Tag: healthy

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Vegetable Korma

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Vegetable Korma
Vegetable Korma

30ml sunflower oil
30ml butter (or extra oil for vegan)
1 onion, chopped
10ml ground ginger
1 stick cinnamon
5ml ground turmeric
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
5ml medium-hot curry powder
5ml dried chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
15ml sugar
2 x 400ml cans coconut cream
250ml cashew nuts, finely chopped
400g butternut, cut into 2cm cubes
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
200g baby spinach, roughly chopped
250ml frozen peas
fresh coriander to serve

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil and butter.
Add the onion and stir-fry it until translucent.
Add the ginger, cinnamon stick, turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry powder and chilli flakes and gently cook the spices for 2 minutes while stirring.
Now add the sugar, coconut cream and cashews. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then take it from the heat.
Remove the cinnamon stick and blitz the sauce with a hand blender, until smooth.
Place the saucepan back on medium heat and add the butternut and chickpeas. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the butternut is tender but do take care that the sauce doesn’t burn.
Stir in the chopped spinach and peas and stir through.
Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Garnish the curry with fresh coriander and serve it with jasmine rice.

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Mustard Soup/Mosterd Soep

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Mustard Soup/Mosterd Soep
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.

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Boerenkool Stamppot

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Boerenkool Stamppot
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.

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Salmon Pancakes (Zalm Pannenkoek)

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Salmon Pancakes (Zalm Pannenkoek)
Salmon Pancakes (Zalm Pannenkoek)

Pancakes:
250ml flour
1ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
250ml milk
125ml water
62ml vegetable oil
2 eggs

Filling:
cream cheese
avocado pear, sliced
smoked salmon ribbons/strips
pickled cucumber, cubed
dill
lemon

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Pour the milk, water, oil and eggs into a large jug and whisk together.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and add the egg mixture in a thin stream.
Turn the speed higher once the mixture comes together and keep adding small amounts of liquid until you have a thin, smooth mixture.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least one hour.
Heat a non-stick crépe / frying pan over medium-high heat and allow the pan to get hot.
Pour enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom. Swirl the mixture around to coat the pan evenly and bake for one minute per side.
Allow the baked pancakes to cool.

Place a pancake on a serving plate and spread some cream cheese onto it.
Scatter the avocado, salmon, cucumber and dill over and squeeze some lemon over.
Fold the pancake in half and serve with a glass of bubbly.

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Whipped Coconut Cream

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Whipped Coconut Cream
Whipped Coconut Cream

This is a dairy-free and vegan alternative to Chantilly cream and delicious with most desserts.

1 x 400ml tin coconut cream, chilled for at least 8 hours
30ml icing sugar, sifted
5ml vanilla

Scoop the hardened coconut cream into a mixing bowl.
Whisk the cream with an electric beater on high speed for 1 minute so that it loosens up.
Sift the icing sugar into the bowl, add the vanilla and whisk again on high speed for another minute.
Dollop the coconut cream onto your favourite dessert.
Keep refrigerated.

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Green Spaghetti

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Green Spaghetti
Green Spaghetti

This is a recipe from the brand new book “Cook it. Eat it. Live it.” by Jo Kenny. I was lucky enough to write a review on the book and simply cannot have enough of this delicious pasta dish! I have made a vegetarian version of Jo’s original Pea and Smoked Bacon Spaghetti.

120g spaghetti
100g smoked bacon lardons (or leave it out for a meat-free meal)
200g peas
a large bunch of fresh basil
30ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
30ml créme fraîche
20g parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon

Add the spaghetti to a large pot with boiling water and allow to cook until al-dente.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes.
Add the peas, basil, olive oil and garlic to a food processor, season with salt and blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Add the pea and basil paste to the pan on a low heat.
Add the creme fraîche and stir on a low heat to warm through.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan immediately.
Stir the pasta through the sauce so that is coated evenly.
Serve the pasta with the grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest and another squeeze of lemon juice.

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Roasted Broccoli

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Broccoli

This is a delicious, healthy side dish that feeds six people.

1,5kg broccoli, cut into florets
100g butter, cubed
15ml lemon zest
15ml lemon juice
60ml dry white wine

15ml olive oil
15ml butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
125ml panic bread crumbs (or homemade breadcrumbs)
30ml thyme leaves
60ml cashew nuts, chopped
45ml parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the broccoli in a large mixing bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover it. Allow to stand for 2 minutes before draining.
Spread the broccoli in a roasting tin.
Add the 100g butter, lemon zest, juice and white wine to a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir the mixture until the butter has melted.
Drizzle the sauce over the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the oil and 15ml butter to a frying pan set over medium heat and allow the butter to melt.
Fry the garlic for one minute, while stirring it in the pan.
Add the breadcrumbs, thyme and cashews and stir around in the pan until golden.
Cool and mix through the parmesan.
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the broccoli and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with fresh lemon.

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Asparagus Pea Salad

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Asparagus Pea Salad
Asparagus Pea Salad

1bunch asparagus, blanched and cooled
250ml frozen peas, blanched and cooled
1 punnet sugar snap peas, blanched and cooled

For the dressing:
1 egg yolk
5ml dijon mustard
250ml olive oil
50 grated parmesan cheese
15ml lemon juice

Add the yolk and mustard to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add a few drops of the olive oil and whisk to incorporate – repeat, adding only a few drops of oil at a time, until you have about half of the oil left.
Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture while whisking continuously. Keep going until all the oil is incorporated.
Add the parmesan and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Season will salt.
Arrange the asparagus, peas and sugar snaps on a serving plate and add a few dollops of the dressing to serve.

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Blueberry Quickbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Blueberry Quickbread
Blueberry Quickbread

250ml wholewheat flour
250ml cake flour
250ml blueberries
125ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
250ml buttermilk
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil
5ml vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the two flours to a mixing bowl and stir to mix with a spatula.
Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the flour over the fruit. Mix through so that the blueberries are coated with flour. Set aside.
Add the sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to the flours and stir through.
Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, egg, oil and vanilla to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir together until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter.
Add the blueberries and stir through.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and pat it into the corners.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread, comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Remove the bread from the tin and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Slice to serve.