cook-food

One of the most refreshing drinks, ayran is enjoyed throughout the summer in Turkey . It pairs very well with kebaps and bulgur dishes. You will find ayran in most Turkish restaurants in the States as it is very popular. I do not know any Turkish person who does not love it, but I think it is an acquired taste for most Americans.  The yogurt used in this recipe is home made and whole milk is used. I am not sure if it will taste the same with low fat milk, but I think it still would be very refreshing.  Enjoy! 4 cups yogurt 1 cup cold water 1 tsp salt Mix the yogurt, water and salt in a blender and blend until smooth (a couple minutes). Pour out in glasses and enjoy cold!

Another favorite summer time vegetable: zucchini. Without planning, I end up buying zucchinis every week in the summer since they are in season. Almost every time, I cook them in tomato sauce either with ground beef, with lentils or just with carrots and tomatoes. They’re delicious in my opinion. Although, I used to almost hate them when I was little. When I find myself with little time to cook, I slice them and broil them and they still taste great. So this recipe is one of my favorite ones with zucchinis. A side of rice would go perfectly with this light recipe. 4 zucchinis 3 carrots (shredded) 4 tomatoes (peeled and diced) 3 cloves garlic (crushed) 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 small onion (shredded) ¾ cup brown lentils (soaked for 1 hour) 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp red pepper flakes ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 ½ tsp salt 2 cups water Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half in half again ending up in four pieces. Chop the quartered zuc...