Tag Archives | stuffed Swiss chard

Ozlem’s Turkish Table at Turkish Embassy, London and Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard cooked in olive oil

Merhaba Dear All,

It’s been a busy and exciting few months for Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, as it has been awarded as the Winner of the prestigious Gourmand World Cookery Book Award, in the Food Heritage Category for Turkey. The Gourmand Awards are often compared by journalists to the “Oscars” and we are absolutely delighted. Ozlem’s Turkish Table is now being reprinted with the Gourmand seal to reach out more Turkish food lovers around the world, with sincere thanks to all dear readers, Pinar UK and GB Publishing. Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is available at this link and it is delivered worldwide.

I am delighted to share the latest news from Ozlem’s Turkish Table, and my new recipe, Courgette/zucchini, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil – Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla at this post, I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to have a go at delicious, wholesome Turkish cuisine.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Turkish Cuisine Presentation at the Turkish Embassy Residence, London

February also marked a very special event at the Turkish Embassy Residence in London. Our Turkish Ambassador HE Mr Yalcin and Mrs Yalcin very kindly hosted our Turkish Cuisine evening at the Turkish Embassy Residence in London on February 12th, with the participation of diplomats, press, distinguished guests in London. It was a real honor to do a presentation on our healthy, wholesome Turkish cuisine to our guests, with thousands years of culinary heritage. The journalist Ayse Arman was amongst the guests and very kindly did a wonderful write up about the evening and our efforts to promote Turkish cuisine abroad.

After my presentation and demonstration of Potatoes and bulgur patties with pomegranate molasses, Patatesli, bulgurlu kofte, Turkish Embassy chefs and kitchen staff very kindly prepared a feast from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, to serve our guests; it was an honor to see recipes from my cookery book prepared and displayed so beautifully, so very delighted that everyone enjoyed the evening. My very sincere thanks to our Ambassador and his wife, Mr and Mrs Yalcin, for hosting this wonderful event.

Courgette/zucchini, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil – Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla

I love Antakya’s traditional Patlicanli Mercimekli Mualla (as featured at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table); it has been very popular with the readers and at my cookery classes. While I was in Guru’s Place Cookery School in Kalkan, Turkey for my cookery class last year, a Turkish lady there saw our Aubergine with lentils dish and said that she makes another version with courgettes and adds pazi (similar to Swiss card to it); she said it is really lovely too. So inspired by her kind recommendation, here is my Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil, Kabakli Mercimekli Mualla.

And I must say, it is another scrumptious dish. This time, I baked this dish in the oven; baking brought a lovely sweetness to the courgette, peppers and onions and dried mint added delicious freshness. We make this recipe using the Turkish Zeytinyagli method (Vegetables cooked in olive oil) and it’s important to let the dish cool in the pan so it can rest and the flavors develop. Once cooked, it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, great for entertaining. It is packed with flavor and wholesome, also gluten-free and plant based. This dish also works very well as a filling in vegetarian lasagna (we tested this too and family loved it, recipe to follow soon). I hope you enjoy my recipe as below, Afiyet Olsun.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil; Kabakli, Mercimekli Mualla

I love Antakya’s traditional Patlicanli Mercimekli Mualla (as featured at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table); it has been very popular with the readers and at my cookery classes. While I was in Guru’s Place Cookery School in Kalkan, Turkey for my cookery class last year, a Turkish lady there saw our Aubergine with lentils dish and said that she makes another version with courgettes and adds pazi (similar to Swiss card to it); she said it is really lovely too. So inspired by her kind recommendation, here is my Courgette, lentils, Swiss chard and peppers cooked in olive oil, Kabakli Mercimekli Mualla. And I must say, it is another scrumptious dish. This time, I baked this dish in the oven; baking brought a lovely sweetness to the courgette, peppers and onions and dried mint added delicious freshness. We make this recipe using the Turkish Zeytinyagli method (Vegetables cooked in olive oil) and it’s important to let the dish cool in the pan so it can rest and the flavors develop. Once cooked, it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, great for entertaining. It is packed with flavor and wholesome, also gluten-free and plant based.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian and Vegan

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

175g/6oz green lentils, rinsed
4-5 medium courgette/zucchini
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in half and thinly sliced
200gr/7oz Swiss chard or pazi, washed and roughly chopped
400g/14oz (1 can of) chopped tomatoes in juice
60ml/2fl oz olive oil
240ml/8fl oz water
45ml/3 tablespoons olive oil (to par bake courgettes and peppers)
5ml/1 teaspoon salt
5ml/1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
10ml/2 teaspoons dried mint
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F
Put the green lentils in a pan of boiling water, stir and cover. Simmer and par boil in low heat for 15 -20 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and cut each half into medium slices, about ½ cm, 0.2”. Spread them on a wide tray, sprinkle salt over and leave aside for 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, gently squeeze the excess water out of the courgette/zucchini.
Combine the sliced peppers and courgettes in an oven tray. Drizzle the 3 tbsp./45ml olive oil over them. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Par bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes; this will help courgettes and peppers to soften up and start bringing out their lovely sweet flesh.
In a large bowl, combine the partially cooked lentils, onion, garlic, chopped Swiss chard, chopped tomatoes, salt, dried mint, olive oil and the sugar (if used). Season with ground black pepper, check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
In a deep baking dish, place a layer of the par baked courgette and pepper slices. Spread the half of the vegetable and lentil mixture over evenly. Place the remainder of the courgette and pepper slices over the top and spread the remaining vegetable & lentil mixture over also. Add the water, cover with foil and bake at the preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for further 10-15 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables fully cooked and have started to have a nice crispy coating.
Once cooked, leave to cool at the baking dish: this will allow the flavors to develop and blend well. Serve at room temperature (or if preferred warm) with some crusty bread. This lovely dish can be served as a vegetarian main course or can accompany grills as a side.
Afiyet Olsun.

Healthy Turkish Vegetarian Feast Master Class – Divertimenti Cookery School, London

Sunday, March 15th, 2020 from 12.00- 15.30 (Hands – On Class)

Join Ozlem at Divertimenti Cookery School in London on Sunday, March 15th, from 12 – 3.30pm to create a Healthy Turkish Vegetarian Feast, including Baked beetroot with garlic, served with pomegranate molasses and seeds, Spicy Bulgur and Lentil soup (Ezo Gelin Corba), Filo pastry with courgette, cheese and dill, Medley of baked or sauteed aubergines, peppers and courgettes served in tomato sauce and garlicy yoghurt, finishing with Caramalised carrot paste delight with hazelnuts and shredded coconut and Turkish coffee, from her Gourmand World Cookbook award winning book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious and recipes can easily be adapted for gluten free and vegan needs too.

Participation is limited for this hands on class, if you like to join us, please kindly book your spot at this link; the class can also make a lovely gift for a foodie.

Swiss chard stuffed with ground meat and rice – Kis Sarmasi

By Ozlem Warren on January 20, 2014 in Appetizers and Mezes, Casseroles and Stews, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 23

Stuffed winter greens or Swiss chard with ground meat, rice and herbs; Kis Sarmasi

Any sight of large leaves gets me excited with the prospect of stuffing them. I grew up with my mother’s delicious stuffed vine leaves, yaprak sarma and stuffed cabbage leaves, lahana sarmasi ,one of our favorite meals. As a family affair, my father would prepare the leaves and mother and whoever around the table would o the stuffing. And of course, everyone would be very keen to do a “quality check” after cooking, just to make sure they’re cooked 🙂 Happy days.

Turkish people are very fond of stuffed vegetables or dolmas as we call in Turkish. Stuffed tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and eggplants are the year round favorites. Cabbage leaves are stuffed in winter and vine leaves and zucchini flowers herald a fresh option in spring time. The success of any great dolma, which literally means “stuffed”, relies heavily on getting the stuffing right. With a dollop of yoghurt or a slice of lemon aside, they are utterly delicious. For a vegetarian option, try this stuffed vine leaves with aromatic rice and herb filling; Zeytinyagli sarma; they are simply irresistible, with a wedge of lemon aside.

I am passionate about my homeland’s wholesome Turkish cuisine; many authentic Turkish recipes, regional specialties, including Stuffed Cabbage rolls with bulgur, ground/minced meat and spices, are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. If you would like to get a signed copy, you can order at this link.

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

Stuffed winter greens or Swiss chard with ground meat and rice in hot pepper sauce

I got some wonderful leafy winter greens, (similar to Swiss chard, though with a slimmer stem) from my local market. Like cabbage leaves, they need to soften up first so that they can be stuffed. With a southern Turkish addition of Turkish hot pepper paste sauce, biber salcasi (or a tomato based sauce) and garlic yoghurt aside, they were so delicious. You can use cabbage leaves or Swiss card here too. Please don’t worry about making the perfect roll; as long as they’re not over filled, they stay intact and taste delicious. I hope you enjoy these delicious rolls, or sarmas, as much as we did.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Stuffed winter greens or Swiss chard with ground meat and rice – Kis Sarmasi

Serves: 4 -6

Ingredients

2 bunches (about 400 gr) Winter greens with large leaves or Swiss Chard
For the filling:
225gr/8oz/1 cup ground beef or ground lamb (ground turkey works well too)
2 small or 1 large onion, grated
110gr/4oz/1/2 cup long grain rice (or whole grain basmati rice for gluten-free option)
45ml/3 tbsp. flat leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
15ml/1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon, 200 ml/ 1 cup (or little more) water and 15ml/1 tbsp. olive oil for cooking
Tomato/red pepper paste sauce:
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. Turkish hot pepper paste or tomato paste (for milder taste)
30ml/2 tbsp. olive oil
60ml/ 4 tbsp. water
Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes to sprinkle (optional)
Garlic yoghurt sauce:
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed in sea salt and finely chopped
8 fl oz./1 cup natural plain yoghurt
Salt to taste
½ tsp. dried mint (optional)

Instructions

Large leafy greens like Swiss chard is ideal for stuffing, making sarma.
Bring a pan of water to boil. Cut the stalks of your winter greens (if you’re using Swiss chard, you may need to cut the stem and separate from the leaves).
Refresh the wilted leaves in a bowl of cold water
Place the fresh, trimmed leaves in to the boiling water until they wilt, for about 25-30 seconds. Drain and refresh the leaves in a bowl of cold water, this will help retain their color. Then drain the leaves and spread on a tray, ready for stuffing.
Place the filling ingredients in a bowl and knead well.
Grate the onion and put with the remaining filling ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper and bind them all with 1 tbsp. olive oil and knead well.
Lay one of the leaves on a flat surface and place 1 tbsp. (depending on the size of the leaf, adjust a little less or more but avoid over filling) of the stuffing at near end of the leaf (towards you). Bring the top end of the leaf over the stuffing.
Now fold in the sides and then roll into a tight log. Repeat with the remaining filling and leaves.
Arrange the stuffed leaves, seam side down, in a wide, deep pan. Pack them quite tightly in circles, this will keep them intact. You may need to make more than one layer, depending on the size of the pan.
Mix 200ml water with the juice of lemon and 1 tbsp. olive oil and pour over the stuffed leaves. This liquid should cover at least half way up the top layer; add some more water if you need to. Season with salt and place a wide flat plate over the rolls (so that they stay intact).
Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium. Once it starts to bubble, cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is cooked and the rolls are tender.
While the rolls (sarma,as we call in Turkish) are cooking, prepare the garlic yoghurt. Simply combine the chopped garlic with yoghurt and mix well. You can season with sea salt and ½ tsp. dried mint, if you like.
For the hot pepper paste (or tomato paste) sauce; stir in 1 tbsp. Turkish hot pepper paste, biber salcasi or tomato paste and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a small pan, over low heat. Stir and pour 4-5 tbsp. water, gently simmer for a minute. Season with salt and ground black pepper if you like; the sauce is ready.
Drizzle the hot pepper paste sauce over the cooked rolls and sprinkle a little Turkish red pepper flakes (if you like) and serve hot, with garlic yoghurt aside.

Serves 4 -6

Preparation time: 40-45 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

2 bunches (about 400 gr) Winter greens with large leaves or Swiss Chard

For the filling:

225gr/8oz/1 cup ground beef or ground lamb (ground turkey works well too)

2 small or 1 large onion, grated

110gr/4oz/1/2 cup long grain rice (or whole grain basmati rice for gluten-free option)

45ml/3 tbsp. flat leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped

15ml/1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lemon, 200 ml/ 1 cup (or little more) water and 15ml/1 tbsp. olive oil for cooking

Tomato/red pepper paste sauce:

15 ml/ 1 tbsp. Turkish hot pepper paste or tomato paste (for milder taste)

30ml/2 tbsp. olive oil

60ml/ 4 tbsp. water

Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes to sprinkle (optional)

Garlic yoghurt sauce:

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed in sea salt and finely chopped

8 fl oz./1 cup natural plain yoghurt

Salt to taste

½ tsp. dried mint (optional)

Large leafy greens like Swiss chard is ideal for stuffing, making sarma.

Bring a pan of water to boil. Cut the stalks of your winter greens (if you’re using Swiss chard, you may need to cut the stem and separate from the leaves).

Refresh the wilted leaves in a bowl of cold water

Place the fresh, trimmed leaves in to the boiling water until they wilt, for about 25-30 seconds. Drain and refresh the leaves in a bowl of cold water, this will help retain their color. Then drain the leaves and spread on a tray, ready for stuffing.

Place the filling ingredients in a bowl and knead well.

Grate the onion and put with the remaining filling ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper and bind them all with 1 tbsp. olive oil and knead well.

Lay one of the leaves on a flat surface and place 1 tbsp. stuffing.

Lay one of the leaves on a flat surface and place 1 tbsp. (depending on the size of the leaf, adjust a little less or more but avoid over filling) of the stuffing at near end of the leaf (towards you). Bring the top end of the leaf over the stuffing.

fold in the sides of the leaf

Now fold in the sides and then roll into a tight log. Repeat with the remaining filling and leaves.

Then roll into a tight log.

Arrange the stuffed leaves, seam side down, in a wide, deep pan. Pack them quite tightly in circles, this will keep them intact. You may need to make more than one layer, depending on the size of the pan.

Place the stuffed leaves seam side down in a wide, deep pan.

Mix 200ml water with the juice of lemon and 1 tbsp. olive oil and pour over the stuffed leaves. This liquid should cover at least half way up the top layer; add some more water if you need to. Season with salt and place the pan over a medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, place a wide flat plate over the rolls (so that they stay intact). Cover and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is cooked and the rolls are tender.

Place a wide flat plate over the rolls (so that they stay intact).

While the rolls (sarma, as we call in Turkish) are cooking, prepare the garlic yoghurt. Simply combine the chopped garlic with yoghurt and mix well. You can season with sea salt and ½ tsp. dried mint, if you like.

For the hot pepper paste (or tomato paste) sauce; stir in 1 tbsp. Turkish hot pepper paste, biber salcasi or tomato paste and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a small pan, over low heat. Stir and pour 4 tbsp. water, gently simmer for a minute. Season with salt and ground black pepper if you like; the sauce is ready.

Drizzle the hot pepper paste sauce over the cooked rolls and sprinkle a little Turkish red pepper flakes (if you like) and serve hot, with garlic yoghurt aside.

Stuffed winter leaves with ground meat and aromatic rice; Kis Sarmasi

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Note: The stems or any broken leaves and a bit of left over filling can turn into a delicious meal. Simply chop the leaves and stems and sauté with some olive oil and garlic, adding the filling if any left over. You can add a few tomatoes in it or crack an egg; it would make a delicious bite.