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Turkish cuisine provides healthy, hearty, delicious food for family and friends.
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Supper Clubs

Chickpea Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes

Merhaba Dear All,

It’s has been very hot recently and we have been enjoying this lovely Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes a lot. This is a delicious variation of the much loved Turkish bean salad, Fasulye Piyazi with some more veg added to it. We love chickpeas and they are fantastic paired with cumin (as in hummus), and with sumac infused onions in this refreshing, nutritious salad. If you like greens, by all means add more spinach or pepper here. It is a lovely, easy to make substantial salad for lunch, can be served as part of meze or a side to grilled vegetables, fish or meat. You can use cannellini or your other favourite cooked beans in this salad instead of chickpeas too.

Note: If you prefer to use the dried chickpeas, you need to soak them in cold water overnight. Then drain the chickpeas and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water. Cook for about 60 minutes or until tender, adding salt toward the end of the cooking time. Drain and set aside in a bowl, to be used in this salad.

Chickpea Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes
 
This is a delicious variation of the much loved Turkish beans salad, Fasulye Piyazi with some more veg added to it. We love chickpeas and they are fantastic paired with cumin (as in hummus), and with sumac infused onions in this refreshing, nutritious salad. If you like greens, by all means add more spinach or pepper here. It is a lovely, easy to make substantial salad for lunch, can be served as part of meze or a side to grilled vegetables, fish or meat. You can use cannellini or your other favourite cooked beans in this salad instead of chickpeas too.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan, Healthy Salads
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1 x 14oz can of precooked chickpea / garbanzo beans
  • 1tsp/5ml ground sumac (use more if you are a fan!)
  • 1tsp/5ml ground cumin
  • ½ medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 3 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 40g/1 ½ oz spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
  • For the dressing:
  • 30ml/2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ juice of lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Sprinkle of extra sumac to serve
  • Flatbread or pita bread to serve
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, rub a pinch of salt and ground sumac into the onion slices with your hands really well. This will soften the onions and make them more palatable, will also help infuse tangy sumac to the onion slices.
  2. Place the precooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans on a colander, drain its liquid and rinse over running water. Combine the chickpeas with the onions in the mixing bowl. Stir in the ground cumin and season with salt to your taste, mix well.
  3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, peppers, spring onion and spinach into the bowl and combine well with the chickpeas and onion mixture.
  4. For the dressing; combine the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a small container. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste.
  5. Pour in the seasoning over the salad and combine well. Transfer the salad into a serving plate. Serve with an extra pinch of ground sumac sprinkled over, if you like, with plenty flat breads or pita bread by the side, to mop up the delicious juices.
  6. Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem

Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Pide Workshop at Aromas Café, Weybridge – Surrey

 on Friday, August 28th evening from 7.30pm

Peynirli pide, Turkish flat breads with cheese, spinach and pepper topping is at our Turkish cookery course

We are absolutely delighted to re-start our workshops and supper clubs at the Aromas Café, Weybridge and we can’t wait to welcome you back!

Please join us at our Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Pide Workshop at Aromas Café, Weybridge, on Friday, August 28th evening from 7.30 pm.  We will serve you some scrumptious healthy Turkish and Mediterranean vegetarian dishes as below and moreover, you will get to make a vegetarian Pide, Oval Turkish flatbreads with vegetarian toppings at our workshop with Ozlem’s instructions and you will take your pide back home. We believe healthy food can also be very delicious and we will show you how. We hope the workshop inspires you and bring delicious Mediterrenean and Turkish flavours to your table.

We will serve the below vegetarian and Ozlem will give you tips on how to make them:

Hummus with red pepper flakes infused olive oil

Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses – Kisir

Smoked aubergine salad with garlicky youghurt and dried mint

Our slice of Pide to enjoy as part of your dinner

Baked dried apricots with walnuts, served with vanilla ice cream

Pide  with vegetarian fillings workshop during the night!:

And during the night, at our workshop, you will also get to make Pide with a variety of fillings to choose as below (please tell us which filling you would like to use upon booking, so that we can get it ready for you) – you will get to take your Pide back home:

Filling options – please tell us which filling you’d like to use:

1) sauteed courgette, peppers, olives

3) spinach, peppers and feta cheese

4) grated mozarellla and tomato

Cost per person: 55 GBP (includes the hands on workshop, Ozlem’s tuition, all ingredients, the vegetarian courses to enjoy during the night, a glass of bubbly, tea or coffee)

Participation is limited so please book your spot soon at this link soon! This workshop can also make a lovely present for a foodie too. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is also available during the event.

We look forward to welcoming you at Aromas on August 28th at our delicious event.

Kurban Bayrami – Eid In Istanbul

It’s been really special to be able to make it to Istanbul to see my dear mother, Gulcin, my sister and family, during the past Kurban Bayrami, Eid. I haven’t been able to see them for a long while; it was a precious time spend together. As with every Turkish gathering with family, it included feasts to share – Turkish breakfast, dinners, Turkish coffee and more. Here are a few photos for you – including a special photo above with my dear mum Gulcin and my lovely niece Defne.

Our Bayram Turkish breakfast, my favourite meal of the day. Traybake Borek, Filo Pastry with Spinach and cheese is everyone’s favourite, here’s my recipe and my youtube video links.

And scrumptious Bayram meals shared with family; I love how these special events bring us together. My cousin’s home made Baklava with walnuts were delicious, here’s my recipe and youtube vide on how to make baklava, it is easier than you think and so delicious.

Last but not least, my dear cousin Nihal hosted us for another family feast – her Tray bake Kebab, Antakya’s Tepsi Kebabi was so delicious. This is such an easy kebab to make at home, here’s my recipe if you like to give a go.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table Booksigning in Bebek – Istanbul

I also managed to do a little book signing while in Istanbul, at the lovely Bebek district – thank you Emily for your kind interest for Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book!

A little reminder that  signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book are delivered worldwide, including US and Canada at this link – You can also see also kindle, ebook etc options here (Delighted to share that kindle version of Ozlem’s Turkish table is No.3 in Canada for Turkish cooking, thank you!). You can see all options here via GBPublishing.

My best wishes and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

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Ozlem’s Turkish Table-Winner of Gourmand World Cookery Book Award and Festive Ideas

I am delighted to share with great pleasure and honor that Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book has been awarded as the Winner of the prestigious Gourmand World Cookery Book Award, in the Food Heritage Category for Turkey! The Gourmand Awards are often compared by journalists to the “Oscars” and we are absolutely delighted; this prestigious award will help spreading the word on delicious, wholesome Turkish cuisine with a rich culinary heritage and more exciting events on the way! My very sincere thanks to all of you dear readers for your support for this special book, as well as to my publisher GB Publishing and Pinar UK for all their valuable support. Ozlem’s Turkish Table now qualify to compete for Best in the World 2020 in Food Heritage category.

Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table now 20 % off for the festive season!

Delighted to let you know that the hardback signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table now 20 % off via GB Publishing at this link and  delivered worldwide incl USA, also available in kindle and other formats here. I can make a lovely gift to a foodie.

What I have been up to …

Teaching at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Cookery School, Boston MA was a special highlight

It’s been a very special few months, teaching Turkish cookery at the Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Cookery School in Boston, in Fethiye, Kalkan – Turkey, Divertimenti Cookery School – London and in Surrey, UK.

I did two days of full master classes at the Milk Street and they have been very special – folks flown in from California, Seattle, North Caroline, Virgina for these classes, so very humbled and greatly enjoyed teaching and meeting everyone – my very sincere thanks to all.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery classes in Kalkan and Fethiye – Turkey

Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery demo and Turkish lunch at Villa Cennet Bahcesi, Kalkan

Teaching at Guru’s Place Cookery School, Kalkan – a lot of fun!

Always a pleasure to teach at Yakamoz Hotel – Fethiye

Enjoying our cookery class creations al fresco at Yakamoz Hotel, Oludeniz

As always, greatly enjoyed teaching Turkish cookery in Fethiye and Kalkan in October. Thank you very much to Fethiye Times, dear Lyn Ward for all your help for organising Fethiye and Kalkan classes and huge thanks to Yakamoz Hotel Oludeniz, Villa Cennet Bahcesi, Kalkan and Guru’s Place Kalkan Cookery School for having me and all the lovely folks joined us – greatly look forward to more classes together in 2020. We are working on my 2020 teaching schedule in Kalkan and Fethiye so stay tuned!

From our road trip at beautiful Kalkan with dear Lyn, from Fethiye Times

Festive Turkish meal ideas ..

Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corbasi

Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corbasi

With the festive season upon us, I love gathering with friends and family and sharing a bite and catch up. As it is a busy time of the year, it is worth thinking about what you will be serving and do some cooking ahead of time. Thankfully, Turkish food is great with ahead of time cooking and freezes well. For instance this delicious and wholesome Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corba (at page 47 from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book); it is a meal itself for me especially for lunch and freezes so well. If you like to make it gluten-free, you can use quinoa instead of bulgur in the soup, as I have done here

Baked aubergine/eggplant kebab with yoghurt and spices – Patlicanli Kebap

This is a lovely, all in one tray home style kebab that you can prepare ahead of time and freeze for your guests. Aubergines/eggplants are double baked here, which intensify their flavour – it is so worth marinating the chicken in yoghurt and spices; it tenderises the chicken and add a lot of flavour. Here is my recipe link (also at page 201 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table)

Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil – Mercimekli Mualla 

Aubergines, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, Mercimekli Mualla, from , Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland

One of my all time vegetarian dishes cooked in olive oil, Zeytinyaglis from my home town Antakya, from my mother’s table; this dish can make a lovely main course for your vegetarian and vegan guests, also gluten-free. It tastes even better the next day so you can easily prepare ahead of time. Dried mint is the star spice here and works so well with green lentils and aubergine, so good. Here’s my recipe link – this lovely dish is also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, page 151.

Leeks cooked in olive oil with vegetables – Zeytinyagli Pirasa

Leeks are native to Anatolia and this is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy leeks. It is traditionally served cold or at room temperature, with wedges of lemon aside; it makes a wonderful side dish keeps in fridge well for 2-3 days. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 159 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.

Rice pilaf with pine nuts, cinnamon, dill and currants

This sophisticated rice pilaf dates back to the Ottoman Palace kitchens and is packed with flavour. I love the different textures and flavours this rice showcases with currants, pine nuts, fresh herbs and warm spices like cinnamon. You can add lamb’s liver as in my recipe at page 225 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table, or opt out and keep it vegetarian, as we did at my recent Supper club at Aromas, Weybridge. It is certainly festive and a big hit with our guests. You can serve it with refreshing Shepherd’s Salad with cucumber, pepper and tomato with a touch a sumac.

Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses – Kisir 

Our welcome salad in Antakya, Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, Kisir, always features in our festive table. I love this wholesome salad – it is a bowl of health and so entertaining friendly, as it tastes even better the next day, great for prepping ahead of time. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over for a festive decoration. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 81 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.

Antakya style flat breads with crumbly cokelek or feta, za’atar and red pepper paste – Biberli Ekmek 

Our savoury flat breads are easy to make and complement soups, mains, side dishes beautifully. This delicious flat bread with za’atar topping, Biberli Ekmek, is a specialty from my home town Antakya and always bring back fond memories. It is fantastic to bake ahead of time and freeze. You can then reheat at 180C/350F for 5-8 minutes, ready for your guests. Here’s my recipe link, also at page 137 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table.

Baked Candied Pumpkin dessert with walnuts – Kabak Tatlisi 

Candied pumpkin dessert with walnuts and clotted cream; Kabak Tatlisi

I love the fruity desserts in Turkish cuisine – they are delicious, light and easy to prepare, as in this seasonal Candied Pumpkin dessert with walnuts. Baked in its own juice with sugar, this light but full flavoured pumpkin dessert is best served with crushed walnuts and kaymak, our Turkish thick cream made from water buffalo milk. If you can’t find kaymak, regular clotted cream would work well too. You can prepare this delicious dessert 2-3 days ahead of time. Here’s my recipe link, also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, page 275.

I hope you enjoy the festive Turkish food ideas here and they inspire – there is also a whole chapter of Suggested Menus at page 291 at Ozlem’s Turkish Table    May you have a wonderful festive season, in good health, happiness, with friends and family.

Upcoming Events

Ozlem’s Turkish Table Vegetarian Feast and Cookery Demonstration at 

Oso Art Centre, Barnes

Thursday  January 23rd  from 7.30 pm

Please join us at the Oso Art Centre in Barnes on Thursday, January 23rd 2020 from 7.30pm, as Ozlem Warren will serve a feast of vegetarian Turkish dishes from her award winning cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table and demonstrate how to make the popular Spicy Bulgur Wheat Salad with pomegranate molasses, Kisir and Traybake filo pastry with cheese and spinach.  Ozlem will also give tips on how to make the below vegetarian dishes she will be serving.

We will be serving Spicy bulgur and lentil soup with dried mint and Aleppo pepper, Hummus with cumin and red pepper flakes, Aubergine and lentils cooked in olive oil, Baked potato, olives, red pepper and onions with cumin, Baked cauliflower with cheese, spring onion and herbs, Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, Traybake filo pastry with cheese and spinach, Zesty semolina sponge cake, Revani.

Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book will be available to buy at the evening (25 GBP per copy). We will also run a raffle amongst the guests at the evening and one lucky winner will get a signed copy of Ozlem’s Turkish Table!

Tickets can be purchased at this link and it can make a lovely festive gift to a foodie!

Friday, February 28th, 7.30pm – Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Cookery Workshop at Aromas

 Weybridge, Surrey

Kick start the new year to learn a new skill, making savoury filo pie with a variety of fillings, at our Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Workshop at Aromas, Weybridge on Friday, Feb 28th evening from 7.30 pm  We will serve you some scrumptious healthy Turkish and Mediterranean vegetarian dishes as below, and moreover, you will get to make a vegetarian savory filo pie, our Turkish borek, at our workshop and you will take your pie/borek back home. We believe healthy food can also be very delicious and we will show you how – new inspirations in the new year, healthy food made easy!

We will serve delicious vegetarian courses and Ozlem will give you tips on how to make them.

Savory filo pie/borek with vegetarian fillings workshop during the night!:

And during the night, at our workshop, you will also get to make your savory filo pie with a variety of fillings to choose – you will get to take your savoury pie / borek back home!
This exciting event is likely to sell out to please book your spot soon at this link soon!
It can also make a lovely present for a foodie for the festive season (gift certificates available).
We look forward to welcoming you at Aromas on February 28th at our exciting event!
  • My very best wishes to you all for the festive season; and my sincere thanks for all your support and kind words for Ozlem’s Turkish Table – 65  – 5 star reviews on Amazon UK – ; it gives me so much happiness hearing you enjoy my recipes and it helps you to connect to this special land and remember, recreate fond memories.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

 

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Baked beetroot with walnuts and pomegranate molasses

I hope you enjoy this delicious and wholesome Baked beetroot salad with walnuts and pomegranate molasses , so easy too.  We love beetroot, pancar, as we call in Turkish and I have been making this delicious baked beetroots with garlic, walnuts, pomegranate molasses dish a lot recently. It makes a wonderful meze, also accompanies pasta, rice and grills beautifully. Baking the beets brings out its natural, delicious sweetness; it is also vegan and gluten free, and so easy to make. Here’s my recipe, if you’d like to give it a go. It keeps well in the fridge, covered, 2-3 days.

As a variation, you can serve it over labne or strained yoghurt too.


5.0 from 2 reviews
Baked beetroot with walnuts and pomegranate molasses
 
We love beetroot, pancar, as we call in Turkish and I have been making this delicious baked beetroots with garlic, walnuts, pomegranate molasses dish a lot recently. It makes a wonderful meze, also accompanies pasta, rice and grills beautifully. It is also vegan and gluten free, and so easy to make. Here’s my recipe, if you’d like to give it a go.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free meze
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 500gr/1.2oz beetroot, peeled and cut into bitesize chunks
  • 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 85gr/3oz walnuts, chopped
  • 15ml/1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 30ml/2 tbsp pomegranate seeds to decorate
  • Sprigs of flat leaf parsley to decorate
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F
  2. Pour in the olive oil on a baking tray and stir in the beetroot, cut into bitesize chunks and chopped garlic to the tray. Coat them with the olive oil, season with salt and ground black pepper. Then roast in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
  3. Once cooked, let the beetroot & garlic cool in the tray, then transfer into a serving plate.
  4. Stir in the chopped walnuts and the pomegranate molasses, combine well.
  5. Decorate with pomegranate seeds and sprigs of parsley and serve.
  6. Afiyet Olsun.
I am passionate about delicious, wholesome Turkish cuisine and it is a pleasure to share authentic Turkish recipes from my southern Turkish roots. Over 90 authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Signed copies now 25 % off for a limited period from this link, and it is delivered worldwide, including the US (please kindly note that my recent recipe of Baked beetroot here, is not included at my current cookery book).

I hope you enjoy it, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

 

 

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