Black Bean Soup

I'm so happy that I'm back to posting my daily cooking. I found this recipe from Minimalist Baker blog.  
I love the soup picture she took. I'm still learning how to take good food picture. It is not easy but I will try until I get it right. Anyways, I love this soup and of course, I made a lot of changes. I added carrot, used fresh corn, tomato and made my own sauce. I used instant pot for cooking. It is very easy to use. It is a magic pot. I love it! If anyone want to try original recipe the link is above.
We enjoyed the soup since little chilly weather today.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 red or orange pepper (diced)
1 carrot (diced) 
1 tomato 
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 red chile sauce ( I made from dried red pepper ) any chipotle salsa works.
4 cups chicken stock
2 15-ounce black beans (cooked in salt /slightly drained
3 fresh corn on the cob ( cooked and remove the cob)

FOR SERVING optional

Lime juice Fresh cilantro (chopped) Red onion (diced) Tortilla chips Ripe avocado (cubed) Hot sauce

Instructions

Turn the  instant pot saute setting. Once hot, add oil, garlic, onion, pepper, carrot an a pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and the peppers have a bit of color. Add cumin and chili powder and stir to coat. Then add salsa, vegetable stock.. Stir to combine.

Cancel the saute setting and then press the manual button and chose 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle finish wait 5 minutes before opening the instant pot and make sure that turn the knob towards venting position.

Serve with any garnishes you like!

Chayote Black Bean Salad

 Finally, I''m back to blog my cooking again!!!!! I tried this Mexican Salad from Perfect Mexican cookbook in the past. I tried again and I used chayote instead of avocado. It gave crunchy texture. It is a light healthy salad. 

Ingredients
Serves 4-6
6 garlic gloves

1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
5 scallions , thinly sliced
1 head romaine lettuce
8 oz canned corn kernels, drained
17 oz canned red kidney beans, drained
2 chayote instead 2 avocado
2 ripe tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper small chopped ( optional)
half cup fresh cilantro 
Handful of crisp tortilla chips.

Method
To make the dressing combine lime juice, and oil with the vinegar,chili powder, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl, then set aside.
Toss the scallions with the lettuce and arrange on a serving platter. Pour half of the dressing over the leaves, then arrange the corn,beans, avocado or chayote, and tomatoes  over the top.sprinkle with the jalapeno pepper and cilantro.
                                 

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.

Slow cooker Lentil Soup

I have lentil soup  recipe but I found this slow cooker recipe from Allrecipes and wanted to try it. I like to put all the ingredients slow cooker and forget it.The recipe used ham but I made it vegetarian and didn't use ham.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried lentils 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 32 ounces chicken broth 1 cup water 8 teaspoons tomato sauce

Directions:

1.	In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 11 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

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.
 

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.

egg fried rice with peas

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Chinese. It is a very easy recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup long grain cooked rice
3 eggs beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
4 scallions chopped
1 cup cooked peas
1 tbsp light soy sauce
pinch of salt


Preparation Method
Place the beaten eggs in a pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until softly scrambled. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Preheat a wok over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the sides of the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, scallions, and peas ans saute stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes.
Stir the rice into the wok, mixing to combine. Add the eggs, soy sauce and salt to the wok and stir to  mix in the eggs thoroughly. 
Transfer to serving dishes and serve garnished with scallions.

Bulgur with green lentils and walnuts

I was searching recipes and I found this website Almost Turkish Recipes. I will try recipes from this website. I like the recipes. Of course, I made some changes as usual.

Ingredients

1 cup hot water
1cup bulgur
1 cup cooked green lentil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill ( I didn't use it )
1 red pepper or 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp or less red pepper flakes
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil flakes
1 tsp dry mint flakes
3 tbsp olive oil ( recipe didn't have it)
1 tsp or less black pepper
 1 lemon juice
salt
optional a couple of cherry tomatoes
grape leaves (if unavailable, lettuce would do)
I didn't use grape leaves. 

Preparation Method

-Put bulgur in a bowl and add hot water. Stir once, cover with a thick towel and wait until bulgur soaks all the water.
-If you have fresh grape leaves, boil some water and cook grape leaves for 2-3 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
-Add tomato paste to bulgur and mix it well with the back of a spoon or your hands until paste is homogeneously distributed.
-Add lentils.
-Add green onion, parsley, dill, tomatoes, green pepper, basil, mint, red pepper flakes, black pepper, walnut, olive oil and salt.
-Serve bulgur with lentils with grape leaves or lettuce. Put some in the middle of a leave, make a roll or a bundle and enjoy.

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.


 

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.

Rotini - Vegetable Salad with pesto dressing

We will go to block party today so I decided to make pasta dish. This recipe is from cooking light cookbook. It is very easy and  taste delicious.

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 cup packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups cooked rotini
(about 2 cups uncooked corkscrew pasta)
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or 
other white beans, rinsed and drained
I used chick peas

Preparation

Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add basil, cheese, salt, and pepper; process until finely minced. With food processor on, slowly pour water and oil through food chute; process until well-blended.
Combine rotini, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans in a large bowl; toss well. Add pesto mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Cabbage Soup ( Lahana Çorbası )

Sometimes I cannot come up with idea what to cook. Jeremy said cook Turkish food and I try to find something I never cooked before. Here it is, website, http://www.portakalagaci.com/

Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup green lentil ( cook with water until soft
and drain the water)
1/2 cup bulgur
1 can tomatoes sauce
2 can chicken stock
2 cups water
salt and pepper
fresh chopped  parsley and mint
for the garnish

Preparation method
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft.  Add the tomatoes sauce and water and chicken stock.
And then add the cabbage, lentil, bulgur cook 20 minutes until tender.
garnish with the mint and parsley.

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.

Stir-fried bok choy

I served this dish with my dumplings. It is very easy to make it. I inspired from Chinese cooking.

Ingredients

 8 oz / 225g bok  choy chopped
 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp garlic chopped
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp fresh gingerroot chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce

Preparation Method
In a preheated wok or deep pan, heat  the oil and stir fry  the garlic, gingerroot and red pepper flakes until fragrant.
Over high heat toss in the bok choy and soy sauce and stir fry  for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Quinoa salad

I made up this salad. I didn't search recipe. It was great:) I served with fish and carrot puree.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup quinoa   
2 cup hot water
Salt to taste   
Ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 lemon juice
2 small tomatoes chopped    


Directions:
 Pour oil into a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Add onion cook and stir for 10 minutes.
 Using a strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water. Drain well. Stir into the pan cook and stir for 1 minute. Add water bring to boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
 and reduce heat to medium low. simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid absorbed and quinoa is tender.
 Add parsley, mint, dill and tomatoes and lemon juice. Mix well. Serve

Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

This recipe is from http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=328040. I made some changes and I love the taste.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onions, thinly sliced
• 5 teaspoons curry powder( I used 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lb swiss chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups about 14 ounces dried red lentils( I used 1 cup lentil)
• 1 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
• I added 1 can tomato pure  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons thick Greek yogurt, thinned with 2 T. water
• 1 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 limes, cut into six wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until light gold, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in curry and cayenne. Add 4 cups broth and chard. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring, until chard is wilted.
3. Stir in lentils and chickpeas. Lower heat to low. Cover and simmer 16 - 18 minutes, stirring twice, until lentils are tender.
4. Remove from heat. Puree half of it; return to pot. Stir in last cup of broth and salt. Warm over low for 2 minutes. ( I didn't pure it)

Put into bowls. Top with thinned yogurt. Garnish with slices of jalapeno and lime.

Orange and Mango Salad

I cooked salmon for dinner and I made this salad with it. It was very good combination. everyone loved it:)
I found this recipe from cookbook called cooking light. Recipe name was Orange and Avocado Salad. Recipe used avocado but I used mango instead of avocado. I will try with avocado next time.
 

 Ingredients
3 large oranges
6 cups torn curly leaf lettuce
1 cup chopped mango
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
black pepper and salt
1/4 cup sliced almond for garnish

Preparation Method  

Peel and  section oranges over a bowl. squeeze membranes to extract juice. Set sections aside, discard membranes. Reserve 3 tbsp juice.
Combine orange sections lettuce and mango in a bowl. toss gently. Combine 3 tbsp orange juice, vinegar, olive oil  and pepper and salt in a small bowl stir well with a whisk. 
Pour juice mixture over salad and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle almond pieces.

Quinoa with vegetable Pilaf

My son Tolga and his girl friend Esmeralda are coming from New Jersey tonight.  I cooked quinoa it came out very good. I made kofte. I will serve them together. I hope they like it. The quinoa recipe is from website,
http://www.earthlychoice.com/quinoa-recipes.html

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil   
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped   
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup quinoa
 1 cup hot water or chicken stock
1 bay leaf   
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Salt to taste   
Ground black pepper to taste
      
Directions:

    * Pour oil into a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook and stir for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
    * Using a strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water. Drain well. Stir into the vegetables; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add water, bay leaf and lemon rind and juice; bring to boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
    * Discard bay leaf. Stir in peas, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Quinoa Pilaf

Jeremy bought quinoa from Costco. I never cook it before and I saw recipe on the package. I had to try it. I cooked last night. We love it. It was so delicious:)  Here it is website,
http://www.earthlychoice.com/quinoa-recipes.html

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
 chopped 2 carrots, diced
1 cup quinoa   
2 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 /4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
    
Directions:

    * Pour oil into a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; cook and stir for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in quinoa and chicken broth bring to boil. reduce simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and fluffy. In a bowl toss quinoa together with walnuts and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.