I'm having a cold, so I make this special tea in the mornings.
1 tsp grated or chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pour boiling water over ginger, thyme, rosemary and pepper, which you have put in a tea egg or other type of strainer. Leave this for 5 min. and remove.
Add honey and lemon juice.
23 December 2006
22 December 2006
Beef curry
My aunt gave me this recipe for a delicious beef curry.
1 kg beef (the kind for stewing, cut into pieces)
2 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
400 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped or grated
3 red chilli peppers
1 tbsp madras curry powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 pieces of lemon rind
1 piece of lemon grass
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp ground cumin
Mix pepper and salt thoroughly with meat.
Heat coconut milk on medium heat and add everything except meat, fennel and cumin.
Boil for 1-2 min., add meat, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-3 hrs in a covered pan.
Roast fennel and cumin and add it at the end.
Note:
I only used 2 chillies and removed them after 1 hour.
I omitted lemon rind and lemon grass because I didn't have any.
I used normal fennel seed, not ground.
I also added a little water to the coconut milk.
After 2,5 hours I added some chopped potatoes and let the dish simmer until they were cooked.
1 kg beef (the kind for stewing, cut into pieces)
2 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
400 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped or grated
3 red chilli peppers
1 tbsp madras curry powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 pieces of lemon rind
1 piece of lemon grass
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp ground cumin
Mix pepper and salt thoroughly with meat.
Heat coconut milk on medium heat and add everything except meat, fennel and cumin.
Boil for 1-2 min., add meat, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-3 hrs in a covered pan.
Roast fennel and cumin and add it at the end.
Note:
I only used 2 chillies and removed them after 1 hour.
I omitted lemon rind and lemon grass because I didn't have any.
I used normal fennel seed, not ground.
I also added a little water to the coconut milk.
After 2,5 hours I added some chopped potatoes and let the dish simmer until they were cooked.
17 December 2006
Meatballs in vegetable sauce
Yesterday I went to see two of my old schoolfriends. My friend suggested to cook together which I thought was a great idea. So we exchanged recipes by email and got our shopping lists organized. And yesterday I took the train to Ghent armed with two cookbooks and a bunch of ingredients.
We made our own version of Claudia Roden's kubba bamia, which are meatballs cooked in a vegetable sauce.
Serves 6-8
500 g minced beef
2 onions
2 tbsp oil (olive oil or other)
2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
1 small bunch of celery
1 small bunch of parsley or coriander
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp sugar
pepper and salt
1-1,5 kg vegetables such as okra (ladies fingers), courgette & pumpkin
Chop 1 onion finely and add it to the minced beef. Add a little chopped parsley and pepper and salt. Mix this with your hands and make it into small balls.
Fry the other onion in oil until it's golden. Add garlic and fry a little longer. Add the chopped vegetables (including the celery) and fry for a few min. Add enough hot water to let the meatballs boil in it.
Add the meatballs, sugar, lemon juice, chopped parsley or coriander, pepper & salt and let the dish boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 25 min, until the meatballs are cooked.
We served it with steamed potatoes.
Note: Claudia Roden suggests that you can use other vegetables such as tomatoes and aubergines. Use just one of the vegetables mentioned or just any mixture of them.
For dessert, I made the Danish apple dessert again (see previous post).
At night I went back to Brussels and saw the Michael Franti show, which was just terrific! It was the last concert of the Yell Fire tour in Europe. The band was very animated, the concert was sold out and the whole public was going nuts. After the show, Michael Franti was shaking hands with the fans and even came down in the public. Labelga managed to get hold of his hands twice, wouwww!
Before the concert, labelga brought me one of her juices, made with the recently bought extractor: apple - carrot - mint, yummmmy!
We made our own version of Claudia Roden's kubba bamia, which are meatballs cooked in a vegetable sauce.
Serves 6-8
500 g minced beef
2 onions
2 tbsp oil (olive oil or other)
2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
1 small bunch of celery
1 small bunch of parsley or coriander
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp sugar
pepper and salt
1-1,5 kg vegetables such as okra (ladies fingers), courgette & pumpkin
Chop 1 onion finely and add it to the minced beef. Add a little chopped parsley and pepper and salt. Mix this with your hands and make it into small balls.
Fry the other onion in oil until it's golden. Add garlic and fry a little longer. Add the chopped vegetables (including the celery) and fry for a few min. Add enough hot water to let the meatballs boil in it.
Add the meatballs, sugar, lemon juice, chopped parsley or coriander, pepper & salt and let the dish boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 25 min, until the meatballs are cooked.
We served it with steamed potatoes.
Note: Claudia Roden suggests that you can use other vegetables such as tomatoes and aubergines. Use just one of the vegetables mentioned or just any mixture of them.
For dessert, I made the Danish apple dessert again (see previous post).
At night I went back to Brussels and saw the Michael Franti show, which was just terrific! It was the last concert of the Yell Fire tour in Europe. The band was very animated, the concert was sold out and the whole public was going nuts. After the show, Michael Franti was shaking hands with the fans and even came down in the public. Labelga managed to get hold of his hands twice, wouwww!
Before the concert, labelga brought me one of her juices, made with the recently bought extractor: apple - carrot - mint, yummmmy!
15 December 2006
Pumpkin ratatouille
I still had half a pumpkin left, so I made this dish, based on a recipe by Nigella Lawson.
Serves 2-3
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 peppers, one yellow and one red, chopped
2 courgettes, sliced
500 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without seeds or skin)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp sugar
Fry the onion in olive oil for a few min. Add garlic, cumin seed and coriander and fry for a few more min.
Add peppers and fry on medium heat for a few min.
Add pumpkin, courgettes, sugar, pepper and salt and fry for a few more min.
Cover the pan, lower the heat and let the dish simmer for 30-45 min until the vegetables are soft.
One day later, this dish tastes even better!
After the meal, we went to see the Sara Tavares show in Brussels. It was great!
Serves 2-3
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 peppers, one yellow and one red, chopped
2 courgettes, sliced
500 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without seeds or skin)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp sugar
Fry the onion in olive oil for a few min. Add garlic, cumin seed and coriander and fry for a few more min.
Add peppers and fry on medium heat for a few min.
Add pumpkin, courgettes, sugar, pepper and salt and fry for a few more min.
Cover the pan, lower the heat and let the dish simmer for 30-45 min until the vegetables are soft.
One day later, this dish tastes even better!
After the meal, we went to see the Sara Tavares show in Brussels. It was great!
11 December 2006
Chicken in coconut sauce
Yesterday my cousin who lives in Tanzania told me she prepares this dish very often there. It's a recipe by Claudia Roden, also called macalcal or masala chicken. I still had one pumpkin left that my other cousin gave me, so I decided to add this.
Serves 6
4 onions, chopped
4 tbsp sunflower or sesame seed oil
6 garlic cloves
7 cm ginger root, crushed or ground
1 tsp turmeric
6 pieces of chicken (e.g. breasts)
salt
a lot of white pepper
500 g potatoes
500 g pumpkin
1 can coconut milk or 75 g santen (creamed coconut)
1 tsp sugar
100 g cashew nuts or almonds
2 tbsp raisins
Fry the onions on low heat in the oil until they are soft and golden.
Add garlic and fry for a few more minutes.
Add ginger and turmeric and stir this.
Add the pieces of chicken and pepper and salt. Fry this a bit and turn the chicken around.
After 5 min, add the potatoes, pumpkin and coconut milk. Add hot water until everything is just covered.
Let the dish simmer for 30-45 min until everything is cooked.
Add cashew nuts or almonds and raisins and heat for a few min.
09 December 2006
Spicy lamb and coconut stew
This delicious stew is an Indian recipe from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'. It just has a hint of coconut flavour, very delicate.
Serves 4
500 g onions
3-4 tbsp oil (e.g. sunflower)
1 kg lamb
3-5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or 2 whole cloves)
3-5 small dried chilli peppers
750 g small potatoes, peeled or washed and cut in big pieces
50 g santen (creamed coconut) or 125 g coconut milk
1,5 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice
1,5 tbsp sugar
Cut the onions in rings and halve these. Fry them on low heat in 1-2 tbsp oil until they are soft and golden. Cover the pan and stir regularly to prevent them from burning. This can take 15-20 min.
Clean the meat: cut the skin off and big pieces of fat. Cut the meat in pieces of 4 cm. Fry it on high heat in 1-2 tbsp oil until it's brown on all sides.
Add crushed garlic, cumin and coriander to the onions and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add the meat to the onions and add hot water until everything is covered. Let this boil.
Skim off the foam and add cinnamon, cloves and chilli peppers.
Cook this on very low heat in a covered pan for 1,5-2 hrs. Remove the chilli peppers.
Add potatoes, santen (cut into pieces) or coconut milk, tamarind and sugar. If necessary add more hot water until everything is just covered. Cook for another 30-40 min. until the potatoes are done. There should be plenty of sauce left.
Serve with rice, chapati's or bread.
Serves 4
500 g onions
3-4 tbsp oil (e.g. sunflower)
1 kg lamb
3-5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or 2 whole cloves)
3-5 small dried chilli peppers
750 g small potatoes, peeled or washed and cut in big pieces
50 g santen (creamed coconut) or 125 g coconut milk
1,5 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice
1,5 tbsp sugar
Cut the onions in rings and halve these. Fry them on low heat in 1-2 tbsp oil until they are soft and golden. Cover the pan and stir regularly to prevent them from burning. This can take 15-20 min.
Clean the meat: cut the skin off and big pieces of fat. Cut the meat in pieces of 4 cm. Fry it on high heat in 1-2 tbsp oil until it's brown on all sides.
Add crushed garlic, cumin and coriander to the onions and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add the meat to the onions and add hot water until everything is covered. Let this boil.
Skim off the foam and add cinnamon, cloves and chilli peppers.
Cook this on very low heat in a covered pan for 1,5-2 hrs. Remove the chilli peppers.
Add potatoes, santen (cut into pieces) or coconut milk, tamarind and sugar. If necessary add more hot water until everything is just covered. Cook for another 30-40 min. until the potatoes are done. There should be plenty of sauce left.
Serve with rice, chapati's or bread.
02 December 2006
Rice flour pudding with coconut
I love puddings with rice flour. Usually I make Claudia Roden's mulhallabeya, with milk, or kheer, with coconut milk.
Today I tried a recipe from Weldon's 'THAILAND The Beautiful Cookbook', called ta-go, from southern Thailand.
Serves 8
Pudding
125 g rice flour
185 g sugar
5,5 dl jasmin water (water with jasmin essence)
Covering
45 g rice flour
5 dl coconut cream
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
Mix rice flour and sugar with the water and let it stand for 15 min.
Bring this to the boil and cook it on low heat for 15 min. while stirring continuously.
Divide the mixture in 8-12 small bowls (with a volume of around 1 dl); fill only half of each bowl.
Mix the ingredients for the covering and bring them to the boil. Cook this on low heat for 15-20 min. while stirring continuously. Pour this on top of the first mixture in the bowls and let it cool.
The texture of the top layer should be much thinner than the one on the bottom.
Notes
I didn't find jasmin essence so I used rose water in stead. I added it at the end of the cooking to the first mixture.
For coconut cream you dissolve creamed coconut (santen) in hot water. I wasn't sure about the proportions so I used 100 g creamed coconut in 5 dl water. Afterwards I checked Claudia Roden's instructions and she advises to use 100 g santen with 2,5 dl water to obtain 3 dl. This means I should have used more santen: 170 g in 4,2 dl water.
I was afraid this dessert would be too sweet, so I made it with less sugar. But when I tasted it, it could use more sugar, so it's best to stay with the amount mentioned.
The recipe states these quantities serve 4, but it's very rich so it's better to serve small portions, for up to 8 people.
Before this I had a lamb couscous with a hot sauce and an onion and raisin sauce (confit d'oignon et de raisins secs), from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'. Don't think I will blog it though; the cooking in itself was enough work ;-)
Today I tried a recipe from Weldon's 'THAILAND The Beautiful Cookbook', called ta-go, from southern Thailand.
Serves 8
Pudding
125 g rice flour
185 g sugar
5,5 dl jasmin water (water with jasmin essence)
Covering
45 g rice flour
5 dl coconut cream
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
Mix rice flour and sugar with the water and let it stand for 15 min.
Bring this to the boil and cook it on low heat for 15 min. while stirring continuously.
Divide the mixture in 8-12 small bowls (with a volume of around 1 dl); fill only half of each bowl.
Mix the ingredients for the covering and bring them to the boil. Cook this on low heat for 15-20 min. while stirring continuously. Pour this on top of the first mixture in the bowls and let it cool.
The texture of the top layer should be much thinner than the one on the bottom.
Notes
I didn't find jasmin essence so I used rose water in stead. I added it at the end of the cooking to the first mixture.
For coconut cream you dissolve creamed coconut (santen) in hot water. I wasn't sure about the proportions so I used 100 g creamed coconut in 5 dl water. Afterwards I checked Claudia Roden's instructions and she advises to use 100 g santen with 2,5 dl water to obtain 3 dl. This means I should have used more santen: 170 g in 4,2 dl water.
I was afraid this dessert would be too sweet, so I made it with less sugar. But when I tasted it, it could use more sugar, so it's best to stay with the amount mentioned.
The recipe states these quantities serve 4, but it's very rich so it's better to serve small portions, for up to 8 people.
Before this I had a lamb couscous with a hot sauce and an onion and raisin sauce (confit d'oignon et de raisins secs), from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'. Don't think I will blog it though; the cooking in itself was enough work ;-)
Roast pumpkin
Roasting is my favourite way of preparing vegetables. It gives them a great flavour. I do it with potatoes, carrots, fennel, sweet potato etc. and usually just add some olive oil, salt and rosemary or fennel seeds.
For pumpkin I use this delicious recipe by Jamie Oliver. The nice thing about it is that you don't need to peel the pumpkin, which is hard work sometimes. Depending on the type of pumpkin, you can even eat the skin.
For pumpkin I use this delicious recipe by Jamie Oliver. The nice thing about it is that you don't need to peel the pumpkin, which is hard work sometimes. Depending on the type of pumpkin, you can even eat the skin.
Serves 6
1 pumpkin
2 tsp coriander seed
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 small dried chili peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
Wash the pumpkin, cut it in halves, remove top en bottom and the seeds. Cut it in wedges of 2,5 cm.
Take all dried herbs and spices and ground them with the salt and pepper in a mortar. Add garlic and mash it together.
Put this mixture in a bowl, add the olive oil and mix well. Add the pumpkin wedges and turn them around until they're all covered with the mixture.
Put them in an oven dish and roast them for 30 min. at 200°C.
28 November 2006
Carrot and pumpkin risotto
My cousin J. gave me two beautiful pumpkins from her neighbour's garden, hooray!
Today I used one half for this delicious risotto.
The recipe comes from 'Italian vegetarian cooking' by Emanuela Stucchi.
Serves 4
120g butter
1 small onion, chopped
210 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin and seeds)
4 carrots, chopped
2,5 l vegetable stock
400 g Arborio rice
90 g grated Parmezan
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
Fry the onion in half of the butter until it's transparent. Add pumpkin and carrots and cook for about 30 min. until they are soft. Mash them with a fork.
Add the rice and cook this for a few min. on high heat, while stirring. Add boiling vegetable stock and lower the heat. Let the risotto simmer for 20-40 min. until the rice is done. Stir regularly.
Switch off the heat, add the remaining butter, Parmezan, nutmeg and pepper and salt. Cover the pan and let it stand for 5 min.
Today I used one half for this delicious risotto.
The recipe comes from 'Italian vegetarian cooking' by Emanuela Stucchi.
Serves 4
120g butter
1 small onion, chopped
210 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin and seeds)
4 carrots, chopped
2,5 l vegetable stock
400 g Arborio rice
90 g grated Parmezan
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
Fry the onion in half of the butter until it's transparent. Add pumpkin and carrots and cook for about 30 min. until they are soft. Mash them with a fork.
Add the rice and cook this for a few min. on high heat, while stirring. Add boiling vegetable stock and lower the heat. Let the risotto simmer for 20-40 min. until the rice is done. Stir regularly.
Switch off the heat, add the remaining butter, Parmezan, nutmeg and pepper and salt. Cover the pan and let it stand for 5 min.
18 November 2006
Thai pumpkin and coconut dessert
A long time ago, an Indonesian roommate taught me how to cook this simple dessert, which she called kolak.
I also found a recipe in 'THAILAND The Beautiful Cookbook' by Kevin Weldon.
I used palm sugar (gula djawa) which I found in an oriental supermarket but you can use any type of sugar.
Serves 4
5 dl coconut milk
60g sugar
300g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin or seeds)
Heat the coconut milk with the sugar. When it boils, add the pumpkin and let it simmer for 15 min. until soft. Serve cold.
This is the version from the book. My roommate boiled the pumpkin in water and added a glass of coconut milk in the end.
I also found a recipe in 'THAILAND The Beautiful Cookbook' by Kevin Weldon.
I used palm sugar (gula djawa) which I found in an oriental supermarket but you can use any type of sugar.
Serves 45 dl coconut milk
60g sugar
300g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin or seeds)
Heat the coconut milk with the sugar. When it boils, add the pumpkin and let it simmer for 15 min. until soft. Serve cold.
This is the version from the book. My roommate boiled the pumpkin in water and added a glass of coconut milk in the end.
Bolo de abóbora delicioso - Delicious pumpkin cake
I found this recipe on a Brazilian blog, Pecado da Gula. It reminded me of the carrot cakes (bolo de cenoura) which I had in Brazil. I made it for brunch with my cousins.
80g unsalted butter at room temperature
1,5 cup sugar (240g)
3 eggs
200g pumpkin (weight without skin and seeds)
0,5 cup grated coconut
1,5 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
0,5 cup coconut milk
pinch of salt
1 cup = 200 ml
Chop the pumpkin, cook it until soft with a little water, and at the end let the remaining water evaporate. Mash it and let it cool.
Mix sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until it has a creamy texture. Add egg yolks one by one and keep stirring. Add the mashed pumpkin and stir again.
Add grated coconut and coconut milk.
Mix the flour with baking powder and salt and then add all of this to the mixture.
Beat the egg whites and incorporate them carefully into the mixture.
Grease a cake tin and add the mixture.
Bake it for around 30 min. at 180° C.
80g unsalted butter at room temperature
1,5 cup sugar (240g)
3 eggs
200g pumpkin (weight without skin and seeds)
0,5 cup grated coconut
1,5 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
0,5 cup coconut milk
pinch of salt
1 cup = 200 ml
Chop the pumpkin, cook it until soft with a little water, and at the end let the remaining water evaporate. Mash it and let it cool.
Mix sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until it has a creamy texture. Add egg yolks one by one and keep stirring. Add the mashed pumpkin and stir again.
Add grated coconut and coconut milk.
Mix the flour with baking powder and salt and then add all of this to the mixture.
Beat the egg whites and incorporate them carefully into the mixture.
Grease a cake tin and add the mixture.
Bake it for around 30 min. at 180° C.
15 November 2006
Chestnut soup and Danish apple dessert
Today I had lots of time to cook, hooray! So I invented a soup with the last of my chestnuts.
Chestnut soup
Serves 2-3
150 g chestnuts
1 leek, chopped
1 sprig of white celery, chopped
1 small potato, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp. vegetable stock
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
thyme
Peel the chestnuts (see Chestnut and pumpkin pie) and cut them in 4.
Fry the shallot in olive oil for a few min. Add leek, celery, bay leaf and thyme, and fry for a few more min. Then add potato and chestnuts and fry for a few more min.
Add boiling water, vegetable stock, salt and a lot of pepper.
Let the soup boil, then let it simmer on low heat for 15-45 min. until the chestnuts are soft.
The taste is just divine!
For dessert I finished off the apples from my mother's garden with a recipe from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'.
Danish apple dessert
4 apples
175 g sugar
3 tbsp. flour
3 eggs
150g ground almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
Peel the apples and cut them in pieces. Cook them with a few tbsp. water until they are soft. Mash them with a wooden spoon.
Add 75 g sugar and flour and 2 eggs and cinnamon. Mix this well.
Grease a tin and pour in the apple mixture.
Mix almonds, 100g sugar and 1 egg into a paste.
Rub a little oil (e.g. sunflower) on your hands to avoid that the paste will stick.
Take pieces of the paste and press them flat between your hands.
Cover the apples with these pieces.
Bake in the oven at 180° C for 25 min. until the paste is brown.
You can eat this hot or cold.
Chestnut soup
Serves 2-3
150 g chestnuts
1 leek, chopped
1 sprig of white celery, chopped
1 small potato, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp. vegetable stock
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
thyme
Peel the chestnuts (see Chestnut and pumpkin pie) and cut them in 4.
Fry the shallot in olive oil for a few min. Add leek, celery, bay leaf and thyme, and fry for a few more min. Then add potato and chestnuts and fry for a few more min.
Add boiling water, vegetable stock, salt and a lot of pepper.
Let the soup boil, then let it simmer on low heat for 15-45 min. until the chestnuts are soft.
The taste is just divine!
For dessert I finished off the apples from my mother's garden with a recipe from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'.
Danish apple dessert
4 apples
175 g sugar
3 tbsp. flour
3 eggs
150g ground almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
Peel the apples and cut them in pieces. Cook them with a few tbsp. water until they are soft. Mash them with a wooden spoon.
Add 75 g sugar and flour and 2 eggs and cinnamon. Mix this well.
Grease a tin and pour in the apple mixture.
Mix almonds, 100g sugar and 1 egg into a paste.
Rub a little oil (e.g. sunflower) on your hands to avoid that the paste will stick.
Take pieces of the paste and press them flat between your hands.
Cover the apples with these pieces.
Bake in the oven at 180° C for 25 min. until the paste is brown.
You can eat this hot or cold.
12 November 2006
Chestnut and pumpkin pie
Lyn sent me her mother's recipe for pumpkin pie. Inspired by this I made a new pumpkin pie, in which I also added chestnuts.
230 g puff pastry
200 g chestnuts
400 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin and seeds)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla seeds
juice of 1 lemon
1 dl cream
1 tsp butter
Peel the chestnuts. I've perfectioned my method for this:
Make an incision in the form of a cross at the top of the chestnuts. Make sure you cut deep enough.
Boil them in water for 5 min. Pour off the water but leave 0,5 cm in the pan. Leave the chestnuts in the pan with the lid on, so that they stay warm and moist. Take them out one by one to peel them.
When they are peeled, put them in a pan of boiling water again and let them simmer for 15-45 min. until they are soft.
In the mean time, boil or steam the pumpkin for 10-15 min. until soft.
Mash pumpkins and chestnuts together and add the other ingredients.
Roll out the puff pastry, put it in a buttered pie dish, cover with baking paper and beans and pre-bake for 10 min. at 220° C.
Remove baking paper and beans, add the filling, lower the heat to 180° C, and bake the pie for 20 min.
230 g puff pastry
200 g chestnuts
400 g pumpkin, chopped (weight without skin and seeds)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla seeds
juice of 1 lemon
1 dl cream
1 tsp butter
Peel the chestnuts. I've perfectioned my method for this:
Make an incision in the form of a cross at the top of the chestnuts. Make sure you cut deep enough.
Boil them in water for 5 min. Pour off the water but leave 0,5 cm in the pan. Leave the chestnuts in the pan with the lid on, so that they stay warm and moist. Take them out one by one to peel them.
When they are peeled, put them in a pan of boiling water again and let them simmer for 15-45 min. until they are soft.
In the mean time, boil or steam the pumpkin for 10-15 min. until soft.
Mash pumpkins and chestnuts together and add the other ingredients.
Roll out the puff pastry, put it in a buttered pie dish, cover with baking paper and beans and pre-bake for 10 min. at 220° C.
Remove baking paper and beans, add the filling, lower the heat to 180° C, and bake the pie for 20 min.
10 November 2006
Memories from Süd-Tirol
Lots of hats...
and lots of prosecco!
Jerusalem-artichoke/topinambour soup, with small pumpkin dices
and pasta with seppie, a type of squid
Walking in het mountains
Eating in het mountains: speck-knödel with salad and noodle soup with beef. Speck is a type of bacon which you find everywhere in this region. The bread is also very typical, with cumin seeds.
Apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce, of course!
Nice tyrolian architecture
You can get apple-carrot juice, freshly made, just about anywhere. There are loads of apples in this region and their taste is delicious. The 'white' (Hefeweizen?) beer from Bavaria tastes good too.
In this season you can eat many dishes with chestnuts, such as chestnut parfait, a type of semifreddo.
Nice design, by Matteo Thun
Great wine
Fantastic mignardises
and don't forget the grappa!
Perfect cappucino
Food lovers, Süd-Tirol is definitely a place to go ;-)
and lots of prosecco!
Jerusalem-artichoke/topinambour soup, with small pumpkin dices
and pasta with seppie, a type of squid
Walking in het mountains
Eating in het mountains: speck-knödel with salad and noodle soup with beef. Speck is a type of bacon which you find everywhere in this region. The bread is also very typical, with cumin seeds.
Apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce, of course!
Nice tyrolian architecture
You can get apple-carrot juice, freshly made, just about anywhere. There are loads of apples in this region and their taste is delicious. The 'white' (Hefeweizen?) beer from Bavaria tastes good too.
In this season you can eat many dishes with chestnuts, such as chestnut parfait, a type of semifreddo.
Nice design, by Matteo Thun
Great wine
Fantastic mignardises
and don't forget the grappa!
Perfect cappucino
Food lovers, Süd-Tirol is definitely a place to go ;-)
06 November 2006
Jerusalem artichoke soup
In Süd-Tirol I had lots of Jerusalem artichoke, once as a soup and then as puree. Today I saw them at the grocer's and they were fairly cheap, so maybe it's the season now.
In French they are called topinambour, in Flemish aardpeer (= earth-pear).
The taste is delicious, a bit like artichoke. I improvised this soup.
1 kg Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
thyme & bay leaves
1 tsp sugar
a little veg. stock (in cubes or paste)
Fry the onion in olive oil for a few min. Add garlic and fry until it gives off its scent. Add leek and fry for a few more min. Add turnip and Jer. artichoke, thyme & bay leaves and fry for a few more min.
Add boiling water and bring to the boil.
Add pepper, salt, stock and sugar.
Let it simmer on low heat for 10 min.
Mix the soup with a hand mixer.
The soup has a really nice creamy texture.
In French they are called topinambour, in Flemish aardpeer (= earth-pear).
The taste is delicious, a bit like artichoke. I improvised this soup.
1 kg Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
thyme & bay leaves
1 tsp sugar
a little veg. stock (in cubes or paste)
Fry the onion in olive oil for a few min. Add garlic and fry until it gives off its scent. Add leek and fry for a few more min. Add turnip and Jer. artichoke, thyme & bay leaves and fry for a few more min.
Add boiling water and bring to the boil.
Add pepper, salt, stock and sugar.
Let it simmer on low heat for 10 min.
Mix the soup with a hand mixer.
The soup has a really nice creamy texture.
05 November 2006
Negroni
Just went for a few days to Süd-Tirol in the north of Italy, where we sampled quite a lot of this local cocktail.
We also watched the barman make it:
Take a tumbler glass, fill it with ice cubes, fill 1/3 of the glass with Campari, 1/3 with red Vermouth (e.g. Martini Rosso), stir, then add a shot of gin, stir, and add 2 slices of lemon.
We also watched the barman make it:Take a tumbler glass, fill it with ice cubes, fill 1/3 of the glass with Campari, 1/3 with red Vermouth (e.g. Martini Rosso), stir, then add a shot of gin, stir, and add 2 slices of lemon.
31 October 2006
Suco de abacaxi com pêra
Something from Brasil which I miss a lot in Belgium is fruit. In Brasil there is an enormous variation of tropical fruit with a fabulous taste, and on almost every street corner you can have a freshly made juice (suco).
Yesterday I bought a small pineapple so this morning I made a juice with pineapple and pear. Just peel the fruit, cut it in pieces, add a little sugar and water and mix it with a hand mixer. You can strain it in a sieve to get rid of the last chunks and fibers.
In Brasil you can have 'suco de abacaxi com hortelã': fresh mint leaves are added to the pineapple, very refreshing!
Yesterday I bought a small pineapple so this morning I made a juice with pineapple and pear. Just peel the fruit, cut it in pieces, add a little sugar and water and mix it with a hand mixer. You can strain it in a sieve to get rid of the last chunks and fibers.
In Brasil you can have 'suco de abacaxi com hortelã': fresh mint leaves are added to the pineapple, very refreshing!
30 October 2006
Stuffed courgettes
After a busy week and week-end, today I finally had time to cook again and I got inspired in the supermarket. I bought lots of vegetables:
Stuffed courgettes - zucchine ripiene
This is how I usually stuff courgettes, based on an Italian recipe.
Serves 2
2 courgettes
180 g ground meat (e.g. pork or beef)
chopped parsley
grated parmesan
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
pepper & salt
Boil the courgettes for 3-4 min.
Slice them in half and take out the flesh with a spoon. Cut half of the flesh finely and put the remainder away for another use.
Mix the meat with the zucchini flesh and the other ingredients.
Fill the courgette halves with this mixture and put them in a dish, greased with olive oil.
Put in the oven at 180°C until the meat is cooked (around 40 min.).
Notes
If you use round courgettes, let them boil for a bit longer. They also need to bake longer than the long ones.
Tonight I left out the parmesan and I added a little bacon, but I prefer it without bacon.
If you make bigger quantities, don't use more than 1 or 2 eggs.
I had the stuffed courgettes with a carrot, turnip and yellow pepper tzimmes (see Fennel tzimmes on previous post, with cumin seeds and a little sugar) and steamed potatoes coated in olive oil.
Stuffed courgettes - zucchine ripiene
This is how I usually stuff courgettes, based on an Italian recipe.
Serves 2
2 courgettes
180 g ground meat (e.g. pork or beef)
chopped parsley
grated parmesan
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
pepper & salt
Boil the courgettes for 3-4 min.
Slice them in half and take out the flesh with a spoon. Cut half of the flesh finely and put the remainder away for another use.
Mix the meat with the zucchini flesh and the other ingredients.
Fill the courgette halves with this mixture and put them in a dish, greased with olive oil.
Put in the oven at 180°C until the meat is cooked (around 40 min.).
Notes
If you use round courgettes, let them boil for a bit longer. They also need to bake longer than the long ones.
Tonight I left out the parmesan and I added a little bacon, but I prefer it without bacon.
If you make bigger quantities, don't use more than 1 or 2 eggs.
I had the stuffed courgettes with a carrot, turnip and yellow pepper tzimmes (see Fennel tzimmes on previous post, with cumin seeds and a little sugar) and steamed potatoes coated in olive oil.
Apple shalet
Shalet is a dessert with apples which I make very often. It's very easy to make and it's delicious. The recipe comes from Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food'.
1 kg sour apples
100 g raisins
125 ml white wine
175 g sugar
4 eggs
100 g chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them in pieces. Put them in a pan with the raisins and white wine. Cook them for 15 min. on low heat until they are soft. Mash them with a fork and add the sugar. Cook for another 1-2 min. Let them cool off.
Add the egg yolks, walnuts and cinnamon to the apples. Beat the egg whites and add them too.
Put the mixture in a buttered dish and bake in the oven for 30-40 min. at 180 °C, until the surface is brown.
Serve hot or cold.
Variations
You can add a little lemon rind.
You can also add some old bread, without crust, soaked in water and squeezed out.
If you're in a hurry, you can add the apples uncooked, cut in small pieces. Leave out the white wine and use a little rum instead. Bake it for a little longer.
1 kg sour apples
100 g raisins
125 ml white wine
175 g sugar
4 eggs
100 g chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them in pieces. Put them in a pan with the raisins and white wine. Cook them for 15 min. on low heat until they are soft. Mash them with a fork and add the sugar. Cook for another 1-2 min. Let them cool off.
Add the egg yolks, walnuts and cinnamon to the apples. Beat the egg whites and add them too.
Put the mixture in a buttered dish and bake in the oven for 30-40 min. at 180 °C, until the surface is brown.
Serve hot or cold.
Variations
You can add a little lemon rind.
You can also add some old bread, without crust, soaked in water and squeezed out.
If you're in a hurry, you can add the apples uncooked, cut in small pieces. Leave out the white wine and use a little rum instead. Bake it for a little longer.
Pumpkin pie
Some time ago I made a sweet pumpkin pie. It was before I started my blog, so I don't have a picture. Anyway, everybody liked it! You eat it as a dessert and the taste is unusual but very nice.
Pie dough
Cut 100g butter in small cubes. Put 200g flour in a bowl, mix it with a little salt, make a hole in the flour, add 1 egg, 60g sugar and the butter. Mix with your fingers until you have a nice dough. Let it rest for 1h in the fridge.
Filling
Cut 500g pumpkin in cubes (this is the weight without skin or seeds). Steam or boil this until soft. Mash it and add a little freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice. Add 100g sugar, 1 egg and 1dl cream. Add a little vanilla seeds (you can buy them like this or scrape them from the pod) and ground ginger.
Pie
Roll out the dough and put it in a pie dish. Pierce the dough with a fork and cover it with baking paper and some beans. Bake it for 10-20 mins in the oven at 180° C. Remove the baking paper and the beans and add the filling. Bake for another 20 mins.
We ate it straight but you can serve it with sour cream or mascarpone.
I used soy cream instead of real cream and the result was nice.
Pie dough
Cut 100g butter in small cubes. Put 200g flour in a bowl, mix it with a little salt, make a hole in the flour, add 1 egg, 60g sugar and the butter. Mix with your fingers until you have a nice dough. Let it rest for 1h in the fridge.
Filling
Cut 500g pumpkin in cubes (this is the weight without skin or seeds). Steam or boil this until soft. Mash it and add a little freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice. Add 100g sugar, 1 egg and 1dl cream. Add a little vanilla seeds (you can buy them like this or scrape them from the pod) and ground ginger.
Pie
Roll out the dough and put it in a pie dish. Pierce the dough with a fork and cover it with baking paper and some beans. Bake it for 10-20 mins in the oven at 180° C. Remove the baking paper and the beans and add the filling. Bake for another 20 mins.
We ate it straight but you can serve it with sour cream or mascarpone.
I used soy cream instead of real cream and the result was nice.
25 October 2006
Baked apples
I asked my aunt what I could do with all these apples and she sent me two recipes for baked apples. I sent them to Labelga and we ended up cooking together yesterday evening. She made fegato alla veneziana and I made the apples.
Baked apples
Remove the core of 4 apples. Mix 50g corn flakes (or any type of biscuit) with 25g walnuts and 25g raisins. Chop this mixture coarsely.
Add 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp maple syrup or cane sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice.
Taste the mixture and add more sweetener if it's not sweet enough.
Fill the apples with the mixture and add some butter and cinnamon.
Bake them in a buttered dish 45-60 min in the oven at 200°C.
Serve with sourcream.
I used honey and Labelga's agave syrup as a sweetener, very nice.
Baked apples
Remove the core of 4 apples. Mix 50g corn flakes (or any type of biscuit) with 25g walnuts and 25g raisins. Chop this mixture coarsely.
Add 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp maple syrup or cane sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice.
Taste the mixture and add more sweetener if it's not sweet enough.
Fill the apples with the mixture and add some butter and cinnamon.
Bake them in a buttered dish 45-60 min in the oven at 200°C.
Serve with sourcream.
I used honey and Labelga's agave syrup as a sweetener, very nice.
22 October 2006
Fennel, sweet potato and oats
Today I bought sweet potato and fennel in a Turkish shop. These are two vegetables which I really love, just like pumpkin. I made a fennel tzimmes, inspired by Claudia Roden's carrot tzimmes, and a sweet potato mash, based on Claudia Roden's ajlouk de potiron.
I was wondering what to have with this and then I remembered one of my grandfather's recipes with oat, so I decided to try that. My grandfather loved to cook, especially desserts, and he wrote up his recipes in a notebook. After his death, my grandmother gave me his notebook and I've tried out many of his delicious recipes.
This is what my dinner looked like:
Fennel tzimmes
Fry the fennel in butter or oil for a few min. on medium heat. Keep stirring. Add boiling water until the fennel is half covered. Add salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Let it boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 min. At the end, you can leave the lid off to let the liquid evaporate.
Sweet potato mash (ajlouk)
Peel and chop the sweet potato. Steam it for about 10 min. until it's soft.
Mash it with a fork.
Then season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chilli paste, cumin seeds, chopped parsley or coriander. You can also add a little crushed garlic and some ground coriander.
You can use all or just a few of these seasonings in the quantities you like.
Claudia Roden has a recipe with pumpkin and another one with courgette. You can use any vegetable that mashes easily.
Serve on toast or just as a side dish.
Labelga made me discover the ajlouk recipe, on a beautiful September evening. We made three different ajlouks: from carrots, sweet potato and courgette. We had them on her terrace outside. She is also a big Claudia Roden's adept. A long time ago I gave her 'The book of Jewish food' as a birthday present and she was very enthusiastic about it. I only got it for myself a few years later.
Oat cake
Serves 1-2
Rinse 2 tbsp of oatmeal in water, then add 1 egg and a pinch of salt and mix with a fork.
Heat a little butter in a small pan and pour the mixture in the pan. Fry on low heat until golden brown on one side, then turn over and fry the other side.
Today I also went to an Arabian shop and bought lots of delicious pastries.
I was wondering what to have with this and then I remembered one of my grandfather's recipes with oat, so I decided to try that. My grandfather loved to cook, especially desserts, and he wrote up his recipes in a notebook. After his death, my grandmother gave me his notebook and I've tried out many of his delicious recipes.
This is what my dinner looked like:
Fennel tzimmes
Fry the fennel in butter or oil for a few min. on medium heat. Keep stirring. Add boiling water until the fennel is half covered. Add salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Let it boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 min. At the end, you can leave the lid off to let the liquid evaporate.
Sweet potato mash (ajlouk)
Peel and chop the sweet potato. Steam it for about 10 min. until it's soft.
Mash it with a fork.
Then season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chilli paste, cumin seeds, chopped parsley or coriander. You can also add a little crushed garlic and some ground coriander.
You can use all or just a few of these seasonings in the quantities you like.
Claudia Roden has a recipe with pumpkin and another one with courgette. You can use any vegetable that mashes easily.
Serve on toast or just as a side dish.
Labelga made me discover the ajlouk recipe, on a beautiful September evening. We made three different ajlouks: from carrots, sweet potato and courgette. We had them on her terrace outside. She is also a big Claudia Roden's adept. A long time ago I gave her 'The book of Jewish food' as a birthday present and she was very enthusiastic about it. I only got it for myself a few years later.
Oat cake
Serves 1-2
Rinse 2 tbsp of oatmeal in water, then add 1 egg and a pinch of salt and mix with a fork.
Heat a little butter in a small pan and pour the mixture in the pan. Fry on low heat until golden brown on one side, then turn over and fry the other side.
Today I also went to an Arabian shop and bought lots of delicious pastries.
Apple cake and starlings
With the apples from my mother's garden I made an apple cake.
I used the recipe from the cookbook of the 'Boerinnenbond', the Flemish Farmer's Wives' Association. This was the cooking bible of many generations of Flemish women and men. My grandmother gave me her copy when I was a kid.
It's a very basic recipe so I don't bother copying it here.
While I was setting up my blog yesterday, a flock of starlings came for a rest on the crane outside my window.
I used the recipe from the cookbook of the 'Boerinnenbond', the Flemish Farmer's Wives' Association. This was the cooking bible of many generations of Flemish women and men. My grandmother gave me her copy when I was a kid.
It's a very basic recipe so I don't bother copying it here.
While I was setting up my blog yesterday, a flock of starlings came for a rest on the crane outside my window.
21 October 2006
Lamb with chestnuts and pumpkin
Last weekend I went to my mother's house in the countryside with some friends. We picked chestnuts and walnuts and my mother also gave me apples and a pumpkin and home made quince jelly, all from the garden.
All of this tastes fantastic and I wondered what I could cook with it. So I checked my cooking bible, Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food' and I found a recipe of lamb with chestnuts. I also found a recipe with pumpkin and chestnuts as a side dish for couscous, so I decided to combine things.
Peeling chestnuts is a real pain and it takes ages, but the result is worth it!
Lamb with chestnuts and pumpkin
Serves 3-4
600 g lamb meat
1 onion, chopped
sunflower oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 chilli, chopped
20 chestnuts
500 g pumpkin, chopped
Cut the meat in cubes of around 3 cm.
Fry onion and chilli in oil on low heat until golden.
Raise the heat, add the meat and add pepper and salt. Fry the meat until brown on all sides.
Add boiling water and cinnamon. Let the mixture boil, then let it simmer for 1,5-2 h until the meat is very soft.
Make a cut in the form of a cross in each chestnut on top and boil them for 5 min. Peel them while they're still hot.
Add chestnuts and pumpkin to the meat and simmer for 10 min. until they are cooked.
All of this tastes fantastic and I wondered what I could cook with it. So I checked my cooking bible, Claudia Roden's 'The book of Jewish food' and I found a recipe of lamb with chestnuts. I also found a recipe with pumpkin and chestnuts as a side dish for couscous, so I decided to combine things.
Peeling chestnuts is a real pain and it takes ages, but the result is worth it!
Lamb with chestnuts and pumpkin
Serves 3-4
600 g lamb meat
1 onion, chopped
sunflower oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 chilli, chopped
20 chestnuts
500 g pumpkin, chopped
Cut the meat in cubes of around 3 cm.
Fry onion and chilli in oil on low heat until golden.
Raise the heat, add the meat and add pepper and salt. Fry the meat until brown on all sides.
Add boiling water and cinnamon. Let the mixture boil, then let it simmer for 1,5-2 h until the meat is very soft.
Make a cut in the form of a cross in each chestnut on top and boil them for 5 min. Peel them while they're still hot.
Add chestnuts and pumpkin to the meat and simmer for 10 min. until they are cooked.
Getting started
Labelga who posts her cooking exploits on Leafy Cooking, has been subtly pressurizing me to start my own blog. I've always said that if I do it, it will be with pumpkin recipes. This week I made such a delicious dish with pumpkin that I felt ready for blogging. Let's see where it goes.
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