CORN BREAD MUFFIN

 

CORN BREAD MUFFIN

Makes 12 normal sized muffins

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup plain yogurt mixed with ¼ of water (or 1 cup buttermilk)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup corn meal

• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Spray your muffin pan with grease to ensure muffins won’t stick to the pan
• In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, corn meal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt)
• Mix together all the other ingredients (egg, yogurt mixture, honey and butter)
• Combine all the wet and dry mixes together
• Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups
• Bake 10-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean
• Allow it to cool before removing the muffins

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

3 cups Flour

Filling

200 gr. graded Feta cheese

4 tablespoons chopped Parsley (optional)

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
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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!

Peach Dessert

In Turkiye, fruit desserts are very popular in hot summer days.  Peach season which is now in Ontario, I decided to make this very light and easy summer dessert.  It is always a favorite at my house.

Peaches

Brown sugar (I used 1 teaspoon for each half of the peach)

Cinnamon

Presentation:

Whipped cream

Optionally: ice cream and/or ground filbrets

• Peel the peaches, split them in half and remove the seed 
• Put them in a glass pan
• Add water enough to reach half the peaches
• Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamin
• Preheat oven to 350
• Cook until peaches are really soft (~45 min)
• Cool and leave (covered) in the fridge about 2 hours until really cold
• Decorate with Whipped cream and serve

GLUTEN FREE CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This recipe can be gluten free or not depending on the type of pasta you use.  If you use gluten free pasta, then it is.

One caution is the amount of Alfredo sauce you use once you are ready.  Not everyone likes a lot of sauce so, make the sauce but mix it in small amounts until you find what you like instead of mixing it all through at once.

3 chicken breasts

2 cups frozen broccoli 

2 tablespoons oil

225 gr Fettuccin

Alfredo sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1.5 cups Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

Top: 

2 tablespoons Oregeno

• Cut up chicken breasts into chunks
• Stir fry in a little olive oil
• Add frozen broccoli
• Cook until broccoli is soft and set aside
• Make the Alfredo sauce: 
• melt butter, add cream, garlic, salt and pepper and bring to boil. 
•  Simmer in medium heat 8-10 minutes.  
• Remove from heat
• Add cheese and mix until soft
• Return to heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes
• Remove from heat and set aside
• Make the pasta according to box instructions and drain
• Mix chicken and pasta
• Add sauce a little at a time to your liking
• Serve topped with Oregano

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

Carrot cake is one of my favorite cakes.  Good for any occasion.  You can make it for everyday for the family or dress it up as a layer cake when you make it in 2 - 9 inch round cake pans or make muffins with this recipe.

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cups coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 cup shredded toasted coconut
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cups granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs

For the icing:

• 1 cup (1-8 ounce package) cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups powered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Grease and flour a 8x13 pan (or 2 - 9 inch round cake pans).
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and sea salt.
3. In another medium sized bowl stir together the carrots, walnuts, coconut and raisins.
4. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and oil using an electric beater. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat till just combined. Gently fold in the carrot mixture.
5. Divide batter between the 2 prepared cake pans. Place both pans on the middle rack in your oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of each cake to loosen them then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

To make the icing:

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a medium sized bowl using an electric beater. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to blend.

To assemble the cake:

1. If you made a single cake, spread the icing liberally on top it.  If you decided to make a layer cake spread some icing on top of 1, place the other cake on top and then frost the top and sides together.

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

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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
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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

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