cook-food

This chicken dish came together one night when I threw a bunch of ingredients I had on hand together for a dinner. Most of my cooking involves throwing things together unless it is for a specific recipe that I want to publish in my blog or for company. Working full time and cooking after a long day of work is not an easy thing and we prefer fresh, home-cooked meals, therefore I usually just make up a quick meal (max 30 minutes) on weekdays with the ingredients in my fridge and pantry. Also, I rarely have a grocery list when I go to the grocery store, so whatever looks fresh and appealing that day ends up in my shopping cart and then my fridge. Most of these quick 30 minute meals usually are not Turkish, however may be inspired by Turkish/Mediterranean cooking. This chicken recipe is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine and certainly took longer than 30 minutes to prepare, however it tasted really good. So it made the list of recipes to be published. Before we get to the recipe, I would li...

Çılbır is known throughout Turkey. Probably because it is simple to make and it contains two popular ingredients; eggs and yogurt. Eggs are so versatile and nutritious; they make a good meal any time of the day, not only for breakfast. This was our dinner one recent evening when we wanted something quick, light and delicious. If you wish, you may serve and decorate each serving on a different plate rather than all in one serving plate. Enjoy. On another note, if you like FREE stuff, I will be hosting a giveaway on my blog in the next two weeks! The item for the giveaway is a really good one! Stay tuned! 5 eggs 2 cups plain yogurt 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely) 1 tsp dried mint 1 ½ tsp salt ¼ cup vinegar 5-6 cups water ¼ cup olive oil 1 tsp red pepper paste 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional) Boil water in a wide pot. Add cayenne and vinegar. In the mean time, add garlic, ½ tsp dried mint and ½ tsp salt to yogurt and mix vigorously. Spread yogurt in a large serving plate. In a small pan,...

Here is a nutritious recipe full of protein. Chickpeas by themselves are full of protein, so for vegetarians, the chicken can be omitted from the recipe and you can still have a tasty and nutritious dish! Chickpeas with chicken or beef are very common in Turkish cuisine; sometimes they are saucy, sometimes on the drier side. Feel free to experiment with different spices and meats. 1 ½ cup chickpeas 1 small onion (chopped fine) 2 cloves garlic (chopped fine) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cubed) 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp tomato paste 2 ½ tsp red pepper paste ½ tsp cumin ¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped) 2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste) 1 ½ cups water Soak chickpeas overnight. Drain and boil in a pot for about 30 minutes. They should be soft, but not mushy after boiling. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Saute chicken cubes until they start to take whitish color. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add chickpeas and sauté for approxima...

This recipe was also made in the middle of the Rocky Mountains of Canada with a beautiful view of nature as mentioned in the last post. The grilled chicken turned out to be very moist and flavorful. The first weekend we made this (slightly a different version), I did not document it. Since it turned out so good, the following weekend, I tried to remember the ingredients and their proportions. This time I documented them and created this post. Enjoy 5 skinless and boneless chicken thighs 5 chicken drumsticks ½ garlic clove 1 tsp blackening spice 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp red pepper sauce 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp vinegar 1 ¼ tsp sea salt Flat bread (optional) With a sharp knife, stab the chicken drumsticks from 4-5 different places so that the marinade seeps into the flesh of the chicken and cooks faster. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except chicken. When all the ingredients are married together, add the chicken and cover all the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for 5 hours....

This recipe was inspired during one of our visits to Canadian Rocky Mountains with my husband while we explore Canada, our temporary residence. We never barbeque in Houston, however barbequing with a view of beautiful mountains covered with snow, glaring during the night is fantastic. We loved this experience so much that we went back again the following weekend to B.C. and enjoyed the hot springs, the nature and of course the barbeque. With collaborative effort, we marinated the meat, chicken and vegetables and grilled them. I prepared the meat and veggies and Umit grilled them to perfection. Actually, this was a good experience for him since he had not grilled before either. The grilled meat and vegetables were extremely delicious and we ended up making sandwiches and dürüm which is rolled flat thin bread with meat and onion salad inside (we added grilled veggies too) with the leftovers. The vegetables were also marinated prior to being grilled. Asparagus, green onions, tomatoes, red...