20101130 Vermicelli with Chicken

(SOURCE: Simply Bill by Bill Granger)

I got Simply Bill from my best friend for my birthday. I couldn't find the flat rice noodles the recipe asked for, so I used vermicelli instead. I find the noodles a little too soggy for my liking, so next time I may rinse the noodles in ice cold water and halve the chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS
125g vermicelli
300g chicken, cut into strips
2 tbsp korma curry paste
2 tbsp oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 spring onions, cut into lengths (chop some up for garnish)
125ml chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce

METHOD
1. In a small bowl, marinate the chicken with the curry paste. In a large bowl, soak the noodles in hot water for about 5 minutes or until soft. Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Pour in the eggs, and leave to set for 10 seconds. Then scramble the eggs until they are about three-quarters cooked. Remove from pan, and set aside.
3. Wipe out the wok with paper towels and return to the heat. Add the remaining oil and brown the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes. Then add the spring onions and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the stock, soy sauce and noodles and stir fry for about 2 minutes until heated through. Add the egg and toss to combine. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and serve.

20101129 Carrot and Sweet Corn Congee

I craved something warm and liquidy today after a horrible migraine attack. As I did not want to go to the supermarket, I had to be creative with the leftover carrots and canned sweet corn. So voila, carrot and corn congee (rice porridge)! I still like my usual chicken/minced beef congee better, but this one would do for this miserable Monday.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked white rice
2.5L water
2 chicken stock cubes
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp dried parsley
50g carrots, finely diced
120g sweet corn, drained
salt and white pepper

METHOD
1. In a large pan, combine the first four ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
2. Add the dried parsley, carrots, and sweet corn into the congee. Cook for another 45 minutes over medium high heat until the congee has a consistency you like. Season well with salt and white pepper.

20101128 Stroganoff

(SOURCE: 500 stoof- & ovenschotels by Rebecca Baugniet)

The stroganoff tasted good but it did not look right to me. I thought the sauce should be thicker and a bit more creamy. Next time I may add some cornstarch at the end to thicken the sauce, and/or replace the sour cream with an equal amount of creme fraiche.

INGREDIENTS
salt and pepper
400g beef, cut into thin strips
1 tbsp oil
25g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g mushrooms, sliced
50ml sherry
50ml beef bouillon
handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika powder
125ml sour cream

METHOD
1. Marinate the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat half the oil and butter in a pan, and brown the beef over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan. Cook the garlic, onion, and mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Return the beef into the pan. Add sherry, bouillon, parsley, lemon juice, and paprika powder. Season well. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sour cream to the pan, and warm the stroganoff over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.

20101127 Speculaascake (Spice Cake)

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Speculaascake)

It was still eatable when it was warm and served with whipped cream. But it was just too dry and niet lekker! I wonder if it would have helped if I had added some milk and/or honey to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS
200g butter, at room temperature
200g bruine basterdsuiker (brown sugar)
4 eggs
200g self rising flour
4 tsp koek- en speculaaskruiden (pumpkin pie spices)

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 160 degree C. Grease the loaf tin.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for about 15 minutes. Beat in one egg at a time.
3. Sift the flour and spices into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well, and pour the batter into the greased loaf tin.
4. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes.

20101127 Apple Muffins

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Cinnamon Apple Muffins)

My plan was to make cinnamon apple muffins to fill the house with the lovely cinnamon smell, but I forgot to add the 1 tsp of cinnamon to the muffins. Duh! So these are just apple muffins...a bit boring but still taste good.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 medium apple, cored, peeled, and finely diced
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar (for the topping)

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 205 degree C. Line muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups.
2. In a small bowl, beat milk, oil and egg. Stir in diced apple, and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well and pour in wet ingredients. Stir slowly just until flour is moistened, batter will be lumpy.
4. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes. Immediately remove from pan, and enjoy!

20101125 Boerenkool Stamppot

I find it the name boerenkool funny (literal translation: farmers kale) - this name is so much more interesting than plan old curly kale. I love stamppot! Stamppot is a traditional Dutch food that is filling, simple, tasty, and so perfect for warming you up in a cold winter evening. My favorite stamppot is my mother-in-law's zuurkool stamppot met ananas en spekjes (translation: sauerkraut mash pot with pineapples and bacon bits). She always lets me know when she makes zuurkool stamppot and I'll be there for dinner!

INGREDIENTS
300g curly kale (boerenkool), finely chopped
450g starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper
some milk
some butter
1 smoked sausage (Unox rookworst)
100g smoked bacon bits

1 small onion, finely chopped

METHOD
1. In a large pan, add the kale and potatoes and top it with water. Bring it to the boil, and then simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the Unox rookworst to the pan, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan, and brown the onion and bacon on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, and fish the rookworst out. Drain water out of the pan, add the milk and butter to the kale and potato, and then mash them together. Then fold in the fried onion and bacon - don't forget to add all the bacon fat to the mash!

20101123 Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins)

I added a dash of cinnamon to the batter too to give the muffins a warmer flavor. They are really fun to make - but watch out when rolling the muffin tops in the melted butter for the topping, because they are REALLY HOT!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup milk
110g melted butter
1 egg
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
A dash of cinnamon
TOPPING
110g melted butter in one bowl
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon in another bowl

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 205 degree C. Line muffin tin with 12 paper cups.
2. In a medium bowl, beat milk, butter, and egg. Add in flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt all at once. Stir just until flour is moistened - note that batter will be lumpy.
3. Use two spoons to fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake until golden brown, about 16 miutes. Immediately remove from pan and carefully roll hot muffin tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

20101123 Banana Bread

(SOURCE: SimplyRecipes.com - Banana Bread Recipe)

Eating a slice of moist (!) and sweet banana bread immeidately brings me back to the comforting childhood memories. The key to good banana bread is the over ripe bananas as they produce the full banana flavor and moist texture. If you want to make banana bread but your bananas are not ripe yet/enough, put them in a paper bag with an apple and they will be ripened in a day.

INGREDIENTS
3 ripe bananas, smashed
75g melted butter
200g sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
190g flour

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C.
2. In a large bowl, mix butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack, then remove from pan and slice to serve.

20101118 Meatloaf

Cold weather calls for comfort food - so I made meatloaf! I had the meatloaf with a simple mashed potato and some mushroom sauce. I just used the mushroom sauce mix, and added some freshly ground black pepper and finely chopped parsley to give it a little more fragrance. My husband didn't like the instant mushroom sauce so he simply mixed the excess fat from the meatloaf with his mashed potato - a typical Dutch man!

INGREDIENTS
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
some ketchup
2 slices of bacon

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C.
2. In a large bowl, mix everything (except the last two ingredients) together. Place the mixture into an ungreased loaf tin. Lay the 2 slices of bacon and spread some ketchup over the top of the meatloaf.
3. Cook in the oven uncovered for about 1.5 hours. Afterward, let the meatloaf sit for 5 minutes before serving.

20101117 Fish Fried Rice

I made the Irish Soda Bread to use up the leftover buttermilk, and thought I could whip up something to use up the leftover rice, ginger, lemon, and celery leaves. I went and bought some nice white fish...ta-da, fish fried rice! Of course, it would taste even better with some spring onions and finely chopped carrots. But hey, the goal to use up leftovers has been met and I am a happy camper.

INGREDIENTS
200g white fish, cut into chunks
1 egg, lightly beaten
65g leftover cooked rice
handful of wild celery leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
fresh lemon juice
a thick piece of ginger, grated
2 tbsp oil

METHOD
1. Marinate the fish with the grated ginger, and salt and pepper for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok, and brown the fish for about 10 minutes. Remove fish from the pan. Add rice to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes. Then add the egg and stir until rice is coated with egg. Return the fish to the pan, and fry for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add a dash of lemon juice, and season well.
3. Sprinkle with the chopped celery leaves and serve.

20101117 Irish Soda Bread

(SOURCE: allrecipes.co.uk - Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread)

I have no idea if it was a success as I never had soda bread before. I ate some when it was still warm with some butter, and it tasted good. But again, all baked goods taste good when they are still warm, right? I read somewhere that the addition of raisins will make this a Spotted Dick - one couldn't help but giggle at such a name, right? Funny that this English food was mentioned in the Shanghai Knight movie I watched last night too!

INGREDIENTS
500g plain flour
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
120g butter, softened
225ml buttermilk
1 egg
FOR GLAZE
50g butter, melted
4 tbsp butter milk

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 190 degree C. Lightly grease a large baking tray. Combine melted butter with 4 tbsp of buttermilk in a small bowl, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir in 250ml buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared tray.
3. Brush loaf with the glaze mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the loaf.
4. Bake in the oven for 30 to 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

20101116 Broccoli Grill

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food Magazine - 101 Meals for Two)

I replaced the wholegrain mustard with freshly ground pepper, as my husband hates mustard and says mustard will give you green hair. The sauce was so heavy and rich. Next time I may use light creme fraiche, use a little more bimi, and replace the cheese with 50g of freshly grated parmesan to make the dish a little lighter.

INGREDIENTS
500g bimi, about 18 stems
200ml creme fraiche
100g grated cheese
freshly ground black pepper
6 slices of ham

METHOD
1. Preheat the grill to high. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the broccoli and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under running cold water.
2. In a small bowl, mix the creme fraiche and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and half the cheese.
3. Wrap 3 broccoli stems into each slice of ham, then place in a baking dish. Spread the creamy mixture over, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and grill for 10 minutes until golden and bubbly.

20101116 Apple Muffins

(SOURCE: Olive Magazine - Fluffy Apple Muffins)

I have some leftover apples and have been craving some warm muffins all day today. So I searched for apple muffin recipes online and found this super easy one. I even have almost all the ingredients home, so there is no excuse not to bake. I don't have any ground ginger, so I replaced it with "koek & speculaas spice mix" - just like pumpkin pie spice mix. Warm muffins are the best comfort food ever!

INGREDIENTS
75g butter
100g caster sugar
225g plain flour, mixed with 3 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt
225ml buttermilk
100g apples, peeled, cored, chopped, and tossed with a generous pinch of koek & speculaas spice mix

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C.
2. Beat the butter and sugar, then stir in the flour mixtrue and butter milk. Fold in the apples. Spoon the mixture into 8 muffin cases, and bake for 25 minutes until golden.

20101115 Oven Steamed Salmon

(SOURCE: A friend)


My husband who does not like seafood is not home tonight, so I thought I would indulge myself with a yummy and healthy oven steamed salmon dish. This is absolutely great with a glass of chilled white wine, and some steamed new potatoes.


INGREDIENTS
1 salmon fillet
handful of french beans
1 tbsp green pesto
olive oil
juice of half a lemon
sea salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C.
2. Fold a meter of aluminium foil in half to make two layers. Lay the beans on the foil, and then the salmon fillet (skin side down). Smear the pesto on the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper. Wrap up the foil and crease to make a packet.
3. Cook the packet in the oven for about 20 minutes.

20101114 Pork Escalopes in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten Magazine)

The recipe recommended to use "gedroogde majoraan". But as I don't have that, I used "gedroogde marjolein" instead. To be honest, I have no idea how they are called in English and how different they taste anyways - but I know marjolein always works well with chicken and pork because of its subtle fragrance. I serve this dish with a simple mashed potato to absorb all the yummy mushroom sauce.

INGREDIENTS
300g onions, cut into rings
250g mushrooms, slicked
2 tbsp oil
400g pork escalopes (varkensschnitzels)
salt and pepper
2 tsp dried marjolein
200ml cream (slagroom)
1/2 chicken stock cube dissolved in 150ml hot water

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C. Heat half the oil in a pan over high heat, and brown the pork. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pork from the pan and into a greased baking dish.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, and fry the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and marjolein. Add the slagroom and the stock, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the mushroom sauce all over the pork in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Then turn the oven down to 150 degree C, remove the foil, and cook the dish in the oven for another 40 minutes.

20101110 Blueberry-Raspberry Muffins

(SOURCE: Kids aan het Bakken by Sara Lewis)

I am not impressed by this recipe, as the step by step guide forgot to mention when to add one of the ingredients - sunflower oil. Though the bottle of oil is standing right in front of me on the kitchen counter, I forgot to add it to the batter (4 tbsp of sunflower oil should be added in step 3). So the muffins are dryer than usual though they still taste good with some whipped cream. Oh, and from the lesson learned last time, I coated the berries with some flour this time so they have not sunk to the bottom!

INGREDIENTS
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
125g fine sugar (basterdsuiker)
50g butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
150g yoghurt
100g fresh blueberries
100g fresh raspberries

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together with a fork.
3. Add the melted butter, eggs, vanilla essence, and yoghurt into the flour-sugar mixture. Mix well. Then coat the berries with flour, and fold them into the batter.
4. Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cups, and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Serve warm with freshly whipped cream.

20101110 Soto Ajam

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Soto ajam)

A delicious Javanese meal soup with chicken, a soup recipe from Indonesia. A perfect dish for a cold and rainy evening. Once the bouillon is done, the rest is no brainer - that's why I made the bouillon the day before, and thought my husband could simply heat up a packet of microwaved rice and make this himself when I had an evening out. But as my evening plan was cancelled, my husband didn't even lift a finger!

Instead of chucking the garlic, I simply mashed it and threw it back into the bouillon. And I added A LOT of chopped celery leaves to my soup as they just added so much fragrance! Next time I may add a tsp of ground coriander and a tsp of turmeric to the soup to make it taste even richer. I may replace the cooked rice with grass noodles to give it a Vietnamese touch too.

INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 chicken legs
5cm ginger, cut into big chunks
1 1/2 tsp ground lemon grass
1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp oil
100g cooked rice
20g wild celery leaves (selderij), finely chopped
60g bean sprouts
handful of fried onions

METHOD
1. Add 1L of water, the chicken, 1 garlic clove, ginger, lemongrass, and chicken stock cube into a large pan. Bring it to the boil, then simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Remove chicken from the pan, and sieve out the ginger and garlic from the pan. Mash the garlic and through it back into the bouillon. Use two forks to remove the bones from the chicken. Put the chicken meat back into the bouillon.
3. Slice the last garlic clove. Heat oil in a pan, and brown the sliced garlic.
4. In each soup bowl, add rice, wild celery, bean sprouts, and fried garlic slices. Spoon the hot soup and chicken into the bowl. Sprinkle with fried onions and serve.

20101109 Istanballs

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Allerhande Magazine)

The original recipe is called "Istanballen", the literal translation is "Istanballs". I thought juicy meatballs can never go wrong, but my meat-loving husband's only comment was "they just don't taste like meatballs". Lesson learned - meat and cinnamon just don't work for him! I admit that the touch of cinnamon is quite unique in a beef dish (though a dash of cinnamon works like a charm in a minced lamb dish), so I have already lessened the amount of cinnamon from 2 tbsp to 1/2 tsp this time. Next time I may simply up the oregano and skip the cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS
500g minced beef
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
some red pepper paste (I used AH Excellent Kruidengemak as recommended)
125g feta, crumbled
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
500ml sieved tomatoes
20g parsley, finely chopped

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the egg, bread crumbs, 1 tbsp oregano, half the cinnamon powder, and minced meat together. Season with salt, pepper, and the red pepper paste. Finally mix the feta cheese into the meat mixture. Make into 8 meatballs.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, and brown the meatballs. Remove from the pan (leave the yummy meat juice/oil in the pan) and into a baking dish. Add the onion to the pan and brown for 2 minutes. Then add sieved tomatoes, 100ml water, the rest of the cinnamon, and 1/2 tbsp oregano. Mix well and cook for about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the baking dish.
3. Cook the meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with grilled aubergine or garlic bread.

20101108 Beef and Vegetable Casserole

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten Magazine - Bloemkoolschotel met gehakt)

Another dish that gives me the feel of fall. I increased the amount of cheese to make the sauce a little cheesier. Next time I may save some grated cheese to sprinkle on top of the dish for the remaining 10 minutes in the oven.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely chopped
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
baby carrots, diced
250g celery, diced
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
salt and pepper
1 1/2 chicken stock cube
300g minced beef
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp tomato puree
90g grated cheese
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
150ml milk

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes in boiling water. Drain and set aside. Dissolve 1 chicken stock cube in 500ml boiling water, and cook the cauliflower florets in it for about 8 to 10 minutes. Save the stock, and set aside the cauliflower.
2. Heat oil in a pan over high heat and brown the minced beef. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan. Then stir in the tomato puree, 125ml water, and 1/2 chicken stock cube. Season well and simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix potatoes into the meat. Remove from fire and set aside.
3. Knead the butter and flour together. In a small saucepan mix together the cauliflower bouillon and milk, and bring it to the boil. Slowly add the butter mixture and cheese, keep stirring until the cheese is melted. Season well.
4. Mix the cauliflower and the meat/potatoe mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce all over it, and cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

20101106 Bacon-wrapped Chicken in White Wine Sauce

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten - Ovenhits Special 4)

This dish was so yummy on some garlic mashed potatoes. I felt that something was missing in the white wine sauce, and will replace the water with chicken stock to give the dish a little more flavor next time. Also, a valuable lesson learned today - be sure you very slowly add the butter/flour mixture into the sauce to avoid lumpy sauce. Remember, very slowly!

INGREDIENTS
30g flour
30g soft butter
9 slices of bacon (ontbijtspek)
2 skinless chicken breasts, patted dry and cut into 4 fillets each
salt and pepper
1 tbsp oil
200ml dry white wine
120ml water
125ml cream (slagroom)
125g grated cheese
1 tomato, diced

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C.  Knead the flour and butter, set aside. Season the chicken fillet with salt and pepper, then wrap each one in a slice of bacon.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, and brown the bacon-wrapped chicken. Remove the browned chicken to a baking dish.
3. Add the wine, water, and cream to the pan of lovely juice from the bacon fat. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Slowly stir the butter mixture into the sauce, and season well.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Completely cover it with grated cheese. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, and then about 2 minutes under a hot grill. Scatter diced tomatoes over the dish, and serve.

20101105 Cardamom chicken

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

As I couldn't find cardamom pods, I have replaced them with cardamom powder instead. I would recommend grated ginger instead of finely chopped one. This dish is fragrant and herby, but I am just not a big fan of sweet, coconuty sauce.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
3 skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cardamom powder
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
a piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
400ml can coconut milk
salt and pepper
handful of parsley leaves, chopped

METHOD
1. Mix the yoghurt, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a pink of salt in a bowl, add the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan, and stir fry the onion, garlic, and ginger for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and cardamom powder, season, and heat until bubbling.
3. Add the chicken and the marinade and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve with rice.

20101104 Oven Baked Pork and Carrots

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten - Ovenhits special 4)

I spreaded mashed potatoes over the serving plate then poured the dish and its juice all over it. It tasted so good. My husband complained there was not enough mashed potatoes to soak up all the sauce!

INGREDIENTS
400g pork, diced
250g baby carrots
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
paprikapowder
dried majoraan/marjolein
125ml slagroom

METHOD
1. Heat butter in a pan, and brown the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the meat and cook until color changes. Add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle paprika and dried herb generously to the meat mixture. Stir in the slagroom and 4 tbsp water. Bring to the boil.
2. Pour the meat mixture into a buttered baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Check the dish, then continue to bake with the foil on for another 40 minutes. Undo the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

20101103 Baked Cannelloni

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

The meatball sausage tasted really good - thanks to the bacon bits - but the bechamel sauce just didn't tickle my fancy.

INGREDIENTS
8 fresh lasane sheets, each cut in half
150g mozzarella, diced
50g freshly grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

FOR THE MEATBALLS
225g minced pork
1 tsp chopped sage leaves
95g unsmoked bacon
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 1/2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp milk
1 large egg
a little nutmeg
salt and pepper

FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
570ml (1 pint) milk
50g butter
35g plain flour
1 bay leaf
some nutmeg
65ml creme fraiche
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix everything well. Divde the mixture in half and then each half into eith, then lightly roll each of these into a sausage shape about 7.5cm long. Set aside.
2. To make the sauce, place the milk, butter, flour, ba leaf, nutmeg, and seasonings into a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk all the time and slowly bring it up to simmering point until the sauce has thickened. Then turnn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf, stir in the cream, taste to check the seasoning, cover and leave aside.
3. Place each meatball sausage on to a piece of lasagne and roll it up. Arrange them in the baking dish with the join underneath. Pour the sauce over and scatter the mozzarella cubes here and there. Finally, scatter the parmesan over the top and bake the dish in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
4. Then remove it from the oven and let it settle for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan over, and serve.

20101102 Chicken Cacciatora

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

The sauce tastes even better the day after!

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken legs, chopped into two (about 1kg in total) and seasoned
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thickly sliced
700g ripe red tomatoes, skinned * and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
275ml dry white wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in the heavy based pan over a high heat, brown the chicken in batches. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the onions to the pan, turn the heat down to medium and brown for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, rosemary, bay leaf, white wine, and white wine vinegar. Add some seasoning and bring it up to the boil, then let it bubble and reduce (without covering) to about half its original volume, which will take about 20 minutes.
3. Add the chicken pieces, stir them around a bit, then put the lid on and allow to simmer gently for 40 minutes, until the chicken are cooked through.

* How to skin tomatoes - pour boiling water over the tomates and leave them for 1 minute before draining and slipping off their skins.

20101101 Stuffed Bell Peppers

(SOURCE: Simply Recipes - Dad's Staffed Bell Peppers)

I found the filling a little bland so have added some sauce to it before stuffing the peppers. Next time I may try topping the stuffed peppers with a mixture of HP sauce and Worcestershire sauce instead - it should go really well with the minced beef!

INGREDIENTS
4 bell peppers, top cut off and deseeded
salt
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
450g ground beef
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
200g can chopped tomatoes, drain off excess liquid
1 tsp dried oregano
fresh ground pepper
ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
dash of tabasco sauce

METHOD
1. Add several generous pinches of salt to a large pot of boiling water, then add peppers and boil about 3 minutes until brillliant green/red/yellow and their flesh slightly softened. Drain, set aside to cool.
2. Heat oven to 175 degree C. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat, cook onions for about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp of ketchup. Mix well.
3. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil inside the peppers. Stuff peppers with filling and arrange them in a baking dish. Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce over the filling.
4. Add 1/4 cup water to the baking dish. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, depending on how big the peppers are, until the internal temperature of the stuffed peppers is 65 degree C.