Petersons Fund for Children Charity Fundraiser & Some Delicious Nibbles to Share

Posted by Ozlem on May 7, 2012 in A Slice of England, Appetizers and Mezes | 14 comments

Tags: baklava, balsamic vinegar, bulgur, couscous, curry sauces, herb infused olive oil, olives, peshtemal, Petersons Fund for Children Charity, pomegranate molasses, rocket, spice bowls

I was delighted to be a part of a good cause last week; Petersons Fund for Children Charity Fundraiser in Surrey, England. Peterson’s Fund for Children’ is a registered local charity that supports children who struggle with cerebral palsy and other similar mental / physical disabilities. It has been in existence for nearly 4 years and through extensive fundraising efforts has provided therapy and equipment otherwise unavailable at the NHS in England. The aim of the charity is to help as many local children in need as possible in the hopes...

Grilled Fish on Sourdough Bread with herb mayonnaise, served with Sumac, Red onion and Tomato salad; “Balik Ekmek ” with a twist

Posted by Ozlem on Apr 30, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes, Salads, Seafood | 12 comments

Tags: calamari, capers, haddock, lemon, lettuce, parsley, red onion, sea bass, sourdough bread, sumac, tomatoes

One of the most popular street foods at home is grilled (or lightly fried) fish, served between slices of our traditional white loaf. Fishermen grill the fish at their boats and prepare this sandwich right there for you; with a breeze from the Bosphorus and view of boats passing by, that first bite is just heavenly. Turkey is bounded by the sea on three sides – the Mediterranean,Aegeanand the Blacksea. With the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles at northwest,Turkeyhas over 7,000km (4,350 miles) of coastline. The plentiful...

Pastry triangles with leeks, onions & cheese – and more delicious brunch ideas

Posted by Ozlem on Apr 12, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes, Salads, Turkish Breakfast | 16 comments

Tags: cucumber, feta, leeks, lentils, MarkeTurk, mozzarella, nigella seeds, olive oil, onions, oregano, red pepper flakes, spinach, spring onion, sucuk, tomatoes, Tulumba

Life evolves around food in Turkey, and it all starts with breakfast. Our traditional breakfast includes fresh and dried fruit, wonderful olives, feta and cheddar cheese, eggs done in different ways, pastries and many more. We also like to have sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, as well as dried fruits and nuts with yoghurt and honey. In rural parts of Anatolia, this hearty lentil soup may well be the main event for breakfast. Although now, with the modern pace of life we mostly turn to cereal boxes during the weekdays, it is at the weekends that we...

Warm Hummus with Red Pepper Flakes infused Olive oil

Posted by Ozlem on Mar 5, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes | 11 comments

The humble but ever so tasty hummus is delicious, healthy and so easy to make. I wonder if you have ever tried hummus warm? In Turkey, especially in the South, hummus is served warm with red pepper flakes infused olive oil or with some sautéed pastirma (similar to pastrami; dried cured beef coated with spices) over the top. I’d very much encourage you to try hummus this way, as I feel you may be pleasantly surprised, and maybe converted to eat hummus warm as many of my friends have done. Please adjust the hummus recipe according to your...

Thin, crispy Turkish pizza with spicy lamb topping; Lahmacun

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 6, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes | 4 comments

This thin, crispy Turkish pizza, lahmacun is the ultimate street food in Turkey. A very popular lunch time snack, lahmacun is sold in street stalls as well as in restaurants. In Kebab houses, mini lahmacuns are served as an appetizer that I can’t get enough. We Turks also love to have it as a take away food, a great, healthy alternative to fast food, the children love them too. Lemon is liberally squeezed over and then it is rolled up with sliced tomatoes, onion and parsley salad, piyaz.  Flour Tortillas work very well as a mini...

Zucchini (Courgette) Fritters flavored with Feta and Dill – Kabak Mucveri

Posted by Ozlem on Oct 3, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorized | 0 comments

I have been looking at the previous recipes I posted and thought these zucchini fritters are really worth revisiting. The trick with them is to make sure you squeeze out any excess water from the zucchini, after grating. Hope you give them a go sometime and enjoy!Zucchini are the most widely available squash in Turkey. They are very versatile, used in many dishes and their flowers are perfect for stuffing. This wonderful vegetarian fritters are fantastic accompanied by garlic infused yoghurt or a leafy salad and crusty bread. You can enjoy...

Broad (Fava) Beans in Two Ways

Posted by Ozlem on Apr 26, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorized | 2 comments

Broad Beans (Fava Beans) with bell peppers, olive oil, dill and lemon juice – Fava Salatasi We have had an over 3 weeks of heat wave in England, with temperatures reaching high 70Fs – lovely!:)- This pleasant warm weather put me into mood of more fresh vegetables and salads served with olive oil and lemon juice dressing, as we do in Turkey. And I really fancied some fresh broad beans. Unfortunately they are not in season here yet (they are at their peak from the end of June to mid September) so I used the broad beans in water to...

Fried Aubergine (Eggplant), Courgette (Zucchini) and Peppers with Tomato Sauce-Saksuka

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 23, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This is one of the most popular mezes, appetizers at home, featuring our beloved eggplant (aubergine). It is delicious and easy to make. Garlicky yoghurt accompanies this dish really well. One of the joys in life for me is to cook and eat with friends and family. The life evolves around kitchen, children come and go and you get to cook with those dear to you, simply wonderful. We made and enjoyed this dish with friends this week; in Turkish we say “the food tastes better when shared” and it sure did. Serves 4Preparation time: 25...

Walnut & Red Pepper Paste Dip – Cevizli Biber

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 15, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorized | 2 comments

This is one of my favorite mezes of all time; it is very easy to make and very, very more-ish, you just can’t stop eating them. It is one of my mother’s recipes from her historic hometown Antakya (Antioch) and whenever I make it, I feel like I am home. Tahini bread or pita bread would go really well with this delicious dip/spread. You can keep the dip covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Middle Eastern stores or specialty stores usually carry the red pepper paste. If you can’t find it, there is a recipe for it in my blog...

Patties with Potato, Bulgur, Onion and Parsley – Patatesli, Bulgurlu Kofte

Posted by Ozlem on Jan 7, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorized | 1 comment

These patties are healthy, moist, easy to make and delicious; you just can’t stop eating them. They look similar to the bulgur and lentil patties I made previously(recipe in the blog, under appetizers and mezes), they have a different texture though, softer and more moist.You can serve them as a starter meze on a bed of lettuce leaves to wrap, or with bowl of olive oil and pomegranate molasses (or some sharp balsamic vinegar) by the side to dip in. In South Turkey, it is common to dip these patties to the sauce of stew and casseroles. I...