Tag Archives | olive oil

Shepherd’s Salad with Sumac – Sumakli Coban Salata

By Ozlem Warren on October 13, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes, Salads 8

Shepherd’s Salad with tangy sumac, delicious and refreshing

An easy, utterly delicious and healthy salad that complements main courses, it is also great to have for lunch with some cheese and crusty bread. The simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning is just right. Sprinkle some tangy sumac over the salad for extra zing and flavor.

Serves 4

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Half of a large cucumber, about 160 gr/5 ½ oz, cut in quarters and sliced
2-3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 spring (green) onions, finely chopped
Handful of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
30 ml/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon

5ml/1tsp. ground sumac
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and the parsley in a bowl. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Sprinkle ground sumac over for an extra zing and flavor.

I am passionate about my homeland’s delicious, healthy Turkish cuisine. Signed hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is now 30 % Off at this link, for a limited time and delivered worldwide including the USA. You can also see the ebook, kindle options too.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Baked bread with egg and vegetables

By Ozlem Warren on September 19, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes, Turkish Breakfast 2

This is a wonderful and easy bake for the weekend brunch or everyday lunch. I always loved the smell of the baked melted cheese happily married with the egg and tomato & spring onions on bread. We also make this and variations of it, using ingredients she had to hand, for Suhoor (the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting during Ramadan). It is a delicious way to use up leftover bread, vegetables and cheese.

Variation: Chopped up peppers, courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms all work well here. You can use sliced olives instead of cheese. You can also omit the eggs and use a plant-based cheese for a vegan alternative.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Here is my recipe from my book SEBZE (At the All-Day Breakfast chapter), I hope you enjoy it. You can get a copy of SEBZE here, worldwide.

Afuyet olsun,

Ozlem

Serves 3–4

3 medium eggs

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and finely chopped

85 g (3 oz) medium Cheddar (or Turkish kaşar peyniri), grated

110 g (3¾ oz) mozzarella, grated

small handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil or coriander/cilantro), chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 chunky slices of bread

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, spring onions, grated cheeses, herbs and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Place the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Spread the mixture evenly on each slice and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the topping starts to melt and turn golden.

Ezo Gelin Corba; Turkish Spicy Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup

By Ozlem Warren on September 7, 2010 in Soups 71

Ezo Gelin Corbasi; Spicy Turkish lentil & bulgur soup with dried mint and red pepper flakes; wholesome and delicious

Soups have a special place in Turkish cuisine and the meals mostly start with them. 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. It is also a great example of how we add flavor to our dishes thru spices. Named after the bride “Ezo” who managed to impress her in-laws with this heartwarming soup, this soup 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.

Note: Red pepper paste, biber salcasi, adds a wonderful, rich flavour to the soup. You can make your own red pepper paste, biber salcasi, with my recipe here.

Ezo Gelin Corba and many other authentic, wholesome vegetarian Turkish recipes are included at my new cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen. You can order a copy here worldwide.

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

290 gr/1 cup split red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
45 gr / 3 tablespoons coarse bulgur wheat, rinsed and drained
1.75 litres / 7 1/2 cups water
60 g / 2 oz tomato paste

40 g / 1 1/2 oz Turkish hot red pepper paste, biber salcasi
30ml /2 tablespoons olive oil

15ml/1 tablespoon dried mint

Juice of 1 lemon

To Serve:
10 ml / 2 tsp dried mint
5 ml / 1 tsp pul biber, red pepper flakes / paprika flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges to serve

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, medium-sized pot and stir in the onions. Cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often, this will soften the onions. Add the lentils and the water. Cover and bring the pot to the boil. Cook over a medium to low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the bulgur, tomato paste, red pepper paste and dried mint, season with salt and ground black pepper. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, until the bulgur is cooked. Add some more water if the soup appears to be too thick. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well.

To serve, pour 2 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and stir in the dried mint and pul biber / red pepper flakes. Stir and gently cook over a low heat for about 40 seconds. Pour in this sauce into the soup and combine well.

Serve hot with lemon wedges by the side.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem