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My Turkish Cookery Classes in Feb,Texas-USA Open For Signing Up!

By Ozlem Warren on January 1, 2015 in Turkish Cooking Classes 10

Greetings and Happy New Year to you all!

I am delighted to let you know that my upcoming Turkish Cookery Classes with Central Market Cooking Schools in Austin, San Antonio and Houston, Texas in February 2015 are now open for registration! Below are the links for signing up for each class; they tend to sell out quickly so if you would like to join us, please kindly book your spot. I am greatly looking forward to returning to Central Market Cooking Schools and hopefully see you there.

Lamb stew over smoked eggplant and yoghurt puree, served with roasted vegetables, Ali Nazik Kebab in the menu

Central Market Cooking School also offers discounts for signing up until 7th January, if you’d like to take up this good offer.

Central Market Cooking School, Turkish Cookery Classes – Demonstration Style
February 2015 (in Houston, Austin, San Antonio)

From Hearty Red Lentil Soup to Baklava in Milky Syrup, Sutlu Nuriye;

Delights of Turkish Cuisine Made Easy

I am delighted to return to Central Market Cooking School in February 2015 to teach fine examples of Turkish cuisine, which reflects a rich cultural and historical heritage. With an emphasis on seasonal freshness, and delicately flavoring with spices, healthy Turkish food is a feast to all your senses and easy to recreate. Please join us, to learn artful use of spices and prepare these delicious recipes, focusing on Southern Turkish cuisine. Below is the schedule and links to sign up for my Turkish cookery classes:

Monday, February 16th, 6.30 pm – Central Market Cooking School in San Antonio – TX

Wednesday, February 18th, 6.30 pm – Central Market Cooking School in Austin – TX

Friday, February 20th, 6.30 pm – Central Market Cooking School in Houston – TX

Signing up for the classes started through Central Market Cooking School website, as of 1st January 2015 – please save the dates and I hope you can join us!

Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corba is in the menu

The menu includes:

• Hearty red lentils and bulgur soup with dried mint and red pepper flakes, Ezo Gelin Corba

• Turkish flat breads with crumbled feta, pepper paste, zahtar and sesame seeds; Biberli Ekmek

• Lamb (or beef) stew over smoked eggplant and yoghurt puree, served with roasted vegetables, Ali Nazik Kebab

• Pilaf rice with chickpeas and sautéed onions; Nohutlu Pilav

• Baklava with a delicious and lighter twist; filo pastry with hazelnuts in milky syrup; Sutlu Nuriye

• Turkish Coffee and Turkish Delight

My very best wishes to you all for the New Year, in good health, good food and company. I look forward to sharing many more Turkish recipes here and as always, would be delighted to have your company to enjoy.

Selamlar, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Sutlu Nuriye; Lighter Baklava with Hazelnuts in Milky Syrup

By Ozlem Warren on December 17, 2014 in Cakes and Desserts, Turkish Festive Dishes 20

Sutlu Nuriye; lighter baklava with hazelnuts in milky syrup

Sutlu Nuriye is a delicious Turkish dessert; similar to baklava but lighter with its milk based syrup. Crushed hazelnuts are used in the filling here and works wonderfully with the milky syrup, which gives Sutlu Nuriye a whitish look. Sutlu Nuriye is lighter, creamer than baklava and really easy to make at home, using filo pastry sheets. They have been a huge hit with the children, as well as adults in our home, great for entertaining.

Pour in the luke warm milky syrup over cooled cooked filo pastry and let the pastry to soak the milky syrup for 35- 40 minutes.

Sutlu Nuriye believed to be created due to the supply shortage in 1980s. Rather than the expensive pistachios, a baklava producer used hazelnuts and flavored with milk for lighter syrup. The result has been today’s popular Sutlu Nuriye, a delicious, lighter version of the regular baklava.

Light, melt-in-the mouth Sutlu Nuriye, a variation of baklava in milky syrup.

You can prepare Sutlu Nuriye a day ahead of time and keep it in a cool place; always serve at room temperature. I hope you enjoy this soft, light, melt-in-the mouth Sutlu Nuriye, a variation of baklava in milky syrup. Turkish coffee or Turkish tea, cay aside complements Sutlu Nuriye very well.

My very best wishes to you all for the festive season. Many thanks for your company, recreating my Turkish recipes at your homes, your kind share and comments, I greatly appreciate it. It’s been a pleasure enjoying Turkish cuisine with you all and I look forward to sharing many more recipes in the New Year. I wish you all a happy, healthy new year in good company and delicious food.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

3.0 from 2 reviews

Sutlu Nuriye; Lighter Baklava with Hazelnuts in Milky Syrup

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish Desserts

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 30 pieces

Ingredients

270 gr x 2 packs of filo pastry sheets (12 filo sheets in total; each sheet 480 mm x 255 mm each)
200 gr/4 oz. /a little less than 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
340 gr/ 12 oz. chopped/crushed hazelnuts
For the syrup:
16 fl. oz. / 2 cups water
12 fl oz. / 1 ½ cup whole milk
270 gr/ 1⅓ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F
Take out the fresh filo pastry sheets from the fridge and bring to room temperature 20 minutes prior using. To thaw frozen filo sheets, it is best to place them in the fridge the night before or bring it to room temperature 2 hours before using.
Grease the baking dish with the melted butter.
Place two filo pastry sheets to the baking dish (trim the sheets at the edges if necessary to fit into your baking dish) and brush with the melted butter.
Place 2 more filo pastry sheets and brush with the melted butter. Place another two sheets over them and brush with melted butter.
Crush the hazelnuts in a food processor, carefully pulsing a just few times or chop by hand (take care for the hazelnuts not go too small pieces or fine).
Spread the chopped hazelnuts evenly on the 6th sheet of buttered filo pastry.
Lay two more sheets of filo pastry and brush with melted butter. Repeat this 2 more times, buttering every two sheets, until you reach 12th sheet.
Brush the 12th sheet of filo pastry with butter and ease the sheets into the corners and trim the edges if necessary.
Then using a sharp knife, cut right through all the layers to form small square pieces. It should make about 30 pieces in total.
Bake the pastry in the preheated oven (180 C/ 350 F) for 25 minutes, until golden at top.
While the pastry is baking, prepare your syrup.
Put the sugar into a heavy pan, pour in water and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Once the sugar is dissolved, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour in the milk to the pan, give a good stir to the syrup and turn the heat off. Leave the pan aside to cool down; the syrup needs to be luke warm to pour over cooked filo pastry.
Once the filo pastry is cooked and golden at top, take out of the oven and leave it aside to cool down for 15 minutes.
Slowly pour in the luke warm milky syrup over cooled cooked filo pastry and let the pastry to soak the milky syrup for 35- 40 minutes.
Once milky syrup is absorbed by the pastry, take out the Sutlu Nuriye squares and serve at room temperature.
You can prepare Sutlu Nuriye a day ahead of time and keep in a cool place, covered.

Kale Stew in Yoghurt, Chickpeas; My Online Turkish Cookery Course

By Ozlem Warren on December 8, 2014 in Casseroles and Stews, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts, Turkish Cooking Classes 19

Kale with chunks of meat, chickpeas in yoghurt sauce with dried mint and red pepper flakes – A borani inspiration from Antakya

Borenye or Borani is an Antakya region specialty, which is served often as part of the dinner spread for special occasions in Antakya. I love this hearty dish especially in winter times; combination of yoghurt with chickpeas, vegetables and meat is just wonderful. We like to add more flavors to this special dish with dried mint and red pepper flakes; a delicious, wholesome comforting dish.

Traditionally, Borani or Borenye is made using another Antakya region specialty, tuzlu yogurt (strained, salty yoghurt, you can find more information here). Tuzlu yogurt is made from goat’s milk in Antakya region; it is a salty, rich, tangy spreadable paste and added to Boranis. I love tuzlu yogurt however it is hard to find abroad, so I used thick, plain yoghurt in my recipe, like my mother does, still works well. Boranis are made using a variety of vegetables like spinach, fava beans, pumpkin, courgette/zucchini. I used kale for my version here; combined with chickpeas, dried mint and red pepper flakes, it worked beautifully.

This Borani has a delicious sauce and we like to dip in potato and bulgur rolls, patatesli, bulgurlu kofte to its juice. Baked Oruk, or Kibbeh or Icli Kofte with that delicious walnuts and ground meat filling would also be divine served with borani or borenye.

Antakya’s borani or boreniye – this time with kale; delicious

I hope you enjoy this delicious regional specialty from Antakya, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

3.0 from 1 reviews

Kale Stew in Yoghurt, Chickpeas; My Online Turkish Cookery Course

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Turkish stews with chickpeas, kale and spices

Cuisine: Turkish Regional Cuisine

Ingredients

350 gr / 12 oz. kale; washed, trimmed and chopped
400 gr/ 14 oz. beef or lamb, cut in small chunks
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
400 ml/ 14 fl oz./ 1⅔ cups thick, plain yoghurt (brand Fage works well)
400 gr/ 14 oz. -1 can of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. dried mint
10 ml/ 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
600 ml/ 1 pint/ 2 ½ cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot and stir in the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until it beings to soften and start to color.
Stir in the chunks of meat and sauté with the onions for 3 -5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the kale and the garlic to the pan and combine well. Stir and cook with the onions and the meat for 3 minutes.
Pour in the water, mix well.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste, combine well. Cover and cook over medium to low heat for 20 minutes.
Stir in the cooked & rinsed chickpeas to the mix, combine well.
Beat the yoghurt until smooth and pour into the pot, while the heat is low. Stir and blend well.
Immediately add the dried mint and red pepper flakes, combine well. Check the seasoning to your taste, add more salt if needed. Turn the heat off.
Serve hot with crusty bread aside. Potato and bulgur rolls, patatesli, bulgurlu kofte would be delicious to serve aside and dip into this delicious Borenye sauce.

My Online Turkish Cookery Course Coming Up Soon!

Shooting my online Turkish cookery course – exciting times!

Camera, Action! Shooting my online Turkish cookery course

I have often been asked to do an online Turkish cookery course and I am delighted to share that we have just shot my online Turkish cookery course to be aired at the wonderful and holistic website Mer-ka-bah, by early January 2015.

Talking about Turkish cuisine and seasonality during my online course

Demonstrating spinach and feta filo pastry, Ispanakli Borek

Love of food connects us no matter where we come from and it has a universal language. And Turkish food is a wonderful expression of the warm, generous Turkish culture. In this exciting, holistic course on Turkish cuisine and serving traditions, I will be exploring the wholesome Turkish cuisine, based on thousands years of culinary heritage (Importance of connecting with our roots in Turkish cuisine, Turkish culinary history, Serving Traditions, Seasonality, Flavoring through Spices, recipe demonstrations and many more amongst the course modules) and its ability to connect us, our strong emphasis on sharing and hospitality. I will also demonstrate some classic and delicious Turkish recipes here; from Spinach & feta filo pastry, Ispanakli Borek to ever popular Stuffed Eggplants/Aubergines with ground meat and vegetables, Karniyarik, from Potato and Bulgur patties to Turkish Coffee.

Our delicious Turkish table at my online Turkish cookery course

I truly hope this course on Turkish cookery may inspire folks all around the world to discover wholesome Turkish cuisine and have a go at my recipes and enjoy good food with family and friends. Above all, I hope Turkish cuisine’s emphasis on sharing, generosity, hospitality, a reflection of the warm Turkish culture to be felt all throughout the course and inspires.

Stay tuned!:)

Ozlem