Tag Archives | Ozlem’s Turkish Table

Turkish Meatballs and vegetables casserole; Izmir Kofte, my way

By Ozlem Warren on June 9, 2010 in Casseroles and Stews 36

This is a popular meatball and vegetable casserole (not only with the children but with the adults too!) that can either be cooked on the stove top or baked in the oven. It makes a complete and hearty main course served with plain white rice or a slice of crusty bread. This is Izmir Kofte my way, as I like to add some more vegetables. You can add as much red pepper flakes as you would like for a spicier flavor.

I usually double the recipe and freeze some, as it freezes very well.

Serves 4-6
Preparation time :30 minutes Cooking time : 45 -50 minutes

For the kofte (meatballs):

450 gr /1 lb ground lamb or beef, or a mixture (I like to use 10 % fat)
1 medium onion, grated
2 slices of stale bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry
1 egg, beaten
1 bunch finely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

A bowl of water for kneading kofte / wetting hands

And the rest:

450 gr / 1 lb medium potatoes, sliced like thin apple quadrants
1 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 medium carrot, coarsely sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400 gr /14 oz (1 can of) chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
240 ml / 1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F

Discard the crusts of the bread, soak in the water and squeeze dry. Then crumble them into a large bowl. Add all the kofte ingredients except the meat and knead well. This will soften the onions and enable the spices to blend in the mixture evenly. Add the ground meat and knead well again until the mixture resembles a soft dough. With wet hands take a piece the size of a large walnut and roll into a large finger shape about 1 inch thick. Continue until all the mixture is used. The meatballs can now be covered and stored in the fridge until required.

In a large oven dish, create layers with the vegetables and the meatballs. Add the chopped tomatoes, water and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Bake in the oven for about 45 – 50 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened.

Serve hot, with plain rice or some crusty bread by the side.

My cookery book Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, covers over 90 authentic Turkish recipes, including delicious casseroles like this and many more, with my personal stories and stunning photos. Signed copies now 25 % Off and can be ordered here at this link if interested, it is delivered worldwide.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Runner (green) beans cooked in olive oil; Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye

By Ozlem Warren on May 27, 2010 in Appetizers and Mezes, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 5

Green beans or runner beans cooked in olive oil with vegetables; Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye

I was delighted to spot some lovely runner beans in my local market the other day; they are packed with flavor and freshness and we like to cook them in olive oil with onions and tomatoes.

This is such an easy, delicious and healthy vegetarian course that you can serve as a starter or an accompaniment to grilled meat. Green beans cooked this way are a great national favorite. Enjoyed by the urban and rural families alike, there are varying theories of how to achieve the best result. Traditionally, zeytinyagli dishes (vegetables cooked in olive oil) are prepared in advance and served at room temperature, as a meze or vegetable course. French, runner and dwarf beans are all suitable to be prepared this way. Once cooked, you can store in the fridge for a good 2-3 days, great for entertaining and festivities too.

Green beans cooked this way is delicious when combined with bulgur, rice or quiona too, as in this Bulgur pilaf with green beans recipe, at my new book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen. You can get a copy of SEBZE here, worldwide.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Serves 4 – 6
Preparation time – 15 minutes Cooking time – 40 minutes

500 gr / 1.1 lb runner (green) beans, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
45 ml /3 tablespoon olive oil
400 gr / 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
lemon wedges to serve

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the beans and canned tomatoes and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. Pour over the water, add the sugar, season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to the boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 35 minutes. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool in the pan. İn Turkish cooking, it is important for the the vegetables cooked in oil to cool and rest in the pan it is cooked for the flavors to blend well.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish Rose Ravioli – Gul Manti or Sosyete Mantisi

By Ozlem Warren on May 26, 2010 in Savory Pastries 5

This scrumptious coiled pastry with minced meat filling with garlicky yoghurt and spiced olive oil is one of our favourite for dinner parties – it is called also referred as Sosyete mantısı (roughly translated as society or posh mantı) at home, an easier yet equally delicious version of mantı, Turkish dumplings. Found memories of having them with cay, Turkish tea at my mother’s ladies’ afternoon tea gatherings.

In Türkiye, fresh yufka sheets are used for the pastry – filo pastry sheets work just as well here, to form the elegant rose shaped pastry. The trick with filo pastry sheets is that they need to be kept under slightly damp towel so they don’t dry out. Take one sheet at a time to make the coiled shape and work fast. The milk and olive oil sauce works like magic to keep the pastry intact while coiling. They can be made ahead of time and freeze well after baking. If freezing, reheat at preheated fan oven at 180C/350F for about 10 minutes.

You can also make a vegetarian version, using spinach and feta in the filling, as in Ispanakli peynirli gül böreği from my cookery book SEBZE – you can get a copy here worldwide.

Ispanakli gul boregi, from SEBZE cookery book

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do,

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish Rose Ravioli - Gul Manti or Sosyete Mantisi

This scrumptious coiled pastry with minced meat filling with garlicky yoghurt and spiced olive oil is one of our favourite for dinner parties – it is called also referred as Sosyete mantısı (roughly translated as society or posh mantı) at home, an easier yet equally delicious version of mantı, Turkish dumplings. Found memories of having them with cay, Turkish tea at my mother’s ladies’ afternoon tea gatherings. In Türkiye, fresh yufka sheets are used for the pastry - filo pastry sheets work just as well here, to form the elegant rose shaped pastry. The trick with filo pastry sheets is that they need to be kept under slightly damp towel so they don’t dry out. Take one sheet at a time to make the coiled shape and work fast. The milk and olive oil sauce works like magic to keep the pastry intact while coiling. They can be made ahead of time and freeze well after baking. If freezing, reheat at preheated fan oven at 180C/350F for about 10 minutes.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Savoury pastry

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: makes 7 coiled pastries

Ingredients

7 filo pastry sheets (I use Jus Roll) (if you are using thin filo sheets, I suggest using 2 sheets for each coiled pastry)
For the pastry filling:
750g/1lb 10 ½ oz minced beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
1tbsp pomegranate molasses
1tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the milk and olive oil sauce:
60ml/2fl oz whole milk
1tsp olive oil
For brushing:
1 medium egg, beaten
2tsp olive oil
For the garlicky yoghurt:
450g/1lb whole milk yoghurt
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
For the spiced olive oil:
60ml/2fl oz olive oil
1tsp pul biber
1tsp dried mint

Instructions

Combine the yoghurt with the chopped garlic and season with sea salt to your taste. Cover and set aside to bring to room temperature. Take the filo pastry sheets out of the fridge to bring to room temperature, 20 minutes before using, for the best results.
Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Pour 1tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy pan and stir in the chopped onions; sauté for 4 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the minced meat to the pan, combine with the onions and sauté for further 8 minutes then turn the heat off. Stir in the tomato paste and pomegranate molasses, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, combine well. Place the filling in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
Preheat fan oven to 180C/200C/400F. In a small bowl, combine milk with olive oil, to brush the filo pastry sheets. In another small bowl, combine beaten egg with olive oil, to brush the finished rose pastry.
Once the filling is cooled down, open pack of filo sheets. Lay the sheets on a dry, clean surface and cover with a slightly damp towel. To coil the filo successfully, the filo sheets need to be kept moist. Only take one sheet at time and keep the rest covered.
Take 1 filo sheet out and place on a dry surface lengthways. Working fast, brush the sheet with the milk and olive oil mixture. Then place about 110g filling in a line, along the edge near you, leaving 2cm at each end of the pastry filling free (try not to overfill, so the pastry don’t break while coiling). Gently roll up into a cylinder. Brush the pasty edge with the milk and olive oil mixture. Starting from one end, gently wind the filo into a coil and place on the tray with the baking paper on. Brush over and sides of the coiled pastry with the milk and olive oil mixture to seal the end (this helps to patch up any broken pastry too). Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the 6 filo pastry sheets and place the coiled pies side by side with about 1 inch space between them. Make sure to brush the top and sides of the coiled pastries with the milk and olive oil mixture, to keep them intact.
Brush the top and side of the pastries with the egg and olive oil mixture. Bake in middle shelf of the preheated fan oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.
Pour olive oil on a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat. Stir in the pul biber and dried mint and gently infuse for 30-40 seconds, turn the heat off.
To serve; spread about 4tbsp garlicky yoghurt on an individual serving plate and place a rose pastry over the top. Drizzle pul biber and dried mint infused olive oil over the hot rose pastry, and drizzle a little more garlicky yoghurt over if you like too. Alternatively, serve the rose pastry plain with a zesty salad aside.