Beef red curry

This holiday season break offered me many opportunities to widen my palate and discover new flavours. This deliciously comforting red curry is an outcome of my summer culinary adventures that brings to mind many good memories.

You'll need:

500g beef

2 sweet potatoes,

1 broccoli head

1/2 ripe mango

1 spoon red curry paste

400ml coconut milk

rice to serve your curry with

salt & pepper

1. Cut your beef into small goulash size chunks  and fry for 3-4 minutes on a pre-heated deep pan seasoning with it with salt& pepper.

2. Put your beef on the side and add the red curry paste on the pan, allow to fry for a moment together with a spoonful of coconut milk. Once the curry aroma starts to release add the remaining coconut milk. 

3. Add the beef back to the pan and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

4. In the meantime, peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into small 1cm squares. When the 15 minutes pass, add your sweet potatoes to the curry mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes soften.

5. Separate individual broccoli florets from the broccoli head and boil in hot salted wated together with a pinch of sugar for around 4 minutes. The stalks are edible too, but they need a little longer boiling time, so add them first if you want to use them as well.

6. Cut your mango into small slices and add to the curry together with the broccoli et voila!

Bon appétit!

Minty strawberries in white chocolate sauce with a twist

Possibly the best way to serve strawberries! If this little dessert doesn't cheer you up, then I don't know what will...

You'll need:
strawberries
fresh mint leaves
white chocolate
gin
lime juice

1. Melt the chocolate over low heat together with gin (or milk if you're abstinent).and a little bit of lime juice (just enough to break the sweetness of chocolate).

2. Pour your chocolate sauce over the strawberries previously mixed with chopped mint leaves.

Bon appétit!

Thai green chicken curry

This creamy indulgence is also the quickest curry possible: it takes no longer to make than it takes to boil the rice. Perfect for students in a hurry ;)

You'll need:
one chicken breast
10-15 green green asparagus shoots (if mixed with violet asparagus, it adds colour to the dish)
a tea spoon of green curry paste
a can (400ml) of coconut milk
juice from half a lime
lime zest
rice (basmati of jasmin fit best)

1. While the rice is cooking, put the green curry paste on a warm pan, add two/three spoons of coconut milk and stir. Add the lime zest and then fry the chicken (previously cut into thin slices) in the mixture.

2. Clean the asparagus and break off the lower part - it will break naturally in the right place. Cut the remaining shoots into shorter pieces.

3. Once the chicken is ready, add the remaining coconut milk and the asparagus shoots. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until they soften, add lime juice, et voila, your curry is ready! Serve with rice.

Bon appétit!

Easter specials: Mushroom devilled eggs

Mushroom devilled eggs - they always make their way to the Easter breakfast table at my house, it's a matter of tradition! Preparation requires some patience, but it's definitely worth it.

You'll need:
3 eggs
300g mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
2 spoons of mayo
butter
sunflower oil
black pepper
salt

1. Peel the skins off the mushroom heads and cut them VERY finely into small cubes of around 2mm length. This is the patience-requiring part.

2. Melt the butter on a pan, add a little bit of oil and chopped mushrooms. Season with a generous dose of black pepper and salt. After a while on a pan the mushrooms will give out a lot of water, fry over a low heat until the liquid evaporates and they are completely cooked through. They will reduce in volume quite a lot by that time.

3. Cool the mushroom mixture.

4. Hard boil the eggs.

5. Cool the eggs before deshelling and cutting into half.

6. With a tea spoon delicately remove the egg yolks.

7. Combine the egg yolks with the mushrooms and mayo.

8. Spoon the mushroom and egg yolk filling on the eggs, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Beef burger with roquefort and grilled pears

An American classic prepared the European way with the famous roquefort blue cheese which can be made only in one of the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in southern France.

You'll need:
150g beef mince
1/4 pear
1 medium size onion
50g roquefort
balsamic vinegar
round bread-roll
salt&pepper
sugar

1. Since the other ingredients already give this dish very rich flavours, the meat does not require a lot of seasoning, just some salt & pepper should do. Mix the spices into the mince and carefully form a burger.

2. Slice the onion and fry on a grill pan, adding a pinch of sugar and a few drops of balsamico.

3. Put the onion on the side, covering with a lid, so that it stays warm. Proceed with grilling the meat and the pear (cut into thin slices).

4. Once the meat is done on one side, turn it and put crumbled roquefort on top. Allow it to melt (a cover might help).

5. Allow the meat to rest for a few seconds while warming up the breadroll (previously cut into half) on the same grill pan.

6. Assemble the ingredients: first the onions, followed by the meat and then pear slices on top, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Indie yogurt roasted chicken drumsticks with Polish 'miseria'

I'm super excited about the results of this experiment! A truly amazing, and diet friendly, way to prepare chicken drumsticks (or a whole chicken). Not a single drop of oil is used in the roasting process, but thanks to the the yogurt marinade chicken remains super juicy on the inside but crunchy on the outside AND full of flavour! Very comforting and it goes perfectly with the Polish cucumber salad called mizeria (not so diet friendly ;)).

You'll need:

3 chicken drumstics

juice from one lemon

5 spoons of natural yogurt

cumin

a bunch of fresh coriander leaves

1 garlic clove

salt&pepper

For Miseria:

cucumber(s)

sour cream 

salt&pepper

tzatziki seasoning mix (optional)

1. Chop the coriander and the garlic and proceed to combine the ingredients of the marinade (i.e yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, garlic and salt&pepper).

2. Leave the skin on the drumsticks, but massage some marinade underneath. You can also make some cuts on the meat underneath the skin for the flavour to mix in even better. Cover the drumsticks completely in the marinade and leave for at least 4 hours.

3. Roast in an oven pre-set to 220 degrees on a grill tray, without a cover for around 40 minutes (depending on the size of the drumsticks). If you don't have a grill tray, or don't want to spend time cleaning one, no worries - I used wooden skewers which I put over an open oven dish (which you can also cover with foil, if you want to avoid cleaning ;)) Thanks to the relatively high temperature and the fact that the drumsticks are completely covered in the marinade they don't dry out.

4. To make the salad, peel and slice the cucumber(s), combine with cream and season with salt and pepper. You can also add tzatziki seasoning mix for an extra twist.

Bon appétit!

Masoor dhal

...or simply split red lentils. Digging deep into my archives for this Indian side dish recipe.

You'll need:
250g split red lentils
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
1 long green chili
turmeric
garam masala
2 garlic cloves
4cm of ginger
oil
salt&pepper
1 litre water

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve and then transfer into a pot. Add garam masala, turmeric and water and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove any foam that accumulates on the surface in the process.

2. In the meantime, chop and fry the onion until it softens and starts turning golden brown. At this point add previously chopped garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds or so, taking care not to burn anything.

3. Cut the chili longways and add to the frying pan with onions together with chopped tomatoes.

4. Once the lentils cooked for 20 miunutes, transfer the contents of the frying pan to the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the lentils are completely soft. Add some water if necessary and stir regularly.

5. Season with salt&pepper if necessary.

Bon appétit!

Pork tenderloin in a green pepper cheese sauce

A very simple and quick recipe for a last minute special occasion dinner that can be ready within 20 minutes! I can't believe it's almost a year since I came up with this idea - reminiscing on the time I've spent in Belgium :) 

You'll need:

pork tenderloin

100g creamy cheese spread (also known as fromage fondu in Belgium (e.g. the one produced by Maredsous or the popular Hochland triangles))

50ml cream

a spoonful of marinaded green pepper

salt & pepper

potatoes (optional, to serve with)

1. Prepare the sauce by melting the cheese in cream in a small pot over a small heat. Once your cheese has completely dissolved, add green pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.

2. Fry the tenderloin on a warmed up pan, seasoned with salt and pepper (preferably freshly grated)

3. Allow the tenderloin to rest for a few minutes, then slice it and serve with your cheese and pepper sauce and a side of boiled potatoes (optional)

Bon appétit!

White sausages with topinambur

White sausage is one of the foodstuffs that I always miss when I'm away from home for a long time. Polish white sausage is different from white sausages I encountered in Western or Southern Europe, which in consistence resemble more German frankfurters. It is worth paying a visit to a Polish shop for these. Today I combined my white sausage with a side of baked topinambour (also known as Jerusalem artichoke or sunroot), a new discovery of mine. Topinambour is a root vegetable known for its healthy properties for type 2 diabetes that has a slightly sweet nutty taste. It goes very well with white sausage.

You'll need (a portion for one):

one Polish white sausage

one medium onion

4 dried plums

150g of topinambour

white pepper

black pepper

salt

olive oil

1. Wash your topinambour, no need to peel it, and then cut it into thin slices. Put in an oven dish, sprinkle with white and black pepper, salt and some olive oil and put in the oven set to 200 degrees (covered) for around 30 minutes. You might want to remove the cover from the dish towards the end of the baking to make it more crispy.

2. In the meantime chop the onion and fry it on a pan together with plums cut into small pieces.

3. Cut the sausage into half longways and make small cuts across on the outer side, fry together with the onion.

4. Serve hot together with baked topinambour.

Bon appétit!

Chicken cacciatore con polenta

...or hunters stew. This Italian dish can be prepared in many ways, the only common denominator really is the presence of wine and tomato sauce. Today, I propose a rustic northerly version with white wine (in the south red wine is apparently preferred). Serving it with polenta gives the dish an additional Italian touch.

You'll need:
6 chicken thighs
a glass of white wine
3 spoons of tomato puree
4 carrots
1 medium onion
fresh salvia
3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
a bay leaf
sweet paprika powder
a glass of stock
olive oil for frying
salt

polenta
grated parmesan
butter

 

1. Start off by by browning the chicken thighs, previously seasoned with paprika and salt. Once they brown, transfer them into a casserole dish. You can make cuts on the thighs, so that they better absorb the flavours while in the oven.

2. Slice the carrots and the onion and add to the casserole.

3. Pour over the wine and the stock mixed with tomato puree.

4. Add a bay leaf, fresh salvia leaves and rosemary.

5. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

6. In the meantime prepare polenta, using the instructions on the packet and stir in the parmesan and the butter.

7. Assemble everything on a plate, e voila!

Bon appétit!

Drunken carrot pasta

A slightly unusual combination of flavours for the secret alcoholics among us for the sauce contains a little bit of brandy ;) I used trofie liguri pasta which added to the funkiness of the dish.

You'll need:

trofie liguri (or other pasta)

100g of bacon cut into small cubes

3-4 medium carrots

2-3 spoons of brandy

4-5 spoons of sour cream

1. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the sauce. Start off by frying the bacon. 

2. Peel and then grate the carrots on a medium grater and add to the bacon once it's nearly ready.

3. Add the brandy and allow the carrots to fry with the bacon for 3-4 minutes before adding the cream.

4. Stir the sauce and watch the cream turn beautifully orange, your pasta sauce is ready!

Bon appétit!

Quick lentils salad

Feel like eating something filling, but no too heavy and on top of that you have no time for preparation? Then  this recipe is perfect for you - it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make and can easily serve as a quick lunch.

You'll need:

1 can of lentils

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil marinade

fresh parsley

olive oil or oil from the tomatoes

white wine vinegar

salt & pepper

1. Put the lentils on a sieve and wash with cold water before transfering into a bowl.

2. Chop the parsley and the tomatoes and transfer both into abowl.

3. Add 2 spoons of olive oil and half a spoon of vinegar, add a pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning, stir, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Mish-mash vegan wrap a la Manès

I have been recently invited to a celebratory dinner by my dear freund Manès. In return (and under some undeniable pressure ;)) I made a promise to him that I will post the results of his cooking endeavours here if he prepares sth interesting ;) Since his performance was really up to the standard and he managed to impress me, here it is: mish-mash vegan wrap a la Manès! 

Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the filling itself, you'll have to use your imagination to conceptualise the end result. While the cooking technique for this dish remains a secret, if you would like to try making it you'll need the following ingredients:

aubergines

potatos (pre-cooked)  

tofu

red pepper

garlic

onion 

walnuts

salt & pepper for seasoning

and of course some tortilla wraps :)

The filling goes well with rice and guacamole, a recipe for which you can find here.

Polish smoked cheese potato casserole

Remember my two cheese potato casserole? Soon after I made it I became a bit homesick and decided to make another version with Polish ingredients. The results turned out to be very satisfying, so I post the results here ;)

You'll need:
5 medium size, waxy, low-starch potatoes
1 medium size onion
150g of smoked cheese
150g of Polish sausage
oregano

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Pre-cook in salted water making sure they are not completely cooked.

2. In the meantime, chop the onion, cut the sausage and  proceed to fry them together.

4. Assemble the elements of the casserole in a casserole dish. Start with a layer of potatoes at the bottom, season them with oregano, add half of the sausage/onion mix and a  few slices of smoked cheese. Repeat the process again. Leave some potatoes for the final layer. Cover the top layer of potatoes with smoked cheese, it will deliciously melt in the oven.

5. Put the casserole in the oven pre-heated to 200 degrees for around 15 minutes. The oil from sausage/onion frying should suffice to make sure the dish does not dry up, but if you're worried you can add some more before putting the lid on the casserole.

Bon appétit!

Pappa al pomodoro

 

You have some leftover stale bread? This typically Tuscan recipe comes to the rescue! Never again will you be faced with the problem of having to get rid of stale bread. In fact, this primo piatto (first dish) is so yummy that you might want to put some fresh bread aside just to make pappa al pomodoro again :)

You'll need:

500g stale white bread

400ml tomato passata or 4 fresh tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 garlic clove

olive oil

salt & pepper

1. Warm up some olive oil in a pot and fry some previously chopped onion on it. Once the onion starts to turn golden, add garlic and fry for 30 seconds more, being careful not to burn it. 

2. It is best to add fresh ripe tomatoes at this point and cook everything until the tomatoes reach a saucy consistency, but if you want to speed things up you can take a shortcut and add a tomato passata.

3. Cut the bread into small cubes and add to the pot. Add also some water and stir. Let the bread absorb the liquids and dissolve into a gluey smooth consistency. Add some more water as you go along if need be.

4. Season with salt and pepper for taste and add fresh basil leaves (these should be added only towards the end of the cooking as otherwise basil will loose its colour and characteristics).

5. Sprinkle some extra vergin olive oil on top before serving, decorate with a basil leaf, et voila!

Bon appétit!