Tag Archives | Turkish cookery classes

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style – Çılbır

We Turks love eggs done many different ways; one of our favorite ways to enjoy egg is as being poached and served over garlic yoghurt, a special dish called Çılbır in Turkish. Çılbır is generally enjoyed as a hot mezze though I also like serving as part of a leisurely weekend Turkish breakfast, lunch or a light supper, along with a refreshing salad like Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and some pide bread or crusty bread. Make sure your eggs are fresh and ideally free-range for the best results (fresh eggs have a thicker white near the yolk that hold a round shape as it cooks).

I prepare a simple pul biber infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from pul biber complements the dish beautifully. How about making your own Simit, Sesame crusted Turkish bread rings, to enjoy with Çılbır? They go very well together. Both Çılbır and Simit recipes, along with many other vegetarian Turkish dishes are included at my new cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, you can get a copy here.

I hope you enjoy this simple yet very satisfying dish, Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style - Cilbir

I hope you enjoy this delicious poached eggs in garlic yoghurt, Turkish Style, called Cilbir. I like to prepare a simple red pepper flakes infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from the red pepper flakes complements the dish beautifully.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian, eggs, Turkish Style

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
400g/14oz strained yoghurt, brought to room temperature
2 large free range eggs
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml / 2 tbsp. apple cider, grape or white wine vinegar
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish pul biber
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pide bread or crusty bread to serve
Fresh herbs to decorate

Instructions

Prepare the garlic yoghurt first – about 30 minutes before poaching the eggs – and bring to the room temperature.
In a small bowl, beat the yoghurt with garlic and seasoning. Spoon this into two serving plates, creating a round thick layer to provide a nest for the poached egg. Let the yoghurt mixture reach the room temperature.
Fill a small pan with hot water, add the vinegar (this will help sealing the egg whites) and bring to a boil. Stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack in the first egg.
As the egg spins and the white sets around the yolk, stir the water ready for the next one. Poach each egg for 2-3 minutes so that the yolk remains soft.
While the eggs are poaching, quickly pour in the olive oil in a small pan and stir in the Turkish pul biber,over medium to low heat. Stir and let the pul biber infuse to olive oil for 30 seconds, turn the heat off.
Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them over a couple of sturdy paper towels, to drain the excess moisture. Then gently place them over to the garlic yoghurt spread.
Drizzle the pul biber infused olive oil over the poached eggs. Serve immediately with pide bread or crusty bread by the side.
Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions would also go well with this delicious poached eggs over garlic yoghurt, Cilbir; Afiyet Olsun.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table on Brooklands Radio

I had the pleasure of having an interview with Jill Bennet on healthy Turkish cuisine at the Brooklands Radio on Sunday, 27^th November. It was wonderful to have a chance to talk and spread the word on wholesome, delicious Turkish cuisine – and had a flash back of happy memories of my amateur DJ days at Kent FM in Istanbul! – Here is the podcast link of our interview, if you like to listen to.

Turkish Vegetable Soup with Orzo – Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

By Ozlem Warren on November 2, 2016 in Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book, Soups, Turkish Cooking Classes 21

Turkish vegetable soup with orzo; Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

Soup have a special place in Turkish cuisine; traditionally meals always start with a soup. For my small family, a hearty soup can be a main course itself with some nice crusty bread next to it. I made this lovely Turkish vegetable soup with orzo pasta today and it went down very well. My son was under the weather and after having the soup, he said, “I love this corba, mummy, just what the doctor ordered!” – best compliment to my ears.

Orzo pasta or “sehriye” as we call it in Turkish fits in this soup very well, thickens the broth beautifully and makes it substantial. Being a lemon fan, I give a generous squeeze, with plenty of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper over the soup for a delicious heat, when serving. You can also crumble some feta cheese over the top before serving if you’d like too. For a gluten-free option, you can use rice instead of orzo pasta.

Many wholesome soups, regional specialties, pastries, vegetables cooked in olive oil and more are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, Signed copies now 25 % Off at this link, as well as our new Ozlem’s Turkish Table apron here, delivered worldewide including the US.

I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy and wholesome Turkish soup, Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 3 reviews

Turkish Vegetable Soup with Orzo - Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi

This delicious vegetarian soup, Sehriyeli Sebze Corbasi, is easy, delicious and wholesome. Orzo pasta or "sehriye" as we call it in Turkish fits in this soup very well, thickens the broth beautifully and makes it substantial. Being a lemon fan, I give a generous squeeze, with plenty of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper over the soup for a delicious heat, when serving. You can also crumble some feta cheese over the top before serving if you'd like too. For a gluten-free option, you can use rice instead of orzo pasta.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian Soups

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow or green), deseeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped in small pieces
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
180 gr / 6¼ oz / 1 full cup orzo pasta
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
400 gr / 1 can of chopped tomatoes
½ tbsp. double concentrated tomato puree
1.10 litres / 2 pints hot water or vegetable stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Extra wedges of lemon to serve
Crusty bread or pide bread to serve

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, wide sauce pan and add the onions, peppers and carrots. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, they will start to soften up.
Pour in the hot water or vegetable stock. Also pour in the chopped canned tomatoes and the tomato puree, stir well. Cover and bring to to the boil.
Stir the pot and cover again, cook for 10 minutes at medium to low heat.
Then add the orzo pasta, season with salt and ground black pepper and combine well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes at medium to low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once the orzo pasta is cooked, stir in the parsley, pour in the lemon juice and combine well. Check the seasoning and add more salt and ground black pepper, if needed. Turn the heat off.
Serve hot with Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes over the soup, with extra wedges of lemon and crusty bread by the side. Afiyet Olsun.

Turkish Flat breads with Cheese, Tomato and Egg; Yumurtali Pide

By Ozlem Warren on July 15, 2016 in Savory Pastries, Turkish Breakfast, Turkish Street Food 22

Turkish flatbreads with cheese, tomato, pepper with a cracked egg; Yumurtali, Peynirli Pide

Merhaba all; Pide, Turkish oval flat breads, are much loved at home; they are the ultimate snack and our “to go” food, our version of “Pizza”. Many of you kindly expressed that you enjoyed my Pide with Spinach, Peppers and Feta as well as Pide with Ground Meat and Vegetables with recipes here and asked for variations. Hence comes this new Pide recipe with cheese, tomato with a cracked egg in the middle, Yumurtali Pide.

This pide hails from the Kayseri region in Middle Anatolia, where locals would also use region’s wonderful delicacy, Pastirma – dried cured and thinly sliced beef over the topping. An egg would be cracked in the middle of each pide at the last 4-5 minutes of baking and then baked further until the egg is just set, delicious. I used medium cheddar cheese (kasar as we call it in Turkish) along with grated mozzarella at the topping, they worked well. The addition of warm milk at this dough made the crust slightly softer with still a nice texture to it.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

I love pide; they are versatile and can be enjoyed all day. In my new book SEBZE, there is another version of Pide, Black Sea style, with cracked egg in middle, Trabzon Yagli Pide, with a lovely, soft buttery dough. You can get a copy of my cookery book SEBZE here.

Pide, Turkish flay bread with cheese, pepper, tomato with a cracked egg, Kayseri Style

Pide, Turkish flat bread with cheese, pepper, tomato with a cracked egg, Kayseri Style

I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy to make Yumurtali Pide; you can alter the topping and add on your choice of cheese or slices of dried cured beef or pastrami too. This wonderful Pide would also go down very well for Turkish style breakfast or brunch.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 5 reviews

Turkish Flat breads with Cheese, Tomato and Egg; Yumurtali Pide

This pide hails from the Kayseri region in Middle Anatolia, where locals would also use region’s wonderful delicacy, Pastirma – dried cured and thinly sliced beef over the topping. An egg is cracked in the middle of each pide at the last 4-5 minutes of baking and then baked further until the egg is just set, delicious. I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy to make Yumurtali Pide; you can alter the topping and add on your choice of cheese or slices of dried cured beef or pastrami too. This wonderful Pide would also go down very well for Turkish style breakfast or brunch.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish Flat Breads with Topping, Pide

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 300 gr/ 10oz/2 ½ cups all-purpose plain flour
• 7gr dried yeast
• 5 ml/ 1 tsp. sugar
• 5 ml / 1 tsp. salt
• 4 fl. oz./112 ml/1/2 cup warm water
• 2 ½ fl oz. / 70 ml / ⅓ cup warm milk
• 45ml/3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 egg + 5 ml/ 1 tsp. olive oil to brush the pide
• For the topping:
• 60 gr / 2 oz. medium cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• 110 gr/ 4 oz. grated mozzarella
• ½ medium tomato, deseeded and thinly sliced
• ¼ green bell pepper, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2 eggs (one egg for each pide) to crack over pide topping
• Red pepper flakes / Turkish pul biber to sprinkle over the egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F
Stir in the dried yeast and sugar in a small bowl and pour in ½ cup warm water. Dissolve and mix the yeast in water. Set aside for the yeast mixture to get frothy for 5 minutes.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in 2 tbsp. olive oil and the yeast mixture. Also stir in the warm milk to the flour mixture. Using your hands, draw in the flour from the sides and work the mixture into a dough. On a floured surface, knead for 3 -5 minutes, until you reach a soft, smooth dough. The dough may get sticky as you knead, so pour the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and add a little more flour if needed to help shape into a soft dough.
Grease a large bowl with a little olive oil, place the dough and cover with a cling film. Leave the dough in a warm place for 1 hour to rise.
Once the dough is risen, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for a minute then divide the dough into two pieces and roll into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls into 2 oval shapes of 20 cm x 40 cm (about 8”x16”), with ½ cm (0.2”) thickness.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place the 2 oval flat bread dough on the tray.
Spread the grated mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, sliced peppers and tomatoes evenly over the 2 flat breads, leaving 2 cm at the edges as a border with no filling (I’ve found it’s easier to spread the filling while the oval dough is in the tray). Fold in the sides to act as border to keep the filling intact. Squeeze the oval dough at each end to make it pointy.
Beat an egg in a small bowl and mix it with 1 tsp. olive oil. Brush the edges of dough with this mixture. Bake for 18 minutes, until the pides golden and crispy at the edges.
Take the pide tray out of the oven and carefully crack an egg in the middle of each pide. Return to the oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes; take care not to overcook the egg; it should be just set with the yolk still runny.
Sprinkle red pepper flakes, Turkish pul biber over the egg, cut in slices and serve while warm.

Ozlem’s Turkish Table at the Cactus Kitchens – Michel Roux Jr Cookery School and at the Blid & Hatton Gatherings

My Turkish cookery workshop and exploring flavors at the Cactus Kitchens – Michel Roux Jr Cookery School

Fabulous Pide with feta, peppers and spinach made by the participants

It’s been an exciting and busy few weeks with some Food Consultancy and teaching Turkish Cookery to enthusiastic participants. It was a privilege to teach at the stunning Cactus Kitchens – Michel Roux Jr Cookery School. We not only made Pide, Ezme, Kisir and many more with the participants, we also explored creative use of spices, talked about current food trends and carried out innovative food workshops to explore exciting flavors – a very inspirational and enjoyable day.

Our Turkish Cookery Workshop at the Medicine Garden, Cobham – Surrey

Another very enjoyable Turkish cookery class, with recipes including the much loved Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with ground meat and vegetables, Karniyarik. This time teaching locally at the beautiful Blid & Hatton Gatherings in Cobham, Surrey – England. I love how love of food brings us all together and grateful for the food lovers keen to explore new, delicious flavors. More classes to come in Autumn!