Endive & Gorgonzola Topping

For those who like to eat a big , juicy steak (for me it's been a while since I stopped eating meat not that often anymore) this is a great side dish that I got the recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's latest cookbook called " My Father's Daughter " . It is so delicious that I bet you'll forget to eat your steak and ask for more! As she said in her book,the bitterness of the endive gives way to its hidden sweetness as it cooks!

So yummy:)

Ingredients

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 large heads endive,roughly chopped into 1/2-inch wide pieces

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the endive.Saute for 5-7 minutes or until browned and softened.Put aside and stir in the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Serve it over your favorite steak or chicken..

Oatmeal Chia Pancakes

Here is a simple recipe for breakfast that I believe kids would enjoy eating it if you substitute it with some fruits or stuff that they like..I try to make pancakes or eggs for my kids because I know if I serve them some kind of cereal with loads of sugar ,they'll absolutely finish it in a second so this is an alternative breakfast for you to serve to your kids and of course to yourself:)

1/2 cup oatmeal 

2 Tbs whole wheat flour

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 Tbs egg whites 

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 to 2/3 cup milk (almond,hemp,rice or whatever you like)

cinnamon to taste

1Tbs liquid stevia or honey,if you want to sweeten it

Combine all the ingredients except the baking powder (add just 1/2 cup milk).Let it sit in the fridge overnight.Next day,add 2Tbs milk and the baking powder.Cook on a griddle or a skillet on medium heat for about 3-4 min. per side..I usually smash a banana or put some chocolate chips in it or serve it with fresh strawberries and blueberries . Enjoy!

Patate Cipolle e Rosmarino Pizza

Cuma gunlerinin bende cok ayri bir yeri oldugunu (kimde olmazki??) daha oncede soylemisdim. Butun haftanin karmasindan kurtuldugum,soyle rahat bir nefes aldigim ve hatta en onemlisi ertesi gun yani cumartesi eger cocuklarin bir aktivitesi yoksa 6:30da kalkmadan diledigimce uyuyabilecegim ve onun verdigi rahatlik ve huzur icerisinde gecirdigim bir gun oldugu icin daha da cok severim.Gerci cumalari oldum olasi herkes icin aynidir saniyorum,okul zamanida hepimiz icin oyle ozeldi,bugun hala ozel..Amerikada cumalari Turkiyede gecen cumalardan biraz daha farkli olabilir bizim icin. Burada hayat genelde cocuklarin uzerine kuruldugu icin,cuma olsunda cocuklari babysitter'a birakayim kendimi gecelere atayim gibi dertler burada yok..Cuma demek cocuklarin rahatca playdate yapacaklari bir gun demek.Oyle oluncada biz anneler icin bu gunu-ki eger babalar eve daha gec geliyorsa-onlar icerde oynarken oturup,sohbet edip,sarabimizi icip haftanin yorgunlugunu attigimiz guzel bir gune cevirebiliyoruz. Bu gectigimiz cumada oyle guzel cumalaradan biriydi..Cok sevgili arkadasim Carol,oglumu onun evine birakirken hadi gel spaghetti yaptim sende tat diyince hayir diyemedim ki zaten biz cogu zaman cocuklarimiz cok iyi arkadas oldugu icin boyle cumalari beraber geciririz.Carol'un  Italyan olmasi zaten ona hayir deme luksunu bana vermiyor vede ayrica yaptigi hersey hem cok lezzetli  hemde enteresan geliyor.Her zamanki gibi once cocuklari yedirip biz oturduk masaya.Oradan buradan sohbet derken bir bakmisiz yarim sise sarap bitmis bile!!! Nasil bitmezki ,hem leziz bir domates soslu spaghetti,yaninda Italya'dan gelmis muhtesem bir Parmigiano peynir,sizma zeytinyag ve sirkeye yatirilmis leziz mantar ve patlican tursulari ve firindan yeni cikmis ekmek ,hos bir sohbet esliginde dahada lezzetlendi. Artik yemekten patlamis hale gelmisken birden Carol,bugun gorumcem aradi (kendisi hala Italyada yasiyor) ve bana patatesli bir Focaccia tarifi verdi dedi. Anlattigi tarifi oyle ballandira ballandira anlattiki ,tok olmamiza ragmen hadi yapalim dedik! Focaccia,firinda pisen,pizzanin biraz kalini ve uzerine cesitli sebzeler koydugunuz cok leziz bir Italyan ekmegi.Tabii ben hemen bir kosu  Carol'un esi Arcangelo'nun pizzacisina gidip taze pizza hamuru alip geldim. Oyle tipik tarifler gibi bir tarif yazmayacagim buraya cunku agizdan agiza alinmis bir tarif bu ama en kisa zamanda deneyip sizde bu leziz Focaccia'yi yiyin derim..Inanilmaz guzeldi ve bir kac dilimde esime getirip onun tatmasini isteyerek evimin yolunu tuttum.Yapmaniz gereken hazir 1 adet pizza hamuru almak veya evde kendiniz kendi pizza hamurunuzu kendiniz yapmak. Focaccia'nin kalin olmasi gerektigi icin pizza tepsisi yerine bildigimiz daha kucuk ve derin  borek tepsisine daha iyi olacagini tahmin ediyorum. Tepsiyi yagladiktan sonra uzerine pizza hamurunu yerlestiriyorsunuz. Cok ince dilimlenmis patatesleri ustunu kaplayacak sekilde yerlestiriyorsunuz. Uzerine taze biberiye(rosemary) koyuyorsunuz.

Ayri bir tavada ince uzun dogradiginiz soganlari karamelize edene kadar kavuruyorsunuz ve patateslerin uzerine boca ediyorsunuz.Onceden isitilmis firinda 15-20dk yada ustu guzelce kizarincaya kadar pisiriyorsunuz. Simdi bu bize verilen original tarifdi ama bana fikrimi sorarsaniz ben uzerinde taze biberiyeyi cok fazla sevmedim bana aromasi cok yogun geldi .Sonucta basit bir tarif ama siz istediginiz tatlari ilave edebilirsiniz.Mesela ben evde yaptigimda buna biberiye yerine taze kekik koymayi deneyecegim vede biraz peynir rendesi ekleyecegim. Simdiden afiyet olsun derim..Bu arada unutmadan,tabii ben carol'un Italyan aksaniyla soyleyemiyorum ama bu pizzanin Italyadaki adi " Patate Cipolle e Rosmarino Pizza"..Bon Appetite!!!

Quinoa&Kale Patties

For me ,Quinoa and Kale are super foods and when they come together in a recipe it is going to be a perfect combination of the two heavy hitters! When I was in the process of searching a perfect recipe for both, I came across this one from Heidi Swanson.It is in her cookbook Super Natural Everyday which I'll definitely  buy it soon.It is an easy dinner to make and looks so yummy that I definetely know it will be a hit in my house.. Hope my kids love it,especially my son,Baran,who is the most pickiest:))))

Ingredients

2 1/2  cups cooked quinoa
2 cups water
4 large eggs beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese or Gruyere cheese(or Goat cheese ,my favorite)
1 1/2 cup steamed kale chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1 onion,finely chopped
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 cup breadcrumbs(whole-grain preferred)
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Salt&Pepper to taste

To cook quinoa,first rinse it with cold water and combine it with 2 cups of water with 1/2 tsp salt.Let it soak for 15 minutes. In a medium saucepan,bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat,cover and cook it until the quinoa is tender and all the water has absorbed,about 15-20 minutes.Let the quinoa cool at a room temperature.

Combine the cooked quinoa,eggs,cheese,onions,garlic,salt,pepper,steamed kale and breadcrumbs.Form the mixture and let stand for a few minutes.

Heat oil in a large,heavy skillet on a medium low heat. Add patties,cover and cook until the bottoms are a deep rich brown for about 10 minutes.Flip patties with a spatula  and cook the other side until golden.Repeat with remaining patties.You can top it with your favorite sauce.I would definitely eat it with my favorite Sylvia's Kickin'Hot Sauce and avocado on top!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

The Chew's host and our famous Dr.Mehmet Oz's daughter ,Daphne Oz,shared this recipe on People magazine.You can serve it with your favorite style of eggs for breakfast..Looks yummy..

1 sweet potato ,peeled and grated
1/2 onion,peeled and grated
1/2 apple,peeled,cored and grated
1 carrot,peeled and grated
2 egg whites,lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine sweet potato,onion,apple and carrot.Wrap mixture in a cheese cloth or paper towels and wring out as much liquid as possible.Then,in a large bowl,mix together all the grated ingredients with egg whites,flour,salt and pepper.

Heat the  oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.Working in batches,drop in enough batter to make 10 2 1/2 to 3 inches pancakes.Fry until golden about 3 min per side.Drain on paper towel and serve with your eggs..

Quinoa

I told my dear friend Beray,who lives in Turkey,that I'll post couple of recipes with quinoa here.Actually,I'll try to post more recipes when I make them and like them in order to give you an idea that I liked it or not.

For those who doesn't have too much idea what quinoa(pronounced KEEN-WAH) is (I was one 3 years ago!) ,I want to give you a quick information about this miracle grain. Quinoa is an ancient Peruvian seed,which has a mild,nutty flavor is loaded with protein,fiber and magnesium.It contains all the essential amino acids.It is very easy to cook.When using quinoa,it is important to rinse it thoroughly before boiling ,as it is often coated with saponins that are bitter and need to be removed.

This is a salad that is similar to my Millet Salad and I try to make it often cause it is fun to eat:)I adopted it from Kimberly Snyder's blog but I added couple of different ingredients for my own taste..

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups dry quinoa( I like red quinoa,too!)
2 avocados,sliced and cut into chunks
7-8 scallions,chopped(both greens&whites)
1 red onion,chopped
1 large garlic clove,minced
1-2 cups cherry tomaoes
1 cup parsley,chopped

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbs raw apple cider vinegar

Make sure to soak quinoa overnight in water and rinse well before using.In a large pot of boiling salted water,cook the quinoa until tender for about 10 to 15 min until the water is absorbed.Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.Meanwhile,blend all the dressing ingredients and add them to the quinoa.Mix well.Season with salt and pepper..I usually add red pepper flakes and  a lot of cumin to mine.As I always said,it is optional for everybody to add their favorite ingredients other than the ones in this recipe. You can even add organic corn kernels and black beans and a lot of fresh basil to this recipe.

Supercharge your smoothie..

You've definetely heard it so many times that skipping breakfast is not a good thing to start your day and you have a chance to have higher waist circumferences,blood glucose levels,triglycerids and total cholesterol.Eating breakfast actually curbs unnecessary food consumption later in the day ,supporting weight loss or healthy weight.Especially for kids,breakfast is even more essential.When they eat a nutritious morning meal,they perform better on tests and concentrate more during class.I try not to buy those high sugar cereals for my kids.I admit they love them but to me they are just full of empty calories and no nutritional value. Oatmeal is a perfect choice for me.Beta-glucan,a soluble fiber in oats,slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream which may lower diabetes risk. I usually buy the organic oat groats or steel-cut version. I mix it with almond milk,some chopped walnuts and cinnamon.It is so delicious that I want to eat almost lunch and dinner!! Another simple and fast option for breakfast is making power smoothies..They are an ideal on-to-go breakfast.Try mixing one of the following

nutrient-rich boosts into a non-dairy milk based smoothie for a delicious,nutritious breakfast..I'll post recipes later on my blog..

Here are some options:

* 1 tbs ground flaxseed
* 1 cup raw spinach
* 1-2 scoops protein powder ( I prefer organic hemp protein powder)
* 1/2 avocado (if you want more dense)
* 1-2 tbs chia seeds
* 1/2 tbs raw cacao

Millet Salad

Ok,this salad is a miracle salad! I've read a lot of good things about the grain "millet" but when I found out that it contains a very important nutrient manganese which may help with healthy hair and maintaining hair color and the deficiency of manganese is linked to grey hair, I said to myself,ok,let's start eating millet so often.Millet is a wonderful grain that most of us think as bird food! It is packed full of essential minerals and protein.It is an excellent alternative for those with allergies to wheat and other grains and has no gluten.If I see an improvement on my newly started grey hair, but of course with  a healthy lifestyle on top of that , I'll definitely call this delicious recipe my Miracle Salad!This is an alternative recipe for me to my favorite Turkish dish called "KISIR"which I make with bulgur wheat.I'll share that recipe later in here. I did add some additional ingredients into the original recipe cause my taste buds tend to like it more sour and spicy.Hope you enjoy it...

It is better to soak the millet overnight in water.Soaking grains breaks down some of the hard-to-digest proteins, making assimilation much easier, and neutralizes phytic acid, which is an anti-nutrient that prevents absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper.Grains,that are not soaked,equal poor digestive worth and blocked vitamins and minerals.  Unfortunately,it's true!

Rinse millet with cold water before you cook.

Ingredients

2 cups millet

4 cups water or vegetable stock with 1/2 tsp salt

2-3 zucchinis (or cucumbers)

2 cups cherry tomatoes or 2 whole tomatoes ,chopped

1 large red onion ,diced

1 small red pepper,diced

chopped parsley 

chopped basil(optional and depending how much you want)

1 cup fresh mint,chopped

chopped cilantro (optional)

2 tsp fresh garlic,minced

1 tbs tomatoe paste if you want to give a nice color

Dressing

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs sumac(optional)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more if you like..

Salt&Black pepper to taste

Cook the millet in 4 cups of water until water is absorbed,about 15 min.Fluff with fork and allow to cool down.

In a large bowl,combine all the ingredients with cooked millet.Mix all dressing ingredients and  pour over the salad and mix well.Cover and refrigerate until you serve.

P.S. Serve on lettuce leaves :)

Butternut Squash Soup

As soon as the leaves start to turn into their beautiful fall colors ,it reminds me that I should start buying squash,sweet potatoes and pumpkin to make hot soups to eat on these chilly days..This recipe is so delicious you would want to cook it every day..Kids love it,too:))

1 sweet potato (cubed)

1 butternut squash ( cubed)

1 onion (diced)

5 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tbs of ginger (minced)

1/4 cup olive oil 

16 oz chicken stock (or veggie stock-which I prefer)

Salt&Pepper to taste

Fresh thyme

1 cup almond milk (optional)

Gently cook the ginger and garlic in the olive oil...don't let it burn! Add the veggies and cook a bit longer. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cover with stock. The veggies will be soft in about 30 minutes. In a blender, purée the soup in batches. Return to pan and add almond milk if you want a creamier soup...

TGIF...

Who doesn't love Fridays??? Fridays,for my kids,are always playdate time with their friends.Even though the week goes by soo fast,for them it is a long week for school and homework and tests!They just wanna have fun,relax and enjoy their,I should say,the good times of their lives..And of course for us,moms,fridays are much more exciting than the kids!! I can'wait for it..Just the thought of knowing that there is no school the next day and I don't have to wake up at 6:30 am gives me that vibe to enjoy it with friends or just staying home and enjoy my wine and relax..If a friend is over at my house and we start our mommy playmate time with wine ,yes,we do have mom playdates,I would love to serve small appetizers with cheese.That way you can chit-chat and enjoy your food! And since I love avocados,my favorite appetizer is guacamole,but of course -my way!! I have this beautiful molcajete y mano,a large Mexican mortar and pestle carved from  volcanic rock and the guacamole I make in it, is far better than the one I make in a different dish.Try it with some chips or crackers and a big tray of assorted cheese-my favorite is Manchego and drunken goat-and take a sip of your wine and enjoy your time..TGIF:))

Here is my guacamole recipe for the ones who'd like to try..

3 ripe avocados
1 jalapeño,stemmed and chopped
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 ripe tomato,chopped
1 red onion,chopped
salt&pepper to taste

Grind cilantro until it becomes like a paste.Peel and pit the avocados and add it to the cilantro and grind them in the molcajete or smash them with a fork.Add the chopped tomatoes and the onions.Salt and pepper to taste..
I do not put garlic or lime as in the traditional guacamole recipe but if you would like to try to add them I am sure it'll be delicious..:)

Winter is definitely on it is way and we already started seeing people and kids around, sneezing, coughing  and taking couple of doctor visits to treat their high fever. You need to have a healthy flora to avoid all these germs.So please read this article and start eating  healthy:)

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup

Today,I was in the mood of a delicious,warm soup and thinking of what I can make by using the ingredients that I have in my fridge.That would save me a trip to the supermarket!! I found vine Tomatoes and fresh basil and looked for a recipe to make a tomato basil soup and to be honest,trying it for the first time ,the result was fantastic!

But of course,I wanted to stay on the healthy side and I used almond milk instead of heavy cream and the taste was not different than the original version..You know what,if it works,it works and I feel more comfortable when I eat it just by knowing that almond milk makes wonders!

Bon Appetite:)

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
• 4 cups tomato juice ( or part vegetable or part chicken stock)
• 12 -14 basil leaves, washed fresh
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 lb sweet unsalted butter
• salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan.
2. Simmer 30 minutes.
3. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan). Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

GGS

This is my favorite drink that I literally drink almost everyday for breakfast.It is called Glowing Green Smoothie by  Kimberly Synder,my favorite nutritionist and best selling author of the Beauty Detox Solution. You have go and get the book and keep it with you all the time:)

Ingredients (64 ounces / 2-4 servings)

• 1 ½- 2 cups very cold, filtered water
• 6 cups spinach, chopped
• 5 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 stalks of organic celery
• 1 organic apple, cored and chopped
• 1 organic pear, cored and chopped
• 1 organic banana
• 1–2 Tbs. fresh organic lemon juice

Optional Ingredients

• Ice cubes (the extra coldness can help newbies with the taste)
• 1/2 cup of organic cilantro
• 1/2 cup of organic parsley

Directions

Add water, spinach and chopped romaine to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed; mix until smooth.
Gradually move to higher speeds and add the herbs, celery, pear, and apple. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

And Enjoy!

Kale Wonders!

You should really try this  recipe..You have to include Kale in your daily routine ,it makes wonders!!

Always start your day with a glass of hot water with lemon and a very BIG smile...

Welcome to SugarBella...

Everything starts with a dream.This will be a place for sharing love,food and everything that come with living simply...

Thanks for visiting.Hope you enjoy what I have to share and come back often..

Love♥♥♥
Asli