Tag Archives | Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book

Cerkez Tavugu – Circassian chicken with walnut sauce

By Ozlem Warren on August 1, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes 22

Cerkez Tavugu; Circassian chicken with walnut sauce; simply delicious and wholesome

During the Ottoman reign, the Sultans took a particular liking to women of Circassian origin and many were captured to serve in the harems as concubines and wives. These fair beauties delighted the Sultans and with them came this dish. Originally the dish was made with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, used liberally in Circassian cuisine and I love it this way. However the palace chefs decided to create their own tamer version. This is a great option for a light lunch, served with a green salad and toasted bread or steamed vegetables. This meze also makes a great sandwich filler!

You can also spice up your left over chicken roast with this walnut sauce, as well as a delicious use for your fleft over bread. No cream, no mayonnaise, just with such a tasty, healthy dressing, you can create a delicious chicken dish.

Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table book, available to order at this link

Turkish cuisine has such a rich culinary heritage; it is also healthy and Turkish recipes are easy to make – it is a pleasure to share our authentic Turkish recipes here in my blog and also at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table are available at this link and it is delivered promptly, worldwide including US and Canada, if you’d like to get a copy.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Serves 6-8
Preparation time – 30 minutes Cooking time – 1 hour

1 Whole chicken, trimmed of excess fat OR
225 gr / 8 oz chicken breast and 225 gr/8 oz chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
350 gr/12 oz walnuts, crushed
4 slices of stale bread, crusts removed * (you can use gluten-free bread to make this dish gluten-free)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed with salt
10 ml/ 2 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes – if not available, paprika or cayenne pepper
1 small bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:
30 ml/ 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
5 ml/1 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes/paprika flakes
1 handful shelled walnuts, chopped
Roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)

Combine the chicken leg and breast, the onion and water to almost cover the chicken in a large pan, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, discard the skin (if whole chicken used), strip the meat from the bones, tear into thin strips and put to one side. Reserve the cooking liquid.

For the walnut dressing, soak the bread in a little of the reserved cooking liquid. Squeeze dry and crumble the bread into a bowl with walnuts, garlic cloves, salt and red pepper flakes. In a food processor blitz these together to form a paste. Add a spoonful at a time of the reserved cooking liquid until a creamy consistency is obtained. Fold in the coriander (cilantro) leaves and season with salt and pepper if needed.

In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with half the walnut dressing. Pour onto a serving plate and cover with the remaining sauce. You can refrigerate at this stage until required.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil and add the Turkish red pepper flakes, cook gently for about a minute. To serve, sprinkle the dressed chicken with chopped walnuts, sprigs of coriander (cilantro) and a drizzle of the red pepper flakes / paprika infused oil over it.

Turkish Style Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Pepper, Feta; Menemen

By Ozlem Warren on July 29, 2010 in Turkish Breakfast, Turkish Street Food 10

Turkish breakfast is my favouite meal of the day and we Turks love an unrushed, delicious spread of Turkish breakfast, especially at the weekend. Eggs prepared in different ways, salads, savoury pastries such as borek and gozleme, simit and many more adorn our breakfast table. Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers (and sometimes with beyaz penir, Turkish white cheese) is one of my homeland’s favorite brunch item, and a great street food. This delicious scrambled egg with vegetables is packed with flavour, it is nutritious and gets ready in minutes. There are many versions of it – garlic, onion, any choice of cheese, spinach would go well too. Served with nice crusty bread and a little garlic yoghurt by the side, this dish can make a wonderful light supper or a substantial lunch option.

Turkish breakfast spread from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, available to order now

I have a whole chapter on Turkish breakfast at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland and I truly hope you enjoy recreating your own Turkish breakfast. You can order my cookery book at this link, if you’d like.

Serves 4

Preparation time : 5 – 10 minutes Cooking time : About 5 minutes

8 eggs
1 green bell pepper, finely sliced
3 spring (green) onions, finely sliced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely diced
15 ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
15 ml/1 tablespoon butter
120 gr/4 oz Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
5-10 ml/ 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the butter and the olive oil in a frying pan. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, at low to medium heat. Add the spring onions, tomatoes and red pepper flakes, mix well. Crack the eggs in a bowl and mix. Add the feta cheese, combine well. Stir in the egg mixture to the frying pan and give it a good stir. Scramble the eggs until they are just done, retaining their juice. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a little more red pepper flakes sprinkled if you would like. Serve with toasted or crusty bread.

Afiyet Olsun !

Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomato, peppers, white cheese or feta cheese – Menemen

Fasulye Piyazi – Turkish bean salad with vegetables

By Ozlem Warren on July 8, 2010 in Salads 9

Bean salad with onions, tomatoes, olives and boiled eggs - Fasulye piyazl

Bean salad with onions, tomatoes, olives and boiled eggs – Fasulye piyazi

I love this tasty, nourishing Turkish bean salad, Fasulye Piyazi. At home, traditionally we serve fasulye piyazi with grilled meatballs, koftes. There are traditional restaurants, lokantas, at home that solely serve Turkish style meatballs, fasulye piyaz and pickled cucumber and peppers. This salad is also a great alternative for lunch, as I like to have, served with some nice crusty bread or in can be a part of a meze spread or accompany grills as a side.

I like to use both black and green olives, the Greek or Spanish olives work well if you can’t find Turkish olives.

Turkish cuisine is based on seasonal produce and very healthy; we have a wide variety of salads (including this bean salad), hot and cold mezzes, vegetables cooked in olive oil and they are all featured at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland; signed copies are now 25 % OFF at this link, if you’d like to grab yours. I am also delighted to share with you that we also designed this lovely Ozlem’s Turkish Table apron. It is special to my heart, as it is made in Turkey, with my hometown Antakya’s celebrated daphne leaves in the hand embroidered design – you can get yours at this link. Delivered worldwide including the US.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 10 – 15 minutes

2×400 gr/2 (14 oz) cans of precooked cannellini beans
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
45-60 ml/3-4 tablespoon olives, halved and stones removed
2 hardboiled eggs, quartered
A handful of flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
5 ml/1 teaspoon salt
30 ml/ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
5 ml/1 teaspoon ground sumac – optional-
1/2 teaspoon paprika flakes – optional –
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the cooked beans in a bowl, after draining its juice and rinsing over warm water. Work salt and sumac into the onion slices with your hands really well. This will soften the onions and make them more palatable. Add the onion, chopped tomatoes, half of the olives, parsley and paprika flakes into the bowl. Wisk together the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and pour over this mixture.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine well. Arrange on a serving plate and garnish with the eggs and remaining olives.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until required.

Afiyet Olsun!

Note: If you prefer to use the dried beans, you need to soak them in water overnight. Then drain the beans and put in a pan with plenty of fresh water. Cook about 60 minutes or until tender, adding salt toward the end of cooking time. Drain and set aside in a bowl, to be used in this salad.