Turkish Breakfast

Eggs with peas and tomatoes, flavored with cumin and chili flakes

By Ozlem Warren on April 27, 2015 in Gluten-free recipes, Turkish Breakfast 12

Eggs with peas, tomatoes, garlic and spring onion, flavored with cumin and red pepper flakes.

Eggs with peas, tomatoes, garlic and spring onions, flavored with cumin and red pepper flakes.

Some days call for an easy, simple supper. This tasty egg dish with peas, spring onions, garlic and tomatoes is not only easy but also wholesome and gluten-free. Fresh peas work wonderfully if you can get them, though frozen peas are a great alternative too. Their natural sweetness and texture go so well with the eggs, along with garlic, tomatoes and spring (green) onions.

We Turks love eggs; for instance, Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with peppers and tomatoes is a national favorite. Eggs done different ways take the centerpiece during our leisurely weekend Turkish breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. We also turn to eggs for an easy, light supper like this one with peas. Flavored with the pungent cumin and spicy red pepper flakes (if you wish), this meal gets ready in no time and so satisfying. You can serve Cacik dip with yoghurt and cucumbers or the lovely lamb’s lettuce/purslane salad with garlic yoghurt aside. Make sure to have some flat breads or a nice crusty loaf aside to mop up the delicious juices.

Eggs with peas, flavored with cumin and red pepper flakes, a delicious, easy supper, also gluten-free

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 2 reviews

Eggs with peas and tomatoes, flavored with cumin and chili flakes

Some days call for easy but still delicious suppers. This tasty egg dish with peas, spring onions, garlic and tomatoes is not only simple but also wholesome and gluten-free. Flavored with cumin and red pepper flakes, all you need is some crusty or flat bread to tuck in to this light and delicious meal.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish style eggs with peas and spices - Easy Suppers

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

250 gr/ 9 oz. fresh or frozen peas
3 spring (green) onions, finely chopped
1-2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
4 medium free range eggs
45 ml / 3 tbsp. olive oil
5 ml / 1 tsp. ground cumin
5 ml / 1 tsp. red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Flat breads or crusty bread to serve

Instructions

If using fresh peas, place them in a small saucepan and cover with hot water. Boil gently for 2- 3 minutes. If using frozen peas, gently boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to retain their color and firmness.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan. Stir in the spring (green) onions, garlic and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Add the cooked peas to the pan and combine all the vegetables well.
Crack the eggs over the vegetable mixture, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Also sprinkle ground cumin and red pepper flakes or chili flakes over the eggs.
Cook the eggs for about 4-5 minutes (or a little longer if you prefer) over low to medium heat, until the eggs are just done. I like mine when the egg white is set and the yolk is a little on the runny side.
Serve hot with flat breads or a nice crusty loaf aside to mop up the delicious juices.

Mini Pizzas with Olives, Cheese and Tomatoes; Zeytinli Mini Pizza

By Ozlem Warren on January 13, 2015 in Appetizers and Mezes, Savory Pastries, Turkish Breakfast 25

Mini pizzas with olives, cheese, tomatoes; zeytinli mini pizza

I love the savory pastries, pogaca and little melt-in-the-mouth mini pizzas with various fillings sold in bakeries, firin and patisseries, pastanes, in Turkey. We Turks love them for breakfast as well as for a morning or afternoon snack with cup of tea, cay; such a delicious treat.

Mini pizzas with olives, tomatoes and cheese, freshly baked – delicious!

Recently I made these little pizzas with olives, tomato and cheese topping; they really are easy to make at home and have brought smiles all round!:) A favorite with children, as well and adults, they were a big hit. Mini pizzas are best to be enjoyed straight from the oven, but they also keep well for a few days. The next day (if any left), you can microwave them for 10 – 15 seconds. Or you can sprinkle a little water over them, cover and reheat at 180 C/350 F for 5- 8 minutes. They will be lovely, soft and delicious.

Shaping the mini pizzas; round Turkish tea glass or a mug works well.

Tips: Make sure to deseed the tomatoes before chopping so that it won’t make the filling watery and the pastry soggy. As for the cheese, you can use grated mozzarella, cheddar or crumbled feta cheese. For olives; Turkish, Spanish or Greek Kalamata olives all work well. To shape the mini pizza rounds, I used my tulip shaped glass Turkish tea glass, it worked perfectly. If you don’t have one, any glass or round mold in 7-8 cm diameter would work.

Mini pizzas with olives, cheese and tomatoes, Zeytinli mini pizza, ready to eat!

I hope you enjoy these delicious mini pizzas with olives, cheese and tomatoes – Afiyet Olsun;

Ozlem

5.0 from 2 reviews

Mini Pizzas with Olives, Cheese and Tomatoes; Zeytinli Mini Pizza

I love the savory pastries, pogacas and these little melt-in-the-mouth mini pizzas with various fillings sold in bakeries, firin and patisseries, pastanes, in Turkey. We Turks love them for breakfast as well as for a morning or afternoon snack with cup of tea, cay; such a delicious treat. They are easy to make at home and a real crowd pleaser, hope you enjoy them - afiyet olsun!

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish Savory Pastries

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 35 mini pizzas

Ingredients

375 gr/ 3 cups all-purpose plain flour
7gr dry yeast (1 sachet)
5 ml/ 1 tsp. salt
10 ml/ 2 tsp. sugar
240 ml / 8 fl. oz. / 1 cup warm milk
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. olive oil
50 gr / 2 oz. butter, melted
For the filling:
3 small tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
Handful - about 15- green and black olives, roughly chopped
200 gr / 7 oz. / 2 cups grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
15 ml / 1 tbsp. olive oil
For the topping:
1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
Combine the warm milk, sugar and dry yeast in a small bowl and mix well. Let it stand for 5 minutes so that it gets foamy.
Stir in the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
Add the melted butter and slowly pour in the milk & yeast mixture.
Knead well with your hands for a few minutes, until the dough comes together. Have a drizzle (about 1 tbsp.) of olive oil in your hands if the dough gets too sticky; knead and shape the dough like a ball.
Place the dough in the large bowl and cover with a cling film and a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Prepare the filling while the dough is rising. Deseed the tomatoes and olives and chop finely. Place them in a medium sized bowl and stir in the grated cheese and olive oil. Combine and mix well. Set the filling aside.
Once the dough has risen, punch down and divide 3 equal pieces and roll into balls.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each of the ball of dough with a rolling pin into thin flat rounds in ⅓ cm (0.14”) width. Using a round mold or round glass of 8 cm/3” in diameter, cut the flat dough into circles. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Line baking parchment paper on your baking tray and place the dough circles on it. Using your finger, make a little dent in the middle of each dough circle.
Place a dessert spoonful of filling in each dough circle (in and around the dent).
Brush the pastries with the beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven (180 C/ 350 F) for 15 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Serve hot immediately. This recipe makes 35 mini pizzas; afiyet olsun!

Notes

Make sure to deseed the tomatoes before chopping so that it won’t make the filling watery and the pastry soggy. As for the cheese, you can use grated mozzarella, cheddar or crumbled feta cheese. For olives; Turkish, Spanish or Greek Kalamata olives all work well. To shape the mini pizza rounds, I used my tulip shaped glass Turkish tea glass, it worked perfectly. If you don’t have one, any glass or round mold in 7-8 cm diameter would work.

A Special, Flying Visit to Istanbul

By Ozlem Warren on November 18, 2014 in Fascinating Istanbul, Roasts and Kebaps, Turkish Breakfast, Turkish Street Food 15

Simit, Turkish sesame coated bread rings; a warm welcome home

We had a flying visit to Istanbul last weekend; packed with family and friends to see, my niece’s beautiful wedding and delicious Turkish food to savor; every minute of it was special. And what better greeting than of seeing Simit, Turkish sesame coated bread rings upon arrival, a very warm welcome that I couldn’t resist.

My dear sister Oznur and fellow blogger Senior Dogs Abroad timely informed me that the Yenikapi Metro train line is now connected to the Istanbul Ataturk Airport. It’s indeed joyful news; we took the metro train line from the airport all the way to 4th Levent – a seamless, smooth journey just over 1 hour and great value. I highly recommend using the Metro train line from Ataturk Airport to all the way to Taksim and beyond.

Kofteci Huseyin – Beyoglu, Istanbul:

Kofteci Huseyin, Beyoglu – Istanbul

Turkish meatballs, koftes served with piyaz, Turkish bean salad at Kofteci Huseyin

Just before I departed for Istanbul, I got a note from a reader, Chris, asking if I can visit Kofteci Huseyin in Beyoglu – Istanbul (address: Sehit Muhtar Mah. Kurabiye Sok, Akgun Is Hani, 14/A – Beyoglu – Istanbul). Apparently he had one of the best koftes, Turkish meatballs there and the tomato based sauce served with the meatballs there was just amazing. Well, I had a packed schedule but now was so curious about Kofteci Huseyin that I had to make it and so glad I did. Tucked behind Beyoglu, Kofteci Huseyin is a tiny lokanta, serving the very best Turkish meatballs with fasulye piyazi, Turkish bean salad with onions, since 1958. You are greeted with a warm smile and your koftes are made to order in front of you and served with freshly baked somun ekmek, Turkish bread with piyaz. You can tell they are passionate about their kofte; sourcing out their meat from local butchers, prepared lovingly. Kofteci Huseyin says “They ask me why I don’t serve soup or desserts; making kofte is what I do best and that’s our specialty. Every day we make kofte out of 40 kg of minced (ground beef), onion and bread crumbs and once the meat is finished, our job is finished for the day too, around 4 pm. They ask me why I don’t serve in the evenings; well, there are friends and family to see, time to pause, until the next kofte tomorrow”. I liked his way of thinking.

Kofte, served with piyaz and somun ekmek, Turkish loaf bread

Chris especially wanted to know how they make the delicious tomato based sauce served next to the Turkish meatballs, koftes there. It’s a secret recipe apparently, though they revealed there’s crushed tomatoes and Turkish red pepper flakes, pul biber in it. I have a feeling there’s also a touch of Biber Salcasi, Turkish hot pepper paste in the sauce, adding a spicy peppery flavor. Kofteci Huseyin is a delightful, small kofteci if you happen to be at Beyoglu area and I am grateful that Chris asked me to investigate. If you’d like to make kofte at home, here is my kofte, Turkish meatballs recipe 101.

Sahi Istanbul:

Meeting up with friends, Cicekten and Revan at Sahi Istanbul.

Have you discovered the beautiful Sahi Istanbul in Karakoy? Founded by ex-colleague and dear friend Cicekten, Sahi Istanbul is home from home for me, offering the best of authentic , genuine Turkish design (as its name refers to), with traditional and contemporary objects, sourced from Turkish artisans all around Turkey. I love the beautiful hand decorated ceramics, locally sourced textiles and the authentic Turkish delights I long to taste there, whenever I am home. It was a delightful to stop by at Sahi Istanbul meeting with friends and Cicekten showered us with the best possible Turkish hospitality.

Irresistable baklava, the real thing from Gaziantep.

Cay, boreks, pastries and home made Turkish Delights at Sahi Istanbul

Homemade Turkish delights (which you can have a go at making them at Sahi Istanbul – Karakoy); scrumptious boreks, pastries and the original baklava sourced from Gaziantep; we washed them all down with endless glasses of Turkish tea, cay and chats. Please pay a visit to Sahi Istanbul if you can, you won’t be disappointed. Sahi Istanbul’s website in English will also be available shortly.

Locally sourced, authentic Turkish textile, ceramics and many more at Sahi Istanbul

Locally sourced, authentic Turkish textile, ceramics, books and many more at Sahi Istanbul

Hand made Turkish olive oil soap

Sahi Istanbul also very generously gave away their authentic Turkish bracelets and Turkish homemade soaps for my Turkish cookery classes at the Central Market Cooking Schools in the US in February 2014. Special gifts to showcase Turkish crafts and hospitality, I am very grateful to their generosity.

A Delightful Meet up over Turkish Breakfast:

Kahvalti Bahane, Sohbet Sahane; Breakfast is the excuse for a wonderful get together with Senior Dogs

No visit to Turkey is complete without a leisurely Turkish breakfast with friends and family, my favorite meal of the day. Just before our departure, we managed to sit at our local café by the Bosphorus with my parents, my sister and family and dear friends and fellow bloggers Senior Dogs Abroad. Senior Dogs live in Istanbul and blogs about life in Turkey (as well as world affairs) and I have been meaning to introduce them to my parents. My parents were delighted and so impressed with their Turkish and even more that they will be traveling to Eastern Turkey shortly. We lived in Elazig at the southeast of Turkey over 8 years when I was a child and my parents were eager to give as many tips as to where to visit- we all look forward to their adventures up there, not to be missed! As always, it was a delightful few hours spent together with family and friends.

Turkish breakfast with a glass of cay; personal favorite.

Menemen; Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers.

Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers is a favorite with us; delicious for a leisurely brunch or a light supper, it is so easy to make it at home too; here’s my recipe if you’d like to give it a go.

Overlooking Sea of Marmara from Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Boats and the Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul

Time to say farewell and hope to see you soon, Istanbul; a special city that calls for us often.

Afiyet Olsun ve Yine Gorusmek Dilegiyle,

Ozlem

Peri’s Spice Ladle’s e-book, Spice Up Your Celebration is out now!!

I really am delighted to see that dear friend and fellow blogger Peri’s Spice Ladle’s ebook, Spice Up Your Celebration; Indian Inspired recipes for Occasions, Holidays and Entertaining is out now! We have been enjoying Peri’s delicious and easy to follow Indian recipes for a long time and she really made me appreciate a variety of spices to incorporate our dishes through her wonderful, Indian inspired delicious recipes. This gem of a book is a great source to make and enjoy delicious Indian cuisine in the comfort of your home; it’s a keeper in our home and I hope you enjoy it too. You can view the details of the Spice Up Your Celebration ebook through here. Enjoy!