Uncategorised

Pasta with eggplant (aubergine), garlic and tomato sauce – Patlicanli Makarna

By Ozlem Warren on November 28, 2011 in Pasta – Makarna, Uncategorised 0

Our family, especially the children love pasta and I like to try different sauces to make it exciting, delicious and that I can prepare ahead of time. Patlican (eggplant or aubergine) is an ingredient we use a lot in Turkish cooking, and its meaty, sweet flesh adds a wonderful flavor to the pasta. Eggplant has a lot of water content and the trick is to get all that moisture out before cooking, as shown in the recipe, so that they won’t go soggy.

You can prepare this sauce ahead of time and freeze any leftover sauce. It is a wonderful, comforting dish that may save that weekday supper!

Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

350gr/12oz penne pasta (about 100gr per person is suggested)
1 medium eggplant (aubergine), diced into small chunks
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
400gr/14oz can of chopped tomatoes
30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
10ml/2teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated parmesan or pecorino romano to serve

Cut the eggplant in half lengthways and then dice each eggplant into bite size chunks. Spread them on a wide tray, sprinkle salt over and leave aside for 15 minutes. With using paper towel, squeeze excess water out of eggplants.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan and lightly sauté the eggplant for 3-4 minutes. This will help eggplants to soften up and start bringing out their lovely sweet flesh. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Add the chopped tomatoes, give them a good mix and cook for a further two minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, add the oregano and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes.

In the meantime, place the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water, add a little salt and a dash of olive oil. Stir occasionally and boil for about 10 minutes (for penne), until “al dente”. Towards the end of the cooking, take 2 tablespoons of the pasta’s cooking liquid and add to the pasta sauce, mix well. Once pasta is cooked, drain the water and mix in the eggplant & tomato sauce.

Serve hot immediately, with some grated pecorino or parmesan over the pasta, if you like. Plain green salad with lemon and olive oil dressing goes well with the pasta.

Afiyet Olsun!

Time to be Thankful and Share the Love of Food

By Ozlem Warren on November 23, 2011 in A Slice of England, Uncategorised 2

I prepared a Turkish stall for my son’s school’s Christmas event; there were yummy Turkish Delights all the way from Istanbul (my heartfelt thanks to my sweet sister Oznur and my parents who very kindly provided them); lovely Turkish “blue eyed” key chains and necklaces; wonderful dried peppers, baby okra, aubergines (eggplants);

I made some spinach and cheese fillo pastry and let folks try them. There were copper pots, Turkish coffee pots and lovely little hand painted pottery for spices and dips. It was just wonderful to talk about food, hear everyone’s happy memories visiting Turkey. And it was wonderful to share all good things Turkey, my homeland has offered.

I just wanted to express how grateful and thankful I am for all the support from my family, friends and you all, who kindly share love of cooking.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and Festive Season; it is time to be thankful. And why not revisiting some wonderful appetizers like the cheese & spinach pastry, or red pepper paste & walnut dip or a lovely aubergine (eggplant) recipe from the blog to share with family and friends? I feel they all taste better when shared 🙂

My best wishes,
Ozlem

Daughter-in-law's Spicy Lentil and Bulgur Soup (with quinoa) – Ezo Gelin Corbasi

By Ozlem Warren on November 7, 2011 in Soups, Uncategorised 16

Soups have a special place in Turkish cuisine and the meals mostly start with a soup. In Anatolia, it is very common to have soup to start the day, especially in winter. This spicy lentil soup is one of my favorites; rich in fiber and protein, very delicious and easy to make. At Waitrose supermarket the other day, I came across with bulgur wheat mixed with red and white quinoa. Quinoa is a grain like crop from South America, rich in protein, iron and potassium; another super food like the bulgur and lentils. I haven’t tried this nutty, wholesome grain before and gave it a try at my spicy lentil soup.

The result was a wonderfully tasty, nutty, wholesome soup, nutritious and affordable. This lentil soup is also a great example of how we add flavor to our dishes thru spices like dried mint and red pepper flakes. Named after the bride “Ezo” who managed to impress her in-laws with this heartwarming soup, it is so delicious and simple to make that you will want to make it all the time! It also freezes very well, so I recommend to make a big batch and freeze some for a heart and soul warming lunch or supper.

Serves 6
Preparation time – 15 minutes Cooking time – 40 minutes

290 gr/1 cup split red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely diced
45 ml / 2 tablespoons coarse bulgur wheat and 1 tbsp red and white quinoa, rinsed and drained
Or just 3 tbsp coarse bulgur wheat, rinsed and drained
1.75 litres / 7 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
60 ml / 4 tablespoons tomato paste
30-45 ml / 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
15 ml / 1 tablespoon dried mint
10 ml / 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes / paprika flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges to serve

Put the lentils, bulgur wheat (and quinoa, if used), onion, carrot and the chicken stock (or water) together in a pan. Bring to boil and then on a low heat simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes or until the lentils and bulgur are tender. Then add the butter (or olive oil), the dried mint, the red pepper flakes and the tomato paste, mix well and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the soup has a creamy consistency. Add the lemon juice and more water if required, then season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with lemon wedges and crusty bread aside.

Afiyet olsun and wish you all a good week ahead,

Ozlem