4 slices white bread
4 slices processed cheese
2 slices smoked ham
2 eggs, beaten
62ml milk
a pinch of salt
125ml Panko breadcrumbs
Crispy Crumbed Sandwich
Author: Karen Claassen
Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen and I love cooking simple, uncomplicated, flavourful food. My cooking is inspired by seasonal ingredients, punchy flavours, an awareness of sustainability and of course by the likes and dislikes of my family and friends that sit around my table as well as you, the virtual guests around my table!
I am a chef, recipe developer and food stylist and generate my own content. I am also completely addicted to recipe books, of which I have an extremely large collection but the essence of my food is about celebrating life and all the fabulousness that we can add by creating good food.
Thank you for reading my blog. Please keep on giving me feedback and may your kitchen, as mine, be filled with joy and the best tasting food!
Crustless Milktart
30g butter
200g sugar
5 eggs, separated
140g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 litre milk
5ml vanilla
ground cinnamon for dusting
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 22cm tart dishes with cooking spray.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time with the engine running. Scrape the mixture down a few times during mixing.
Sift the flour and salt together and add spoonfuls to the mixture until everything is incorporated.
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and drizzle in the milk.
Add the vanilla and mix through. Set aside.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.
Add the stiff whites to the batter and fold it into the mixture.
Scoop the batter into the two prepared tart dishes and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the milk tarts from the oven and sift over the ground cinnamon while the tarts are warm.
Allow the milk tart to cool completely before serving.
Haddock Pie
2 eggs
6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
a pinch of nutmeg
120g butter, cuber
200g frozen peas
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
250ml cream
80g cheddar cheese, grated
15ml lemon juice
5ml granulated mustard
62ml parsley, chopped
500g haddock, cut into 2cm x 2cm pieces
Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Boil the eggs for 7 minutes, peel and quarter them and set aside.
Cook the potato until soft. Drain, mash and add a pinch of nutmeg.
Add the butter and mix through until the butter has melted and it is incorporated into the potato.
Taste the potato and season with salt. Set aside.
Measure the frozen peas into a mixing bowl and fill the bowl with boiling water.
Stand the peas for 1 minutes, drain and set aside.
Pour some oil into a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the cream and bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add the cheese, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, peas and fish and stir to mix.
Scoop the mixture into a 18cm x 28cm ovenproof dish and arrange the eggs on top.
Finally spread the mashed potato on top and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve the pie piping hot.
Pistachio Chocolate Brownies
380g soft butter
320g chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
15ml vanilla
500g sugar
230g flour
5ml salt
300g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line an oven tray with aluminium foil.
Melt the butter and chocolate together over a very low heat.
Take from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes so that it cools down slightly.
Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Now beat the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Add the flour, salt and nuts and mix through.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
The top should be dried and pale and the middle still dark and gooey!!
Enjoy as is or serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.
Dutch Crumb Pie/Kruimelvlaai
Although a kruimelvlaai is often made with a sweet pie crust the traditional version calls for a yeasted pastry and it is soooo worth it! This is a delicious tart – a creamy, smooth custard filling in a slightly chewy pastry with a crunchy streusel on top!!
Pie Crust:
150ml milk, tepid
50g butter
250g flour
10g dry yeast
35g sugar
a pinch of salt
5ml vanilla
Filling:
1l milk
80g cornstarch
150g sugar
3 eggs
10ml vanilla
Streusel:
100g butter
175g flour
75g sugar
5ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Mix the cornstarch and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and whisk well.
Take the milk from the heat and pour a third of it on the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Now pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk while whisking away.
Turn the heat down to medium and keep whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla and mix through.
Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on to the surface and leave to cool completely.
For the pie crust:
Warm the milk until tepid and add the butter to melt.
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and vanilla to a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
Pour the liquids into the well, mix with a fork to bring the pastry together and knead the dough by hand for 3 minutes, until smooth. You may add small amounts of flour to get the dough to the consistency where it can be kneaded.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for one hour.
Spray a 24cm tart tin with cooking spray.
Roll the dough into a circle of about 28cm in diameter and line the bottom and sides of the tart tin.
Place in a warm spot.
For the streusel:
Add the butter and flour to a mixing bowl and rub it together until it resembles course breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and rub with your fingers to mix through.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Pour the cold filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the streusel over the filling in an even layer.
Bake the pie for 45 minutes.
Take the baked pie from the oven and allow it to cool.
Serve generous slices with a cup of coffee.
Mustard Soup/Mosterd Soep
Traditional Amsterdammers will insist that this soup be made with Groninger mustard but any good quality granulated mustard is perfect for this delicious soup. Serve it with fresh bread and extra fried bacon. Serves 4.
2 leeks, rinsed and sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 clove garlic, minced
50g flour
1 litre vegetable/chicken stock
62ml cream
30ml Groninger/granulated mustard
salt and pepper
Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the bottom and place on medium-high heat.
Add the leeks, onion and potato and cook until the leeks are soft. Stir often.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir-fry for another minute.
Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are very, very soft.
Blitz the mixture with a stick blender/liquidiser until completely smooth.
Add the cream and mustard and stir through.
Simmer the soup on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the bacon to a non-stick frying pan and cook until slightly crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup piping hot with extra bacon scattered on top.
Dutch Beer Dip
15ml butter
15ml flour
2,5ml mustard powder
125ml beer
125ml cream cheese
125ml grated Dutch cheese (or cheddar)
Add the butter to a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the butter has melted.
Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
Add the mustard powder and stir through.
Pour in the beer in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
Turn the heat to low, stir in the cream and add the cheese.
Stir until completely melted and incorporated as a sauce.
Serve the sauce as a dip with vegetable sticks, pretzels or bread sticks.
Potato Croquettes / Aardappel Kroketten
The word croquette is derived from the French word croquer which means “to crunch” and that is exactly what these potato bites are: a soft, cloudy potato with a heavenly crunch on the outside. Makes about 50 balls and is an excellent way of using leftover mashed potato.
4 x 250ml mashed potato
125ml Dutch smoked sausage or chorizo sausage, finely chopped
150g cheddar cheese, grated
45ml chives, chopped
5ml garlic powder
2 eggs
250ml panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
Scoop the mashed potato into a mixing bowl.
Add the chopped sausage to a dry pan and cook until done and slightly crisp on the edges.
Add the sausage, cheese, chives and garlic powder to the mashed potato and mix through.
Scoop about 15ml of the mixture into your hand and shape into a firm ball. Place the balls on a baking tray. Keep going until there are no mix left.
Refrigerate the potato balls for at least one hour, it will be easier to work with.
Add the eggs to a shallow bowl and whisk to break it up.
Add the breadcrumbs to another shallow bowl.
Now dredge the balls through the egg and then the breadcrumbs to cover evenly and completely.
Warm the oil and fry the balls in small batches until beautifully golden and crisp.
Serve the croquettes with a good mayonnaise or mustard.
Boerenkool Stamppot
Boerenkool Stamppot is probably the oldest and most authentic of Dutch dishes and could be considered the Netherland’s national dish. Comfort food for those cold evenings when you do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen but need something to feed your soul.
1,5kg potatoes, peeled and diced
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
500g kale, trimmed and roughly chopped
500g rookworst (or any other smoked sausage)
125ml milk
45ml butter
salt and plenty of black pepper, to taste
Add the potatoes, onion, bay leaf, kale and a teaspoon salt to a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes.
Slice the sausage into thick slices and fry it off in a hot pan. You want the edges to caramelise and become crispy. Set aside.
Remove the bay leaf from the veggies in the saucepan and drain off the water.
Add the milk and butter to the saucepan and stir through.
Lightly mash the potato-kale mixture but be sure to keep some texture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in the fried sausage.
Serve the stamp pot with a traditional Dutch beer or a glass of wine.
Dutch Apple Tart/Appeltaart
Pie Crust:
375ml flour
125ml sugar
125g butter, cubed
1 egg
Filling:
4 large apples
83ml raisins
83ml brown sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Eggwash:
1 egg and 15ml water whisked together
For the pie crust:
Combine the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Add the cubed butter and rub in with your fingertips until it is clumps the size of peas.
Whisk the egg with a fork and add it to the mixture.
Mix the pastry with your hands and add a few drops of water if it is too dry to come together.
Shape the pastry into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
For the filling:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm pie dish with cooking spray.
Peel the apples, core them and cut into small chunks. Add them to a large mixing bowl.
Add the raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest and mix through.
Cut the pastry into 4 equal pieces and set one piece aside.
Press the rest of the pastry into the bottom and sides of the cake tin – you can roll it out and patch wherever it breaks.
Spoon the filling into the pie crust.
Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the remaining pastry.
Cut into strips and make a lattice pattern for the tart.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash.
Place the apple tart in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Serve the tart with a dollop of cream.
My Whisk and I 