Spinaziesalade met Balsamico champignons

Een eenvoudige herfstsalade als lunch op een regenachtige dag, met ijzer voor de weerstand. Bak een halve bak in plakjes gesneden champignons in 1 el olijfolie in de koekenpan, voeg na een minuutje een geperste teen knoflook toe en de blaadjes van een takje tijm. Als de champignons bijna klaar zijn blus je af met 1 el balsamicoazijn, bak nog heel even om en dan het vuur uit. Op smaak brengen met peper en zout.

Intussen 1 hand spinazie op een bord, als dressing alleen 1 tl olijfolie. Champignons er overheen en 1 el pijnboompitten. Eet smakelijk.

Kippenbouten, Pompoen en een salade van Andijvie en Avocado

Nieuwe berichten hebben even op zich laten wachten de laatste tijd, maar het plan is het vanaf nu weer op te pakken. Door zwangerschapsverlof meer tijd om handen om lekkers op tafel te zetten. Dat heb ik de afgelopen tijd dan ook veelvuldig gedaan, alleen niet de tijd genomen het ook op te schrijven of te fotograferen. Het plan is daar nu weer mee te beginnen.

Het nieuwe voornemen beginnen we met een maaltijd van producten uit de geliefde krat. Kippenbouten uit de oven, geroosterde pompoen en een salade van andijvie en avocado.

De 2 kippenbouten moeten nog even marineren, die maken we dus als eerste klaar. Maak een marinade van de sap van 1/2 citroen, de blaadjes van 2 takjes tijm, 1 teen knoflook uit de pers, 1 gesnipperd sjalotje, 1 chilipeper uit de vijzel, 1/2 tl oregano, 3 el olijfolie en natuurlijk peper en zout. Wrijf de kippenbouten er mee in, leg ze in de ovenschaal, afdekken met aluminiumfolie en zet ze weg voor ongeveer een half uur. Intussen de oven voorverwarmen op 200 graden.

Intussen kun je verder met de pompoen. Snij 1/2 pompoen in 2 kwarten, haal de zaden er uit met een lepen. Snij de kwarten in schijven van zo'n 3 cm dik. Maak de marinade van 1 tl gedroogde koriander, 1 tl oregano, 1 teen knoflook uit de pers, de blaadjes van 2 takjes tijm, 2 el olijfolie en grof zeezout. Smeer de pompoen er mee in en zet weg tot ze bij de kip in de oven mogen.

Zet de kip, afgedekt met de folie, 20 minuten in de oven. Zet de temperatuur na 20 minuten terug naar 175 graden, haal de folie er af. De pompoen mag ook in de oven. Alles nog een keer 20 minuten in de oven, de pompoen halverwege even omdraaien.

Voor de salade snijden we van de bovenkant van de andijvie ongeveer 2 volle handen. Snij de andijvie heel erg fijn. Andijvie is erg hard, maar fijngesneden ook juist knapperig en kan een lekkere dressing goed hebben zonder zacht te worden. Klop voor de dressing de sap van 1/4 limoen los met 1 el grove mosterd en 1 el honing. Daarna 1 el olijfolie er doorheen kloppen en 1 el zonnebloemolie. Op smaak brengen met peper en zout en over de andijvie gieten. Een halve avocado in blokjes er overheen en 1 el (ongeroosterde) pijnboompitten.

Kip uit de oven, pompoen uit de oven en even omscheppen, salade er naast en klaar! Lekker met een snee brood om in de jus van de kip te dopen.

Couscous with feta, tomatoes and coriander

Bring 100 ml of broth  with a tbsp of olive oil and crushed chilli to the boiling. Remove the pan from the heat as it cooks and add 100 g couscous and a knob of butter. Heat gently for more three minutes as you stir it with a fork.

Put the cooked couscous in a bowl and add the other ingredients: 6 small tomatoes in quarters, handfull of chopped coriander, 75 gr of feta in small cubes, a slices spring onion and a tbsp of capers. 


If necessary add some more olive oil, salt or pepper.

Eastbourne

When you don't mind the elderly Eastbourne is a lovely place to spend a day. After a couple of hectic days in London at a wedding we have one spare day before travelling back to Amsterdam and decide to spend it near the South Coast of the UK. Inittially the plan was to stay in Brighton, but since it's the first of May it's very hard to find an affordable place to sleep at the last moment.We end up at the Best Western hotel that's more like a retirement home, which is kind of an experience on it's own, travelling back in time. The girls shake up the breakfast room the next morning, but all the grey heads are woken up afterwards...

Eastbournes Pier gives the same experience: back in time, but so nice. We've had a full English breakfast, but some day I will definately be back for a high tea on Eastbournes Pier!Or a fresh fish from the Friendly Fisherman at the end of the Pier...

2nd day of Easter

 

First the big Easter breakfast with my Parents in Naarden and than paying a visit to the open farmersdays in Oudekerk aan de Amstel. Learning the city kid a bit about farmerslife :) They have lambs and  calves that were born today, so cute!

Lamb Chops on the BBQ

After the huge Easter brunch we almost didn't have to eat for the rest of the day, but I had some lovely Lamb Chops from De Krat in the fridge so the BBQ was used again for a simple Easter dinner. Lamb Chops  marinated in some Olive Oil and fresh Thyme with Sea Salt and Black Pepper for half an hour. Then BBQ-ed for 8 minutes, left over Baguette put next to it. Dressed some Lettuce with vinaigrette of Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil. Other ingredients on top: Cherry Tomatoes cut in half, Pine Nuts roasted for a couple of minutes, Spring Onion in slices and some fresh cut Mint.

Full Easter Breakfast @TheHague

A big Easter breakfast with family-in-law at The Hague. Smoked Salmon, Lots of cheeses, Home made tomato soup & bread, Fresh juices and of course: Eggs

Easter Eve BBQ with a Grilled Veg and a Sunny Salad

Although the weather wasn't very helpful these last couple of days we decided to have an Easter Eve BBQ, if only because De Krat was so full off lovely ingredient screaming to invite some guests. Only ingredients we had to add for a 6 person BBQ with salads and bread were some steaks, 1 avocado, pinenuts and some fresh basil and thyme. Alright, and some merquez sausages.

Salad 1: Grilled Veg Salad
Slice 1 Courgette and 1 yellow Pepper, brush the slices with olive oil and grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Mix it up with a chopped peace of Garlic, chopped Basil, a squeeze of Lime juice and some salt and pepper. Put aside. Fry some Pine nuts, cut some Cherry Tomatoes in half. Mix up 1 tbsp Red WineVinegar with 3 tbsp Olive Oil for the vinaigrette. Dress 3 hands full of fresh Spinach with the vinaigrette and put all the other ingredients on top. Finish of with some salt, pepper  and fresh Basil



Salad 2: Sunny Salad
This salad was solely based on the fact De Krat brought me pansies to use in the kitchen, so we had to make them into salad that added a little sunshine to our Easter Eve BBQ. All you need to do for this salad is slice and mix and its ready.
Cut and wash (a) Green Lettuce, slice an Avocado, cut Cherry Tomatoes in half, slice up half a Yellow Pepper. Slice a Leek  into thin rings, put in a bowl and pour some boiling water over, put aside. Make a dressing of 1 tbsp (Fennel) Vinegar, 3 tbsp Olive oil, 1 tsp (Spring) Mustard, 1 tsp  Honey and s+p. Dress the lettuce and put on a plate. Drain the leek and put on top, together with the other ingredients. Finish of with the Pansies, some Fresh Herbs (I used fresh Mint and Perilla) and maybe some Pine Nuts.


For the rest we needed some meat and bread. Where else to get your steaks than from butchery Louman (http://www.louman-jordaan.nl/) who truly sell the best steaks you can get in Amsterdam. Their Merquez Merquez sausages are also not to sneeze at by the way.
Bread of course from De Krat, who brought us some nice Walnut bread from Menno this week. And also got some brown Baguette at the Vlaams Broodhuys.

Despite the low temperature it was a very successful Easter Eve BBQ with thanks to De Krat en butchery Louman!

Spicy Oriental Soup for 1

What you need:

Sunflower oil 

Piece of Ginger - chopped

Clove of Garlic - chopped

1 small leek - sliced

Small Chilli pepper - grinded

Fish sauce

1 egg

50 gr of shrimp

1 spring onion - sliced

500 ml broth

1/2 small bok choy - sliced

Bit of chopped Parsley

How to make it
Fry the garlic and ginger in a bit of oil. Add the leek and a little sip of broth, fry for a couple of minutes. then add the pepper and the rest of the broth. Softly boil while preparing the other ingredients.
Whisk the egg with some pepper and bake a thin omelet in some oil. Roll the omelet and slice it. Then bake the shrimp in the left over oil of the egg.
Put the bok choy in with the broth, season with a dash of fish oil and bring to a boiling point. In the mean time put the shrimp, omelet, spring onion and parsley in a bowl. Pour the soup in the bowl when boiling and ready is your one person spicy soup!

Noordzeestrand

Hotchpotch with Chinese Cabbage (Stamppot met Chinese Kool)

Hotchpotch time it is, second time in a row it's on the menu! This time we're making a version with Chinese Cabbage and Mushrooms, since I have a whole of cabbage waiting to be made into dishes laying in the backyard.

Needed:

Make the mash the same as yesterday, except no lime and this time cook a clove of garlic with the potatoes and use it in the mash.

1 tbsp oil

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 Chinese cabbage in small strips

pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp dried cilantro

1/2 tsp cumin

10 gr butter

250 gr mushrooms

Saute 1/2 shallot in the oil, put the garlic in when it gets soft. Then put in the coriander, nutmeg and cumin and add the cabbage. Fry for a couple of minutes and put aside. Saute the other 1/2 of the shallot in the butter and add the mushroom as soon as its soft. Season after they're done.

Stir the cabbage through the mash, add mushrooms on top and maybe some fresh herbs like basil or parsley

 

Hotchpotch with Brussels sprouts and Lime (Stamppot met Spruitjes en limoen)

 Since the stormy weather has started and the holidays are over the craving for real winter food has put. I've made almost every average Dutch hotchpotch there is and I've got a whole lot of Brussels sprouts laying in the backyard. Although I don't find them as disgusting as when a child, they're still not my favorite. Hadn't found an ideal recipe for them, until now! The mash tempers the bitter taste they have and the lime makes them even kind of fresh.

Needed:

350 gr of Brussels Sprouts

500 gr potatoes

50 ml stock

olive oil

15 gr butter

zest and juice of 1/2 lime

Cook the sprouts for about 10 minutes and cut them into quarters. Cook the potatoes, drain them but save the boiling water. Mash the potatoes with the butter, stock and a big dash of olive oil. If still to dry, stir boiling water trough until it's moist enough. Then add the lime and Brussels sprout with maybe a pinch of black pepper and give it a good stir.

Add some sausage and your good to go. A really good place to get your smoked sausage is at Koopman Worstmakerij at the Elandsgracht. The also home make really great pate, last Saturday we had some autumn pate with whole hazelnuts.