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

Fresh and dried fruits are amongst the breakfast spread in Turkey

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 indulge ourselves to a delicious brunch, Turkish style.

Olives, dried fruit, nuts, grains and honey are also a part of Turkish brunch

My sister and family have been visiting us during the Easter break, and we enjoyed one of these delicious brunch moments. Here is the part of the brunch spread we had and I wanted to share. This delicious pastry with leeks, onions and cheese (you can omit cheese if preferred) is very easy to make and the sweetness of onions and leeks really work well with a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes. I like to add some grated mozzarella cheese to the mixture; for a stronger flavor you may enjoy adding strong cheddar cheese or some grated parmesan. I used ready rolled short crust pastry; you may also use ready puff pastry.

Pastry triangles with leeks, onions and cheese

There are more ideas in this post for a delicious brunch or lunch. They all tempt us at home to gather around the table, slow down and enjoy a delicious bite together – I very much hope you enjoy yours too.

Serves 6 – 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes               Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

1 large or 2 medium leeks, finely sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

400gr/14oz short crust pastry *, ready rolled

125gr/4oz grated mozzarella (or a cheese of your choice)

5ml/1tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like!)

10ml/1tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

10ml/1tbsp nigella seeds

* Thawing the pastry: If the ready pastry is frozen, take it out 2 hours before using to bring it to the room temperature. If the pastry is in the fridge, it needs to stay at the room temperature for 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F

 

Sauted onions and leeks with red pepper flakes

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan and sauté leeks and onions for about 8 minutes, until they soften. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle the red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside to cool.

Once cool, add the grated cheese to the mixture and combine well.

Place a spoonful of the mixture in the middle of the pastry squares

Fold over the pastry to form triangles and press the edges firmly to seal.

Place the triangle pastries in the greased baking tray. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture and sprinkle the nigella seeds over them. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until they turn golden brown.

Baked leek, cheese and onion pastry triangles

This pastry is delicious as a hot snack and goes down very well with this refreshing crumbled feta cheese with tomatoes, cucumbers and spring onion salad.

Crumbled feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and spring onion salad with olive oil dressing

No Turkish brunch is complete without eggs, and how would you like yours? Here is the ever popular fried eggs with Turkish spicy sausages, sucuk (made of dried cured beef with garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes).

Ultimate Turkish breakfast; eggs with spicy Turkish sausages, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, sesame coated pastry rings, simit and Turkish tea - cay

If you rather prefer a vegetarian version, here is the Turkish style delicious and healthy eggs with spinach and onion.

I hope all these inspire you to knock up something delicious for brunch next time.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

MarkeTurk; Online Turkish Supermarket

 I have just come across another wonderful source to get Turkish ingredients in the UK. MarkeTurk, the online Turkish Supermarket, is an excellent source to get extensive Turkish ingredients including spices, legumes, red pepper paste, dairy products, pastries, fruit and vegetable and many more.

They offer a quality and reliable service; if you place your order before 4pm you get your shopping delivered to your door step the same day at the time slot you choose.

If ordering from the US, the Turkish online store Tulumba.com offers a great variety of  Turkish ingredients and food items.

 

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

  1. Nada April 12, 2012 at 7:35 pm #

    How I miss Turkey! It’s a torture to see that omelet with sujuk! I used to find sujuk in many countries where we lived but not in Morocco, we have our own sausages. I’m looking forward our next move to Germany, I’m already excited that there is a massive Turkish community.

    • Ozlem April 13, 2012 at 9:41 am #

      Merhaba Nada,
      Many thanks for the comment, I know what you mean with sucuk, I used to miss it so much too and it’s great to be able to get it in the UK.There’s a great Turkish community in Germany and for sure you’ll get the real thing there, hopefully soon. I wondered if you may get it online? Some folks make their own sucuk at home, curing the beef and adding garlic, cumin and spices to it. It’s a bit of a labor of love but maybe worth looking into it.

  2. Joy (My Turkish Joys) April 13, 2012 at 4:58 am #

    I love Turkish breakfasts! Yes, during the week, I’m a Nesfit and muz kinda gal, but on the weekends we’ll usually indulge in a gozleme and olives at the pazar or a big breakfast on Sundays. I bet I could use yufka for your pastries, right?

    • Ozlem April 13, 2012 at 9:37 am #

      Merhaba Joy, thanks for stopping by. I am the same, tucking in weetabix with fruit during the weekdays, but come at the weekend, that’s when the indulgence starts!!:) Sure, you can use yufka (the paper thin sheets of fresh fillo pastry), as well as fillo pastry.
      Enjoy the markets and those gozlemes for me at home!:) Have a good weekend,
      Ozlem

  3. BacktoBodrum April 13, 2012 at 12:31 pm #

    I’ve just found your blog through Joy. I have just left the Uk after spending 12 years there. I wish I’d known about the online Turkish supermarket then. I used to crave really good beyaz peynir.

    • Ozlem April 13, 2012 at 1:38 pm #

      Merhaba,
      Many thanks for stopping by – I just found them out too; it really makes a difference to have an access to Turkish ingredients, love beyaz peynir 🙂

  4. CuisinedeProvence April 13, 2012 at 1:14 pm #

    I will try and make those pastries, they look delicious! Thank you Özlem for sharing the recipe.

    • Ozlem April 13, 2012 at 1:37 pm #

      Merhaba Barbara:)
      You are very welcome; the nigella seeds make it really decorative and I like their taste, susame seeds work well too – hope you enjoy it!

  5. Peri April 13, 2012 at 2:00 pm #

    All the food here looks so delicious and appetizing, Ozlem:) I love brunches and this is the spread I’d like to see on one.

    The pastry triangles use my favorite flavors of leek and onion, I will use cheese too since it adds a nice flavor. And I like that you have used ready puff pastry dough sheets, that simplifies it! Feta salad recipe is a keeper.

    Thanks for all these mouthwatering ideas:)

    • Ozlem April 13, 2012 at 3:53 pm #

      Thanks a million Peri, it puts a big smile on my face sharing this food adventure, so glad to have you in the blogging world. Can’t wait brunching together – live -, hope soon.

  6. alida April 13, 2012 at 5:42 pm #

    Dear Ozlem, thank you so much for your nice comment on my blog and adding me to your favourite links. I do like your blog very much, very professional looking and with amazing photographs and recipes. The mix in the eastern and western cuisines is so exciting in Turkish food. Great to have found your blog! X

    • Ozlem April 14, 2012 at 10:40 am #

      Hello Alida, it’s a pleasure, I am delighted to find your blog too! I love Italian food, all that fresh ingredients and the simplicity of the cuisine is very appealing to me. Many thanks for your kind words, indeed Turkish cuisine is a wonderful combination of east and west, really glad you enjoy the recipes. Look forward to reading more of your posts!

  7. Phil in the Kitchen April 13, 2012 at 8:19 pm #

    I really admire your determination to have a traditional breakfast at weekends. I’m afraid cereal and fruit is pretty much it for me almost every day. The pastries look lovely and I’d definitely love the eggs – especially with the sausage.

    • Ozlem April 14, 2012 at 10:37 am #

      Thank you Phil, nice thing about the brunch idea at the weekend is that even though we may start the day with a little cereal or fruit, later morning we can indulge in the salads with cheese, olives, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and eggs. It helps us to slow down, enjoy the fresh produce, and for me sharing this home connection with my family thru the traditional breakfast is priceless. Pop in one day to my side of Surrey and I would love to prepare egg with Turkish sausages for you : )

  8. erica April 17, 2012 at 12:21 pm #

    I love a Turkish breakfast…..my husband is a Turk and we always have it on the weekends. This recipe looks good and I will make this for sure. I’ve never made them with Leeks but will try. He loves those Nigella seeds weird as it sounds. Thanks for sharing your recipe, great photo’s.
    erica

    • Ozlem April 18, 2012 at 9:04 am #

      Merhaba Erica,
      Many thanks for your kind comment -do love the Turkish breakfast, especially by the Bosphorus in Istanbul watching the boats : ) Hope you enjoy the leeks, onion and cheese pastry, the red pepper flakes add a nice heat and a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the onions & leeks. We Turks love sesame and nigella seeds on our pastries, so I understand where your husband is coming from : ) Many thanks again,
      Ozlem

  9. SaritaAgerman October 23, 2012 at 10:58 am #

    These look so delicious! I can’t wait to make them. thanks for sharing! saritaagerman.blogspot.it

    • Ozlem October 23, 2012 at 11:18 am #

      Thanks for stopping by, you are very welcome!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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