EASY PIZZA

                   EASY PIZZA

 

 



 Pizza is a very common food all over the world.  It is one of children's favorite. It is possible to make  different pizzas to changing the ingredients. You can top pizza with olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, .....

 My recipe is an quick and easy way to make pizza. This is a recipe when you don't have time to wait until pizza dough rise.

 

 

  

 



INGREDIENTS

 

12 French toast bread, sliced

11/2 cups milk

200g  mozzarella cheese, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped 

 

 

Cut of the crust around the slices, soak  into cold milk. Place six of them in a well greased ovenproof dish. Topped with sliced cheese. Repeat the same for second layer. Decorate with sliced tomato and pepper. If you like you can add sliced olives or salami. Spread thyme on top. Bake 180C-375F for 25-30 minutes.



 

 

MANTI-RAVIOLI AND CHICPEA SOUP

  

  

 

      MANTI (RAVIOLI)

 AND

 CHICPEA

SOUP

 

    

 

 

 

                 This soup is a warmy and very filling soup from Anatolia-Turkey. There are many different variations from different regions. Main ingredients in this soup is manti-ravioli-dumpling . Manti is a kind of dumpling-ravioli which is popular in Asia and Anatolia-Turkey.

Manti consist of ground  meat  in a dough wrapper; either boiled or steamed.

In Turkey it has been eaten boiled (some kind  bakes before boil), and serve with crush garlic mix yogurt, and on top red pepper and butter sauce.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup manti or ground beef ravioli

1 cup chickpeas, cooked

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups hot water

2 tablespoon tomato puree

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry mint

 

Optional

1 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon flour

 

On top

2 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon chili powder

 

Pour stock and water into a deep pan. Add tomato puree and salt. Bring to boil, add chickpeas. Simmer 10-15 minutes .Add manti -ravioli. Boil uncovered 20 minutes or until manti is tender.

Optionally ; mix yogurt and flour in a bowl, add 1 cup  liquid of soup. Pour this mixture into soup slowly , stir and let it boil 5 minutes. 

Melt butter add chili powder.  Pour over the soup.

 

 

 

 

                                     SIRLOIN STEAK
                           WITH
                   TOMATO SAUCE



Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle . Muscle meat of beef  cuts into steak, roast and short ribs  Different countries and cuisines have different names for these parts.
 Sirloin steak is  cut from rear back portion of cattle. The sirloin dives into several types of steak.   The top sirloin is the most tender and tasty part.


INGREDIENTS
500g-1 lb sirloin steak
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vine, red or white
1 cup hot water

 

 

Coat steaks in flour and shake away excess. Heat oil in a casserole add garlic   and rosemary, stir few minutes. Add steaks , cook  2 to 3 minutes each sides until browned. Add onion, green pepper , tomatoes , salt and pepper. Stir in  vine  and  hot water. Put on lid and simmer, turn the heat low, cook 30 minutes or until steak is tender. Serve with potato gratin.   

 

 

                 POTATO   GRATIN

Gratin is a culinary technique which originated French cuisine. Gratin is prepared in a shallow ovenproof dish and topped with a browned crust.
 

INGREDIENTS

1kg- 2lb potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup cheddar cheese , grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon powder paprika

PREPARATION

Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes, boil  or steam and drain. Heat oil in a pan stir in flour .Stir to form a smooth , glossy paste. Take pan off  heat.  Pour milk slowly  into paste, stir. Return pan to medium heat.  Bring to boil, stir constantly until sauce is thick. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix potatoes and sauce. Place into a well greased oven proof dish. Spread  cheese and paprika  on top of potatoes mixture.. Bake at 200C-400F for 25 minutes or until top is browned.

 

 

                     ZUCCHINI/ COURGETTE

              WITH  WALNUTS

 

 

 

 



This is an easy meze. It can be made  half zucchini half carrots or just zucchini. Greek yogurt is good for the best result. Also it is ideal for vegetarians.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

5 medium size zucchini/ courgette, roughly grated

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup walnuts, grounded

1 cup yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dill,  chopped

 

Saute  grated zucchini  into heated olive oil. Stir until all juice has been absorbed. Leave to cool. Add yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, walnuts and dill. Mix well. Place in a serving dish. Decorate with dill. Serve cold.

 

                                           MARBLE CAKE

INGREDIENTS


3 medium size eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups self raising flour
1  teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons extra sugar
3 tablespoon cherry liquor


Beat eggs and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vegetable oil. First  stir in flour and baking soda then milk. Mix well until all ingredients combine. Place 3/4 of mixture into well greased baking tin.
Add cacao powder, sugar and liquor  rest of mixture. Mix well. Spread on top  . Swirl with a stick to create the marble effect. Bake about 180C-375F minutes for 40 minutes. Test with toothpick, insert it into the center of cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done. Let it cool 10 minutes and take of from tin.

                                            MUSHROOM DIP

 

 

 

Chestnut mushrooms or cremini mushrooms have strong taste and dark color. Also they have lower water content. They shrink less.

When you are washing mushrooms don't leave them in to water. They absorb water and loss taste.   

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                      

 

INGREDIENTS 

 

250g - 1/2 lb chestnut mushrooms, sliced

2 table spoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 table spoons parsley, chopped

125g cream cheese

2 table spoons mayonnaise

 

In a pan heat the oil, add mushrooms and onion. Cook 15 minutes until they get brown and all juice is approved . Let it cool.

Mix mushroom and onion mixture and other ingredients into the food processor. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

 

 

 

 

 









 

                  
                                             MAKING

                                 APPLE (CIDER)
                       VINEGAR

                                              AT HOME

 

 

 

 It is believed that apple-cider vinegar accelerates weight loss because it helps control blood sugar level and suppress appetite. I believe no food can cause weight loss unless changes are made dietary habits and lifestyle. There is not any danger to try, it is  not hurt. 

Making apple-cider vinegar is almost as same as making vine vinegar. You can use hole apples  and scraps like peels and cores. Organic apples are the best for healthy vinegar. Use only glass jar. 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

10 medium   apples

2 lt-5 pint water

2 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

large mouth jar

a piece of cheesecloth

 

Wash apples thoroughly and cut quarters. Leave the skins on. Put apples and scraps into the jar. Cover with water. Add honey and salt. Cover the jar mouth with cheesecloth. Leave in a dark place or cover the jar with folio 3 weeks. You will see a grayish scum form on the surface. This is normal. Strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth. Do not wash jar. Pour the liquid back to jar. Cover the lid of jar. Leave 2-3 weeks more. Longer waiting time improves flavor. Strain the liquid through coffee filter. Keep into glass bottles. Store the remaining part which resembling  jellyfish (mother of vinegar) to use as yeast when making vinegar next time. 

 

 

 

 



                                  These are organic apples. You can see the dark spots on them.



 

 

 

 

 

                                            RED CABBEGE
                             SALAD

 

 

 

Cabbage is  one of  the symbol of winter. Cabbage has two colors, red and white. You can find many different recipes with white cabbage. But I can not say the same thing about  red cabbage.  This recipe is one of it. This dish can be use as salad when it is cold or  as a side dish when it is warm.    

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 kg-2lb red cabbage, shredded

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and divided in small cubes

4 table spoon red vine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 table spoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 table spoon virgin olive oil

 

Heat oil in a pan, add  shredded and washed  red cabbage, and apples. Simmer 5 minutes while stirring. Add vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt,  and water. Cook 10 minutes more until cabbage is soft  and all liquid has been absorbed  but not overcook.

 



 

 



                           MAKING VINE VINEGAR 

                                                    AT HOME

Making vinegar at home has been practiced since ancient time. It was used as a medicine at that time.  Home made vinegar is much more healthier and better tasting than the vinegar which you buy from stores. Also it is easy to make.
You can use many different fruit to make vinegar ...like grapes, apples, berries ....

INGREDIENTS

1kg-2lb  red or white grapes
3 lt -  6,3 pint water
1 sliced white bread
1 tbsp. chickpea
1/2 tbsp. crack wheat (bulgur)
1 tsp sea salt
a wide mouth jar
a piece of cheeseclot

Wash well grapes, drain . Put grapes into the jar with stalks,  pour 3 lt-6.3pint water,  cover the mouth of jar with cheesecloth. Leave the jar in a dark place for 2 weeks. If you can't find a dark place cover the jar with folio or dark color plastic bag. You will see a grayish scum form on the surface. This is normal.
End of two weeks  strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth. Squeeze grapes to remove all the juice thoroughly. Don't wash the jar. Pour the liquid back to jar. Add slice of bread, chickpea , crack wheat and salt. Cover the lid of jar. Leave in a dark place  for 40 days. A layer is formed on top which resembling jellyfish. This is 'mother of vinegar ' which can use as yeast for next vinegar making. Strain the liquid through a coffee filters , store in glass bottles.

      

      CAULIFLOWER  GRATIN

 

 



Winter is at the door. It is time to start cooking seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower is one of them. This dish has vegetable, meat and cheese . I think it is  a good combination for cold winter days.

The trick of cooking cauliflower is never overcook.

 It can be prepare a day ahead. Just bake it before you want to eat. 

 

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS

1 medium size cauliflower-500g-1 lb

 

For Meat Sauce

250g-1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium onion , finely chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2tbsp  tomato puree

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup hot water

 

For white sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. plain flour

2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

2 cups milk

 

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

 

 

Cut  cauliflower into individual florets. Boil into salted water 10 minutes, drain well.

For meat sauce, place  oil in pan, add chopped onion, stir few minutes, add ground meat, stir until it turns brown. Add carrots and tomato puree, salt  & pepper and hot water. Cook until mixture is thickened slightly.

For white sauce heat oil in a pan add flour ,cook stirring until mixture is bubbling. Remove from heat add milk , stir over heat until thickens.

 

Place cauliflower into well greased ovenproof dish, top with first meat sauce and then white sauce .

Sprinkle with grated cheese  . Bake in 180C-375F oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Serve with green salad.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APRICOT CAKE

 

 

 

 

 

This is my basic cake recipe. I give you guarantee to you never fail with this recipe. You can make many different cake just changing some ingredients. For example  you can use any other fresh fruit instead of apricot. If you add cacao powder and grated chocolate you can have  delicious chocolate cake.

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

3eggs

1 1/2 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup ground almond,

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

500g-1 lb fresh apricot

2 tbsp. extra sugar

 

Beat eggs and sugar until  thick and creamy. Add vegetable oil , continue to mix. Stir in flour and  almond, vanilla extract, baking powder and then milk, mix well. Spread cake mixture into the well greased and lined with baking sheet 22cm-9inch cake tin. Top with apricot. Sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake to 180C-350F for 40 minutes

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEMON AND ROSEMARY

 

 

CHICKEN

 

 

 

 

 Chicken is much cheaper and healthier  then red meat. Problem is find a tasty and high quality chicken. They say organic free range chickens are permitted to roam freely , eat natural diets and free of antibiotics.  I hope all are true .

INGREDIENTS
1,5kg-3lb organic  free range chicken
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, crashed
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 stalks  of fresh thyme

Cut straight down the back of the chicken, open it out flat. Blend 1/2  lemon,  lemon juice, olive oil,garlic cloves, salt& pepper and fresh rosemary.
Spread this mixture all over the chicken. Place the chicken in a roasting pan . Put  halved 1/2 of lemon and  fresh thyme on top of the chicken. Bake to 200C-400F , for  1 1/4-1 1/2 hour until well browned and tender. Serve with plane rice pilaf and green salad.

 

 

 

SAUSAGE ROLLS

 

 

 

 

 

Picnic is a traditional event in Britain. Eating out of doors is hit & miss activity. Picnic food  must be portable-like sausage rolls, Cornish pastry, sandwich, pate', pie. Sounds great to me  the idea of having picnic at Hyde Park  (  or any other beautiful park) in London eating good picnic food and drinking cold champagne ....  IF  the weather is dry and little bit sunny.
Sausage roll is also eaten during Christmas and afternoon teas. They are very simple to make  and can be freeze.

INGREDIENTS

225g-8oz  puff pastry
450g-1lb sausage meat
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp sage
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp milk
salt & pepper



Mix sausage meat, onion and sage. Season with salt & pepper. On a floured surface roll out the pastry to form an oblong. Cut this oblong into three, divide sausage meat mixture into three. Make three long rolls the same length as the pastry. Place each rolls onto strip of pastry. Brush the egg & milk mixture along one edge. Fold the pastry over and seal. Turn it and cut into 2 inches (5cm) long.
Place into the tray which covered with baking -sheet. Brush with egg mixture. Bake 220C-425F for 20-25 minutes.