Primary

Navigation

Culinary Tours

Find out more

Cookery Classes

I teach Turkish cooking classes in England,Turkey & USA, hope you can join us!,
Find Out More

Recipes    

Turkish cuisine provides healthy, hearty, delicious food for family and friends.
Find out more

Tag Archives | Ozlem’s Turkish Table

Online Cookery Classes coming up! And Stuffed aubergines with lentils, Mercimekli Karniyarik

By on September 23, 2020 in Gluten-free recipes, Online Turkish Cookery Course, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 0

Joint Online Cookery Class with Ozlem’s Turkish Table and Peri’s Spice Ladle

Saturday, October 10th; 9am PT (5pm UK)

I am absolutely delighted and so excited to be teaching a joint online cookery class with dear friend, author and fellow food blogger, Peri Avari  owner of the wonderful blog Peri’s Spice Ladle.  Peri is an amazing cook, culinary teacher and food consultant, with a wide range of food industry experience accross the globe; she is also very passionate about her Parsi heritage and cuisine. Our friendship and love of sharing our cuisines goes back over 10 years. Peri and I used to live in Austin – TX over 12 years ago and we used to run a monthly cooking club  – along with friends with Italian and British heritage- where each month one of us would run a cooking class of that cuisine and teach others. We would then enjoy the fruits of our labour with our families – food has always been so delicious but that time we spent together has been the most precious.

Peri and I are now so excited to carry on sharing our passion for our cuisines at this very special online cookery class on  Saturday, October 10th; 9am PT (5pm UK) –  to 10.15am PT (6.15pm UK) Peri in California – US and I will be in England – UK. We can’t wait to have your company at our cookery class! I will be making Aubergine/lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil, Mercimekli Mualla, a delicious vegan and gluten-free dish from my hometown Antakya -Turkey and Peri will be demonstrating Parsi Tamota per Eedu (Stovetop spicy tangy tomato frittata) a popular family recipe that highlights the Parsi love for cooking eggs with vegetables. We will finish off Ozlem demonstrating how to make Turkish coffee and Peri, her Parsi Choi with hint of fresh mint, ginger and cardamom. We will talk about similarities and variations in our cuisines, our food stories and of course will answer any questions you may have.

Here is the booking link for this special class; participation is limited registration is open worldwide. Both Peri and I can’t wait to cook with you all – do hope to see you at the class!

Ozlem’s Turkish Table ~ Peri’s Spice Ladle Joint Virtual Cooking Class, October 10th – Register Here

My Turkish Meze Feast Online Class with Milk Street Cooking School

Saturday, December 5th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT

I am delighted to be teaching a Turkish meze feast online class with Milk Street Cooking School on Saturday, December 5th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT. We will be making the ever popular Traybake filo pastry with spinach and feta (Ispanakli, Peynirli Borek) and a spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses (Kisir), from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book. Fantastic recipes that we can recreate at home, great for the upcoming holiday season too.

Please register at this link, if you like to join our Turkish Meze Feast online class.

Spinach and cheese pie with filo pastry – Ispanakli, Peynirli Borek

About this Event

Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious and, with a little bit of confidence, so easy to make. Join guest chef Özlem Warren, author of the cookbook “Özlem’s Turkish Table,” as she takes you on a culinary journey to Turkey and shows you how to make two delicious mezes: the ever-popular traybake filo pastry with spinach and feta (Ispanakli, Peynirli Borek) and a spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses (Kisir), both from Özlem’s homeland, Turkey. Mezes are delightful appetizers that play an important role in Turkish cuisine and are perfect to share with family and friends. During the class, Özlem will also offer ideas for substitutions, tips for cooking and freezing ahead of time, and stories from her home. Join Özlem for a meze feast!

Turkish Cuisine Presentation with the Oklahoma University, Schusterman Library

Last Thursday, I had the honor of presenting Turkish cuisine on a special zoom event, very kindly hosted by the Oklahoma University, Schusterman Library. It was well attended with folks all round the world and we got such positive feedback. For the folks who missed it, here is the Youtube video of our session, I hope you enjoy it:

Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with lentils and vegetables;  Mercimekli Karniyarik

My family loves Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with minced/ground meat and vegetables, one of my favourite dishes growing up in Turkey too. We equally love lentils; in an attempt for my children to enjoy lentils more, I made this plant based version of Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with green lentils and vegetables, Mercimekli Karniyarik. Filling has been similar to Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil recipe. I used green peppers here and added pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes in the seasoning, along with the refreshing dried mint. The end result has been so very delicious and light in flavour – delighted to report  the children loved it too.

I sprinkled some grated cheese (mild grated mozzarella, Turkish beyaz peynir or feta cheese would all work well) over a couple of our Stuffed aubergines, this version has been a delicious variation too. You can prepare the filling ahead of time; this lovely dish tastes even better the next day and freezes well.

I am passionate about healthy Turkish cuisine, packed full of wholesome, delicious recipes. It is based on seasonal produce and we use wholegrains, pulses and legumes frequently. Dishes are flavoured naturally with olive oil, nuts, spices and natural condiments like pomegranate molasses. A lot of options for vegetarian and plant based diets too, in Turkish cuisine. Over 90 healthy, delicious Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed hardback copies are now 25 % OFF via GBPublishing.org available at this link and delivered worldwide, including US and Canada; you can also see kindle and other options here too, if interested.

 

Stuffed aubergines with lentils, Mercimekli Karniyarik
 
Print
My family loves Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with minced/ground meat and vegetables, one of my favourite dishes growing up in Turkey too. We equally love lentils; in an attempt for my children to enjoy lentils more, I made this plant based version of Karniyarik, using green lentils and vegetables, Mercimekli Karniyarik. Filling has been similar to Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil recipe. I used green peppers here and added pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes in the seasoning, along with the refreshing dried mint. The end result has been so very delicious and light in flavour – delighted to report the children loved it too. I sprinkled some grated cheese (mild grated mozzarella, Turkish beyaz peynir or feta cheese would all work well) over a couple of our Stuffed aubergines, this version has been a delicious variation too. You can prepare the filling ahead of time; this lovely dish tastes even better the next day and freezes well.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian, Vegan
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 dark purple medium aubergines/eggplants
  • 60ml/4tbsp green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped (save 4 thin strips of green peppers for decoration)
  • 200g/7oz (1/2 can of) chopped tomatoes
  • 90ml/3fl oz water
  • 60ml/4tbsp light olive oil, canola oil or groundnut oil to par bake the aubergine halves
  • 30ml/2tbsp olive oil (for the filling)
  • 4 slices of tomato for decoration
  • 30ml/2tbsp grated cheese (mozzarella or beyaz peynir, feta cheese ) – optional –
  • 10ml/2tsp dried mint
  • 5ml/1tsp Turkish pul biber or chili flakes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
  2. Cut the aubergines/eggplants in half lengthways leaving the stalk intact. In each half of the aubergine, cut a deep split lengthways without cutting through to the skin on the opposite side and leaving ½in/13mm uncut at either end. Sprinkle salt over the flesh side of the aubergines and leave them aside for 15 minutes.
  3. Dry the aubergines/eggplants with kitchen towel thoroughly. Place them on a baking tray, skin side down. Pour in the light olive oil (or canola or groundnut oil) over the aubergine halves and rub the oil all round them. Bake in the preheated oven (200C/400F) for 30-35 minutes, until they soften and start to get a nice brown colour at the edges.
  4. While aubergines are baking, put the green lentils in a pan of boiling water, stir and cover. Simmer in low heat for 15 minutes. Drain the water and place the lentils in a medium sized bowl.
  5. Combine the partially cooked lentils with onion, garlic, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, salt, dried mint, olive oil and Turkish pul biber or chili flakes in the bowl. Season with ground black pepper; check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
  6. Take out the partially baked aubergines from the oven and turn the heat down to 180C/350F.
  7. Once cool enough to handle, gently open up the cavity of the softened aubergines. Place them on a baking dish. Spoon the filling into the cavity of the aubergine/eggplant halves, also some over the top. Place a slice of tomato and pepper on each half. Pour 90ml/3fl oz water on the can of chopped tomatoes you have used, to finish off the left over tomato sauce. Mix and pour this on the baking tray. Cover and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
  8. Then uncover the baking dish, and if you prefer, sprinkle some grated cheese over. Bake further 10 minutes or until they are tender and the aubergines/eggplants are nicely browned on top.
  9. Serve warm or at room temperature, with pide ekmek or crusty bread aside.
  10. Afiyet Olsun.
Continue Reading

Spiced Bulgur balls with leafy greens, peppers, onions-Bulgurlu Kofte

By on June 11, 2020 in Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 4

 

Merhaba Dear All,

I hope this note finds you all well. We have been enjoying this delicious vegan bulgur balls, Bulgur Koftesi, with sautéed greens, onions, peppers, and I wanted to share with you too. Bulgur is a main staple in southern Turkish cuisine and enjoyed in multiple ways –such as in salads as in Kisir, Spicy Bulgur Wheat Salad in bulgur patties as in Oruk, our version of baked kibbeh, in pilafs and more. This delicious bulgur kofte is from southern Turkey; in Antakya, the sauce is mainly made with spinach or pazi, similar to Swiss chard and garlic. In my version, I included sautéed onions and peppers to the mix too; their natural sweetness really complemented the cumin spiced bulgur balls, along with the greens. Spinach, Swiss chard or spring greens would work well here as alternatives. With the freshness from squeeze of lemon and a delicious heat from pul biber or red pepper flakes, it is a lovely meal. You can serve as meze or as a main with cucumber and yoghurt dip aside. These Baked potatoes with olives, peppers and red onions can be a nice accompaniment too. If you prefer not to use red pepper paste, you can use concentrated tomato paste, though the red pepper paste does add a deliciously rich flavor. You can also make your own red pepper paste, biber salcasi, with my recipe here.

Bulgur is a nutty grain and these bulgur balls are not soft, they are quite sturdy. Rolling them in smaller balls and coating them with olive oil once they boiled, help to keep them moist. If you like to have them in a more juicy sauce, you may like to try this delicious rich tomato sauce with aubergines, as I have done at my Bulgur balls in aubergine and tomato sauce, Patlicanli Eksi Asi recipe here, to go with these bulgur balls too.  I hope you enjoy this delicious, vegan Bulgur balls, Bulgurlu Kofte, great for preparing ahead of time too.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Spiced Bulgur balls with leafy greens, peppers, onions - Bulgurlu Kofte
 
Print
I hope you enjoy this delicious vegan bulgur balls, Bulgur Koftesi, with sautéed leafy greens, onions, peppers, from my southern Turkish roots. in Antakya, the sauce is mainly made with spinach or pazi, similar to Swiss chard and garlic. In my version, I included sautéed onions and red peppers to the mix too; their natural sweetness really complemented the cumin spiced bulgur balls, along with the greens. Spinach, Swiss chard or spring greens would work well here as alternatives. With the freshness from squeeze of lemon and a delicious heat from pul biber or red pepper flakes, it is a lovely meal. You can serve as mezze or as a main with cucumber and yoghurt dip aside. Bulgur is a nutty grain and these bulgur balls are not soft, they are quite sturdy. Rolling them in smaller balls and coating them with olive oil once they boiled, help to keep them moist. If you like to have them in a more juicy sauce, you may like to try this delicious rich tomato sauce with aubergines, as I have done at my Bulgur balls in aubergine and tomato sauce, Patlicanli Eksi Asi recipe at my blog, to go with these bulgur balls too. Afiyet Olsun.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan, Bulgur Balls
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • For the bulgur balls:
  • 170gr/6oz fine bulgur
  • 45ml/3 tbsp all - purpose plain flour
  • 15ml /1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste / biber salcasi
  • 10 ml / 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 115ml/ 4fl oz hot water
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Bowl of warm water with a drizzle of olive oil to shape the bulgur balls
  • For the vegetable sauce:
  • 3 tbsp/ 45ml olive oil
  • 1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 310gr/ 11oz Swiss chard, spinach or spring greens, coarsely chopped (please remove any hard stalks)
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon of pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes – optional-
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Wedges of lemon to serve
Instructions
  1. First prepare your bulgur balls. In a large bowl, combine the fine bulgur, flour, cumin, red pepper paste. Season with salt and ground black pepper to your taste (bear in mind that the red pepper paste is quite salty). Pour in the hot water over the mixture and combine well.
  2. Wet your hands with the warm water bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and knead the bulgur mixture with your hands for 5 minutes, wetting your hands a few times. You will reach a smooth elastic bulgur dough at the end.
  3. Again wet your hands and take a cherry size bulgur dough and shape as a little ball. Have a wide plate or tray near you and place the bulgur balls you have made from the bulgur mixture.
  4. Have boiling water in a large pot, stir in a pinch of salt. Gently drop the bulgur balls in to the pan and let it cook, uncovered, on a medium heat, for 8 minutes or so. Take out the cooked bulgur balls with a slotted spoon and place on a large plate. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil over them and gently shake the plate so that they would have a nice olive oil coating. Set aside until the vegetable sauce is ready (you can make your bulgur balls ahead of time and keep in the fridge too).
  5. Pour in the 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan. Stir in the sliced onions and peppers and saute over medium to high heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped leafy greens (please remove the hard stalk for the Swiss chard and spring greens) and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and ground pepper to your taste. If you like, sprinkle Turkish red pepper flakes, pul biber and combine well.
  6. Gently stir in the cooked bulgur balls to the vegetable mixture and combine well over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the bulgur balls warmed up. Serve warm, with wedges of lemon by the side to squeeze over.
  7. Afiyet Olsun.

Join our Instagram Live – Friday, June 12th, 6pm UK time!

I am delighted to be hosting this delicious Instagram LIVE on Friday, June 12th at 6pm UK time, from my Ozlem’s Turkish Table Instagram account. We will be doing a joint cookalong with dear Sibel Pinto, showcasing delightful aubergine dishes from our cuisines. I will be making Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergines, lentils, peppers cooked in olive oil from my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table and  Sibel will be making her Mediterranean style roasted aubergine with olive oil, tomatoes, herbs and cheese, Yelpaze Patlican, from her Sephardic roots, not to be missed! Do hope to have you with us.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on YouTube!

I have been sharing a lot of videos for Turkish recipes over the YouTube; many thanks for all your wonderful feedback! Here is one of the recent ones, Stuffed aubergine with minced/ground meat, onions, vegetables – Karniyarik, hope you enjoy it:

I hope you enjoy the post and it inspires. 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.

Stay well, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Continue Reading

Spiced Bulgur balls with greens, peppers, onions – Bulgurlu Kofte

By on June 11, 2020 in Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 0

 

Merhaba Dear All,

I hope this note finds you all well. We have been enjoying this delicious vegan bulgur balls, Bulgur Koftesi, with sautéed greens, onions, peppers, and I wanted to share with you too. Bulgur is a main staple in southern Turkish cuisine and enjoyed in multiple ways –such as in salads as in Kisir, Spicy Bulgur Wheat Salad in bulgur patties as in Oruk, our version of baked kibbeh, in pilafs and more. This delicious bulgur kofte is from southern Turkey; in Antakya, the sauce is mainly made with spinach or pazi, similar to Swiss chard and garlic. In my version, I included sautéed onions and peppers to the mix too; their natural sweetness really complemented the cumin spiced bulgur balls, along with the greens. Spinach, Swiss chard or spring greens would work well here as alternatives. With the freshness from squeeze of lemon and a delicious heat from pul biber or red pepper flakes, it is a lovely meal. You can serve as meze or as a main with cucumber and yoghurt dip aside. These Baked potatoes with olives, peppers and red onions can be a nice accompaniment too. If you prefer not to use red pepper paste, you can use concentrated tomato paste, though the red pepper paste does add a deliciously rich flavor. You can also make your own red pepper paste, biber salcasi, with my recipe here.

Bulgur is a nutty grain and these bulgur balls are not soft, they are quite sturdy. Rolling them in smaller balls and coating them with olive oil once they boiled, help to keep them moist. If you like to have them in a more juicy sauce, you may like to try this delicious rich tomato sauce with aubergines, as I have done at my Bulgur balls in aubergine and tomato sauce, Patlicanli Eksi Asi recipe here, to go with these bulgur balls too.  I hope you enjoy this delicious, vegan Bulgur balls, Bulgurlu Kofte, great for preparing ahead of time too.

Spiced Bulgur balls with greens, peppers, onions - Bulgurlu Kofte
 
Print
I hope you enjoy this delicious vegan bulgur balls, Bulgur Koftesi, with sautéed greens, onions, peppers, from my southern Turkish roots. in Antakya, the sauce is mainly made with spinach or pazi, similar to Swiss chard and garlic. In my version, I included sautéed onions and red peppers to the mix too; their natural sweetness really complemented the cumin spiced bulgur balls, along with the greens. Spinach, Swiss chard or spring greens would work well here as alternatives. With the freshness from squeeze of lemon and a delicious heat from pul biber or red pepper flakes, it is a lovely meal. You can serve as mezze or as a main with cucumber and yoghurt dip aside. Bulgur is a nutty grain and these bulgur balls are not soft, they are quite sturdy. Rolling them in smaller balls and coating them with olive oil once they boiled, help to keep them moist. If you like to have them in a more juicy sauce, you may like to try this delicious rich tomato sauce with aubergines, as I have done at my Bulgur balls in aubergine and tomato sauce, Patlicanli Eksi Asi recipe at my blog, to go with these bulgur balls too. Afiyet Olsun.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan, Bulgur Balls
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • For the bulgur balls:
  • 170gr/6oz fine bulgur
  • 45ml/3 tbsp all - purpose plain flour
  • 15ml /1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste / biber salcasi
  • 10 ml / 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 115ml/ 4fl oz hot water
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Bowl of warm water with a drizzle of olive oil to shape the bulgur balls
  • For the vegetable sauce:
  • 3 tbsp/ 45ml olive oil
  • 1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 310gr/ 11oz Swiss chard, spinach or spring greens, coarsely chopped (please remove any hard stalks)
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely choppee
  • ½ teaspoon of pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes – optional-
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Wedges of lemon to serve
Instructions
  1. First prepare your bulgur balls. In a large bowl, combine the fine bulgur, flour, cumin, red pepper paste. Season with salt and ground black pepper to your taste (bear in mind that the red pepper paste is quite salty). Pour in the hot water over the mixture and combine well.
  2. Wet your hands with the warm water bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and knead the bulgur mixture with your hands for 5 minutes, wetting your hands a few times. You will reach a smooth elastic bulgur dough at the end.
  3. Again wet your hands and take a large cherry size bulgur dough and shape as a little ball. Have a wide plate or tray near you and place the bulgur balls you have made from the bulgur mixture.
  4. Have boiling water in a large pot, stir in a pinch of salt. Gently drop the bulgur balls in to the pan and let it cook, uncovered, on a medium heat, for 8 minutes or so. Take out the cooked bulgur balls with a slotted spoon and place on a large plate. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil over them and gently shake the plate so that they would have a nice olive oil coating. Set aside until the vegetable sauce is ready (you can make your bulgur balls ahead of time and keep in the fridge too).
  5. Pour in the 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan. Stir in the sliced onions and peppers and saute over medium to high heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped greens (please remove the hard stalk for the Swiss chard and spring greens) and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and ground pepper to your taste. If you like, sprinkle Turkish red pepper flakes, pul biber and combine well.
  6. Gently stir in the cooked bulgur balls to the vegetable mixture and combine well over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the bulgur balls warmed up. Serve warm, with wedges of lemon by the side to squeeze over.
  7. Afiyet Olsun.

Join our Instagram Live – Friday, June 12th, 6pm UK time!

I am delighted to be hosting this delicious Instagram LIVE on Friday, June 12th at 6pm UK time, from my Ozlem’s Turkish Table Instagram account. We will be doing a joint cookalong with dear Sibel Pinto, showcasing delightful aubergine dishes from our cuisines. I will be making Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergines, lentils, peppers cooked in olive oil from my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table and  Sibel will be making her Mediterranean style roasted aubergine with olive oil, tomatoes, herbs and cheese, Yelpaze Patlican, from her Sephardic roots, not to be missed! Do hope to have you with us.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on YouTube!

I have been sharing a lot of videos for Turkish recipes over the YouTube; many thanks for all your wonderful feedback! Here is one of the recent ones, Stuffed aubergine with minced/ground meat, onions, vegetables – Karniyarik, hope you enjoy it:

I hope you enjoy the post and it inspires. 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.

Stay well, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Continue Reading