This authentic Tzatziki recipe, simply made with yogurt, drained cucumber, Olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic. It’s a refreshing chilled sauce, dip or spread. You’ll love how easy and versatile this Greek sauce is, it’s often served  with some pita chips and fresh veggies or use it over your gyros, kebabs with grilled fish or to dip your fries.  So many possibilities!

Ingredients:

2 cups plain Greek yogurt

¾ English cucumber, peeled

3-4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill and mint

Instructions

Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a bowl. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze to get rid of the excess water.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, minced garlic and olive oil, the yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill and mint, and mix until the ingredients are combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for about 20 -30 minutes before serving.

Leftover tzatziki sauce keeps well, chilled, for about 4-5 days.

Enjoy!

This authentic Tzatziki recipe, simply made with yogurt, drained cucumber, Olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic. It’s a refreshing chilled sauce, dip or spread. You'll love how easy and versatile this Greek sauce is, it’s often served  with some pita chips and fresh veggies or use it over your gyros, kebabs with grilled fish or to dip your fries.  So many possibilities!

This velvety Turkish Red Lentil soup also known as Mercimek Corbasi is ready in 30 minutes and is so easy to make. You can make this healthy, creamy, vegan and delicious soup with just a handful of ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic

1 large onion chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 carrot chopped

1 ½ cups red lentils

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon Greek seasonings or mint

Salt and black pepper to taste

8 cups water

Butter Drizzle:

Warm up 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add in1Tablespoon red pepper paste (or tomato paste) and 1 teaspoon mint or Greek seasoning.

Optional Toppings

Italian Parsley chopped

1 cup croutons or Crusty Bread

Lemon wedges

Pinch of Sumac, Aleppo pepper, or Red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

Saute onion until golden. Add tomato paste and paprika and cook for a minute.

Add in garlic, carrots and potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the red lentils, salt, pepper, cumin and black pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute.

Pour in the water and bring the soup to simmer. Cook covered on medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are completely cooked.

Blend the soup in the blender or using an immersion blender until it’s creamy and smooth.

Adjust the seasonings as needed.

Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon, with butter drizzle and croutons or fresh bread.

Enjoy!

This velvety Turkish Red Lentil soup also known as Mercimek Corbasi is ready in 30 minutes and is so easy to make. You can make this healthy, creamy, vegan and delicious soup with just a handful of ingredients.

This simple homemade Strawberry Jam is made with just 3 ingredients. Having this delicious jam ready in my pantry makes it so convenient for when I want to add it to fresh bread or crepes!

Ingredients:

• 8 cups strawberries
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon or orange

Instructions:

Start by washing your Strawberries. I like to have chunks of fruit in my jam so I did not chop them. If you have large strawberries, you can cut them into smaller chunks.

Place strawberries in a large, deep heavy bottom pan. 

Add in your sugar and lemon juice. Heat through on very low heat until all the sugar has dissolved (running a wooden spoon around the pan will help you know as the sugar will scratch if still solid).

Once the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low. The mixture should still be simmering but slow.

Remove all the foam with a spoon.

Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes you will see the mixture has darkened, thickened and reduced.

Turn off the heat and let it cool completely for about 5-6 hours. I did this in the evening and let the jam to cool overnight.

Ones it’s completely cooled off, turn on the heat medium-high again and bring it to a boil. 

Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for another 15 minutes.

You can pour the jam to clean jars and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 months or can it.

Enjoy!!!

STERILIZING JARS AND CANNING

Sterilize jars and lids by washing them in hot soapy water or place them in the dishwasher in a gentle cycle.

Place them in the oven for 20 minutes at 175F, this will dry any excess moisture in the bottles.

Leave the jars in the oven until you are ready to use.

Pour the jam into the hot sterilized jar, leaving 1/4 inch of the top, close the lid very tight.

Store in a cool dry place.

You can use frozen strawberries to make strawberry Jam. The frozen strawberries do not look very impressive as they thaw but the result comes together nicely.

Take the strawberries out from the freezer. Place them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and let the strawberries thaw overnight in the fridge for the next morning.

Having jars of home-canned meat on the shelf is very convenient  and allows you to have really easy dinners, even on a rushed mid-week night. The meat is packed with loads of flavor and natural juices all in one jar. Using the Instant Pot allows for a quick and simple canning process. Follow these few simple steps for delicious, melt in your mouth canned meat.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of meat of choice (I used chicken thighs)
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning

Instructions

Wash the meat under cold water and debone the meat if needed. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. To the bowl of cubed meat add 2 teaspoons garlic salt, 1 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Mix everything until well combined.

Prepare your empty jars to be filled. For this batch I used (2) 32oz jars. Fill your jars with cubed meat up to the shoulder line, leaving about 1-inch head space. Once full, tightly secure the lid onto the jars. And that’s it! The instant pot will do the rest of the work for you.

To prepare the instant pot pressure cooker, place a metal rack onto the bottom and fill the bowl half way with water. Place the filled jars into the pressure cooker and make sure the water line does not exceed the MAX line on the pot. Close the lid and turn on the pressure cooker on high for 1 hour 50 minutes. Once the time has passed, allow the pressure to release slowly on its own (do not release the pressure). Once released, remove the jars and tighten the lids. Allow them to cool down completely before storing in a cool dark place. Enjoy at your convenience!

Enjoy!!!

Best part of the Thanksgiving is that each family celebrates a little differently. We have so much to be grateful for in this life. Each and every day. But reality is that sometimes constant life demands, struggles, and worries give more room to defeat than to a heart of thanks. Or we forget, in the midst of busyness and pressures, just to pause and give thanks, for all that God has done, and continues to do in our lives.

Psalm 106:1

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or you’ve been doing it for years, assembling the holiday menu can be a chore. Excited to share our easy Thanksgiving menu with you! And please remember that these are just my suggestions.

Mom’s Ultra-Moist Roast Turkey

A straightforward and easy way to roast a turkey.

Get the recipe from Here 

Oh-So-Good Creamy Mashed Potatoes 

This is the only recipe you need for creamy, dreamy mashed spuds.

Get the recipe from Here 

Perfect Gravy

Your Thanksgiving deserves the best.

Get the recipe from Here

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

There is nothing more perfect than roasted brussels sprouts.

Get the recipe from Here 

Easy Creamed Corn

This Easy Creamed Corn has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors…

you just can’t stop at one bite!

Get the recipe from Here 

Blintzes – Nalisniki-Blinchiki with Creamy Filling

Perfect addition to your festive menu.

Get the recipe from Here

Brined Herb Roasted Turkey

Add wonderful flavor to your big dinner with this juicy herb-roasted turkey. Make sure you use the drippings for a delicious gravy!

Get the recipe from Here

Cranberry Apple Cider

Hot Cranberry Apple Cider is the perfect blend of Apple Cider with fresh Cranberry and Orange spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Get the recipe from Here

Classic Apple Pie

The crisp air and beautiful shades of fall leaves calls for baking a warm apple pie. This recipe will have you in your fall feels!

Get the recipe from Here

Cranberry Vanilla Cream Cake 

This cake is dense and moist; Layers of sponge cake, cranberry sauce and vanilla cream cheese frosting makes a perfect mix of sweet and tart. Sugar-coated cranberries make a festive seasonal garnish.

Get the recipe from Here

Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

So easy to make and full of flavor.

Get the recipe from Here

Broccoli Cauliflower Cherry Tomato Salad

The best part is that it can be prepared the day prior to serving.

Get the recipe from Here

I’ve got you covered. Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

The crisp air and beautiful shades of fall leaves calls for baking a warm apple pie. This recipe will have you in your fall feels!

This Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling is so delicious! Precooking the apple pie filling ensures the perfect consistency and sweetness. No more watery apple pie filling! With this method, you can be sure to have a perfectly baked apple pie!

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

1 cup very cold or frozen unsalted butter

1 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

Pinch of salt

Apple Pie Filling
6-7 large apples – for the best apple flavor, try adding more than one variety of apple to your pie. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Golden delicious

1 Tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more if desired
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more if desired
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, plus more if desired
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping
1 large egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
Coarse sugar (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Make the pie crust

Combine 2 1/2 cups of flour and salt in a bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate butter into the flour mixture, toss with your hand into the flour while grating to prevent butter from sticking together. Add the sour cream and mxi with hand until a dough forms. At first, it will look like it’s not coming together but it will.
Transfer onto a non-floured clean surface. Press to form a dough. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into balls and flatten into thick disks. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before using, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes to slightly soften it.

Make the filling

Peel apples and cut out the core. Then cut into 1/4 inch slices. They should all be cut to the same size for even cooking.
In a large deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and add the sliced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook, stirring for about 3-5 minutes until apples have slightly softened but not lost their shape.

Add in 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch and mix (start with 1 tablespoon and add more if needed. The amount of cornstarch depends on the amount of juices released by the apples). Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until juices thicken. If not thick enough, add more cornstarch little by little, stirring.

Transfer apple mixture into a bowl and set aside and let cool at room temperature.

Assemble the pie and bake

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Get a 9-inch round pie pan ready. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle using a rolling pin on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Roll out the second disk. Using a pizza cutter, cut the second round into 1/2-inch thick strips. Lay strips of dough, evenly spaced, across the entire pie. Weave more strips of dough perpendicular through the previous strips to make a lattice or basket weave design across the entire pie. Trim the excess ends from the strips of dough. Pinch the bottom crust edge and lattice edge together, and flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar. To add a more festive design, use a leaf cookie cutter design to cut out leaves with excess dough. You can place the leaves as a trim around the circumference of the pie. 

Place pie on a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove pie from oven and put a pie crust shield or cover edges with foil. Lower oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Let it cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours before serving. Trust me, if you cut into it before it has cooled down, it will fall apart (been there, done that). 

Enjoy!

The crisp air and beautiful shades of fall leaves calls for baking a warm apple pie. This recipe will have you in your fall feels!

This Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling is so delicious! Precooking the apple pie filling ensures the perfect consistency and sweetness. No more watery apple pie filling! With this method, you can be sure to have a perfectly baked apple pie!

I love the balance of flavors and textures in a traditional caprese, but with a plentiful assortment of the fresh grown heirloom tomatoes available, I decided to switch things up by swapping red tomatoes for a green heirloom variety and adding watermelon slices for a refreshing, juicy crunch. Topped with a rich balsamic glaze and olive oil.

Ingredients:

4 cups (3/4-inch) seeded watermelon cubes

4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced the tomatoes into quarter inch thick circles

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese balls

12 fresh basil leaves, torn

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Balsamic glaze to taste

Direction:

On a large serving dish, alternate slices of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and watermelon. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze and serve.

Enjoy!!!

This creamy tomato soup is the perfect soup to welcome Autumn with. This soup will have your kids asking for seconds. A bowl filled with so much flavor that nature has to offer. The perfect batch is made with roasted garden tomatoes and fresh herbs.

• Ingredients:
• 3 pounds fresh garden tomatoes, cut in half ( I used heirloom)
• 2 Bell peppers – cut in circles
• 2 medium carrots- cut in circles
• 1 medium onion- sliced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• ½ cup packed basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup heavy cream for a creamy texture
• Parmesan cheese, for a tangy, flavor enhancing flavor

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place halved tomatoes, pepper circles, carrot circles, sliced onion, basil leaves and garlic cloves on the baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
2. Once vegetables are done roasting, allow them to cool for 10 minutes, then add them to a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth.
3. After blending, transfer to a pot, turn to medium low heat and add in oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add heavy cream and allow tomato soup to simmer 10 minutes before serving. To serve, garnish with parmesan cheese and serve with grilled cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!!!

Soft and sweet yeast bread swirled with a  delicious poppy seed filling. Growing up, my mother and aunts always made this Eastern European bread for Easter and Christmas. Looks complicated but is easy enough to make it at home. 

Dough:

1 cup warm water

1 cup warm whole milk

3 eggs

12 Tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

1/2  teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons dry east

6-7 cups all-purpose flour, preferably Canadian brand

You can make your own poppy seed filling or purchase at Amazon.  

Poppy seeds filling – Recipe is from talented Lea’s cooking 

1 3/4 cups poppy seeds 

1 cup milk

 1/2 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1 pinch of salt

2 eggs, beaten

Making the Poppy seed filling:

Grind poppy seeds with a coffee grinder or magic bullet. I did 1/2 cup at the time for 30 seconds.

Heat the milk, butter, salt and sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Fluff the eggs.

Slowly pour in a small amount of the hot milk into the eggs, mixing it fast. This will prevent the eggs from scrambling. When you add about half of the milk to the eggs, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, just like making pudding.

Add poppy seeds. Mix well and let it cool.

Making the dough:

In a mixing bowl, mix  1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Combine milk and butter in a separate bowl. Microwave on high until butter melts for about 30 to 40 seconds. 

Pour the milk and butter mixture into a mixer bowl fitted with hook attachment. 

Add the east mixture; 

Add sugar, eggs, 1 cup of flour and salt. 

Mix on low speed 2-3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually add more flour. Mix on low until flour is mixed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides. Depend on your flour, you may not need all 7 cups of flour. Dough should be very sticky. Transfer to lightly sprayed with nonstick spray large bowl. Cover it with plastic and let dough rest for about 1 -1 ½ hours, it should double in volume.
When dough is ready, sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Divide the dough into two pieces. Transfer one piece of dough to your floured surface, shape into a ball; roll into a very thin rectangle. Generously spread the poppyseed paste over the surface of the dough. Roll up the dough starting from the shorter side, making it into a long string and tightening the log as you go. Use a knife to cut the dough into even-sized 2 inch pieces.

Place the cut rolls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches apart. With your hand press on the rolls to flatten them. 

Finish rolling the second piece of dough.

Let the rolls rise for 50-60 minutes. Whisk 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl. Brush the rolls and then bake at 350 degrees until  golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Baked Lemon Garlic Butter Cod is a tender and juicy fish filet baked in a lemony buttery sauce with garlic cloves and olive oil making this cod a flavorful and delicious dinner. Baked to perfection in 20 minutes!

The Best Cajun Garlic Butter Cod Recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 cod filets, cut in half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pinch of crushed red pepper- optional

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter- melted

1 lemon, sliced, plus more for garnish

3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

1 Tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400° and pat cod filets with a paper towel until dry.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish add the cod and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasonings.

Top the fish with garlic and lemon slices.

Pour olive oil and melted butter over the fish fillets.

Bake until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of filets.

Serve garnished with parsley, lemon wedges, and pan sauce.

Recommending to serve with steamed rice or/and roasted vegetables.

Enjoy!!!

Baked Lemon Garlic Butter Cod is a tender and juicy fish filet baked in a lemony buttery sauce with garlic cloves and olive oil making this cod a flavorful and delicious dinner. Baked to perfection in 20 minutes!