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Gluten-free recipes

Fırında Patates Paçası; Turkish Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

As the winter is in the air, we are turning towards easy, delicious comfort food.

This Patates paçası, Turkish style garlicky mashed potatoes, from my new book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen,  is a popular specialty from the province of Kastamonu in the Black Sea region. It is a significant dish, too, as the EU granted PGI (protected geographical indication) status to the region’s highly nutritious taşköprü garlic, known as ‘the white gold’, which is used in this recipe by locals. These mashed potatoes are traditionally cooked on the stove top with butter, yoghurt, eggs and garlic, and I love the lightness the yoghurt brings. I finish my version in the oven with grated cheese over (kaşar, a medium-hard pale yellow cheese mostly made from sheeps’ milk is the traditional choice, although you can use any melting cheese you have to hand). It is easy, humble, delicious and a pure comfort food with a touch of spice from the pul biber butter.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Here is my recipe from SEBZE; I hope you enjoy making at home. SEBZE has 85 delicious, easy, wholesome vegetarian Turkish recipes, that offers delightful options for all seasons, along with stunning photography. It can make a lovely gift to yourself or a foodie; you can get a copy of SEBZE here, worldwide.

This lovely garlicky mashed potatoes complements any grills, and goes well with this Baked beets with walnuts and pomegranate molasses, from SEBZE.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Fırında Patates Paçası; Turkish Garlicky Mashed Potatoes
 
Patates paçası is a popular specialty from the province of Kastamonu in the Black Sea region. It is a significant dish, too, as the EU granted PGI (protected geographical indication) status to the region’s highly nutritious taşköprü garlic, known as ‘the white gold’, which is used in this recipe by locals. These mashed potatoes are traditionally cooked on the stovetop with butter, yoghurt, eggs and garlic, and I love the lightness the yoghurt brings. I finish my version in the oven with grated cheese over (kaşar, a medium-hard pale yellow cheese mostly made from sheeps’ milk is the traditional choice, although you can use any melting cheese you have to hand). It is easy, humble, delicious and a pure comfort food with a touch of spice from the pul biber butter.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) white potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 230 g (8 oz/scant 1 cup) whole milk yoghurt
  • 4 large garlic cloves, crushed with sea salt and finely chopped
  • 85 g (3 oz) salted butter, cubed, plus 1 tablespoon, melted
  • 125 g (4 oz) medium Cheddar, grated
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • For the pul biber butter
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pul biber (use a little more if you like heat!)
Instructions
  1. Place the potatoes in a large pan with a pinch of salt and cover with plenty of hot water. Bring to the boil, partially cover and cook over a medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then mash the potatoes with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6.
  3. Combine the eggs, yoghurt and garlic in a small bowl, mixing until well combined.
  4. Melt the 85 g (3 oz) cubed butter in a large, wide pan over a medium heat, add the mashed potatoes and combine for 2 minutes. Pour the yoghurt mixture over the mashed potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 6–7 minutes until well blended and smooth (you want a hummus-like consistency).
  5. Grease a 20 cm (8 in) square baking dish with the extra tablespoon of melted butter and spoon the mashed potato mixture evenly into the dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top in an even layer and gently press. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden, then remove from the oven.
  6. For the pul biber butter, melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the pul biber. Combine for 35–40 seconds over a low heat to infuse.
  7. Gently prick the top of the mashed potatoes and pour the pul biber butter over. Serve immediately while hot.
 

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Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans; Karalahana Çorbası

Karalahana Çorbası image, from SEBZE; taken during photo shoots with Sam A Harris

The autumn/fall season is in the air and we started to turn to wholesome, nourishing soups.

This Hearty Karalahana Çorbası, Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans and Sweetcorn, from my new book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, encapsulates the staple ingredients in Black Sea cuisine, with many variations within the region. This version is inspired by my travels; I was served it at Sümer restaurant on the way to Maçka, near Trabzon. Made with the region’s delicious butter, the sweetness of the corn is a delightful match to the slightly bitter greens (karalahana). You can enjoy this chunky, good-value soup with Corn Bead, Mısır Ekmeği (at  SEBZE, page 50,) as the locals do.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

We have many gluten-free recipes in Turkish cuisine, like this soup, and many of them featured in my new book SEBZE (or ideas to turn recipes to gluten-free, when applicable).  You can make this soup ahead of time – the flavours settle and taste even better the next day.

Quicker option: This soup is best made with dried borlotti beans. If pressed for time, you can use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of good-quality, pre-cooked and rinsed beans instead. Fold the beans into the soup before adding the maize/corn flour to the pot.

I am delighted to share this delicious soup with you here, from SEBZE cookery book. You can get a copy here, world wide.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews
Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans; Karalahana Çorbası
 
Hearty Karalahana Çorbası encapsulates the staple ingredients in Black Sea cuisine, with many variations within the region. This version, from my new cookery book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, is inspired by my travels; I was served it at Sümer restaurant on the way to Maçka, near Trabzon. Made with the region’s delicious butter, the sweetness of the corn is a delightful match to the slightly bitter greens (karalahana). You can enjoy this chunky, good-value soup with Corn Bead, Mısır Ekmeği (from SEBZE, page 50) as the locals do. Quicker option: This soup is best made with dried borlotti beans. If pressed for time, you can use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of good-quality, pre-cooked and rinsed beans instead. Fold the beans into the soup before adding the maize/corn flour to the pot.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian recipes
Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 170 g (6 oz/generous ¾ cup) dried borlotti beans
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil for a vegan option)
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 85 g (3 oz/1/3 cup) double concentrated tomato paste
  • 225 g (8 oz/generous 1 cup) sweetcorn kernels (cut from 2 medium cobs)
  • 225 g (8 oz) collard greens, washed, rough stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • 1.475 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) hot water
  • 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) fine cornmeal or maize flour (also known as corn flour – not cornflour/cornstarch)
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • For the pul biber sauce
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
  • 1 tablespoon pul biber / Aleppo pepper (use less or more to your taste)
Instructions
  1. Soak the dried borlotti beans overnight or for 8 hours in plenty of cold water.
  2. The next day, drain the beans, place in a large saucepan and cover with hot water. Bring to the boil, then cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir often and skim off any foam forming on the top with a spoon. Drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water (to retain colour and texture) and set aside in a bowl. They will be partially cooked and still firm, with a bite to them.
  3. Heat the butter (or olive oil) in a large pan over a medium–high heat, add the onions and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring often to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, sweetcorn and the beans, and combine well. Add the collard greens and the measured hot water and bring to the boil. Gently mix – the collard greens will start to wilt. Season with salt and pepper, then cover, reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 15 minutes, gently mixing a few times.
  4. Place the fine cornmeal/maize flour in a small bowl and add 3 ladlefuls of the soup liquid. Mix with a spoon until the flour is dissolved and the mixture smooth. Pour into the pan and gently combine well. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes. This is a chunky soup but if it appears to be too thick for you, add a little more water and combine well.
  5. For the sauce, heat the butter (or olive oil) in a small pan and stir in the pul biber. Gently infuse for 30–45 seconds over a low heat.
  6. Pour the pul biber sauce over the soup and check the seasoning. Serve immediately while hot.
 

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Easy one pan chicken with vegetables – Sebzeli, tavuklu türlü

 

This is another easy, delicious, nutritious one pan dish, perfect for week day meals – leftovers make a lovely lunch or another supper the next day. Türlü is a popular stew of meat and vegetables at home, traditionally cooked on the stovetop, and sometime baked. Green beans, potatoes and peppers are lovely here though you can use other veg in hand – beets, squash, carrots, leeks can be fantastic options for cooler temperatures. Marinating chicken in yoghurt and spices add a lot of flavour and tenderizes chicken – gut friendly too. You can prepare this dish a head of time, it also freezes well.

Another version of this dish, using aubergines and peppers and baked in the oven, Baked aubergine kebab with yoghurt and spices marinated chicken, Patlicanli Kebap, is also at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Signed copies are available at this link.

 


Easy one pan chicken with vegetables – Sebzeli, tavuklu türlü
 
This is another easy, delicious, nutritious one pan dish, perfect for week day meals – leftovers make a lovely lunch or another supper the next day. Türlü is a popular stew of meat and vegetables at home, traditionally cooked on the stovetop, and sometime baked. Green beans, potatoes and peppers are lovely here though you can use other veg in hand – beets, squash, carrots, leeks can be fantastic options for cooler temperatures. Marinating chicken in yoghurt and spices add a lot of flavour and tenderizes chicken – gut friendly too. You can prepare this dish a head of time, it also freezes well.
Author:
Recipe type: One pan stews
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • Chicken marinade:
  • 800g chicken breast, cut in 4cm chunks
  • 3 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp pul biber
  • 1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp pepper paste, biber salcasi
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • For the rest:
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut in small – 2 cm – chunks
  • 1 medium potato, cleaned, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 cm thick)
  • 250 g green beans, trimmed
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
  • 170 ml water
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. First marinade the chicken. Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and with clean hands, combine well. Cover and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes (or more, if you can).
  2. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil in a large wide pan and stir in the marinated chicken. Sauté for about 6 minutes over medium to high, stirring often, to seal the juices of the chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate, keep the oil in the pan.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and stir in the onions, peppers, potato. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 6-7 minutes over medium to high heat. Now return the chicken to the pan and combine well for a minute. Also introduce the green beans to the pan and mix well.
  4. Combine sauce ingredients in a jug, mix well for the tomato paste to dissolve. Pour over to the pan, season with salt and pepper, combine well. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 35-40 minutes, until everything is cooked and sauce thickened.
  5. Serve hot with drizzle of extra – virgin olive oil over and some rice or chunks of bread aside. Cacik dip of yoghurt and cucumber goes well with this dish too.
 

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