Casseroles and Stews

Kale Stew in Yoghurt, Chickpeas; My Online Turkish Cookery Course

Kale with chunks of meat, chickpeas in yoghurt sauce with dried mint and red pepper flakes – A borani inspiration from Antakya

Borenye or Borani is an Antakya region specialty, which is served often as part of the dinner spread for special occasions in Antakya. I love this hearty dish especially in winter times; combination of yoghurt with chickpeas, vegetables and meat is just wonderful. We like to add more flavors to this special dish with dried mint and red pepper flakes; a delicious, wholesome comforting dish.

Traditionally, Borani or Borenye is made using another Antakya region specialty, tuzlu yogurt (strained, salty yoghurt, you can find more information here). Tuzlu yogurt is made from goat’s milk in Antakya region; it is a salty, rich, tangy spreadable paste and added to Boranis. I love tuzlu yogurt however it is hard to find abroad, so I used thick, plain yoghurt in my recipe, like my mother does, still works well. Boranis are made using a variety of vegetables like spinach, fava beans, pumpkin, courgette/zucchini. I used kale for my version here; combined with chickpeas, dried mint and red pepper flakes, it worked beautifully.

This Borani has a delicious sauce and we like to dip in potato and bulgur rolls, patatesli, bulgurlu kofte to its juice. Baked Oruk, or Kibbeh or Icli Kofte with that delicious walnuts and ground meat filling would also be divine served with borani or borenye.

Antakya’s borani or boreniye – this time with kale; delicious

I hope you enjoy this delicious regional specialty from Antakya, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

3.0 from 1 reviews

Kale Stew in Yoghurt, Chickpeas; My Online Turkish Cookery Course

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Turkish stews with chickpeas, kale and spices

Cuisine: Turkish Regional Cuisine

Ingredients

350 gr / 12 oz. kale; washed, trimmed and chopped
400 gr/ 14 oz. beef or lamb, cut in small chunks
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
400 ml/ 14 fl oz./ 1⅔ cups thick, plain yoghurt (brand Fage works well)
400 gr/ 14 oz. -1 can of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. dried mint
10 ml/ 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
600 ml/ 1 pint/ 2 ½ cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot and stir in the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until it beings to soften and start to color.
Stir in the chunks of meat and sauté with the onions for 3 -5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the kale and the garlic to the pan and combine well. Stir and cook with the onions and the meat for 3 minutes.
Pour in the water, mix well.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste, combine well. Cover and cook over medium to low heat for 20 minutes.
Stir in the cooked & rinsed chickpeas to the mix, combine well.
Beat the yoghurt until smooth and pour into the pot, while the heat is low. Stir and blend well.
Immediately add the dried mint and red pepper flakes, combine well. Check the seasoning to your taste, add more salt if needed. Turn the heat off.
Serve hot with crusty bread aside. Potato and bulgur rolls, patatesli, bulgurlu kofte would be delicious to serve aside and dip into this delicious Borenye sauce.

My Online Turkish Cookery Course Coming Up Soon!

Shooting my online Turkish cookery course – exciting times!

Camera, Action! Shooting my online Turkish cookery course

I have often been asked to do an online Turkish cookery course and I am delighted to share that we have just shot my online Turkish cookery course to be aired at the wonderful and holistic website Mer-ka-bah, by early January 2015.

Talking about Turkish cuisine and seasonality during my online course

Demonstrating spinach and feta filo pastry, Ispanakli Borek

Love of food connects us no matter where we come from and it has a universal language. And Turkish food is a wonderful expression of the warm, generous Turkish culture. In this exciting, holistic course on Turkish cuisine and serving traditions, I will be exploring the wholesome Turkish cuisine, based on thousands years of culinary heritage (Importance of connecting with our roots in Turkish cuisine, Turkish culinary history, Serving Traditions, Seasonality, Flavoring through Spices, recipe demonstrations and many more amongst the course modules) and its ability to connect us, our strong emphasis on sharing and hospitality. I will also demonstrate some classic and delicious Turkish recipes here; from Spinach & feta filo pastry, Ispanakli Borek to ever popular Stuffed Eggplants/Aubergines with ground meat and vegetables, Karniyarik, from Potato and Bulgur patties to Turkish Coffee.

Our delicious Turkish table at my online Turkish cookery course

I truly hope this course on Turkish cookery may inspire folks all around the world to discover wholesome Turkish cuisine and have a go at my recipes and enjoy good food with family and friends. Above all, I hope Turkish cuisine’s emphasis on sharing, generosity, hospitality, a reflection of the warm Turkish culture to be felt all throughout the course and inspires.

Stay tuned!:)

Ozlem

Baked Zucchini, Pepper, Onion, Garlic in Tomato Sauce; Firin Sebze

By Ozlem Warren on November 10, 2014 in Casseroles and Stews, Gluten-free recipes, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 46

Baked zucchini (courgette), peppers, onion and garlic in tomato sauce – Firin Sebze

This baked vegetables in tomato sauce with olive oil, Firin Sebze, is a delicious, easy and healthy vegetarian course that we turn to often. Beauty of this dish is that you can use whatever vegetables you have in hand; zucchini (courgettes), peppers, onions, peas, carrots, beetroots, aubergines, beans, potatoes especially work well. In Turkish cuisine, we use tomato based sauces a lot in our casseroles, stews and baked dishes; you can use juicy, ripe tomatoes when they are in season. If you can’t get hold of ripe tomatoes, a good quality canned chopped tomatoes also work very well.

For a more substantial vegetarian course, you can add cooked chickpeas to the vegetable mixture here and bake all together. It is a delicious and gluten-free vegetarian course that complements any grills and pasta beautifully; you can also serve this vegetable bake as part of a mezze spread.

You can prepare this dish ahead of time and keep in the fridge or freezer. If left in fridge, reheat at the preheated oven at 200 C / 400 F for 15 – 20 minutes. If kept in freezer, reheat at the same temperature for about 30 minutes.

Baked vegetables with olive oil in tomato sauce; easy, healthy and gluten-free

I hope this delicious baked vegetables with olive oil inspires for easy, healthy, delicious home cooked meals for you all.

I love wholesome, delicious Turkish cuisine; it is based on seasonal produce and offers a lot of options for vegetarian and vegan diets too. Over 90 authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies are now 25 % off via GBPublishing at this link, and delivered worldwide including the US.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 10 reviews

Baked Zucchini, Pepper, Onion, Garlic in Tomato Sauce; Firin Sebze

This baked vegetables in tomato sauce with olive oil, Firin Sebze, is a delicious, easy and healthy vegetarian course that we turn to often. Beauty of this dish is that you can use whatever vegetables you have in hand. You can also prepare this gluten-free dish ahead of time and serve as part of mezze spread, or as a side to pasta and grills- Afiyet Olsun!

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Baked vegetables in olive oil with tomato sauce; easy, delicious and gluten-free

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini (courgettes), quartered and sliced (about ½ cm, 0.20”)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Red, green and yellow bell peppers (or pointy peppers), deseeded and sliced in small chunks
4 ripe tomatoes cut in small chunks or 1 can of 400 gr/14 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
10 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
8 fl oz. / 1 cup water
10 ml / 2 tsp. oregano
Sea salt and ground black pepper to your taste

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 200 C / 400 F
Combine sliced zucchini (courgettes), peppers, onions and garlic on a baking tray.
Pour in the olive oil and mix with the vegetables well.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes, combine well.
Pour in the water.
Stir in the oregano and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine well.
Bake in the preheated oven (200 C/ 400 F), uncovered for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, give the vegetables a good mix and bake for a further 20 minutes, until they start to chargrill at edges.
Serve hot as part of a mezze spread or as a side to pasta and grills.

Notes

Kadinbudu Kofte; Turkish Lady’s Thigh Meatballs

By Ozlem Warren on November 3, 2014 in Appetizers and Mezes, Casseroles and Stews, Roasts and Kebaps 25

Kadinbudu kofte; Turkish lady’s thigh meatballs

Kadinbudu kofte, or as in the literal translation Lady’s thigh meatballs, is one of the favorite forms of kofte with my children and quite a special treat. This tender, juicy kofte has cooked rice in it rather than stale bread and has a delicious coating of beaten eggs and flour. The cooked rice adds a nice texture and a delicious, moist flavor, combined with cumin, red pepper flakes and onions.

There are theories that this saucy name Kadinbudu kofte, Lady’s thigh meatballs, was given by the Sultan’s chefs at the Ottoman Palace kitchens and that kadinbudu kofte being a favorite of the Sultans; one wonders about the inspirations from the Harem.

Drain the cooked kadinbudu koftes on kitchen paper towel.

A few tips on kadinbudu kofte; you can use leftover cooked rice for this juicy kadinbudu kofte. You can use ground (minced) beef, lamb or mixture. I tend to make my kadinbudu koftes quite chunky; smaller ones may also be a wonderful appetizer or mezze. Having a bowl of water aside and wetting your hands does help shape the meatballs. I like to shallow fry them rather than deep fry, they still get a nice coating and lighter. You can cook kadinbudu kofte ahead of time and give a gentle reheat in the oven (at 180 C /350 F for 15 minutes), just before serving.

Kadinbudu kofte is a delicious, comforting meal with mashed potatoes with spring onions by the side. Seasonal vegetables cooked in olive oil, Cacik dip of cucumbers and yoghurt as well as a refreshing Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with tomatoes, cucumber, onions in olive oil and lemon juice complement kadinbudu kofte well. Kadinbudu kofte is also delicious as a cold picnic lunch.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Kadinbudu Kofte; Turkish Lady’s Thigh Meatballs

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish meatballs with rice, spices and egg coating

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

500 gr/ 1 ¼ lb. ground beef, or lamb or mixture
100 gr/about ½ cup long grain rice, cooked
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg yolk (for the kadinbudu kofte mixture)
15 ml / 1 tbsp. olive oil
10 ml/ 2 tsp. ground cumin
5 ml/ 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 large egg and the remaining egg white, beaten (for dipping)
60ml/ 4 tbsp. plain (all-purpose flour) for dipping
Small bowl of cold water aside for shaping the meatballs
Light olive oil or canola oil for shallow frying
For mash potatoes with spring onions:
4 medium potatoes, deskinned and cooked
2 spring (green) onions, finely chopped
45 ml/ 3 tbsp. whole milk
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. olive oil
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. butter
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions. Saute for 3 minutes over medium heat, they will start to soften.
Stir in the half of the ground (minced) meat and cook on medium to high heat for about 8 minutes, until all the moisture is absorbed, turn the heat off.
Add the cooked rice and the chopped parsley to the pan and mix with the cooked onions and ground meat. Season with salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper (I like to season at this stage before adding the raw meat, as you can check the seasoning). Set aside to cool.
Stir in the remaining raw meat and egg yolk to the mixture. Using your hands, knead well into a paste. Cover and leave the mixture in the fridge for about 15- 20 minutes to settle.
Spread the flour on a flat plate. Have small bowl of cold water aside to help shape the koftes. Beat 1 large egg and the remaining egg white in a small bowl.
Wet your hands and take large egg sized portions of the meat mixture. Shape and flatten them into an oval ball shape. Repeat until all the mixture is finished; you should be able to have 11-12 koftes.
Dip the koftes in the flour to have a light, all round coating.
Heat 4 – 5 tbsp. light olive oil or canola oil in a frying pan.
Then dip the meatballs into the beaten egg and shallow fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes each side. They will be crisp and golden in color.
Drain the cooked kadinbudu koftes on kitchen paper towel. If serving a little later, take out the paper towel and keep the kadinbudu kofte warm on a baking tray in the preheated oven (180 C/350 F) for 5- 10 minutes.
For the mash potatoes with spring onions, mash the cooked potatoes with milk, 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter, over medium heat, until smooth.
Stir in the chopped spring onions and season with salt and ground black pepper. Combine well.
Serve kadinbudu kofte hot with mashed potatoes with spring onions and vegetables aside.

Notes

You can also use leftover cooked rice for this juicy kadinbudu kofte. You can use ground (minced) beef, lamb or mixture. I tend to make my kadinbudu koftes quite chunky; smaller ones may also be a wonderful appetizer or mezze. Having a bowl of water aside and wetting your hands does help shape the meatballs. I like to shallow fry them rather than deep fry, they still get a nice coating and lighter. You can cook kadinbudu kofte ahead of time and give a gentle reheat in the oven (at 180 C /350 F for 15 minutes), just before serving.