Green Beans with Chicken (Tavuklu Yeşil Fasülye)

This recipe is my third green bean recipe that has been posted on my blog. The previous two recipes were completely vegetarian which is how I usually prefer my green bean stew. Since I like change every once in a while, one day, I decided to make green bean stew with chicken. I will also make the beef version another time. All three versions are common in Turkish cuisine.

The green bean stew turned out amazing; we could not have enough of it. Therefore, I decided to post it on my blog and share it with you all.

This can be served hot with rice or bulgur pilaf or just with bread.



1 ½ lb green beans
2 large tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes (peeled and diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 chicken breasts with bone in cut in large pieces or 1 lb chicken wings
¼ cup olive oil
4 tsp salt
½ green pepper (bell pepper or cubanelle pepper) (sliced)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red pepper paste
½ tsp coarse black pepper
3 cups water

Cut the ends of each green bean and slice in the middle without cutting through the end. The beans will split in two and stay attached at the bottom. Take the split beans that are attached at the bottom and cut diagonally around 1 ½ inch long. If you are in a hurry, cut the beans diagonally without slicing in the middle. When the beans are split in half, all the wonderful juices go inside them which will produce a delicious flavor.

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle half of the salt on the chicken. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are transparent. Put the green beans with the rest of the ingredients in the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the green pepper and tomatoes to the pot. Dissolve the red pepper and tomato paste in water. Add to the pot. Stir. Throw in the rest of the salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cook on medium heat for about 30-40 minutes. Then, lower heat and cook for another 30-40 minutes until the beans are soft. Serve warm with rice or bulgur pilaf.

Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Omelet Combo Set Giveaway Winner

First of all, thank you to all of you who participated in the giveaway sponsored by CSN Stores. It would have been nice to have more than one winner, but unfortunately we only have one prize.

For the drawing, I used random.org and the winner is Rita T.! Congratulations to Rita! Enjoy making your stir-fry with the pans.

Rita, please contact me with your full name and address within the next 48 hours to receive your prize.

Thanks to CSN Stores and to the participants!

Spinach with Eggs (Yumurtalı Ispanak)

The combination of spinach and eggs can certainly delight your palates. I relished every single bite while eating this simple, yet delightful meal which holds a good standing in Turkish cuisine. My lovely mother graciously shared this recipe with me (as always) when I inquired about it. I personally had made spinach with eggs before, but never this good! I think I was leaving out the cumin and onions. This same recipe can also be prepared with the addition of ground meat which will be posted on my blog on another date. A piece of bread and yogurt can make a great accompaniment to this dish.

The spinach was purchased from the farmer’s market in Houston this weekend along with some other fresh and organic vegetables. I am working on a few more recipes involving the vegetables I bought at the farmer’s market. Now that I have some breathing room from work (for a while anyway), I look forward to documenting and sharing some more of my favorite, healthy and delicious recipes.

On another note, I would just like to remind those of you interested to enter my contest for the Non-stick Calphalon Omelette Set giveaway! A lucky winner will receive the prize! Check my previous post.

2 bunches spinach (approx. 2 lb with stems)
4 eggs
1 medium shallot (chopped)
1 small garlic clove (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cumin

Wash the spinach in cold water thoroughly. Discard the stems.

Chop the spinach roughly.

Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick pan. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the spinach in the pan. The spinach will wilt in the heat. When it starts to wilt, add the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and cumin. Stir to integrate all the ingredients. The spinach should wilt and reduce in size. Break four eggs on top of the spinach. Sprinkle the top of the eggs with a pinch of salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover for 3-4 minutes and continue to cook under medium heat. Remove cover and cook for another 2 minutes until most of the water evaporates. Serve with bread and yogurt.

CSN Stores Giveaway-Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Omelet Combo Set

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Thanks to CSN Stores, it’s time for the giveaway I have been mentioning in my previous posts! I was ecstatic when I was contacted by CSN Stores recently on hosting a giveaway or a product review on my blog. Although, I must admit that it was not easy to decide whether I should review an item and KEEP it or host a giveaway by allowing my readers to receive a prize. Ultimately, I decided that I would be immensely gratified if my one of my readers received a nice item. If you have not heard about CSN Stores, they have 200 plus online stores which hold everything from bar stools to bedding, to furniture and anything you can think of for you and your home. Their selection of items is very impressive. I spent a couple hours on some of their websites when trying to decide which prize I should pick for my giveaway. Some of CSN Store’s websites are http://www.allmodern.com/, http://www.diningroomsdirect.com/, http://www.cookware.com/ and http://www.toysandgamesonline.com/. I am confident that you can find almost any type of item from one of their stores.

The giveaway item I decided on is the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10” and 12“ Omelet Combo Set since I have the exact ones in my kitchen for a few years now and I am very happy with them. I thought these pans can be useful for anyone spending time in the kitchen.




Here are the details for entering the giveaway contest:

To enter do one or more of the following: (Leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Leave me a comment telling me that other than making omelets with these pans, what else can be cooked with them (1 entry).
2) Blog about this giveaway on your blog (3 entries) and leave me a link on your post about the giveaway in the comment section.
3) Join my facebook. If you are already on my facebook, just leave a comment telling me that (2 entries).
4) Announce my giveaway on your facebook and let me know (1 entry).
5) Subscribe to my feed. If you currently subscribe, just leave a comment telling me that (2 entries).
6) Follow me on Google Friend Connect. If you already follow me, just tell me so. (2 entries).
7) Place my blog’s link on your website (2 entries). If you already linked to my blog, just leave a comment telling me that.

The giveaway end date is Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 7:00 p.m. (Central Time). The winner will be selected by random.org and announced the next day. Unfortunately, the giveaway is ONLY open to my readers who reside in the U.S. or Canada. The winner will need to send me their full name and address within 48 hours in order to receive his/her prize. The prize will be directly shipped to the winner by CSN Stores.

Note: Please leave a separate comment for each entry. The more entries you have, the more chances you have of winning. All entries will be verified.