ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Not many people like Brussel Sprouts.  I do.  I try different recipes.  This one is extremely easy to make.  Makes a great side dish to any kind of poultry or fish.

1 kg. (2 pounds) Brussel sprouts

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup crushed salted walnuts

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

• Preheat oven to 400
• Clean brussel sprouts by removing the outside layers and cutting off a bit of the base.   Then wash and cut them in half
• Mix together olive oil, garlic and crushed walnuts, salt and pepper (and the optional balsamic vinegar)
• Mix with Brussel sprouts
• Line the pan with cooking paper and pour Brussel sprouts onto the cooking paper.  Turn them all over the cut side down
• Cook for 23-30 minutes until soft and golden brown
• Serve warm and enjoy!

MILKY SEMOLINA DESERT (SUTLU IRMIK TATLISI)

This is the basic recipe for this desert.  Nice part of this desert is it is extremely easy to make.  Not many ingredients but it can be dressed and shaped many different ways.  For example, you can add fruits like bananas or cookies in the middle or at the top or top it with jams.  For this time, I chose the basic recipe with chopped walnuts and cinnamon at the top.

4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup semolina
1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon butter

vanilla essence 

decorate with cinnamon and chopped walnuts

• Mix cold milk, sugar and semolina bring to boil
• Reduce heat and cook until you see bubbles.  You will need to continually stir while cooking to make sure there are no lumps
• Mix egg yolk with a bit of "pudding" to make sure egg mixes through properly without cooking immediately and add it to your pot
• Add butter and vanilla and cook for another minute
• Rinse your pan in cold water before pouring your batter into the pan
• Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving
• You can make a day ahead.  After a couple of hours in the fridge make sure it is covered
• Decorate with cinnamon or chocolate and walnuts before serving

• 

CHICKEN AND NOODLE SALAD

It looks like I haven't published new recipes in a long time.  It's been very busy lately.  I hope you like this recipe.  You can say it is a meal in itself.  My favourite for lunches!  Most of the ingredients are basic stuff which I pay attention to when I publish recipes.  I try to keep speciality stuff to minimum.  This recipe has pomegranate concentrate as an exception but it is optional.  You don't really need it.

1.5 cup orzo or very thin noodles. 

3 cups water

1 small chicken breast (boiled or barbecued)

1 small can of corn

1 barbecued (or baked in the oven) red or yellow pepper

1 bunch green onions

1/2 cup thinly cut dill pickles

1/2 chopped bunch parsley

1/2 bunch chopped dill

Salt 

1 lemon juice

1 tablespoon sumac

1/4 cup olive oil

Optional: pickle juice and pomegranate concentrate

• Boil or barbecue the chicken breast and set aside to cool enough to handle
• Bake or barbecue the pepper.  Take the skins off when it is cool enough to handle.  Chop small.
• In a pot, lightly brown orzo in olive oil
• Pour the water on the orzo cover and cook at reduced heat until soft stirring occasionally (just like rice).  Be sure all the water is gone.
• Drain and rinse the corn
• Wash and chop parsley, dill and green onions
• "rip" by hand or cut chicken into small pieces
• Mix all your ingredients together
• Add salt, lemon juice 
• Add pomegranate juice and pickle juice to your liking.
• Enjoy!

EASY APPLE CRUMBLE

Apple crumble is a good way to use the old apples in your fridge.  Best part is, it is extremely easy to make.   This is my husband's favourite desert.  Best served with ice cream of course.

2.5 cups peeled and cut apples

2 - 3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons water

Topping

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of oat meal

2 tablespoons of flour (whole wheat flour is best)

• Preheat oven to 375
• Peel and cut apples and put in a pan with 2 tablespoons of water
• Add sugar.  If you are using sweet apples, use 2 tablespoons but if they are more sour, use 3 tablespoons of sugar
• Add cinnamon
• Cook apples for 5 minutes at medium temperature (until soft)
• Transfer apples to an oven proof dish.  This recipe is for 4 servings so I used a mid sized pyrex bowl
• Mix all of the topping ingredients with your hands or a fork.  These are your "crumbs"
• Cover the apples with the crumbs
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown
• Enjoy them warm with ice cream
• 

MOUSAKKA

Mousakka has many varieties.  Some have potatos others don't.  Some have yogurt or milk etc.  This is a basic recipe.

2 large eggplants

1/4 cup olive oil

1 kg. ground beef or lamb

1 teaspoon allspice (or cinnamon)

salt

1 medium sized onion

1 large (800 gr) canned crushed tomatos

1/4 cup thinly sliced parsley (optional)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons flour 

1.5 cup milk 

1 egg

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

• Wash and dry the eggplants.  Slice them thinly
• Preheat oven at 350
• Lay the sliced eggplants on a pan single layer, brush with half the oil.  Turn them over and brush the other side with oil.  Cook until they are soft. 
• In a separate pan cook chopped onion and ground meat until the meat is browned and separated..  Add salt, allspice and cook at low heat until all the juice is gone.
• Spray a small glass pan and layer eggplant, ground meat and curshed tomato then another layer of eggplant.  Last layer must always be eggplant.  Some people have multiple layers but I prefer a single layer.  
• Prepare the top layer by melting the butter in a pan.  Add in the flour.  Cook flour until the color changes to brown.  Add in milk and continue to cook making sure flour is mixed through without lumps.  Add in the egg making sure to continually stir.  Cook until the sauce thickens.  
• Pour the sauce over the last layer in your pan
• Sprinkle all the cheese
• Cook in the oven for 45 minutes
• Let it rest for half hour after its cooked before serving