![Citrus Season on the Aegean Coast of Turkey]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Dec 19, 2019 | TRAVEL, Turkey, Winter
It’s citrus season in southern Turkey and the entire region is overflowing with oranges, lemons and tangerines. As I walk to the local market to purchase my own, I can see trees in my neighborhood bursting with these fruits.
They are simply everywhere, in abundance, mashaAllah.
It’s one of the reasons I was drawn to this region, as it reminds me of Sicily, the island where my grandparents came from and the region of the world that I’ve always had such an affinity for, particularly in terms of food preferences.
Coming to Turkey to experience this was a whole new level of culinary delights in that I had never realized how similar the two places would or could be – even in geographic appearance. Sometimes I feel like I’m in Italy; other times I feel like I’m in southern California.
But, I’ve never tasted anything like the citrus here. It’s so unassuming- the people, the markets (pazars), the cuisine. It’s modest, under-stated and under-estimated in every way- in my opinion. It deserves so much more attention. And respect.
The taste is something you have to visit to experience because these fruits truly are as sweet as candy, only the all-natural kind.
Have you ever visited southern Turkey? If yes, what has been your favorite thing about this region?
![Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup]()
by Yvonne | Nov 4, 2019 | Fall, Italian, Recipes, Soups, Winter
If you’re a soup lover like me, a big pot of soup on a chilly Fall day is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I really love a good, hearty soup that I can have for at least two days or even just one and freeze the rest. Something with meat always feels like a main meal, too. If it has pasta or rice or bulgur, I see no need to have bread on the side, but that’s just me; it’s filling enough with one of those types of carbs.
One of my heartiest soup recipes I love to make in Fall & Winter is our traditional Italian Wedding Soup. I grew up on it. First, my Sicilian grandmother made it occasionally for the family Sunday dinner of 30+ people and then my mom started making it at home for us and I think she tweaked the recipe perfectly to our tastebuds, adding more cheese, meat and parsley to the meatball mixture. That soup takes more work, however, because it also has chicken in it, so this Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup is like my shortcut version- similar taste in much less time.
In this recipe, I use small cheese-filled ravioli, which I found at Trader Joe’s. They take about 16-18 minutes to cook, so they are the last ingredient I add. The big ravioli just don’t make sense to me in this dish, but if you like that by all means use those instead. You could even skip the meatballs and get meat-filled ravioli (which I just thought of as I write this), but I really love the meatballs.
The very first step is to prepare those delicious meatballs. I was craving turkey protein for some odd reason (must be the Fall weather and thoughts of the upcoming Thanksgiving), but if you want to make the meatballs out of beef, chicken or even lamb, you can certainly do that.
I add a few special ingredients: Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried parsley and homemade breadcrumbs. My breadcrumbs are darker than what you might see in stores because I made them from whole wheat bread slices. You can definitely use the store-bought ones, of course, not adding extra work for yourself like me in this case…
Some people skip this next step of baking the meatballs in the oven and they instead cook the meatballs directly into the pot. You can do that, too, but I like the flavor they get when baked first. If I’m in a real hurry, I’ll skip this step and simply sauté them in the pot directly. If baking, do so in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
The next thing I do is start the base for the soup: Sauté onions, tomatoes, garlic in olive oil. Add dried herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, if you like. Watch the salt because you’ll be adding the meatballs which already have salt in them.
You can skip this next step if your meatballs have browned nicely in the oven: Sauté to brown them for added flavor directly in the pot, just for a few minutes then remove and set aside. *If you did not bake them in the oven- please do this step.
Add as much water to fill the pot. In my Dutch oven, I add about 8 cups of water, gently pouring on top of the meatballs so as not to break them.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat, covered. This makes the meatballs really moist.
When you’re about 20 minutes to finish time (or less, depending on the cooking time of the ravioli), it’s time to add these, too. 
In my case, these needed to cook for 16-18 minutes. As I said, just follow your ravioli package’s directions. If you’re making homemade ravioli (you’ve just become my hero), they’ll cook for way less time, like under five minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and any other spices and herbs. Reduce heat to a simmer, so as not to overcook the ravioli or burst them apart, which sometimes happens on too high of a heat/flame.
Once the ravioli is cooked, you’re ready to serve. Gently ladle into bowls with about 3 meatballs per person (that works in my house, but more or less depending on your own preference). Add some Parmesan cheese on top and serve. That’s an absolute must for me…
What’s your favorite hearty soup dish to cook in the Fall and/or Winter?
Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup
A hearty, delicious one-pot soup meal that will warm and fill you up on a chilly Fall or Winter day.
Serves 8
For the Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 1/2 teaspoon
sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beatenFor the Soup
1/4 cup
olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion
1 tomato, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
1 pound dried mini raviolis
Fresh
Parmesan cheese, optional
Fresh flat leaf parsley to top the soup, optional
Preparation
Optional step to prepare the meatballs if you will be baking them: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare the meatball mixture:
In a medium size bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Roll into small to medium size balls and place on a parchment-lined oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven and set aside.
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, tomato and garlic. Saut until soft and translucent. Add the baked or raw meatballs, then the water.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes- double the time if you’re adding raw meatballs instead of baked.
Add the ravioli or pasta and cook according to the instructions on its packaging, over medium heat.
Serve in individual bowls with 2-3 meatballs per bowl. Add fresh
Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley, if you have it.
![Cream of Broccoli & Cheddar Soup]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Dec 31, 2016 | Fall, Soups, Vegetarian, Winter
At this time of year, everyone talks about New Year’s resolutions. To top the list, it’s usually about getting fit and eating healthier. I think soups are one of the best kinds of dishes you can make at home to eat healthy, use up a lot of wonderful, delicious and seasonal ingredients and make great use of the money you spend on those ingredients. There’s no need to go to a restaurant just for a good soup, and those boxed soups just don’t cut it on the flavor and taste, in my opinion. Besides, you can control the amount of oils/fats and salt you use when making your own, which is something you’re not able to do when eating it elsewhere. Have I convinced you yet?
I know cooking takes time, and I am not an advocate of spending all your time in the kitchen. We all have lives to live and things to do, but planning ahead and cutting the work time in half by buying things already cut (i.e. riced broccoli; and a good quality vegetable broth like this one from Saffron Road, which is halal-certified and made with high quality ingredients). 
*My top tip for this recipe is to boil or steam the broccoli ahead of time because it makes for a creamier soup in the end. If you don’t have time to do that, it’s fine, but just be sure to use a minced or riced broccoli so that it cooks thoroughly in around 20 minutes. Once you puree it, it’ll be easier to do and result in a creamier soup.
Want to try the Culinary Classic Vegetable Broth by Saffron Road for yourself? Enter to win our giveaway for a FREE coupon here.
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![Citrus & Walnut Salad]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Jan 25, 2016 | Salads, Winter
On a whim, I recently made a winter salad because the citrus was just so delicious and ripe that I was actually really craving it. I posted a photo on my Instagram page and it was so well-received I thought I better put it up on the website, too. I hope you enjoy it- it’s super easy to make and quite healthy, too.
Bismillah and Bon Appetit!
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![Linden Berry Tea for Wintertime Colds & Flu]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 22, 2015 | Drinks, Winter
I’ve wanted to share this recipe for a long time, and I’m not sure what took me so long other than the fact that this tea is usually made when I feel a sickness coming on, like a cold or a flu. Alhamdullilah (thank God), that’s rare in my house, so I don’t need to grab for it too often, but today I have had to drink several cups. I also feel very nostalgic for my best friend who first introduced it to me and gave me handfuls of it to keep. She brought it from Turkey, where they call it Ihlamur, and I was very sure to not forget the name of it so I could ask for it and look for it should I run out. Thankfully, she has re-stocked me several times!
Ihlamur is the Turkish word for linden berry, which also grows in the U.S.- I know because she actually showed it to me on the street and told me there was a certain time of year in which the leaves should be picked and further dried. They also have these tiny berries that come along with all the leaves when you pick them, as you can see on the plate above. I actually think we have them in our yard now, but I keep missing the season to go and pick them. This gardener talks about them here, giving some fascinating facts and you can even buy it dried in some Mediterranean or specifically Turkish shops. Online gives you more options to source it, though:
Once you have the leaves, the tea is easy to make and lasts a long time without getting bitter. In fact, it’s better and better when you leave it out, covered, of course.
Simply boil water and add the leaves, letting them steep over low heat, for about 10 minutes. At this point, turn the pot off and let the leaves stay in the pot, scooping out only enough liquid for the amount of tea being served and straining the leaves from the pot for each cup of tea.
For each cup of tea, add a spoon of good honey like this one from Canada, or this one from Germany:
..and the juice of one quartered lemon. Serve warm.
The other thing I love is that if/when this gets cold, I simply cover it and put it in the refrigerator (once leaves are strained) and reheat over the stove when I want to have some more. In this way, it’s good for several days.
I really hope you reach for ihlamur this winter, not because you need it but because you want to try it. Who knows, maybe in the spring you’ll even find a linden tree your yard and pick the berries and leaves. Just be sure to check with your local arborist to make sure what you’ve picked is safe to consume.
![Creamy Mashed Potatoes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Nov 28, 2014 | Fall, Potato Dishes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter
I can’t remember the last time we had mashed potatoes from a box. Just the thought of it brings to mind the empty feeling I get from any foods that are simply a semblance of real food. I know it’s convenient, economical and sometimes the only option for people, but perhaps if we looked to our grandparents and those before them and how not everything they made from scratch in their kitchens was difficult, messy and unworthy of our time. In fact, a recipe for mashed potatoes is one of those things that you learn how to make once or twice and you’re good for life. Never be intimidated by the process of boiling, peeling and mixing- and there definitely is no need for fancy gadgets like the one I’ve used below- a simple hand masher will do the trick just as well.
Here goes…
Maybe the most difficult part is peeling the potatoes. If that is too cumbersome, make it a rustic mashed potatoes dish and leave the peels on (just make sure you scrub the surfaces very clean before boiling). I also add a couple parsnips to the mix just because I like the added texture they give to the potatoes, but if you don’t have them or don’t want to use them, just leave them out altogether.
For 3-5 pounds of potatoes, I place peeled and quartered potatoes in a large Dutch oven of salted boiling water and cook on medium-high for about 30 minutes.
Simply stick a knife or fork into the potatoes to test their softness.
Drain immediately and let them cool a bit.
*At this point, you can even leave them in the fridge, covered, overnight and work on the next part when you’re ready. The only difference here is that you should reheat the potatoes (i.e. in the microwave) before making additions and mixing it all together.
Next, either place the potatoes in a large bowl or in your stand mixer (you can do this in parts if you have a large amount here like I did. Add salt and pepper generously but if you’re also going to top with gravy, you may want to hold back a little on the salt.
Next add the sour cream. I use whole milk sour cream, just my preference as any other type makes the potatoes watery, in my opinion.
And the whole milk (for the same reason). I always warm up the milk because I don’t like cold milk in warm potatoes. Also add softened butter, unsalted so you can control the amount of salt overall.
Use the paddle attachment for the stand mixer if you’re using that appliance.
With the stand mixer, you should be able to reach a desired consistency within 30 seconds on medium-high. Always be careful not to over mix, as the potatoes will become gluey.
Top with fresh or dried herbs and/or your favorite recipe for gravy.
Now you can tweak, enjoy, and make it over and over again!
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