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...

Spice Up Your Dinners – Easy, Delicious, Healthy Dishes for Entertaining

Posted by Ozlem on Apr 23, 2012 in Cakes and Desserts, Roasts and Kebaps, Salads, Turkish Cooking Classes | 11 comments

Tags: Apricots, bell peppers, cumin, dried apricots, dried mint, garlic, onion, pide bread, pitta, red pepper paste, sharing food, Turkish cooking classes, Turkish culture, walnuts, yoghurt

What makes the food we eat memorable? Sure, there is the taste element, smell, presentation of the food; they all contribute greatly for making the food special. In Turkish culture, there is also the so important “sharing” element; we think even simple food tastes better when shared with family and friends. My grandmother used to put extra two plates at our dinner table, as someone would always just turn up and join our dinner table, happy days. Hospitality, generosity is a big part of Turkish culture. It was a great pleasure to...

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...

Celeriac Salad with Walnuts, Olive oil & Lemon and Pomegranate Dressing

Posted by Ozlem on Jan 22, 2012 in Salads | 8 comments

Celeriac, the knobbly root vegetable closely related to celery, is widely available in winter. It has a wonderful flavor; a mix of aniseed, celery and parsley. Celeriac has plenty of health benefits too; it is very low in calories, has very good source of vitamin K, vitamin B, phosphorus and anti-oxidants. There are plenty good reasons to include the humble celeriac into your daily diet!:) Here is a delicious and easy way to enjoy celeriac. This is a very refreshing salad my mother makes in Turkey; it is wonderful for lunch or as an appetizer,...

Bulgur Wheat Salad with Red Onion and Vegetables – Kirmizi Soganli Kisir

Posted by Ozlem on Feb 2, 2011 in Salads, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This is a lighter version of the Kisir I posted earlier (under the section “Salads”). The use of red onions and lemon and olive oil dressing make the salad wonderfully refreshing. And it is a bowl of health, packed with fiber and vitamins, thanks to the vegetables and bulgur. It can be rolled into balls and served nestling in crunchy lettuce leaves. This dish is perfect for buffets or as part of a barbecue spread. Serves 4 – 6 Preparation time: 25 minutes 175gr/ 6oz/1cup bulgur 8fl oz/ 1cup hot water15ml/1 tablespoon tomato...

Crumbled Feta Salad with Spices and Olive Oil – Cokelek Salata

Posted by Ozlem on Nov 3, 2010 in Salads, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This is such a satisfying, delicious and healthy salad. The cumin and red pepper flakes amazingly transform the humble feta cheese. In my hometown, Antakya (Antioch), this special crumbled white cheese mixed with cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano is called Cokelek and readily available. Well, I can’t get Cokelek at the moment, though pleased to say that the crumbled feta with these spices work just as good, highly recommended. This easy salad is a wonderful treat for lunch or weekend brunch with some pita bread. My heartfelt thanks goes...

Shepherd’s Salad of tomato and cucumbers – Coban Salata

Posted by Ozlem on Oct 13, 2010 in Salads, Uncategorized | 0 comments

An easy and healthy salad that complements main courses, it is also great to have for lunch with some cheese and crusty bread. This salad accompanies the Braised Chicken Rice recipe very well too. Serves 4 Preparation time : 10 minutes Half of a large cucumber, about 160 gr/5 ½ oz, cut in quarters and sliced2-3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped3 spring (green) onions, finely choppedHandful of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped30 ml/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilJuice of ½ lemonSalt and pepper to taste Mix the cucumbers, tomatoes,...

Fasulye Piyazi – Turkish bean salad with vegetables

Posted by Ozlem on Jul 8, 2010 in Salads, Uncategorized | 1 comment

What do you cook when you have limited time? Well, this bean and vegetable salad can be ready in a flash, it is very delicious and healthy. At home, traditionally we serve fasulye piyazi with grilled meatballs, koftes. There are traditional restaurants, lokantas, at home that solely serve Turkish style meatballs, fasulye piyaz and pickled cucumber and peppers. This salad is also a great alternative for lunch, served with some nice crusty bread or in can be a part of a meze spread. I like to use both black and green olives, the Greek or Spanish...

Smoked Eggplant Salad with Garlic Yoghurt – Patlicanli Yogurtlama

Posted by Ozlem on Jun 25, 2010 in Salads, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Another refreshing smoked eggplant salad from southern Turkey, Antakya, this time with garlic yoghurt and mint. It goes very well with grilled meats, or just with some nice crusty bread as an appetizer. Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes 1 medium eggplant (aubergine)1 garlic clove, finely choppedAbout 200 ml/ 7 fl oz/1 cup plain yoghurt5 ml/ 1 teaspoon dried mint15 ml/ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilSqueeze of a quarter of lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 200 C/ 400 F Cook...

Smoked Eggplant Salad withVegetables and Olive Oil – Patlicanli Eksileme

Posted by Ozlem on Jun 25, 2010 in Salads, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This is a wonderful, refreshing salad from southern Turkey, Antakya, and one of my favorites, featuring Turkey’s beloved eggplant “patlican”. Traditionally, the eggplant here is cooked over an open fire. This dish can be served as part of a “mezze” – appetizer- or can accompany grilled meats. When I made the pastry with smoked eggplants the other day, I grilled two extra eggplants to make these salads. It is packed with flavor; a very welcome mezze for warm summer days. The dried mint really adds a...