Ceviche Verde

This recipe is from Epicurious website. I eat ceviche at a Mexican restaurant and I love it. I finally, made it my self. It is a great recipe. I used bassa filet for the fish. I didn't have tomatillos ad green olives. I didn't use them but it worked very well without them. It has a great fresh taste to it. It is  a great appetizer.

Ingredients

 1 pound fresh Pacific halibut or other firm-fleshed fish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup green olives, sliced
1/2 cup tomatillos, diced
1/4 cup onion, very finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tostadas or tortilla chips

Preparation

Chop fish into 1/2" cubes; place in medium bowl. Add kosher salt; toss to coat. Add lime juice; toss to coat. Marinate until the edges of the cubes begin to turn opaque, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Dice avocados; add to bowl along with green olives, tomatillos, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño Add olive oil and season to taste with salt.

Serve over tostadas or with tortilla chips for dipping.

Mixed vegetable Balti

INGREDIENTS Scant 1 cup split yellow peas 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon onion seeds 2 onion, sliced 115 g zucchini, sliced 115 g potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes 115 g carrots, sliced 1 small eggplant 225g tomatoes, chopped 1  cups water 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon salt 2 fresh green chilies, sliced 1 teaspoon garam masala 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS Put the split peas in a pan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the peas and keep warm. Heat the oil in a pan then add the onion seeds and sautй until they pop. Add the onions and stir fry over medium heat until golden brown. Add the zucchini, potatoes, carrots and eggplant to the pan. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, water, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, chilies, garam masala and the reserve split peas. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro into the vegetables. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve at once.

Zucchini Patties ( Kabak Mucveri )

This dish is from Turkish cookbook called Turkish Table by Gonul Candas.  I prepared this dish for the family dinner party. Everyone loved it:)

Ingredients
3 medium size zucchini finely grated
6 springs of scallions chopped
3 eggs
1/2 bunch of parsley chopped
1/2 a bunch of dill chopped
4-5 tbsp flour
Salt and black pepper
4-6  tbsp olive oil for cooking.

 Preparation Method 
 Mix well all the ingredients except oil. 
Spoon the mixture onto a pan with hot oil and slightly flatten. fry until both sides turn pink.
Remove cooked pieces onto a plate and when cook another batch put little more oil and cook them until both side pink. Serve them hot or cold as a side dish.
 

Spinach with garlic yogurt

This recipe is from my childhood. My mom was making it very often. We called it meze. It is like a dip. Jeremy loved it.

Ingredients
1 lb fresh spinach chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
salt
Preparation Method
Saute onion with olive oil and add spinach cook until welted. Add garlic, cooked spinach, yogurt and salt  to the food processor  and process until mix thoroughly.  Serve with pita bread or vegetables.

Roasted pepper-cheese dip

This recipe is from cookbook called Cooking Light. It is a very delicious dip for cheese lovers.

 Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
2 large unpeeled garlic gloves
1 (8-ounce) 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


Preparation Method
Preheat broiler.
Cut bell peppers in a half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place peppers, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Add garlic to baking sheet, and broil 4 minutes or until blackened.
Let stand 15 minutes and  then peel peppers and garlic; discards skin.
Place roasted peppers and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once. Add cheese; process until smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl. and stir in vinegar,salt and crushed red papper. Serve immediately or cover and chill.

Turkish carrot salad with garlic yogurt

This simple carrot salad is from my childhood. My mom made it very often. It is very simple and light dish. I use fat free yogurt.

Ingredients
2 cups Greek style yogurt 
4 medium carrot grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil 
salt
Flat leaf parsley for garnish



Preparation Method
Heat oil in a non stick pan over medium heat. Add carrots cook stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until almost soft. remove from heat;  leave to cool.
Combine yogurt and carrots in a serving bowl. Add garlic ;toss. Add salt to taste.
Cover salad and chill for at least 1 hour. Spoon into serving bowls;garnish with parsley.

Tuscan white bean salad with tuna

This recipe is from cookbook called Super Salads. As son as I saw this recipe I remembered my mom used to make Turkish recipe called "piyaz". It is meze ( side dish) and very famous in Turkey. We mostly eat with kofte ( Turkish meatball). That recipe didn't have tuna. I used tuna with water but recipe used tuna with oil. 
Ingredients

2 cans (14oz) each white beans,
drained and rinsed
2 can ( 15 oz) tuna with water
1 medium red onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Preparation Method
Toss beans,tuna, onion, oil, lemon juice and parsley together in a large serving bowl.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

Spinach & Herb Frittata

This recipe is cookbook called 1000 vegetarian recipes from all around the world. It came out very good.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
6 scallions, sliced
9 oz/ 250 g young spinach leaves 
6 large eggs
3 tbsp finely chopped mixed fresh herbs,
parsley, thyme, and cilantro
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
fresh parsley springs , to garnish
Preparation Method
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the scallions and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Add the herbs.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour in the egg mixture, smoothing it into an even layer.Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, for 6 minutes until the base set when you lift up the side with spatula.
Sprinkle the top of the frittata with parmesan . Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and cook for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
Serve ht, warm or room temperature. 

Spicy rice

This dish is from cookbook called perfect Mexican. We love Mexican food so I decided to try this rice recipe. It is so delicious.
Ingredients 

3 tbsp olive oil
6 scallions, chopped 
1 celery stalk, finely chopped 
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped 
corn kernels, cut from 1 ear fresh corn 
2 fresh mild green chilies,
seeded and finely chopped 
1 1/4 cups long grain rice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro springs to garnish
Preparation Method
Heat  the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, corn, and chillies and cook for 5 minutes.
Ad the rice and cumin and cook, stirring to coat the grains in the oil for 2 minutes. 
Stir in the stock and half the chopped cilantro and bring to a boil. reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just tender.
Remove from the heat and fluff up with a fork. Stir in the remaining chopped cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.


 

Quinoa with pine nuts and currants

I made up this recipe.It came out very good.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp currants
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Preparation Method
Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Cook onion and pine nuts in oil for 5 minutes. Add quinoa, currants and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy. Garnish with dill and serve.

Saute Mashrooms with tomatoes

I love saute mushrooms and I don't have to look recipe. This one is my creation:)

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive olive
1 onion chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 green bell pepper chopped
2 big tomatoes chopped
2 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional )
1/4 cup chopped parsley


  Preparation method

Saute onions and peppers  in olive oil for 5 minute. Add mushrooms and tomatoes cover and cook 15 or 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Bulgur with green lentils

This recipe from my mom. She was cooking this dish very often. I decided to make it today.

Ingredients 
 2 tbsp olive oil 
1 onion chopped  
1 cup bulgur
1 cup green lentil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley


 Preparation Method
Place lentils and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and liquids is dissolved about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add onion cook 3-5 minutes and then add cooked lentils and bulgur.
Stir well and then add chicken stock. Simmer until liquid dissolved. Stir in parsley.

Sweet potato mash with cilantro

This recipe is from The quick recipe cookbook. There are a lot of quick and easy recipes in this cookbook.

Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes chopped
3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp soy sauce


Preparation Method
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.
Chop and melt the butter an a small saucepan, add the garlic and ginger and cook over low heat, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Mash the sweet potatoes until almost smooth. Stir in the garlic mixture, cilantro and sot sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Cigarette borek ( Sigara boregi)

I will have cooking class with my coworkers this Thursday. They want me to teach them how to make cigarette borek.It is very famous Turkish appetizer.
Ingredients 
Oil for dip fry

1 package Turkish filo dough ( triangle shape)
( Turkish groceries sells )
http://www.amitymeat.com/index.html
Filling
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 potato boiled and mashed
salt and pepper

Preparation method
Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl. Put water into small dish for stick the edges of the borek.
Put one tsp of filling on the long side of each sheet. First fold the end from the outside to the inside then roll it up.
Soak open end in the water and close it up. After you rolled up the sheets, heat up the oil fry them until light golden color. Serve them while they are still warm.

Pilaf with pine nuts and currants ( ic pilav )

I got this recipe from the website, http://english.turkishcookbook.com/2007/12/pilaf-with-chicken-liver.html
This is very famous Turkish dish.  I made some changes. I didn't use chicken liver. I used parsley instead of dill.

Ingredients 
2 cups rice

2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup currants
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth
fresh chopped parsley or dill

Preparation Method
Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Saute onion 2-3 minutes while stirring. Add pine nuts, current and saute another 3 minutes. Then add rice, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper,stir. Pour hot chicken stock and cover the lid. Turn heat to low cook until rice absorbs all the water. Let pilaf stand 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or dill and serve. It will be very good side dish with chicken.

Jamaican beef patties

When I was in Jamaica I eat a lot of Jamaican patties. I tried to make them couple of times. This recipe is the closes I could get. I used ground turkey instead of beef. The recipe is from cookbook called Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen


Ingredients
1/2 cups all purpose flour 
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp Jamaican curry powder 
1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)
3/4 cup ice cold water

 For the filling 
I pound ground beef or turkey
1 onion, finely chopped 
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 clove garlic, minced
2 scotch bonnet peppers seeded and minced
( I used 3 chili pepper)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup bread cumbs
For the egg wash
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water 

Preparation Method
To make the pastry, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add the bowl. Working quickly and using your fingertips, squeeze together the flour mixture and butter and toss it together by scooping under the mixture resembles a very coarse meal add the water to the bowl.

With floured hands mix and squeeze the dough just until it forms a ball.  Knead it once or twice to combine it fully (the less kneading the better).  Spread the dough into 2 pieces, flattening each into a thick pancake.  Wrap in plastic and set them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.  The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before using it.

For the filling, mix together the beef, onion, scallions, garlic, peppers and thyme in a large bowl.  In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat until it is very hot, and add the beef mixture.  Fry until the meat is brown and the moisture is evaporated, about 8 minutes.  Add the curry powder, salt and black pepper, stirring constantly over high heat, allowing a crust to form on the bottom of the pan.


Add the water and stir the mixture, scraping the bottom to incorporate the browned crust.  Add the bread crumbs and stir.  The consistency should be like a thick stew.  Add more water as needed.  Cover, reduce the heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.


Preheat the oven to 400F .  Cut each piece of the dough into 9 pieces.  Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out each piece of pastry into a rectangle shape with rounded edges.  Spread a large spoonful of the cooled meat mixture over one side of the dough, leaving at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch border on the outside edge.  Using your finger, paint water around the border.  Fold the other side of the dough over and roll and crimp the edges.  Lightly press a floured fork around the edge of the patty.


Place the patty onto a cookie sheet and repeat the process with the remaining dough.  The patties may be covered in plastic and frozen at this point for later use.  Brush each patty with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes, or until the patties begin to turn golden color.

Turkish style rice ( pilav )

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup orzo
1 cup rice
2 cups water or chicken stock

Preparation method
Heat the oil in a pan and saute orzo until colored. and than add the rice. Mixed well and than add the water. Cook it with low heat until the water is absorbed.
I served with zucchini dish and garlic yogurt.

Med-Rim Tabbouleh

 This recipe is from cookbook called The complete Cooking light cookbook. I'm enjoying cooking recipes from this book lately. I don't make any changes. I think they are very good recipes.

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat

 1 1/2 cups boiling water

 1 teaspoon olive oil

 1 1/2 cups diced onion

 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

 1 tablespoon ground cumin

 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 2 teaspoons olive oil

 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

Combine bulgur and boiling watet in a large bowl; stir well.
Let stand 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot.
Add onion; saute 5 minutes or until tender.
Add onion, parsley, and remaining ingredients to bulgur.
Cover and chill.

Grilled Asian Sweet Potatoes

 I couldn't post recipes almost one week because I was studying for my payroll certification. Finally, I passed the exam. I made this dish recently but didn't have time to post it. This recipe is cookbook called Cooking Light.  

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2/12 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Preparation:

Preheat grill for medium heat. Combine all ingredient except sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add sweet potatoes to mixture, coat well. Remove potatoes from bowl and place onto grill. Reserve soy sauce mixture. Grill sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes, turning and basting with soy sauce mixture often. When potatoes are tender, remove from heat and serve.

Garbanzo Guacamole

I have funny story to tell about the recipe. My son and Esmeralda was drinking their wine I thought that I should make appetizer for them. I had an idea and I was going to make hummus but I saw another recipe  in the same page it says Garbanzo Guacamole. I changed my mind I started making the recipe. This book doesn't have pictures so I thought that it will be dip because all the other recipes was dip. I didn't have time to read the recipe and I assumed that I should mix all the ingredient. After I finished I realized that tomato and green onions chopped and put  top of the mixed ingredients. As soon as I serve with tortilla chips they loved it. They thought that it was great taste. I changed the recipe by mistake but I'm glad it came out good. I got this recipe website is,
http://www.food.com/recipe/garbanzo-guacamole-102121

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2/3 cup drained canned garbanzo beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup cubed peeled avocados
• 1 tablespoon chopped green chilies
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

Directions

1. Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced.
2. Add beans and lemon juice; process 20 seconds.
3. Add 1/3 cup onion, avocado, green chilies, salt and pepper; pulse 5 times or until mixture is chunky.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
5. Stir in tomato and green onions.
6. Chill for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with tortilla chips.