Tag Archives | Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book

Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes, parsley and sumac

By Ozlem Warren on February 6, 2017 in Salads, Turkish Cooking Classes 23

Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes, parsley and sumac

We had a delicious Turkish cookery class at the Divertimenti Cookery School in London on Jan. 29th with enthusiastic participants. This vibrant and easy Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes and parsley, flavored with sumac was a big hit from the class. It is a traditional salad at home, especially popular alongside Turkish meatballs, Kofte, as well as Lahmacun, Turkish thin pizza with minced meat and vegetables topping. I love the tangy sumac with the red onions in this salad, gives a refreshing, zingy flavor, so delicious.

Rolling Piyaz Salad inside Lahmacun, delicious

We also made Lahmacun, thin Turkish pizza with minced/ground meat topping at our Turkish cookery class – another big hit! – We then placed some Piyaz Salad in the middle of Lahmacun and rolled to eat, as we do it traditionally at home. Such a wonderful combination. Here’s my Lahmacun recipe, if you like to make it at home.

Wonderful participants of my Jan. 29th Turkish Cookery Class at Divertimenti Cookery School, London.

I am passionate about healthy, delicious Turkish cuisine; this recipe and over 90 healthy, authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies are now 20 % this link and delivered worldwide including USA, if you like to get a signed copy.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table; Recipes from My Homeland – can be purchased at this link (signed copies!)

I hope you enjoy this easy, delicious, healthy Piyaz Salad, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 2 reviews

Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes, parsley and sumac

This vibrant and healthy Piyaz Salad gets ready in no time and it is so delicious. Red onions and tomatoes work very well with the tangy sumac; we tradionally enjoy this salad with Lahmacun, Turkish thin pizza with minced/ground meat topping, as well as Turkish meatballs. It is also a lovely salad served with cheese, olives and hummus.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Salads

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 medium tomatoes, quartered and roughly chopped
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon salt
15ml/1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
10 ml/2 teaspoon ground sumac
½ teaspoon paprika flakes – optional –
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Rub and work sumac and the salt into the onion slices with your hands really well (this will soften the onions and help spices infuse in well).
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, parsley and paprika flakes, combine well.
Wisk together the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the piyaz salad. Season with more salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve Piyaz Salad with feta cheese, olives and/or hummus for a delicious spread. Piyaz Salad is also the ultimate accompaniment of Lahmacun and Turkish meatballs, kofte.

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style – Çılbır

By Ozlem Warren on December 6, 2016 in Appetizers and Mezes, Gluten-free recipes 20

We Turks love eggs done many different ways; one of our favorite ways to enjoy egg is as being poached and served over garlic yoghurt, a special dish called Çılbır in Turkish. Çılbır is generally enjoyed as a hot mezze though I also like serving as part of a leisurely weekend Turkish breakfast, lunch or a light supper, along with a refreshing salad like Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and some pide bread or crusty bread. Make sure your eggs are fresh and ideally free-range for the best results (fresh eggs have a thicker white near the yolk that hold a round shape as it cooks).

I prepare a simple pul biber or red pepper flakes infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from the red pepper flakes complements the dish beautifully. How about making your own Simit, Sesame crusted Turkish bread rings, to enjoy with Çılbır ? They go very well together

I hope you enjoy this simple yet very satisfying dish, Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style - Cilbir

I hope you enjoy this delicious poached eggs in garlic yoghurt, Turkish Style, called Cilbir. I like to prepare a simple red pepper flakes infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from the red pepper flakes complements the dish beautifully.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian, eggs, Turkish Style

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 small garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
400g/14oz strained yoghurt, brought to room temperature
2 large free range eggs
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml / 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pide bread or crusty bread to serve

Instructions

Prepare the garlic yoghurt first – about 30 minutes before poaching the eggs – and bring to the room temperature.
In a small bowl, beat the yoghurt with garlic and seasoning. Spoon this into two serving plates, creating a round thick layer to provide a nest for the poached egg. Let the yoghurt mixture reach the room temperature.
Fill a small pan with hot 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.
While the eggs are poaching, quickly pour in the olive oil in a small pan and stir in the Turkish pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes, over medium to high heat. Stir and let the red pepper flakes infuse to olive oil for a few minutes, turn the heat off.
Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them over a couple of sturdy paper towels, to drain the excess moisture. Then gently place them over to the garlic yoghurt spread.
Drizzle the red pepper flakes infused olive oil over the poached eggs. Serve immediately with pide bread or crusty bread by the side.
Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions would also go well with this delicious poached eggs over garlic yoghurt, Cilbir; Afiyet Olsun.

Turkish cuisine is healthy, easy to prepare and so delicious. We Turks especially love our Turkish breakfast with eggs done different ways, salads, boreks (savoury pastries) and more. I love Turkish Breakfast so much that there’s a whole chapter dedicated to it, at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Signed hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is available at this link and delivered worldwide, including the US (please kindly note that Çılbır is not included at my current cookery book).

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on Brooklands Radio

At Brooklands Radio, with Jill Bennett, talking about healthy Turkish Cuisine.

I had the pleasure of having an interview with Jill Bennet on healthy Turkish cuisine at the Brooklands Radio on Sunday, 27^th November. It was wonderful to have a chance to talk and spread the word on wholesome, delicious Turkish cuisine – and had a flash back of happy memories of my amateur DJ days at Kent FM in Istanbul! – Here is the podcast link of our interview, if you like to listen to.

Turkish Vegetable Soup with Orzo – Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

By Ozlem Warren on November 2, 2016 in Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book, Soups, Turkish Cooking Classes 21

Turkish vegetable soup with orzo; Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

Soup have a special place in Turkish cuisine; traditionally meals always start with a soup. For my small family, a hearty soup can be a main course itself with some nice crusty bread next to it. I made this lovely Turkish vegetable soup with orzo pasta today and it went down very well. My son was under the weather and after having the soup, he said, “I love this corba, mummy, just what the doctor ordered!” – best compliment to my ears.

Orzo pasta or “sehriye” as we call it in Turkish fits in this soup very well, thickens the broth beautifully and makes it substantial. Being a lemon fan, I give a generous squeeze, with plenty of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper over the soup for a delicious heat, when serving. You can also crumble some feta cheese over the top before serving if you’d like too. For a gluten-free option, you can use rice instead of orzo pasta.

Many wholesome soups, regional specialties, pastries, vegetables cooked in olive oil and more are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, Signed copies now 25 % Off at this link, as well as our new Ozlem’s Turkish Table apron here, delivered worldewide including the US.

I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy and wholesome Turkish soup, Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 3 reviews

Turkish Vegetable Soup with Orzo - Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

This delicious vegetarian soup, Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi, is easy, delicious and wholesome. Orzo pasta or "sehriye" as we call it in Turkish fits in this soup very well, thickens the broth beautifully and makes it substantial. Being a lemon fan, I give a generous squeeze, with plenty of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper over the soup for a delicious heat, when serving. You can also crumble some feta cheese over the top before serving if you'd like too. For a gluten-free option, you can use rice instead of orzo pasta.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian Soups

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow or green), deseeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped in small pieces
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
180 gr / 6¼ oz / 1 full cup orzo pasta
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
400 gr / 1 can of chopped tomatoes
½ tbsp. double concentrated tomato puree
1.10 litres / 2 pints hot water or vegetable stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Extra wedges of lemon to serve
Crusty bread or pide bread to serve

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, wide sauce pan and add the onions, peppers and carrots. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, they will start to soften up.
Pour in the hot water or vegetable stock. Also pour in the chopped canned tomatoes and the tomato puree, stir well. Cover and bring to to the boil.
Stir the pot and cover again, cook for 10 minutes at medium to low heat.
Then add the orzo pasta, season with salt and ground black pepper and combine well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes at medium to low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once the orzo pasta is cooked, stir in the parsley, pour in the lemon juice and combine well. Check the seasoning and add more salt and ground black pepper, if needed. Turn the heat off.
Serve hot with Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes over the soup, with extra wedges of lemon and crusty bread by the side. Afiyet Olsun.