Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard Sauce (Pazı Soslu Makarna)

1 pack whole wheat spaghetti
1 bunch red Swiss chard, leaves washed and chopped into 1/2 inch wide strips (if you don't want to waste the stems, you can use them ina soup)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 anaheim or banana peppers, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed pepper
2 fresh tomatoes, diced or 1 can petite diced tomato
2 tbsp yogurt or milk
1/2 cup coarsely crushed walnuts
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

-Cook spaghetti in salted water according to the instructions on the package
-In a big pot heat the oil. Sautee onion, garlic, and pepper for 4-5 minutes until onions are soft.
-Add first paprika (stir for almost a minute) and then Swiss chard. As the chard cooks, it will release water. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the water is almost soaked. Add yogurt or milk and stir for a minute (sometimes greens like spinach taste like metal to me because of iron and I discovered that if I cook them with a little bit of milk-or yogurt if I don't have milk-it helps with the metal taste). Then add the tomato, black pepper, crushed pepper, and salt. Simmer until tomatoes look cooked
-Mix the sauce with spaghetti in an owen dish. Sprinkle crushed walnuts over evenly and then top with grated cheddar
-Bake in a preheated owen at 375F until cheese melts and is slightly brown

Penne Baked with Tomato Sauce ( Fırında Domatesli Penne)

This is a very flexible recipe; you can use any kind of pasta you want or you have at the moment. I usually make this recipe with macaroni, but this time I tried it with penne.
You can be really creative with the sauce, too.

1 pack of whole wheat penne

what I used for the sauce:
4-5 tomatoes, grated or 2 cans of petite diced tomato
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 peppers, chopped (I used sweet red Italian peppers, but any pepper would be good)
1/2 cup of black olives
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp crushed pepper
1/2 tsp mint flakes
1/2 black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups grated cheese

what can be added:
basil
mushroom
corn kennels

-Boil penne as to your wish; do not over cook it
-In a deep skillet heat olive oil and stir in onions and garlic. Cook until onions are soft.
-Add peppers and olives (and mushroom if you're using any). Stir for 2-3 minutes and add the paste. Stir for another 2 minutes
-Stir in tomatoes, black pepper, crushed pepper, oregano leaves, mint flakes, cumin, and salt (and basil)
-Simmer on low until the tomatoes are cooked. After turning it off, add parsley
-In an oven dish put the penne, the tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup water. (If you want to add corn kernels, this is a good time) Mix well and bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes. Cover the top during this 20-25 minute baking process with aluminum foil, so that the pennes on the top won't be dry
-After 25 minutes, put the grated cheese on top and bake for another couple of minutes until the cheese melts

Fancy Baked Mac & Feta Cheese (Fırında Peynirli Makarna)

This recipe is a result of having no velveeta and yet being too lazy to go to the store.

2 cups macaroni
2 eggs
Milk, a little less than 1 cup
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced black olives (Jen wasn't home for dinner)
1 1/2 tbsp butter or 1/4 cup oil
1/2 bunch parsley or dill
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup or more grated cheese (cheddar, Swiss, etc.)

-Cook macaroni for 15-20 minutes and rinse
-Mix eggs and milk in a bowl and add feta, olives, oil, parsley, thyme, and pepper
-Add macaroni to this mix and put them in a casserole
-Put the grated cheese on top
-Bake macaroni in preheated oven (375°F) until top is crisp and golden, and cheese melts


I cannot believe I'm saying this but it's true: It's so much better than mac & cheese. Also Aaron thinks mushrooms would be great in this.