Diet breakfasts, recipes, diet of concubines, menu

Today we will talk about breakfast. More precisely? about breakfasts, there were three of them at once. They were distributed over time like this:

• 8:00 – easy,
• 10:00 – main,
• 12:00 – coffee.

That is, first the body had to be awakened. Then feed. And then to cheer up, because the day in the harem was quite active, it took a lot of energy. And the night could suddenly become sleepless: if the Sultan orders, who will refuse him …

All subsequent meals were also held at intervals of two hours (read more about the rule of seven meals here). And do not forget about the main feature of the breakfast of the concubines: small plates and bowls. Each approach to food is no more than 250 grams.

The first breakfast is a glass of ayran. The recipe for its preparation has remained practically unchanged since the “Magnificent Century”. 150 g of water is poured into 100 g of yogurt. Stir. Cool. And that’s all. In Turkey and other hot countries, it is customary to add a pinch of salt to ayran. It is believed that this is how it quenches thirst better. But if salty ayran is not to your taste, you can drink the usual one, its beneficial properties will not diminish.

An important secret of making ayran at home is to take a lot of yogurt. If it is too liquid, then the ayran will turn out to be too watery. And not so tasty anymore.

There are two effective ways to thicken yogurt. In ancient times, housewives took a special bag made of cotton fabric (an option – they covered the sieve with a thin towel). The yogurt was poured into it and the excess liquid was allowed to drain. And after a couple of hours, ayran was already prepared from the remaining mass. But modern women have no time to wait so long, so you can simply beat the yogurt with a mixer: it will become denser.

Alternative ingredients include yogurt, katyk (Bulgarian yogurt), or even yogurt.

If you want to make ayran more satisfying, add chopped greens to the prepared mixture. Or grated cucumber (without peel). Or a little garlic. And if you want, just a little bit of everything. Feel free to experiment.

In ancient times, mint, fennel or basil were also used to give the drink an original taste and aroma. It is quite understandable: the same bothers, so the concubines tried to diversify their breakfast.

The main thing: no sugar or fruit and berries. For the first meal, this will be completely superfluous.

Before moving on to basic breakfast recipes, a few important words about black gold. Yes, yes, long before the discovery of oil in the Ancient East, this was the name of coffee. And the sultans always sent a bag of fried grains as a gift to the rulers of friendly countries. True, the ambassadors on the way sold half of the generous gift at inns for good money …

The concubines drank coffee every day. And those who prepared for the night with the ruler did so twice. Many mothers gave their beautiful daughters to the harem just so that they could taste an exotic drink. After all, outside the walls of the palace, Turkish women were forbidden to drink coffee until the end of the XNUMXth century. Well, to arrange fate, because if the daughter gives birth to an heir to the Sultan, the family will bathe in gold. But that’s a completely different story.

If you think you know how to make Turkish coffee, you are most likely wrong. The correct algorithm is:

1. You boil water in a cezve. Ideally, on hot sand, this way the heating occurs more evenly. But you can also over low heat. The main thing is not to miss the moment: as soon as the bubbles massively go up (the state of the “white key”), the cezve must be removed from the fire. Preventing water from boiling.

2. Now you need to throw a small pinch of salt into the water. Don’t stir, just quit.

3. And then add 0,5 tsp. cold water.

4. And only after that do you add coffee. One teaspoon per serving. But remember, coffee cups in ancient Turkey were like a thimble. So if you drink a lot of coffee, pour yourself two spoons.

5. And then put on fire and watch carefully so that the boil reaches the same stage. Otherwise, the coffee will “run away”, and this will mean that you have ruined the drink. And the stove too.

Have you noticed? Coffee is brewed without sugar. And he also drinks without it. Fruit was served to the concubines on the coffee table. Fresh on even days – dates, peaches, figs, grapes. For odd dried ones – raisins, dried apricots, persimmons sun-dried in the sun.

And honey, of course. Moreover, in the Middle Ages, it was not the linden flower that was more popular, but the coniferous (from the pollen and resin of pines and cypresses). It is almost as dark in color as coffee. And the utility is prohibitive.

All kinds of sweets – halva, Turkish delight and other delights – were prohibited. Just like heavy cream, popular in modern Turkish feasts. Only after a night with the Sultan, the concubine was supposed to have a dessert (their recipes are in one of our next publications).

In the meantime, let’s move on to the main dishes of the breakfast of the concubines.

Eggs are another important part of the concubines’ diet. They were served very often. And if suddenly some of the girls gained excess weight, then all meat dishes for a week were replaced with eggs. And boiled soft-boiled, it’s more useful. In Turkish tradition, it is generally not customary to boil and fry egg yolks until fully cooked.

Scrambled eggs in the harem were prepared in two fundamentally different types.

The first one for the girls who had already been appointed in advance for the night watch in the Vladyka’s bedchamber. The dish was prepared for two – the sultan and the concubine. Sausage, sujuk or basturma were fried in a frying pan. In large quantities. With onions, garlic and pleasant spices. On olive oil. Then all this frying was laid out on a dish and with pita bread and tomatoes went to the ruler’s table.

And then in the oily-fragrant yummy that remained in the pan, the usual fried eggs were prepared from two eggs. For a concubine. In principle, such a dish will come in handy now if you want to pamper your husband with fried sausage, and you yourself plan to save your figure.

The second option, on the contrary, is very useful. Scrambled eggs with spinach. Moreover, first fry the spinach in a pan for a short time (as you like, with onions, garlic). Then spread on a small baking sheet in an even layer. We make holes and break the eggs in them, but carefully so that the yolks do not spread. And bake all this in the oven until tender. Before the very end, you can sprinkle with grated cheese, ideally spicy.

Serves 4: 600 grams of spinach, 4 eggs and cheese (ideally grated immediately).

Thin puff pastries with filling are called “cigar berek”. They really look like a cigar – strips of dough are curled into a tube. Inside the filling. The most popular at all times is from salted cottage cheese, to which two egg yolks and any greens are added. And then all this is deep-fried.

Ideally, a special dough is needed for Bereki; in Turkey you can buy it ready-made, right in the supermarket. But in Russia this is more difficult. Therefore, the housewives got the hang of cooking from thin lavash. Cut ribbons and twist “cigars” 1,5 cm thick. It is not necessary to fry them in a deep fat fryer. You can also use a regular frying pan, the main thing is to turn it over so that it browns evenly on all sides.

For 4 servings: 500 g of cottage cheese (preferably with a low percentage of fat), 2 eggs, 2 thin pita bread and herbs of your choice – dill, parsley, cilantro.

Understandably, deep-fried pies are a somewhat dubious diet food. But delicious! Therefore, during breakfast in the harem, the bereki were always balanced with a pleasant light snack made from vegetables – ezme.

To prepare it, you just need to peel the cucumbers and tomatoes, chop everything very finely. And into a deep bowl. Then add sweet peppers, chopped into small crumbs, to the same place (do not forget to remove the seeds) and green onions. Salt and pepper everything. Mix. And for dressing, take olive oil and spicy tomato paste – yes, together, that’s the beauty.

Serves 4: 4 large tomatoes (by no means cherry!), 2 medium cucumbers, 1 large bell pepper and a small bunch of green onions. 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and tomato paste. And salt, pepper to taste.

Bereki and Ezme are made for each other. Like Sultan Suleiman and his beloved wife Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska.

Two salads from the harem kitchen are satisfying enough to be separate dishes. But not very high in calories, so they can be used as an addition to other recipes on our list. Do not forget that the maximum serving is 250 g.

Salad “Golden”

Boiled eggs, red bell peppers and olives. Cut everything into cubes. Season with olive oil, garlic and vinegar sauce. Served chilled.

Serves 4: 6 eggs, 2 large peppers, black olives (as much as you want, you won’t spoil the salad with olives). And also 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1-2 cloves of garlic.

Yes, many of the concubine dishes contain onions and garlic. But they did not threaten to kiss someone right away. For many, this has not threatened for years … If you are confused by the presence of some ingredients, then the next dish is definitely for you.

Bulgur salad

Crushed wheat in the Middle Ages in different countries of the East was called differently. But now it is known precisely as Bulgur. It does not need to be boiled, just steamed in hot water for a few minutes. And then add finely chopped cucumber and tomato (we learned how to do this on the previous page), as well as parsley. And 3-4 mint leaves. No need to refuel, just squeeze the juice out of half a lemon.

Serves 4: 300 g bulgur, 3 large tomatoes, 2 medium cucumbers, a small bunch of parsley, mint and lemon.

It cannot be said that concubines were often pampered with meat in the morning. But it happened a couple of times a week. As a rule, chicken was prepared for morning meals. But there were other options as well. The next two pages are just such recipes.

The most popular (and easiest to prepare) dish was called the Inverted Cauldron. In this same cauldron we lay in layers – from bottom to top: pieces of chicken meat, then onion rings, sweet peppers, coarsely chopped cabbage, and sprinkle all this with carrot rings. Then all this is stewed under the lid for an hour, well, maybe a little longer.

And then we remember the name of the dish, turn the cauldron over onto a large plate. And on the table.

The recipe is good because in addition to chicken and onions, you can experiment with all the other layers. For example, add potatoes (after all, the husband does not have a diet). Or beets. Or asparagus. Yes, whatever you want. And instead of a cauldron, you can use a multicooker.

It makes no sense to paint the ingredients for 4 servings here – it all depends on the size of the cauldron. And determine the thickness of the layers yourself. The main thing is that in the end you have no more than 250 g on your plate.

Another meat dish is Turkish liver. You will have to tinker with it (remove films and everything else), but it will turn out delicious. Cut the liver into strips, roll in flour, and then fry in a skillet with onions, cayenne pepper and sumac (such a spice). The fire must be strong, do not spare oil. And then the liver is laid out on a plate, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley. As a side dish, ripe tomatoes cut into slices are best.

Serves 4: 800 g beef liver, 4 medium tomatoes, 2 large onions, a bunch of parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a pinch of sumac.

And remember: we do not spare olive oil.

Boiled veal is delicious in and of itself. But what did they manage to do out of her in the Middle Ages in a Turkish harem ?! Almost a hamburger. Only without the bun.

Let’s do it and we’ll do it. Cut the meat into thick medallions. Put a tomato ring on top, then a cucumber ring. And then half a boiled egg with the dome up. The beauty. And deliciousness.

Serves 4: 500 grams of veal, 2 eggs, 1 tomato, 1 cucumber.

Cabbage rolls in grape leaves are known to everyone as dolma. A popular dish in many countries. In the sultan’s harem, they were made very miniature. Straight tiny.

Everyone knows how to do them. The minced meat is carefully wrapped in a grape leaf. All this is placed in a saucepan and stewed for an hour and a half.

Important points:

When dolma is stewed in water, it will be useful to add a lemon cut into four parts. There is another option: stew cabbage rolls with tomatoes or in tomato paste. It will be no less tasty.

Serves 4: 600 g ground beef, 12 large grape leaves, onion, garlic, salt, pepper.

One of the best Turkish snacks. They cook it for a long time, but eat it instantly. Stuff sweet peppers with vegetable filling. The classics are cabbage, garlic, celery and parsley. But you can experiment. Then we put all this in an enamel pan, fill it with marinade from water and vinegar (2: 1). And all that remains is to wait. Twenty days. Yes. But then you will lick your fingers.

Serves 4: 1 kg of green bell pepper, 1 large head of cabbage, 2 heads of garlic, 10 sprigs of celery and a bunch of parsley.

Another delicious pepper. And stuffed too. But already in boats, that is, we cut each pod lengthwise, into two halves. Cooking the filling: knead the cheese (not very salty). Add tomato pulp (without peel), egg yolk and fried onions. We mix all this to a viscous mass. And we load on our boats, it is possible with a slide. And then they float into the oven – bake for half an hour. Then sprinkle with herbs on top … And you’re done.

Serves 4: 4 large sweet peppers, 250 g feta cheese, 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 1 egg yolk, many different herbs.

Two varieties of beans were cooked in a concubine harem.

The first is still green. Boil the pods lightly in salted water for about ten minutes. You can even use frozen, it will not affect the taste. And then we transfer it to a frying pan or stewpan, where the traditional frying is already piling up: onions and carrots. Simmer until tender. An important touch: when the heat is turned off, sprinkle with lemon juice (remember, we have half of the bulgur salad left?), And then cover and let stand for another five minutes. To get to the condition. To the right one.

Serves 4: 800 g green beans, 2 onions, 1 medium carrot, olive oil, salt, pepper – to taste.

Red beans take a long time to cook, it is even recommended to soak them overnight. But then, when it is cooked, it will be a couple of trifles to make the next dish.

It’s just that the beans are mixed with tahina (sesame seed paste), vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Everything is knocked down to a homogeneous mass (in a blender, for example). Garlic can be added if desired (crushed, of course). Served cold with lavash, boiled eggs and fresh tomatoes.

Serves 4: 300 g red beans, 50 g tahini, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar (even slightly less).

What is good about the diet of concubines: there is practically no porridge in it. Especially annoying oatmeal. And there is no need to depend on the scarce buckwheat.

But lentils were highly respected in the harem. Especially with carrots. And the first was cooked in a saucepan (about half an hour, but you always have to try: isn’t it tough). And the second was stewed in a skillet (cut into rings) with an onion, as expected. And then they mixed in one bowl. And then they poured it with yogurt and crushed garlic. Simple and delicious.

Serves 4: 300 g of green or red lentils, 400 g of carrots, 200 g of yogurt (not sweet), 1 onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic and a little dill for decoration and flavor.

Another member of the legume family, respected by the chefs of medieval harems, is chickpea. He’s chickpeas. It was used to make wonderful little cutlets, perfect for the breakfast of concubines. And any other women, what is already there.

The peas must be boiled until almost cooked. Then knead into minced meat – modern housewives are here to help a blender. Add a whisper of cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Break the egg to make the cutlets better. And fry in olive oil. Serve with any salad or vegetables of your choice.

For 4 servings: 400 g of chickpeas (chickpeas), 1 egg, salt and seasonings, parsley to decorate the dish.

What they ate in the harem almost every day. Vegetable snacks made from zucchini and eggplant.

Stew zucchini (or zucchini) with tomatoes is easy. It is important to remember that they cannot be thrown into the pan at the same time. Otherwise, something will burn. First, the zucchini, cut into cubes. And after 5-7 minutes add the tomatoes. No peel. Lobules. Another 5-7 minutes, and the dish is ready. Just remember to stir! Garlic is pressed into this dish necessarily and generously. And at the end it would also be nice to throw a sprig of basil: for the scent.

Serves 4: 4 medium zucchini / zucchini, 2 large tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, basil, salt, pepper.

But you will have to tinker with eggplants to make baba ganush. Here the whole difficulty is how to bake eggplants. Ideal, of course, on coals. But you can use an oven or airfryer. As a last resort, hold on a fork over the burner (although this is too extreme). Then gently peel off. And with the pulp, we will work wonders.

Chop it finely and finely. Add tahini. Crush the garlic. A little lemon juice and olive oil. And mix everything until smooth.

You can substitute half a cup of yogurt for tahina. Turks are ready to add yogurt to everything, we have already discussed this. But the dish itself will turn out to be easier, which is important for the diet. Serve with chopped tomatoes, peppers, herbs, pomegranate seeds – whatever you can think of yourself. It will be delicious in any way.

Serves 4: 3 large eggplants, 3 tablespoons of sesame paste, 3 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, any seasonings of your choice.

The main thing is to remember: in addition to proper nutrition, the concubines led an active lifestyle – dancing, swimming, walking. Therefore, in order to gain the coveted harmony, it is not enough to learn just how to eat breakfast correctly.

I’ll start at the end where it talks about eating legumes. Firstly, it is a healthy product that contains a lot of vegetable protein, dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates. Legumes provide long-term satiety. But the only thing I doubt is that garlic is put in every dish and that the concubines should eat it so often, especially before the night with the Sultan. This means he must eat it. 

True, such a diet is not shown to everyone. If there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract, then this protein, which legumes contain, it is very difficult to digest. And people with problems with the gastrointestinal tract will have problems – bloating, increased gas production and dyspeptic symptoms. Therefore, everything here must be decided individually. 

But in the use of legumes, in the correction of weight, I do not see anything criminal, especially with vegetables and how they are prepared. The same applies to eggplants, zucchini, zucchini and other vegetables, where there is a small amount of fat, a lot of dietary fiber, trace elements, then this is definitely useful. 

   Dried fruits are useful, but depending on how much they are used, the main thing is not to eat them, as it happens now, in modern reality, in whole packs. Three or four, this is the maximum, as a snack to satisfy hunger.

  In general, I do not see anything wrong with this diet, but any diet should be considered individually and I want to emphasize that if a person has a problem with the gastrointestinal tract, then this diet will not suit you.

Such reusable meals, a long-standing and well-known reception. If you eat regularly, 5-7 times a day in small portions, the effect of such nutrition will be noticeable. And it is important to eat little – in this case, the volume of the stomach decreases, the body gets used to it and over time a person can no longer eat much, and body weight gradually decreases. And if the person is slim, it will help not to gain excess weight. And the most important thing is not what exactly is in the diet, but the size of the portions – they should be small. Of course, within reason. 

And the whole task is that there is always something in the stomach, then there will be no desire to overeat. Food in the stomach lasts 2,5-3 hours, and then it is evacuated from the stomach and a feeling of hunger appears. And if it appears, then you will already eat more.

And it’s important not to eat at night. Food eaten at night goes into fat, since there is no energy expenditure.

Subject to this regimen, products should be varied. The body must receive all the nutrients, and for this, the diet must be balanced.