Tastiest little bites

I totally copied this from a restaurant in Chicago. Those of you whom know which restaurant, will also know why I had to recreate it, these create cravings....

Chorizo filled dates wrapped in bacon dipped in smoked paprika sauce. YUM! For those of you whom don't know I am not a big pork lover, but this just makes my mouth water.

Here is what you will need:

20 dates (make sure they feel softish not hard - this is important)
Good quality spanish fresh/raw (not cooked) chorizo sausage*
24 slices good quality smokey bacon strips
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper
pinch of sugar
3-4 bottled smoked and peeled parpika's (you could roast and then peel your own if you feel ambitious enough)
1 tinned tomato

1. Pre heat your oven to 170C. 
2. Rinse and half the paprika, place in a pan and add the tinned tomato, bring to a simmer. 
3. Chop the garlic finely and add to the paprika & tomatoes, season and add the pinch of salt. Allow to continue simmering for another couple minutes. 
4. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. 
5. Slit the dates down the middle and take out the pits. Place on  an oven tray on top of baking paper. 
6. If you have bought chorizo sausages in casings, cut them open and digg out the meat. Put a small pinch into each date, make sure to squeeze in as much as you can without lots of meat 'popping out'. 
7. Now rap each date in bacon, you will only need 1 slice of bacon per date - I added extra bacon to the ingredients list as a precaution. 
8. Place your bundles of joy in the oven for about 20min. I left mine in slightly longer and they got what we call 'cajun', and a bit dry. Don't make the same mistake, these guys are best when soft and moist on the inside and the bacon crisp and slightly moist on the outside.
9. Blend the semi-cooled paprika/tomato sauce. Taste, season further if needed.

Lean back dip your date into the sauce and eat - bliss. 

For those of you that live in Amsterdam or the Hague, Marqt has some great chorizo sausage.

Shepard's Pie - done my way

Its been a while since I last posted and I always feel it tugging at the back of my mind. Suffice to say I have been a busy bee with a new study and trying to figure out what's next.

My hubby also noticed my lack of cooking creativity so he kindly gave me a new cook book for inspiration. It seems that the cooking block has been loosened. Although I fear for myself and my own expectations that I won't be posting as often as I wish I could.

Thank you all for your patience, all of you, whom I don't even know, read my blog.

Here is a seasonal dinner recipe, a request given by my hubby - Shepard's Pie done my way.

This is by far THE BEST Shepard's pie I have ever made. Deep in flavors, creamy and full of texture all at the same time. I have to pat myself on my back for this one, I am proud. 

I replaced regular potatoes for sweet potatoes & rutabaga or swede or turnip, which ever you prefer to call it. Basically this last mentioned is a root veggie, white & purple with a yellowish color inside. It has a very distinct flavor. Some say you either hate rutabaga or love it..So if you haven't tried it yet, give it a go, its the perfect season for it!

Apparently these "swedes" are high in vitamin C.

Thai curry with coconut rice

This is a great, easy mid week dinner dish. I cheat and use pre made thai curry pastes. I found a brand that doesn't use preservatives. I also found brown basmati rice and coconut milk that doesn't use any E's as you understand all this makes my day. Yes I get my kicks from unusual things.

You can make this dish vegetarian by only using veggies or adding tofu or tempeh. I use chicken and veggies for the above photo but you could also use shrimps, beef, turkey or a white fish (not sure about salmon).

Middle eastern flavors

I cannot truly label these dishes middle eastern as I have kind of complied them myself but they are built off the those exotic dishes and flavors.

I have made tzaziki(top right) as well as the black babaganoush (right). You can find the recipes for these in my previous posts. Along side these two dips I served feta which I always make sure is made with sheep's cheese and not cow as thats the traditional ingredient and it makes a big difference in taste. The middle dish, is a tabouleh served with lamb merguez. Traditionally tabouleh is not served with sausage, so you could skip that and still have a very colorful and satisfying meal. I would recommend serving pita or turkish bread along side this meal so that people can dip and mop the food up.

To make tabouleh you need:

1 small handful of fresh mint leaves
2 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 a cucumber
2 dl uncooked couscous or bulgur (here above I used couscous)
I added some flat parsley leaves, not part of the traditional recipe but I like it.
4 mergeuz sausages

optional - drizzle of olive oil & lemon juice

1. Rinse all the veg. 
2. Bring 3 dl of water to boil, once boiled turn off the heat and add the couscous, stir and then allow it to sit & swell on its own. Once its done allow it to cool then using a fork carefully drag it through the couscous to break it up, using a spoon can turn it into a thick porridge instead of light & fluffy individual grains. 
3.  Fry the merguez sausages. Allow to cool before slicing, as seen above. 
4. Halve the cucumber and with a spoon scoop out the seeds (center part of cucumber). The chop into small cubes. 
5. Halve the tomatoes and using a spoon scoop out the seeds. Chop into small cubes.
6. Transfer the couscous to a bowl and add the cucumber & tomato cubes, mix. 
7. Chop the mint leaves and sprinkle over the couscous, again mix. 
8. Add the parsley & merguez and then give it a final mix. 
9. Add a small sprinkle of olive oil and lemon juice. 

Sausage Ragu

This is another very simple yet very fulfilling dinner or decadent lunch. This recipe is inspired by our local Italian that serves a divine sausage pasta with lots of fennel, which I love but many don't. So if you're apposed to the anise seedy flavor of fennel then just leave it out. Served with a glass of red wine or frothy beer, its one of those dishes that leaves you feeling comforted and satisfied.

The trick to this recipe is good quality tinned or bottled tomatoes. I used tinned cherry tomatoes, they add a creamy, rich texture which other cheaper tined tomatoes don't live up to.

Recipe for 2 portions
1 tinned/bottled tomatoes
2 Sausages (I used turkey, as I am not a big pork fan)
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt & pepper
pinch of sugar or 1/2tsp honey
half a handful of flat parsley leaves
Parmesan or piccorino to taste (or a mix of both)
Pasta - spaghetti, linguine or fusilli it's up to you.
Drizzle of oil.

1. Put on your pasta water. 
2. Chop up the sausage into bite size pieces. 
3. If you're using whole fennel seeds use a pestle & mortar to grind up the seeds to a dust. 
4. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil into a thick bottomed pan, add the sausage & fennel, fry till the sausage has gone golden but not completely cooked through.
5. Season with salt & pepper, taste.
6. Add the sugar or honey, this bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce. 
7. Allow to cook on low heat for 10-13min, stirring in between, till the sauce has become thick & rich.
8. Taste. Add seasoning if needed.
9. Plate & sprinkle generously with your choice of cheese.

Best way to serve Chili

OK, so by now you must know I like chili, as I have already done 2 posts on it. This is not about how to cook it, its about how best to serve it. Or rather, how to take your chili to the next level.

For the chili recipe, you can find both a meat & vegetarian version in my previous posts. Once the chili has been made, and may I point out the longer it gets to cook the better it will taste. Even better if you leave it for a day, so that all the spice flavors can melt together and intensify. Same thing with bolognese or any stew, the longer it gets to cook and rest the better it will taste in the end. with these food, patience is of the utmost importance.

So, for the perfect chili eating experience, in my humble opinion, is to serve it with the all essential guacamole (also to be found in my previous posts) and sour cream. Then the coriander is also vital, again this is my opinion, I know many people don't like it, so then skip it.

My husband loves to crumble crackers over the top of his chili, adding crunch.

My latest invention is to serve the chili with a toasted or rather pan grilled tortilla, this adds a crunchy element and its heavenly to dip it in the chili, add a little guacamole & sour cream.

Finally, a fresh squeeze of lime juice over the entire bowl will bring that little zingy freshness. 

To wash this down you need a light beer, corona or similar with a wedge of lime.

HEAVEN!

Quesadillas for the soul

We all know I like healthy but once in a while I need some soul food, and to me this is one of those dishes that just hits that spot. 

The best part is it quick and easy to make. You don't have to have guacamole with it or even sour cream but having both and even some salsa on the side bring it up a notch.

This is paired perfectly with a cold beer both in the middle of winter or summer.

Hearty lentil, spicy sausage soup served with gruyere grilled cheese sandwich

This is the meal to start your new year with. The soup is hearty, warming and spiced with el ras hanout (Moroccan curry spice) and flecked with small chunks of dried chili sausage. This is food for the hungry and non calorie conscience.

Meat Ball Left Overs

This dish is so super simple even if you don't have left over meat balls, you can make them (see my recipe for Italian Meat balls).

feeds 2:
5-8 left over meat balls (see recipe for Italian Meat Balls)
200 gram cherry tomatoes
0,5 dl good black olives (not tinned cheap-o olives)
1 tsp capers or more if you like
200-300 gram spagetti or penne
1 garlic clove
salt, pepper
fresh parsley (either flat or curly)
1 tbsp olive oil
Fresh grated parmesan
*if you have some pine nuts, roast them and add

Pita Burger

My mother makes the BEST burgers. When my sister and I were growing up burger nights we such a treat! All the pots of various goodies to fill the burger with till you couldn't even get your jaws around it, sauces dripping down everywhere, down our hands in down our arms. What a joy as a kid to eat with your hands and make a mess, and it all being allowed! Such simple pleasures children find and cherish. To this day I love to over stuff and over sauce my burgers, eating it very un-lady like.

The trick I have found is, through my mother is to allow the meat to sit, once you have spiced and added the ingredients to your liking. This might not always be handy or even possible, but if you can leave it sit an hour or two or even three. Also by using a pita bread instead of a big fluffy (unhealthy) white burger bun your getting a lot more stomach space for your burger & it's fillings, pits is the way to go in my opinion.

To make 4 burgers (medium sized, approx 100 gram each) you will need +/- 400 gram ground beef or lamb.

Here are the ingredients I like to add to my burger meat:

1 tbsp good quality BBQ marinade (preferably something smokey)
Salt & pepper
1 tsp el ras hanout (Moroccan spice mix)
1 tbsp capers
10 chopped olives (preferably Kalamata or other strong tasting good quality, i.e., pricey olives)
2 tbsp crumbled (sheep's milk) feta

1. To prepare you simply place all this in a large enough bowl and mix with your hands. The shape the meat into paddies, and place on a plate. I like my burgers almost thin, this way I can fill my pita with more ingredients and still almost be able to fit my jaw around it all. 
2. Pre heat a pan with a small drizzle of sunflower or other cooking oil (not needed if you have a teflon pan)
3. Cook the burgers first on 1 side for approx 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for as long as you like (rare, medium, well done). I like mine almost well done, that took me about another 4 minutes after flipping. 

For the fillings I love the following, all in 1 burger: 

1. Fried onion rings, I fry mine till then have gone totally limp and last minute I add a tinny drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 
2. Lettuce 
3. Sliced fresh tomato
4. Good quality mayonnaise
5. mustard, dijon
6. Ketchup (I found one made with agave instead of sugar at my health food store, its yummy!)
7. Pickled lime (Indian condiment, found in deli's) OR other spicy, chili type paste or chutney. 

I could also see how some sliced avocado could do nicely in this mix, but I have not tried that yet. 

ok, so then once you have toasted your pita, filled it with the burger and all of the above sauces and fillings, go ahead, digg in! Eat it with your hands, be messy and remember how fun it can be to be a little kid!

Moroccan inspired lamb stew

I love stews, full of flavor, meat thats soft and tender and falls apart. To me real food heaven. Soul food, comfort food. I love my stews either full of spices Moroccan style or drenched in wine and loaded with herbs. This recipe is of the latter, inspired by Moroccan spices and flavors. I have a feeling that this could be cooked perfectly in a tagine (Moroccan terra-cotta pyramid shaped cooking pot). I love lamb in this stew as its deep earthy flavor deepns the flavor of the spices but a good bio/eco beef or chicken would also do well. I served the stew with couscous and rice, bulgur could also do well.

As all stews this will take about 2,5-4 hours to cook, the longer the better. This will allow all the spices to fuse together and the meat go soft and what I call "stringy". I recommend using a deep thick bottomed pan for this.

to make 8 servings
(perfect dish to freeze and take out on a night you can't be bothered to cook or when you know your going to come home late)
2 aubergines
1 red paprika (capsicum to all Australians)
1 fresh chili
1 large yellow onion
8 dried apricots
6 dried prunes
400 gram lamb/beef meat (make sure the cuts you get are good for a stew)
3-5 merenguez sausages (or other spices sausages)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 garlic cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch cardamon
pinch dried chili
pinch paprika powder
+/-1 tsp salt
pepper
1 cube beef stock or 1 tbsp concentrated liquid stock
1 chopped tinned tomato
3 dl water (enough to cover the meat & veg)
optional - 1 tsp "ras el hasout" spice (I found it at my local turkish corner store - kind a like a curry powder but not completely.
Chopped parsley and/or coriander

1. Cut the meat into strips or cubes (no smaller than 3x3 cm)
2. Fry the meat for 2 min, till its browned but not cooked through.
3. Place the meat in a bowl or plate.
4. Chop the paprika, onion and garlic, fry till soft and golden. Add to the plate of meat.
5. Chop up the aubergine and fry in olive oil till soft, takes about 5-8 min. Getting it soft is important as aubergine can easily get tough if not cooked well enough.
6. Add the meat, paprika, onions and garlic to the aubergine and add all the spices, fry for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the dried fruit, tinned tomatoes and water.
8. Place the lid half ways over the pan.
Keep stirring the stew every 20 minutes so that it doesn't burn.

I think a last minute pinch of lemon zest or even organge could lift all the flavors up and bring a little zing to the otherwise very 'soft' and almost sweet tasting dish. I have not tried it yet but if you give it a try let me know how it turned out!

Italian meat balls

This recipe was given to me by my Italian colleague and friend Giorgio. These meatballs in a good tomato sauce are simply delish.

this amount gives 5 big portions

800 gram ground meat
salt & pepper
3 dl grated parmesan
1 baguette or other white bread loaf (preferably a chewy bread)
1-2 eggs
3 dl milk
chopped herbs - thyme, parsley, sage, basil

1. Take out the inside of the bread & soak it in the milk in a bowl for +/- 20 min
2. Place the ground meat in bowl, add salt and pepper, parmesan and the egg, mix
3. Add the bread to the ground meat, mash it all up so the bread de-solves into the meat.
4. Add the chopped herb you have chosen (only 1 herb). Mix.
5. Roll the meat into meatballs and place in a hot frying pan till brown, you can then place them in the oven for the rest of the cooking time or continue to cook them through in the frying pan.

I would suggest serving the meat balls in a simple tomato sauce with pasta and extra parmesan on the side.

buon appetito!!

Hot Chili con carne

Chili con carne, not much to say other than it's a crowd pleaser every time during every season. This recipe is adjusted from a 'BBC food' recipe.

Yummy Bolognese

I tend to make bolognese on Sunday's. For me it's just that kind of typical and perfect Sunday dish, wholesome, fulfilling for both body and mind. Maybe I make it on Sunday's because I have learned that the really trick it that it needs to cook for at least an hour to develop and deepen all the flavors and become more of a meat reduced tomato sauce rather than a liquid tomato sauce with meat in it.