YEŞİL MERCİMEK ÇORBASI

GREEN LENTIL SOUP
This is one of my son's favorite soups. I must tell you that he is a very picky eater. I am happy when he eats the whole bowl of it so I can make sure that he gets something very nutritional.
  Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1/3 cup of uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups of cooked green lentil
• 1 small size of onion
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
• 5 cups of boiling water
• salt

Take vegetable oil and beef in a medium pot and turn the heat on medium. Cook it until the beef absorbs all of its juice, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion. Stir and cook for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add boiling water and orzo in to the pot and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down to low. Cover the lid and simmer it for 15 minutes. Add green lentil. Stir and cover the lid. Let it cook 10 more minutes.Turn the heat down.

BAHARATLI PİKAN

SPICED PECANS

This is another Sophie's recipe. I have been baking these very often after I tasted them in Sophie's house.
Thanks again Sophie...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pecan halves
• 1tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• a pinch of ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Soak pecan halves in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and take them in a mixing bowl. Mix it with the spices. Take them in a cookie tray. Bake for 15 minutes.

EV YAPIMI MİLFÖY & KATMER POĞAÇA

HOMEMADE PUFFED PASTRY & PUFFED PASTRY POGACA
Makes 20 pogacas.

Ingredients:

• 3+1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp of  sugar
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 1 tsp of yeast
• 1/2 stick melted butter

Filling:

• feta cheese

Glaze:

• egg yolk

In a large mixing bowl; mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add milk and vegetable oil and knead. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for one hour.

Take the dough and knead it until it is bubble free. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts and give them the shape of small ball. Take some all purpose flour in a bowl and dip one of the dough balls into the flour. Dust a large, flat surface with the flour (dusting will keep the dough from sticking). Place the dough onto flat surface and roll the dough as large as a plate with a long roller pin. Brush it with a generous amount of butter. Set this aside. Roll the second ball as large as the first one and and place it on top of the first one. Brush this one with melted butter too.Follow these steps for the remaining balls.

Dust the surface with flour again. This time take the 10 of them together and gently roll. Start to roll from center to the edges. Continue rolling until you rich 1/3" thickness. Cut this round pastry sheet into 20 equal triangles.
Take one of the triangular and place one tsp of feta cheese on top, fold the edges and roll.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put them on the baking sheet leaving enough room to rise. Brush with egg yolk and let them rise for 30 minutes.Heat the oven 35OF. Bake for 30 minutes or pogacas are golden brown.

ISPANAK SALATASI

BABY SPINACH SALAD

It is a very simple and satisfying dish that can be served as salad or dip.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of baby spinach
• 3 tbsp condensed yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp of Turkish red pepper flake
• salt

Take baby spinach and olive oil in pot over low heat.Stir occasionally until spinach absorb its own juice. Turn the heat off and let it cool.Take spinach, yogurt,garlic,red pepper flakes and salt in a mixing bowl and stir. Take it in a serving dish.
  

TAVUK KÖFTESİ

CHICKEN PATTIES

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground chicken breast
• 2 tbsp of bread crumbs
• 1 tsp of  ground Turkish red pepper
• 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp of ground cumin
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• salt

Preheat the oven 400F.
Take all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Knead until well combined. Let it sit in the refrigerator for two hours.At the end of resting time, take the mixture out and knead it one more time. Divide the mixture into 18 equal parts and make small balls and flat them with your palms.
Take them on baking tray and bake until golden  brown.