Recipes Archives - Pagina 24 van 32

Aubergine Salad with Yoghurt Dressing and Pickled Courgette

This combination takes the humble aubergine and courgette to a new level. At first glance, it may seem like a lot of ingredients but don't let that put you off. A lot of them are store cupboard staples. If you don't happen happen to have them at hand, they are easily available from your local market or supermarket. If you don't want to make the pickle, just use some flash fried thinly sliced courgette or finely shaved raw courgette dressed with some lemon juice and olive oil. This dish is delicious served as a salad or as an accompaniment to grilled lamb cutlets or fish.

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 aubergines
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 spring onions
1 red chilli
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 small bunch basil
1 small bunch mint

Yoghurt dressing
200 g Greek yoghurt
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water (or a little more if required)
salt and pepper

Pickled Courgette
1 large courgette
1 tablespoon salt
70 g demarara sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 small shallots
250 ml cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

Method
Begin with the courgette pickle. Slice the courgette and shallots as thinly as possible. If you have a mandolin, you can slice the courgette on that, but mind your fingers. Place the courgette and shallot in a bowl with the salt and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Toast the mustard and fennel seeds in a dry pan to release their aromas. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour off any liquid from the courgette and shallots and place them in the pickling liquid. At least an hour in the pickle would be great before serving. These don't really keep for long and are best eaten on the day they are made.

Now on to the dressing; place the Greek yoghurt in a bowl and grate the zest of the lemon over. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste), 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk to a smooth dressing. It should have the consistency of thick pouring cream. If it's a little on the thick side, add a little extra water. Set aside.

Slice the aubergine lengthways into 1 cm thick slices. Heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill about 4-5 minutes on each side until tender and well marked from the grill. You'll probably have to do this in batches. Transfer the aubergine to a large plate.

Finely slice the spring onions diagonally, finely chop the chilli and pick the herbs off the stalks.

To finish the dish, place the aubergine on a serving platter and spoon over the yoghurt dressing. Scatter over the spring onions, chilli and herbs. Drain the courgettes and shallots from the pickling liquid and lay on top. Serve straight away.

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

by Mischa de Winter

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is an Israeli breakfast dish consisting of eggs poached in a sauce of peppers and tomato. In recent years it has become more famous and found it's way into many new restaurants and cafes around the world. Here's how to make it yourself.

Serves 2

Ingredients
olive oil
1 teaspoon harissa paste
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow red pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt
pepper
4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt, to serve
coriander or parsley leaves to serve, optional
crispy bread or pita's, to serve

Method
Slice the onion and peppers into thin strips and finely chop the garlic.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fry the peppers and onions for about 10 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the harissa, cumin and smoked paprika powder to the pan and fry for a further 3 minutes.

Add the tin of tomatoes, salt, pepper and 100 ml water to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Make 4 ‘wells’ in the sauce. Gently crack the eggs into the wells. Place a lid over the pan and cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the egg whites have set and the yolks are still soft. Swirl the egg white through the sauce using a fork so that it sets quicker, if you wish. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the Greek yoghurt in small bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Divide the sauce and eggs between 2 plates. Serve with the Greek yoghurt. Delicious served with fresh bread or pita.

by Bernadette Evers

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody loves a good chocolate chip cookie. Here is our recipe - it's simple to make but always gives great results. A great way to get the kids in the kitchen.

Ingredients
125 g butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray or line with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder until just combined. Stir through chocolate chips. (At this point you can form the mixture into a log and freeze for later. Just slice into 1 cm thick rounds and bake.)

Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto baking tray, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack before diving in!

by Mischa de Winter

Preserved Spicy Lemons

This is a recipe we've adapted slightly from the beautiful cookbook Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich.

Ingredients
5 small lemons, unwaxed
3 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked chilli flakes
olive oil to cover

Method
Slice the lemons as thinly as you can, removing any pips. Place the lemon slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and smoked chilli flakes. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes and room temperature.

Push the lemon slices into a sterilised jar so that they re tightly packed with all the liquid that has formed in the bowl. Add enough olive oil so that they are covered and seal the jar. They can be used the next day, but improve over time. Once the jar has been opened, store in the fridge and use within a month.

When you use them for cooking, take as much as you need out of the jar. Chop and use the entire lemon slice - you don't need to discard the flesh. They can be used as a relish with fish or chicken , chopped through a flavoured butter or try mixing through some mayonnaise to serve with our Roast duck salad.

by Bernadette Evers

Chicken and Aubergine Curry

Ingredients
2 onions, peeled and cut into chunks
5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
500 g boned and skinned chicken thighs, cut into 4 cm cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 tin chopped tomatoes
200 ml coconut milk
2 aubergines, cut into cubes
small bunch fresh coriander

Method
Place the onions, ginger and garlic in a Magimix (food processor) and blend until finely chopped.

Heat a heavy based casserole over medium heat with 3 tablespoons sunflower oil and sweat the onion mixture for about 10 minutes until it turns a light golden colour.

Add the chicken and fry for a few more minutes until lightly coloured. Add salt, to taste, the ground cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Fry for 1-2 minutes to cook the spices out.

Add the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the chicken has cooked through.

Heat a frying pan over high heat with the remaining 3 tablespoons sunflower oil and fry the aubergines until golden brown and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add half the aubergine to the curry about 10 minutes into the cooking time.

To serve, scatter the remaining aubergine and coriander over the chicken curry. Serve with steamed basmati rice, cucumber and mint raita, papadums or naan bread.

by Mischa de Winter

Kale Smoothie

If you're needing a boost for your immune system or just looking to keep healthy, the combination of theses fruits and vegetables will help you on your way.

Serves 2

Ingredients
100 g shredded kale
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 piece fresh ginger (about 5 cm), peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled and cored
juice of 1 orange
apple juice, to thin the smoothie down

Method
Place all the ingredients in a (Magimix) blender and blend until smooth. Add enough apple juice to thin it down to the consistency you desire.

Pour into tall glasses and serve immediately.

by Bernadette Evers

The Perfect Cheese Omelette

A prefect omelette is easy to achieve and makes for a perfect lunch or light meal. Here's our way to do it.

Serves 2

Ingredients
6 free range or organic eggs
salt and pepper
about 50 g goats or truffle cheese, grated
butter
bread, to serve
salad, to serve

Method

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a good non-stick frying pan over medium heat with a knob of butter.

Once the butter begins to foam, pour in the beaten eggs. As the egg begins to set on the base, pull it from the outer part to the center with a spatula. That way you ensure that the omelette will be light, blonde in colour and still be soft (or baveuse) in the centre. Now is the time to add the grated cheese, leaving some back to sprinkle over at the end. Reduce the heat at this point if you feel it's cooking too fast.

With the spatula, fold over a small section of the omelette, tilting the pan as you do, so that the omelette folds over itself, becoming neat and folded in the corner of the pan. Grab your serving plate in one hand and the frying pan in the other and carefully, but with confidence, turn the omelette on to the plate. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve with salad of your choice dressed with a little olive oil and some delicious bread.

by Mischa de Winter

Club Sandwich - Amsterdam Flavours Style

All too often, we are served sandwiches consisting of limp bread and flavourless, uninspiring fillings. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to change all that and show you with just a little care and attention, that a sandwich and be exciting and leave you wanting more.

Serves 3

Ingredients
9 slices white spelt bread
2 free range or organic chicken breasts
100 g smokey bacon rashers
2 avocados
1 small red onion
50 g rocket
mayonnaise, for spreading
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method
Heat a grill pan over high heat and grill the bread on both sides. Halve the avocados, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash roughly using a fork and season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Finely slice the onion and halve the chicken breasts horizontally, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove on to a plate. Fry the chicken in the same pan with the bacon fat for about 3 minutes on each side.

Lay out the slices of grilled bread. Spread the mashed avocado on the first layer and top with the crispy bacon. On the second slice of bread, spread generously with mayonnaise. Top with a handful of rocket leaves and some red onion. Slice the chicken breasts and lay them on top.

Place the chicken layer on top of the avocado layer, topping the sandwich off with the remaining grilled bread and securing it with a skewer.

Serve on wooden board or plates and dig in!

by Bernadette Evers

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Nigella Lawson is famously known as The Domestic Goddess. Her cakes and dispelling baking myths have made her a household name. Recently someone told us we had to make her Chocolate Guinness cake. So we did. The combination of chocolate and Guinness makes a deep, dark cake, which is moist and delicious. And now we're sharing the recipe with you.

Ingredients
250 ml Guinness
250 g unsalted butter
75 g cocoa powder
400 g castor sugar
142 ml sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
275 g plain flour
2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
for the topping
300 g cream cheese
150 g icing sugar
125 ml cream

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 180°C and butter and line a 24cm springform tin with baking paper.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until the butter has melted. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the buttery Guinness pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, place it on a flat platter or cake stand and start with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. This can also be done in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.

Ice the top of the cake and serve.

by Mischa de Winter

Beef Wellington

This is a classic recipe which is having somewhat of a renaissance. This recipe is based on one I learned while training at Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town. It was first made at the school by it's founder, Lesley Faull, who learned it at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in November 1966.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the crêpes
100g flour
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
300 ml milk
pinch of salt
1 Tablspoon oil
butter for frying

For the Wellington
1 kg beef fillet, cut from the middle and trimmed (we use Simmentaler from Lindenhoff)
750 g chestnut mushrooms
olive oil
butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic
splash of dry sherry
salt and pepper
English mustard powder
500 g all butter puff pastry

Method
Begin with the crepes. Mix the egg and egg yolk with the flour, oil and pinch of salt and add part of the milk. Whisk until you have a thick mixture and add the remaining milk. (This can also be done in the food processor). Allow the batter to rest for ± 30 minutes. Cook the crêpes in a crêpe pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Heat a frying pan with olive oil over high heat. Season the fillet well with salt an pepper. Brown on all sides until well coloured and set aside to cool. It's important never to put pastry around warm meat, as it will become soggy.

Clean and trim the mushrooms. Place them, together with the garlic and thyme leaves in a food processor until very finely chopped. Heat a frying pan over high heat with a splash of olive oil and a knob of butter. Fry the mushroom mixture for a goof 10 minutes until all the liquid has cooked away and the mushrooms are quite dry. Add a splash of dry sherry and allow it too to cook away. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. It's important that the mushroom mixture is dry, this will also help the pastry stop getting soggy.

Season the fillet with English mustard powder. Lay cling wrap on your work surface and lay about 4 crepes (depending on their size) in an even layer. Spread generously with the mushroom mixture. Lay the fillet on and fold roll up, using the cling warp to guide you. Twist the the edges of the pastry to for a 'christmas cracker' so that you get a nice even shape. Place in the fridge to chill.

Roll out the pastry on floured surface to approx. 5 mm thick. Place the crepe wrapped fillet on the pastry and brush with beaten egg. Pull the sides of the pastry around to wrap up the fillet like a parcel. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill. This can be done a few hours in advance.

Heat the oven to 200 C. Remove the Wellington from the fridge and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with some coarse salt. Bake for 30-35 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before slicing, or else all the juices will run out.

To serve, slice into pieces about 2,5 cm thick. Delicious with a red wine-port sauce and seasonal vegetables.

This dish works well served with Artadi Tempranillo.

by Mischa de Winter