Vegetable Boxes from Lindenhoff
Our friends at Lindenhoff have two fantastic boxes available at restaurant prices, both filled with seasonal products. The first called ‘Hollandse Glorie’ or Dutch Pride is filled with onions, potatoes, leeks, Belgian endive, carrots and garlic and retails now for €11,25. The other box is the ‘knollen bundel’ or root vegetable box filled with Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, celeriac and salsify. It retails for €12,25. You can order the boxes through us and pick them up from our venue at the Westergas. The first person to order a box via us will get another box free as a gift. Email us at bernadette@amsterdamflavours.com to order. Please order before 18.00 so that the delivery can be ordered for the following day.
Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup, otherwise known as Jewish penicillin, is one of those dishes which is surrounded by mysticism. Jewish mothers would prepare a large pot of this golden liquid to give to their children when they were not well. It has been scientifically proven that chicken soup contains many of the same properties as penicillin, so it is in essence, the perfect medicine. This is actually a 'poor man's soup'. Once a week on the Sabbath or for special holidays, the chicken and vegetables would be used to make a flavourful soup. The soup would then be strained and served as a clear broth to start the meal. The reserved chicken and vegetables would then be served as the main course.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 chicken, about 1 kg in weight
2 leeks
3-4 sticks celery
1 carrot
4 small turnips
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
2-3 organic chicken stock cubes, according to taste
water, to cover
salt and pepper
Method
Wash the leeks and celery and finely slice. Peel the carrot and turnips and cut into small dice. Finely chop the flat leaf parsley.
Place the chicken and vegetables in a pressure cooker or large pot. Add water to cover, the stock cubes, salt and pepper. If using a pressure cooker, place on the lid, bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes. If using a conventional pot, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 2 hours, skimming off any scum which forms on the top.
Remove the chicken and pick the meat off the bones. Return the meat to the soup and check the seasoning. Serve in large bowls and you'll be feeling better in no time.
To bulk the soup up, you can always add some broken spaghetti or other pasta of your choice. Traditionally the soup is served with matzah balls.
Make a large pot, as the soups freezes beautifully and it's always good to have some at hand.
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
Warm Chickpea Salad
This salad, served warm, utilises a store cupboard staple, chickpeas, with a selection of later winter ingredients including beetroot and cabbage.
Serves 2
Ingredients
120 g bulghar wheat
600 g savoy cabbage
1 tin chickpeas
2 precooked beetroot
1 clove garlic
100 g feta
5 g ras al hanout
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Cut the savoy cabbage into 1-1.5 cm strips. Cut the beetroot into wedges. Add the bulghar wheat to the pot of boiling water and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Drain the bulghar through sieve. In a bowl, mix together the walnut oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Finely chop the garlic clove and add to the dressing. Drain the chickpeas through a sieve and rinse under cold water. Place the beetroot in a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and warm them gently through.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the savoy cabbage and fry gently for about 4-6 minutes until tender. Add a splash of water to the pan to help the cabbage steam. Add the chickpeas and ras al hanout to the pan. Ensure that the ingredients are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the bulghar through the chickpea mixture. Add the dressing and extra salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the salad between 2 plates. Lay the beetroot on top and sprinkle with the crumbled feta.
Vegetarian Lunch
With more people choosing to eat consciously an opting more for vegetarian, it's always a good idea to a few recipes handy.
Here are two of our favourites for lunch.
Beetroot Hummus and feta sandwich:
Ingredients for the beetroot hummus
500 g cooked beetroot, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper
Method
Place the beetroot, garlic, chickpeas, cumin, cayenne and tahini in a food processor and blend all the ingredients are broken down. Add the olive oil (enough to make a smooth hummus), lemon juice to taste and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the sandwiches, use a good bread of your choice. We like a sourdough spelt variety. Spread each slice liberally with the beetroot hummus. Top with some rocket leaves and generous scattering of a good feta.
Sweet Potato and Courgette Salad with Pear
Ingredients
1 head garlic
1 kg sweet potatoes
2 comice pears
1 red chilli
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 courgettes
100 g hazelnuts
100 g baby spinach leaves
Method
Preheat an oven to 200 C. Separate the garlic cloves from the head of garlic, leaving the skins on. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into wedges. Finely chop the chilli, leaving in the seeds if you like it spicy and finely chop the rosemary.
Place the garlic cloves, sweet potato chilli and rosemary in a roasting pan and toss with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, halve the pears, remove the core and cut each half into 6 slices. Cut the courgettes into quarters and then each quarter in half, so that you end you up with 8 pieces. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
Add the pears, courgettes, hazelnuts, toss again and return to the oven for about another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, check the seasoning if it requires any more salt and pepper and mix through the baby spinach leaves.
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
Bircher Muesli
If you want to enjoy this muesli for a delicious and healthy breakfast, you have to start it the night before.
Ingredients
250 g organic oats
30 g red quiona, toasted in a frying pan with a little sunflower oil
50 g dried apricots, chopped
50 g dates, pitted and chopped
500 ml -1 liter milk
250 g natural yoghurt
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon demarara sugar
1 large apple, grated
Method
Place the oats, quiona, chopped apricots, dates, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Add the milk and yoghurt and stir to combine.
Grate in the apple and mix it through immediately to prevent the apple from discolouring. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Before serving, give the muesli a good stir and add some extra milk to slacken it slightly. Serve in bowls with fresh berries, bananas, seeds or whatever else you like or have in the store cupboard.
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
Rens Kroes launches Powerfood 2 at Amsterdam Flavours
Rens Kroes, the well known Dutch author of the incredibly popular PowerFood Cookbook is launching her second book, PowerFood - from Friesland to New York at Amsterdam Flavours new location at the Westergasfabriek with pop-up restaurant over 3 days. Click here to reserve your place.
Celeriac Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
100 g walnuts
3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
6 medium eating apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped
120 g cashew nuts
4 stalks of celery, sliced, use the leaves as a garnish
2 litres chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 small celeriac - about 250g peeled and roughly chopped
1 small bunch freshly chopped parsley
Method
Toast the walnuts in a large saucepan and then set aside.
Heat the butter in the pan on a medium heat then add the leeks and celery and let sweat for 8 minutes until soft on a medium heat.
Add garlic, thyme and apples and sweat for a further 5 minutes. Add the chopped celeriac and the hot stock, bring to the boil and then simmer on medium heat for 12 – 15 minutes until the celeriac is tender. Take off the heat.
Add the cashew nuts, most of the parsley and the sea salt and pepper. Blend the soup, in batches, then return to the pan on a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the toasted walnuts, chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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
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.
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
Marie-Stella-Maris Archives
In 2010 the United Nations declared access to clean drinking water and sanitation to be a basic human right (Resolution 64/292).
Resolution 64/292 inspired the creation of MARIE-STELLA-MARIS in 2011. MARIE-STELLA-MARIS strongly believes in the idea of taking care of one another and spreading creativity, personality and style to realize our social objectives.
Through sharing our personal interests and by offering a broad range of water and care products they aim to change the life of others. For each product purchased, MARIE-STELLA-MARIS donates a fixed amount towards clean drinking water projects worldwide.
The MARIE-STELLA-MARIS Archives store in Amsterdam is a must visit.
For more information please visit MARIE-STELLA-MARIS
Salmon Ceviche with Fennel Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the ceviche
250g salmon fillet, skinned
2 tbsp rock salt
1 tbsp red chillies, finely diced
75ml pink grapefruit juice
1 tbsp lime zest
150ml lime juice (about 5 limes)
20g caster sugar
30 coriander leaves, finely chopped
For the salad
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced (using a mandolin if possible)
110g rocket leaves
Method
For the ceviche, lightly sprinkle the salmon fillet with rock salt. Transfer to the fridge and leave for 20 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the fridge, carefully wash off all the salt and pat it dry.
In a small bowl, mix the chillies, grapefruit juice, lime zest and juice together and add the sugar. Add the coriander at the last minute and toss to combine.
Slice the salmon at an angle - each piece needs to be about 2-3mm thick.
Lay four slices evenly in a straight line onto each serving plate.
Spoon all but two tablespoons of the ceviche dressing over the salmon. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
For the salad, soak the sliced fennel in iced water for 2-3 minutes, before removing and draining. Mix with the salad leaves and the reserved two tablespoons of the ceviche dressing.
Place the fennel salad on top of the salmon and serve.
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