Marble cake with orange and cinnamon

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 orange
1 cup sugar
about 1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
3 cups flour
10 g baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Set the oven to 180 C.
• Grate the zest of the orange and mix it into the sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the egg whites and beat until fluffy and white.
• Squeeze the orange into a cup, fill the rest with the milk and combine with the mixture.
• In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, vanilla, cinnamon and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Add the hazelnuts and mix.
• Transfer 1/3 of the mixture into the other bowl and add the cocoa to it.
• Pour both mixtures into a greased and floured baking pan, in such a way that they will create a pattern.
• Bake about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clear.
• After taking the cake out of the oven, you may add powdered sugar or pour some orange juice on it.

Enjoy :)

Breaded feta balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded feta cheese

1 handful parsley

1-2 slices of brown bread

Egg white

Flour

Bread crumbs

Pepper

Olive oil

Directions:

• Chop the parsley, take out the crust of the bread and shred, add these to the feta and knead.
• Shape into marble sized balls.
• Dip the balls into the flour, egg white and bread crumbs, respectively.
• Fry in a pan with a little olive oil until they are crispy.

Enjoy!

Pastry with cheese and parsley filling (pogaca)

Pogaca is a popular breakfast option for Turkish people, especially busy ones that want to take their breakfasts to go :) You can also try this recipe using boiled potatoes with salt and pepper or olives instead of cheese and parsley.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 pack of instant yeast
1,5 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
100 g margarine
A handful of parsley
1/2 cup shredded feta cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1 egg yolk
Black cumin seeds or sesame seeds

Directions:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a hole in the middle.
• Put the yeast, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in the hole.
• Heat the margarine to melt it and mix with the milk. Add this mixture to the flour and mix.
• Let the dough rise for 30 minutes after covering the bowl with a wet cloth.
• Turn the oven up to 180°C (350°F).
• While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Mix together the feta, cheddar and parsley.
• When the dough is ready, add another teaspoon of salt and mix it in. Then, tear egg-sized pieces from it and briefly knead them in your hand. Press to make a circle, place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in it, close and roll it into a ball.
• Place the pastries on a baking tray, and make sure to leave some space between them since they will expand. Brush the tops with the egg yolk and sprinkle with black cumin seeds or sesame seeds. You may add a tiny bit of chili powder to the egg yolk, which creates a more vibrant colour.
• Bake for about 20 minutes. You can tell whether the pastries are done by checking if their bottom surfaces are browned.

Enjoy!

Bulgur pilav with tomato and lentils

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 cup cooked green lentils (just boil in salted water for 30 minutes and drain)

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 large tomato

5-6 sun-dried tomatoes

2,5 cups chicken/vegetable stock

50 ml olive oil

Salt

Directions:

• Dice the onion and saute in the olive oil in a pot.
• Finely slice the garlic and add to the pot, give it a quick stir.
• Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
• Add the bulgur and lentils and cook for another minute.
• In the meantime, dice the tomato and add to the pot.
• Pour in the stock.
• Slice and add the dried tomatoes and mix.
• Over medium-low heat, cook with the lid closed until all the liquid is absorbed into the bulgur. (takes about 20 minutes) If the water is gone before the bulgur is cooked, add a little bit more.
• Once you turn off the oven, cover the pot with some paper towels and put the lid back on. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then serve.

Enjoy!

Twisted vanilla puff pastry

Ingredients:

4 pieces of puff pastry

One egg yolk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla powder

Powdered sugar

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Brush puff pastry (which has been brought to room temperature) with the egg yolk.
• Cut 1 cm stripes from the pastry. Lay down each stripe on the tray after rotating one end 360 degrees around itself.
• Mix together the sugar and vanilla powder, and sprinkle this mixture over the pastry.
• Bake until puffy and slightly browned.
• After removing from oven, sift powdered sugar over the pastry sticks. You may also mix some cinnamon into the powdered sugar.
• Serve with coffee or tea.

Enjoy!

Puff pastry with plum and apple middle

Ingredients:

8 pieces of square shaped puff pastry

2 apples

3 plums

2 dried figs

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons honey

Juice of half a lemon

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 180°C. Lay out the puff pastry onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave them at room temperature.
• Finely slice the plums and dried figs, grate the apples.
• In a saucepan; add the honey, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cloves to the fruits. Cook for about 10 minutes.
• Once the mixture has cooked and cooled down, distribute it onto four of the puff pastries ( 1,5-2 tablespoons each).
• Cover them with the rest of the puff pastries, press down the edges and makes holes on the top layer using a fork.
• Spread the egg yolk on top of the puff pastries using a brush, sprinkle with some sugar and bake until they are golden brown.
• Serve warm, preferably with some vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Potato salad

Ingredients:

4 mid-sized potatoes

1 green apple

6-7 pieces of spring onion

2 cloves garlic

2 handfuls of parsley

1 tablespoon of chopped dill

Olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Directions:

• Boil or microwave the potatoes until thoroghly cooked. If you are going to microwave them, be sure to make a few holes in each potato using a fork. It will take about 15 minutes to cook 4 potatoes, and you should pause to check and turn the potatoes.
• Rinse under cold water, then peel.
• Chop the parsley, spring onions and dill. Crush the garlic and cut the apple into thin slices.
• Combine all these ingredients with the diced potatoes; add the olive oil, lemon juice and spices and mix. 

Red and green sweet chili pepper salad

Ingredients:

3 sweet red chili peppers

3 sweet green chili peppers

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

• Place the peppers in a wide pot and add enough water to cover half of them.
• Cook with the lid closed until the peppers are softened.
• Run cold water over the peppers after removing from the pot, peel off the skins (don't worry if little bits remain) and cut them into slices.
• Mix together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sliced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a bowl and pour over the sliced peppers.
• Serve after letting it rest in the fridge for a few hours. It tastes even better after one or two days, once the peppers have absorbed the sauce.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin soup

Ingredients:

1,5 cups pumpkin puree

3/4 cups water

1 onion

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup skim milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Chopped spring onion for serving

Directions:

• In a large pot, boil 1/4 cup of water and add the diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is softened.
• Add the rest of the water, the broth, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then cook for 5 more minutes over low heat.
• Add the milk and heat, but do not boil.
• Serve with chopped spring onions and pepper.

Inspiration from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00424

Zucchini slices on toasted bread

Ingredients:

1 zucchini

5 slices of whole-wheat bread

Olive oil

Salt, pepper, dried mint, thyme

A handful of parsley

4 tablespoons of Turkish yogurt

Garlic or garlic powder

Directions:

• Wash and slice the zucchini into ~0.5 cm thick slices. Coat with 2-3 table spoons of olive oil and add the spices.
• Heat a griddle pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toast both sides of the bread slices on the pan.
• Remove the bread from the pan and place the zucchini slices. Cook until both sides are slightly charred.
• In the meantime, chop the parsley and mix with the yogurt and crushed garlic or garlic powder.
• When the zucchini are done, lay them on top of the bread slices and top with a tablespoon of the yogurt.

Enjoy!

Banana oatmeal breakfast muffins

Ingredients:

1,5 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup sugar

10 g baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3/4 cups milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 bananas

A handful of hazelnut

Directions:

• Set the oven to 200°C.
• Combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Mash the bananas with a fork and add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
• Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Crush and add the hazelnuts. You may also save some to sprinkle on top.
• Using a spoon, divide into 12 muffin moulds and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin and cream layered dessert

Ingredients:

100 g mild cream cheese

35 g butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1,5 cup pumpkin puree

1,5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Walnuts

Directions:

• Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
• Mix together the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
• Distribute into glasses in layers. Place crushed walnuts on top.

Enjoy :)

Carrot ribbons with pomegranate

Ingredients:

2 carrots

Quarter of a pomegranate

Olive oil

Pomegranate syrup

Dried mint

Directions:

• Clean the carrots, then make slices using a vegetable peeler.
• Seed the pomegranate and sprinkle the seeds on top of the carrots. For seeding the pomegranate, you can use the trick where you do it inside a bowl full of water so that you don't get red pomegranate juice all over you!
• Drizzle a little olive oil and pomegranate syrup and sprinkle some dried mint on top.

Lemon cookies covered in coconut powder

Ingredients:

2 eggs

125 g butter at room temperature

2,5 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 g baking powder

Juice of half a lemon

Zest of one lemon

Coconut powder

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 190C, line a baking tray with baking paper.
• With a mixer, beat together the egg yolks, powdered sugar and butter until smooth and creamy.
• Add the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. You may also use lemon aroma if you have any.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and knead.
• Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then shape into lollipop-sized balls.
• Put the egg whites in one plate and the coconut powder in another. Dip the cookies into the egg white first, then cover them with the coconut. Place them onto the baking tray and bake until golden brown.

Borek with dried tomatoes and spinach

Ingredients:

6 pieces of filo pastry (yufka)
450 g cleaned and frozen spinach (or 1 kg fresh)
1 large onion
100 g feta cheese
2 eggs
1,5 cups Turkish yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
Milk
7-8 sun dried tomatoes
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder
Black cumin seeds

Directions:

• Set the oven to 180C.

• Prepare the filling: Dice the onion and saute in a pot in a little olive oil.
• Add in the spinach and cook until it is cooked through. Drain the excess water.
• Chop and mix in the feta cheese. Have a taste and add salt if necessary. Sprinkle with pepper.
• Cut the dried tomatoes into thin slices and add to the spinach.

• Combine the yogurt, olive oil, one of the eggs + the white of the other egg and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add milk until the mixture has a creamy consistency.
• Grease a baking pan and lay down one of the filo pastries into the pan so that its edges remain outside.
• Spread some of the yogurt mixture onto the filo pastry.
• Lay down and wrinkle the second and third layers of filo pastry so that they are completely inside the pan. Cover them with the yogurt mixture.
• Spread the filling on top of the third layer, and add the other layers in a similar fashion. You should end up using almost all of the yogurt mixture.
• When the last layer is added, fold in the edges of the bottom layer on top. Mix the remaining egg yolk to the remaining yogurt mixture, add a pinch of chili powder. Pour this mixture on top of the borek and sprinkle with black cumin seeds.
• Bake until the top is golden brown and crispy. You may turn up the temperature to 200 after about 10 minutes.