So this Turkish bean recipe is actually entitled Turkish Beans with Potatoes, Celery Root, and Carrots, but by this point I think we all know how I feel about carrots in any form other than raw raw raw. So I ditched them and decided that would be okay.

I started soaking the dried white beans last night so that this evening after work I just needed to drain them and start simmering them on the stove. The beans take about an hour to cook, but they're only alone in the pot for the first half hour. During that time I sauteed garlic and onion in olive oil. Once they were soft, I added in the peeled and chopped potato and celery root for about 15 minutes.

At this point the root veggies were starting to soften but not yet browning. I tossed them into the pot with the beans along with some salt and left them to simmer together for the last half hour.

When the bean dish was removed from the heat and ready to go I stirred in chopped parsley and served.

This is a really hearty and filling dish, and I liked the little bit of sweetness that the celery root brought to it.

The mini-kebabs are really more of an appetizer and are also called Pinchos Morunos. The only prep work they require is mixing together some spices for the marinade; minced garlic, salt, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric (which I had to buy), and paprika combined with olive oil and lemon juice. Stir this all together, first grounding the garlic into the salt with a pestle, and then add the pork, cut into small pieces. Make sure all the meat is covered in the marinade and set aside in the fridge for about an hour.


I cooked mine under the broiler of the oven, but it could also be done on a grill. Thread the meat onto skewers that have been soaked for about a half hour.


Cook for 6 minutes, flipping once, and serve immediately.


These were incredibly delicious. I would make them again in a heartbeat, though I might leave out the coriander seeds because I don't love their flavor. Still, everything else -- exactly the same. The pork was cooked perfectly and it was super good. Make this one.

We loved the fruit, especially the bananas, which of course are not in the picture. These tiny, round bananas tasted like banana sandwiches they were so rich and buttery. We ate them as quickly as we bought them.
We also ate a lot of the fried bananas that you can buy at street stalls for less than a dollar. And I mean a lot of bananas.

You can see the trees at the side here. At the rear of the photo is a new villa being built and every day we would see the women walking along the track with the baskets of building materials on their heads. They always started early in the day, before it got too hot for them and the kids came home from school (1.30pm).
I wish that we could get the real bananas here – they may be small but the taste is to die for……..


Now you can wish on REAL "shooting stars"


Speaking of stars, Star fruit is the cutest way to garnish any drink. Slice is in it's star shape and place on the rim of a glass or even floating in the drink so when you take a sip you see the star shaped fruit.


Here is what you need to know:
Best to buy
Star fruit, or carambola, is available all year long.

Cut & clean
Star fruit does not need to be peeled. Simply rinse under cool water and slice.

The star of your next salad
When sliced, star fruit’s unique shape adds beauty, style, and a sweet, tangy flavor to cocktails, and fruit or vegetable salads. They make a great, edible garnish as well.

Power food
Star fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C.