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Pasta with mushrooms, garlic and parsley – Mantarli Makarna

By Ozlem Warren on January 2, 2011 in Pasta – Makarna, Uncategorised 0

This is one of our favorite pasta recipes and appears on our table often. It is a Jamie Oliver recipe with a little twist, as I use Turkish red pepper flakes – any red pepper or paprika flakes would do – instead of fresh chilies. The children love mushroom too, so I add the red pepper flakes to the pasta after I serve them. The marriage of mushrooms, garlic, parsley and lemon is divine, really brings out the flavor of the mushrooms. A lovely, refreshing recipe to start the New Year 🙂

I like using different kinds of mushrooms – chestnut, portobello, oyster, shitake mushrooms would all work really well – for variety of flavor and texture. Served with a green salad by side, this makes a wonderful meal.

Serves 2 – 4 (serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course)
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time:10-12 minutes

350gr/12oz mushrooms gently cleaned with a damp cloth and sliced (tear the oyster mushrooms)
400gr/14oz spaghetti
6 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
45ml/3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 juice of lemon
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (or more!) red pepper (or paprika) flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

50gr/2oz grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to serve
Green salad to serve by the side

Put the pasta into a pot of salted boiling water and leave to cook until it is tender but still has a bite to it – this usually takes about 7 – 9 minutes, please check the pasta packaging for cooking al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a shallow pan and add the mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper. Leave to cook on a moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Stir the mushrooms time to time, but it is important to let them color so that their sweet nutty flavor comes out. Check the seasoning, as the mushrooms do like seasoning, and add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes (if not serving to small children first!) and parsley, stir well.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and tip into the mushroom sauce. Mix the pasta in the sauce and continue cooking for a minute or so. Serve the pasta into warm bowls with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano over the top. A plain green salad goes well by the side.

Afiyet Olsun!

Pastirmali Humus – Warm Hummus with Sausages (or Pastrami)

By Ozlem Warren on December 27, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes, Uncategorised 3

Have you ever tried hummus warm? In Turkey, especially in the South, hummus is served warm with sautéed Turkish sucuk (sausage) or pastirma (pastrami, dried cured beef coated with spices) or with sautéed pine nuts over the top. I strongly suggest you to try hummus this way, as I feel you may be pleasantly surprised, and maybe converted to eat hummus warm as many of my friends have done.

Please adjust the recipe according to your taste, as some like it garlicky, some with more tahini and others may prefer it more lemony. This warm hummus would make a wonderful appetizer to share with friends and family. Pita bread is the perfect accompaniment.

Serves 4-6
Preparation time – 15 minutes (add 1 hour if used dried chickpeas and soaking overnight)

225gr/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight or for at least 6 hours or equivalent amount of precooked chickpeas in can
5ml /1 teaspoon salt – please adjust according to your taste-
60ml/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
30ml/2 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, crushed – optional-
Juice of 1-2 lemons – please adjust according to your taste-
45ml/3 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
5ml/1 teaspoon ground cumin

To serve:
30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
110gr/4oz Turkish sausage (sucuk), sliced or Bastirma, chopped in 1″ strips (or your choice of any Pastrami or sausage)
Slices of pita bread to serve

If using dried chickpeas, drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a pan with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil and boil for a few minutes. Then lower the heat and partially cover the pan, Simmer the chickpeas for 1 hour, until they are soft and easy to mash.

If precooked chickpeas are used, drain the juice and give them a little wash in a colander. Put the precooked (or cooked) chickpeas in a food processor and blitz them together with the extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. If it appears thick and difficult to blend, add a little more olive oil or water. Season with salt and mix in the cumin and paprika (if desired). Process until you achieve a soft, smooth paste. Refrigerate until required.

If you would like to have the hummus warm as in the Turkish way, just before serving, heat this mixture in a pan for a couple of minutes. In a separate pan, sauté the pastrami or sausage of your choice with some olive oil. Put the warm hummus in a plate with the sautéed meat over the top, scattering some ground cumin and paprika flakes over. Serve with pita bread.

Afiyet Olsun!

Magical London Winter Wonderland

By Ozlem Warren on December 20, 2010 in A Slice of England, Uncategorised 0

Greetings from London to you all. We made it to London and the city looked beautiful and magical with the snowflakes and festive lights. First stop was the Somerset House; spectacular site with a wonderful ice skating ring in the middle, indeed a hidden jem to be discovered in London. There are wonderful exhibitions, magnificent collection of paintings (by Rubens, Manet, Gauguin and many more), and family workshops. They also host a lovely Deli called Tom’s Deli with great pastries, sandwishes an coffee & tea. The Ice Skate Rimg is open until January 23rd, worth a visit.

One of the things I love about London is that it is a great walking city and you get to see a lot by walking. We walked from Somerset House to Covent Garden (about 15 minutes), which looked very festive with the lovely and huge red bauble decorations. With live opera singing at the background and wonderful markets, an amazing site to see.

And English National Ballet’s Nutcracker; an incredible performance to remember and fill you with the festive spirits. And if you still have some energy, head to the real winter wonderland in Hyde Park with lots of rides and attractions:)

Hope this greetings find you all well. Best wishes for the Holiday Season and New Year, and safe travels to all!