Gluten-free recipes

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style – Çılbır

We Turks love eggs done many different ways; one of our favorite ways to enjoy egg is as being poached and served over garlic yoghurt, a special dish called Çılbır in Turkish. Çılbır is generally enjoyed as a hot mezze though I also like serving as part of a leisurely weekend Turkish breakfast, lunch or a light supper, along with a refreshing salad like Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and some pide bread or crusty bread. Make sure your eggs are fresh and ideally free-range for the best results (fresh eggs have a thicker white near the yolk that hold a round shape as it cooks).

I prepare a simple pul biber infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from pul biber complements the dish beautifully. How about making your own Simit, Sesame crusted Turkish bread rings, to enjoy with Çılbır? They go very well together. Both Çılbır and Simit recipes, along with many other vegetarian Turkish dishes are included at my new cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, you can get a copy here.

I hope you enjoy this simple yet very satisfying dish, Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style - Cilbir

I hope you enjoy this delicious poached eggs in garlic yoghurt, Turkish Style, called Cilbir. I like to prepare a simple red pepper flakes infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from the red pepper flakes complements the dish beautifully.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian, eggs, Turkish Style

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
400g/14oz strained yoghurt, brought to room temperature
2 large free range eggs
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml / 2 tbsp. apple cider, grape or white wine vinegar
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish pul biber
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pide bread or crusty bread to serve
Fresh herbs to decorate

Instructions

Prepare the garlic yoghurt first – about 30 minutes before poaching the eggs – and bring to the room temperature.
In a small bowl, beat the yoghurt with garlic and seasoning. Spoon this into two serving plates, creating a round thick layer to provide a nest for the poached egg. Let the yoghurt mixture reach the room temperature.
Fill a small pan with hot water, add the vinegar (this will help sealing the egg whites) and bring to a boil. Stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack in the first egg.
As the egg spins and the white sets around the yolk, stir the water ready for the next one. Poach each egg for 2-3 minutes so that the yolk remains soft.
While the eggs are poaching, quickly pour in the olive oil in a small pan and stir in the Turkish pul biber,over medium to low heat. Stir and let the pul biber infuse to olive oil for 30 seconds, turn the heat off.
Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them over a couple of sturdy paper towels, to drain the excess moisture. Then gently place them over to the garlic yoghurt spread.
Drizzle the pul biber infused olive oil over the poached eggs. Serve immediately with pide bread or crusty bread by the side.
Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions would also go well with this delicious poached eggs over garlic yoghurt, Cilbir; Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on Brooklands Radio

I had the pleasure of having an interview with Jill Bennet on healthy Turkish cuisine at the Brooklands Radio on Sunday, 27^th November. It was wonderful to have a chance to talk and spread the word on wholesome, delicious Turkish cuisine – and had a flash back of happy memories of my amateur DJ days at Kent FM in Istanbul! – Here is the podcast link of our interview, if you like to listen to.

Steamed Sea bass with Vegetables; Sebzeli Levrek Bugulama

By Ozlem Warren on September 1, 2016 in Gluten-free recipes, Seafood, Turkish Cooking Classes 12

Steamed Sea bass Stew with Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions; Sebzeli Levrek Bugulama

I love poaching fish with layers of vegetables in a little water and olive oil; this method of cooking is called “bugulama” (steamed) in Turkish cuisine. This way of cooking is not only healthy but also very delicious and easy to make. This recipe is also gluten-free.

I used sea bass fillets in my recipe but any fillets of white fish, as well as sardines and anchovies would work here (if you like anchovies, you may also enjoy my Poached anchovies or anchovy stew with vegetables; Hamsi Bugulama recipe at this link). Tomatoes, onions and green bell or pointy peppers add a lovely, clean flavor in their own juice. Slices of lemon and parsley also add a delicious, refreshing taste to this all in one pot, healthy dish, packed with flavor.

I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy Seabass Stew, Balik Bugulama. You can serve steamed potatoes or this delicious baked potatoes, peppers, red onion and olives with cumin and red pepper flakes by the side.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.5 from 2 reviews

Steamed Sea bass with Vegetables; Sebzeli Levrek Bugulama

This delicious steamed sea bass stew with vegetables, Levrek Bugulama, is healthy, easy and makes a complete meal with all the fresh vegetables in it. Tomatoes, onions and green bell or pointy peppers add a lovely, clean flavor in their own juice. Slices of lemon and parsley also add a delicious, refreshing taste to this all in one pot, healthy dish, packed with flavor. You can use any other white fish fillet of your choice.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Turkish Fish Stews

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 fillets of sea bass – or any other white fish of your choice-
1 red onion onion, quartered and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, quartered and thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers or pointy peppers, deseeded and sliced in stripes
15 ml / 1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced thinly
4 fl. oz./ ½ cup water
60 ml / 4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
5ml/1 tsp red pepper flakes – optional to serve
Handful of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped – to decorate

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pan. Stir in the chopped onions and peppers. Sauté until soft, for 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, lemon juice and water. Cover and cook over medium to low heat another 5 minutes. Turn the heat off.
Place the fish fillets over the cooked vegetables. Spread the sliced tomatoes and lemon over the fish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover and cook over medium to low heat for 8 to 10 minutes (please check the cooking time required for the fish of your choice at its packaging, take care not to overcook the fish.)
Once cooked, sprinkle the chopped parsley over and serve hot. You can serve steamed potatoes or this delicious baked potatoes, peppers, red onion and olives with cumin and red pepper flakes at my blog, by the side.

So Good to be Back Home

Glorious Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Gorgeous bays around Bodrum, Turkey

I hope you all had a wonderful summer; for us, it really was so good to be back home, Turkey. I was in Istanbul, the city that makes my heart beats fast. Seeing my favorite sights like the Hagia Sophia and catching up with family and friends were the highlights, precious times. And not to forget the glorious Turkish food! We also spent time in Bodrum, at the southern coast; magical bays, gorgeous turquoise sea, warm, friendly folks; it was a very memorable, special holiday.

My Turkish Cookery Course at JAU University, Amman – Jordan in September

Our Turkish Cookery Course in Jordan, September 27- 29, 2016

I am delighted to be returning to Amman, Jordan to teach a 3 day Turkish Cookery Course from September 27th through 29th, 2016. We will be covering a feast of 14 classic Turkish recipes during our course. I greatly look forward to sharing delicious Turkish cuisine with food lovers again in Amman. Here’s the course details if you can join us.

Fasulye Pilaki; White Beans Cooked in Olive Oil with Vegetables

By Ozlem Warren on September 17, 2015 in Appetizers and Mezes, Gluten-free recipes, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 14

Fasulye Pilaki, White (Cannellini beans) cooked in olive oil with vegetables

Fasulye Pilaki is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian Turkish mezze, where vegetables and white (or cannellini) beans are cooked with onions, garlic, carrot and potato in olive oil. As in the case with our Zeytinyagli dishes, the category in Turkish cuisine where we cook vegetables in olive oil, we add a little sugar to balance the flavors. We serve pilaki cold or at room temperature, garnished with parsley and wedges of lemon; the tangy, refreshing lemon juice is really a must here and complements this beans based mezze very well.

I love the ease of preparing this dish as you can prepare ahead of time; it tastes even better the next day as the flavors mature. You can serve fasulye pilaki as a side to grilled fish, meat or vegetables. It is delightful as part of a mezze spread and for lunch too. This dish is also naturally gluten-free.

Fasulye Pilaki, White (Cannellini beans) cooked in olive oil with vegetables

The gorgeous plate that serves my Fasulye Pilaki in the photo is a gift from my very talented ceramic artist cousin, dear Nihal, who co-owns the beautiful Zen Ceramics in Istanbul with other seramic artists. Zen Ceramics combines the Anatolian Culture with contemporary designs at their hand made unique porcelain objects, suitable for daily life. I count myself lucky to have a wonderful collection of their beautiful plates so my heartfelt thanks to them!

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.7 from 3 reviews

Fasulye Pilaki; White Beans Cooked in Olive Oil with Vegetables

Fasulye Pilaki is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian Turkish mezze, where vegetables and white (or cannellini) beans are cooked with onions, garlic, carrot and potato in olive oil, served at room temperature or cold. You can serve fasulye pilaki as a side to grilled fish, meat or vegetables. It is delightful as part of a mezze spread and for lunch too. This dish is also naturally gluten-free.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Mezzes & Vegetarian

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 can – 440 gr / 14 oz. of cooked white beans or cannellini beans, juice drained OR 275 gr/ 1½ cups/ 10 oz. dried white beans or cannellini beans*
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, quartered and diced in small pieces
1 medium potato, cut in small cubes
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
45 ml / 3 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking
30 ml/ 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to drizzle before serving
Handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
5 ml/ 1 tsp sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
8 fl oz. / 1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

If using dried beans, soak the dried white or cannellini beans overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then drain the beans, rinse and transfer to a pot, filled with plenty of cold water.
Bring the pot to the boil, partially cover the pot and simmer for about 30 – 35 minutes. Make sure the beans become tender, but not soft or mushy, they should still have a bite to them. Drain and rinse the cooked beans under cold water and set them aside.
If you are using precooked beans in can, simply drain its juice and rinse under cold, running water and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the pot and stir in the onions, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
Add the garlic, carrots and potato, combine well and sauté for another 2 minutes. Pour in the water, cover and let them cook for 10 minutes in low to medium heat.
Stir in the beans, sugar, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine well.
Turn the heat to low, cover the pan.
Simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes, until the beans and vegetables are cooked (but not mushy). Check the seasoning and add a little more salt or ground black pepper if needed.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the Fasulye Pilaki and let it cool in the pan, covered.
Serve Fasulye Pilaki at room temperature or cold as part of a mezze spread or appetizer, garnished with chopped parsley and wedges of lemon by the side to squeeze over.

Notes

If you are using dried beans, first soak the dried beans in plenty of water overnight. Next day, drain the water and boil the dried beans in fresh water for about 20 minutes, covered. Drain the water and set the partially cooked white beans aside (If you are using precooked white beans, simply drain the juice and rinse the beans under cold water).