by Yvonne Maffei | Jul 12, 2019 | Thoughts on Food
This little dish of Pasta with Bechamel Sauce represents the exact reason why cooking for oneself is not only an act of self-care, but also an experience of empowerment. Why? Because it embodies the art of knowing how to survive and thrive on less- less money, less stuff (i.e. ingredients), fewer cooking tools & gadgets, and more time for the things you actually want to do.
Since I’ve been in Turkey, I’ve had to learn to manage high prices for things that are relatively cheap back in the US (in this case, Parmesan). I’ve also had to substitute for ingredients I simply can’t find very easily (also, Parmesan). I have to stretch fresh seasonal vegetables from one market day to the next or until they come up in my garden because they are way pricier and not nearly as good quality in the larger grocery stores. This is simply not the case in the U.S., as you can still find great looking and tasting organic food products in many reputable grocers nowadays- but that sometimes makes it more tempting to overstuff your fridge with fresh things that will quickly go to waste before you can use them up. Instead, knowing how to cook has saved me from spending money on eating out, eating food I don’t enjoy, or even snacking instead of having a proper meal; and instead using my self-taught cooking skills to be creative and a master of stretching the food budget while never sacrificing on taste. Now that is empowering.
So what happened here and why the big deal over Béchamel? Typically, any type of French sauce is considered difficult, but they’re really not once you’ve practiced them. Béchamel is the first types of French sauces one anyone would learn in culinary school because it uses basic ingredients we always have on hand (flour + butter) and the sauce is used as a base in soufflés and added to dishes to either stretch them and/or give them more flavor. In fact, once you master it you can basically get even more creative with the dishes you serve it on, too. It requires a little bit of juggling ingredients in that you have to get the roux (flour + butter) mixture just right and you have to whisk the butter in vigorously and quickly so that the flour doesn’t clump your sauce, but you get the hang of it once you practice- just like any other skill.
I was very limited on ingredients at home and was actually craving pasta Alfredo, but without the Parmesan that I didn’t have, I was able to make Béchamel, so that’s what I did- without a recipe, because it’s already in my head.
I’m not an Executive Chef at a fancy restaurant; I’m a home cook just like you, which means you can do this, too. Wouldn’t you feel like your very own Master Chef at home if you made something like this for yourself, without fuss? It’s doable, I promise you.
Both recipes and easy instructions for making Alfredo and Béchamel can be found in the My Halal Kitchen cookbook and only require a few essential base ingredients: flour, butter, milk, salt, black pepper. Red pepper flakes on top make it more Turkish, but you can leave those out and add some fresh herbs or nothing at all. It’s your dish, so you do you.
You can get the My Halal Kitchen cookbook here.
by Yvonne Maffei | Dec 3, 2017 | Greek, Mediterranean, Pasta Dishes

I love Mediterranean & Aegean dishes, as they’re known for their use of healthy ingredients, but many dishes just remind me specifically of the sun-soaked places I am super passionate about like Sicily, Italy; Corfu, Greece, and pretty much anywhere along the Turkish Aegean & Mediterranean (aka: the Turquoise Coast).
Ahh, I can get swept away just thinking about how peaceful those places are. Peaceful, yet teeming with life and nature and so much good food.
There’s something particular about Greek food that I favor. You can say that Turkish and Greek foods are interchangeable, but there are some differences, too. I love the simplicity of many Greek dishes, for one thing. I think this is mostly attributed to austere island life of the hundreds of Greek islands, which makes it quite interesting to think about how, for example, those who have endured mountain life were able to conjure up such simple yet nutritious meals that have been feeding them for generations. Most of the dishes aren’t fussy, either which is something I truly love.
This recipe here for Aegean Style Alfredo, is leaning on the Greek side, as I’ve not ever seen it in Turkish cuisine specifically but I have seen many a dish of Makarna with Yogurt, though not specifically like this.
I learned about it while doing some research on the Blue Zones, in particular the diet of the people of Ikaria, known for their longevity. After research many of the recipes, this one in particular resonated with me because it was very similar to one of the very first Turkish pasta dishes I ever tried, too.
This recipe is so simple, but it has taken me some experimentation to get it just the way I think it tastes fantastic and easiest to make, which is just as important to me.
To start with, choose the best noodles. Get handmade fettuccine, or something similar, if possible. If not, any type of thick noodle will do – and once you get a hang of this method, do it with just about any type of pasta that you like.
Next comes making the yogurt sauce. I’m starting with Mountain High Yogurt, for many reasons. For one, it’s a favored brand in my halal kitchen because it doesn’t contain any funny stuff (that’s a real tagline of theirs) and second, it’s a halal-certified product. It also tastes great and cooks well- so that means you don’t just have to have it as a snack, but you can also use it in dishes like this where you might not realize yogurt can be ‘cooked’ or heated.

The second thing regards how you decide to process the garlic. There are two ways you can do it- when I’m finished explaining I’ll tell you which one I prefer the most.
One way is to chop the garlic and lightly saute it in garlic…

…then add the fresh or dried herbs to the garlic and oil. With this method you have to be extremely careful not to burn the garlic or you basically ruin the taste of the entire dish. Of course doing it well enough to taste great isn’t complicated- you just cook it on low heat and very slowly, turning the heat off as soon as the herbs have had about a minute or two to infuse the garlic. This is then added to the yogurt, then mixed into the cooked noodles.
The second method- and the one I prefer the most, is to chop the garlic but keep it raw. Make the mixture of dried or fresh herbs: parsley and oregano, plus black pepper and sea salt. Add this to the yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil.

Set this aside (whether you’ve cooked the garlic or not). Cook the noodles and be prepared to move fast once they’re made. If you get homemade noodles, they do cook fast and you need to remove them as soon as they’re finished otherwise they get too pasty.
One way to prevent any stickiness is to drizzle some oil into the bottom of the bowl or pan you’re going to mix the yogurt with the noodles in.
At this stage, move fast from colander to pan to prevent any lost noodles stuck to the pan or colander you’ve used.
Next, add the yogurt mixture directly onto the hot noodles- this helps to ‘cook’ the yogurt.
Many recipes call for the addition of some of the pasta water to the yogurt, but I found that any water made things too watery and I really didn’t like how the dish turned out- so I’m sticking to this way, where the texture was great and so was the taste.

It it scrumptious with the addition of grilled chicken or salmon, but all alone it is a gem on its own. It’s also light enough for a summer dish but equally comforting as a winter dish, serving as a really wonderful substitute for the heavier Italian Alfredo dish which uses Parmesan and heavy cream to make the sauce.
One last addition you could make, but don’t have to- although I really like it- is to add some shaved Romano cheese on top. It is often made from goat’s milk, which gives the dish a unique flavor all it’s own and really puts that Greek Island stamp on it, too, as that is a popular ingredient not just in Ikaria but in many of the Greek islands. 
So, what do you think? Will you give this recipe a try and share it with some of your family and friends? Let us know in the comments below.
Be sure to get Mountain High Yogurt to make this dish. Follow them on social media to get recipes ideas and information about their products: Facebook and Instagram, and go to this link to see where you can find Mountain High Yogurt in your area.
This recipe post was sponsored by Mountain Valley Yogurt. All opinions expressed are that of the author and not of the sponsoring company.
Aegean Style Alfredo
Serves 4
A much lighter version of the Italian-style Alfredo, this recipe is inspired by the Greek Islands and makes wonderful use of our favorite halal-certified yogurt, Mountain High, a taste you’ll love to incorporate into many more pasta dishes after trying this one.
Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 heaping tablespoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound fettuccine noodles
Shredded Romano Cheese (optional)
Directions
Prepare a bowl to make the yogurt mixture. Whisk the yogurt until there are no more clumps. Add the garlic, fresh or dried herbs, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Prepare the noodles by boiling them for the correct amount of time, according to package instructions. Work quickly so that the noodles are still hot when the yogurt is added. Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of a pan or bowl in which you’ll mix the yogurt and noodles.
Add the noodles to the pan or bowl with olive oil, then add the yogurt mixture on top. Mix the yogurt mixture thoroughly until it covers all of the noodles.
Serve immediately- whether alone or with grilled chicken or salmon on top or on the side, just like you might see with the Italian style Alfredo dishes, too!
by Yvonne Maffei | Oct 28, 2009 | American, Condiments & Sauces, Dinner, Fall, Italian, Pasta Dishes, Recipes
One of the best things about large squash such as pumpkin is that since they have a long shelf life, you can decorate your home with them (I personally prefer the real thing to any plastic decor) and still have time later on to use them for what they were created- as food.
Now think about taking those pumpkins off your doorstep and eat ’em up- they’re absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin, seeds removed, flesh roasted and cooled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
¼ teaspoon oregano
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 pound penne pasta noodles, cooked and set aside
parsley or basil as garnish
Directions
- Roughly chop and set aside all pumpkin flesh.
- In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter together.
- Add flour and 3 Tb. of the milk to make a roux. Stir well.
- Add pumpkin and stir into the roux. Add more milk if necessary, one tsp. at a time. If mixture is too thin, add more flour, ½ Tb. at a time.
- Add spices, then parmesan, until mixture is fully blended and has a thick consistency.
- Add cooked penne to pan and mix well until all ingredients are fully blended.
- When serving, add a small pat of butter and freshly chopped basil or parsley to the top.
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