Spaghetti With Mussels In Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pack (200g) of naturally cooked mussels

300 g spaghetti

1 tin of peeled, cooked tomatoes in sauce

50 g Chorizo salami, cut into small cubes

1/2 onion, chopped finely

bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely
1/2 cup white wine

1 tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of dried thyme
50g Parmigiano cheese, grated

salt&pepper

*

She loved seafood in all forms and thankfully had a good access to fresh sea products in the Netherlands. This recipe was quite common for cooking mussels in a shell but she altered it to make a pasta dish. Start by placing the cut pieces of Chorizo on a pre-heated frying pan. In her opinion Chorizo had enough fat that the heat melts and the oil from the Chorizo can serve for the chopped onion to be cooked on. Once onion soft, add mussels that are already pre-boiled and without a shell, cook them for a while with the Chorizo and onion, afterwards pour in the wine along with bay leaves, coverwith a lid and let the wine reduce. After about 5 minutes of cooking on mild heat, add the can of cooked tomatoes in sauce, season with salt, pepper and dried thyme, cook for another 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti al dente with a dash of salt and a spoon of olive oil. At the final step, season the sauce with some fresh chopped parsley leaves, serve with spaghetti and alternatively sprinkle with grated Parmigiano cheese.
Bon Appetit!

Fish Schnitzel With Potato Mash

Ingredients:

2 white medium sized fish fillets such as trout, cod or halibut

400 g potatoes, peeled and cut

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, whisked

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/2 cup light whipping cream

1 teaspoon butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

salt&pepper

*

She was pretty sure that schnitzel and how to make the breadcrumb crust was known to everyone, but this fish version with a little Italian twist was worth noting down.

Put the potatoes to boil with some salt and caraway seeds. Prepare the three way coat by combining the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and some chopped parsley in one bowl, mixing the milk and egg with a pinch of salt in another bowl and placing the flour in a third bowl. Lightly salt and flour each fish, then dip in milk, then dip in breadcrumbs.

Add the oil to a frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Fry the fish on each side until done and drain on paper towel to avoid additional fat.

Once potatoes are boiled, mash them with milk, cream, teaspoon butter, rest of the finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper. This version is pretty caloric but delicious and creamy. Serve with the fish and slice of lemon.

Bon Appetit!

Quinoa Salad With Apples And Manchego

Ingredients:

100 g Quinoa, cooked

75 g Manchego hard sheep cheese, sliced thinly

1/2 apple, sliced thinly

2 celery stalks, cut in pieces

Bunch of salad leaves, here arugula

Handful roasted almonds, crushed

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp olive oil

salt&pepper

*

Quinoa has become very popular recently, being considered a superfood by many. She used quinoa as an alternative to couscous as unlike couscous quinoa was a whole grain and thus high on fiber, but that unfortunately didn't mean it was less caloric. This recipe is a nice option for salad that is a bit more filling so a nice alternative for healthy lunch for example. Simply cook the quinoa separately until soft, place all the ingredients above in a bowl and stir with the quinoa gently together. Season with salt and pepper, pour over dressing made of lemon juice, olive oil and mustard.

Bon Appetit!

Parsnip Soup With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 big parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes

8 mushrooms, cut into quarters

120 g crème fraîche

1 liter vegetable bouillon or bouillon cube

Bunch of fresh dill, chopped finely

1/3 teaspoon of caraway seeds

pinch of white pepper

2 tbsp butter

salt

*

It was more than obvious that she was a huge soup lover. This winter season she also discovered parsnip and was exploring different recipes with this root vegetable that had such a specific sweet and aromatic taste.  and became one of her winter favorites  As most of the other soup recipes, also this one was super easy and fast. Just melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat, throw in the parsnips cut into cubes, stir and pour over the vegetable bouillon (or water and  the bouillon cube, it can be also chicken bouillon), season with caraway seeds and boil until soft. Let cool off a bit, add the crème fraîche, finely chopped dill, pinch of white pepper, salt and mix with immerse mixer. Heat up the soup again if needed. On a frying pan melt another tablespoon of butter, add the mushrooms cut into quarters and cook until softer. Serve the soup in a bowl and top up with mushrooms, add bread if preferred.

Bon Appetit!

Recipe altered from Albert Heijn Recepten.

Sepia Tagliatelle With Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

300 g of pasta nero di sepia

1 tin of pink salmon, in chunks

1 pot of creme fraiche, double cream or alternatively ricotta

3 tbsp parmigiana cheese, grated

1 teaspoon butter

Bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely

Bunch of fresh dill, chopped finely

salt&pepper

*

Super easy pasta recipe with a twist in form of the sepia flavored pasta. Just cook the pasta al dente as per instructions on the package (usually around 8-10 minutes in boiling water with pinch of salt and then put aside with a lid on the saucepan for a few minutes finish, drain afterwards). Meanwhile, place a  frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and have it melt, then add the salmon followed by the cream. Mix slowly until combined. Season with fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Serve on top of pasta and sprinkle with parmigiana cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Dutch-style Pancakes

Ingredients:

(2 pancakes)

1 whole egg
1/2 cup flour
150 ml milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into circles
2 slices prosciutto ham or bacon
Dutch pancake syrup Suikerstroop or mable syrup
1 teaspoon butter
pinch of salt
*

Let's move away from the exotic and look into something from the traditional Dutch cuisine. In reality, Dutch cuisine didn't have much to offer if we omit Surinamese, Indonesian or Turkish/Moroccan influence. Nevertheless, the Dutch love their pancakes. There are pancake houses all throughout the country and
pancakes are prepared in many ways. The most traditional and interesting one is the Pannenkoek met appel en speck - pancake with apple and bacon. Mix the flour, pinch of salt, sugar and a little of the milk to a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk gradually, while whisking. Add the egg, beating the mixture well.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and wait until it sizzles. Pour in enough of the mixture to cover the entire surface of the pan (spread the mixture evenly by tilting the pan). While the pancake bakes on lower heat, add the slices of apple and bacon (or for lighter version prosciutto ham), turn carefully to the other side after a couple of minutes and bake until pancakes have golden color on both sides. The pancakes need to be served with the syrup otherwise the combination of tastes is not in balance and trust, it is really worth trying :)
Bon Appetit!

Carrot And Coconut Soup With Roasted Almond Flakes

Ingredients:

1/2 can coconut milk (cca 100 ml)

1 big carrot, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp spicy sweet and sour curry sauce

1 teaspoon butter

1/4 cube chicken bouillon

pinch of chili powder

handful almond flakes

salt&pepper

*

And the exotic taste continues. When she saw the soup on Anna's blog, she immediately wanted to try it out.  She made her own intake of the recipe and this is how she came up with an super fast, easy and certainly interesting soup version. Melt the butter in a saucepan, throw in the chopped carrot, roast for a little while, pour about three cups of water over and bring to boil. Add the chicken bouillon and cook until carrots are soft, afterwards pour in coconut milk, the sweet and sour curry sauce, season with salt and pepper and a bit more chili powder if you like it hot. Roast the almond flakes either on separate pan or in the oven. Put soup aside and mix with blender or immersion mixer until soft. Serve soup with the toasted almonds.

Bon Appetit!

Caribbean Style Chicken

Ingredients:

Pack of chicken drumstick 4-6 pieces or half a chicken, boned

1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes

1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1 tomato, cut into cubes

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons butter

1/2 teaspoon Roman cumin

1/2 teaspoon muscat nut powder

salt&pepper

*

Let's start the New Year with a bit exotic meal, easy, tasty but a little bit more time consuming. She was inspired by meals that her boyfriend was cooking and she wanted to try her own intake. She baked the drum sticks separately in the oven, only season by salt and pepper, but they can be also added to the stew and cooked slowly with the stew. Place a bigger saucepan on the cooker and heat it up. Melt the butter and add vegetables cut in cubes, water, season with salt, pepper, cumin and muscat nut powder, cover with a lid and let stew on lower heat for about half an hour to 40 minutes until soft. Serve with rice or potatoes.

Bon Appetit!