Tag Archives | olive oil

Broad (Fava) Beans Salad in Two Ways; in olive oil and garlic yoghurt

By Ozlem Warren on April 26, 2011 in Appetizers and Mezes, Salads 7

Broad beans with peppers, spring onion, dill in olive oil sauce

Broad beans with poached egg and garlic yoghurt

Broad Beans (Fava Beans) with bell peppers, olive oil, dill and lemon juice – Fava Salatasi

Here are two delicious ideas to enjoy broad beans, and I am sure the taste will be at least doubled if you can get the fresh ones. Combination of dill, lemon juice and olive oil is a favorite way of flavoring broad beans at home. Hope you can get to try sometime.

Broad beans are a great source of protein and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins A, B1 and B2. In the US, they’re known as fava beans. This delicious and easy salad would be a great appetizer or light lunch served with crusty bread and perhaps with some olives.

Serves 2 Preparation time: 20 minutes

175gr/6oz tender broad beans (in water) or even better, fresh broad beans

2 spring (green) onions, finely chopped

1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon 10ml/2 teaspoon fresh dill, coarsely chopped

15ml/1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

5ml/1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

If using tender broad beans in water, empty the contents in a colander. Put the broad beans in a pan with fresh water and simmer gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the water and set the broad beans aside.

If using fresh broad beans, they should be podded, unless they are very young and tender. Put the beans in a pan, cover with boiling water, return to the boil and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then drain, empty into cold water, slit each pod along its seam and run your thumb along the furry inside to push the beans out.

In a serving bowl, combine the broad beans with the rest of the ingredients except the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Make sure to season well with salt and pepper and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over.

Serve with some crusty or pita bread; green and black kalamata olives go well with this salad.

Afiyet Olsun!

Tender Broad Beans with Garlic and Yoghurt Sauce and Poached Eggs – Cilbir Yumurta ve Sarimsak Yogurtlu Fava Salatasi

This is another exciting way of enjoying broad (fava) beans, which I recently experimented. It is quite common to serve poached egg with garlic yoghurt at home and this combination has gone really well with the broad beans. This dish would make a lovely lunch with some pita bread or a delicious meze (appetizer).

Serves 2 Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

175gr/6oz tender broad beans (in water) or even better, fresh broad beans

10ml/2teaspoons fresh dill, coarsely chopped

5ml/1teaspoon red pepper flakes

10ml/2teaspoons juice of lemon

15ml/1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 free range eggs

30ml/2tablespoons white wine vinegar

For garlic yoghurt:

2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

90ml/6 tablespoons plain natural yoghurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprigs of dill and red pepper flakes to decorate

In a bowl, combine the broad beans with dill, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and olive oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, mix well. Divide the salad into two individual serving plates.

In a small bowl, beat the yoghurt with garlic and seasoning. Spoon this into two serving plates and spread over the broad beans mixture.

Fill a small pan with water, add the vinegar (this will help sealing the egg whites) and bring to a boil. Stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack in the first egg.

As the egg spins and the white sets around the yolk, stir the water ready for the next one. Poach each egg for 2-3 minutes so that the yolk remains soft.

Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them over the garlic yoghurt spread.

Sprinkle red pepper flakes over and a few sprigs of dill. Serve immediately with some nice bread to mop up the salad’s delicious juices.

Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem

Bulgur Pilaf with green lentils, served with caramelized onions -Mercimekli As

By Ozlem Warren on March 29, 2011 in Pilafs and Rice, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 6

This wonderful, bulgur and lentils pilaf with caramelized onions over the top, also known as Mujaddara, is popular at my hometown, ancient Antioch – Antakya, as well as through the Levant and the Middle East with variations. Meals made with bulgur, combined with vegetables and pulses are generally called “As” in southern Turkiye; this pilaf was one of our much loved comfort food growing up at home. The Middle Eastern version, Mujaddara, is generally made with rice rather than bulgur.

The sweetness of the caramelized onions complements the lentils and bulgur really well. I like to serve it with spicy pickled peppers or a green salad with a sharp lemon juice and olive oil dressing as well as this Pickled cucumbers and beets from my new book SEBZE; they complement the pilaf wonderfully. Easy, healthy and delicious, this pilaf can be kept in fridge for 2-3 days.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Variation: I had some chestnut mushrooms that needed using the other day. So I sautéed the slices of the mushrooms with some crushed garlic, and then added a handful of chopped parsley. Seasoned with salt and pepper and added a juice of 1/2 lemon to the mixture for a nice tangy finish. I served the bulgur and green lentils pilaf with this sautéed mushrooms, it was delightful. Just another idea for serving.

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes

225gr/8oz/1 cup green lentils
350gr/12oz bulgur wheat, rinsed
15ml/1 tablespoon mild olive oil
750ml/ 1/4 pints/3cups hot water
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
45ml/3 tablespoons mild olive oil
Pickled green and red peppers

Boil the green lentils in a heavy pan with plenty of hot water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and set the green lentils aside.

Combine the half cooked green lentils and rinsed the bulgur wheat in a heavy pan. Pour in the hot water and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine thoroughly. Bring to boil for 1-2 minutes, and then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer until all the liquid has been completely absorbed (about 15 minutes).

While the pilaf is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan and stir in the onion slices. Over a medium heat, cook the onion slices for about 15 minutes until they start to get caramelized, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the bulgur and green lentils pilaf with the caramelized onion slices over the top. Spicy pickled peppers, pickled cucumbers from my new book SEBZE or a green salad with a sharp lemon juice and olive oil dressing would go really well with the pilaf. Cacik dip of yoghurt with cucumbers and garlic is also lovely with this wholesome meal.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem x

Baked Salmon with Onions, Red Peppers and Lemon – Soganli, Kirmizi Biberli Firinda Somon

By Ozlem Warren on March 29, 2011 in Seafood 5

Baked Salmon with onion, peppers and lemon

Turkey is surrounded by the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea and we get a good variety of fish. Generally, fish is bought very fresh, straight off the boats or from the fish markets. When it comes to cooking fish, Turks are purists and they don’t do much to it; you wouldn’t see any sauce around the fish served at home. Grilled fish is mostly served with a little dash of olive oil, grilled vegetables and fresh green salad with sliced red onions by the side. I love the simplicity of this baked salmon recipe, yet it is packed with flavor. The sweetness of the onions and red peppers go very well with the tangy lemon taste and their marriage works heavenly with the baked salmon.

Serves 2-4
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

500gr/1 1/4lb salmon fillets
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small pointy red pepper (or bell pepper), sliced
4 slices of lemon
30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4

In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil. Stir in the onions and red peppers and cook until soft (for about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.

Spread the foil (that is large enough to enclose all the fish) on a baking tray and place the salmon fillets on it. Spread the sautéed onions and red peppers on the fillets evenly. Place a slice of lemon on each fillet, season with salt and ground black pepper. Wrap the foil to make into a packet by pulling up the sides and pinching the edges tightly, leaving a little room for the steam to escape. Place the tray in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes (please refer to cooking instructions at the packaging as cooking time may vary with the size of the fish).

Once cooked, open up the packet, and serve the salmon hot with the onion, red pepper and lemon garnish. A green salad with lemon & olive oil dressing or steamed vegetables of your choice would go well with this dish.

Enjoy, Afiyet Olsun!

Ozlem