Tag Archives | ozlemsturkishtable

Chickpea Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes

By Ozlem Warren on August 13, 2020 in Salads, Supper Clubs, Turkish cookery book 0

Merhaba Dear All,

It’s has been very hot recently and we have been enjoying this lovely Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes a lot. This is a delicious variation of the much loved Turkish bean salad, Fasulye Piyazi with some more veg added to it. We love chickpeas and they are fantastic paired with cumin (as in hummus), and with sumac infused onions in this refreshing, nutritious salad. If you like greens, by all means add more spinach or pepper here. It is a lovely, easy to make substantial salad for lunch, can be served as part of meze or a side to grilled vegetables, fish or meat. You can use cannellini or your other favourite cooked beans in this salad instead of chickpeas too.

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

Chickpea Salad with sumac onions, peppers, spinach and tomatoes

This is a delicious variation of the much loved Turkish beans salad, Fasulye Piyazi with some more veg added to it. We love chickpeas and they are fantastic paired with cumin (as in hummus), and with sumac infused onions in this refreshing, nutritious salad. If you like greens, by all means add more spinach or pepper here. It is a lovely, easy to make substantial salad for lunch, can be served as part of meze or a side to grilled vegetables, fish or meat. You can use cannellini or your other favourite cooked beans in this salad instead of chickpeas too.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegan, Healthy Salads

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

1 x 14oz can of precooked chickpea / garbanzo beans
1tsp/5ml ground sumac (use more if you are a fan!)
1tsp/5ml ground cumin
½ medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
40g/1 ½ oz spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
For the dressing:
30ml/2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ juice of lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprinkle of extra sumac to serve
Flatbread or pita bread to serve

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, rub a pinch of salt and ground sumac into the onion slices with your hands really well. This will soften the onions and make them more palatable, will also help infuse tangy sumac to the onion slices.
Place the precooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans on a colander, drain its liquid and rinse over running water. Combine the chickpeas with the onions in the mixing bowl. Stir in the ground cumin and season with salt to your taste, mix well.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, peppers, spring onion and spinach into the bowl and combine well with the chickpeas and onion mixture.
For the dressing; combine the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a small container. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste.
Pour in the seasoning over the salad and combine well. Transfer the salad into a serving plate. Serve with an extra pinch of ground sumac sprinkled over, if you like, with plenty flat breads or pita bread by the side, to mop up the delicious juices.
Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem

Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Pide Workshop at Aromas Café, Weybridge – Surrey

on Friday, August 28th evening from 7.30pm

Peynirli pide, Turkish flat breads with cheese, spinach and pepper topping is at our Turkish cookery course

We are absolutely delighted to re-start our workshops and supper clubs at the Aromas Café, Weybridge and we can’t wait to welcome you back!

Please join us at our Turkish Vegetarian Feast Supper Club and Pide Workshop at Aromas Café, Weybridge, on Friday, August 28th evening from 7.30 pm. We will serve you some scrumptious healthy Turkish and Mediterranean vegetarian dishes as below and moreover, you will get to make a vegetarian Pide, Oval Turkish flatbreads with vegetarian toppings at our workshop with Ozlem’s instructions and you will take your pide back home. We believe healthy food can also be very delicious and we will show you how. We hope the workshop inspires you and bring delicious Mediterrenean and Turkish flavours to your table.

We will serve the below vegetarian and Ozlem will give you tips on how to make them:

Hummus with red pepper flakes infused olive oil

Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses – Kisir

Smoked aubergine salad with garlicky youghurt and dried mint

Our slice of Pide to enjoy as part of your dinner

Baked dried apricots with walnuts, served with vanilla ice cream

Pide with vegetarian fillings workshop during the night!:

And during the night, at our workshop, you will also get to make Pide with a variety of fillings to choose as below (please tell us which filling you would like to use upon booking, so that we can get it ready for you) – you will get to take your Pide back home:

Filling options – please tell us which filling you’d like to use:

1) sauteed courgette, peppers, olives

3) spinach, peppers and feta cheese

4) grated mozarellla and tomato

Cost per person: 55 GBP (includes the hands on workshop, Ozlem’s tuition, all ingredients, the vegetarian courses to enjoy during the night, a glass of bubbly, tea or coffee)

Participation is limited so please book your spot soon at this link soon! This workshop can also make a lovely present for a foodie too. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is also available during the event.

We look forward to welcoming you at Aromas on August 28th at our delicious event.

Kurban Bayrami – Eid In Istanbul

It’s been really special to be able to make it to Istanbul to see my dear mother, Gulcin, my sister and family, during the past Kurban Bayrami, Eid. I haven’t been able to see them for a long while; it was a precious time spend together. As with every Turkish gathering with family, it included feasts to share – Turkish breakfast, dinners, Turkish coffee and more. Here are a few photos for you – including a special photo above with my dear mum Gulcin and my lovely niece Defne.

Our Bayram Turkish breakfast, my favourite meal of the day. Traybake Borek, Filo Pastry with Spinach and cheese is everyone’s favourite, here’s my recipe and my youtube video links.

And scrumptious Bayram meals shared with family; I love how these special events bring us together. My cousin’s home made Baklava with walnuts were delicious, here’s my recipe and youtube vide on how to make baklava, it is easier than you think and so delicious.

Last but not least, my dear cousin Nihal hosted us for another family feast – her Tray bake Kebab, Antakya’s Tepsi Kebabi was so delicious. This is such an easy kebab to make at home, here’s my recipe if you like to give a go.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table Booksigning in Bebek – Istanbul

I also managed to do a little book signing while in Istanbul, at the lovely Bebek district – thank you Emily for your kind interest for Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book!

A little reminder that signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book are delivered worldwide, including US and Canada at this link – You can also see also kindle, ebook etc options here (Delighted to share that kindle version of Ozlem’s Turkish table is No.3 in Canada for Turkish cooking, thank you!). You can see all options here via GBPublishing.

My best wishes and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Roasted Aubergine with Tomatoes, Herbs and Cheese and Latest News

By Ozlem Warren on June 24, 2020 in Turkish cookery book, Turkish Street Food, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil, youtube videos 8

Merhaba dear All,

It gives me a great pleasure to share my dear friend Sibel Pinto’s special recipe, Roasted aubergine/eggplant with tomatoes, herbs and chees, Patlican Yelpaze. Sibel is a chef-instructor, founder of ‘Action Kashkarikas Wasteless Kitchen Mission’, anti-foodwaste activist, Gourmand Cookbooks Award winning author of ‘The Evolution of Sephardic Cuisine in Turkey.’ Sibel does a lot of very valuable work to promote Food Waste Awareness around the world, please follow her on Instagram at @chef_sibelpinto and her website, kashkarikas.com , if you like to know more about her work.

We have done an Instagram Live with Sibel a few weeks ago and she kindly demonstrated this delicious Roasted aubergine, tomatoes, herbs and cheese recipe to us. This recipe dates back to her Sephardic roots, a legacy from her grandmother Elisa’s kitchen; many thanks Sibel’cim for sharing with us.

I love the ease of this recipe and it is Mediterranean on a plate. Buffalo mozarella really works well here (our favourite) with its creamy texture. It was lovely with Turkish beyaz peynir, or feta cheese too. Marinating the aubergine generously with herbs, garlic, olive oil is important and adds such a lot of flavour. Here’s Sibel’s recipe if you like to make at home:

ROASTED AUBERGINE With TOMATOES, HERBS AND CHEESE – PATLICAN YELPAZE

INGREDIENTS

1 aubergine, eggplant
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
60ml/ 4 tablespoons olive oil
100-150 gr mozzarella cheese, cut into slices
2 large tomatoes, halved and cut into thin slices (or several cherry tomatoes, cut in half)
15ml/1 tablespoon dried mint
15ml/1 tablespoon dried oregano
5ml/1 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes, pul biber
Parsley/basil (chopped roughly)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
Prepare the sauce: Mix the olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, mint, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Cut the aubergine into thin (about 1/2 cm) slices, but not all the way through, leave it attached to the stem.
Cover your baking dish with baking paper and place the aubergine on a baking pan.
Coat and brush every slice on both sides generously with the sauce.
Place the cheese and tomato slices between each aubergine slice.
Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Then uncover and cook around 10 – 15 minutes (and a bit more if your aubergine is big), until the cheese melts deliciously.
Once cooked, sprinkle with basil/parsley and serve warm.

Baked potato with cumin, red peppers and onions, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, image credit: Sian Irvine Photography

Shepherd’s Salad with sumac, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, image by Sian Irvine Photography

It’s been very hot recently, we enjoyed this delicious Roasted aubergine, Patlican Yelpaze, with Shepherd’s Salad with sumac, Baked potato with cumin, red peppers and onions and Cacik dip with cucumber and yoghurt by the side, it was lovely meal.

Stuffed Anatolian Flatbreads – Gozleme is at Ozlem’s Turkish Table YouTube Channel!

Stuffed Anatolian Flatbreads, Gozleme, is one of the most popular street food in Turkey and it is easy to make it at home. It is now at Ozlem’s Turkish Table YouTube channel and it’s been a big hit, here is the link if you like to have a go too:

Signed Hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table – 30 % Off until July 3rd 2020

One of the most special things about writing Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book has been witnessing how much joy it has brought to over 5,000 Turkish food lovers around the world. My sincere thanks to each and everyone for your kind feedback and writing a review on Amazon. If you have a copy of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book and can kindly write a review here, we would greatly appreciate it.

Here’s the latest 5 star review on Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, with many thanks to Leah 1709:

“Passion for Turkish Cuisine: This is a wonderful book, full of excellent tips and suggestions as well as alternative ingredients and suggestions to try. You can definitely feel the love Özlem has for her homeland and the passion she has for the cuisine. This book was one of the best gifts I have received and I love trying the recipes. More people should try Turkish cuisine…. Delicious”

Signed hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is 30 % off via GBPublishing at this link, until July 3rd 2020. It is delivered worldwide, including the USA. The offer has been our way of helping out food lovers with home cooking, especially during the Covid 19 lock down. Many thanks for all your kind words and sharing your delicious creations with us.

My Best wishes and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

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

By Ozlem Warren 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.

I have been experimenting with the bulgur balls and added semolina in the mixture recently. It worked really well; semolina not only helps making the bulgur balls moist but also binds the bulgur dough. You can enjoy them over the sauteed leafy greens, with Shepherd’s Salad with sumac. Garlicky yoghurt (or plant based alternative) complements these bulgur balls, bulgur koftesi very well too, for a delicious, satisfying meal.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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

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. I recently experimented with adding semolina to the bulgur ball mixture - it worked great, making the bulgur balls moist and also binds the bulgur dough.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegan, Bulgur Balls

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4-6 generously

Ingredients

For the bulgur balls:
340g/12oz fine (koftelik) bulgur
140g/5oz semolina
30ml/2 tbsp all - purpose plain flour
15ml /1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste / biber salcasi
45ml/3 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
15m/1 tbsp ground cumin
325ml/11 fl oz hot water (for the bulgur)
115ml/ 4fl oz hot water (while kneading the bulgur and semolina dough later)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bowl of lukewarm water with a drizzle of olive oil to shape the bulgur balls
30ml/2tbsp plain flour spread on a wide tray (to coat the bulgur balls)
For the pul biber and tomato paste sauce:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
45ml/3tbsp olive oil
30ml/2 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
10ml/2tsp pul biber or red pepper flakes (add more if you like more spicy)
For the vegetable sauce:
2 tbsp/ 30ml 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 (optional)
Garlicky yoghurt (or plant based substitute) to serve (optional):
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and crushed with salt
225g/8oz natural plain yoghurt (or plant based alternative)

Instructions

First prepare your bulgur balls. Rinse the bulgur over a sieve and press gently to get rid of the excess moisture then place in a large mixing bowl. Pour in 325ml/11 fl oz hot water over the bulgur, stir and let the bulgur to absorb the hot water for 8-10 minutes.
Then stir in the semolina, plain flour, pepper paste, tomato paste, ground cumin, season with salt and ground black pepper. Slowly pour in 115ml/ 4fl oz hot water in two batches and knead the mixture with your hands for 5 minutes, until it resembles a soft, smooth dough. Check the seasoning and add more salt or black pepper to your taste.
Have the lukewarm water bowl with a drizzle of olive oil near you. Dampen your hands and take a large cherry size bulgur dough and shape as a little ball. Have a wide tray scattered with 2 tbsp plain flour near you. Place the bulgur balls you have made on the tray. Shake the tray so that the bulgur balls coat with the flour gently,
Pour in 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. Once cooked, you will see bulgur balls rise to the top of the pan. Take out the cooked bulgur balls with a slotted spoon and place on a large bowl. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil over them and gently shake the bowl so that they would have a nice olive oil coating and don't stick together. Set aside until the tomato paste & pul biber sauce and vegetable sauce is ready (you can make your bulgur balls ahead of time and keep in the fridge too).
For the vegetable sauce; pour in 2 tbsp olive oil on a wide pan. Stir in the sliced onions and peppers and saute over medium to high heat for about 4-5 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.
For the pul biber and tomato paste sauce; pour in the olive oil over a wide pan. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and pul biber and saute for 2 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley, combine well. Gently stir in the cooked bulgur balls over this sauce and combine well for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off.
For the garlicky yoghurt; combine the crushed, finely chopped garlic with yoghurt (or plant based alternative), set aside.
Serve the bulgur balls over the vegetable mixture or at a side, with wedges of lemon by the side to squeeze over. Garlicky yoghurt (or plant based alternative) complement these bulgur balls, bulgurlu kofte very well.
Afiyet Olsun.