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Tag Archives | Turkish breakfast

Eggs with Spinach and Onion – Ispanakli Yumurta

Ispanakli Yumurta; Eggs with spinach and onions; delicious for a weekend brunch or a lovely lunch

I have two small children and they love eggs. They are Ok with spinach though they need something else next to it that is more attractive. Eggs work well in that respect and they also get to have two vegetables, onion and spinach with a good appetite.

This is a very delicious, easy and healthy recipe and works as a treat for a weekend brunch or everyday lunch. A dollop of plain yoghurt by the side really complements this dish. As a variety, you can add some grated cheese of your choice over the egg & spinach, just a couple of minutes before you turn the heat off.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes

400gr/14oz fresh spinach leaves, washed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium eggs
30ml/2tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
½ teaspoon cumin – optional-
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional-

A dollop of plain yoghurt and crusty bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan and sauté the onions for 3-5 minutes, until they are softened. Add the spinach and let it wilt gently for 1-2 minutes, with giving a gently stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Make two hollows in the spinach mixture and drop the eggs. Cook until the whites are firm but the yolks remain soft. Sprinkle ground cumin and red pepper flakes over the eggs (if you are using). Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread and a dollop of yoghurt by the side.

Eggs with spinach and onions; with red pepper flakes, pul biber over the top, it is a delicious treat.

Eggs with spinach and onions; with red pepper flakes, pul biber over the top, it is a delicious treat.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

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Turkish Style Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Pepper, Feta; Menemen

Turkish breakfast is my favouite meal of the day and we Turks love an unrushed, delicious spread of Turkish breakfast, especially at the weekend. Eggs prepared in different ways, salads, savoury pastries such as borek and gozleme, simit and many more adorn our breakfast table. Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers (and sometimes with beyaz penir, Turkish white cheese) is one of my homeland’s favorite brunch item, and a great street food. This delicious scrambled egg with vegetables is packed with flavour, it is nutritious and gets ready in minutes. There are many versions of it – garlic, onion, any choice of cheese, spinach would go well too. Served with nice crusty bread and a little garlic yoghurt by the side, this dish can make a wonderful light supper or a substantial lunch option.

Turkish breakfast spread from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, available to order now

I have a whole chapter on Turkish breakfast at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland and I truly hope you enjoy recreating your own Turkish breakfast. You can order my cookery book at this link, if you’d like.

Serves 4

Preparation time : 5 – 10 minutes Cooking time : About 5 minutes

8 eggs
1 green bell pepper, finely sliced
3 spring (green) onions, finely sliced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely diced
15 ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
15 ml/1 tablespoon butter
120 gr/4 oz Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
5-10 ml/ 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the butter and the olive oil in a frying pan. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, at low to medium heat. Add the spring onions, tomatoes and red pepper flakes, mix well. Crack the eggs in a bowl and mix. Add the feta cheese, combine well. Stir in the egg mixture to the frying pan and give it a good stir. Scramble the eggs until they are just done, retaining their juice.  Season with salt and  ground black pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a little more red pepper flakes sprinkled if you would like. Serve with toasted or crusty bread.

Afiyet Olsun !

Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomato, peppers, white cheese or feta cheese - Menemen

Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomato, peppers, white cheese or feta cheese – Menemen

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Cheese and Potato filled filo rolls; Peynirli, Patatesli Borek

Filo rolls with feta and potato, peynirli, patatesli borek

Filo rolls with feta and potato, peynirli, patatesli borek


It is thought that the Ottoman Palace kitchens devised these tasty treats in order to tempt the precious little princes. The cigar shaped version with cheese and herb mixture is very popular at home for a snack, appetizer or as part of the Turkish breakfast. I had some left over cooked potato and added to the cheese and parsley mixture, the result was delicious – they disappeared very quickly, very popular with children as well as adults. Worth giving a go!

As with most savory Turkish filled pastries, this borek freeze very well once cooked too.

Serves 4 – 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

260 gr / 9 oz phyllo (filo) pastry sheets, thawed
110 gr / 4 oz potato, cooked
100 gr/ 3 1/2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
100 gr/ 3 1/2 oz shredded mozzarella
2 eggs (one for the filling, one for brushing the boreks)
1 bunch / 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
15 ml / 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 ml / 1 tablespoon whole milk
Nigella and sesame seeds to decorate the boreks (before baking)

Bowl of water to seal the filo rolls

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4

Mash together the cheese (feta and mozzarella), 1 egg, cooked potato, parsley and the milk to form a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. However, if the feta cheese is already salty, you may wish not to add salt.

Lay the filo sheets in front of you and cut to form elongated rectangles. Keep the pastry covered with a damp cloth as you are working. This will help to avoid it getting too dry or less manageable.

Lay one strip of filo and place a tablespoon of the filling along one of the short ends (take care not to overfill as the filling may ooze out while cooking). Fold over the pastry from each side to seal in the mixture and then roll up like a cigar. Wet the end with water to seal. Continue, keeping the finished ones covered with a damp cloth as you work. Refrigerate until required.

Mix the olive oil and the other egg in a bowl. Grease the tray with a little olive oil. Brush the pastries with olive oil and egg mixture. Sprinkle nigella and sesame seeds over the pastries and bake until they are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve hot as part of a meze spread.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

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