Deserted Girl

Lahm bil 'Ajin (Lahmacun)

2011-04-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had an impromptu picnic last weekend and I decided to make a version of lahm bil ajin, what literally means pastry (or dough) with meat. In Holland where Turkish food is somewhat popular, a version of these are also sold there called lahmacun. The downside of buying these readymade is that the meat topping is usually more onion than meat, and very thinly applied. I guess this way they are more profitable.

For my meat topping I decided to use a Moroccan inspired spice blend, mainly because of convenience and I know it would taste good, and it did.
I’ve made a vegetarian version in the past using finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms instead of meat, topped with feta after baking. Which were also very good.

When baking these make sure to not let them get to brown on the bottom, you want to be able to fill and roll them afterwards, which is not possible once they are to crispy. If you do let them get to brown a trick is to stack them after right baking and cover with a clean kitchen towel, the heat/steam will make them more pliable.

Lahm bil ajin.
makes about 8 medium-smallish ones.
Dough:
300 grams (11 oz/ 2,5 cups) flour
60 ml (¼ cup) yogurt
120 ml (½ cup) water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp (olive) oil
1 packet of instant yeast (7 grams)

Meat:
350 grams (13 oz) lean ground beef (you could use lam or mutton if you’d like)
½ smallish onion (about 2 tbsp finely chopped)
1 small garlic clove
1 heaped tsp tomato paste
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil (if your meat is very lean, otherwise omit)

For the dough
In a bowl mix together flour, salt and yeast. Add the water, yogurt and oil and mix. Start with a big spoon, and start kneading it on a floured worktop as soon as it comes together. Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Put in a clean bowl and cover and let stand in a draft free place for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Once doubled, punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces, which you roll into neat balls. Cover and let stand for another 15-20 minutes. This is the right moment to preheat you’re oven to 200C. (400F/ gas mark 6), *

When the dough is proofing prepare the meat by very finely chopping (or grating) the onion and garlic. Mix that with the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate until you plan to use it.**

On a well floured work surface roll out a piece of dough into a 20 cm (8 inch) circle, they will be thin. Spread a big spoonful (1/8) of the prepared meat evenly over the surface.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the meat is cooked. If you have an average sized oven you will be able to bake two at a time. So work in batches.
The easiest way to transfer these from counter top to oven, is to prepare them on a well floured cutting board so they’ll slide right into your oven.

*You could cook these on the stove using a dry thick bottomed frying pan (like cast iron).

** don’t let it stand to long, as raw garlic becomes stronger in flavor the longer it stands.

Bulgur with Moroccan Caramelized Onions

2011-03-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yes you could use couscous, but I prefer bulgur for weeknight meals. Couscous is indeed a staple in north African countries, but you will not likely find anyone over there pour hot water over it and letting it stand. The most traditional way to prepare it is to steam it, now and then drizzle some water over it and then with your hands rub in oil or butter. It’s quite a process but that is part of its charm I guess. I’m not saying one is wrong or one is right, it’s a matter of personal preference. Bulgur I usually cook in a pot on the stove and that is was works for me.

This dish is inspired by a Moroccan condiment; onions slowly cooked with spices and raisins called tfaya. I like it a lot, but I’m alone on this in our house. It’s used to top stewed chicken (or meat) served with couscous, and is appropriately called couscous tfaya. The most common way to serve couscous is with stewed meat (or chicken) and vegetables though, and is normally not topped with this mixture. But because my grandfather liked it so much we always did it anyway and it somehow remained a habit.

I’m not sure about this, but what I understand is that bulgur is somewhat better for you and the kids go crazy for it so that is why I like to use it on a regular basis, but feel free to sub it for couscous in this case.

Bulgur with Moroccan Caramelized Onions
serves 3-4 as a side
250 ml (1 cup) of bulgur
1 big onion
small handful (about 30 gr/ 1 oz) raisins
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger
1 scant tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp of sugar (light brown or white)
salt and pepper to taste

Put the raisins in a bowl and add hot water, set aside. In a pan add the bulgur and 250 ml (1cup) of water from the tap and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and let come to a simmer on medium low heat until you see that all the water is absorbed. Turn the heat off and fluff with a fork, put the lid back on an let stand until the onion mixture is ready.
Peel and quarter the onion, slice each quarter into strips. In a wide skillet heat about two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and fry whilst stirring until translucent, add all the spices, salt pepper and sugar and let this cook for about 10 minutes, reduce the heat if necessary you want it to go slow. You can also add a splash of water (not too much) to deglaze the pan if necessary. Drain the raisins and add to the onions and stir to combine, take of the heat.
In a large bowl add the bulgur and with a fork stir until loosened, add the onion mixture and keep stirring with a fork until everything is coated and loose, take your time. You can add more olive oil if you like, taste and adjust seasonings.
I like it just as much warm or at room temperature.

Easy Chicken Curry

2011-03-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not really familiar with indian/pakistani food, but I decided that's going to change. I love spicy complex food so I think it's right up my alley.

When we go out to eat out with the kids, we tend to go for the usual because we simply don't what we would order if we'd go to a balti / curry house, and it's such a shame because there is plenty to choose from here in Birmingham. So when we went out to eat the other day we went to an Arabic restaurant where I noticed they also offered chicken balti. Now from what I understand is that balti refers to the pot the chicken (or meat perhaps) is cooked and served in, the description looked alright so I ordered it and it tasted fine. The downside was that it was way to oily, but it reminded me of a dish I made a few times years ago and totally forgot about.
I'm not saying it's authentic or anything, I think at the time I wanted to create butter chicken. This time I left out the butter and cream and added yogurt instead. Like I said I don't know much about curries etc, but I thought it was pretty tasty, next on my list is biryani!

I used skinless boneless chicken thighs, which are already cleaned and deboned available here and I prefer using it instead of chicken breast that tends to go dry. But you can certainly use chicken breast. If you have the time you can make it extra tender by marinating the chicken in the yogurt and spices then plop everything in the pan after you fried the onions etc.
For the fat I used olive oil, because I always use olive oil, but I guess ghee would be nice or use plain vegetable oil if you prefer.

Easy Chicken Curry
Serves about 3
500 grams (1 lb) skinless chicken breast, or thighs
3-4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 piece of cinnamon stick (optional*)
120 ml (1/2 cup) yogurt, stirred
120 ml (1/2 cup) water
*I used cinnamon because that's what I had, but you can use a cardamon pod or a clove to simmer in the sauce or add a dash of garam masala.

Slice the chicken in small bite sized pieces and set aside.
Finely chop the onion and garlic and grate the ginger. In a wide skillet add 2 tbsp of oil. And heat over medium high heat, add onion, garlic and ginger and fry for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently.
Then add the tomato paste and stir fry that for antoher minute, add the spices, cinnamon, and chicken and stir to coat everything. Season with salt and pepper. After you let it cook for a minute or two add the yogurt and water, let come to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook without a lid until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced, should take about 15-20 minutes. It should be more like a generous coating then a loose sauce. Remove cinnamon, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with basmati rice, naan or both.

Veal Ragu (Ragout)

2011-03-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

I bought some fun shaped pasta a few weeks ago, and wanted to do something different. Not tomato based or end up with creamy mushroom/chicken sauce, you know been there done that. After watching an episode of jamie olivers show, jamie at home, te recipe of game ragu inspired me to do something similar. My first change was the meat, mixing up different kind of animals, by that I mean species, kinda freaks me out so I decided not to go there. I wanted to keep the ragu rather light coloured and clean so beef was out of the question, and enough with the chicken already! If I'd been able to get my hands on rabbit I would have probably used that, but eventually went with veal instead.
Although the ragu is light in colour it is somewhat rich, but since you only use it to coat the pasta instead of drowning it with sauce it has just the right amount of heft. It made me think of spring especially with the lemon zest added before serving. I was very happy with the results and thought it was a nice change from the usual grub.

The herb I used was sage which worked very well for this but you can certainly pick another herb like rosemary, thyme or a combination.

Veal Ragu (ragout)
Inspired by Jamie Oliver
serves about 6
1 kilo (2lb) veal
1 medium leek
1 medium onion
1 medium celery stalk
1 big carrot
bunch of flat leaf parsley (about 20 stalks)
4 garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh sage (small handfull of leaves)
2 bay leaves
60 ml (1/4 cup/ 4 tbsp) olive oil
250 ml (1 cup) chicken broth
250 ml warm water
1 heaped tbsp of flour
salt and pepper to taste
500 grams of wide pasta, like reginette, pappardelle, or rigatoni etc

to finish the dish:
30 gr (1 oz/2 tbsp) butter
60 gr (2 oz) grated parmesian cheese
zest of half a lemon (pref. unwaxed)
chopped parsley

Prepare your vegetables:
Peel and chop the onion, not to fine and set aside seperately.
Clean and peel the rest: carrot, leek, celery (like I mentioned here), and garlic cloves. Finely mince the garlic and dice everything else in about 1cm by 1cm pieces, also finely chop the parsley and sage.

In a large pot or dutch oven heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let cook for about 10-15 minutes until caramelized, lower the heat if necessary and stir frequently, you want them to be sweet soft and lighlty browned.
If the onions are done add the rest of the olive oil, the diced vegetables, herbs and a pinch of salt. Stir now and then and let this cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes or so. In the meantime cut the meat into small pieces (approx. same size as vegetables).

When vegetables are cooked add the meat pinch of pepper and the flour, make sure everything is coated and cook this for about 5-7 minutes whilst stirring before adding the water and chicken stock. Let come to a boil, and reduce heat to low and cook this covered for about 45 minutes.

Check the meat, it should be very tender by now, discard the bay leaves and increase heat to medium and let simmer uncovered until the desired consistency. Take of the heat and add the butter, parmesian cheese and lemon zest* stir until everything is melted and combined, taste and adjust seasoning.
In the meantime cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Make sure you have everything to finish the dish ready. Before draining the pasta remove about 250 ml (1 cup) of pasta water. Put the pasta back into the pot and add ragu and some of the pasta water (start with 60 ml/ 1/4 cup) toss gently to combine and add more pasta water if it needs it. The pasta should be loose and glossy. Sprinkle some parsley and grated parmesian cheese over the top and serve immediately.

*before I added the cheese, butter and zest I removed half the ragu to freeze for another time. When I want to serve it I'll finish it with the cheese etc.(of course only half the amount)

Basic Tomato Soup

2011-03-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Making soup yourself can be a lengthy process. Most soups use a broth (or stock, is it the same?) as a base, which is basically flavoured liquid, and can be used in al sorts of cooking. To make broth is what takes the most time, you need to slowly boil ingredients to extract the flavours. Celery, carrot and onion (also called mirepoix) are usually used whether it's chicken, vegetable or meat based you will likely find these ingredients used to make the broth, it's what makes it taste soupy. Normally we don't eat soup very often but of course my daughter requested "the red soup" when I made chicken soup the other day, so I made that as well later that week. Because I usually don't have readymade broth on hand, and canned tomato soups are way to sweet for my taste, I had to improvise with what I had. I used the same (mirepoix) ingredient but cooked them for a shorter time and pureed them right into the soup, so I still got all the flavour and dinner on the table in about half an hour.

I didn't use any additional herbs (like oregano or basil) but you can certainly add those if you like, or finish the soup with some cream.
I peeled the celery stalks with a vegetable peeler, because the outside of celery has tough strings which don't disolve when cooked, you can also peel them by hand. Break the end carefully and pull alongside the length of the stalks, usually the strings come of quite easily.

Basic Tomato Soup
serves 4
2 large stalks of celery (I used 3 smaller ones)
1 large carrot
1 large onion
3-4 garlic cloves
small bunch of parsley (about 15 stalks)
2 cans (400 grams/ 14oz) of chopped or peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
about 1 litre (4 cups) of water

Peel the celery (see note) onion and garlic, dice everything including the carrot in small pieces. Chop the parsley very fine, use the stalks as well just trim the dry and brown ends of.

In a large pan over medium heat, heat a couple of tablespoon of olive oil. Add all the diced vegetables a big pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add tomato puree and cook for another minutes or so whilst stirring.

Add the canned tomatoes a pinch of pepper and fill both cans with water (about 1 litre/ 4 cups) and add that as well. Stir and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and let cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until all vegetables are very soft. Process the soup in a blender (in bathes) until smooth (or use a stick blender) taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

Puff Pastry Apple Tart with Frangipane

2011-03-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Because I still had some puff pastry that needed to be used, I made this quick tart. I decided to make a frangipane as well, because I had never made that before and it sounded rather tasty. It was, but I regret not adding a few drops of almond flavouring, because the almond flavour was pretty subtle. Plus I went a little overboard with the cinnamon. You could certainly omit the frangipane or make individual tartlettes instead (if you have squares of puff pastry instead of one block). Either way apples + puff pastry, it's going to taste good anyway.

Puff Pastry Apple Tart with Frangipane
For the tart:
350 grams (12 oz) ready made puff pastry, thawed and left outside the fridge for about 30 minutes
1 batch frangipane (recipe below)
4-5 apples, peeled cored and cut into very thin slices
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (or more if you want)
2-3 tbsp of milk

for frangipane:
adapted from Joe Pastry
50 grams (1.5 oz/ 1/3 cup) ground almonds
50 grams (1.5 oz/ 1/4 cup) sugar (I used demerera)
50 grams (1.5 oz/ 3.5 tbsp) soft butter (I used salted)
1 egg
1/4 tsp almond flavouring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/ gas mark 6), line a large sheet pan with greaseproof paper.
First prepare the frangipane. Mix together sugar and almonds, add the butter then the egg and keep stirring until smooth. If you're using unsalted butter you might want to add a small pinch of salt.
Roll out your puff pastry, I won't give an exact measurment just make sure it's slightly bigger then your sheet pan. Fold the edges to make a rim, spread the frangipane evenly over the puff pastry (not the edges).
Arrange the apples over the frangipane, slightly overlapping each other. With a pastrybrush, brush the edges with a little milk. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle all over the apples including the edges of the tart. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken and Noodle Soup)

2011-03-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

Indonesian food is, in my opinion one of the best there is. In Holland Indonesian cuisine is also very popular and has even influenced some recipes that are now known as traditionally Dutch, this of course due to history. I found out that even in Saudi Arabia Indonesian food is highly appreciated, and was happy to not only find a number of Indonesian restaurants, but also most supplies you need to prepare it at home, in the supermarkets. Luckily the Chinese supermarkets I found here in the U.K. are well stocked and carry a decent variety of Indonesian ingredients.

Because my mother had Indonesian foster parents, we regularly ate Indonesian (inspired) dishes growing up. But as far as I can remember she never made soto soup, and I don’t know what made me make it at home but I did. The first time was a disaster, the soup tasted good but I made a mistake and ruined it. I let the soup stand overnight without straining it, thinking this would benefit the flavor. But the lime, which I also left in the soup overpowered everything.

The recipe I use nowadays is inspired by different sources, Indonesia eats and Rasa Malaysia are two of my favorite sources for Indonesian or other Asian recipes.

This recipe makes a lot of soup, you can easily freeze the broth and adjust the amount of other ingredients to the number of people you are serving. Looking at my miserable pictures I should have added something green but was unfortunately all out. One thing I highly recommend (if you can find it) are fried onions they are a nice contrast and very addictive.

There are a lot of different things you can serve in this broth, most common are:
(rice) noodles
boiled egg
bean sprouts
cabbage
spring onions
Slice and blanch (noodles, cabbage and sprouts) separately, rather than in the soup.
Other things to serve alongside the soup are:
sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis)
lime wedges,
and hot sauce (sambal).
I’m sure I forgot a few, and of course you can add what you like to eat and find appropriate even when it’s not that authentic.

Soto Ayam
About 1 kilo (2lb) bone in chicken. (you can use a whole cut up chicken I used skinless whole legs)
1 big carrot
2 onions
8-10 garlic cloves
15 cm (6 inch) piece of ginger, you can sub in some galangal as well
bunch of flat leaf parsley
4 celery stalks (don't remove the leaves if there are any)
2 big lemongrass stalks
1 small lime
about 2,7L (11 cups) of cold water

Spices:
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper seeds, or big pinch already ground
1 slightly heaped tsp of turmeric
salt

Clean your chicken and put in a large soup pot, cover with plenty of cold water and let come to a boil over medium-low heat. When it boils drain completely, rinse the chicken and put back in the pot. This gets rid of any impurities (I got it from here, and since he’s a chef I believe him, and it works as well)

In the meantime prepare the rest:
Wash the carrots parsley, celery lemongrass and lime (obviously)
Chop the carrot into large chunks
Peel and quarter the onions
Crush and peel the garlic cloves
Peel (I never do though, just give it a good wash) and cut ginger in chunks
Slice the lime in wedges (if you are afraid that it will be too acidic for your taste, only add half you can always add more lime juice afterwards)
Peel the outer leaves of the lemongrass and bruise them, by bashing carefully with a rolling pin.

Prepare spices:
I roasted the whole spices in a dry skillet for a minute, then gave everything a few pulses in the spice grinder. You can also crush them in a pestle and mortal if you have one.
Sprinkle all the spices and a few big pinches of salt over the chicken, arrange the rest of the ingredients in the pot and cover with cold water. Put on medium heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce to very low heat, and let cook with a lid for 2-3 hours. 2 hours being the minimum.

After cooking drain the soup in another pot and put all the chicken pieces on a plate and let cool, discard the rest, I gave everything a good squeeze to extract as much flavor as possible. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning, you probably need lot more salt, and maybe some lime juice as well. When chicken is cool enough to handle, take all the meat of the bones, and discard the bones.

The easiest way to serve this is to put some chicken pieces, noodles, cabbage and other ingredients you want to add in the middle of a bowl then ladle the very hot broth carefully around it. And serve with condiments on the side so everyone can help themselves.

Battered Fish

2011-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

As in fish and chips without the chips. I initially had other plans for the fish I bought but decided to make this instead. A friend of mine told me about a recipe she had for battered fish that was oh so delicious, and although I told her I try to avoid deep fat frying, I ended up craving it for the rest of the week.
The main issue I have with deep fat frying is that it stinks up your whole house, including the people in it and their hair. And especially if you don’t do it very often you have the problem with the leftover oil, what are you suppose to do with it? I made it anyway. There are probably a lot of baked varieties for this, but those are just big fish stick, and fish sticks do not make me happy.

Many recipes out there use beer or sparkling water as a liquid. I assume because the bubbles will create a light batter that will result in a better crust. What I did was add baking soda to the flour and vinegar to the liquid ingredients. Baking soda reacts to acid making it foam and bubble, and the bubbles keep longer than with a fizzy liquid.
A few things you need to keep in mind:
Use a very generous amount of oil for frying , if you happen to have a deep fat fryer use that without the net.
I fried them in a wide pan (not non stick) filled with oil, the batter seemed to be sticking to the bottom of the pan, I just made sure not to turn or even move them until I say that the edges where turning golden brown. Meaning the first side was done, then with a metal spatula lifted out the fish but scraping the bottom underneath it, in case it still stuck, and flipping it gently in one movement.
I’m assuming you’re planning to serve this with other things, make sure everything is ready. This cooks very fast and is best served immediately.

Battered Fish
Serves 2-3
500 grams (1lb) white fish fillets, boneless (I used cod)
225 grams (1 ½ cups) of plain flour, divided
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika powder (or cayenne powder)
½ tsp baking soda
180 ml (¾ cup) water
2 tbsp vinegar
oil for frying

If you're starting out with frozen fish, make sure it's thawed and pat dry. In a bowl whisk together 150 grams (1 cup) of flour, paprika, baking soda, salt and pepper. Put the rest of the flour (75 grams/ 1/2 cup) on a plate. In a separate bowl mix water and vinegar. Over medium high heat, heat your oil in a big pan. If you're not using a deep fat fryer make sure the oil is at least 3-4 cm (inch and a half) deep. The oil should be hot and ready, add a drop of batter if it sizzles and floats up immediately, it is ready.
Add the water with vinegar to the bowl with flour and stir until combined. Dredge a piece of fish in flour, shake of the excess and dip into the batter, make sure the fish is completely covered and let the excess batter drip back into the bowl.

Carefully put the fish into the hot oil. Fry about two pieces at a time. They need about 3 minutes on the first side and an additional 2 minutes or so on the other side. (you probably don't need to turn them if you're using a deep fat fryer, but the overall cooking time will be about 5-6 minutes) Make sure they are golden brown, and try to tun them just once during frying. Only batter the fish the moment you are ready to fry them.

Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon and tartare sauce if desired*

*I make mine by mixing one part yogurt one part mayo and a handful of finely chopped cornichons. Add black pepper, salt a splash of vinegar if it needs it.

Puff Pastry "Tortellini" with Mushroom and Eggplant

2011-02-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

My plan was to make these appetizers for friends who were coming over, but because our house is in a constant state of chaos these days we spend the whole morning tidying up so we could at least offer them a clean and toy-less place to sit. So I made them the day after instead, and tried my very best not to eat them all. Puff pastry is a real life saver when you need an easy appetizer, for the filling I choose eggplant and mushrooms, which was really delicious and would also be very good with pasta or on top of a risotto.

Because I had some leftover lemon thyme I used that, it smells delicious but a was little too subtle for my taste so next time I'd go for lemon zest and chopped parsley instead*. You can of course adjust to your own likings, filling options are endless really; meat, cheese or even ground nuts or preserve for a sweet variety.

I folded them into little tortellini, well tortellini-wise they are rather big but not bigger than two bites which is the perfect size for appetizers. They'll taste just as good folded into triangles or squares but you have to admit that this is way cuter, and only takes a little extra effort.

Puff Pastry Tortellini with Mushroom and Eggplant
Makes about 25
350 grams (12 oz) ready made puff pastry
250 grams (8 oz) mushrooms (I used chestnut mushrooms)
1 medium egg plant (250 grams/ 8oz)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon of fresh (lemon) thyme*
About 3 tablespoon grated Parmesan (optional)
Salt to taste
Olive oil
1 egg, beaten
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/ gas mark 6) line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Peel the eggplant with a sharp vegetable peeler, and cut into very small cubes (1 X 1cm). Toss with olive oil and spread in an even layer over the prepared sheet pan. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked and browned.
Whilst the eggplant is roasting in the oven prepare the mushrooms. Dice them in the same size as the eggplant, and finely mince the garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil. Fry the mushrooms, don’t overcrowd the pan and work in batches. I did them in 3 bathes, this way they fry and brown and won’t release any of their juices. When the last batch is almost done add the garlic and fry with the mushrooms. (The mushroom only take a minute or two)
In a bowl mix together, eggplant, mushrooms, herbs, parmesan and season with salt.

Roll out your puff pastry into a 40 by 40 cm square (15,5" x 15,5"approx) trim the sides if necessary cut the square into smaller 8 by 8cm (3"x3") squares. Put a small amount of filling onto each square and brush two sides of every square with the beaten egg using a pastry brush.

Fold every square into triangles then bring the two opposite ends together and squeeze to seal using a bit of egg wash as glue. Repeat with remaining squares. You might have some filling leftover.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated oven at 200C (400F/ gas mark 6). Best served the same day.

Filling can be made a day ahead, and the ready folded tortellini can be stored, loosely covered in the fridge to bake later or the next day. Or freeze them if you’re puff pastry wasn’t thawed to begin with, flash freeze first on a baking sheet then store in a big Ziploc bag. Bake straight from the freezer, but increase baking time with about 5 minutes.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

2011-02-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

I usually keep it vegetarian when we eat pasta, because pasta is hearty and satisfying enough without the heft and richness of meat. At least it keeps us carnivores satisfied for the rest of the evening. But every now and then I make these meatballs, not often though. Over the years I tweaked added and changed the ingredients and ended up with this, which is basically how most people make it, go figure. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just the way comfort food is suppose to be. The sauce I made is the basic marinara sauce I posted to which I added some cream I had leftover (hence the orange color). You can fry the meatballs, but I choose to bake them and they came out just as well. And leftover meatballs make very good sandwiches by the way.

Meatballs

makes about 25 small meatballs / 4-5 persons
450 grams beef 1 lb
80 grams (2 ½ oz, 2 slices of bread) breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp finely minced onion (half of a small onion)
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup (40 grams) grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp ricotta
1 medium egg
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 bathes of marinara sauce

I usually put all the ingredients except egg, ricotta and meat in a food processor and process. Then just put everything in a big bowl and mix until combined (with your hands), use a tbsp to measure the meatballs, roll them with your (slightly wet) hands into neat balls and set aside.
If frying in a pan, fry them in olive oil on medium high heat until browned all over, work in batches. Set meatballs aside and make the sauce in the same pan (don’t clean it out). When sauce is finished put the meatballs back into the pan and let them simmer with a lid for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

If baking in the oven, arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush them with olive oil (or add a tbsp of oil to the mixture) and bake in a preheated oven on 200C (400F/ gas mark 6) for about 20 minutes. In the meantime make the tomato sauce and mix them together when both are cooked. Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Basic Sponge Cake with Jam and Cream

2011-02-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

When it comes to food, texture and contrast is almost as important as taste for me. But what I don’t understand is why people eat whipped cream with something as heavy as pound cake or apple pie (it’s a Dutch thing), when you have something so heavy and sweet, eating the cream is like taking a bite of air so why bother? I think whipped cream goes better with something in the category as “angel food cake”, something light which doesn’t make the cream feel like thin air.
I was actually looking for a right name for this cake, it’s not like “angel food cake” because it has egg yolks, but doesn’t contain any other form of fat, so it’s not a chiffon cake either. Personally I don’t think plain would be very enjoyable, it’s best with jam and cream maybe some fruit, or basted with flavored syrup would be very nice as well. For this version I of course used mango jam (so good!), but any jam will work. And you can make it a lot prettier than I did, use some extra cream to cover the top and sides and decorate with fruit or ground nuts.

The main thing you have to keep in mind is that you don’t open the oven door whilst it's cooking, it could collapse in the middle (start checking after 20 min), other than that it’s a very easy (and fast!) cake to bake especially for beginners, and a real crowd pleaser.

Basic Sponge Cake
125 grams(1 scant cup) flour
50 grams(1/3 cup) cornstarch
150 grams (2/3 cup) sugar
6 big eggs, separated
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla (or sub in some vanilla sugar)
To finish
125 ml (½ cup) jam of choice
450 ml (about 1 7/8 cup) very cold double cream
2 tbsp sugar

Sponge base
Prepare two 23 cm (9 inch) cake tins, grease them and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.
Preheat the oven to 190C (375F/ gas mark 5)
In a bowl sift together cornstarch, flour, and baking powder, preferably twice and set aside. In another bowl add sugar and egg yolks, and in a third bowl add egg whites and salt. Begin by beating the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Then beat the yolks and sugar until pale yellow and creamy. The easiest way is to use an electric mixer but it’s very doable by hand.

By beginning with the egg whites you don’t have to clean the whisk in between. (if even a small amount of fat comes in contact with the egg whites they won’t get stiff enough, so make sure your bowl is clean as well and don’t use a plastic one )

Spoon the flour and vanilla in the yolk- sugar mixture, this will be a very stiff batter. Spoon about a third of the egg whites into this mixture and stir to loosen it up. Now gently fold in the rest of the whites until you have an airy batter.

Divide over the cake tins, and level the tops. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes or so, run a knife along the sides and remove from the tins remove parchment paper and let cool completely.

Assemble the cake
Beat the cream with sugar until soft peaks form. Slice each cake in half so you’re left with 4 layers. Lay the first layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread about 2-3 generous tablespoons of jam over the top and spread evenly, then about a third of the whipped cream and spread that out evenly as well. Proceed with the other layers.

Like I mentioned before you can use more whipped cream to cover the whole cake and get creative with a piping bag, but I simple dusted some powdered sugar over the cake and called it a day. Let the cake stand in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Moroccan Bean Stew

2011-02-11T02:10:00.000-08:00

This simple stew is one of those things I grew up eating, I have to admit it wasn’t one of my favorites at the time, but it certainly is now. There are different ways you can prepare this, start out with dried beans or add meat (minced lamb or beef or stewing meat) or do what I did and use canned beans and keep it vegetarian. This way you can have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes. Either way this is nutritious, budget friendly and most important delicious.
I don’t know where they got it from but my parents always sprinkled a little vinegar over the top before serving and now I do to, it somehow works and makes this taste even better.

I use cannellini beans, because I found that these are the best quality white beans available for me, but you can sub in any kind of white bean (like butter beans or white kidney beans).

Moroccan Bean Stew
serves 3-4
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
400 grams (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
350 grams (12 oz) cooked white beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
¼ tsp turmeric
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/ cilantro
(omit or sub with flat leaf parsley, if desired)
olive oil

Finely chop the onion and garlic. In a large pan heat about a tablespoon of olive oil add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add spices salt and pepper and cook for another minute, add the tomato paste and let that fry gently as well for a minute or so. Then add the chopped tomatoes and half a can full of water and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Add the beans and let simmer for another 5 mutes to heat thoroughly. Finely add the chopped coriander and stir to combine. Serve hot with bread and sprinkle a small amount of white vinegar at the table, is desired.

*If you want to add meat season and brown that first, then proceed with onion and garlic. With minced meat the cooking time will be just about the same, but if you use sewing lamb or beef adjust accordingly. But if you still plan to use canned beans, add them the last 5 minutes because they are already cooked.
* If you want to start out with dried beans, soak them overnight (about 175 grams/ 6 oz for this recipe). Add them after you added the tomatoes top with plenty of water and let cook accordingly.

Mango Jam

2011-02-09T02:17:00.000-08:00

This jam is taunting me from the fridge, it keeps seducing me to smear it over something, anything or just eat it of a spoon. And I’m not even that into mango, but this jam right here is the best jam I have eaten, like ever.
I got into jam making about 2 years ago, usually strawberry jam and depending on how many jars I have left and fruit that happens to be on sale, I’ll turn that into a jam as well. I actually bought a can of mango to make a filling for doughnuts, but after I tasted this jam I decided to ditch the fried dough and to post this instead because whoever this is reading (hello anybody that isn't my sister?) do try this, it’s awesome. Making mango jam is pretty easy because apparently mango contains enough pectin to let is set without a lot of sugar*, and like I said I used canned mango. I added lime juice to cut the sweetness a bit, and I love the floral scent it has which goes very well with mango.

*I’m not a canning expert but I’m pretty sure the small amount sugar I used here does not makes this jam safe for canning or storing for a very long time. This shouldn’t be a problem because this only makes a small amount and I can’t even imagine that it will last that long once you’ve tasted it.

Mango Jam
makes about 375 ml (1 1/2 cup)
450 grams mango puree
100 grams sugar
3 tbsp lime juice (about 2 limes)

I used canned mango, which should be available in ethnic supermarkets. Mine said 92% mango, water sugar and citric acid. My advice is to just taste it straight from the can it should taste like ripe mango, not overly acidic.

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan, let it come to a boil over medium high heat, stir to help the sugar dissolve. When it boils reduce heat to medium low and cover partly with a lid. (mainly to prevent it from spitting all over the stove) let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom. Ladle jam into a clean jar and let cool, store in the fridge.

Stir Fried Green Beans with Ginger and Peanuts

2011-02-06T01:14:00.000-08:00

When it comes to vegetables I keep it rather simple. I’ve always liked vegetables and steamed or even just boiled they usually taste fine by me. Of course my children refuse to eat them, with a handful of exceptions. Because we now incorporate more vegetarian meals throughout the week I try to get more creative with veggies.
I made this last week for the first time based on a recipe I saw in a cookbook at a friends house. It was an Asian inspired stir fry with ginger and peanuts. I can’t remember exactly but I think this comes pretty close. I added a whole red chili pepper so it was pretty spicy but you can adjust to your own taste or even leave it out completely. I finished it all off with extra virgin coconut oil which is one of my recently found favorites. Do try it, trust me even if you (think) you don’t like coconut, its subtle but certainly adds something. (and let’s not forget the many health benefits).

A few notes:
The coconut oil adds a little sweetness, if you do decide to omit it add a pinch of sugar during cooking.
I wanted to add a handful of soybeans to make it a more nutritious main course (served over rice) but couldn’t find any if you can, add those or try it with other veggies if you like.
I grate my ginger frozen, this way it isn’t fibrous at all and comes out almost as fine as a powder.

200 grams (6 ½ oz) green beans (trimmed)
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp roasted peanuts (salted is fine) or 1 tbsp (crunchy) peanut butter
2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 shallot or small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 red chili pepper, or pinch of dried chili flakes to taste (optional)
Lime juice to taste
Salt to taste

Grind the peanuts with a pestle and mortar or a coffee grinder and set aside. Slice the shallot into half rings, chop the garlic and chili. In a large frying pan or wok heat a small amount of oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and chili, and stir fry for about 5 minutes until the onions soften and begin to brown.

Add the garlic and grate in the ginger, cook for another minute. Add in the ground peanuts, about 125 ml (1/2 cup) of warm water and a pinch of salt, let it come to a boil. Add the beans to the pan and cook until most of the water is evaporated. The beans should be cooked but still firm. If you think they still need more time to cook add more water. Take of the heat melt in the coconut oil squeeze in some lime juice (a wedge or so) taste and adjust seasoning, serve.

Arabic Pilau

2011-02-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Eventhough I call this an Arabic pilau doesn't mean it's even remotely traditional, it's my own interpretation based on the rice dishes I've eaten while I was living in Saudi Arabia. Rice is a big part of Saudi food and I think a lot of the people eat it on a daily basis. It took me some time to appreciate the combination of bold flavoured spices used in Arabic cuisine, but now I actually cook with them myself from time to time.

This rice dish is just mildly spiced, just enough to make it enoyable without a sauce like plain rice would need but not so rich it's a meal on its own like some pilaus can be. I like to serve this with roasted chicken, a dollop of thick yogurt and some flatbreads.

I added raisins because I like the occasional sweetness but they are definitley optional. Other things you can do is gently fry a chopped onion until bronwned and sweet, than proceed with the spices etc. A handful of (toasted) slivered almonds after cooking adds another layer of texture.

Arabic (inspired) Pilau

serves 2

200gr (1 cup) basmati

15 gr (1 tbsp) ghee or butter (oil can be substituted)
1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp whole corander seeds

1 bay leave

1 small cinnamon stick (or half)

40 gr (1/4 cup ) raisins soaked in hot water and rinsed, optional (see note)

370 ml (1 1/2 cup) recenly boiled water

In a pan melt ghee or butter over medium heat, add all the spices and cook for a minute. Add the rice and stir so that all the rice is coated with the fat. Add the water and reduce heat to low, let simmer for about 10-15 minutes with a lid until all the water is absorbed. Take of the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve.

Basic Marinara Sauce

2011-02-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

Pasta / tomato / marinara sauce is probably one of those things a lot of people buy ready prepared, and that while it’s one of the most easiest things to prepare at home. You can keep it really basic or you can add a bunch of stuff to jazz it up a bit. I like to keep it simple, garlic onion herbs and a small carrot. The carrot was actually an attempt to make my daughter eat more vegetables, not a really successful one because she would have to eat the whole batch and only consume one extra carrot. The reason I still add it is because it adds a subtle sweetness without having to add sugar or letting it cook for a long time.
You can have this ready by the time you’re pasta is done and not only is it fast it’s super simple as well.

If available I use fresh basil, which I add just before pureeing the sauce, so the flavor is fresh and vibrant, but dried herbs work in a pinch.

The amount this makes is enough for about 3 persons (or 2 adult and 2 small kids) If you’re planning to cook 1 package of dried pasta (500gr or 1 lb) double the amount. For pizza I use half and freeze the other half for the next time I make pizza.

Basic Tomato Sauce
1 can (400 grams/14 oz) chopped or peeled tomatoes
1 medium carrot (about 80 grams/ 2 1/2 oz)
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 scant tbsp dried basil (or use about 5 leaves fresh instead)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion, carrot and garlic, no need to chop it very finely. Add oil to a pan and add the chopped vegetables to the cold pan. (I convinced myself that by starting with cold oil the garlic will have more time to release its flavor before it will start to burn) Set the pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes until everything start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute or so whilst stirring.

Add the can of tomatoes, herbs salt and pepper, add about a quarter can full of water, stir and let everything come to a boil. Lower the heat and let cook uncovered until carrots are soft (about 7-10 minutes). Puree everything in a blender or with a hand held liquidizer, check seasoning and serve.

If you don’t like a smooth sauce I suggest chopping the onion and garlic finely, grate the carrot, and use chopped canned tomatoes.

Variations:

After pureeing add a handful of chopped black olives.

Add 60 ml of cream, mascarpone or ricotta for a creamy version.

Use cream and olives, even better.

If you want to add minced meat, sausage or chicken, season and cook that first set aside and drain fat if necessary, proceed with the recipe in the pan you cooked the meat in. Add the meat back to the sauce after pureeing and heat through.

Baked Chicken Wings

2011-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

I initially wanted to call this healthier or low fat chicken wings but I just don't like the sound of recipe names that start with healthy or low fat. These are however not very high in fat, even if you don´t use skinless chicken like I did. Usually the baked versions of typically fried food taste ok, but never just as good. But these I have to say are even better than if you would fry them in oil. Because what´s the point, you fry something to get it crispy, then why drown them in sauce afterward to make it sloppy again? And I have to add that I´m not afraid of fat when it makes things taste better, but here I don´t see the need in deep fat frying or copious amounts of butter. Just a splash of oil will do and they still come out tasting great.

A few notes:
I buy skinless chicken drummettes, but if you use skin on it will still work just adjust cooking time (will note that later in the recipe).
1 tbsp of Tabasco might make you think this will be spicy, but it isn’t even close to spicy, my kids eat this without a problem. If you like it spicy add some cayenne pepper or use hot paprika. I’ve never used garlic powder but I imagine it would work here.

Baked chicken wings
1 kilo (2 lb) chicken wings separated
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp light honey
1 tbsp Tabasco

Preheat you’re oven to 200C (400F/ gas mark 6)
Line a big oven tray with greaseproof paper and set aside.
Clean and dry your chicken and set aside in a bowl.
Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, pour over the chicken and make sure every piece is coated. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer over the prepared oven tray. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and give everything another 5 minutes to brown evenly. (If you use skin-on chicken let it bake for an extra 10 minute instead of 5, or until crispy)

Peanut Sauce

2011-01-28T02:46:00.000-08:00

Peanut sauce is one of my favorite things ever, maybe because I was raised in Holland, where it’s even served over French fries, (and I don’t know any Dutch person who doesn’t like it), or because it’s simply awesome. When my mother used to make it, which in my memory wasn’t often enough, it was like I received a present that’s how much I liked.

I’ve tried making a lot of versions myself, at first I would us a package and simply add water or milk. Then I’d use peanut butter and just kept adding stuff until it tasted right. But since a few years, after I developed a slight obsession with making things from scratch, I like to use whole peanuts.

It might seem like a lot of work, but it’s actually quite simple. I’ve varied a lot with the ingredients going the more traditional route with terasi, lemongrass, galangal and tamarind, which are all very common in Indonesian cooking, but the version I’m using nowadays doesn’t contain any of those*, and is my personal favorite.

I like to serve peanut sauce with plain white rice, steamed vegetables a boiled egg and prawn crackers (krupuk). Which is inspired by the Indonesian dish gado gado, but in no way authentic. It may sound boring but peanut sauce is rich enough so I like to keep the rest simple.
Keep in mind that this will not result in a super smooth sauce, it contains onion garlic and ginger after all. And I find galangal to be a bit more fibrous then ginger. Like with all recipes, you can play with the ingredients, use a fresh red pepper instead of the chili flakes, chop it very finely and fry along with the onion etc. And if you can't find sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis) use dark soy sauce and add an extra tbsp of sugar. Lastly if you have to choose between raw peanuts or roasted salted ones, definitely choose raw and roast them yourself (spread on a baking sheet and set in a medium hot oven until golden). Ready salted peanuts are usually way to salty.

Peanut Sauce
Makes about 625 ml (2 1/2 cups)
200 grams (1 1/4 cup) peanuts unsalted and roasted
2 shallots, or a medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves
1 big thumb sized piece of ginger (*you can substitute half or all with galangal)
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown/ demerera sugar)
Pinch of dried chili flakes (to taste)
Lime juice to taste
375 ml (1 1/2 cup) of water
2 tbsp of vegetalbe oil
Salt to taste

In a food processor or coffee grinder, grind the peanuts until they just begin to release their oils (it should begin to clump together, set aside. Very finely chop or grate (you can also use your food processor of course) the onion garlic and ginger. In a skillet heat oil and fry the onion, ginger and garlic mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5-7 minutes.

Add chili flakes, peanuts, and water, stir until lump free, I usually use a whisk. Add the soy sauce, sugar and lime juice, start with half a lime. Let it come to a boil, it should thicken up pretty fast. Remember to keep stirring. Taste you'll probably need to add some salt, and adjust the rest of the seasonings. Maybe you like it sweeter or you feel it needs more lime juice, just keep tasting and adjusting to your taste. And serve.

The easiest way to reheat is with a microwave, if you don't own one like me add a splash of water and heat over low heat, it will re-thicken to the right consistency whilst it heats.

Brown Butter Blondies with Raspberries and Crumb Topping

2011-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

I don't think I’ve ever made blondies without browning the butter first, it adds so much flavour. The first time I heard of them was about 3 years ago when I was still living in the Middle East. Dark chocolate is quite expensive there so to get a once in a while decadent treat without breaking the bank, I made blondies. This time I added a handful of raspberries and topped it with a buttery crumb topping. I also added white chocolate chunks to the crumb topping, but I'm not sure whether to recommend it or to advise against it, I'm not even sure what I would do next time. Chocolate can burn pretty quickly and I hadn’t taken that into account when I added them to the crumb topping. They browned and some dried out a bit, but they didn’t taste bad at all, apparently caramelized white chocolate is a real thing. Anyway if you don’t want that to happen add them to the blondie batter or omit them altogether. This is rich and decadent alright, I cut mine in twelve squares, but as an after dinner treat I think half of that should suffice.

The original recipe says to bake it in an 8x8 inch (20x20cm) pan but I only have a 6x10 inch (15x25cm) one, so mine came out a little flatter, more like bars.

Brown Butter Blondies with Raspberries and Crumb Topping
For Crumb topping:
35 grams (2 tbsp+ 1tsp) soft butter

35 grams light brown sugar (I used demerera sugar)

60 grams flour

Pinch of salt (if using salted butter you don’t have to use any additional salt)

50 grams (1/4 cup) white chocolate chunks or chips (optional)

For Blondies:
Adapted from How to cook everything via Smitten Kitchen

120 grams (8 tbsp/ 4 oz) butter

165 grams (3/4 cup) light brown sugar

150 grams (1 cup) flour

110 grams (3/4 cup) raspberries (when frozen let them thaw first)

1 egg

Pinch of salt (if using salted butter you don’t have to use any additional salt)

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/ gas mark 4)

Butter and line you’re baking pan with greaseproof paper

Make the topping, by stirring together butter and sugar. Add the flour and salt and stir until combined, it should just hold together. If you think it is just to dry add a tsp of extra butter. Pat down in the bowl and set in the fridge.

For the blondies, begin melting the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. It will melt first and then slowly begin to brown. Keep your eye on it, once browned take of the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and mix, add the egg and mix in well. Add the flour salt and baking powder and mix until just combined. The batter will be quite thick.

Spread the mixture evenly in the baking pan and arrange the raspberries evenly over the batter. Take your crumb topping and break up in crumbs (not to fine) mix the white chocolate chunks (or chips) carefully with the crumbs and sprinkle evenly over the batter and raspberries.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking after 25 minutes.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Baked Crushed Potatoes

2011-01-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

Although versatile, potatoes can be time consuming to make, especially when you prefer peeling them first. But that's not the main reason I only cook with potatoes once or every other week. The real deal breaker is that I'm just not a big fan, potatoes tend to be quite heavy but a little to plain and starchy to eat on their own. Take the mash for example heavy, rich but to bland to eat on its own, and it reminds me of baby food. My kids however love it so that's a plus.

For me there is one exception, (ok two if you count French fries but they don't really count) namely skillet baked potatoes. The way I make them takes some planning, peeling, dicing, let them cool completely, and then pan frying in butter, phew I think the last time I made them was almost a year ago. But I found an easier way, and they're a fun variation of the plain ol' wedge.

I still peel them because that's what I prefer but you can certainly leave the skin on if you like. Boil until tender, crush with a fork and toss with melted butter, spread on a baking tray and let the oven do the rest of the work. Still not a 10 minute meal but not a lot of trouble either.

You can do a lot of the work ahead, up until the baking and store in the fridge, although they reheat very well in the oven. Also they're great used as a soup or salad topping instead of bread cubes. I would replace the butter with olive oil if you're planning on serving them cold.

I don't think I have to explain that you can (almost) endlessly vary with the herbs, or leave it out completely. I was planning on using lemon thyme but forgot to pack in my bag after paying for it at the store (!), so used regular fresh thyme instead. A sprinkling of softer herbs (chives, dill or parsley) after cooking would be nice as well.

Baked Crushed Potatoes
Serves 4 as a side
1250 grams (2,5 lb) potatoes, peeled if desired
30 grams (2 Tbsp/ 1 oz) butter, melted
Salt (I didn't use any pepper but do so if you like)
Fresh or dried herbs to taste

In a big pot boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender, they can be slightly firm in the middle but only a little. Drain and set aside in the colander, let cool until almost lukewarm.
Preheat the oven to 200C (400f/ gas mark 5)

In the same pan that you cooked the potatoes in melt the butter add herbs if using and set aside. With two forks, a firm big whisk works as well, crush the potatoes. You're not mashing them just make sure you crushed every potato once or twice. Add the potatoes to the melted butter season with salt. Immediately toss everything together until combined. Spread on a baking sheet, lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Almond Cookies

2011-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure about what to call these, because almond cookies is a little general don't you think. Let me try to explain them to you. First of all they are probably one of the easiest cookies to make, the taste is buttery and delicate, sophisticated even. They make a good addition to a frozen dessert but are just fine (more than fine) on their own. But be aware, they are addictive so much so that I had to hide a few from my children (and myself) so the husband could at least have a taste. And did I mention how easy they are. They come together in minutes and bake in minutes, so fast that you have to be careful not to burn them. Ahem.. I have some experience.

The recipe is actually based on a Dutch cookie called (literally translated) Cat's tongues due to their shape (I think), but that doesn't sound very appetizing.
I replaced the flour with almond flour but you can certainly change it back to flour (add vanilla though) and have plain butter cookies, not too bad either. And as I was stirring the butter and sugar together I thought; why didn't I brown this butter?

Almond Cookies
makes about 40
100 grams (7 tbsp/3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
100 grams (7/8 cup/3 1/2 oz) powdered sugar
100 grams (1/2 / 3 1/2 oz) ground almonds
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
(I used salted butter so didn't add any additional salt)

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, gasmark 4)
Line a cookie sheet with baking paper, set aside.
In a small sauce pan melt the butter and let cool for a few minutes. Add the sugar to the butter and stir, add the egg whites and stir until combined. Mixture may appear curdled but don't worry keep stirring until it all comes together. Add the ground almonds and mix until combined.

With two teaspoons drop small amounts of batter on the cookie sheet make sure to keep a decent amount of space between the cookies because they spread a lot during baking. Or you can fill a pastry bag and pipe the cookies on the cookie sheet, small rounds or tiny rods. Obviously you will have to bake these in batches. Bake for about 8-10 minutes but keep an eye on them, they brown at the edges and stay paler in the middle. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling wire. They will harden once completely cooled.

Lemon Semifreddo

2011-01-20T04:18:00.000-08:00

Being pregnant means your cravings come with certain instructions. For example chocolate but not something cakey but not fudgy either, something spicy but not saucy or crunchy. Clear no, I thought so. So when I was craving Ice cream I meant something fruity but not a sorbet, with a hint of dairy but still fresh and fruity tasting. After visiting different shops my only options where vanilla with a swirl of fruit or some kind of cheesecake ice cream which sounded to heavy at the time.
After a few weeks (and a few pints of B&J) I was still left unsatisfied, so I had to make some myself. My first thought was a sherbet which I had made before , but happened to be chocolate sherbet and I had my own instructions to follow. Then I thought tangerines, but wasn’t sure their subtle flavor would satisfy my craving, I wanted something more pungent so I choose lemon instead.

I don’t own an ice cream maker and although I have made ice cream successfully without one in the past, I wasn’t in the mood for the hassle of remembering to stir every now and then. That gave me the idea to make a semifreddo . Certainly not hassle free but when you’re pregnant you have the privilege to not make any sense.
I opted to cook a whole cut up lemon in sugar to get a really intense lemon flavor, and it worked it packs a real lemon punch.

Lemon SemifreddoServes 6
1 unwaxed Lemon
100 grams (3/4 cup/ 3 1/2 oz) of sugar
1/8 tsp (tiny pinch) of salt
4 egg yolks
250 ml (1 cup) very cold double cream (also called heavy or whipping cream)

I made individual servings in a muffin tin so I lined a muffin tin with plastic wrap (six), otherwise line a loaf pan. Lightly grease with butter (before plastic) so the plastic wrap sticks.

Wash and thinly slice the lemon and put in a small saucepan, add the sugar and let stand for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, set over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to bubble at the edges, whilst stirring frequently. Lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and let cool to lukewarm.
In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water add the lemon syrup and egg yolks. Whisk (with an electric mixer) whilst it heats for about 7- 10 minutes. The mixture looks like a pale yellow airy custard. Remove from the boiler and let cool until cold.
Whisk the cream until you have soft peaks. Fold a spoonful of cream into your lemon custard and stir until the mixture is smooth, fold in the rest of the cream until combined. Spoon in prepared muffin tin (or loaf pan) cover with another piece of plastic wrap and gently press on the surface. Set in the freezer for about 4 hours until firm and semi frozen. If you leave it in the freezer for longer and the semifreddo is completely frozen you can still serve it like this or set in the fridge so it slightly defrosts again, just don’t freeze it for a second time.

I served these with a simple Almond Cookie.

Pollo alla Cacciatore (Italian Chicken hunters-style)

2011-01-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

It seems that this dish has it all. Easy, crowd pleasing, special enough for company and kid friendly, comforting yet not to fattening either. Oh and I even made it a day in advance and it still tastes great. I served it with pasta but I think next time I'll serve it with beans and bread instead. Whatever you choose to serve it with I do recommend to use dark chicken meat, because chicken breast will just end up dry when you're cooking it for this long. I chose a few boneless skinless chicken thighs and a couple of skinless chicken legs.

Pollo alla Cacciatore
serves 4-5
1,5 to 2 kilo (3-4 lbs) skinless dark chicken meat, with bones is fine.
1 onion

4- 6 garlic cloves
1-2 sweet/ bell peppers

120 grams (1 cup) black olives, pitted
1 can (400 grams/14 oz) chopped tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil

2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Prepare and clean your chicken and season with salt and pepper. In a large pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides work in batches if necessary.

Chop the onion in half moons, and peel the garlic cloves (leave them whole) and slice the peppers. When all of the chicken in browned set aside on a plate, add the onions garlic and pepper to the pan and sauté until soft about 7 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives, basil, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper, add about half a can full of water to the pan, stir to deglaze.

Put the chicken back and leave to simmer over low heat for about 1,5 hours. Check now and then to make sure there is still enough liquid. If the sauce is still to watery after cooking allow to cook without a lid on medium high heat until sauce is the right consistency. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you like.

note

I put it in a 180C oven for 1,5 hours, uncovered for the last 20 minutes. Just make sure your pan is oven proof. If you want to make it a day or two in advance just prepare, let cool and store in the fridge, reheat uncovered in the oven until very hot.
If you're not using an oven make sure you brown the chicken very well at the beginning.

Haché (Dutch Beef Stew)

2011-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Remember the first years in school when you got to make a painting, dressed in an old reversed men´s shirt? All would start out well and then you´d get the idea of mixing different colours and it always, always ended up in a big brown spot, no matter how much colours you´d add. This is what winter stews remind me of, you mix spices and ingredients and let it simmer and what you'll end up with is probably brown. Now there's nothing wrong with that, but man it's hard to get an even semi decent photo without making it look like a blob of poo (oh my!). And I have low standards when it comes to my photo's, but that just doesn't look very appetizing now does it? At least it tastes good.
This is a version of a popular Dutch beef stew, it's traditionally accompanied by mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage, which is delicious but I like to serve it with something simpler to let the beef be the star of the show. Like a lot of (beef) stews the cooking time is quite long, but this could easily be adapted for a crock-pot and it freezes very well so make a double batch while you're at it.

Haché (Dutch Beef Stew)

serves 4-5

1 kilo (2 lbs) of stewing beef

2 big onions

2 bay leaves (I used 3 small ones)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp grounds coriander seeds

4-6 cloves (I used 4, but if you like a stronger taste add 6)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (approx. I freshly grated mine)

Salt and Pepper to taste

olive oil

Cut your beef in chunks (2 by 2cm/ 1 inch) and make sure it's dry. In a casserole (preferably not non stick) heat olive oil until very hot, or butter if you prefer season beef generously with salt and pepper and fry until browned.
Work in batches so the pan stays hot and make sure you keep the heat high otherwise the meat will start to braise. This is why I prefer to use oil which doesn't burn as quickly as butter.

Set the meat aside on a plate, turn the heat to low. Add your onions that you've chopped to the pan and sauté until translucent en slightly browned. Add the tomato paste and fry for an few seconds, then add the spices except the bay leaves, fry for another 30 seconds or so. Add the beef back to the pot and stir, add the soy sauce bay leaves and about 3-3,5 cups of warm water, you want the meat to be submerged, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Increase heat until it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let simmer with a lid for about 2,5 hours.

The meat should be tender by now, if the sauce is still very watery let it cook without a lid until it thickens, check and adjust seasoning.
It is completely optional but I like to shred the meat with two forks before serving.

Simple Fried Rice

2011-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Although we eat quite some rice in our house I rarely make fried rice, but for some reason I already made it 3 times in the past month, so I thought I'd share how.
This is a simple version of fried rice, I don't like adding egg to the rice while it's cooking but prefer to add a fried egg on top later. The leek adds a sublte sweet flavour, but can be replaced with a bunch of spring onions (scallions). To make sure your rice doesn't end up sticky use day-old rice or as I did, spread the cooked rice over a large surface so it cools quickly and all of the excess water evaporates, place in the fridge or even the freezer to speed up the process. Add chicken, shrimp or even tofu for a more substantial meal.

Fried Rice
serves 4
700 grams (5 cups, loosely packed) cooked rice
1 small leek
100 grams (1 cup) frozen peas
1 medium carrot
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Chop and clean the leek, discard the dark green part. Roughly grate the carrot.
In a large pan or wok heat the oil over high heat. Add the leek and carrot and stir fry for 3/5 minutes until softened.

Add the peas and soy sauce, let the soy sauce reduce by about half, this way you get all the flavor without making the mixture to wet and sticky. Add the rice and mix well, check and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with a fried egg on top if you like.