Category: Recipes

  • Wholewheat bread with pumpkin seeds, raisins & banana

    I love bread, especially wholewheat with lots of seeds. Really good bread tastes best with only olive oil and salt, some salted butter or even just as it is.

    At my daughter’s kindergarten, they bake bread with the kids every day. As soon as my daughter comes in, she is handed a piece of dough and she starts rolling her bread of the day herself. It is such a beautiful sight to see all the 2- and 3-year olds knead their own little buns and make all kinds of shapes (snakes ans snails are favorite). It really calms them down as well. It’s nice to knead. That’s still true for grownups, by the way.

    I felt inspired to start my own starter dough for sourdough bread. I spend a lot of time in Germany, where bread is still made with sourdough in stead of yeast and ‘bread enhancer’ (yuk!), as has unfortunately become practice in The Netherlands. But this is not meant to be rant.

    I started a sourdough as soon as we landed in Germany for a couple of months, enjoyed the delicious bread here for a week or two or so, then checked my belly and – oh. Bread. I love bread, but it really makes me bloat. No idea why. I am not convinced gluten are bad per se, nor carbohydrates, nor yeast or sourdough bacteria – I just know that bread makes my belly grow and I look like I’m 5 months pregnant.

    Exit sourdough. Not worth the effort of feeding a dough every couple of days and keeping the bacteria balance in check, if I end up never eating the bread.

    But I still love bread, and will bake my own every now and then. I use ready made, store-bought wholewheat bread mix. Perfect for the occasion and my lifestyle. Thank you, Koopmans & co.

    This bread is sweet, rather healthy and very special due to the banana surprise. Really delicious!

    Wholewheat bread with pumpkin seeds & banana

    For 3-4 big buns

    Cut 2 bananas in the middle once lengthwise and once crosswise, so that you have eight long pieces of banana.

    Mix and knead the bread as indicated on the box.  Add raisins to taste (I like to add a lot). Divide into 3-4 portions and let the dough rise. Then roll out the dough portions and fold each in three (as indicated on the box), but add a banana piece in each fold and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon (again, I like to add a lot 🙂 ) before folding over. Each bun is now folded in three and has two pieces of banana folded in.

    Leave to rise again and bake in the oven as indicated.

    Yum!

  • ABC-smoothie bowl (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot & more)

    I’ve had this smoothie for breakfast almost every day in the last two weeks. Temporary crazes are part of my life :).

    This healthy red smoothie recipe is based on (and an extension of) the famous ABC (apple-beetroot-carrot) juice, but leaves in all the fibres that are important for a healthy sugar digestion.

    I love starting my days with fruits & veggies. The fats in nuts and seeds help the body absorb the many nutrients better, so be sure not to skip those. Figs are added for taste and sweetness, needed because the red fruits (at least the frozen ones that I use) are rather sour. Add more or less of those as you like.

    This smoothie (breakfast) bowl is great with toppings such as banana, berries, oats, pumpkin seeds and a bit of crunch. In this case, I used a 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of chocolate crunchy muesli bits, but raw cacao nibs would work as well.

    Without further ado, here is the recipe:

    ABC-breakfast bowl (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot & more)

    Serves 2-3

    1 apple,
    2 red beetroots, cooked (the pre-cooked ones from the shop are perfect)
    1 carrot, medium sized,
    ginger to taste (I use about 1/2 thumb size)
    2 big tablespoons red fruits (fresh or frozen)
    3 figs,
    2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds,
    water enough to let your blender mix smoothly, and not more so that the smoothie stays thick.

    Toppings:
    Bananas, pumpkin seeds, crunchy muesli, cacao nibs, berries and whatever you fancy.

     

    Enjoy!

  • Chocolate Mango (beans & carrots!) No-Bake Cake

    Yesterday was my birthday. I spent the whole day in the kitchen before moving all the dishes over to my mom’s place who had graciously offered to host the family birthday party. It was a perfect day with some of my favorite people :).

    This no-bake cake consists of 3 layers plus a fruit topping. It is very dense- rich and filling, so be sure to serve tiny slices. The layers should be distinct in taste: fruity for the top and robust, full and indulgent for the chocolate middle layer.

    The beans make for a thick, fudgy chocolate cream. Be sure to add plenty of vanilla to get the richness that cacao deserves. Also, vanilla creates a sweet sensation so you’ll need less dates. You won’t taste the beans, I promise! People have been amazed at how well this works and… beans are good for you!

    The crunchy muesli makes for a great dough, especially the nuts one thanks to the healthy fats in there which make it rather buttery, but vegan and good for your heart! We happened to have two kinds of crunchy and it worked out great but if you have only one (preferably the nuts), that will work as well.

    I have only roughly estimated the amounts, I’m sure that when you’re in the kitchen getting your hands dirty and tasting lots (yay :P), things will sort themselves out.

    Recipe for Chocolate Mango (beans & carrots!) No-Bake Cake

    1. For the bottom layer:

    1-2 cups crunchy muesli with 4 red fruits
    dates to taste
    1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

    2. For the chocolate layer:

    3-4 cups nut crunchy muesli with nuts
    2 cans of cooked black beans (rinse well)
    1 cup of cacao
    10-20 dates
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
    pinch of salt

    3. For the carrot layer:

    1-2 cups crunchy muesli (either nuts of red fruits)
    2-3 carrots
    pieces of mango
    lemon juice and (part of) rind

    4. For the fruit layer:

    150-200 gr frozen mango pieces (or fresh if you’re in the right climate)
    handful of blueberries

    For layers 1, 2 and 3: for each layer separately, combine the ingredients in a food processor. Taste and adjust to improve taste and consistency. They should be sticky, sturdy and chewy.

    Press the bottom layer in the bottom of the cake form. Use a spoon to smoothly spread the mixture. Next, add in the chocolate layer. And finally, add in the carrot layer.

    Top off with a full layer of fruit, which you lightly press into the carrot layer. Enjoy now or refrigerate until shortly before use.

  • Raw tomato and bell pepper gazpacho

    Raw tomato and bell pepper gazpacho

    One delicious daily dose of veggies in a cup 🙂

    1 tomato
    1/2 bell pepper
    1 small garlic clove
    4 basil leaves
    1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
    1 sundried tomato
    1 date
    1 tablespoon of sunflower or pine seeds, or nuts
    Salt
    Extra virgin olive oil
    Lemon juice

    Simply blend everything together with about 1/3 the volume of water, add salt, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to taste… enjoy!

  • Kale chips

    Kale chips

    If you have never tried these, please do! So simple and delicious. And healthy! Great for iron. Just go easy on the salt.

    Massage the kale with a few drops of vegetable oil, then spread the kale out in one layer on your oven rack lined with parchment paper.

    (It is very tempting to make loads of this healthy snack but you need to be sure not to ‘heap’ the kale; the water inside the leaf needs space to evaporate or it will only steam/cook.)

    Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees or until the sides start to brown. Be careful not to let them burn.

    You may choose to only use salt or play around with special flavorings like curry powder, garlic or pimento.

    I used pre-cut kale from a bag, which makes for really small chips. Better even would be to use fresh leaves and cut along the stem (or mid section) of the leaf to get bigger chips.

  • Simple vegetarian broccoli lasagne

    Simple vegetarian broccoli lasagne

    Honestly, when preparing this I forgot to add the vegetarian ‘minced meat’ and it was still delicious. Would also be great with mushrooms! Find your own, buy fresh or soak dried mushrooms from your stock.

    First, mix together ingredients for the sauce. I used tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, sambal (chili paste) and bruschetta mix (dried tomato, garlic and oregano). You might use a ready made tomato sauce (there are really good ones without additives, check the label) or make your own.

    Grease the bottom and sides of your oven dish with olive oil. Now add a first thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom, then break small broccoli florets (no bigger than would fit a teaspoon) and distribute evenly in the sauce. Now add a layer of minced veg meat and cover with thinly sliced onion rings. Cover with a layer of sauce.

    Now take a sheet of lasagne pasta (I used whole-wheat), break it if necessary and use as much/many as you need to cover a full layer in the oven dish.

    Repeat the layering steps with a bit of sauce, broccoli, minced veg meat, onions, more sauce. Add another layer of pasta.

    Make the last layer with broccoli, onion and sauce. Top with grated cheese (I used Gouda).

    Put in the oven at 200 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with (rocket) salad, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

  • Tortellini carbonara with fresh parasol mushroom and zucchini

    Tortellini carbonara with fresh parasol mushroom and zucchini

    We found a beautiful bunch of parasol mushrooms (in Dutch: grote parasolzwammen) in a neighbor’s garden. She was super friendly and gave us one, after we explained how delicious they supposedly were – although we hadn’t tried before.

    (Btw: if it’s not the right season or foraging is not your thing: you could substitute the parasol with any other tasty mushroom. Just try to not choose champignons, they’re booooring ;).)

    Of course at home I first double checked that this really was a parasol mushroom, but really you can not really go wrong with this one.

    People have asked me but I will not explain on this blog; you’ll have to do your own research, find a trustworthy field guide and learn from an experienced forager before you can safely find and eat wild mushrooms.

    One tip: start with learning by heart which ones NOT to eat ;). Then proceed with the ones that are unmistakeable, the so called beginner’s mushrooms.

    So. I hope your worries have been addressed ;). This parasol mushroom turned out delicious! One of the best I have ever had, I may even like it over many porcini (eekhoorntjesbrood) I have had.

    Clean the mushroom (I rinsed it because there was a lot of earth/dirt), check that it is fresh and not contaminated by small animals. Cut a shallot or small onion and a garlic clove. Sauté in oil for a few minutes until light golden brown and fragrant, then add the zucchini and mushroom pieces plus pepper and salt (not too much!) to taste.

    Meanwhile, boil the tortellini as long as needed (see packaging).

    For the real carbonara: break an egg in a bowl and remove half of the egg white. Now beat the egg. Grate some cheese, Parmesan would be great but I used ripe (oude) Gouda cheese and that turned out really well, too.

    Drain the pasta as soon as it’s cooked al dente. Put back in the pan, add the egg, stir, then add in the cheese and some black pepper.

    Serve with the vegetables. I put them on top of the pasta. Italians would serve them separately, no doubt.

    Don’t forget the olive oil. Olive oil rocks, especially with mushrooms and pasta.

  • Popped chestnuts

    Popped chestnuts

    Great news! Autumn has come (in my part of the world) and that means it’s time for mushrooms and chestnuts. I love Autumn for its abundance in foods, colors and weather types ?. Plus it means my birthday is coming up. I heard autumn children suffer from winter depression less often and that fits my experience. I really appreciate all seasons equally.

    Now for the chestnuts ?: go find a beautiful spot for foraging, look out for the green spikey bolsters on the ground. Use your foot to roll them open so you can take them out by hand easily. You can easily bring home several kilos but be sure to leave at least as much for the animals and other people!

    At home, use a small, sharp knife to carve a cross in the skin. Then put in the oven at 220 degrees for about 25 minutes or so. It’s now easy to remove the skin and enjoy your yield. Best served warm!

    Pro tips for removing the skin:

    1. Use a teaspoon. Slide it under the skin (convex side up) and gently wiggle. Saves your nails :).

    2. The longer you hear the chestnuts, the dryer they become and the easier it will be to take them out of their skin. Find the middle way that is perfect for you (the above mentioned 25 minutes is a good start!)

  • Bliss balls with walnuts and honey

    Bliss balls with walnuts and honey

    An easy way to serve something special: bliss balls! These are nutrient rich, filling little snacks and they look wonderful.

    You can vary them endlessly. I happened to have pineapple juice and decided to boil that down to a syrup, but you could just as easily use honey, agave, rice syrup, apple juice etc. As long as it’s sweet and sticky it’ll do the job ?.

    Here’s the recipe for the ones I made today:

    Boil one cup of pineapple juice down to a syrup. Turn off the heat when the syrup is light golden; it is starting to caramelize.

    Add nut granola (crunchy muesli with nuts, leave big chunks out) and dried shredded coconut and mix well. Everything should be thickly coated with sticky stuff.

    Now part the whole bunch in halves and to one half add sesame seeds and to the other, add cacao. Bring to taste with salt if needed (I didn’t). Play with the ingredients (add dry or wet) so that you can form balls that stick together easily.

    Now roll the chocolate balls in coconut and the sesame balls in sesame.

    Serve with walnuts and if you have a sweet tooth, drip with honey or agave syrup.

  • Vegan sushi salad bowl

    Vegan sushi salad bowl

    Not sure I am even really allowed to use the word sushi here, as it has not so much to do with highly skillful processing of raw fish but all the more with combining the other usual ingredients of sushi into a delicious salad.

    Combine pieces of avocado with pieces of raw bell pepper (and/or other veg you have lying around, such as carrot, spring onions or lettuce, the more the merrier). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and dulse (seaweed) flakes, then dress with sesame oil, salty soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) and maybe some rice vinegar to your liking.

    Enjoy ?