Smoked Bacon and Tomato Spaghetti

Imagine a recipe for a quick dinner to get on the table during a busy week with ingredients that you most probably already have and one that's going to please the whole family? Well, here it is.....

Serves 4

Ingredients
400g pack spaghetti
175g smoked bacon
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 tins tomato cubes
75g grated Parmesan
75g rocket
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the bacon into small strips. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and fry for a further 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and smoked paprika and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced by a third.

Add the spaghetti to the pan of boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the spaghetti.

Dress the rocket with a little olive oil and salt. Mix the spaghetti through the tomato sauce and if necessary, thin the sauce down with some of the reserved pasta water. Divide the spaghetti between 4 plates, sprinkle over the grated Parmesan and top with the rocket.

 

Nederlands

voor 4 personen 

Ingrediënten
400gr spaghetti
175gr gerookte ontbijtspek
1 ui
2 teentjes knoflook
2 theelepels gerookte paprikapoeder
2 blikken tomaatblokjes
75gr geraspte Parmezaan
75gr rucola
4 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper

Bereiding
Snijd de ui en knoflook fijn. Snijd het ontbijtspek in kleine reepjes. Breng een pan water met zout aan de kook.

Verwarm een koekenpan op medium vuur met 2 eetlepels olijfolie en bak het ontbijtspek 2-3 minuten. Voeg de ui toe en bak nog eens 4 minuten.

Voeg de knoflook en gerookte paprikapoeder toe en bak 1 minuut. Voeg de tomaten, zout en peper toe en kook zachtjes 10 minuten. Kook 1/3  van de saus in.

Voeg de spaghetti toe aan de pan met kokend water en kook in 8-10 minuten beetgaar. Bewaar een kopje van het kookvocht en giet de spaghetti af.

Maak rucola aan met olijfolie naar smaak. Meng de spaghetti door de tomaten en verdun, indien nodig, met het bewaarde kookvocht. Verdeel de spaghetti over 4 borden, bestrooi met de geraspte Parmezaan en leg wat rucola bovenop.


White Chocolate Yoghurt with Berries

Thinking of giving your kids a 'healthy' treat? Don't be fooled by the picture. This is super-easy to make and your children can help too. This recipe is like a good pair of jeans; you can dress it up or down as you like.

English

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
500ml natural farmhouse yoghurt
150g white chocolate
1 punnet blueberries
1 punnet black berries
1 punnet raspberries
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method
Heat a pan of water over medium heat. Place the chocolate in a bowl and place the bowl over the pan of simmering water (the water must not boil). Let the chocolate melt gently.

Once the chocolate has melted, allow it to cool slightly. Add ½ cup yoghurt and mix well together. Add the remaining yoghurt and stir through.

Place the blue berries, blackberries and raspberries in a bowl and mix through ½ tablespoon sugar.

Divide the yoghurt between 3-4 glasses (or bowls).

Spoon the berries on top. Sprinkle over a little caster sugar and serve.

 

Nederlands

Voor 3-4 personen

Ingrediënten
500ml boerennaturel yoghurt
150g witte chocolade
1 bakje zwarte bessen
1 bakje bramen
1 bakje frambozen
1/2 eetlepel suiker

Bereiding
Verwarm een pannetje water op medium vuur. Doe de chocolade in een kommetje en zet dit op het pannetje met kokend water (water mag nu niet meer koken), laat zachtjes smelten.

Als de chocolade gesmolten is, laat deze licht afkoelen. Voeg dan ½ kopje yoghurt toe en meng het goed door elkaar. Voeg daarna de rest van de yoghurt toe.

Doe de zwarte bessen, bramen en frambozen in een kommetje en meng er ½ eetlepel suiker doorheen

Verdeel de yoghurt over 3-4 glazen (kommetjes.)

Lepel het bessenmengsel erop. Bestrooi eventueel met wat fijne suiker.


Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

This recipe for lemon cupcakes is one that we have adapted from Martha Stewart. It produces light, tender cupcakes with a fragrant lemony flavour. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
220g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups caster sugar
4 large eggs
finely grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 cup milk

Buttercream Icing
150g butter, softened
300g icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chopped chocolate or other decorations to garnish. Our favourite is to use different flavours from Tony's Chocolonely.

Method

Preheat an oven to 160C. Line a muffin or cupcake tin with paper cases. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in batches, alternating with the yoghurt, milk and lemon juice. Beat until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cases, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes, rotating the tins halfway until the cakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Transfer to wire racks and cool completely before icing. The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container of frozen.

For the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the remaining milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.

Spread the icing over the cupcakes using a knife or small palette knife. Top with the chopped chocolate or other decorations of your choice.

 


Food Revolution Day 2015

We are supporting Jamie Oliver this Friday 15th May in fighting for food education because we believe that children have the right to know where their food comes from and how it should be prepared. In this way they can make informed choices that lead to a healthy lifestyle. So please sign his petition, share it and spread the word.

A few years ago, Mischa partook in a similar project here in Holland encouraging children to lead a healthy and active life.

Here is an easy recipe using fresh fruit of the season to make with your kids. Let this be a basis from which to expand and get their friends and classmates involved!

Ingredients
7 raspberries
7 hulled strawberries
7 tangerines segments
7 cubes peeled mangoes
7 peeled pineapples chunks
7 peeled kiwi fruit chunks
7 green grapes
7 red grapes
2 blueberries

Method
Take 7 wooden skewers and thread the following fruit onto each – 1 raspberry, 1 hulled strawberry, 1 tangerine segment, 1 cube of peeled mango, 1 chunk of peeled pineapple, 1 chunk of peeled kiwi, 1 green and 1 red grape, and finish off with 2 blueberries. Arrange in a rainbow shape and let everyone help themselves.


Apple Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients
for the pancakes
¾ cup milk (about 200 ml)
1½ tablespoons vinegar
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil

caramelized apples
2 tablespoon butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup maple syrup

Method
Whisk together the milk and vinegar and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

While the milk is curdling (the milk will literally start to separate. Don't be alarmed, this is supposed to happen!), whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg and oil into milk. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined (don't over-mix, it should still have some lumps).

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and grease with some sunflower oil. Pour large spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes until bubbles form and the edges start to look "dry". Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Set the pancakes aside and repeat with remaining batter.

Using the same pan, add the butter, apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes until apples are tender. Add the maple syrup. Serve the apples over the warm pancakes.

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


Sausages Rolls

Ingredients
500 g sausage mince
1 egg
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
40 ml Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
sea salt and cracked black pepper
250g puff pastry
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine the mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick and cut into 12cm x 24 cm pieces or cut each ready-rolled pastry sheet in half.

Divide the sausage mixture into six equal portions, roll into sausage shapes and place down the centre of each piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, placing the pastry seam underneath.Cut the sausage rolls into thirds and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

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


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!

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


Blender Amsterdam - Kids Concept Store and Cafe

Imagine a place where you can enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee with a bite to eat while your kids can play in a dedicated kids zone, order from a special kids menu and can even get spoilt by you in a store specially dedicated to them.

Blender Amsetrdam is such a place!

A light and bright contemporary store with a relaxed atmosphere. They also organise children's parties and have a hairdresser, specially for the kids, twice a week. The perfect place for the whole family.

For more information, please visit Blender Amsterdam.


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!