TURKISH "PIZZA" (PIDE)

Just like Pizza, Turkish Pide can be made with different toppings.  Our favorites are ground beef topping or cheese, egg and sucuk.  I didn't have sucuk (which is like pepperoni only with ground beef and spices), I made cheese and egg version this time.  Usually served with Ayran (yogurt drink).

Dough

1/2 cup warm milk

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1.5 cups warm milk

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour

Ground beef topping:

1/2 kg medium ground beef
1 large onion(finely chopped or graded)

1 large cubenella pepper ( finely chopped)

3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped or graded)

3 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)

Spices to your liking: salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper paste

1/2 cup water

Feta cheese topping:

100 gr beyaz feta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)

• First get the dough ready
• Combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoon yeast in a tall cup and set aside for 15 minutes.  Yeast will rise.
• In a large bowl add 2 cups of flour.  Add 1.5 cups warm milk, salt, oil and the yeast.  Start mixing together.  Slowly add the rest of the flour.  You have to "feel" the dough.  It should be soft but not stick to your hands too much. 
• Make 8 "balls" , see picture in the collage.  Cover with Saran wrap and let it rest for 1 - 2 hours
• Combine the topping ingredients
• You can either make large pides and cut them in half before serving or individual servings.  If you are making large pides then use each ball for one pide otherwise, use half of each ball for one.
• Roll out to oval shape.  Put topping in the middle and leave 1 cm space on the sides to fold over to make a canoe shape with each one.
• Place them on your pan (make sure your pan is a non stick one or use cooking paper)
• Prehear oven to 350
• Cook for 20-30 minutes until the bottom and the top of the dough is golden brown.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Last few weeks, we have been on a high protein diet.  Now we are starting to get pretty sick of meat.  So, for dinner tonight, we switched to a vegetarian lasagna.   This is an excellent recipe.  Lower in calories because of the cottage cheese.  Very easy to make because both the noodles and vegetables are used from raw.  Even if you are using the kind of noodles that normally require to be cooked first.  We used a spicy spaghetti sauce.  It was delicious!

3 cups pasta sauce

(I used Classico spicy tomato red pepper sauce.  I also used the whole jar of 650 ml rather than stick to 3 cups like the original recipe)

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles

4 cups mixed vegetables (I used spinach, mushrooms, and broccoli)
1/2 cup water (if required)

• Mix all the cheeses together.
• Spray 11 X 8 glass pan.
• Place 3 noodles side by side in the pan (no need to cook them)
• Cover them with 1 cup pasta sauce
• Add 1/3 cheese mixture first then 1/3 vegetables
•  Repeat 2 more times.
• Add a bit of water (1/2 cup)
•  Cover tightly with aluminum foil
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Bake one hour.
• Makes 8 servings