Tag Archives | gluten-free

Chicken, vegetables and bean stew – Sebzeli tavuklu türlü

By Ozlem Warren on June 7, 2023 in Casseroles and Stews 0

This chicken, vegetables and bean stew is a delicious and easy all in one pot, versatile meal. I used courgettes, peppers, chard in mine, though you can use other vegetables in hand – aubergines, runner beans, kale or spinach would be lovely here too. Türlü is our traditional stew, where vegetables and sometimes meat are cooked together over stove top or baked, with spices, tomato and sometimes pepper paste (though optional, biber salcasi, Turkish pepper paste add oodles of flavour; if you prefer a milder flavour, you can substitute with an additional tablespoon of double concentrated tomato paste). I always keep good quality precooked dried beans and chickpeas in my pantry and add to my stew and casseroles – they not only add extra layer of flavour and wholesomeness but make your stew go further too. You can prepare this stew ahead and it freezes well. Simply omit meat for vegetarian option and replace with more beans or perhaps small chunks of potatoes.

You can serve this delicious Türlü with Cucumber and yoghurt Cacik dip and Bulgur pilaf with caramalised onions from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book; signed copies available here.

Chicken, vegetables and bean stew – Sebzeli tavuklu türlü

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Chicken and vegetable stew

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

700g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 6x4cm chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium courgettes, trimmed and sliced into 1cm width circles
3 pointy or 2 red bell peppers, deseeded, cut into 2cm chunks
100g chard or kale, cut into 2cm slices
2tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
1tbsp Turkish red pepper paste, biber salcasi (optional)
200g chopped tomato in can
400g/ 1 can of pre-cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1tsp pul biber
4tbsp olive oil
350ml water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Pour 2 tbsp olive oil over a wide pan and stir in the chicken, tomato paste, pepper paste, cumin and pul biber. Season with salt and ground black pepper and combine the chicken pieces with the pastes and seasoning. Sauté over high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously, which helps seal the juices and lightly browns the chicken. Then place the chicken on a plate and leave the remaining marinade in the pan.
Pour in the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan and stir in the onions, courgette and peppers. Sauté over high heat for 8 minutes, combining with the lovely marinade left in the pan, stirring often. The vegetables will soften and shrink in size at the end of this period. Stir in the chard and 150ml of the water and cook further 3 minutes, stirring often.
Stir the chicken back into the pan, along with the chopped tomato and the remaining 200ml water, season and combine well. Cover, bring to the boil then turn the heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes.
Stir in the rinsed cooked beans, combine well. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve warm with Cacik dip of yoghurt with cucumbers and with rice or bulgur pilaf aside.
Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table at Turkish Embassy, London and Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard cooked in olive oil

By Ozlem Warren on March 6, 2020 in Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 2

Merhaba Dear All,

It’s been a busy and exciting few months for Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, as it has been awarded as the Winner of the prestigious Gourmand World Cookery Book Award, in the Food Heritage Category for Turkey. The Gourmand Awards are often compared by journalists to the “Oscars” and we are absolutely delighted. Ozlem’s Turkish Table is now being reprinted with the Gourmand seal to reach out more Turkish food lovers around the world, with sincere thanks to all dear readers, Pinar UK and GB Publishing. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is available at this link and it is delivered worldwide.

I am delighted to share the latest news from Ozlem’s Turkish Table, and my new recipe, Courgette/zucchini, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil – Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla at this post, I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to have a go at delicious, wholesome Turkish cuisine.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Turkish Cuisine Presentation at the Turkish Embassy Residence, London

February also marked a very special event at the Turkish Embassy Residence in London. Our Turkish Ambassador HE Mr Yalcin and Mrs Yalcin very kindly hosted our Turkish Cuisine evening at the Turkish Embassy Residence in London on February 12th, with the participation of diplomats, press, distinguished guests in London. It was a real honor to do a presentation on our healthy, wholesome Turkish cuisine to our guests, with thousands years of culinary heritage. The journalist Ayse Arman was amongst the guests and very kindly did a wonderful write up about the evening and our efforts to promote Turkish cuisine abroad.

After my presentation and demonstration of Potatoes and bulgur patties with pomegranate molasses, Patatesli, bulgurlu kofte, Turkish Embassy chefs and kitchen staff very kindly prepared a feast from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, to serve our guests; it was an honor to see recipes from my cookery book prepared and displayed so beautifully, so very delighted that everyone enjoyed the evening. My very sincere thanks to our Ambassador and his wife, Mr and Mrs Yalcin, for hosting this wonderful event.

Courgette/zucchini, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil – Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla

I love Antakya’s traditional Patlicanli Mercimekli Mualla (as featured at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table); it has been very popular with the readers and at my cookery classes. While I was in Guru’s Place Cookery School in Kalkan, Turkey for my cookery class last year, a Turkish lady there saw our Aubergine with lentils dish and said that she makes another version with courgettes and adds pazi (similar to Swiss card to it); she said it is really lovely too. So inspired by her kind recommendation, here is my Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil, Kabakli Mercimekli Mualla.

And I must say, it is another scrumptious dish. This time, I baked this dish in the oven; baking brought a lovely sweetness to the courgette, peppers and onions and dried mint added delicious freshness. We make this recipe using the Turkish Zeytinyagli method (Vegetables cooked in olive oil) and it’s important to let the dish cool in the pan so it can rest and the flavors develop. Once cooked, it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, great for entertaining. It is packed with flavor and wholesome, also gluten-free and plant based. This dish also works very well as a filling in vegetarian lasagna (we tested this too and family loved it, recipe to follow soon). I hope you enjoy my recipe as below, Afiyet Olsun.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil; Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla

I love Antakya’s traditional Patlicanli Mercimekli Mualla (as featured at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table); it has been very popular with the readers and at my cookery classes. While I was in Guru’s Place Cookery School in Kalkan, Turkey for my cookery class last year, a Turkish lady there saw our Aubergine with lentils dish and said that she makes another version with courgettes and adds pazi (similar to Swiss card to it); she said it is really lovely too. So inspired by her kind recommendation, here is my Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil, Kabakli Mercimekli Mualla. And I must say, it is another scrumptious dish. This time, I baked this dish in the oven; baking brought a lovely sweetness to the courgette, peppers and onions and dried mint added delicious freshness. We make this recipe using the Turkish Zeytinyagli method (Vegetables cooked in olive oil) and it’s important to let the dish cool in the pan so it can rest and the flavors develop. Once cooked, it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, great for entertaining. It is packed with flavor and wholesome, also gluten-free and plant based.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian and Vegan

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

175g/6oz green lentils, rinsed
4-5 medium courgette/zucchini
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in half and thinly sliced
200gr/7oz Swiss chard or pazi, washed and roughly chopped
400g/14oz (1 can of) chopped tomatoes in juice
60ml/2fl oz olive oil
240ml/8fl oz water
45ml/3 tablespoons olive oil (to par bake courgettes and peppers)
5ml/1 teaspoon salt
5ml/1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
10ml/2 teaspoons dried mint
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F
Put the green lentils in a pan of boiling water, stir and cover. Simmer and par boil in low heat for 15 -20 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and cut each half into medium slices, about ½ cm, 0.2”. Spread them on a wide tray, sprinkle salt over and leave aside for 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, gently squeeze the excess water out of the courgette/zucchini.
Combine the sliced peppers and courgettes in an oven tray. Drizzle the 3 tbsp./45ml olive oil over them. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Par bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes; this will help courgettes and peppers to soften up and start bringing out their lovely sweet flesh.
In a large bowl, combine the partially cooked lentils, onion, garlic, chopped Swiss chard, chopped tomatoes, salt, dried mint, olive oil and the sugar (if used). Season with ground black pepper, check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
In a deep baking dish, place a layer of the par baked courgette and pepper slices. Spread the half of the vegetable and lentil mixture over evenly. Place the remainder of the courgette and pepper slices over the top and spread the remaining vegetable & lentil mixture over also. Add the water, cover with foil and bake at the preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for further 10-15 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables fully cooked and have started to have a nice crispy coating.
Once cooked, leave to cool at the baking dish: this will allow the flavors to develop and blend well. Serve at room temperature (or if preferred warm) with some crusty bread. This lovely dish can be served as a vegetarian main course or can accompany grills as a side.
Afiyet Olsun.

Healthy Turkish Vegetarian Feast Master Class – Divertimenti Cookery School, London

Sunday, March 15th, 2020 from 12.00- 15.30 (Hands – On Class)

Join Ozlem at Divertimenti Cookery School in London on Sunday, March 15th, from 12 – 3.30pm to create a Healthy Turkish Vegetarian Feast, including Baked beetroot with garlic, served with pomegranate molasses and seeds, Spicy Bulgur and Lentil soup (Ezo Gelin Corba), Filo pastry with courgette, cheese and dill, Medley of baked or sauteed aubergines, peppers and courgettes served in tomato sauce and garlicy yoghurt, finishing with Caramalised carrot paste delight with hazelnuts and shredded coconut and Turkish coffee, from her Gourmand World Cookbook award winning book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious and recipes can easily be adapted for gluten free and vegan needs too.

Participation is limited for this hands on class, if you like to join us, please kindly book your spot at this link; the class can also make a lovely gift for a foodie.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on Radio – Aubergine, lentils in olive oil

By Ozlem Warren on November 24, 2017 in Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 10

Merhaba dear all,

Ozlem’s Turkish Table; Recipes from My Homeland – available for pre-order now

My sincere thanks first of all for your most kind interest and comments for my upcoming Turkish cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Publishing a book is a labor of love and your warm feedback has been so greatly appreciated.

I wanted to inform you that you can now pre-order my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland at this link, not only with Paypal (direct or debit/credit card via Paypal) but also directly with your Debit or Credit Card , as well as Paying Offline, with a Bank transfer, to the account specified at this link. If paying Offline, please kindly include the Ref: GBPShop-your last name. I hope the Offline payment option would be useful especially to all who can’t use Paypal or credit cards, as in Turkey. Also Please kindly enter the promo code Pre-Order Special when it says “Enter a promo code” on the left side of your shopping cart to get your 10% discount.

Pre-orders will have the first priority of distribution worldwide in early March, prior the release of the book in April 2018.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table – Brooklands Radio Interview:

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on Brooklands Radio!

I had the pleasure to go on air at the Brooklands Radio in Surrey with dear Jill Bennet – being a music lover and an amateur radio DJ in my younger years in Istanbul, it was very exciting to be in the studio again!- We had a lovely chat on wholesome, delicious Turkish cuisine and on my upcoming Turkish cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. My book is a special tribute to especially to my southern Turkish roots and my home town Antakya – Hatay, who recently became a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, a title that Hatay so rightly deserves. It was wonderful to chat about this magical land and its scrumptious cuisine. Here’s the podcast of our interview, if you would like to listen to it.

What I have been cooking lately..

Aubergines, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, Mercimekli Mualla, from my upcoming cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland

Mercimekli Mualla, aubergines, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, which is also at my upcoming cookery book, has been a huge hit at my cookery book introduction and pre-order event last week. A delicious specialty from Antakya, this lovely dish ticks many boxes being vegan and gluten-free too. Dried mint and olive oil flavour the green lentils and aubergine/eggplant beautifully. Here’s my recipe link for Mercimekli Mualla, I hope you enjoy it.

My best wishes for the Holiday Season and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem