Back to my roots.. in the kitchen

So it's full on dutch fall-weather at the moment, with the sudden bursts of rain, gashes of wind and sudden temperature drops (last week we went from 22°C to 5°C in three days.. crazy!).

Don't get me wrong, I love this season. from the smell of the fireplace to the crispy coldness on your face when you leave the house in the morning. But I would rather like it to stay sunny. Sunny fall days can be amazingly beautiful, whereas the cloudy days are just plain depressing. (though, obviously, in comparison to hurricane Sandy, this is peanuts.)

The colder and rainier it gets, the more I return to my 'foodroots', that is, the dutch winter-cuisine  Because we dutchies sure know how to cook wholesome foods for rainy (or snowy) days. Some can be a bit laborious or time consuming, but it's always worth it. Since I'm in the middle of exams, I'm trying to come up with good excuses not to study (Procrastination is a bad thing, kids. Don't try it at home), cooking is always my go-to excuse. Because well, I've got to eat, right? And sure, I could whip up something in 15 minutes, but while I'm in the kitchen anyways, I might as well make something worth my time in the kitchen. Which I then try to prolong as much as possible.

My cupboard is pretty stocked, but my freezer is in fact not, so there wasn't a lot of meat to choose from.
And I know, I know, why not vegetarian then? Mainly because I was in the mood for meat. Also, vegetarian dishes don't take as long.

After some rummaging through my provisions and a badgering the bf with numerous food-possibilities (to which he all replied: 'yummy' and said that everything I make will taste good, so how could he possibly choose?) I decided to go with a dutch classic: meatballs with beetroot/potato mash. And gravy, there's got to be gravy.

The recipe for meatballs is something that is always up for discussion. People are constantly trying to create the perfect meatball, but I've got news for them: there's no such thing as a perfect meatball! Taste is so personal, my idea of a perfect meatball can differentiate completely from anyone else's. The taste, that is. We're all clear on the fact that they have to round and juicy. And there has to be gravy, I can not emphasize this enough.

So, as it usually works for me, I just wing it. And

For the beet/potato mash (serves 2 or 3)

• about 600 grams (1 lb 5oz.) floury potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 jar or can of 340 gram (12 oz.)  precooked beets, in slices or diced. You could buy fresh beetroots and cook them yourself, but it will take up a lot more time
• some milk/butter/cream whatever you prefer to smoothen the mash
• freshly ground sea-salt and black pepper
• OPTIONAL: bacon bits, baked until crisp

Cook the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes, and add the beets for the last 5 minutes. Mash everything, and if necessary, add some milk/butter/cream, until the mash has reached the smoothness you prefer. Add the bacon bits, taste, and add salt and pepper. 

For the meatballs (4 large, 6 medium-large, or 8 medium sized)

• 400 grams ground beef (you could use half beef and half pork, it will make the meatballs juicier  but I                       just really like the flavor of beef)
• a splash of milk
• a splash of Ketjap Manis
• 1 egg
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• nutmeg or mace (the spice, obviously, not the spray)
• 3 or 4 cloves, ground up
• some smoked paprika powder
• cayenne pepper, for the extra kick
• about 3 rusks, crumbled up and pushed through a sieve
• freshly ground sea-salt and black pepper

In a frying pan, quickly fry the diced shallot in some butter, just until translucent. Add all the ingredients together and mix with your hands, towards the point where you get one consistent meat-mixture  If it turns out to wet or sticky, add a little more rusk. If it turns out to dry, add a little more milk.

Divide the mixture into equally sized pieces, the amount of pieces depends on how large you prefer your meatballs. I went with six. Roll them in the palms of your hands, while applying a little pressure, until you have created a convincing looking meatball (make sure there aren't any cracks, otherwise they will fall apart)

They look pretty convincing, don't you think?

Next, place them on a plate and let them sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This will give you enough time to peel your potatoes. 

After the 20 minutes, melt a decent amount of butter in a slow cooker. When the butter starts to bubble, add the meatballs, one by one, and turn down the stove to a low heat. Carefully turn the balls, until they are browned all over. 

Browning them first will give you more flavor, which is always a plus!

Turn up the heat, and add approximately 2 glasses of water to the pan. Stir, and make you sure you scrape the bottom while doing so. Add some bay leaves, extra cloves and perhaps red wine.
A good gravy is another rather personal thing. I added some mustard because I rather like mustard-sauce, but feel free to add whatever you like.

Ready to be simmered into heaven..

Anyway, turn down the heat, place a simmerplate under your pan and let simmer with the lid on. At this point you can start boiling your potatoes. Make sure you turn the meatballs over every now and then, so they are broiled through and through. After about 30 minutes, take the lid of the pan, and slightly turn up the heat so the gravy can boil down to a thicker consistency. Make sure to stir occasionally, so the gravy won't stick to the pan.

Yum yum, almost good to be eaten!

When your gravy has reached the desired consistency, divide the meatballs, pour a generous amount of gravy on the meatballs and mash, and enjoy!

It may not look pretty, but oh my, it tastes divine!

We sure did. They turned out absolutely amazing, flavorful and so tender they melted on your tongue. Meatball-success accomplished!

Now it's back to the books for me. Or perhaps I can free up some time to make soup.. I'm sure I'd study a lot better after I've had some soup, wouldn't you agree? I'm starting to think the bf may have been right about me when he commented I have the attention span of three consecutive goldfish..

Anyway, I'm going to try to focus now, we'll just see how long that will last.

 

Until next time!

Well, the weather outside is frightful..

..But my kitchen smells so delightful..

Ah yes, it's that time of the year again where the weather alternates between Indian summer and stormy autumn, leaving me unsure whether to bring a rain suit or sunglasses (or perhaps both?).
Either way, this sudden change in temperature and humidity (and by that I mean: sudden outbursts of excessive amounts of rain) doesn't really work well on my health system, resulting in me being once again in a state of sniffling, shivering, misery: yes, it's the flu, yet again.

Apart from the fact that I really don't have time for this (my study schedule is just overflowing), I generally don't like being sick (who does?), so all the more reason for me to patch myself up as soon as possible.

I believe I've mentioned my love for soup before, but just in case you've missed it: I Love soup. Yes, with a capital L. The sheer consolation it provides, even if it is just a placebo, always makes me feel better.

So soup it is. After a little scavenger hunt through my kitchen, I've decided on both mustard and courgette soup. Mustard, because it has a spicy creaminess that is just what I need right now, and courgette, well, mostly because I'm still stuck with my mother's monstercourgettes and I am running out of recipe ideas..

Since these soups are meant to be made while you're sick, they're pretty quick and simple. So there's really no excuse not to make your own soup!

My stockpot is always of loyal service to me..

Mustardsoup

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) bacon lardons 
• 1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 50 g (3.5 tbsp) butter 
• 1 tbsp grainy Groninger mustard (or other grainy mustard)
• 1 tbsp smooth Groninger mustard (or other smooth mustard)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, powdered
• 50 g (0.5 cup) sifted flour 
• 1 liter (4.2 cups) chicken stock (You can use vegetable stock and discard the bacon for a veggie alternative)
• 100 mL (0.5 cup) cream 
• Salt & pepper

OPTIONAL: to garnish- freshly chopped chives, or leeks

Preparation

Fry the bacon lardons in a frying pan until crisp. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. In a separate pot, saute the shallot  and leek in the butter. Add the mustard and the powdered mustard seed, saute it for a little while with the shallot and leek: this will rid the mustard of it's vinegary flavor. 

Now add the flour and slowly pour in the stock to create a smooth emulsion (called a roux). Allow to cook for a minute or two on a slow heat. Next, add the cream, whisking it firmly but slowly into the soup. Taste, and if necessary, season it with some salt and pepper. When you serve the soup, garnish with the bacon lardons (don't add them to the soup as they will get mushy) and some finely chopped leek or chives. Enjoy!

Garnished with some leek rings, yum :)

Supereasy Spicy Zucchini Soup

If you are using extra large zucchini, as I will be doing, scoop out and discard the seeds first. And if the skin is thick or tough, peel it and discard the peels.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 pepperoncini's, crumbled 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 kilo (about 6 cups) chopped zucchini (skin on)
• 1 liter (4.2 cups) chicken stock (You can use vegetable stock for a veggie alternative)
• 25 g (1/2 cup) fresh thyme leaves
• OPTIONAL: 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• OPTIONAL: 100 mL cream
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Heat a large glug of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, thyme and pepperoncini and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions are translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic and zucchini and sauté for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with some (sea)salt.

Next, add the stock, and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for approximately 20-30 minutes. If you like your soup to be chunky, you can taste and season the soup, and you're practically done! (I told you it was easy..)

I prefer my soup to be smooth, so I pureed it. Next, add the cream if you want to, whisking it slowly into the soup. Taste, and add salt, pepper and possibly lemon juice to your liking. Once again: enjoy!

By the way, you could add some cumin to the soup for a little oriental flavoring. If you try that, I advise you to replace the lemon juice with lime juice, and try garnishing it with some freshly chopped coriander!

I garnished this with some creme fraiche and nutmeg, but try your own toppings!

Untill next time, and meanwhile: keep reading and cooking!

New college year, new recipes

There's a saying (Google tells me it originates from the bible) that there is a time for everything.
As a student, I can assure you: this is not true. Because somehow, when it should be the time to study, it always ends up being the time for everything else..
"Oh will you look at that, the cabinet tops are way too dusty, better clean them first.. and while I'm at it,  why not vacuum the kitchen and mop the bathroom floor.. a clean house equals a clean mind, right?"
It is, after all, a well-known fact that student houses are cleanest during examination times.

I have to admit, I'm not that much of a cleaner myself (truth be told, I can be quite messy..), so my SAB (Study Avoidance Behavior) usually consists of, surprise surprise, cooking. Mostly trying out new recipes or recipe ideas, or just scouting the web for inspiration (which is also studying, if you think about it!)

Since my mother was coming around for dinner, and she is a vegetarian, I was looking for some new ideas when I stumbled upon soufflé recipes. I've never made soufflé before, so that was reason enough for me to try it. Plus, I have those adorable cocottes (you know, the small, individual sized oven dishes), so I could make a personal-sized soufflé. It all came together perfectly in my mind..

The first time I made them I was a bit busy cooking other stuff as well (nothing much.. just some pork chops stuffed with apricot/pancetta/sage/garlic-butter, parmigiana di melanzane (one of my all-time fave dishes, recipe will follow), apple pie, and a nice salad) so I didn't really time the soufflé, and anyone who's ever made it before knows that timing is quite crucial.. It was rather deflated. Very tasty, but still deflated. I decided to give it another try when I had some more time to fully focus on it.

Luckily (for you, obviously!), yesterday I had to study all day long. So I definitely had the time to try another soufflé.. with success! It didn't rise as much as I'd hoped, but perhaps I just didn't fill the cocotte enough.

Maybe the soufflé wasn't confident enough to 'rise' to the occasion? 

Sun-dried tomato/basil soufflé

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 shallots
• Approximately 30 grams (1.5 cup) of fresh basil leaves
• 100 grams (2 cups) of dried tomatoes
• 50 g (1.8 oz) butter or margarine
• 50 g (o.4 cups) flour
• 400 mL (1.7 cups) milk
• 150 grams (5 oz) grated cheese
• (freshly ground) pepper
• butter or margarine for greasing

Materials

• Soufflé dish volume about 2 liters (67.62 oz), or about 4 cocottes

Preperation

Preheat oven to 175 °C (347 °F). Grease the dish(es) and split the eggs, carefully. Make sure the egg-white isn't contaminated with egg-yoke, or it won't thicken anymore!. Peel the shallots and finely chop them, as well as the basil leaves. Pat dry the tomatoes with some paper towels and cut into small cubes. Heat the butter in pan and sauté the shallots for about 1 minute. Stir in the flour. Next, slowly add the milk, pouring small amounts at each time, and stir until you've created a smooth sauce. Add the cheese and stir until it starts to melt. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg yolks, basil leaves, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg whites until they are at the soft peak stage and fold into the cheese mixture with a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture evenly between the six cocottes (or pour it all in the large soufflé dish) and place them on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes until well risen. Slightly open the oven door, and bake the soufflé for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy! I know I did..

I kind of lost track of time.. So mine was more brown than golden,  but the taste was perfect!

This is a great substitute for meat when you're cooking for a larger group with one (or two) vegetarians, or you could serve it as a starter, or lunch, or just have it as a mid-day snack.. Eitherway, it's a treat to eat!

Still slightly risen!
I do apologize for the messy kitchen, but well.. I don't have time to clean because of all the studying. ;-)

Now, I haven't forgotten the promise I made about the courgette recipes, but honestly, I haven't had the time to write them all down. Don't worry, they will be posted. Eventually...

Coq au Vin in a French kitchen

Well, I have been absent from blogging for some time. Since it is the holidays, my social calendar has been a bit crowded. But, resits are coming up in a few weeks, so most people are taking it down a notch with partying and start studying and adjusting their sleeping pattern to normal again.. 

Anyway, in my last post I mentioned that I made coq au vin in an actual french kitchen, which really elevated the entire cooking and eating experience. At the time I was in Varachaud, a small village in the Dordogne-region. After scouting around a local farmer's market, I decided I had to make coq au vin. Without a recipe or my well stocked supermarket near, it was a bit of an improvisation. But then again, basically everything I do in my kitchen is an improvisation, so nothing new there. My recipe is losely based on the Julia Child version, though I don't flambé it with cognac. But feel free to! 

Since we usually started the evening with some pre-diner wine, accompanied by pre-dinner cheese, I decided to keep the side dishes on the light side. So I went with caramelized chicory (trust me, it is divine!), salad and some bread to mop up that glorious wine sauce. Now, this recipe is quite laborious, but trust me: it's worth the work!

Coq au Vin (4 persons)

• 4 chicken legs (preferably free range)
• 1 bottle of red wine (Bordeaux or Beaujolais is always great. Serve the same wine with the dinner!)
• 1 jar fond de volaille (poultry fond), about 380 mL (about 13 oz)
• a little over 110 grams (4 oz) of  sliced bacon. I usually use pancetta, but since they didn't have that at the farmers market, I used jambon de paysanne (farmer's ham, actually quite similar to parmaham)
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely diced
• 3 or 4 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly sliced
• about 20 white baby onions,peeled, but kept whole (for the dutch folks: zilveruitjes. If you can get them fresh you won't be disappointed, but otherwise just buy them in a jar and rinse the pickling of) 
• 1/2 pound chestnut mushrooms, halved. (Note: Never rinse mushrooms, wipe them clean with a cloth)
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• Butter. It's french cuisine so lots and lots of butter
• OPTIONAL: 2 bay leaves, some sprigs of fresh thyme. I didn't have any and it was flavorful enough!

In a large heavy bottomed casserole, heat some butter (I guess about 1 stick of butter? but feel free to add more or less). When melted, add the sliced onion, garlic and carrott, and let sauté for a while. When browned properly, remove from the casserole with a skimmer, preserving the butter. Next, add the mushrooms, as well as some extra butter. Make sure you don't crowd them, otherwise they won't brown properly. When they do, remove them as well. Again, with a skimmer, all the good flavours stay in the butter! Next, add the bacon or ham and the small white onions, and cook until slightly browned. Once again, remove from the casserole with a skimmer. Add a little extra butter if necessary, and turn up the heat.

Pat the chicken dry with a cloth or paper towels. Season with plenty salt and pepper, and brown in the hot butter. Return the bacon, cover the casserole and cook for about 10 minutes, turning the chicken once. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add the stock, covering the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste and herbs, and bring to a simmer. After about 10 to 15 minutes, transfer some of the casserole liquid to a bowl. Whisk in the flour until you create a sort of beurre manie. Remove the chicken temporarily to  add the mixture to the casserole. Beat the beurre manie into the hot liquid, using a wire whip. Return the chicken, cover the casserole and let simmer for another 30 minutes on a really low heat. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes, to thicken the sauce a bit.

Simmering away, it already looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, prepare the chicory. Now this is realy easy, but everyone will be in awe because it tastes so good, so it's always an easy way to impress.

• 1 kilo of chicory, all the leaves stripped but left whole
• 1 or 2 sticks of salted butter
• 100 grams of brow caster sugar
• about 100 mL of water (3.4 oz)

In a large sauté pan, heat the butter, but make sure it doesn't brown. Add the sugar and stir until melted. Now add the chicory leaves, make sure you coat them all. When they've shrunk a bit, add the water, stir well, turn the heat down to a simmer. Make sure most of the liquid is vaporized and all of the leaves all cooked and caramelized all the way through. You can sprinkle it with some thyme. 

By the time your chicory is nice and caramelized, your chicken should be about ready. You can place the entire casserole on the table and serve straight from the pan, or you can make the plates at your counter. With the sauce that's left (and trust me, chances are there will be sauce left) you can make a wonderful pasta dish the next day.  Just heat up and serve with some tagliatelle or whatever other pasta you have laying around.

 To quote Julia Child: 'Bon Appetit!'

For my next blog, prepare yourself for courgette recipes.. And I mean a LOT

Winterfood in summertimes

After spending some (by far not enough!) lovely days in sunny France, it's been quite harsh getting used to the dutch equivalent of summer. I've just grown accustomed to waking up from sunlight, throwing on whatever sundress was nearest by and dashing off, out into the warmth that is the south of France (okay.. that's not true. I had an amazingly extensive amount of wardrobe choice crammed into my suitcase), spending the entire day just strolling, sightseeing, eating and drinking.. Something I could never tire of!

But alas, I'm back in Holland, and it's like the weather is taunting me with a reality check: grey, clouded, drizzly weather. This instantly awoke my winterfood-needs (hotchpotch,stews, pot roasts..), but since I had not yet found the time to properly restock my fridge, I was limited in my options. However, I was lucky enough to have some potatoes, onions, carrots, cheese, dried herbs, and ground meat in my kitchen/fridge/freezer.

After contemplating it just wasn't cold enough to make 'hutspot' I decided to go with shepherd's pie: something I've never cooked before, but it always seemed so.. wholesome. Plus, fairly easy. Just what I needed! After IM'ing about this with the bf (of course he was pro shepherd's pie, he's always pro whatever food I cook), he remarked that it was like a British version of moussaka. I figured he wasn't wrong, and maybe this dish could benefit with some cinnamon as well..? I was definitely going to try.


For the potato mash:

• 1 kg (35 oz) floury potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced
• 200 mL (6.8 oz) milk 
• 2 large handfulls of grated cheese, preferably aged
• a knob of butter

For the meat filling

• 400 gram (14 oz) minced meat, whatever you prefer, I used beef, but it is originally made with lamb..
• 1 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 or 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 can of 400 grams (14 oz.) plum tomatoes
• 150 mL (2/3 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme (honestly, I never measure this, so it's a rough guess)
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

I stumbled upon some red pesto that was about to go bad, so I decided to throw it in as well, what the heck. Must've been about 2 teaspoons. I'm sure you can acquire this taste difference by adding some parmesan, if you so wish.


Anyway, in a large saute pan (incidentally, a birthday present from the bf), heat up some butter or olive oil and add the onions meant for the mash. On a low simmer, slowly fry them until they are translucent, then remove from the pan. Heat up a little more oil (if needed), and add the remaining onion (meant for the filling) and the carrot. Put the lid on the pan and let them sweat on a low simmer, until both the onion and the carrot has gone soft. Remove the lid, add the garlic and the herbs (sneak in a crumbled up pepperoncini if you'd like to spice it up) and turn up the heat.After the garlic has slightly colored, add the meat and fry until browned all over. Add the tomatoes (break them up with a wooden ladle), optionally the pesto, and stir well. Once heated properly, add the stock, and stir again. Taste the filling, add salt and pepper to your liking, turn down the heat and let it simmer until it has reached the consistency of your liking.

Look at my lovely new pan, simmering away!

Preheat your oven to 180 °C (356 °F). Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes in plenty boiling water with en equal plenty amount of salt.
Mash them, then add the onions, butter, milk and stir well until a smooth mash arises. Stir in the cheese, some more salt and pepper if needed (taste it first, obviously) and perhaps some nutmeg. You could stir in an egg or 2 if you prefer the mash to be more solid. Besides the fact that I didn't have any eggs around, I like my mash creamy and soft.


Pour the filling into an oven dish, spread the mash on top of it, smoothing it out nicely. You could sprinkle some more cheese on top of the mash, but it really isn't necessary. Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the mash (and possibly cheese) has gained a nice golden colour. Enjoy!

Delicious and easy: just my kind of food!

Stay tuned for my next posts, as I have been inspired by the french cuisine -who wouldn't be- to try some new things (well, new to me) as well as recreating some golden oldies. Let me tell you, making coq au vin in a french country-house's kitchen (in the languedoc region!) really heightens the flavor. Though it could just be the wine..

Miniature Guinness Cupcakes

I've got to be honest: I'm not that much of a sweettooth. Never have been, as a kid I didn't really care for candy that much. Nevertheless, I do love baking. Every now and then I get an urge to bake pies, cakes or cookies, and next thing you know, the bf is having whatever product came out f my baking urge for lunch for the next few days, as you don't easily finish a pie with just two people. Cupcakes, however, are something else. They are like personal-sized cakes, but somehow better, just because they are cupcakes. Plus, you can store them in your freezer! Until a year ago, I had never baked one. I somehow assumed it was a lot of work to make them, what with the frosting and all.

This non-cupcake streak ended when I found a recipe for Guinness cupcakes (on a wonderful website by the way, go check out mybakingaddiction.com). They sounded so appealing, I simply had to make them.
And how glorious they were, not at all as time-consuming as I thought. The cacao combined with the burnt barley flavour of the Guinness, and topped of with a salty, yet sweet vanilla frosting.. simply divine. I added some 80% cacao 'hagelslag' (chocolate sprinkles. Or chocolate jimmies?) on top of the frosting, but next time I'm making them, I want to try sprinkling it with maple-candied bacon bits. I think that could make it even more delicious!

Anyway, besides the fact that cupcakes in general are delicious, they look very festive as well. So, when I was planning my birthday, I knew that cupcakes had to be a part of the food choices. And because they can be quite filling, I decided to go with mini-cupcakes (they look really cute, too).

It really perks up the table!

This recipe makes approximately 24 normal sized cupcakes, and about 60- 80 mini-cupcakes, depending on how miniature you make them.

Guinness Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

350 mL (12 oz) Guinness Stout
125 mL (1/2 cup) milk
125 mL (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
190 mL (3/4 cup) sour cream
90 gram (3/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa (for dutch people: just use van Droste or Blooker.)
 450 gram (2 cups) caster sugar sugar
310 gram (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, sifted

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350°F).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.
4. Butter 24 muffin tins, or 60 mini-cupcake liners, and divide the batter among the muffin tins. I discovered that the best way to do this with the mini-cupcake liners, is to pour the batter (since it is quite fluid) into a a plastic freezer bag (or a ziplock bag, whatever you have laying around), cut off one of the corner tips and slowly pour the batter (about 2/3 of the cup).
5. Bake 25 minutes for the normal sized cupcakes, and 15 minutes for the miniature ones,  until risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.

For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream

110 gram (1 stick) salted butter – room temperature
110 gram (1 stick) unsalted butter – room temperature

1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla extract

220 gram (1 1/2 pounds) confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
4 tablespoons very cold milk

1. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer.
2. Add the clear vanilla extract and combine well. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition.
3. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency.

Almost too cute to eat. Almost.. *munch*

Homemade Fast Food

I live a pretty healthy life, foodwise  that is (I am a student after all, so my sleeping and/or drinking pattern isn't always as healthy as it should be). Something I inherited from my parents, I guess. Fresh vegetables, preferably locally grown, free range meat and eggs, and as little with preservatives as possible. But every once in a while, like everyone else, I have a craving for fast food. This usually happens when I'm at a train station, and my train is delayed because of some construction work, technical difficulties, or some other bs our public transportation system is using as excuse as to why the trains are not arriving on time, or in some occasion, at all.

Thankfully, most stations are equipped with a number of shops and a diverse food court, so there's always something to do (or eat). Among the diversity in the food court, there's a number of fast food parlours and one of them in particular (which name I will not be mentioning, but I think you can imagine) disperses a quite pleasant smell of grilled burger. And when I need to wait at least another 45 minutes until there is a possibility of a train, it can be hard to resist the temptation of buying a burger. But, strong as I am, I usually can.

Because I opened the sterilized jar containing barbecue sauce for the sliders, I now have the very hard task of finishing the rest of the sauce before it goes bad. Obviously, I embraced this task with open arms.
This, combined with the fact that my power to resist the burger smells are weakening, inspired me for my dinner yesterday, as I made cheeseburgers with garlic/oregano fries. Naturally everything was home-made, except for the burger buns (I used sesame) and the mayonnaise (ok, ok, I'll be honest. I didn't brew the beer myself either.).

It's all pretty easy: I made the burgers the same way as I made the sliders (check out my previous posts), I added a little jalapeño to it though, just to spice it up. I toasted the buns in the oven for a short while, as the oven was already on because of the fries. In a frying pan, I baked some bacon rashers until crispy, took them out, and them baked the burgers on medium heat in the bacon grease (not so healthy but oh so tasty!) for about 4 minutes each side (this way they're still slightly pink in the centre). The last 2 minutes, I put a slice of cheddar on top of the burger and added a few onion ring and tomato slices to the pan. Spread some barbecue sauce on the bottom (once again: or whatever sauce you prefer), place the burger on top , then the onion rings/tomato slices, some slices of pickle, and the top half of the bun.

Now for the fries, you need to do a little more work. For 2 persons, use about 600 grams (2 pounds) baking potatoes, sliced into thin fries. Boil them for about 8 minutes, drain, cool and transfer them to a freezer/zip lock bag. In a small blender, blitz together 3 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh oregano and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add this marinade to the fries, along with a good amount of unground sea salt, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the fries. Let this sit for about an hour (or longer, depending on how much time you've got), make sure to squeeze the bag every once in a while (as it will increase the flavour). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) and put a baking paper sheet on your baking tray.


When marinated enough, transfer the fries to a baking tray, make sure they aren't crowded, then they won't crisp up properly. Now, to be honest, I didn't check how long I left them in the oven, but I'm guessing, about 30 minutes. The last 5 minutes I turned on the grill (and placed the burgerbuns on an ovenrack above the fries) to make them extra crispy. Add the fries to your plate as well as the burger. Accompany with a green salad, and, most of all, enjoy!

Yummy in my tummy, and (semi-)healthy too!

Since we defrosted enough meat for four burgers, but were satisfied after two, and I don't feel like eating burgers two nights in a row, I'll be repeating this recipe tomorrow. So I will definitely fill my burger quota for this month..!
Dinner today is still a bit of a mystery, but I have narrowed it down to something with chicken, ricotta cheese, tagliatelle and oregano. Oh yes, I'm thinking pasta bake!

 Check back later tonight for the (long awaited) post about Guinness cupcakes!

Birthday Recipes!

Well it took me a few days till I had time to post these recipes, since I've been working a lot, I simply couldn't fit it into my schedule! (You know how it goes.. you get home, cook dinner, discuss the day with your significant other or teddy bear, snuggle up on the couch with said teddy bear, and after that you're just too comfy, so you don't want to get up and you put it off until tomorrow.. or is that just me?)


Anyway, my birthday party was good fun. Because of finals week quite a few people unfortunatley couldn't make it, which meant I could cut down the number of party snacks (so sorry to the people who came, but you missed out on crostini's with cream cheese, grilled peppers and anchovies, crostini's with cream cheese, jamon serrano and rocket, salmon rolls, cucumber and red pesto rolls and possibly some other glorious foods I'd whip at the spot).


Nevertheless, the food I did make was a hit, especially the sliders! I can't really take credit for those though, as I simply used the burger recipe from Jamie Oliver's America (also available on his website). Obviously, I made it a little my own, so here's my version of the recipe.

They look pretty festive, don't you think?

SuperSavory Sliders (makes about 40)

• 500 gram (18 ounces) minced beef, preferably free range
• 500 gram minced (18 ounces) pork,  preferably free range  (JO uses only beef, but pork gives it a little more flavour, plus you don't need extra oil or greasing)
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped 
•  12 Jacob’s crackers (cream crackers)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 heaped teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic, beaten 
• 2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 crunched up pepperoncini (small dried red pepper)

Put a splash of olive oil into a large frying pan on a low heat and add your chopped onions and the pepperoncini. Fry for 10 minutes or until the onions have softened, then put to one side to cool completely. Blitz your crackers in a food processor until you get a fine consistency. Oil a clean baking tray and put aside. Put the cooled onions into a large bowl with the rest of the burger ingredients. Use clean hands to scrunch the mixture together. Preheat your oven to 220 °C (428 Fahrenheit).

Now, to create sliders that are all the same thickness and size, I found this really handy tip online. Transfer half the mixture to a baking tray, and even it out. Use a rolling pin if you must (cover the mixture with some baking paper first, of course), but just make sure everything is completely even and square (or at least rectangular). Fill a muffin tin with paper muffin (or cupcake) liners. Divide the evened out mixture into 20 same sized chunks. Most muffin tins can hold 12 muffins at once, so you will have to make the sliders in batches. Put one chunk in each liner. Grab another paper liner, place it around your hand, and press down upon the slider mixture, to make sure it evens out and the slider is firm enough (so it won't break up while cooking).

 Repeat this until all the chunks have evolved into nice little burgers (and because they're in the paper liners, you can just stack them in the free corner of your counter or fridge until you want to use them).

Now, do the same for the other half of your slider mixture.

Wash of your baking tray (or get a new one) and place a sheet of baking paper on it. Trust me, you do not need to grease this sheet! I could fit 20 burgers on it, so you should probably be able to do the same! With your thumb, press a dent in the middle of each slider (this ensures that it stays flat instead of curling up on the sides or swelling up in the middle). Bake 3 to 4 minutes on each side, transfer to a plate, tray, dish, whatever and let cool for about 2 minutes. 

OPTIONAL: You could add cheddar to make it a cheese-slider. In that case: tear 10 cheddar slices into quarts, so you end up with 40 small cheddar slices. After you've flipped the sliders, bake them for 2 minutes instead of 4. After the 2 minutes, remove them from the oven, place a cheddar slice on each slider, and transfer back to the oven for another 1 to 2 minutes (check regularly to make sure the cheddar is melting but not burning)

Now, to make the sliders: You need 40 small (white) dinner rolls (for the dutch people: 20 kleine witte puntjes, halved). Spread some barbecue sauce on the bottom half of the roll (once again, a shout out to Jamie Oliver for his amazing bbq sauce recipe: this too will be posted but it deserves its one post!), or some mayonnaise, or ketcup, or relish, or mustard, or a mixture of those or whatever sauce you like, basically. Though I can really recommend the barbecue sauce (ok, enough promoting for one post..). Next, place the slider on the bottom half, and on top of that place a slice of tomato and pickle, then end with the top half. To keep it all together you can use a wooden skewer (plus, it looks nice).

Yum! They slide right into your mouth ;)

Enjoy! I can safely say that all my partyguests did!

ps. seeing as how this post is long enough, the cupcakes will get their own blog.. (upgrade!)

Birthday season

Is it just me, or are May, June and July busy birthday months for everyone? Somehow all my weekends are booked up with parties, diners, brunches, lunches and whatnot.. Not that I mind, though. The weather's picking up, so every day is a good one for any kind of celebration!

My birthday was yesterday (for I'm a jolly good fellow..!). I didn't really celebrate it, as I will be doing that this weekend, but the bf cooked for me (which is exceptional to start with). He made a scrumptious meal of rib-eye, marinated in rosemary/thyme/olive oil and grilled, accompanied by a fresh and tangy mint/lemon couscous and a simple salad. with grilled cherry-tomatoes. Yum!

For dessert we had some leftover apple-pie which I baked for my mother's birthday last Sunday. According to her (and everyone else who tasted it), it was the best pie I ever baked. According to my bf, it was the best apple-pie ever made in the history of apple-pies. I'd like to think he is right, but realistically, that's not very plausible. I mean, in that case, I should have been famous already for baking the world's best apple-pie! Because that would be quite an accomplishment. Not as much as baking the worlds best chocolate cake but still... (Yes, I said it! Chocolate cake beats apple-pie, hands down!)

Nevertheless, it was really good. And pretty easy to make, so try it yourself!

Apparently, to some extent, the world's best apple-pie

No, it's not PacMan, it's PieMan! Here to save you from your pie-cravings

 For the pie-crust

• 300 grams (2.4 cups) all purpose flour
• 250 grams (2.2 stick) butter
• 150 grams (0.7 cups) caster sugar (I used brown, I just prefer the taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the pie-filling

•  4 large apples (preferably jonagold), in large slices
• 1 heaped tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 or 2 cups raisins
• some sugar, add to your liking

For the crumble on top

• 90 grams (0,7 cups) all purpose flour
• 40 grams (0.2 cups) caster sugar
• 1 small bag (9 grams - 0.32 oz) vanilla sugar
• 40 grams (0.35 stick) butter

Preperation:

You'll need a spring cake tin with a diameter of 26 cm (10.2 inches)

Add all the ingredients for the crust together, knead the dough and let it rest for half an hour, preferably in the fridge or another cool place. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (374 Fahrenheit). Divide the dough over the bottom, make sure to create a good edge, and press the dough firmly.

Fry the apple slices. This will make the apples slightly softer and drain out any unnecessary fluids. Add a little water, so the apples won't burn or stick to the pan. Mix the fried apples with the cinnamon, raisins and sugar. Add this mixture to the pie crust.

Knead flour, vanilla sugar and butter manually to make a quick crumbly dough, then add the caster sugar and mix well. It is not necessary to knead it any more. Divide evenly over the apple pie.

Bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes. Make sure the crumbs are nicely colored.

Let cool on a cake rack for approximately 10 minutes. Enjoy!!

The fun thing about using apple slices instead of apple chunks, is the pretty layers you get in the cake.
It looks like you put some extra effort in it, but you really haven't!

Saturday I'll be celebrating my birthday, as mentioned before, so make sure to check in on my blog after the weekend for some partysnack recipes! Think minicupcakes, mini-sliders, mini quiches.. alot of mini things, come to think of it.. Maybe it's because we don't feel as guilty eating 3 mini cupcakes insetad of one big one, because they're so mini? Something to contemplate for my next post..

Where it all began..

In my 'About me' post I mentioned something about my mother placing me on the kitchen counter, in a car seat between ladles and pots, and that that was the moment my passion for food started to bud.

Recently my parents have stumbled upon some old pictures, including a picture of this very situation!

Here you can see me, explaining the daily specials to my rattle monkey

Behold, as the moment of my live for food, cooking and eating emerges is immortalized in this blog!


More recipes to follow soon, at the moment I'm pretty busy studying for my drivers theory test.. Wish me luck!

Asparagus

Asparagus season is almost over here, though if it was up to me, it could last all year long! I love pretty much everything with asparagus: green or white soup, quiche, salad, in an oven dish, grilled or just cooked, traditionally, with hardboiled eggs and buttersauce.

Because the season is almost over, most supermarkets are now selling the asparagus for a bargain price. Lucky me! So obviously, I made (white) asparagus last night! Just a simple, but delicious friday night meal. I cooked them, and served  them with whole new potatoes (boiled in skin and quickly popped them in the oven), salmon for the bf and duck breast filet for me, with buttersauce, of course.

In my last post I mentioned how much of a soup-lover I am, so naturally I saved the asparagus broth, the peels and the woody ends of the stem. You can make a simple, but very tasty asparagus soup with this.


Quick and tasty asparagus soup

• the peels and endbits of white asparagus
• asparagusbroth (the water you boiled them in, it's very flavorful!)
• a stick of butter (about 100 grams)
• 2 or 3 shallots, finely sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• a small dried peperoncini, in case you want to spice it up a bit, crumbled up
• one teaspoon of dried tarragon
• two heaped tablespoon of flour
• dry white wine (approximately one glass)

Add the peels and the stem-ends to the broth, and cook over a low heat. Don't let it cook to long, 20 to 30 minutes is enough. If you let it boil too long, the taste might end up bitter. Take out the peels and discard them. The endbits can be cut up and added to the soup or removed as well

Slowly heat up a stick of butter in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic, soften, and add the tarragon and peperoncini. Sift the flour and add to the onion/garlic mixture, making a roux. Add the wine, stir until the mixture is smooth and pour in a ladle of the asparagusbroth. Stir until smooth, and repeat until all the broth is in the soup. Add some freshly ground salt and pepper, and let it simmer for a while so the flavors will intesify.

If you prefer a creamier soup, feel free to add some cream to your liking. I prefer it without, as the taste of the asparagus stands out more.

Such a luscious soup..

You can garnish with some fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese, or chives. Enjoy! I know I will.. Too bad I can't post how great my kitchen smells right now..!

Lentil soup

Comfort in a bowl..

Result! And it is just as I remembered. I garnished it with a little sour cream and fresh parsley, and while eating, I'm already feeling better. It's like a snuggie (you know, the blanket with sleeves), but then liquid and probably better tasting. Anyway, it really does the trick.

And I just remembered I haven't seen Cars 2 yet, so my day is definitely improving..!

Comfort food for a rainy day

Somehow, when it's near the end of springtime, the weather here takes a horrible turn and we're stuck in this rainy, grey, depressing version of what's supposed to be June. (Doesn't the weather know my birthday is coming up? I pre-ordered sun a long time ago, I think I'm going to have to ask my deposit back!)
Not at all coincidental, around that time a flu epidemic rises and unfortunately, it has stricken me as well.

So here I am, waddling around in my pj's, drinking nothing but tea and freshly squeezed orange-juice, wondering what Pixar movie I haven't seen yet and in desperate need of comfort food. In my case, that means soup. Preferably tomato soup. Which is kind of weird, as most people swear by chicken soup when they're sick. Me, not so much. I've always preferred vegetable soup and with tomato there are so many variations you can make, that it has proven to be one of my favorite types of soup.

Soup in general is one of the most heartwarming, comforting and soul-nourishing foods I can think of, and it's always appropriate. In winter time, when you get out of the cold into your warm house, there's nothing better then a hot, steaming bowl of onion soup, or pea soup, or bean soup, or whatever you had laying around in your fridge/cabinet. And during the summer, a cold and spicy cup of gazpacho, vichyssoise or spinach soup may be just the kick you need.

Unfortunately, since I spent the weekend at my parents house and didn't do any grocery shopping, I currently have no vegetables whatsoever (very unlike me!). So that rules out the tomato soup..
 Luckily there's such a thing as canned foods. One thing (one of many, to be honest) I learned from my mother, is to always have certain things in stock. I always have enough pasta, canned tomatoes, canned beans, canned lentils, rice, bouillon cubes etc in stock, just in case I don't feel like going to the supermarket, or there are unexpected guests, or whatever reason.

Hold on.. canned lentils? This brings back a memory of me, sitting at the kitchen table while my mother is making lentil soup. I used to indulge in that smell, and that alone made me feel better on rainy days.. Never mind the lack of tomatoes, lentil soup it is!

Now, you can make this soup as hearty as you prefer. I always use my mothers recipe (which she adjusted throughout the years, I haven't received the latest update yet). It's really simple but so very delicious and it meets just my needs at the moment: something savory, warm and comforting.


My mother's lentil soup (the 2010 version)

• 1 can of 400 gram (14 oz.) blonde lentils
• 1.5 liters (6 cups) water
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 heaped tsp of thyme, fresh or dried
• freshly ground salt and pepper
• OPTIONAL: 150 grams (5 oz.) bacon strips
• OPTIONAL: 1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced
• OPTIONAL: Approximately one glass of red wine

In a large pan, heat some olive oil on high heat and add the bacon strips. Fry until crisp, and add the onion,garlic and thyme. Turn down the heat to medium and slowly let the onion and garlic soften. Add the lentils (I don't drain them, as the water in the can is very flavorful) and coat them with oil. Add the potatoes and bay leaves, coat them too and then add the water. You could add a bouillon cube, but really, the ingredients itself provide enough flavour.

At this point, add the wine, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Pu the lid on the pan and let it simmer for half an hour. Taste, add salt and pepper and let is simmer again until it has the flavor and thickness you prefer. To give it a fresher taste, you could add a little orange zest and juice.

You could eat it with some creme fraiche and bread, or just ladle it out of a bowl, as I will be doing.

Oh soup. You always know exactly what I need.

At the moment, my soup is still simmering, and it is starting to smell really delicious. Good thing I've still got my appetite! Pictures of the result will follow, though this soup hasn't proven to be very photogenic.

But really,who cares, when it tastes so good..!