, I tried many recipes. In fact on this blog, there are multiple recipes for Pogaca.  If you need to choose one to try, this is the one!

  This is my favorite!

250 gr butter (room temperature)

2 eggs (save the yolk of one for the top)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup warm milk

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon mahlep

Flour

Filling

200 gr. graded Feta cheese

4 tablespoons chopped Parsley

Top: sesame seeds or blackened sesame seeds (optional)

• In a tall glass, mix warm milk, sugar and yeast and set aside for 15 minutes.  Yeast should rise.
• Mix together butter, eggs, salt, yeast, and mahlep. 
• Add in enough flour to get a soft dough.  Let it rest for 15 minutes
• Prepare the filling by grading the feta, chop parsley and mix together
• Prepare the pan by lining with cooking paper
• Take a piece of dough (about the size of a small walnut) flatten in your palm.  Put a spoonful of filling and shape like a ball.  You can chose to make oval shape too.
• Continue until all the dough is done
• Place on a lined pan
• Preheat oven at 350
• Spread egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds on the cheese puffs
• Cook until golden brown (25 to 30 minutes)

PASKALYA COREGI (TURKISH EASTER BREAD)

 This bread is made in Turkey at Easter time.  Most important ingredient is Mahlep (could also be referred to as Mahlab).  It is a bit sweet and is served with jams, honey and cheeses (especially Feta cheese).

1 cup warm milk and water mixture

1.5 tablespoon dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs (save one of the yolks for the top)

125 gr. butter (room temperature)

2 teaspoon mahlep

5-6 cup floor

Top:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cold water

Optional: sliced almonds or crushed hazelnuts 

(Makes 8 breads)

• In a large bowl, combine warm milk and water mixture, sugar and yeast.  Let it sit for 15 minutes
• Separate the yolk of 1 egg and save it for the top.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and butter.  No need to use a mixer.  Just use a fork.
• Combine milk mixture, egg mixture and add the mahlep, and salt
• Start adding flour slowly.  Once it starts forming the dough use your hands.
• You need a soft dough which does not stick to your hands
• Cover and let it rest (30 minutes or more)
• Make 8 balls.  Make 3 equal strands from each one and braid as seen in the picture for each bun.
• Mix the saved egg yolk with one tablespoon water and brush onto each bun
• Optional: sprinkle sliced almonds or crushed hazelnuts
• Let your buns rest until oven is preheated
• Preheat oven 350 degrees 
• Cook for 30-40 minutes until golden brown

BIBIMBAP

 This is a Korean dish.  Specialty is that each vegetable is cooked and seasoned separately.  There is rice in the middle and an egg on top of the rice.  You add the sauce when you are eating it.  There is meat in the picture but we didn't really like the meat in this dish so I did not include it in the recipe.

Mushroom: Wash, cut and saute in 1 tablespoon sesame oil for 1-2 minutes with 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Bean Sprouts: Boil in salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.  Add salt, pepper, sesame oil, garlic and sesame seeds

Fresh Spinach: Wash and boil until wilted.  Drain and run cold water through it.   Sqeueze water out and slice in 3 inch.  Add some green onions, garlic, salt and pepper

Carrots: Slice very thin.  Saute in sesame oil.  Salt and pepper

Cucumber: Wash and slice thinly.  No cooking.  Salt

Zucchini: Wash and thinly slice.  Saute in sesame oil, add garlic and salt.

Rice: Basmati rice or sticky rice.  Cook as per package instructions.  

Sauce

4 tablespoons pepper paste

2 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoon vinegar

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 table spoon sesame seeds

• Prepare each of the items as outlined above
• On a plate arrange all the vegetables around, rice in the middle, egg on the rice
• Serve the sauce and sesame seeds on the side for the top

MOMMY COOKIES

 

Why are these called Mommy cookies?  Because they are made with ingredients every household has, they are simple and quick to make and they make quite a bit so inexpensive.  In my time, all moms made these for after school snacks.  

These cookies are not too sweet and perfect in my opinion.  However, if you like sweet cookies increase sugar to 1 cup.

 Makes 20 cookies

 

 

1 egg yolk (keep the white for the top)

1/4 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)

1/2 cup white sugar

(if you like your cookies sweet, increase sugar it to 1 cup)

1 package vanilla sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup oil

½ cup plain yogurt

3-3.5 cup flour

1 lemon peel grated with small side of the grater (optional)

Top: Egg white and chopped walnuts

Notes: you can replace walnuts with sugar or lemon peel with orange peel

 

• Wash 1 lemon and grate the peel using the small side of the greater. 
• In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the egg white and flour
• Slowly add the flour to get a soft dough (use your hands)
• Preheat oven to 350
• Use a lined pan with cooking paper
• Take 1 tablespoon of the cookie dough and form a small “ball” and place on the pan. 
• Once all the dough is done, glaze with egg white and sprinkle walnuts
• Bake 25 minutes until edges of the cookies are slightly browned
• Let it cool

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

 

This is a flexible recipe.  You can use chocolate chips instead of raisins.  You can also add nuts (like chopped pecans).  While these additions can be delicious, I like to enjoy each one separately.

Makes 40 small cookies

 

1 egg
½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup flour

 

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and set aside
• Cream together butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined
• Slowly add the flour mix.  Continue to mix until all combined
• Add in oatmeal and raisins with a spatula and make sure all is blended
• Form a big “ball”.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 350
• Use a lined pan with cooking paper
• Take 1 tablespoon of the cookie dough and form a small “ball” and place on the pan. 
• Once all the dough is done, slightly flatten using a fork
• Bake 10-12 minutes until edges of the cookies are slightly browned
• Let it cool
• 
  
  
  

FETA FILLED BUNS (POGACA)

This recipe does not require yeast which means no waiting and quick.  If in a hurry, this is the recipe to use for soft bun with filling.  You can use feta and parsley like I did or alternative filling: black olive paste mixed with thinly sliced cubenella pepper and a little thyme for flavour.

Important note: you get a very soft a sticky though.  Try not to add too much more flour

Dough:

1 egg whitr (save the yolk for the outside)

1 su cup yoğurt

1/2 cup oil

1.5 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

2.5 cups all purpose flour

Filling

250 gr. Feta cheese graded or crumbled

3 tablespoons very thinly sliced parsley

1 egg white (save the yolk for the outside)

 

Makes 20 - 25

• Line a cookie sheet with cooking paper
• Mix all the ingredients for the dough and get a soft dough
• Prepare the filling with all the ingredients
• Take a small piece of the dough (about the size of a large walnut) and flatten inside your palm.  Fill it with 1 full teaspoon of the filling and close into a ball.
• Place them on a lined cookie sheet
• Stir the separated egg yolk with fork and spread on top of each one
• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Cook 20 -25 minutes until the top is golden brown
• Cool before storing
• If you find you have left over feta and egg yolk.  Combine them and spread on a piece of bread and cook in the oven for a snack
  
  

CORN BREAD (NO EGGS) WITH GLUTEN FREE OPTION

Corn bread is good anytime.  You can serve it as appetizer or side to a meal or at breakfast.

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup flour (you can substitute gluten free flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup apple sauce 

1/2 cup milk (you can substitute soya milk)

4 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon oil (I use mazola)

• Mix all the ingredients (oil to be the last to add)
• Spray muffin cups with cooking oil to make sure they won't stink. Makes 6 big muffins
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees fehreneight
• Cook for 30-35. You can test with a toothpick in the middle.  If it comes out clean, it is ready
• Bon appetite!