Spanish Rice

After trying what seemed like a million different recipes for Spanish rice, adding different amounts of jalepeños, tomato sauce, and spices, I finally came up with this recipe, which for me has the perfect amount of spiciness and not too much of the other things, like onions or tomato sauce.

yield: 4-5 servings, or about 2 1/2-3 cups

1 Tbsp oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup white rice
1 large jalepeño, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add rice, stirring well, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until rice has browned a bit and starts to puff.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Black Beans

We can't get black beans in Turkey, but I have a small supply thanks to some friends who brought me some out of Russia. I hoard them until we have Mexican food for dinner. And then I make a vat. These are simple to make, full of fiber, and make a complete protein if you serve them with rice. Yum.

yield: about 4 cups

2 cups dried black beans
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place beans in a large stockpot and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Let soak overnight.
2. Rinse beans and return to pot. Add onion, salt, and water to 2-3 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, or until soft, adding more water if necessary.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Vegetarian Lasagna is a healthy and tasty alternative to regular, meat-and-cheese-filled lasagna. This lasagna is full of healthy vegetables, homemade marinara sauce (although you could use store-bought instead), and just enough cheese.

yield: 6 servings

1 tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped zucchini
2 cups diced carrot
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups chopped spinach
3 cups marinara sauce
2 Tbsp pesto
2 cups cottage cheese (or in my case, 1 cup yogurt mixed with 1 cup feta-esque cheese)
6 cooked lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms through spinach; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
3. Combine pesto and cottage cheese in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture in the bottom of an 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over vegetable mixture. Top noodles with half of the cottage cheese mixture and half of the vegetable mixture. Repeat layers once, ending with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
4. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Marinara Sauce

Homemade marinara sauce is the perfect addition to lasagnas, spaghetti, or even as pizza sauce. You can use this sauce anytime a recipe calls for jarred pasta sauce, like Prego or Ragu. This sauce is extremely easy to make, uses basic pantry ingredients, and tastes better than store-bought sauce.

yield: 5 cups

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans tomato pureé
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place diced tomatoes in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until chunky.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until it begins to brown. Add tomatoes, puree, and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.

Homemade Salsa

I'm not from salsa-eatin' territory, so I'm not sure how good this really is, or if it's more like pico instead of salsa, but we enjoyed it. I'd never made salsa before and many of the "normal" salsa ingredients aren't available on this side of the world, so this is my first attempt. We like it.

yield: about 3 cups

3 cups finely chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine. Let sit for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend.

***If I could, I would add a bit of lime juice and maybe some cilantro. Alas, cilantro is never available in Turkey and I couldn't find any limes this time either.***

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Low in fat, high in veggies, and utilizing simple ingredients, this soup is a great addition to your winter soup repertoire.

yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup dried green lentils
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium/large)
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped carrot (about 4)
2 cups shredded cabbage
4 cups chicken broth
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp curry powder

1. Place lentils in a bowl; cover with water. Soak for at least an hour, or overnight (this step is not necessary, it just reduces the cooking time, therefore saving time and energy). Drain and rinse lentils.
2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients and pre-soaked lentils; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils and vegetables are tender.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce is very easy and involves no chopping, using simple pantry ingredients. Add chopped mushrooms if you like.

yield: 6 servings

1 pound ground beef
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 14.5-oz cans tomato sauce (600 grams)

1. Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat; rinse well.
2. Combine beef and remaining ingredients in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.