budget food – My Whisk and I

500g brown sugar beans
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large/2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 leeks, finely sliced
500g beef, 1,5 – 2cm cubes
2 litres beef stock
45ml Worcestershire sauce

Soak the beans in a bowl filled with cold water for a minimum of 6 hours.
Rinse the beans and add them to a pressure cooker with enough water to cover them by 3cm. Cook for 45 minutes. (If you are cooking them in a saucepan – simmer gently for 1 – 2 hours until soft when pressed between your fingers). DO NOT ADD SALT OR ANY OTHER FLAVOURANTS AT THIS STAGE!
Place another large saucepan on a medium heat and add a splash of vegetable oil.
Add the onion, garlic, carrots and leeks and gently cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the beef, season well with salt and pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
Drain the beans, mash them roughly and add to the beef mixture.
Simmer the soup for 30 minutes while keeping a hawk’s eye on it as it will burn easily at this stage. Stir often and regulate the temperature.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
Serve steaming hot with a fresh crusty bread.

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.

Tag: budget food

Sugar Bean Soup

Boerenkool Stamppot