Crunchy Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

sweet, tart, and crunchy. It’s great as a side or light lunch.

*Recipe – Serves 4-6*

*Ingredients:*

– *Apples*: 3 medium, diced. Honeycrisp or Fuji work well

– *Celery*: 2 stalks, diced

– *Dried cranberries*: ½ cup

– *Walnuts*: ½ cup, roughly chopped and toasted

– *Fresh parsley*: ¼ cup, chopped

– *Lemon juice*: 2 tbsp

– *Olive oil*: 3 tbsp

– *Honey*: 1 tbsp

– *Dijon mustard*: 1 tsp

– *Salt & pepper*: To taste

*Instructions:*

1. *Toast walnuts*: Dry toast in a skillet over medium heat 2-3 min until fragrant. Let cool.

2. *Prep fruit*: Dice apples and toss immediately with lemon juice to prevent browning.

3. *Make dressing*: Whisk olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

4. *Combine*: In a large bowl, mix apples, celery, cranberries, walnuts, and parsley. Pour dressing over and toss.

5. *Serve*: Eat right away for max crunch, or chill 20 min if you want the flavors to meld.

*Tip*: Use a mix of red and green apples for color and flavor contrast. Toasting the walnuts makes a big difference, don’t skip it.

Roasted Beet and Chickpea Salad with Feta

Earthy, tangy, and holds up well in the fridge.

*Recipe – Serves 3-4*

*Ingredients:*

– *Beets*: 3 medium, roasted and diced

– *Chickpeas*: 1 can, 15 oz, rinsed, drained, patted dry

– *Feta cheese*: 4 oz, cubed

– *Fresh parsley*: ¼ cup, chopped

– *Olive oil*: 3 tbsp

– *Lemon*: 1 large, juiced

– *Garlic*: 1 clove, minced

– *Salt & pepper*: To taste

*Instructions:*

1. *Roast beets*: Wrap whole beets in foil and roast at 400°F for 45-60 min until tender. Let cool, peel, and dice into 1-inch cubes. If you’re short on time, use pre-cooked beets from the store.

2. *Prep chickpeas*: Pat chickpeas dry so they soak up the dressing better. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. *Make dressing*: Whisk remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

4. *Assemble*: In a large bowl, combine beets, chickpeas, feta, and parsley. Pour dressing over and toss gently so the feta doesn’t break up too much.

5. *Rest*: Let it sit 10-15 min before serving so flavors blend.

*Tip*: Roast chickpeas 10 min in the oven at 400°F if you want them a bit crispy.

*Storage*: Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. The beets will stain everything red, but it still tastes great.

Turkish Pogaca

soft, savory pastries usually stuffed with cheese and herbs. The golden tops come from an egg wash before baking.

Makes 12 pastries

*Dough:*

– *Flour*: 3 ½ cups

– *Yogurt*: 1 cup, plain

– *Vegetable oil*: ½ cup

– *Milk*: ½ cup, lukewarm

– *Egg*: 1, plus 1 egg yolk for brushing

– *Baking powder*: 2 tsp

– *Salt*: 1 tsp

– *Sugar*: 1 tsp

*Filling:*

– *Feta or beyaz peynir*: 1 ½ cups, crumbled

– *Parsley*: ½ cup, finely chopped

– *Optional*: 1 tbsp black cumin seeds or nigella seeds

*Instructions:*

1. *Make dough*: In a bowl mix yogurt, oil, milk, 1 egg, sugar, and salt. Add flour and baking powder gradually. Knead until soft and slightly sticky but not sticking to hands. Cover and rest 15 min.

2. *Make filling*: Mix crumbled cheese with parsley. Taste and adjust salt – feta is already salty.

3. *Shape*: Take a golf ball sized piece of dough. Flatten it, put 1 tbsp filling in center, then seal and shape into a ball or crescent. Place seam side down on a lined baking tray.

4. *Bake*: Brush tops with egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp milk. Sprinkle nigella seeds if using. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 min until golden brown.

5. *Serve*: Best warm when the cheese is melty.

*Tip*: Don’t overfill or they’ll burst open. The dough should be soft, not stiff – that’s what makes them fluffy inside.