String Beans with Basil and Yoghurt

String beans are always one of the most preferred vegetables of summer. Many kinds of dishes can be prepared from string beans. This time I will explain a cold dish of string beans with yoghurt. I tried it the first time, and it's very tasty. Don't look anywhere else, you can only find this recipe here!

Green Lentil Soup with Vegetables

It's a known fact that green lentils are a rich source of protein. Always try to cook lentils frequently. There are so many ways lentils can be cooked I don't think it will be that difficult. Here is a lentil recipe with vegetables which makes lentils even more nourishing than they already are:

Stuffed Peppers in Olive Oil

Who can just stand there and not taste a lovely dish made with olive oil, especially stuffed peppers? Most folk hesitate to make it at home, thinking it's a difficult job to prepare stuffed peppers but of course here I am to "prove them wrong!" If you know the job it only takes 40 minutes to prepare this lovely dish. Here are the secrets, just follow:

Ingredients

• 750 gr small regular shaped green bell peppers
• 1 and a 1/2 cups of rice, washed and strained
• 2 middle size onions, chopped
• 2 middle size tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 a bunch of parsley, stems removed and chopped
• 5-6 stems of fresh mint, stems removed and chopped or 1 teaspoon of dry mint
• 1 tablespoon of small currants
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 small cup of olive oil
• 2 cups of hot water
• Salt

Directions

1. The stuffing: pour half of the olive oil in a pot, add the pine nuts, currants and chopped onion and cook for 1 minute. Next, add the strained rice and stir for 2 minutes on low heat. Take it off the heat and add the chopped parsley and mint, ground black pepper and salt. Mix it all together and let it cool.
2. Meanwhile, core the bell peppers by pressing gently into the stem part with your thumb and taking out the core with the help of a knife.
3. Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture, with the help of a teaspoon. Be careful not to stuff too much, leave a gap of 1 cm empty, and keep the stuffing loose.
4. Close the peppers with a slice of tomatoe and place them in a pot open side up. Keep them tight. If the pot is too big, use a smaller one.
5. Slice up the lemon and cut the rinds off. Place the lemons on the stuffed peppers.
6. Add the rest of the olive oil and 2 cups of hot water. Close the lid and cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
7. Let it brew and serve cold.

Any Questions?

• I've had a peep of other recipes. Some say you should put a cup of water in the stuffing, some say you should stuff the peppers with cooked rice. Don't believe them it's a lie! If you don't want your stuffings to be mushy follow this recipe.
• Again I've seen some recipes using 6-8 onions. Don't even think about it.
• As I've said before the ratio of rice to water is still the same: 1 cup of rice to 1 and a 1/2 cups of water. No more no less.
• When cooked there should be 2 cm of liquid in the pot beneath the peppers. If you cook too much and the water boils down, then the stuffing will dry out as it waits.

Fried Okra with Yoghurt

You already know Okra Stew from my previous posts. I hope you have tried it because it's worth it. This post, as you have guessed is another delicious dish of okra, "Fried Okra with Yoghurt". The first time I tried it I loved it. It's amazing. Be sure I will cook fried okra a lot from now on!

Bulgur (Cracked Wheat) Pilaf with many Vegetables

Bulgur pilaf is a national dish of Turkey, and goes wonderfully well with jajik. Bulgur is a form of wheat, boiled and pounded. You will probably find it at the market as "cracked wheat". Don't worry what to cook for dinner, Bulgur Pilaf is easy and nutritious.

Aubergine with Vegetable Stuffing - Imambayildi and its Story

Imambayildi! This is the name of the delicious dish of aubergines stuffed with vegetables in Turkish, and it means "The imam (prayer leader) fainted." There are a few stories of where this dish got this weird name. I've investigated the subject and come up with this story:

Light Fried Peas and Eggs (Mujver)

It's the right time to find peas in the market. Go buy some fresh peas in their pods, shell them and either throw them in the freezer in a fridge bag ready to cook, or boil them and do some canning. If you want to eat them now, use this recipe to make a delicious meal with peas and eggs. By the way up in our home town peas are called "bezene" and they can be eaten raw with their pods, because the peas in these pods are very small. We cook this recipe with "bezene" (peas in their pods), but I assume you are using larger peas so you should shell them and use the peas only.

Here's the Real Thing: Menemen (tomatoes, peppers and eggs)

Another meal that you must, and I repeat you must try is Menemen. It's very easy to cook and delicious when you dunk you hot bread, and take those yummy bites. Yes, you heard it, the way to eat this dish is to dunk. Of course you may not want to give up your manners and stick to using your fork and knife, but I assure you, you would miss all the yummy side to yummy menemen.
Most folk cook this meal like scrambled eggs, but I prefer it this way with the eggs left whole. Besides being a good breakfast serving, I also recommend it for a light lunch or dinner. Whatever way you like, just try it out!
This recipe is for 5 servings, but be careful 2 people could easily wipe the plate clean!

Chard With Eggs

It's summer and it's getting hot. We ought to eat light stuff nowadays, mostly fruit and vegetables. A local and easy recipe came to my mind: "Chard and Eggs". Delicious! Even better if you have a tomatoe salad to accompany our chard dish. Our ingredients are few and it's so easy to prepare, you don't have any excuses not to make chard and eggs!