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Yoghurt with Dried Apricots, Walnuts, Pomegranates Seeds and Honey & More Ideas for a Delicious Brunch – Turkish Style

Yoghurt with dried apricots, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and blueberries; healthy, delicious, refreshing start for your day. 

Dried apricots, figs, prunes and raisins; not only very nutritious but also very delicious.

I wanted to share a delicious, healthy and refreshing breakfast that we like to do in my family; yoghurt with dried apricots, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and berries, drizzled with honey. This delicious treat is also suitable for gluten-free diet.

Back home in Istanbul, my parents still start a day with a few walnuts and dried fruit like apricots and prunes. Walnuts are power food; they are so rich in antioxidants that a small amount is more than enough. Just a handful of walnuts per day will help reduce the chances of heart disease, and other cardiovascular-related issues. Some of the best apricots are produced in Malatya, Turkey and the excess produce is being dried to be enjoyed all year around. Dried apricots and prunes are excellent sources of several important nutrients, including fiber, potassium and antioxidant carotenoids. Dried apricots and walnuts also pair very well, try the caramelized apricots stuffed with walnuts as a dessert; a delicious and nutritious treat. 

I have been eating this delicious yoghurt with dried and fresh fruits as a breakfast a lot recently; very refreshing and make you feel good. Yoghurt, another nutritious food that boosts your immune system, features a lot in Turkish cuisine. We use yoghurt in mezzes and appetizers, in soups, in marinating meat and many more.

I love the marriage of creamy yoghurt with the crunchy walnuts and juicy & zesty apricots, berries and pomegranates seeds. It is very easy to make and hopefully it will jump start your day!

This yoghurt with dried fruit, berries and walnuts is also suitable for gluten-free diet.

Serves 2

225 gr/8 oz/1 cup plain natural yoghurt

45 – 60 ml/ 3 – 4 tbsp walnuts, chopped

30 ml/ 2 tbsp dried apricots, chopped

30 ml/ 2 tbsp blueberries (or a berry of your choice)

30 ml / 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

15-30ml/ 1-2 tbsp natural honey

Place the yoghurt in a bowl and simply stir in the walnuts, dried apricot, berries and pomegranate seeds, give a gentle mix. Drizzle the honey over and sprinkle extra few pomegranate seeds or berries if you like.

Afiyet Olsun!

 

Plain yoghurt, cheese, olives, oats and grains are also a part of Turkish breakfast.

We Turks love a good brunch especially at the weekends and to welcome the New Year; here are some of my favorite Turkish brunch treats, if you would like to indulge later in the day:

Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. eggs with Turkish dried beef sausage, sucuk, variety of cheese, sesame seeded bread rings, simit, honey with Turkish thivk cream, kaymak – a heavenly brunch to welcome the new year!

Eggs with Turkish dried beef sausages – Sucuklu Yumurta-

Sucuklu yumurta - Turkish dried beef sausages with egg; so irresistable.

This is for me the center piece of the Turkish breakfasts/brunches. The spicy Turkish sausage, sucuk, goes so well with the runny egg. This with a crusty bread and a glass of cay – Turkish tea – by the side, would be my ultimate brunch 🙂

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, spring (green) onions and feta cheese – Menemen

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, onion and feta cheese, a delicious vegetarian breakfast.

 If you rather like a vegetarian option for your eggs; this scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, onions and feta cheese would just fit the bill; delicious, juicy and healthy.

 Fillo pastry rolls, stuffed with mashed potato, cheese and parsley – Patatesli, Peynirli Borek

Fillo pastry rolls with cheese, parsley and mashed potato; a winner with children, as well as adults!

Fillo pastry rolls with cheese, parsley and mashed potato; a winner with children, as well as adults!

No Turkish brunch is complete without boreks – paper thin pastry, yufka, stuffed with cheese and vegetables. If you can’t find yufka, fillo sheets work well. This recipe also makes use of any left over vegetable like potatoes, delicious.

Olive salad with onions, tomatoes and pomegranate molasses – Zeytin Ufeleme

Olives with tomatoes, onion, parsely flavoured with olive oil and pomegranate molasses, a delicious treat from Antakya, Antioch.

This delicious olive salad hails from Antakya, Southern part of Turkey, where my roots are from. Olives are deliciously flavoured with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Wonderful for brunch, as well as an appetizer.

Sesame encrusted bread rings – Simit

Simit, sesame encrusted bread rings must be the most popular street food in Turkey.

Simit is indeed the quintessential Turkish food; these sesame-encrusted bread rings must be the most popular snack and street food at home. Most folks in Turkey have simit for breakfast with a cup of cay (tea), sliced cucumber, tomatoes and feta cheese. Simit has a wonderful crust and softer inside, and easy to make at home.

 Cay – Turkish tea

A glass of cay, Turkish tea by the Bosphorus is the ultimate treat for me ; )

Well, Turkish tea, cay, goes down very well to accompany all above! Especially if you are by the Bosphorus, Istanbul, you may loose track of  how many glasses of cay you consumed : )

 

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18 Responses to Yoghurt with Dried Apricots, Walnuts, Pomegranates Seeds and Honey & More Ideas for a Delicious Brunch – Turkish Style

  1. joyce December 28, 2012 at 5:45 pm #

    once again i am drooling. i am going to make the sucuk and eggs and simit tomorrow for breakfast. i have not made limit yet so i am excited! happy happy new year!

    • Ozlem Warren December 28, 2012 at 7:41 pm #

      Very sweet of you Joyce!! 🙂 I will be having sucuk & eggs and simit at this side of the pond and think of you – Happy New Year!

  2. TasteofBeirut December 28, 2012 at 9:24 pm #

    You are making me nostalgic for Turkey and I am not even a Turk! Love this array of colorful and fresh and flavorful food! the shot of the tea cup by the Bosphorus is unique! Made me want to go back to Istanbul, such a beautiful city! Happy New Year dear Ozlem to you and your lovely family!

    • Ozlem Warren December 29, 2012 at 3:33 pm #

      Thanks a lot; there was a bit of nostalgia in this post : ) Tea by the Bosphorus is a favorite past time, so glad you enjoyed it – happy new year to you too!

  3. Eha December 29, 2012 at 4:16 am #

    After the inevitable Yuletide excesses the yogurt bowl looked SO, SO colurful and moreish and healthy! And then I scrolled down and found the rest!! Result: this has been filed for a later and thorough perusal. Just love the olives and the filo pastry and, of course, that last photo! May 2013 bring much, much satisfaction and happiness!

    • Ozlem Warren December 29, 2012 at 3:33 pm #

      Merhaba Eha, thank you so much for your lovely comment, that’s exactly what I felt about the dried fruit with yoghurt 🙂 Then being a Turk, couldn’t resist sharing a few of my favorite treats, so glad you enjoyed it. my best wishes to you too for 2013! Ozlem

  4. Claudia December 29, 2012 at 10:53 am #

    [MARKED AS SPAM BY ANTISPAM BEE | Server IP]
    Your photos are absolutely fabulous, Özlem! Everything looks absolutely delicious – and I live here so I can have it!! I am going to forward this post to my daughter who is having friends round for brunch tomorrow :))
    I love your blog and look forward to following along next year too! xx

    • Ozlem Warren December 29, 2012 at 3:45 pm #

      Merhaba Claudia, many thanks! I am greatful to blogging to connect with you – hope to see you in Istanbul in 2013! Mutlu Yillar !: ) x Ozlem

  5. Turkey's For Life December 29, 2012 at 1:36 pm #

    [MARKED AS SPAM BY ANTISPAM BEE | Server IP]
    Well thank you for the inspiration to begin 2013 in a healthy manner – we certainly need it. A very happy new year and mutlu yıllar to you and your family. Looking forward to more of your posts in 2013.
    Julia

    • Ozlem Warren December 29, 2012 at 3:44 pm #

      Thank you Julia – mutlu yillar and look forward to seeing more of Fethiye thru your blog 🙂

  6. Peri December 29, 2012 at 9:39 pm #

    My dear Ozlem…you’ve read my mind! After the excesses of this season, I crave a light and delightful treat like your yogurt with dried fruits, nuts and honey:) Your nostalgic post brought back some memories of my own dad, who loves starting his day with almond, it’s called ‘brain food’ and we got to have 3 just as we left for school everyday! Now I do the same with my kids:)

    Wish you all (so lovely to see our little darlings! Touchwood!) a happy, healthy and flavor-ful New Year! XxPeri.

    • Ozlem Warren December 30, 2012 at 7:58 pm #

      Hello my dear friend, lovely to hear from you 🙂 so many common points, and here is nuts, between our cuisine and traditions : ) nuts are hug in Turkish cuisine, we eat a handful of almonds / walnuts every day – a must purchase when we are back home! loved your dad’s almond routine and how now you are doing with your handsome boys : ) much love and best wishes for the new year! xx Ozlem

  7. erica December 30, 2012 at 12:11 am #

    Your pictures look amzingly delicious….and absolutely beautiful. Everything looks perfect…..these pictures made me get some cravings, but will have to wait till I get to Istanbul in 3 months.
    Wishing you and your family (cute kids) a very Happy and Healthy New Year…and will loook forward for more goodies on your Blog for 2013.
    Erica

    • Ozlem Warren December 30, 2012 at 7:55 pm #

      Dear Erica,
      Thank you, it has been a pleasure to share and exchange recipes with you too, I am glad you have enjoyed the blog, very kind : ) Enjoy Istanbul in 3 months time, hope in the meantime the recipes keep you going : ) happy new year! x Ozlem

  8. Phil in the Kitchen December 30, 2012 at 11:01 pm #

    There was a time many years ago when I wasn’t all that interested in yoghurt. As I’ve got older, if not wiser, I find it’s difficult to live without it. Actually, I feel very much the same about dried apricots. I don’t use walnuts very often, though, even though I know they can be wonderful. I think it’s because so many of the walnuts we used to get in this country were stale and disappointing. Have a great New Year.

    • Ozlem Warren December 31, 2012 at 12:16 pm #

      Hello Phil, thank you for stopping by. Yoghurt has been a huge part of our diet growing up, and now very much the same. You are right, the walnuts we get in Turkey are exceptional – even the really fresh ones I remember picking at my grandmother’s garden, so wonderful. These days you can get good quality walnuts in England though, so hope it makes more appearance. Happy New Year to you too, with my best wishes, Ozlem

  9. Alida January 2, 2013 at 11:08 pm #

    Best wishes for the new year Ozlem!
    What a wonderful photo of you and your children! You must have had wonderful food over Christmas. Your family is very lucky indeed!

    • Ozlem Warren January 3, 2013 at 12:16 pm #

      Ciao Alida 🙂
      Happy new year and my best wishes to you too! Thank you very much for your sweet note, look forward to your delicious recipes in the new year, x Ozlem

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