It’s been so long since I have posted a recipe. Other things, such as work and kids take priority and blogging takes the backseat sometimes. In addition, I haven’t actually cooked a lot of Turkish recipes recently. I am opting in for quicker meals that don’t take a lot of time. Although, I always make myself a Turkish salad as a side of a meal. I am going to start changing my blog a bit to reflect my current lifestyle and the food we eat. The seed for this thought has been implanted on my mind for several years now, however I did not spend too much time to think about how to bring it to fruit ..read more

Halloumi cheese is a salty type of cheese. You may dress it up in for your desired tastes. This time I left it plain, but sometimes I sprinkle paprika, dried parsley and/or black sesame seeds. It is delicious by itself or inside bread. The best part is it is ready within minutes! I have a post on a grilled Halloumi on my blog. You may visit and decide if you would like it grilled or fried. Both are delicious in my opinion. Enjoy! Jump to Recipe Print Fried Halloumi Cheese (Kızartılmış Hellim Peyniri) Fried halloumi cheese as an appetizer Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack Cuisin ..read more

It has been a long time since I have posted any new recipes in my blog. I have been unintentionally neglecting my blog as I have been occupied with other things lately. While cleaning up some food photos on my computer, I noticed this unpublished recipe and wanted to post it before I forget about it! I love the simplicity of this meal! It’s quick and versatile.  You can eat it as is or in a wrap, as stuffing inside pastry, with vegetables and etc. In 15 minutes, you have a satisfying meal that comes together quickly. My kids enjoyed it inside a large wrap with some lettuce and tomatoes a ..read more

When I was growing up this sandwich was pretty popular with young people, especially students in high school or college.  It is not surprising as it is very simple to make and can be eaten on the go. There are street vendors who sell this sandwich and it was very common in school cafeterias. In our household, we didn’t consume much sausage, so I really did not grow up eating it. Although as an adult, I have made it at home several times for a quick meal. My kids got introduced to Turkish sausage probably last year and they surprised me with how much they enjoyed it. We rarely buy sausage ..read more

I created this recipe one day when I didn’t know what to cook for dinner and felt like making something simple and quick. I had homemade yufka bread in the freezer waiting, so I thought this would be a nice meal if I made dürüm (meat and some veggies wrapped in flat bread). It turned out to be a good decision, because both of my boys had two! One of my kids is not an eater and him wanting a second confirmed the deliciousness of this simple meal. I added the chicken, sliced onions, tomatoes, parsley to the flat bread and sprinkled with sumac. I might even have added lettuce, I don’t remember ..read more

This dish can be a main dish, a side dish or even an appetizer. I love it as a main dish with rice or flat bread. Eggplant is a very popular vegetable in Turkey, especially in the summer months. With the abundance of eggplants, come a wide variety of eggplant dishes in Turkish cuisine. It’s a perfect vegan option that can be served in so many different ways such as dolma, musakka, eggplant stew, babagannush, eggplants with lentils. I have a couple mature eggplant plants in my garden that are overwhelmed with the number of eggplants they are carrying. However, once they’re picked, the plant ta ..read more

Halloumi (Hellim in Turkish) cheese is traditionally made from goat or sheep’s milk or the combination of both. In the modern times, it can also be made from cow’s milk. It is a semi-hard cheese and with a high melting point which allows it to be grilled or fried staying intact. It is a bit salty and sometimes spices such as dried mint can be used when it’s made. I did not grow up eating this cheese because I don’t think it was available in Turkey then, but had the opportunity to try it here in the States. I find it to be a light and delicious appetizer. It can even be a nice filling for a sa ..read more

It has been a few weeks since my last post. Even though I have continued cooking and experimenting with new dishes, I have neglected writing posts for my blog for quite a while. So much has changed since the last time I wrote a post on my blog. These times are strange times and I think my focus has shifted to other things and have not had much time to write. We could not have predicted such a worldwide pandemic on such a large scale that would make our lives so different. It will certainly be a long time before things get close to normal and I hope that we all get through this with our physic ..read more

Turkish breakfasts are never complete without cheese. Turkey has many kinds of specialty cheeses which contribute to the variety of a typical Turkish breakfast. Tulum cheese is one of the cheeses that are consumed for breakfast. A friend of mine brought some tulum cheese with her from Turkey (and many other yummy food!) and I was able to dress it up in a simple way which made it very pleasing to eat. The taste of tulum cheese is pungent due to the way the cheese is made. Traditionally, it is made from goat’s milk and it’s ripened in goat skin casing which is called ‘tulum’. Tulum cheese may a ..read more

This is one of those simple, yet delicious recipes. Marinating the chicken takes less than five minutes and you just put it in the oven and forget about it until the timer is up. Pair it with rice, pasta or potatoes and some roast vegetables and you’re good to go! I actually have this as a week night meal as it can be put together so quickly. When my kids have an after school activity, I will put it in the oven until it’s cooked and then take it out and keep it covered. When we get back home, it’s still nice and warm to eat. It’s fall off the bone soft and so moist. The sumac and dried mint r ..read more