Turkish Breakfast

Eggs with Spinach and Onion – Ispanakli Yumurta

By Ozlem Warren on October 20, 2010 in Turkish Breakfast 4

Ispanakli Yumurta; Eggs with spinach and onions; delicious for a weekend brunch or a lovely lunch

I have two small children and they love eggs. They are Ok with spinach though they need something else next to it that is more attractive. Eggs work well in that respect and they also get to have two vegetables, onion and spinach with a good appetite.

This is a very delicious, easy and healthy recipe and works as a treat for a weekend brunch or everyday lunch. A dollop of plain yoghurt by the side really complements this dish. As a variety, you can add some grated cheese of your choice over the egg & spinach, just a couple of minutes before you turn the heat off.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes

400gr/14oz fresh spinach leaves, washed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium eggs
30ml/2tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
½ teaspoon cumin – optional-
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional-

A dollop of plain yoghurt and crusty bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan and sauté the onions for 3-5 minutes, until they are softened. Add the spinach and let it wilt gently for 1-2 minutes, with giving a gently stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Make two hollows in the spinach mixture and drop the eggs. Cook until the whites are firm but the yolks remain soft. Sprinkle ground cumin and red pepper flakes over the eggs (if you are using). Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread and a dollop of yoghurt by the side.

Eggs with spinach and onions; with red pepper flakes, pul biber over the top, it is a delicious treat.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Baked bread with egg and vegetables

By Ozlem Warren on September 19, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes, Turkish Breakfast 2

This is a wonderful and easy bake for the weekend brunch or everyday lunch. I always loved the smell of the baked melted cheese happily married with the egg and tomato & spring onions on bread. We also make this and variations of it, using ingredients she had to hand, for Suhoor (the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting during Ramadan). It is a delicious way to use up leftover bread, vegetables and cheese.

Variation: Chopped up peppers, courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms all work well here. You can use sliced olives instead of cheese. You can also omit the eggs and use a plant-based cheese for a vegan alternative.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Here is my recipe from my book SEBZE (At the All-Day Breakfast chapter), I hope you enjoy it. You can get a copy of SEBZE here, worldwide.

Afuyet olsun,

Ozlem

Serves 3–4

3 medium eggs

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and finely chopped

85 g (3 oz) medium Cheddar (or Turkish kaşar peyniri), grated

110 g (3¾ oz) mozzarella, grated

small handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil or coriander/cilantro), chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 chunky slices of bread

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, spring onions, grated cheeses, herbs and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Place the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Spread the mixture evenly on each slice and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the topping starts to melt and turn golden.

Turkish Style Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Pepper, Feta; Menemen

By Ozlem Warren on July 29, 2010 in Turkish Breakfast, Turkish Street Food 10

Turkish breakfast is my favouite meal of the day and we Turks love an unrushed, delicious spread of Turkish breakfast, especially at the weekend. Eggs prepared in different ways, salads, savoury pastries such as borek and gozleme, simit and many more adorn our breakfast table. Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers (and sometimes with beyaz penir, Turkish white cheese) is one of my homeland’s favorite brunch item, and a great street food. This delicious scrambled egg with vegetables is packed with flavour, it is nutritious and gets ready in minutes. There are many versions of it – garlic, onion, any choice of cheese, spinach would go well too. Served with nice crusty bread and a little garlic yoghurt by the side, this dish can make a wonderful light supper or a substantial lunch option.

Turkish breakfast spread from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, available to order now

I have a whole chapter on Turkish breakfast at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland and I truly hope you enjoy recreating your own Turkish breakfast. You can order my cookery book at this link, if you’d like.

Serves 4

Preparation time : 5 – 10 minutes Cooking time : About 5 minutes

8 eggs
1 green bell pepper, finely sliced
3 spring (green) onions, finely sliced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely diced
15 ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
15 ml/1 tablespoon butter
120 gr/4 oz Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
5-10 ml/ 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the butter and the olive oil in a frying pan. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, at low to medium heat. Add the spring onions, tomatoes and red pepper flakes, mix well. Crack the eggs in a bowl and mix. Add the feta cheese, combine well. Stir in the egg mixture to the frying pan and give it a good stir. Scramble the eggs until they are just done, retaining their juice. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a little more red pepper flakes sprinkled if you would like. Serve with toasted or crusty bread.

Afiyet Olsun !