VEGETARIAN FRESH ROMANO BEAN STEW (TAZE BARBUNYA)

I normally cook this dish from dried Romano beans but from fresh is bit more work but well worth the effort. When they are in season, I freeze them so we can enjoy fresh beans through the winter time.  This dish is made with olive oil.  Very healthy!  It makes a meal on its own or a side dish for any kinds of meat or fish.  The lemon wedges are shown as decorations here but I like squeezing them on the beans when I am eating because it adds a really nice flavor (in my opinion of course).

1/2 kg. fresh Romano beans

1 medium size onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium sized potato

1 medium size carrot

2 medium sized tomato

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups boiled water

Salt

For decorations thinly chopped parsley and lemon wedges

• Peel the beans to take the beans out
• Boil the beans in sated water for about 25 minutes and drain
• Peel potatoes, onions and carrots and chop them as seen in the picture
• Peel 2 cloves of garlic and chop them very thin (some people use them whole but I prefer them chopped)
• Grate the tomatoes
• Sauté onion, carrot and potato in 1/2 cup olive oil
• Add garlic, grated tomato and the beans along with tomato paste, sugar, salt and water
• Cook in low heat until all the vegetables and the beans are soft
• Decorate with chopped parsley and lemon wedges when serving

CHEESE AND SPANICH PASTA BAKE

This recipe is light and delicious.  It is made with cottage cheese so it has less calories. 

2 cups ziti

1 bunch or package baby spanich (1/2 kg)

1 cup mushrooms

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 cup cottage cheese

1 large chopped tomatos with Italian seasoning or spicy pasta sauce

1 cup grated marble cheese

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon thyme

salt and blackpepper

• Wash the baby spanich, and mushrooms and chop them
• Saute spanich, chopped onions, garlic and mushrooms.  If you like, you can drain.  I usually leave the juices in because we like dipping our garlic bread in it.
• Cook pasta normally in salted water and drain
• Mix together vegetables, pasta, cottage cheese, tomatos (or the sauce) and the seasoning
• Spray a glass pan with pam
• Add your pasta mixture
• Sprinkle grated cheese
• Preheat oven at 350
• Cook for 45 to 50 minutes
• Leave for 15 minutes before serving
• Serve with Garlic bread for dipping in juice and ceaser salad

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

First time I had this soup was when my husband and I went to Quebec City for the winter carnival. It was a very cold day. We found a small restaurant for lunch and went in to get something to eat and warm up. The soup of the day was this soup and we tried and really liked it. Later when we spoke with the chef, he told us that in summer months this soup is served cold. We tried it cold but we prefer it warm.

3 medium sized leeks
1 medium sized onion

3 tablespoon butter

4 medium sized potatoes

4 cups chicken stock

1 to 2 cups cream (or milk)

salt and black pepper

chopped watercress or chives for decorations

•  Clean and mince the leeks
• Clean and mince the onions
• Saute leeks and onions in butter until soft
• Clean and chop potatoes
• Add everything together with chicken stock in a big pot and simmer until all the vegetables are soft
• Put in the blender until smooth
• Add in cream, salt and pepper
• Warm to serve
•  Add chives for decorations

OVEN BAKED FILET OF SOLE

This is a basic recipe.  Nice thing about Sole is that it is easy to roll so, you can fill it with all kinds of things.  My favorite fillings are swiss cheese and asparagus or spanich and cheese.  This is a good healthy recipe especially if you are counting calories like me

Filet of Sole (if frozen thawed)

2 tablespoons olive oil per filet

1 tablespoon lemon juice per filet

Salt

Fish seasoning.  I used one from the grocery store but you can mix your own.  All it has in it is garlic powder, dried dill and blackpepper.

• Take the filet of sole.  Wash with salt water and let it dry
• Brush both sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Lay on the lined pan flat.  Sprinkle salt and seasoning
• Roll and secure with toothpicks (see the picture below)
• Continue until all the fish is ready
• Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle more fish seasoning
• Preheat oven to 400
• Cook for 10-15 minutes
• Take the toothpicks out before serving
• Serve with cesar salad

RICE PUDDING (USING A SLOW COOKER)

All you really need is rice, milk and sugar for rice pudding.  I've seen lots of recipes where people add eggs or butter because they are all looking to make it more creamy.  I don't like eggs in my rice pudding because of the "eggy smell".   I found this particular recipe makes a perfect rice pudding and it is extremely easy.

1/2 cup Arborio rice (Short white Italian rice is good too)

4 cups whole milk (1 lt.)

1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons rice flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Cinnamon

• Wash the rice and put in the crock pot
• Combine 1 cup of the milk with rice flour and add to the crock pot
• Add rest of the milk and salt
• Cook at high for 2 hours (occasionally stir)
• Add sugar and vanilla sugar and cook for another 20 minutes
• Move to serving dishes right away
• Cover and cool in the fridge
• Sprinkle cinnamon before serving

MEAT LOAF

Very easy to make and filling.  I serve it with mashed potatoes and peas.  Any leftovers become lunch as a meatloaf sandwich either in a pita pocket or in bread with mayo, tomatos, pickles and lettuce.  Yummmm.

1/2 kilo lean ground beef

1 egg

1 package (113 gr) salted crackers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon blackpepper
1 clove garlic (mashed)
1/2 cup ketcup

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• Ground crackers using a blender.  I usually crush them by hand.
• Set aside 1/2 cup of crushed crackers for the top
• Mix all of the other ingredients
• Spray a loaf shaped pan
• Press the meatloaf to the bottom of the pan
• Sprinkle the remaining crackers on top
• Cook at 375 for 1 hour

RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH TAHINI SAUCE

The recipe here is just a guideline really.  You can change the measurements to your liking.  I saw it in a
magazine.  I was attracted to it because of the presentation and the colors but also because of the sauce.  I'd never tried tahini in a salad before.  I would highly recommend it.  I did make some modifications such as adding a lot more lemon juice (1 whole lemon juice) simply because I like my lots of lemon juice in my salads.  You'll also notice, I didn't give measurement for lettuce.  Add as much as you like.  Red cabbage is full of good nutrients.  It is also very good if you are on a diet.  Extremely filling!!!

1/2 red cabbage
1/2 pomegranate
Lettuce
1 mid sized carrot
Optional: Raw almonds or candied walnuts

Sauce:

3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar

• Cut red cabbage any size you like.  Coleslaw-like chops are really good too.  As you can see in the picture, I cut them a little bit thick.  Then wash, drain and  dry.
• Wash lettuce, dry and chop them
• Peel the carrot and grade them
• Prepare the sauce by simply mixing all the ingredients together
• Mix all the vegetables and the sauce together
• Sprinkle pomegranate and almonds on top

CAULIFLOWER (KARNIBAHAR) SOUP

Cauliflower is not a very popular vegetable in our house.  Occassionally, I fry them or serve them raw with dip but, that has been the extend of it.  Now that it is winter, it is soup time...This is my first trial with Cauliflower soup, and I have to say, we'll make it again.  If you like thick soups like lentil soup, this is ideal.

1/2 Cauliflower

1 yellow pepper

3 medium sized carrots

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 tablespoons red pepper paste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cups beef stock

Salt, blackpepper and red pepper

• Wash and cut Cauliflower in small pieces.  
• Clean the carrots and grate them. 
• Wash the yellow pepper and slice them small
• Put oil in a large pan, add flour and cook until flour changes its colour to a bit of yellow.  Make sure to stir continously.  It only takes a couple of minutes.
• Add beef stock, all of the vegetables, tomato and pepper paste
• Boil until all the vegetables are softened
• Let it cool a bit.  Then using a handblender, make it into a smooth but thick soup.
• Add salt, and red pepper and bring it to boil one more time. If it is too thick, you can add a bit more water.
• Sprinkle blackpepper when you serve.  Optionally, you can melt a little butter and tomato paste together to pour on top for better presentation.