Greek Souvlakia

Ingredients

For the souvlakia
1 kg boneless pork or lamb (eg. fillet or steaks)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp dried oregano
150ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 onion, grated
2 bay leaves, roughly torn
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tzatziki
½ cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g thick Greek-style yoghurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Method
Cut the pork or lamb into 2cm/¾in cubes, trimming off any gristle or other unwanted fat.

Mix all the remaining souvlakia ingredients and then pour over the meat.

Turn so that all the pieces are coated, then cover and leave to marinate for at least two hours, but preferably for to 24 hours, regrigereated.

To make the tzatziki, spread the cucumber dice out in a colander or sieve, and sprinkle over the vinegar and a little salt.

Leave to drain for one hour, then pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Mix with the rest of the tzatziki ingredients, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve either lightly chilled or at room temperature. Back to the souvlakia. Soak wooden skewers in cold water for an hour or two, and then thread the meat on the skewers. Don't push the cubes right up against each other, but leave a minuscule gap between each pair, just enough space for the heat to curl round every cube, cooking it evenly.

Preheat either the barbecue or grill or an oiled griddle pan (place over a high heat for about 3-5 minutes), then cook the kebabs close to the heat, or on the griddle pan, turning and brushing occasionally with the leftover marinade, until they are crusty and brown.

Serve sizzling hot, with a wedge of lemon and the tzatziki.

Delicious served as part of a mezzo with hummus, baba ganoush, pita breads and fattoush.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Restaurant As

As loves pure cooking

Restaurant As is situated in the former St Nicolaas Chapel (designed by architect Lau Peters in 1962) on the edge of the Beatrixpark in Amsterdam. As represents pure cooking. Demonstrating in a respectful manner, that one organism dies to keep another alive. We serve an appealing range of dishes, largely shaped by nature. Seasonal and climatic changes determine what’s on the menu.

Suppliers

Our taste-buds are numbed under the influence of food-multinationals. Everything contains sugar, everything tastes similar. Restaurant As works with authentic, full-flavored ingredients supplied by local retailers who share our thoughts on taste, quality and sustainability.

Our kitchen

Our kitchen is directly connected to the outdoors, and so is our cooking. The weather determines our culinary course of action. Indian summer? Samba. Brass monkey weather? Braising. We cook on the open fire in our wood oven, and prepare the dishes on the stone workbench in plain view. We apply time-honored cooking methods like curing, smoking and pickling. Our freshly baked sourdough-bread completes the scene.

Make a reservation at restaurantas.nl or call +31 20 6440100.

Photography: Jochem van Grunsven


mexican hamburger

Ingredients
2 beef hamburgers
2 ripe Haas avocado's
1 lime
1 tomato, finely diced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
pickled jalapeño chillies, to taste
small bunch coriander, finely chopped
75 g rocket
pita breads or hamburger buns, to serve

Method
Begin by making the guacamole. Halve the avocado's, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash coarsely with a fork and add the juice from the lime.

Add the finely diced tomato and sliced spring onions. Chop the jalapeño and add to the guacamole - you can make it as mild or as spicy as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly add the chopped coriander. Place the avocado stones into the guacamole and cover with plastic wrap. This helps prevent the avocado from discolouring.

Heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Drizzle the hamburgers with a little olive oil and grill until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size your hamburgers. If they happen to be quite thick, a good tip is to flatten them with the palm of your hand before you cook them.

Remove the burgers from the pan, wipe out some of the excess fat with paper towel. Slice open the pita or hamburger buns and toast lightly.

Dress the rocket with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and discard the avocado stones from the guacamole. Fill each pita or bun with a handful of rocket, top with the burgers and spoon a generous amount of guacamole on top.

This is one of our favourite recipes! 

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


South African-Style Chicken Wings

Ingredients
1 kg chicken wings
1 cup tomato ketchup
1 cup fruit chutney*
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 red chilli, finely chopped

Method
Mix the tomato ketchup, chutney, soy sauce and chilli in a bowl. Add the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat and oven to 180° C. Place the chicken wings on an oven tray lined with baking paper and pour over any marinade in left in the bowl. Roast for about 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and nicely coloured. Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Allow to cool slightly and serve on a platter lined with fresh chives.

* Try finding Mrs Ball's chutney. It's an authentic South African chutney available from good supermarkets and deli's.


For the Love of Cooking

If there's one thing we'd like to bring across to you on this website, it's for our love of food and cooking.

Whether you are an amateur or have been cooking for years, you can always learn something new. And that's something we try and do every day.

We hope that you will join us in our culinary journey. We aim to showcase not only the best that Amsterdam has to offer but also The Netherlands as a whole.

As they say in Dutch; 'eet smakelijk'.


Lindenhoff marche

Living in Europe we are spoilt by the array of beautiful cheeses we can get. There is nothing better than a selection of different cheeses, good wine and fresh, crunchy bread. It's a meal in itself.

Some of the best cheeses are available from Lindenhoff in Baambrugge. They are our preferred supplier for all fresh ingredients for our caterings and dinners.

Their marche is open to the public from Wednesday to Saturday.

For more information please visit Lindenhoff.


Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli pepper
1 tin diced tomatoes
2 red peppers
1 vegetable stock cube
1 small French baguette
black olive tapenade and basil cress, to serve

Method
Roast the peppers over a flame or in a hot oven (225° C) until blackened. Place in a tightly closed plastic bag for ± 10 minutes to steam. Remove the skin from the peppers.

Dissolve the vegetable stock cube in 600 ml hot water. Finely chop the onion, garlic and chilli. Slice the peppers into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and sweat the onion until soft. In the meantime, cut the baguette lengthways into thin slices, drizzle with olive oil and toast in the oven at 200° C for 6-10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Add the finely chopped garlic and chilli to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Add the strips of roasted pepper and the tin of tomatoes and mix well. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Blend the soup with a stick blender or in a traditional blender for a smoother finish. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Top the toasted baguette with a little olive tapende and basil cress and rest it gently on each bowl. Serve at once.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Kamer 01

In the heart of Amsterdam you will find “Kamer 01” (room 1); a bed and breakfast designed with a philosophy of style and personal service.
Situated in a bend of the Singel Canal it has a view towards Flowermarket, Spui and the 9 Streets district. Surrounded by museums, cultural activities and fine restaurants, your stay at 'Kamer 01" is the beginning of your discovery of Amsterdam.

In this beautiful heritage building you will come to appreciate the typical "feel" of Amsterdam. The house was originally built in 1585 and since then was renovated almost every century since. It still has lots of original features, including the original spiral staircases, wooden ceiling beams and a visible wooden roof construction. In the breakfast room there are even some fragments of 18th century wallpaper. In 2009 the interior was professionally renovated by Atelier Hertogh to meet modern day artistic and technical standards.

The B&B has 1 Suite and 2 rooms: The Green Suite on the first floor, the Red Room on the second floor, the Blue Room on the 3rd (attic) floor. They all have en suite marble bathrooms, a sleeping area in the back and sitting/working area in the front. Then again… who can work with a view like that?

In these delightful surroundings your hosts; Peter, Wolter and Tommie the Beagle offer you a concept of personal service aimed at making your stay a memorable one.

For more information please visit kamer01.nl.


Guest Report

Guest report coming soon!


Kids in the Kitchen

We think it's so important that kids are taught from an early age about food - where it comes from and how to prepare it. The earlier they learn, the better decisions they will make later on in life about what they put into their bodies.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden at home, try planting a little vegetable or herb patch. This is a good way to start teaching your kids where ingredients come from and how they grow.

In the summer months, when fruit is at it's best, buy a selection with different flavours, colours and textures. Using bamboo skewers to thread the fruit on, get your kids to make colourful, healthy fruit kebabs.

Another good way of getting your kids active in the kitchen is to have a pizza party. You can make your own dough, or buy ready-made pizza bases. Have a selection of toppings set on the table - a selection of vegetables, meats and cheeses. Give each kid a base, let them assemble their own pizzas and once you've baked them in the oven, they get to enjoy what they've made. Easy, healthy and what kid doesn't enjoy pizza!