Sigara Böreği

- Turkish Street Food -

Borek [boh-rek] (plural Böreği) is a delicious Turkish/Eastern European street food that I added to the OneandahalfSlices repertoire in college when a Turkish friend took the time to teach me a little of his home cuisine. I would go as far as to call borek the Balkan empanada – pervasive with a distinct variation on the theme in every country. It can be baked, fried, filled with cheese, filled with greens, filled with meat, but usually involves Phyllo dough (unless you are me and are too lazy to deal with Phyllo dough).

The most common type of borek is probably Su Böreği (literally translated to water borek) which is baked in large sheets, filled with cheese or cheese and spinach, and cut into pieces (think Spanakopita if you like Greek food). This particular borek is called Sigara because it is rolled into tubes like a cigarette. It makes a great brunch, lunch, or light dinner option (as pictured here) and has its origins in Ottoman cuisine.

Ottoman cuisine has rich Central Asian, Balkan, Persian, and Arab influences owing mostly to its central location – both land and sea – to the spice trade and geography at the confluence of Asia, old Europe, and the Middle East. Ottoman cuisine boasts stews (this is where I learned to make tagine though I tend to use a more North African flavor profile), breads, yogurt-based sauces, grape leaves, and kebabs. Pair with a good Cajik sauce (coming soon), some very fresh vegetables, and an Öküzgözü if you are so bold.

what you need

1 block of feta cheese

1 bunch of curly parsley

1 package of Nasoya eggroll wraps (you can get these at most grocery stores in the produce section believe it or not)

1/2 cup plain, 0% fat Greek yogurt

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Black pepper to taste

Dash of paprika

A neutral oil (like Safflower or Sunflower) for frying

Serve with: thinly sliced avocado, cucumber, tomato, and red onion topped with olive oil, dill, parsley, and/or finely chopped toasted pistachios, and cajik or haydari sauce, if desired.

how to make it

Chop parsley and feta separately and then mix until combined. In another small bowl, beat the egg with the yogurt, lemon juice, black pepper, and paprika.

Lay out one eggroll wrap on a clean surface (they should be very easy to work with – no flour dusting required). Place a small spoonful of the egg mixture in the middle of the wrap on the diagonal, careful not to add too much (you do not want it spilling out into the pan and causing oil spatters). Add two spoonfulls of the parsley mixture to the top of the yogurt mixture.

Starting with the bottom corner, fold the wrap up and over the mixture and tuck in each side. With a free finger, wipe some of the yogurt mixture on the top corner to seal with wrap. Roll the borek upwards to create a moderately tight wrap.

Barely cover the bottom of a pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the borek, careful not to overcrowd them, and cook them for approximately three minutes on each of three sides. Prepare the plates as the böreği cook transferring them to a paper towel to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Coconut Harissa Meatballs

This struck me as the strangest recipe and just the thing OneandahalfSlices needed after what shall henceforth be known as The Great Fridge Hiatus. In the midst of back-and-forth work travel to Florida and other exotic locales (Dayton, Ohio???), my freezer door was mysteriously left – ahem – ajar. Chicken and meat juices filled the freezer drawer and I stared in sadness as $300 worth of condiments, to include at least seven types of miso paste, expired in front of my eyes. Fixing the fridge, restocking the freezer, replacing the condiments, and getting my cooking mojo back took a good two weeks. So here we are…with coconut harissa meatballs – by far one of the stranger things I’ve tasted. I made this dish over the mashed white beans as originally instructed but I’m curious to try it over egg noodles and mashed gold potatoes. If you’re feeling experimental, I’d definitely give this one a try.

Go To Post »

Creamy Sweet Potato Stew

Coming out of Vegan October, we were a little tired of lentils and were looking for something to do with copious amounts of sweet potatoes. Hence this little gem was discovered. Creamy with coconut milk, almost like curry. Spiced with flavors of the same. Hearty with sweet potato and flourished with kale. Yes, there are still a few lentils, but they are hardly the stars of the show. This soup is light enough for any season and feels perfectly at home here at the end of October. 🧡

Go To Post »

Moroccan Tagine

I have been SO excited to release this post!!! Why? Because this is your new weeknight dinner. It will impress your family, fill your stomach, warm your heart, and make your house smell like North African spices. I started making tagine years ago when I first moved to DC and came across a tagine in World Market. I was instantly and aesthetically intrigued, and purchased the thing on the spot not having a clue what I would do with it. Well… figured that one out. A tagine is the OG slow cooker. And whatever you put inside – lamb, chicken, chickpeas, rabbit, potatoes – you will taste the spicy exoticism. If you don’t have a tagine, no worries. You can make it in a Dutch oven, stovetop or, yes, in a slow cooker. And before you think this is just chicken slow roasted in tomato sauce… keep reading…

Go To Post »