Spagetti With Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg ground beef
• 1 oignon, chopped
• 1 can crushed tomatoes in puree or tomato paste
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• gruyere and parmesan cheese, for serving
• 1 package spagetti

Directions

1. In a saucepan heat oil and cook onions
2. Add meat, cook breaking up meat with a wooden spoon.
3. Cook until all liquid has evaporated.
4. Add tomato sauce or tomato paste.
5. Cook covered, stirring from time to time. Cook for about 30 minutes.
6. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
7. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water.
8. Drain pasta and serve with meat sauce.
9. Sprinkle cheese over. (optional)

Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna
• 1 egg, hard boiled, chopped or grated
• 1/2 apple, grated
• 1/2 onion, grated or chopped
• 1-2 tsp dill, chopped
• 1 Tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 drops Tabasco
• 2 Tbs mayonnaise
• 1-2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine egg with the rest of the ingredients except tuna and apple. Mix well.
2. Add apple. Then add tuna, breaking it up with a fork. If the mixture is dry, add some more mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Mushroom Quiche

 Dough

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100 gr butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs water (if needed)

Place all the above ingredients into the food processor to prepare the dough. It can be prepared without food processor, too.

Ingredients

• 500 gr button mushrooms, cut into quarters or slices
• 2 Tbs oil
• 2 onions, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 250 ml creme fraiche 15 % or 9 % cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 2 C gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

1. Fit dough into a round or square pie pan. Make some holes with a fork.
2. Freeze the dough.
3. Before baking, place baking paper over frozen dough. Fill with dried beans.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Remove beans and baking paper.
6. Return to oven for about 10 more minutes.
7. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook onions. Add mushrooms and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Let the mixture cool.
8. Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated cheese over the bottom of the crust.
9. Spread cooled mushroom - onion mixture evenly.
10. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over the mushroom mixture.
11. In a bowl whisk together cream cheese or cream, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg
12. Pour this mixture over mushrooms.
13. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top.
14. Bake on 190 C preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

Cheese Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/3 C oil
• 80 gr butter,  room temperature
• 1/3 C yogurt
• 2 eggs, for the dough
• 3 1/2 C - 4 C flour
• 1 package Baking Powder
• 1 C gruyere cheese, grated 
• 1 C Bulgarit cheese or other white cheese, grated
• 1/4 C fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• sesame seeds and black seeds for topping
• 1 egg, for topping

Directions

1. Make a dough with the ingredients mentioned above.
2. Place the dough in a bowl. Cover it. Let it rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. Roll the dough in a floured surface about 1/2 cm thick.
4. Cut with round disc.
5. Brush the cookies with beaten egg.
6. Sprinkle sesame and black seeds on top.
7. Bake at 180 C - 190 C preheated oven, until golden brown.
8. Store in airtight container.

Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 750 gr potatoes, cooked and cut into about 2 cm cubes
• 1/2 C celery, chopped or sliced thinly 
• 1 Tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot cook potatoes in boiling water.
2. Cook for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
3. In a medium bowl whisk mayonnaise, oil, honey, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice.
4. Pour the sauce over potatoes and celery
5. Using a rubber spatula combine all the ingredients.
6. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Black Lentil Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C black lentils
• 1 or 2 avocados, sliced (optional)
• 1 onion, chopped or sliced thinly
• 2 Tbs shallots, chopped
• 2 C sunflower sprouts or 1/2 C parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 C oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook lentils in boiling water for about 30 minutes until firm tender.
2. Drain lentils. Rinse with cold water. Drain once more.
3. Add all other vegetables.
4. Prepare sauce shaking vinegar, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a small jar.
5. Pour the sauce over lentil salad. Stir to combine.

Purple And White Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/4 white cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, grated thick julienne
• 1/4 package mixed salad leaves
• 2 Tbs oil
• 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs strawberries vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• cashew nuts, roasted and salted

Directions

1. Mix all the vegetables together.
2. Prepare the sauce putting oil, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard into a jar and shaking well.
3. Pour the sauce over the salad 1/2 hour before serving.
4. Top the salad with cashew nuts just before serving.

Salmon With Dill And Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• about 1 kg salmon, boneless and skinless
• 3 Tbs mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 lemons,  juice
• 1/2 C fresh dill, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• a pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook salmon in steam cooker or in a large pot boil water, salt and pepper cook the salmon in boiling water. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer salmon to a platter.
3. In a bowl whisk mayonnaise, oil and lemon juice. Add dill, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Pour the sauce over salmon.
5. Serve in room temperature or cold.

Baked Macaroni

Ingredients

• 200 gr Casarecce pasta or elbow macaroni or any other kind of macaroni
• 250 gr button mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 sour cream 9%
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper and paprika
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1 C gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
• gruyere cheese for topping

Directions

1. Boil water in a large pot. Add 1 Tbs salt. Add pasta into boiling water.
2. Cook pasta to al dente. Almost firm, not soft.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook onions, then add mushrooms. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
4. In a small bowl whisk egg with sour cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Add  cheeses. Pour the mixture over mushrooms. Mix well.
6. Pour the mushroom - cheese mixture over cooked pasta. Mix well.
7. Pour the pasta mixture into a baking dish or as seen below into individual silicon baking molds.
8. Top with grated cheese.
9. Bake in 190 C preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

Sambusa (Stuffed triangular meat pastries)

Ingredients

• 1/2 package Maroccan cigar sheet dough or phyllo
• 1/2 kg ground beef or ground chicken breast
• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs chicken soup mix
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper and paprika
• fresh coriander, chopped
• 2-3 Tbs Masala 
• 1 Tbs flour (for paste)
• 1 Tbs water (for paste)

Ingredients for Masala

• 1-2 C fresh coriander
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 hot green pepper, seeds removed

Directions for Masala

1. Place coriander, garlic, hot green pepper into food processor. Add 2-3 Tbs of water. 
2. You can freeze this mixture and take a little when ever you need it.

Directions for filling

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions. Cook stirring.
2. Add ground meat, masala and soup mix. Continue cooking . While cooking, separate the meat with a wooden spoon to avoid clumps from forming. Cook until all liquid has evaporated.
3. Add salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
4. Add fresh coriander. Mix well. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl mix flour and water to make a paste.

Directions for Sambusa

1. Cut the Maroccan cigar sheet dough in half and fold each of them. If you use phyllo sheets, cut them into about 4 cm strips.
2. Place 1 Tbs of meat filling on the bottom end of each strip.
3. Fold from side to side diagonally to form a triangle.
4. Stick the edge with a drop of flour - water paste.
5. Heat oil and fry the sambusas until golden brown.
6. Place them on a paper towel to soak extra oil.

Crispy Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 100 gr butter
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 C + 2 Tbs water
• 3 tsp instant yeast ( mix with flour or add to dough during first stage of mixing)
• 3 tsp anise (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• about  5- 1/2 C flour

Topping

• 1 egg, beaten
• sesame seeds
• black seeds

Directions

1. Make a dough with all the ingredients.
2. Place dough in an oiled and floured bowl. Let dough rise for 1 hour.
3. Divide dough into portions. Shape each into a ball.
4. Place each ball on a floured surface and roll into about 10-15 cm long stick.
5. If you wish you can twist 2 thin sticks together.
6. In a shallow bowl combine sesame seeds and black seeds.
7. In an other shallow bowl place beaten egg.
8. Dip bread sticks in egg then in sesame mixture.
9. Place sticks on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
10. Let bread sticks rise for 1/2 hour.
11. Bake in 180 C -190 C preheated oven for about 20 minutes- until browned and crispy.
12. Store in airtight container.

Su Muhallebisi (Milk- Water Pudding)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C milk
• 1 1/2 C water
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 package vanilla sugar
• 1/2 C corn flour
• 2 tsp rose water

For topping:(any one of the 4 options)

1. Rose water and sprinkle powder sugar over
2. Raspberries syrup with rose water and garnish with fresh strawberry slices
3. Honey and garnish with coconut, cinnamon and topped with roasted pine nuts 
4. Fresh passion fruit (maracuja)

Directions

1. Place milk, 1/2 C water and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil.
2. Dilute corn flour in 1 C water.
3. Pour into hot milk, whisking.
4. Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens. Add vanilla sugar and rose water, stir .
5. Rinse with water small individual bowls, and pour the mixture in while bowls are still wet.
6. Let it cool, then put the bowls in the refrigerator.
7. Before serving return bowls onto individual dessert plates.
8. Garnish. with one of the topping options

                                        

Spinach Borek (Spinach Pastry)

Ingredients

• 1/2 packageTurkish yufka or 1/2 package phyllo
• 1 kg fresh spinach or 1 package frozen spinach
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 C feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 C gruyere, parmesan or any other hard cheese, grated
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1/4 C oil for brushing dough

Ingredients for topping

• 3 eggs
• 1 C milk
• 1 yogurt
• sesame seeds

Directions for spinach filling

1. Squeeze frozen spinach and chop.
2. Cook onions in oil and add chopped spinach. Cook for a few minutes.
3. When it cools add cheese,salt and pepper. Stir well.
4. If you use fresh spinach, chop spinach. Add salt, pepper and  cheese.
5. Stir well.

Directions for borek

1. Oil a baking pan.
2. Take a sheet of phyllo or yufka. Cut phyllo in halves, yufka into quarters.
3. Brush the dough with oil. Put some filling on the long edge and roll up like a thick cigar to opposite end.
4. Start from the center of the pan and roll it like a snake.
5. Continue rolling each cigar around the previous one until the whole pan is filled.
6. Whisk milk, yogurt with eggs.
7. Pour the mixture over the borek.
8. Sprinkle sesame seeds.
9. Refrigerate it for some hours.
10. Preheat oven 190 C.
11. Bake borek for about 45 minutes, until brown on top and cooked from the bottom.

Note:The same borek you can prepare with cheese filling

Ingredients for potato - cheese filling

• 2 C potatoes, mashed
• 1 C feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 C gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg , beaten

Combine all the ingredients

Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Bread (bread machine)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C water
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs silan (date honey), or dark sugar, or molassa
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 C bread flour
• 3/4 C rye flour
• 2 Tbs ground flax seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 2 Tbs starter (sourdough)- see recipe in the blog
• 2 Tbs black olive rings, rinsed, drained and mixed with 1 tsp of flour
• 2 Tbs sun-dried tomatoes, cut into large pieces
• 1-2 Tbs sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Add the ingredients  into the bread pan in the order listed above. Up to the starter
2. The starter you add a minute after the machine starts to function.
3. The olives, sun-dried tomatoes and the sunflower seeds you add depending when your machine gives the signal.
4. When bread is baked, take it out of the pan.
5. Let bread cool thoroughly before slicing.

Meat Borek

Ingredients

• 1/2 package phyllo or Turkish yufka as seen in the pictures
• 1/2 kg ground meat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 C parsley, chopped
• 3 Tbs oil
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 3 eggs
• 1 C soda water or milk
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1/4 C oil for brushing daugh

Directions for filling

1. In a small saucepan cook onion until light brown.
2. Add  ground meat. Cook mixing with a wooden spoon until all liquid has evaporated.
3. Add 1 beaten egg. Mix well.
4. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Let the mixture cool

Directions for borek

1. Oil a baking pan.
2. Take a sheet of phillo or yufka. Cut yufka into quarters, phyllo in halves. Brush with oil, put some filling on the long edge and roll up like a thick cigar to opposite end.
3. Start from the center of the pan and roll it like a snake.
4. Continue rolling each cigar around the previous one until the whole pan is filled.
5. Whisk soda water or milk with 2 eggs.
6. Pour the mixture over the borek.
7. Sprinkle sesame seeds.
8. Refrigerate it for some hours.
9. Preheat the oven 190 C.
10. Bake it for almost 45 minutes, until brown on top and cooked from the bottom.

Cauliflower Patties

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 carrot, grated thick 
• 4-5 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 C parsley, chopped 
• 1/4 C dill, chopped
• 1/4 C bread crumbs or 1/4 C flour 
• 1 potato, cooked and mashed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• oil for frying
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper

Directions

1. Cook cauliflower in water until almost soft.
2. Mash cauliflower gently with a fork or with potato masher. Try not to mash into very small pieces.
3. Add parsley, dill, onion, potato, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. 
4. Mix well all the ingredients. Form patties.
5. Heat oil in a large frying pan.
6. Fry the patties until golden brown on both sides.
7. Place them on a plate covered with paper towel, to drain.
8. Serve accompanied by drained yogurt mixed with crushed garlic and chopped chives.

Note: As seen in the picture. The same patties you can bake in the oven. You add 2 more eggs and 3 Tbs of oil to the mixture. You can omit the grated carrot, chopped parsley and dill.  Bake the patties in individual , oiled, aluminium containers or in oiled silicone baking molds. May be topped with grated gruyere or another cheese.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 8 medium-small peppers
• 1 1/2 C rice ( uncooked), rinsed and drained
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 -2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 C fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 C fresh mint, chopped
• 4 Tbs pine nuts
• 4 Tbs dried currents (tiny black raisins)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 C water

Directions

1. Cut off just the tops of  peppers.
2. Remove seeds.
3. In a saucepan cook onions in 3 Tbs oil.
4. Add pine nuts, cook for a few seconds.
5. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well
6. Add rice, salt, pepper, sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 C water. Mix well and cook covered in very low heat for about 5 minutes.
7. Let it cool. Add lemon juice, parsley, dill and mint. Mix well.
8. With a small spoon fill the peppers with rice mixture.
9. Cover each stuffed pepper with tomato pieces or with cherry tomatoes .(You make sort of a lid with tomato pieces).
10. Arrange stuffed peppers in a large saucepan.
11. Cover with water, 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbs oil.
12. Cook for about 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
13. Can be served cool.

Note: With the same filling you can stuff zucchinis or tomatoes.