Cooking: carrot cake cookies

Carrot cake must be one of the best inventions humans can ever think of.  So luscious, so nutty, so... healthy with all those carrots ... ;-) I really consider this as my go-to dessert and I'm always on the lookout for new variations.  When my friend Jessi invited me to a Pub Quiz night, I knew this was the opportunity (plus it had been Carrot Cake day some days before...).  Given that such nights ask for finger food, I couldn't make a proper cake.  But I could turn the cake into cookies - the perfect finger food...

Cooking: baked mac and cheese

I admit it:  I think mac and cheese, and almost all its variations, is one of the best comfort foods there are in this world... So versatile, so inviting, so soothing - I can go on and on and on as to its qualities.  Still, I'm not content with just my regular mac and cheese:  I'm always on the lookout for something new that will surprise and excite me... This is the latest in my mac and cheese adventures:

Baked mac and cheese

(inspired by Verbatim)

1 tablespoon butter
 

600g grated cheese (I used a gratin mix)

400g pasta, cooked al dente (I used penne)

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt/pepper to taste
 

1 cup milk
4 tbsp panko 

100g grated mozzarella

Preheat oven at 180 degrees C fan.  Grease a baking sheet (I used a swiss-roll baking sheet - it turned out so well, with no spills) with butter.  In a pot, combine pasta with cheese and condiments.  Spread in baking sheet and start sprinkling:  milk, mozzarella, panko.  Cook until bubbly and crispy, about 15 minutes.

(btw, in this post, Karen also deals with the issue of language in the comments section, and how words and tenses evolve over time - fascinating!)

Cooking: cheeseburger soup

When it's cold out in the world, there is nothing better than a hot, steamy soup.  Unless it's a hearty, hot, steamy soup with plenty of ingredients to provide warmth and comfort...

Cheeseburger soup

(adapted from The Recipe Critic)

500g minced meat

¾ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced celery

1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley 

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk

 

1 kg diced potatoes (I used frozen)

200g processed cheese (I used Maredsous double cream)

salt/pepper to taste

grated cheese, to taste

I start with the chicken broth, which I make with the carcass of one chicken, which I boil together with celery, carrots and peppercorns - and plenty of water.  I reckon I start with 1.5l-2l, ending up with about 1 litre of stock.  I also use the (boiled) carrots from the stock into the soup (waste not, want not...).  At the same time, I brown the minced meat.

On to the soup:  Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery in a blender so that they end up like a paste.  In a huge pot, melt a bit of butter over medium heat and slightly brown the paste so that the aroma starts working.  Add the condiments and the minced meat. Once everything is warmed up again,  slowly add the broth, making sure that the temperature is maintained at a medium.  Add the potatoes (which I take out of the freezer so that they thaw a bit) and continue steering.  Add the processed cheese, leave everything to bubble away (for about 45 minutes).  Add the milk.

I did not need to thicken the soup, which I actually prefer.  That way, I can reheat the portions I want and I just add some grated cheese on top.  Bliss...

Cooking: Thanksgiving

no doubt...

I spend Thanksgiving with American friends living in Brussels.  The idea is not so much the "official" celebration, but more a friendly get-together, where we enjoy good food and drink, with a great bunch of friendly faces around us.

Given the recent events in Paris and around (including Brussels), I feel this year was indeed the year when I felt grateful for all my friends and family, both near and afar, both those I see on an everyday  basis but also the ones I see less often: I know they are there beside me, either physically or in spirit.  I'm never alone in the world.  And for that, I'm ever so grateful!

Onto the festivities:  also customary is the tradition of potluck: the burden does not have to fall all on the hosts - especially when a large group of people is gathered, every little contribution makes up for a festive table indeed!

My task for this year - a green bean casserole:

Green Bean Casserole

(adapted from ifoodreal)

800g green beans, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1 cup water
3 tbsp cream cheese
 

1 tbsp olive oil
250g thinly sliced onions (I used frozen)

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

3 tbsp water

Preheat oven at 180C (air).  Start with the beans:  Boil water in a huge pot, add beans, salt to taste.  Bring to boil again, then simmer for about 10 minutes.  Depending on how you like the beans, either increase or decrease time. (I like mine super cooked, hence the duration...). Drain and keep aside.

On to the topping: in a  large skillet, fry the onions over medium heat until golden (I had semi-thawed the onions in the meantime).  Set aside  in a bowl to allow them to cool down a bit.

Lastly, the sauce:  in that same skillet, over medium heat, add butter and flour and combine (like with any white sauce).  Add milk, water and cream cheese and whisk all together.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the green beans, stirring carefully.

Finish the topping: in the bowl with the onions, add breadcrumbs, cheese and water and mix until you get a steusel-type consistency.

In a baking dish (mine was 40*15cm), transfer the green beans and cover with the topping.  Cook for about 20 minutes. Try not to eat it all at once...

Cooking: lasagna soup and frittata

My new go-to cure for insomnia: cooking! 

When I'm faced with a white night, instead of tossing and turning or watching TV, I've made a point to at least profit from the extra hours I'm awake - I will either knit/crochet/cross-stitch, or, as in this case cook.  At least this way, I will not have been up for nothing...

Pinterest came to my rescue, again:  I had already noted these two recipes and they were easy to make.  No noisy equipment to use (that would wake me up completely), or demanding work (which would not be ideal at my condition...):

Lasagna soup

(adapted from Afarmgirlsdabbles, to accomodate what was available in my fridge and pantry...)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 Italian sausage, chopped

50g salami, finely chopped

1 cup onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp tomato paste

350ml diced tomatoes (passata)

1 bay leaf

750ml vegetable stock

100g short square pasta (Quadrettini )

1 tbsp dried basil

salt / pepper to taste

  

Start with a big casserole: over medium heat, fry the sausage and salami in oil until almost through.  Add onions and mined cloves and continue. Once all have a nice brown/caramel colour, add  tomatoes/paste and the condiments.  Add then the stock and bring to boil.  Only then add the pasta, together with the basil and any salt/pepper.  Leave to carelessly simmer, about 20 minutes.  A truly comforting soup, ready to be enjoyed...

Frittata

(adapted from Donna Hay)

100g chorizo, finely chopped

50g feta

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cup spinach (I had mini-portions, frozen)      

4 eggs

125ml single cream       

40gr grated cheese (I had mozzarella at hand)

salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 200C (air). I don't have oven-proof skillets, and that's why I fried the chorizo separately.  And I don't use any oil, because the minute it hits the skillet, the chorizo starts oozing this beautiful piment oil, which is sufficient and nothing gets burned.  But always check - other types may necessitate oil to start cooking...

Beat eggs with cream and salt/pepper.

Everything else is stacked in a dish:  at the bottom I place the chorizo, which I then top with spinach and crumbled feta. Top these with chopped tomato and pour egg mixture over everything.  Finish with grated cheese.  I left everything to cook for about 15 minutes, at which point the smell coming out of the oven was the most welcoming indication that I had overcome my insomnia and that I could now go back to bed...

Cooking: lentil salad with veggies

I've been feeling rather under the weather this past week, and during such times, the one thing sure to bring back the smile in my face is cooking.  Comfort cooking, that is.

Add to that that I've been longing for such a lentil salad (yes, there are many of us out there who like lentils), plus a dish that can be savoured on the go and hey presto - this recipe popped up in my trusted Pinterest.

Lentil salad with veggies

(adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 cup green lentils
1 tbsp lemon juice (in my case, three lemon juice ice cubes)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp olive oil (or to your taste)
1 cup finely cubed bell peppers (I used frozen mix)
200g chopped green olives
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp.  smoked paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried parsley

salt / pepper to taste

I started with the lentils, which I put to cook in water over a medium-low heat, to a ratio of 1 to 3.  (No salt added at this point, so that they don't go hard).  In the meantime, I used my multi to chop everything:  olives, green onions, bell peppers.  The reason was that I wanted them chopped as small as possible, so that everything is about the size of the lentils - this makes for a much better presentation...

Once the lentils are cooked, you could leave them to cool before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.  Or, like me, you could  start mixing the salad now, and make it a warm one: delicious!!!

Toss everything in a large bowl and make sure you taste at least some of it before inviting your friends over (big mistake...).  A friends- and family-approved recipe, which is to be repeated very soon!

Cooking: Alternative pizza recipes

What is pizza for me?  tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and a lovely carb "vessel" to carry off these delicacies...

But I don't want to have classic pizza all the time --  that's why I try to find recipes that still include my favourite ingredients and also bring the pleasure of eating pizza to a whole new level!

Cooking: Baby shower

Potluck dinners are the type of gatherings I love to go to, one, because they highlight the convivial spirit and two, because they give me a good excuse to cook up something new and exciting!  When my friend Jessi gathered us all girls around for a baby shower I went to my trusted Pinterest trying to find some new recipes. Here's what I came up with...

Cooking: Thanksgiving potluck

No, I'm not American but yes, I love all types of celebrations -- they always provide the right setting for a gathering, for meeting old and new, for putting the blandness of everyday life aside for a few hours of laughter, joy and insanity!  On this particular occasion, there was also a good reason to actually agree with the theme of the evening:  we should all have something to be thankful for:  our families, our friends, our health...

My friend Jessi, Über-mistress of ceremonies, was the proper person to undertake the extreme task of gathering close to 30 people for a Thanksgiving dinner:  just looking at the quantity of meat was enough to scare even the toughest male contender among the guests ...  The rest of the meal, however, was actually potluck:  from all corners of the world, but with a distinct American flavour, several side dishes provided the perfect background in honour of the Bird!  My contribution:  something with corn and something with pumpkin as per instructions - and I complied:


Creamy cheesy corn bake

(adapted from FiveheartHome)

300gr cream cheese

4 tbsp butter

1/3 cup milk

2x400gr cans crispy corn 

150g diced antipasti peppers

1 heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard

salt/pepper to taste

150g shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the oven at 180 degrees C fan.  Over low-medium heat, slowly melt the butter in a deep casserole (I like using as few utensils as possible).  Remove from stove.  Add cream cheese, milk, corn, peppers, mustard and stir.  Add salt/pepper to taste.  Pour in oven dish and sprinkle with cheddar.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown... Delish warm or cold!

Pumpkin cream cheese truffles

(adapted from Erin's Food files)

For the filling:
120g white chocolate chunks
200g digestive cookie crumbs

250g pumpkin purée
2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste

200g cream cheese

pinch of salt

For the coating:

500g white chocolate chunks

(Almost) no cooking required:

For the filling:
In a bain-marie, slowly melt the chunks.  Remove from stove (I used only this bowl to prepare everything).  In the bowl, add the crumbs, the pumpkin purée, the sugar, the vanilla paste and the cream cheese.  Stir well and add the pinch of salt.  Form in little balls and place in a lined cookie sheet.  Leave in refrigerator until hardened (I did this in the morning before work, and left them in the fridge until my lunch break).  

Now for the coating:
Again, in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate chunks.  The original recipe calls for dipping the pumpkin balls in the mixture.  I did not dare - what I did instead was to pour spoonfuls of the chocolate goodness over the balls, trying to cover them as much as possible.  Leave once more in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened (at least 2 hours).  

I think the result was not bad at all...

-------------------

Why this Thanksgiving dinner was special:  good friends (old and new) all around, celebrating the arrival of two babies, meeting two pairs of parents, there to (help and) share the joy across the tables and -- putting everything into perspective, realising what is important in life and concentrating on this.  Thanks Jessi for a unforgettable celebration!

This post is my entry into Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. For more information, see the welcome post.

Cooking: 3-veg and halloumi bake

no meat in sight...

(In lieu of an introduction: There are plenty of documentaries on TV showing the risk to the food supply if we continue to eat meat at the rate we do. While I don't intend (yet) to become vegetarian/vegan, I am conscious of the unsustainability of eating meat (and to a certain extent dairy products, for that matter) at the current rate. During a recent such episode shown on BBC, I was appaled to see in real terms (i.e. in actual meat mass) how much we consume on average. The conclusion, to which I fully agree, is straight-forward: the only sustainable solution requires a large reduction in the quantity of meat we consume. Eating less meat will put less pressure on the planet, is more healthy and will also promote a better farming system - improved animal well-being, and less but better-quality meat for the carnivores among us.)

All this to say that I've been trying more and more meatless recipes to reach this decrease in my own consumption of meat: I give you a heart-warming, vegetable-packed, rough but oh, so tasty bake! 

Recipe: grilled vegetable quiche

While I am an absolute carnivore, there are times I yearn for an abundance of vegetables.  

I will then go through phases of "vegetarianism", where I (re) discover the tastes and smells and colours of the vegetable family.  In such cases, it's always good to have a good source of inspiration:  in my case, it's Yotam Ottolenghi and his book "Plenty".  

Plenty recipes to choose from, but this vegetable quiche is one of my favourite staples.

Recipe: Humble chicken soup and cheat ice-cream

What do you do when there are workmen in the house?  when you want to be there to keep an eye on things, but at the same time not to cause a disruption?  

My solution on such days, when workmen (macho men leaving dust and dirt wherever they go... but that's another story) are all over the house, when I am the guest in my own place, is to seek refuge in the kitchen. 

I do my own thing and if/when there is a matter to be cleared, I am available to sort things out!  

Recipe: Maria's "chinese" rice

a colourful list of ingredients

There is nothing better than chatting about recipes in a spacious balcony by the sea, over pumpkin-seed breadsticks with cheese and olives... (get the picture?)

This past summer, I was at my friend Maria's balcony, reminiscing about all things and nothing.  Inevitably, the discussion came to the subject of recipes. Maria, being a bigger foodie than I am, immediately offered me (thanks dear!) this recipe which, she humbly informed me, was asked in all the potluck dinners she went - if ever there was an indicator of a success recipe, I bet this one is!

Recipe: risotto with chicken and peppers

Today's recipe is my utlimate comfort food:  not only it in devouring it, but also in making it.  The constant, brainless activity of stirring the rice is just so relaxing for me, it's perfect for a evening, when I cannot even think straight anymore.  It's good to know that there are recipes for just such occasions... 
As with most things, it is essential that you have everything ready before you start.  You can thus enjoy the whole process ...

Recipe: sweet and savoury cheesecakes

sweet cheesecakes out of the oven...

I certainly love cheesecakes:  baked, non-baked, sweet, savoury... Any excuse to have cheese into my meal is good enough for me.  But now I got hold of a new aspect:  individual cheesecakes.  No more cutting, no diet pieces, all in the wonderful muffin form that is so practical.  

This weekend I used two recipes and discovered just how much better a good thing can become:

Recipe: meat with orzo in the oven ("giouvetsi")

When with friends for dinner, I always make it a point to cook something a.  in the oven, that can be reheated while I entertain my guests and b.  coming from a recipe that can easily be doubled, so as to feed crowds.  I cannot go wrong with this version of  the Greek "giouvetsi", which should be cooked in a special terracotta dish:  in this quantity, however, I doubt I could find any available...

Recipe: mediterranean mac and cheese

Continuing my quest for delicious meatless recipes, this is an extraordinary take on the mac and cheese variety:  I'm usually the type to go for sausage/pepperoni additions, but here I have converted to this plethora of (grilled) vegetables - the addition of many layers of cheese only makes me happier!

Recipe: Broccoli and potato soup

Starting in March and for as long as I find inspiration, I will be trying my hands at meatless (and fishless) recipes. Much has been said of the advantages of cutting down on meat (let alone that with all the scandals lurking around, one inevitably loses appetite), and I do indeed NOT eat meat every day. I don't intend to become vegetarian, though, I just want to enrich my culinary adventures with all the goodness in the vegetable and pulse world. Without further ado, here is the first of my vegetarian dishes:

Recipe: cherry coffee cake

I wasn't really a cake person.  While I alway want to have a little something with my tea, I've always found there are few cakes that are really moist and flavourful - in most (I admit) store-bought cakes, I always taste the flour and I'm not really interested in that.  This is basically why I started making my own, and after a first success with a nice lemon drizzle cake, I discovered an ingredient that guarantees a moist cake:  sour cream! (I've finally seen the light...).  Off I went in search of a great recipe, which I then simplified to the maximum possible (that's me!) 

Cherry coffee cake

adapted from Martha Stewart

125g unsalted butter,room temperature

250g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

60g white sugar

60g demerrara sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

125g sour cream

125g sour cherries

Print recipe

Preheat oven at 180 degrees C.  Grease a 26x10cm cake tin. In a mixer, mix butter with the sugars.  Continue with half the flour, the salt, the sour cream, the vanilla extract, the baking powder and the remaining flour.  Scrape the sides so that the mixture is fluid.  Pour 3/4 of the mixture in the tin, and continue with the cherries.  Careful that they do touch the edges of the tin, or they'll stick.  Pour remaining mixture and bake for about 30 - 40 minutes.  This is such a moist, tasty cake that will please everyone at tea-time...




This post is my entry into Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

Recipe: Goulash stew

Over the hot stove, there was a stew bubbling away...

It's true - winter this time around has made its presence felt. Gone are the walks to nearby parks, moving around with a bike, being out in the fresh air.  Instead, nights by the hearth (or, whatever source of heat for that matter) are much preferred and cosy evenings are the name of the game... Inevitably, we all gather in the kitchen while cooking.  The heat of the stoves or the oven fix our primary need for warmth, but also the expectation from whatever is bubbling in front of us lets us know that there is a reward coming along... What a nice feeling and what a great way to gather everyone around!