Hello, The Style Boro readers! My name is Naureen Akhter, owner of Kitchen3N.com I am a blast from your lovely host's past: Aileen and I went to junior high together where our shenanigans ranged from prank calling boys we had crushes on (Allan are you out there? Are you reading this? In case you are, Aileen Olmedo of class 701 officially had a crush on you.), to attempting to perform Wiccan rituals in our friend's home, to having my first sexual encounter at her home (her dog humped my leg!). So when I invited her over for breakfast, I thought, what's something unique and delicious (and photogenic!) I can entertain her with?
Turkish breakfast wins every time. Traditional Turkish breakfast spreads typically include cheese, olives, tomato, cucumbers, eggs, bread and Turkish sausage known as soujuk. The contrasting colors of the tomato, cucumber and olives always wows. The salty cheese and spicy sausage pair well with soft scrambled eggs. Bonus points for fresh squeezed orange juice or apple tea! Breakfast was the last meal I had with my husband during my babymoon to Turkey and one that will stay with me forever.
Homemade granola and banana bread are not traditional, but they are in our house. Nothing perfumes the house like the smell of coconut toasting up in the oven or banana getting cozy with butter and sugar.
So try your hand at this spread next time you're entertaining folks for breakfast (think: New Year's Day morning for a fun change up). The best part is - most of these things require little effort beyond buying the ingredients: the tomatoes and cucumbers you just slice and arrange. The sausage you prepare similar to bacon (slice and bake at 350 degrees on a rack over a sheet pan for 15-20 minutes). The bread, warm up in the oven on a sheet pan once the sausage is done. For the eggs, you can slice all the veggies beforehand, and scramble up right before your guests come.
Recipe for Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 long green pepper (I used the Basque Fryer, but feel free to use a deseeded jalapeno), sliced thin
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Directions
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add scallions, tomato, pepper and cook 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add cayenne, paprika and salt and cook for until tomatoes break down and onions get super soft, another 2-3 minutes.
While the veggies cook, crack eggs into a bowl. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and whisk with a fork. Whisk well - until the eggs look like a uniform yellow mixture. Pour into skillet and lower the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs just start to set. Turn off the heat and add the parsley. Give it a final stir and serve with warm bread.
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You guys, brunch with Naureen was so delicious and my hunger for more Mediterranean adventures has increased ten-fold.
For more scrumptious recipes head over to Naureen's blog (www.kitchen3n.com), Instagram (@kitchen3n), or if you're in NYC learn about her custom cake creations here.
