Boyoz is a Turkish pastry that was brought over to the country by Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Spain in the late 15th century. Nowadays, it is prepared exclusively in Izmir, following the original recipe. The pastry is made with flour, sunflower oil, and tahini. Tahini increases the nutrient value of boyoz, but it also makes …
Category: Recipes
Patlıcan salatası
Patlıcan salatası is a Turkish salad made with roasted eggplants as the main ingredient. It will taste slightly different in every restaurant, depending on the chef’s personal preferences. Besides roasted eggplants, the salad is usually made with red peppers, onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. All ingredients are then combined, and although the …
Kuymak
This traditional Turkish dish combines coarsely-ground cornmeal and (oftentimes) aged local cheeses such as trabzon or kashar. Grated cheese is mixed into piping hot cornmeal until it turns stringy, and the dish is then typically enriched with butter or kaymak—Turkish clotted cream. Kuymak is typical of the area surrounding the Black Sea, where it is mainly enjoyed for breakfast. …
Kol böreği
Kol böreği is a Turkish börek variety made with puff pastry that is shaped into a spiral. The pastry is filled with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, spinach, potatoes, or ground meat with pine nuts and currants. The name of the dish means arm börek, referring to the long, arm-like visual appearance of the pastry. …
Pestil
Pestil is a Turkish sweet made from pulverized fruits – most commonly apricots – that are spread in a thin layer, then left to dry. After the mass has dried, it is cut into smaller pieces. Pestil is also known as fruit leather due to its typical texture. When ready for consumption, pestil can also …
Biber dolması
Biber dolması is a Turkish delicacy consisting of peppers stuffed with a combination of ground meat (beef or lamb), rice, and onions. There are numerous recipes and variations, so additional ingredients such as raisins, pine nuts, mint, and garlic are also often included in the basic combination of fillings. The stuffed peppers are then slowly …
Menemen
Menemen is a traditional spread consisting of tomatoes, eggs, peppers, and various spices. There are many version of menemen, so it can also contain garlic, cheese, spinach, sausage pieces, or onions (when menemen is served as a main dish). It is usually sold at breakfast or brunch places in Turkey, and most restaurants serve it …
Türlü
Often referred to as Turkish ratatouille, türlü is a flavorful vegetable stew with added meat such as lamb or beef. The vegetables used in the stew are typically zucchinis, eggplants, onions, okra, green beans, and potatoes. The stew is usually flavored with garlic, tomato sauce, bay leaves, cinnamon, and a variety of fresh herbs. After the slow-cooking …
Tarhana çorbası
Tarhana çorbası is a popular Turkish soup made with tarhana dough, crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken stock, butter, and pul biber red pepper flakes. When the consistency reaches the desired thickness, the soup is ready to be served, preferably piping hot. Some people like to add ground meat in the soup, but it is completely optional. …
Keşkek
Keşkek is a traditional ceremonial dish made with lamb or chicken meat combined with wheat or barley stew. The mashed wheat or barley is placed in a bowl, followed by a sauce made with butter, meat broth, and pepper flakes, while the meat is placed on top. Traditionally, keşkek is served as a part of …
Hamsili pilav
Hamsili pilav is a visually attractive Turkish dish of oven-baked pilaf that is encased in anchovies. The pilaf is usually prepared with long-grain rice, onions, raisins, pine nuts, mint, lemon juice, and spices. In order to prepare hamsili pilav, a baking dish is first brushed with butter, then layered with anchovies so that they fill …
Alinazik kebab
Alinazik is a Turkish kebab variety originating from Gaziantep. It consists of char-grilled and puréed eggplants that are combined with garlic yogurt sauce, then topped with chunks of meltingly sweet lamb. The meat is typically stewed with onions, red pepper paste, tomatoes or tomato paste, and olive oil. It is important that the eggplants have …
Burma kadayıf
This type of baklava is made with shredded kadayıf dough rolled around ground or whole pistachio nuts. Just like most other baklava varieties, burma (lit. wringed; twisted) is baked, doused in a lemon-flavored syrup, sliced into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled with ground pistachios before serving. Burma kadayıf can also be made with walnuts, but pistachios are used …
Polka-dot strawberry cake
Ingredients 1kg strawberry hulled, except for 8 berries 1 tbsp icing sugar juice ½ lemon butter for greasing For the polka dots 1 large egg 25g golden caster sugar 25g plain flour few drops pink food colouring few drops red food colouring For the cakes 8 large eggs 200g golden caster sugar 200g plain flour …
Sticky jerk salmon with mango slaw
Ingredients 2 heaped tbsp Jamaican jerk paste 2 tbsp clear honey 4 salmon fillets juice 2 limes ½ red cabbage core removed, thinly sliced 1 firm but ripe mango skin removed, thinly sliced 1 red pepper thinly sliced 6 spring onions thinly sliced on an angle small bunch coriander leaves picked Method step 1 Heat …
Tuna, avocado & pea salad in Baby Gem lettuce wraps
Ingredients 1 ½ tbsp low-fat natural yogurt 85g canned tuna chunks (in spring water), drained 50g cooked and cooled rice (use leftover from Prawn, butternut & mango curry dinner if made – see ‘goes well with’, right) 85g frozen pea cooked, then refreshed in cold water ½ red pepper chopped 1 avocado stoned, peeled and …
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Quinoa porridge
Ingredients For the porridge (to serve 4) 175g quinoa ½ vanilla pod split and seeds scraped out, or 0.5 tsp vanilla extract 15g creamed coconut 4 tbsp chia seeds 125g coconut yogurt For the topping (to serve 2) 125g pot coconut yogurt 280g mixed summer berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries 2 tbsp flaked …
Lemon & garlic roast chicken with charred broccoli & sweet potato mash
Ingredients 1 small free-range chicken (about 1kg) 2 garlic cloves 1 tsp rapeseed oil small bunch thyme 1 lemon halved 1 small head broccoli (about 200g), cut into small florets 200g sweet potato peeled and cubed (cook 100g extra if you are using for Chicken wrap with sticky sweet potato, see ‘goes well with’) 1 …
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Boozy berry & elderflower trifle
Ingredients 250g pot mascarpone 250g fresh custard 250g pack raspberry 1 tbsp elderflower cordial 225g ready-made sponge cake 3 tbsp kirsch Method step 1 With an electric whisk, whip together the mascarpone and custard in a bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use. Roughly mash most of the raspberries with the elderflower cordial. step …
Tofu with stir-fried noodles, pak choi & sugar snap peas
Ingredients 195g extra-firm tofu For the marinade 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce 2cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped or grated 1 garlic clove finely chopped 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice 1 tsp sesame oil For the stir-fried noodles 85g vermicelli rice noodle 2 tsp rapeseed oil 1 tsp sesame oil 1 spring …
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Tomato tarts with roasted garlic & goat’s cheese
ingredients 3 whole garlic bulbs 2 tbsp olive oil 375g block all-butter puff pastry 1 ½ tbsp honey Dijon mustard (we used Maille) or use 2 tsp Dijon mustard and a squeeze of honey 325g cherry tomato halved 1 egg beaten 150g pack soft goat’s cheese (we used Chavroux – other soft goat’s cheese would …
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Roast pork with fennel & rosemary
ingredients 2 tsp fennel seed 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 garlic cloves chopped 1 orange with zest from ½ grated 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary 1 tbsp olive oil 1 ½kg pork roasting joint, such as boned shoulder or loin 1 onion thickly sliced 400ml white wine 1 tbsp redcurrant or other fruit jelly Method …
Brie, courgette & red pepper muffins
ingredients knob of butter 2 small or 1 large courgette cut into small cubes 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp dried 3 eggs lightly beaten 100ml milk 5 tbsp sunflower oil 2 red peppers skinned (see tip, below) and cut into bite-sized pieces 85g cheddar grated …
Falafels with hummus & tabbouleh
ingredients For the falafel 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 400g can chickpeas drained 400g can butter beans drained juice ½ lemon small pack coriander including stalks ¼ red chilli deseeded, and chopped 1 garlic clove crushed 1 egg yolk beaten small pack parsley 4 tbsp wholemeal flour For the hummus 400g can …
Kadınbudu köfte
Kadinbudu köfte (lit. lady’s thigh köfte) is a Turkish dish made with ground beef or lamb, rice, onions, eggs, flour, oil, and various spices. It is believed that the unusual name stems from the Ottoman era because it resembled women’s thighs at the time. The meatballs are coated with flour and beaten eggs, then fried …