Quick and Easy Cooked Leek and Carrot

I want to share one of my absolute favorite dishes to make when I have little energy for cooking.  The prep takes about 5 minutes and the cooking takes about 20 minutes so it is perfect when I want to be in an out of the kitchen quickly.  This leek dish is a Turkish meal that my boyfriend taught me.  I have seen it on the menu at Turkish restaurants but I have never tried it so this is the only version that I know.  But it is delicious, healthy, and appropriate for a variety of diets. 

Cooked Leek and Carrots
Serves 3-4

4 stalks of leek, trimmed
1 carrot, peeled
1 tablespoon of rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Water

1.  Prepare the leek by washing it, cutting off the ends, and then splitting it in half along the entire length.  Cut it into pieces that are about 1.5-2 inches long and set aside.

2.  Cut the carrot in rounds of your preferred thickness.  I prefer them to be sliced as thinly as possible.

3.  In a large pan, heat 1 olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the leek and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add the rice, tomato paste, and 1/2 cup of water to the pan.  Cook the leek for another 15-18 minutes until the leek is soft.   If the water evaporates too quickly, it may be necessary to add a little more. (but not too much, the final consistency should be a paste not be watery). Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the water level so that the leek doesn't burn.

Serve warm with rice or pilaf.

Enjoy!

~Rona

Life in Photos

1. At the airport 

2. View along the Bosphorus 

3. Istanbul traffic 

4. My favorite Starbucks, with the most amazing views 

5. Yummy macarons, raspberry was my favorite 

6. Mocha and dessert

The past few weeks have been a bit of a transition for me.  I am currently in Istanbul and will be for some time.  I also realized that in the past four years, since I have graduated college, I have moved over 9 times.  Some moves have been large, others smaller but I am pretty exhausted from all of the packing and moving.  I find that I am enjoying it less each time. 

Coming to Istanbul (for the second time) has left me in a bit of a 'shock'.  Not culture shock, luckily I have traveled enough that I can adjust to new surroundings.  It is more of a cooking shock.  As in, I find it difficult to find so many of the necessary items that I could easily pick up in any store in the US.  Because the few days I had to pack were so stressful and my suitcases were stuffed to maximum capacity, I ended up leaving behind most of my kitchen necessities in the US.  And yes, I agree, that was stupid. 

I thought that it would be easy enough to find what I need but after visiting many stores I have begun to think that baking desserts is not a popular activity here.  I have had trouble finding measuring cups and measuring spoons, baking dishes, and many of the spices that I need.  And vanilla extract-almost impossible to find!  I finally tracked down a small bottle in a 'specialty store' and it cost about $20!  For a bottle that would cost $4-$5 in the US.  Needless to say, I will not be baking chocolate chip cookies anytime soon! Most of my frustrations will be solved tomorrow after a much needed trip to Ikea.  As for the vanilla extract, I am still kicking myself for packing so carelessly.

~Rona

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Cannied Pecans, and Oranges

I realized that I had 3 random boxes of quinoa sitting around and no recollection of when I bought them.  I think that this says a lot about me: I want to try different food and eat healthier but I tend to get stuck following the same pattern and I have trouble breaking out of it. Oh yeah, and the other thing this says is that I have way too much food in my pantry and I need to finish some!  

Now back to the quinoa, I wanted to experiment and start making new versions of the same basic salad that I usually eat with ingredients that I had available.  I combined quinoa and avocado for a base, the mandarine oranges to add sweetness, and the lettuce and pecans for texture and crispiness.  The salad was really good and was more filling then I had expected.  I think that it is a good starting point and that I will experiment with different ingredients and dressings.

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Cannied Pecans, and Oranges
Makes 4 portions

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup madarine oranges, cut in half
1/2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup candied pecans (see recipe here)

For the salad dressing:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1.  Rinse and drain the quinoa in cold water before cooking.

2. In a pot, combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the flame and cover the pot.  Simmer to quinoa until all of the water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.  Once the quinoa is sufficiently cooled, transfer to a large bowl and toss in the other ingredients.

4.  Combine all of the ingredients for the salad dressing in a small bowl and mix them well.  Pour the salad dressing over the quinoa and toss until well combined.

Enjoy!

Rona

Spiced Candied Pecans

After experiencing a powerful lethargy for the first few weeks of this year, I was starting to get concerned.  I found myself feeling tired despite getting more than enough sleep, day after day.  Granted, I am sure that this was partly due to mid-winter blues and the normal stress and uncertainty that life throws at us.  But aside from that, I was beginning to suspect that my eating habits may be contributing to the problem.

Remembering the some what ignored goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the year (any one notice the large amount of desserts and baked goods that took over the blog?), I decided that I should actually try to eat healthier.  This probably means different things for different people.  For me, it means eating less sugar and less bread.

To start, I wanted to increase my salad intake.  I actually love salads but I am terrible at making them. Why?  I really have no intelligent explanation, I just don't make them often.  For me, the first step in eating more salads is to make candied pecans.  They are so simple to make and add a nice crunch to a salad.  I tend to change the way I make them each time.  The honey and water is a must but you can play around with the other flavors by adding brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper or any spice that you want.  I already started to eat more salads this week!

Spiced Candied Pecans

1/2 cup whole or chopped pecans
2 tablespoons of honey
A few drops of water
A dash of cinnamon
A dash of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Combine the honey, water, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and mix well.

3.  Toss the pecans in the honey mixture and then spread the pecans evenly over a tray lined with aluminum foil.  Pour all of the excess liquid on top of the pecans.

4.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes so that the pecans are softened.  Transfer them from the aluminum foil to a plate to cool immediately.  When the pecans cool on the aluminum foil, they get stuck there and are difficult to remove.

5.  Serve on a salad and enjoy!

~Rona