go bananas... a quick and simple bananabread recipe

Last week I bought a bit to many bananas. And as always, they started turning brown and black and I really didn't feel like eating them anymore. But then... overripe bananas are so tasty in multiple dishes. So I came up with this simple to make bananabread. A surprisingly delightly fragrant and firm delicacy which you can enjoy carefree, because it is low in fat and high in fibre! It is also a good recipe to process overripe bananas. As a 
variation you can add nuts, like almonds or walnuts or raisins. 

1 egg, lightly beaten
200 grams plain flour
140 grams caster sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas, mashed
some maple sirop


1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C/gas 4. Lightly grease a cake tin 20x10 cm.
 2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the egg, banana and maple sirop (about 2 table spoons) too. Volatile mix, it does need to be an evenly mixed consistancy. Pour the batter into the lightly greased cake tin.
 3. Bake for 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven. To check the banana bread is cooked through within, you can prick in the middle of the bread with an knitting needle. If it comes out clean and dry, the bread is cooked. Take it out of the oven and let it cool before slicing.
 Tip: If the bananas are all black but you do not have time to process them immediately, simply place them in the deep freezer. You thaw them when you have time to bake the banana cake!

Sunday morning treat... Oven eggs with tarragon

I have been making these oven eggs for ages now. Great for a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch, with some coarse Burgundian bread or just simply on some white bread toast with some crispy fried bacon. The simplicity of making this dish contradicts the lush and sumptious look and taste of it. So you can easily serve it during an Easter brunch or Christmas breakfast.
This recipe will serve 4 persons

4 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
4 eggs

deep roasting tin
single ramekins, greased

Preheat the oven to 250 º C. Mix the cream with the tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Try to beat some air into the cream so it becomes a bit thicker in consistancy. Divide the tarragon cream in to the greased ramekins. Break an egg over each dish and place the dishes in the roasting tin. Pour boiling hot water into the roasting pan to 1 cm below the edges of the ramekins. Put the tin in the middle of the oven and bake the eggs in 15-18 minutes. 

Tip: If you do not have any dried tarragon at hand, you can also use some fresh chives instead. 

Once you get comfortable making this dish, you can try experimenting with the ingredients. Use some dill instead of tarragon, or replace the cream with some creme fraîche. Put some cheese chavings on the top of the eggs, before putting them in the oven, or mix some parmesan cheese gratings throught the cream. 

divine moist carrot cake

I mad this cake this afternoon with a friend of mine for the first time. Never made carrot cake before. I have to say, we added some extra walnuts and half a cup of carrots. But it is sure still moist !

I find it easiest to prepare the ingredients in three separate bowls first. 

Bowl 1:

2 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

Bowl 2:

1 1/3 cups plain flour (white or wholemeal, or a mix of both, unsifted)

pinch of salt

1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Bowl 3:

2 carrots, grated (to make 1 1/2 - 2 cups)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

2 tsp finely chopped orange peel

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F. Grease and flour an 8 or 10 inch round cake tin. 
2. Beat (or hand whisk) the ingredients in bowl 1 together until creamy (2-3 minutes). 
3. Mix the dry ingredients in bowl 2 together, and add these to bowl 1. Beat the mixture until well combined (for 1 minute or so). 
4. Add the ingredients in bowl 3 to the mix, and stir to combine. 
5. Transfer this mixture to your cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. 
6. While the cake is baking, prepare your icing mixture (below).
7. The cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean, and when the cake springs back when lightly touched on its center. 
8. Cool cake on a rack. Once cooled, spread cream cheese icing over cake, and decorate with walnuts, ground cinnamon or grated orange (or all three!).

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
125g cream cheese
30g butter
100g icing sugar (roughly 1 cup)
2-3 tsp lemon juice OR a few drops of vanilla extract (to taste)

1. Allow your ingredients to warm to room temperature. 
2. Roughly cut up butter and cream cheese into chunks and add to a mixing bowl. Beat together until well combined and smooth. 
3. Sift icing sugar over the cream cheese/butter in stages, mixing well to combine after each addition to get a lump-free, smooth icing. 
4. Once all the icing sugar has been well combined, stir through lemon juice or vanilla extract to taste. 
5. This icing can be stored in the fridge until the cake is ready to decorate. Remove from the fridge 5 minutes or so before icing the cake to allow for easy spreading.

Roasted Red Onions... A simple and easy side dish

Just a quick and simple, but delicious way to serve up onions. Try to use large red onions, because they have a certain natural sweetness that will be emphasized even more when you roast these onions in the oven.

take one large red onion per person
butter or margarine
freshly chopped herbs, such as dill, taragon, parsley
corse sea salt
pepper

Cut the top of the onions, but leave the bottom. Peal the skin from top to bottom. Cross cut the onions till about 3/4 deep. Do not cut them all the way down, because we need the bottom bit to hold the onion together.



Make a herb butter by adding the finely chopped herb(s) to the butter and mix well. Season the cross cut onoions at the cutting edges in the middle of the onion. Then take a generous amount of the herb butter and push it right in the cross cuts of the onions. Make sure you push in in well.


Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Put the onions on a baking tray and give them about 30-40 minutes in the oven on 200-220 degrees Celsius.



When done, serve up with a good piece of roasted meat or some fatty fish like salmon or hering.

Bon Apetit !

white cabbage with mustard.. Indian style

Just a quick and easy way to prepare something nice with a white cabbage... other than just boil it or turn it into a coleslaw.

a white cabbage
kurkuma
whole grain mustard
yellow mustard seeds
fennel seeds
olive oil
salt
water






Cut up the cabbage in thin slices. heat the olive oil on a medium hest. Add the mustard seeds (about 1 tablespoon) and the fennel seeds (2 teaspoons). Once the seeds starts popping turn the heat on its lowest and add a big table spoon of  whole grain mustard. Mix this all well. Add some seasalt. You need a good pinch to tenderise the cabbage later. If it all start to get sticky add some water, so the aroma's can me mixed well. Add a good teaspoon (or two) of kurkuma. Mix well through the liquidy seeds. Add the cabbage and stir well to coat every piece of cabbage with the spices. To help the cabbage get tender and cooked ad a bit more water, but be careful. The cabbage needs to be dry in the end. So rather than putting in a heap of water, just ad some every once a while, while checking if the cabbage is cooked. Once it's cooked and all the water has evaporated, your Indian style mustard cabbage is done.

Bon apetit !

Just something I came up with by accident... Red pepper delight

Does this sound familiair to you ? You open your fridge, it's stuffed with vegetables. But... they aren't all too fresh anymore. Not rotten or gone bad, but just not that fresh shinny gloss it had when you bought it. What to make of that ???
Well, I had this experience tonight. Opened the fridge and it was stuffed with loads of red peppers, some left over chesnut mushrooms, and some wrinckled tomatoes. I came up with this recipe, Red pepper delight, I named it, because the beautiful sweetness of the red peppers and the delicate taste of the tarragon and smoked paprika powder give it a silky soft delightful taste.
I've served it with a breast of chicken marinated in  some olive oil with a little smoked paprika powder and some salt and pepper and brown rice.

Red peppers, deseeded
A couple of cloves of garlic
Chestnut mushrooms
Red onions
Tomatoes
Red chilli
Tomato paste
Cream
Dried tarragon
Coriander powder
Olive oil
Sugar
Sea salt & pepper



Fry the finely chopped garlic and the coarsely chopped red onions in a bit of olive oil until translucent.
Meanwhile cut the red peppers into rough dices and the chesnut mushrooms into quarters. Do the same with the tomatoes. For those who like it hot, chop up the chilli pepper. For those who just want a touch of heat, puncture the chilli pepper with your knife a few times and add it whole to the peppers and mushrooms.
Put the mushrooms and peppers into the pan and stir for a bit. Then push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste to the vacant side of the pan. Keep stiring the tomato paste well. By doing so, you'll deacidify the tomato paste so the natural sweetness of the tomato will emerge. Mix it all well through the veggies. Then add the tomato quarters. The juice of the tomato will prevent the vegetables and tomato paste from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir the vegetable mix on a half heated stove for about 2-3 minutes. Then start adding the cream. Stir well.
Now it's time to bring the mixture to taste. Add a bit of sugar, not too much, just to cut the sour edge of the tomatoes. then add a generous touch of the smoked paprika powder, a tiny bit of coriander powder and the some dried tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let it all simmer for a while, until the red peppers are cooked to how you like it (al dente or well done).

Serve with some brown rice or mashed potatoes.

Warm up after a cold day... Hearty typical Dutch pea soup

 This typical Dutch pea soup is the perfect way to become warm again after a freezing cold day. It's a typical winter dish which is also called "snert" in Dutch. It does take a while to prepare, but the result is mouth watering !

The recipe will served about 4 persons.

1 pork leg or about 600 grams or pork crabs or pork chops

1 smoked sausage

400 grams split peas

2 bay leaves

1 large or 2 small leeks steal

1 small celeriac

1 large carrot

3 vegetable stock cubes

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Bring 2 ltr water with the stock cubes to a boil and add the meat, split peas and bay leaf. Bring to boil again, turn the heat to low and leave it with the lid on the pan for about 2 hours to simmer, stirring every once a while. In the meantime, cut the leeks into rings and the peeled celeriac and carrot in dices. Add them to the soup and leave to simmer for another 30 minutes. Take the meat out of the soup and remove the meat from the bones, cut it in cubes and put them back into the pan. Season the soup to your taste with salt and pepper.

Add the smoked sausage to the soup for the last 10-15 min. to heat through. Take it out and cut it into diagonal slices before putting it back into the soup.

Serve the soup with rye bread, which has been thinly spread with (honey)mustard and bacon slices.

Tip:

If you prefer a slightly thicker soup, then add a diced potatoes to the soup for the last 30 minutes. Because of the starch of the potatoes the soup will naturally thicken. 

Cajun Turtle Burgers... from a friend

I got this awsome recipe from a dear friend of mine. Burgers as the can only make them in Louisiana... or so I'm told.
Here's a new twist on how to serve burgers. And if you don't cook, give this handy little guide to someone who does and request them!

Ground beef
Hot dogs
Cheddar cheese
Bacon


Handmade ground beef patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a bacon weave; then for the next step, add hotdogs as the head, legs (with ends slit for toes), and tail.
Next step: Place on an oven rack, covered loosely with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200 degrees.Celsius A little crispy, not too crunchy....just how a turtle should be, no?
I reckon the BBQ grill would work as well as the oven. Just make sure the patties aren't to thick, otherwise the bacon will burn, before the burger is cooked.

Taste, feel, hear... Ctaste Amsterdam. Dining in the dark, What an experience !

How bizarre was that ? Dining without knowing what is on your plate, let alone...where your plate is ! No sense of colour, shape, orientation or any visual reference... bizarre, but really delicous!

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was told to store any item that can give any form of light in a safe. After an aperitif in the conservatory, which isn't dark by the way, I was escorted to my table in the pitch-dark dining area. Putting my hand on the shoulder of my waiter, to be guided through a room without any form of light. First thing I experienced was the way my eyes tried to focus on something, anything recognisable. Immediately my sense of hearing and feeling got alert...

My glass of wine was poored into an anti-spill glass before entering the restaurant area. In no way my eyes were able to adjust to not seeing a thing. It was easier using my other senses and close my eyes then keeping them open. Really odd. Even more weird was that you could listen in other people's conversations even better. But... I won't go there... as there was a group of young girls sitting nearby talking about things I don't dare to repeat in writing.

 

I enjoyed a 5 course meal. Of which I was able to recognise at least 4,5 courses.

• starter : a shashimi of tuna with soy sauce and sesame seeds, a scallop and a grilled piece of salmon
• second course : a passion fruit and mango spoom (champagne with sorbet ice cream). This one was not difficult to recognise since I dispise the taste of mango! And the slithery texture of the passion fruit seeds was so knowable.
• main course: here I got it wrong... I thought I was having some cut of beef. Steak or a tournedos or something like that. accompanied by stir-fried pak choi, sweet potato, bean sprouts with oriental spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric
• cheese platter : walnut, dates, a very overripe and old cheese,  a kind of port Salut and a goat's cheese with a very sweet chutney or jam
• dessert : a scoop of vannila ice cream, a banana mousse (unsweetened), a stick with blackberreis & stawberries dropped in a chocolate fondue, small pieces of fudge and pooping chewing gum (too whacky, hadn't had that since my youth)

All together it was delicous. No scary weird things as one would expect, but just honest and good food. It was surprising to hear I had 2 types of meat... ostrich and impala !! Have to say though it tasted really really good. As I mentioned, I thought I was having a piece of beef.

Overall, I certainly can recommend an evening of dining in the dark at Ctaste Amsterdam, Amsteldijk 55 !!

Simple snack... Pimp up your shop bought noodle soup

We all know these shop bought noodle soup thingies. Flat, tasteless, dull overkill on the chili and inluding a sachet of unrecognizable and untraceable spices which make you wonder how they would look freshly picked ...

Well, let me tell you how you can pimp up you noodle soup !

All you need a a packet of that shop bought noodle soup

Some paksoi coarsely chopped
Some dried mushrooms
A spring onion
Some coarsely chopped red pepper/paprika
Fresh chilli to taste
Some oyster sauce
A bit of roasted sesame seeds

This is so simple to do ! In the time it takes you to boil the water for the noodles, you cut up all the veggies. Take the closed packet of noodles and start crcking up the noodles so you get all these tiny bits of noodle. Drop them in a bowl. Add (if you dare) the added seasoning sachets. wack in the veggiesand the roasted sesame seeds. Once the water has boiled, ad it to the noodles. Since the noodles need to soften a while (3-4 min) the dried mushoorms will be able to soak too and give the broth a really subtle mushroomy taste. Add some of the oystersauce and if you like the chilli.

Now take your spoon, mix the noodles, veggies and oyster sauce well. And indulge yourself in this tasty and delicious noodle soup!

I often have a cup of noodles soup in the afternoon. You know, at work, behind the desk, you feel this "Oh God, stil not time to go home"-moment coming up... And when I do, a cup of noodle soup just gets my tastebuds going again and helps me get through those last few hours of work. But how to prep this soup at work ?? Easy !! Cut up all the veggies at home. Put them in a small container, add the dried mushrooms in there too. Get yourself two plastic sandwich bags. Take one and fill the lower angle with some oyster sauce. Put a knot just above that angle. Take the other plastic sandwich bag and put the roasted sesame seeds in there. Drop the both bags in the container with the veggies.

When you go prepare this soup at work, all you need to do is take otu your container, put it all in a bowl with the noodles, take two cups of hot water out of the coffee machine and... ENJOY !!

refreshing on a hot summer night... Coconut Lassi

What better way to cool down on a hot summer night then with a lassi. Lassi is a traditional chilled beverage from India which is made with yogurt or buttermilk and an assortment of flavourings.

This specific recipe is flavoured with grated coconut.

Coconut milk
Plain yoghurt
Sugar or honey
Grated coconut, preferably freshly grated
Some fresh lime zestes
Ice cubes

Blend the coconut milk, yoghurt, sugar and/or honey, and ice cubes in a blender until the ice is well crushed. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with the fresh lime zestes.

Use the ingredients all to taste. If you like it sweet, add more sugar or honey. The same goes for the grated coconut. If you like your lassi thick and lushious add a good handfull, biut if you like it silcky and smooth, just add a bit. The coconut milk is good for the subtile flavouring.

Bangers &... tomatoes

Tonight's dinner is just something quick to prepare. Bangers & Tomatoes. Wack it all together in a big oven dish and let the oven work for you. simple, easy, but so tasty!

sausages, in this case mergez sausages, but any other kind will do fine
tomatoes, in any variety, big small, yellow, green, red, plumms, cherries, tasty tom's...
some olive oil
a spring onion
garlic to taste
fresh basil leaves
brown sugar
balsamic vinegar




Oil the oven dish with the olive oil. Halve or quater the bigger tomatoes, leave the smaller ones whole. Spread them over the bottom of the oven dish, filling the smaller gaps with the cherry tomatoes. Slice the garlic thinly and dress it in between the tomato bed. Do the same with the fresh basil leaves. Just push them in between the tomatoes. Sprinkle some balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes followed by a sprinkle of brown sugar. The sugar tends to accentuate the natural sweetness of the tomatoes when they're heated. Cut the spring onion with a pair of scissors into half a centimeter pieces. Scatter them over the tomatoes.
Now lay the sausages to bed in between and on top of the tomatoes. Just splash a last bit of olive il over the dish before sticking it into an oven pre-heated to 200 degrees celsius. Leave to cook for about 45 minutes.

Serve with some brown rice. Bon appetit !


Tomatoes are one of those things that you should always have around in the kitchen. So versatile in any dish, hot or cold. AS a snack or in a salad with some basil, mozarella and proscuitto. Or when overripe just make a wonderful tasty sauce of them, which you can use as a base for any mediteranean stew.