Tag Archives | vegan recipes

Stuffed aubergines (eggplants) with lentils, Mercimekli Karniyarik

By Ozlem Warren on September 23, 2020 in Gluten-free recipes, Online Turkish Cookery Course, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 0

Last Thursday, I had the honor of presenting Turkish cuisine on a special zoom event, very kindly hosted by the Oklahoma University, Schusterman Library. It was well attended with folks all round the world and we got such positive feedback. For the folks who missed it, here is the Youtube video of our session, I hope you enjoy it:

Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with lentils and vegetables; Mercimekli Karniyarik

My family loves Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with minced/ground meat and vegetables, one of my favourite dishes growing up in Turkey too. We equally love lentils; in an attempt for my children to enjoy lentils more, I made this plant based version of Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with green lentils and vegetables, Mercimekli Karniyarik. Filling has been similar to Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil recipe. I used green peppers here and added pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes in the seasoning, along with the refreshing dried mint. The end result has been so very delicious and light in flavour – delighted to report the children loved it too.

I sprinkled some grated cheese (mild grated mozzarella, Turkish beyaz peynir or feta cheese would all work well) over a couple of our Stuffed aubergines, this version has been a delicious variation too. You can prepare the filling ahead of time; this lovely dish tastes even better the next day and freezes well.

I am passionate about healthy Turkish cuisine, packed full of wholesome, delicious recipes. It is based on seasonal produce and we use wholegrains, pulses and legumes frequently. Dishes are flavoured naturally with olive oil, nuts, spices and natural condiments like pomegranate molasses. A lot of options for vegetarian and plant based diets too, in Turkish cuisine. Over 90 healthy, delicious Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed hardback copies are now 25 % OFF via GBPublishing.org available at this link and delivered worldwide, including US and Canada; you can also see kindle and other options here too, if interested.

Stuffed aubergines with lentils, Mercimekli Karniyarik

My family loves Karniyarik, Stuffed aubergines/eggplants with minced/ground meat and vegetables, one of my favourite dishes growing up in Turkey too. We equally love lentils; in an attempt for my children to enjoy lentils more, I made this plant based version of Karniyarik, using green lentils and vegetables, Mercimekli Karniyarik. Filling has been similar to Antakya’s Mercimekli Mualla, Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil recipe. I used green peppers here and added pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes in the seasoning, along with the refreshing dried mint. The end result has been so very delicious and light in flavour – delighted to report the children loved it too. I sprinkled some grated cheese (mild grated mozzarella, Turkish beyaz peynir or feta cheese would all work well) over a couple of our Stuffed aubergines, this version has been a delicious variation too. You can prepare the filling ahead of time; this lovely dish tastes even better the next day and freezes well.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian, Vegan

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 dark purple medium aubergines/eggplants
60ml/4tbsp green lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped (save 4 thin strips of green peppers for decoration)
200g/7oz (1/2 can of) chopped tomatoes
120ml/4fl oz water
60ml/4tbsp light olive oil, canola oil or groundnut oil to par bake the aubergine halves
30ml/2tbsp olive oil (for the filling)
4 slices of tomato for decoration
30ml/2tbsp grated cheese (mozzarella or beyaz peynir, feta cheese ) – optional –
10ml/2tsp dried mint
5ml/1tsp Turkish pul biber or chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
Cut the aubergines/eggplants in half lengthways leaving the stalk intact. In each half of the aubergine, cut a deep split lengthways without cutting through to the skin on the opposite side and leaving ½in/13mm uncut at either end. Sprinkle salt over the flesh side of the aubergines and leave them aside for 15 minutes.
Dry the aubergines/eggplants with kitchen towel thoroughly. Place them on a baking tray, skin side down. Pour in the light olive oil (or canola or groundnut oil) over the aubergine halves and rub the oil all round them. Bake in the preheated oven (200C/400F) for 30-35 minutes, until they soften and start to get a nice brown colour at the edges.
While aubergines are baking, put the green lentils in a pan of boiling water, stir and cover. Simmer in low heat for 15 minutes. Drain the water and place the lentils in a medium sized bowl.
Combine the partially cooked lentils with onion, garlic, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, salt, dried mint, olive oil and Turkish pul biber or chili flakes in the bowl. Season with ground black pepper; check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Take out the partially baked aubergines from the oven and turn the heat down to 180C/350F.
Once cool enough to handle, gently open up the cavity of the softened aubergines. Place them on a baking dish. Spoon the filling into the cavity of the aubergine/eggplant halves, also some over the top. Place a slice of tomato and pepper on each half. Pour water on the can of chopped tomatoes you have used, to finish off the left over tomato sauce. Mix and pour this on the baking tray. Cover and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Then uncover the baking dish (and check if it needs topping up with a little more water), and if you prefer, sprinkle some grated cheese over. Bake further 10 minutes or until they are tender and the aubergines/eggplants are nicely browned on top.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with pide ekmek or crusty bread aside.
Afiyet Olsun.

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.

I hope you enjoy the post and it inspires. Signed hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book is now 20 % off at this link, for a limited time, and delivered worldwide, if you like to get a copy. If you live in the USA, Canada or Mexico, you can now get a hardback copy with lower delivery rates here.

Stay well, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Wholesome, Easy Turkish Food Ideas for Extraordinary Times

By Ozlem Warren on March 20, 2020 in Casseroles and Stews, Health Benefits of Spices, Turkish cookery book, Turkish Menu Ideas 4

Merhaba Dear All,

Indeed extraordinary, uncertain times and I hope this post finds you all well. We are all doing our best, taking precautions, and making every effort to support family, friends and loved ones, in the growing rise of Covid-19. We have been trying our best to help out especially the elderly and the vulnerable, helping with their food shopping, dropping meals to their door.

Many healthy experts say that one of the most important things we can do now is to boost our immune system with healthy eating. We are lucky as Turkish cuisine follows Mediterranean diet, based on seasonal produce, wholesome grains, legumes, flavouring naturally with olive oil, nuts, natural condiments. Just having a look at this sunny Turkish breakfast lifts my spirits and showcases how healthy Turkish food is. Please remember, there are over 100 healthy, wholesome, easy to make Turkish and Mediterranean recipes at my blog here, with free access to you all, I truly hope it inspires and brings comfort.

I have noted below a few pantry staples I always keep in hand; you can turn them into delicious, wholesome meals without breaking the bank. A dear reader, Sally, yesterday sent me a note, saying “You remain by my side in troubled times with your inspirational, happy food”, which made my day. I have included recipe links from my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, at this post, do hope they inspire you too. Please remember, times like this, we may not have an access to all the vegetables and grains but we will make the most of what we have, be creative and substitute when needed.

With this note, Happy coming Mother’s Day to all mothers celebrating, in good health and happiness; we may not be by the side of our dear mothers to protect their well being, but they will all be in our heart and thoughts; I will be drinking my mother’s favourite Turkish coffee for her across the ocean and will send a virtual hug. If you would like to gift my cookery book, signed copies of my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, is now 10 % off at this link, and it is delivered worldwide.

Eat a rainbow of vegetables

All health experts say eat colourful fruit and veg to boost immune system; Turkish cuisine is based on seasonal produce and we use a large variety of vegetables in our diet. As it is extraordinary times, please substitute with whatever veg you find in your recipes.

Special mention here for garlic; in ancient times, it was used as a medicine to treat a variety of medical conditions. it is highly nutritious, rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese, great, fantastic value ingredient to boost your immune system. Another great pantry staple also worth a mention is canned tomatoes; they are not only great value but (just like fresh, in season ones) are low in calories and packed with vitamin C and fiber. Canned tomatoes (as opposed to fresh) are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene, shown to help lower the risk of heart disease and various other ilnesses. Needless to say, we use plenty of garlic and tomatoes in all form in Turkish cuisine.

Baked prawns (or any small chunks of fish) casserole with mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, peppers – Karides Guvec

Turkish style shrimp casserole with vegetables, Karides Guvec

This is a very popular one pot dish served in fish restaurants at home and combines high nutrition with great taste. You can use small chunks of fish instead of prawns (in that case, please cook the fish in the vegetable sauce for 15 minutes, before further baking with the cheese additional 10 minutes. Always check the sea food packaging for advised cooking times). Or opt out fish and shellfish for a vegetarian option. Here is my recipe link; it is also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book, page 239.

Baked Turkish Meatballs with vegetables – Firinda Sebzeli Kofte – Great for freezing too!

A wonderful all in one pot dish to please the family – a great one for bulk cooking and freezing in portions. Again, use any veg you can get hold of; I add a can of cooked (and rinsed) chickpeas for extra nutrition and bulk it up too. If preferred, keep it vegetarian without the meatballs, and include cooked chickpeas or beans instead. Here is my recipe link, also at page 179 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table. You can serve with Cacik dip with cucumber and yoghurt – again, very healthy, full of gut friendly bacteria.

Aubergine, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil – Mercimekli Mualla

We love aubergine / eggplant or as we call it, patlican, in Turkey. This delicious recipe is from my southern Turkish roots, from Antakya- dried mint, healthy olive oil, flavours lentils and veg so beautifully here. You can prep ahead of time and once cooked, it can be kept in the fridge for a good 2-3 days. It is also vegan and gluten free. Here’s my recipe link (also at page 151 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table) . You can make another version using courgette/ zucchini, equally delicious and wholesome, with my recipe here

Power of legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils), bulgur, whole grains

Legumes, whole grains, bulgur are an important part of Turkish diet and I am a huge fan of them. They are packed with goodness, convenient and great value. At times like this, always keep dried or canned version of legumes. I also love the nutty flavour of bulgur; it is wholesome and so versatile. Here are some ideas for you to turn them into delicious, nutritious meals:

Spicy bulgur and lentil soup – Ezo Gelin Corbasi

Spicy bulgur and lentil soup, Ezo Gelin Corbasi

One of our favourite soups of all times; such a tasty, wholesome, fantastic value soup, so easy to make. Make a big batch as it freezes very well, here is my recipe link (also at page 47 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table). If you like to make it gluten free, use quinoa instead of bulgur – my recipe link is here for this gluten free version

Turkish bean salad with sumac spiced onions, tomatoes, olives – Fasulye Piyazi

This traditional beans salad, Fasulye Piyazi, is a meal in itself and turns the humble beans into an exciting and vibrant salad. Canned cannelini beans would work well here. You can flavour your red onions with the tangy sumac here and add a little heat with pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes – so good, easy and wholesome. Here is my recipe link (also at page 90 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table)

Bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses – Kisir

Fun baking with children – try this delicious Gozleme!

With children now off school, you may enjoy making this delicious Gozleme, Anatolian flat breads with fillings with them. Any veg in hand can make a filling – left over mashed potato, sauteed leeks, mushrooms, peppers.. etc. Great activity with kids, learning a new skill and very satisfying, here is my recipe link here (also at Ozlem’s Turkish Table, page 113)

Flavouring through spices, naturally

You can add so much flavour to your dishes, naturally, through spices, they have a lot of health benefits too. For instance, it is the warm, pungent cumin simply transforms hummus, when combined with tahini. You can also prepare a red pepper flakes infused olive oil and drizzle over hummus – it is a delicious, wholesome dip you can easily make at home, using a can of precooked chickpeas, my recipe is here if you like.

How about this Leafy greens with onions, peppers and pine nuts, an inspiration from my home town, Antakya? Any greens would work – kale, Swiss chard, spinach all work. A sprinkle of pul biber, Turkish red pepper flakes adds a delicious heat to this lovely recipe. You can make it a substantial meal with adding bulgur to it (and hot water). My recipe is at this link here if you’d like to give a go (also at page 153 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table)

Dried fruit and nuts

Baked dried apricots with walnuts, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table

We consume a lot of nuts – almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and more – and dried fruit (dried apricots, figs etc) in Turkish cuisine. They are packed with nutrition, goodness and make a wholesome snack. If you’d like a healthy dessert, why not try this Baked dried apricots with walnuts; it is so easy to make, healthy and delicious. My recipe link is here (also at page 271 of Ozlem’s Turkish Table)

Finishing off here with my favourite drink, as well as my mother’s, Turkish coffee, Turk kahvesi, more than a drink for us, as it always evokes special memories. Even if we are away from one another, staying at our homes, love of good food and sharing connects us all and brings happy memories. The rituals of Turkish coffee, that is staying in the moment, slowing down and enjoying every sip thinking of loved ones, is very suitable for the current times. May you enjoy yours and hope it brings comfort.

My very best wishes to you all, please stay well and Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem