Quiche met spinazie, geitenkaas en aardappel

Je hebt quiche en je hebt quiche. Een zompige quiche is stom. Maar een quiche met een brosse bodem en een smakelijke vulling: dat is heerlijk. Dat doe je door het deeg voor de bodem zelf te maken, dus geen klef gedoe met bladerdeeg uit de diepvries. Het deeg wordt eerst een half uur te ruste gelegd in de koelkast en daarna blind gebakken. Alles om de bodem bros, brosser, brost te krijgen. Het is dan wel even wat werk, maar de noeste arbeid wordt beloond! Laten we zeggen dat het een fijn zondagmiddag recept is.

Het recept voor deze quiche komt oorspronkelijk van Rachel Allen, en ik vind het de lekkerste quiche die ik ooit heb gegeten. Echt waar! Ik wilde 'm al een tijdje maken, en nu opeens voegde ik de daad bij het woord. Terwijl ik niet eens eters had. Maakt niet uit, in mijn eentje met een glas koude witte wijn heb ik enorm genoten van mijn eigen kookkunsten.




Quiche met spinazie, geitenkaas en aardappel

stap 1: de bodem

keukenmachine (of zie tips onderaan)
200 g bloem
100 g koude boter
1 ei uit de koelkast, losgeklopt (dan bedoel ik gewoon net totdat eigeel en eiwit gemengd zijn)
1/2 tl zout

* doe de bloem in de keukenmachine
* snijd de boter in stukken en voeg toe aan de bloem
* zet de machine aan tot de bloem en boter samen kruimels zijn geworden
* voeg het ei toe en mix totdat het een bal begint te worden en haal het uit de keukenmachine
* kneed het met je hand heel kort door, totdat je echt een bal hebt en druk dit plat tot een schijf van ong 2 cm dik
* wikkel in met plasticfolie en plaats een halfuur in de koelkast
* zet de oven aan op 180 C
( evt kun je nu ook vast beginnen aan de vulling - zie onder)
* bekleed een springvorm van 24 of 26 cm met bakpapier
* haal de schijf deeg uit de koelkast een sla er een paar keer flink op met een deegroller, en rol het daarna uit tot een dunne lap
* doe de lap in de vorm en druk met je vingers totdat er geen scheuren meer in zitten en je een opstaande rand hebt van ongeveer twee vingers hoog
* leg daar weer een stuk bakpapier op en vul deze met gedroogde bonen of kikkererwten, zodat de bodem helemaal bedekt is (blind bakken)
* bak de bodem 15 minuten

stap 2: de vulling

3-4 aardappelen (middelgroot), vastkokend en geschild
300 g verse spinazie
4 eieren
250 ml slagroom
25 g parmezaanse kaas, vers geraspt
snuf zout
1 tl nootmuskaat, bij voorkeur vers geraspt
1/2 tl cayennepeper, of anders gewone peper
150 g zachte geitenkaas

* zet de aardappels op en kook ze net gaar in 15-20 minuten
* giet de aardappels af na het koken en snijd ze in plakken van een halve cm
* zet ondertussen de spinazie op met een klein kopje water in een grote pan en kook 4-5 minuten totdat deze geslonken is
* plaats de spinazie in een vergiet, en druk er zoveel mogelijk vocht uit. probeer daarna met je handen er nog meer vocht uit te knijpen
* hak de spinazie grof
* klop in een kom de 4 eieren los en klop daar slagroom, parmezaanse kaas, zout, nootmuskaat en cayennepeper doorheen. roer er ook de spinazie door.

stap 3: en dan..

* haal de quiche uit de oven en beleg de bodem met de plakjes aardappel
* verdeel hier de geitenkaas over
* schenk het ei/spinaziemengsel erover
* bak ongeveer 35-45 minuten in de oven

tips tips tips:

* let op bij het maken van het deeg: alles moet steeds koud blijven, dus raak zo min mogelijk aan met je warme handen
* heb je geen keukenmachine, snijd dan de boter door de bloem met 2 messen in een kom. kneed daarna het ei erdoor met koele handen
* als je het bakpapier een samenkreukelt tot een bal, blijft deze daarna makkelijker in vorm
* bewaar de bonen voor het blindbakken in een blik of pot, dan kan je het steeds opnieuw gebruiken
* deze quichebodem kun je voor allerlei quiches gebruiken

Cauliflower soup

So, it's been a while. A long, long while. My life has changed radically. The cute little house in the forest is still there...but I'm no longer in it. At least not permanently. It will now be a place to hide from the big, bad Amsterdam.
Yes, I've moved back. I found a job and a house, and I'm enjoying the buzz of the city once again. Looking out of my window I no longer see deer jumping around, it's just the neighbors across the street closing their curtains. It's a different life, completely. Not so much time for blogging anymore! But, now that everything has settled down a bit, I think I'll start again. Even if it's just as a notebook for myself.
Today I will start with a recipe I got from my mother-in-law. It's delicious, fresh and very pure. It sounds a bit complicated, but actually it's quite simple. Just try it!
I'll serve it tonight on my Easter dinner, followed by lamb, spring vegetables and a dessert.



Cauliflower soup (serves 4-6)

1 cauliflower (NL=bloemkool, S=blomkål)
1,25 L water
1 large tablespoon of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 sellery stick, chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
100 ml cream
50 g grated pecorino and some extra to serve
nutmeg (NL=nootmuskaat, S=muskot)

step 1
* cut the cauliflower in half. divide in two parts, and cut one part in nice florets, without the green
* bring 1,25 L water to the boil in a large pan and add the florets. boil for around 5 minutes, until just tender
* when that's done, take out the cauliflower with a (slotted) spoon and put it a bowl to use later. don't throw away the water!

step 2
* cut up the other half of the cauliflower, including the green, in large chunks
* take a large pan and fry the onion and sellery in butter, until soft and shiny
* add the unboiled cauliflower and greens, and 2 tablespoons of flour and keep frying for a minute, while stirring
* add the water you used to boil the cauliflower in and cook for 20 minutes

step 3
* purée the soup and add 100 ml of cream, the pre-boiled florets and 50 g of pecorino
* taste, and add salt and pepper
* serve with freshly grated nutmeg and some extra pecorino or parmezan

I changed the recipe a little bit - originally it has carrot instead of sellery, and parmezan instead of pecorino. All variations taste good. What I especially like about this soup, is that it's creamy but still has texture, and that it's very pure in flavour. Vrolijk Pasen!

Ratatouille - French zucchini and tomato stew

Excuses, excuses. Plenty of those. I do apologise for my absence the last month. I will not bore you with the reasons, but instead treat you to a new recipe. A very summery dish this is, and while eating you will think you are somewhere in France. I do anyway.
You can eat ratatouille, of course, the day you make it. I usually eat it with some wild rice.
But make sure to make some extra ratatouille and eat that the next day. Preferably lukewarm on a piece of French bread (baguette). Let it stand for 10 minutes and enjoy. I read this tip on another blog somewhere and I can really recommend it.
By the way: buy your zucchini on the small side. They usually have more flavour than the larger ones.
The recipe for this ratatouille is without aubergine. My man doesn't like it, and I'm not too fond of it either, so I skip it even though it's quite a traditional ingredient for a ratatouille. If you do like to put in some, well, then be my guest.



Ratatouille (serves 4, or two times two)

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped or finely sliced
3-4 zucchini (NL: courgette), halved and cut in 1-cm slices
10 tomatoes, coarsely chopped or 2 cans of tomatoes
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 glass of white wine
2 bay leaves (NL: laurier, S: lagerblad)
1 teaspoon of dried French herbs
salt and pepper

* heat the oil and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots
* let this soften up for 10 minutes - it should not get brown, just soft
* add the zucchini and fry for 2 minutes
* add the tomatoes and sugar and turn the heat up
* break the tomatoes by cooking them on a high heat while stirring often
* after 5 minutes you can lower the heat and add the wine, bay leaves and herbs
* leave to simmer for 30 minutes or longer, with the lid of the pan halfway

Another serving alternative: add some fried sausages, cut in slices and boiled potatoes to turn it into a more meaty and hearty stew (S: Fransk korvgryta).

Roasted red soup

I have a few recipes for you, waiting to make an appearance here on the blog. A soup; a healthy plate and a simple, but delicious dessert with nuts, apples and pears. What shall I share with you first? Perhaps the soup. I have made it a couple of times, and have the original idea for it from this website. Have a look there if you like healthy and vegetarian food.
The flavour of the roasted vegetables in this soup is really great.



I added a little twist to the recipe by putting in a little anchovies and I have replaced the vegetable bouillon for fish bouillon - but you can keep it simple and completely vegetarian too if you like.

Roasted red soup (serves 4)

olive oil
5 ripe (grape) tomatoes (NL: trostomaten, S: kvisttomater)
1 large red bell pepper (NL/S: paprika)
4 small onions
5 cloves of garlic
500 ml water
1 cube of fish bouillon (or vegetable bouillon)
optional: 2-3 anchovies
salt and pepper
a few drops of tabasco
freshly grated parmezan

* preheat the oven to 190 C
* grease a baking tray with some oil
* peel the onions and remove the seeds and membrane of the red bell pepper
* cut the tomatoes, red bell peppers and onions in quarters, place them on the baking tray and pour a few tablespoons of olive oil on them
* use your hands to make sure they are all covered by a thin layer of oil and place them skin side down (or in case of the onions - where the skin used to be)
* don't peel the garlic, just put them in a corner of the baking tray
* place in the oven for 45 min, or until the onions are browned a bit on the sides and all the vegetables are soft and cooked
* take the garlic aside and put the rest of the vegetables (including their juices) in a pan
* peel the garlic and add to the veggies
* also add the anchovy, if you are using it. it will add a little bit of extra flavour and saltiness
* in another pan, bring 500 ml water to the boil and add the bouillon cube
* use a hand blender (NL: staafmixer, S: stavmixer) to puree the vegetables and add half of the bouillon. add more bouillon if needed to create the texture you prefer - this will vary depending on how much juice the vegetables are containing
* warm the soup through and add salt and pepper to taste, and a few drops of tabasco
* serve with a handful of freshly grated parmezan

I usually serve this soup as a starter. It's really great when you have pasta as a main course, because this way you still get your portion of vegetables. Smart, huh.
Of course you could serve it for lunch as well, perhaps with some garlic bread.

Bruschetta con funghi

I wanted to make artichokes with basil butter as a starter for the girls. In the supermarket though, I found that the artichokes were way too expensive. So, when I saw they had a nice assortment of mushrooms and some ripe tomatoes, I decided to make two types of bruschetta instead. The recipe for the bruschetta con pomodori you already got and now I will tell how I made the bruscetta con funghi. It was delicious by the way!



Bruschetta con funghi

olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced + 2 cloves of garlic
300-350 g mixed mushrooms (I used oyster, shiitake and ordinary mushrooms), roughly sliced
4 slices of rustic bread
1 tablespoon of butter
handful of flatleave parsley, chopped

* heat the oven to 200 C
* heat the oil and add the garlic and mushrooms
* stir fry on a medium heat for 10 minutes
* in the meantime, roast the bread slices for 10 minutes in the oven, or fry them in a pan
* cut 2 cloves of garlic in half and rub the bread with the garlic
* back to the mushrooms: add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 handful of chopped parsley and raise the heat for a minute
* then spoon the mushroom mixture onto the slices of bread
* have a good glass of dry white wine to go with it!

Bruschetta con pomodori

So, finally that bloody thesis has been handed in. What a joy and what a relief! To celebrate I had a dinner with my friends. I made some bruschetta as a starter, one with mixed mushrooms and one with tomato.



After that we had Parmigiana di Melanzana (an oven dish with aubergines and parmezan), with tagliatelle and a salad. Finally we had a glass filled with layers of marinated strawberry, vanilla cream, curd and meringues. And a lot of wine with all the courses, naturally.



Bruschetta con pomodori (4 servings)

4-6 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped + 2 cloves of garlic
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
juice of 1/4 orange
1/2 teaspoon sugar
handful of basil, shredded
4 slices of rustic bread
salt and pepper

* put all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to stand for 30 minutes or longer
* heat the oven to 200 C and roast the bread slices for 10 minutes, or fry them in a pan
* cut 2 cloves of garlic in half and rub the bread with the garlic
* with a spoon, take some of the mixture, making sure to leave as much juice behind in the bowl as possible. Spoon the mixture on the slices of bread.

Make sure to use ripe tomatoes. I added a little orange juice, which tasted great and gives a slight twist to this classic Italian dish.

It's all about the carrot soup

I think I am nearly done with my thesis...I have to read it again to make sure, and then print it and hand it in tomorrow - and then I am really done. Can't wait for the moment when that that stack of papers, with a thud, lands on the bottom of my professor's post box at university. It will be a burden of my chest and a load of my back! But I'm not there yet, congratulate me tomorrow! I plan to cook something festive then, to celebrate with my friends that we have made it.
But for now a very simple recipe for a simple, but beautiful soup. Carrot and parsley are friends, that you can taste. Some orange and a hint of onion enhance the flavours of carrot and round it off. This soup is very pure and fresh. No coriander or cumin, which I also love, because those strong flavours take over. In this soup the star is the carrot and it shines in all its glory!



It's all about the carrot soup (serves 4)

sunflower oil or butter
1 large onion, diced
800 g carrots, sliced
1 L water
2 cubes of vegetable bouillon
150 ml orange juice
a few handfuls of flat leaf parsley, chopped
crème fraiche or sour cream

* fry the onion in some oil or butter for 1 minute and add the sliced carrots. continue to cook for 1 minute
* add 1 L of water and 2 bouillon cubes and bring to the boil
* boil for about 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender and you can easily pierce them with a fork
* take the pan of the heat and use a hand mixer (NL:staafmixer) to puree the mixture into a smooth soup
* stir in 150 ml of orange juice and bring back to the heat for a few minutes, so the flavours can blend together
* serve with a lot of fresh parsley and a good dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream

Omelet with mushrooms and cheese

This omelet is really easy to make and done in less than five minutes. And it tastes great!

A tip to make a good omelet, that I have gotten from my 'aunt-in-law', is to melt a little butter and mix this with the eggs before frying. Another one is to make sure some air gets under the eggs when they are in the pan: lift the eggs up carefully with a spatula and let the runny part off the eggs get under the part that has already began to form an omelet. Here's my recipe:



Omelet with mushrooms and cheese (serves 1)

2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water or milk
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
5-6 mushrooms, in slices
handful of grated cheese
3-4 sprigs of chives (NL: bieslook), finely chopped or cut with scissors

* mix the eggs in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt
* melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a small frying pan
* stir the melted butter into the egg mixture
* melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the frying pan and fry the mushrooms on medium high heat
* when they have become brown and soft you can add the egg mixture
* leave the heat on medium high
* use a spatula to carefully lift up the sides of the omelet, so the runny part of the eggs can get under the thickened part
* when most of the omelet has formed, but there is some moist left on the top, sprinkle the cheese on and fold the omelet
* fry for another 30-60 seconds and slide the omelet onto a plate
* sprinkle some fresh chives over the top

This omelet is great for lunch. But with some salad and bread it makes a nice and quick evening meal as well!

Asian style vegetables with noodles or rice

Last weekend I made, with the help and assistance of some friends, a delicious risotto with green asparagus, mint and lemon. With all the wine we were drinking during the cooking, I completely forgot to take a picture. So, I will have to make the risotto again (which I totally don't mind, it was that good) and post the recipe wíth pictures some other time. The recipe was Jamie Oliver's, so if you want to make it before I post it, check his website!

The days have gone by and finally I am posting a new recipe. This is because I only have one week left before I have to hand in the first draft of my thesis...Aaargh! Luckily the stress, as it usually does, has a positive effect on my creativity, so the writing goes quite well, thank you.

Today I will tell you about a delicious Asian dish. It's little bit sweet and smooth, and very tasty. I wonder how my Chinese friends would like it. Maybe they say it's not Asian at all!
The ingredient list seems quite long, but once you have the stuff for the sauce at home, you can cook a million things with it (or just make this recipe over and over again). I have made a suggestion for which vegetables to use, but you can of course vary as much as you like. You can also add some fried tofu or egg to add some protein.



Asian style vegetables with noodles or rice (serves 4)

sauce:
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
60 ml Japanese soy sauce
80 ml sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons cornflour (NL: maizena)
125 ml water
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon of ketjap manis (sweet Indonesian sauce)

vegetables:
1 medium broccoli, cut in small florets
2 handfuls of snap peas (NL: peultjes) or sugar snaps
1 red bell pepper (NL: paprika), in cubes or slices
150 gr cremini mushrooms (NL: kastanje champignons), sliced
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded

plus: noodles or rice

* blanch the broccoli and snap peas for 2 minutes in boiling water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
* make the sauce by putting the sesame oil and sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok
* fry the onion and garlic until they are soft, but not brown
* add soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, cornflour, water, ginger and ketjap manis and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken
* add paprika, mushrooms and cabbage, cover the pan and simmer for around 3-5 minutes until they are cooked but still crunchy
* add broccoli and snap peas and warm through
* serve with noodles or rice

Tips:
* don't throw away the stalk of the broccoli - peel it and cut into thin slices. Use with the rest of the broccoli.
* you can keep ginger in the freezer and grate what you need straight into the pan. You can do the same with chili peppers by the way!

Grilled vegetable salad

Here is a nice and light lunch for you for the weekend. It's easy and very quick to make, and so very tasty. I bought quite a lot of manchego cheese in Spain. It's a delicious sheep cheese, with a lot of flavour. For this salad you could really use any kind of flavourful cheese. Pecorino would be delicious, but otherwise Parmesan in flakes. You can vary the vegetables as well; try portobello mushrooms or aubergine.



Grilled vegetable salad (serves 2)

1 courgette
1 red bell pepper (NL: paprika)
1 large onion, red or yellow
some salad leaves, eg. rucola, baby spinach
good extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (around 2-3 tablespoons per portion)
flakes of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
manchego, or other strong cheese

* heat a grilling pan, so it's nice and hot. in the meantime:
* cut the courgette in half and then in 5 mm thin slices (along the length)
* cut the paprika in 1 cm strips
* cut the onion in quarters and cut these in half again, so you have 8 parts
* brush the vegetables with enough oil, so they are all coated with a thin layer (you can also do this with your fingers)
* place veggies into the hot pan and keep turning them over
* lower the heat a little bit, so they won't burn
* place the salad leaves on a plate, sprinkle with a little bit of oil and arrange the vegetables on top
* drizzle over a little balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper
* put some flakes of cheese on top
* and have a nice glass of cold white wine with it!

Mexican tortilla envelopes with salsa

Andalusia was, in one word, amazing. No, I need more words. It was amazing, beautiful, fantastic. Warm, colorful and festive. The food was so good, and so were the wines. The best of all was the company: my mother and sister. We made long walks amongst black pigs and thousands of wild flowers; climbed the steps of ancient castles; stared at thousands of women in traditional flamenco dresses at the Sevilla fiesta and finally got a bit burned in our bikini's on the beach.

We ate tapas almost every day. A lot of meat and fish, so I thought to make something vegetarian tonight. Not with a Spanish, but with a Mexican twist.



Mexican tortilla envelopes (serves 4)

sunflower oil
1 onion, cut in thin slices
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped (or keep the seeds if you like it more spicy)
1 red bell pepper (NL:paprika), chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 400 g can kidney beans
1 340 g can corn (NL: mais)
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
8 tortilla's, the smaller ones, around 20-22 cm in diameter
100 g grated cheese, eg. Gouda or Cheddar
a little bit of oil for greasing

* fry the onion, garlic and chili pepper in a large frying pan or wok on a low heat until soft
* add the red bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon oregano and fry for two minutes
* rinse the kidney beans in a colander (NL: vergiet) and drain the corn
* add the beans and corn to the pan and fry for a few minutes more
* preheat the oven to 200 C
* take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes
* stir in the chopped coriander, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt
* line a baking tray with baking paper and grease with a little bit of oil
* place the tortilla's on your work surface and put a few spoons of the mixture in the middle of each of them
* sprinkle a handful of cheese on top
* fold the tortilla's by folding in the sides, then fold in the bottom. take the tortilla in your hand, tuck the mixture down with your fingers, fold in the top and place seam down on the baking tray. be careful not the brake the tortilla's.
* brush the envelopes with some oil
* place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are a bit brown around the edges
* serve as they are, or with salsa, sour cream or guacamole




Salsa (makes one bowl)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 or 2 teaspoons of tabasco to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled between your fingers
sea salt
black pepper

* stir all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning (NL: zout/peper) to taste
* serve with Mexican dishes like tortillas and burritos, or with grilled meat

Tip: the seeds and inner membrane (NL: zaadlijst) are the hottest part of the chili pepper. To de-seed a chili pepper, cut off the top part and roll the pepper between your fingers until the seeds come loose. Tap the pepper with the opening down on your work surface until all the seeds come out. This way you don't touch the seeds. Still; wash your hands afterwards and try not to touch your eyes or other sensitive areas - it can really burn!

Butternut squash soup with garlic bread

When you are reading this, I am either on the flight to Madrid, or on the transfer flight to the south of Spain. Or perhaps I am drinking a glass of cold white wine on Malaga airport, waiting for my mum and sister to meet me there. Maybe I am already in our rental car, trying to figure out how to get to our first hotel. It is also very probable that while you are reading the recipe for this nice soup, I am just about into dive into the sea, or that I am meandering the streets of Granada. Who knows!
I'm so much looking forward to see my mum and sister and feel so lucky that I can make this journey with them. While I'll be doing that, you can make this wonderful, colorful soup to brighten your day.



Butternut squash soup (serves 4)

(olive) oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 butternut squash, seeds removed and chopped but no need to peel! (NL: flespompoen)
1 L water
1 bouillon cube, vegetable or chicken
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
handful of chopped coriander or parsley
to serve: (Turkish) yogurt or crème fraiche, paprika powder and sea salt

* fry the onion and garlic until soft, but not brown
* add potato and butternut squash and fry for a minute
* add 1 L water and 1 bouilloncube, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika powder and 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender
* puree with a hand mixer (NL: staafmixer) until smooth
* stir in a handful of chopped coriander or parsley
* serve with (Turkish) yogurt or crème fraiche, a dusting of paprika powder and some flakes of sea salt

The great thing with butternut squash is that it's not necessary to peel them. And if you've ever peeled pumpkin, you know it's a pain in the ***.

Garlic bread

bread
olive oil
flakes of sea salt
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half

Rub a few slices of bread with a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt on it. Put on a hot grill and turn when it's got some color. When done, rub some garlic on the surface of the bread. This is a very nice way of serving some bread that's not super fresh anymore.

PS: a friend asked if I took all the pictures of the food myself and the answer is YES!

Moroccan Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Whilst a butternut squash is mixing its flavours with some onion, garlic and coriander to form a beautiful soup, I will tell you about something completely different. The soup's recipe will follow later!

Remember that I made a couscous plate a few days ago? I also made a tomato and cucumber salad that is amazingly good. I think it's the roasted cumin that does the trick, but this salad is really quite special.
The recipe comes from a cookbook that I found in a discount book store in London. I have made several recipes from it and they all turned out deliciously. The book is called Feast Bazaar, by Barry Véra, and is about food from India, Morocco and Syria. A rather strange combination, geographically seen, but it's a great book.



Morrocan Tomato and Cucumber Salad (serves 4)
(adapted recipe from Feast Bazaar by Barry Véga)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 roma (plum) tomatoes (make sure they are ripe and smell good)
1 cucumber
1 red onion
1 green capsicum pepper (NL/S: paprika) (I used a red one instead)
1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons lemon juice
100 ml olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

step 1
* heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* dry-roast the seeds for 2 minutes on medium heat, while stirring
* place in a mortar and pestle (NL: vijzel, S: mortel) and grind to powder

step 2
* cut 6 tomatoes in 4 quarters, cut the seeds out and cut the tomatoes in dices
* cut the cucumber in half, scoop the seeds out with a teaspoon and cut the cucumber in dices
* finely dice the red onion and cut the paprika in dices
* put all this in a serving bowl

step 3
* chop a handful of parsley
* put parsley, ground cumin, 4 tablespoons lemon juice and 100 ml olive together in a bowl
* stir thoroughly
* pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well
* add salt and pepper to taste

You can serve this salad as a side dish to accompany grilled fish or meat, or with couscous. It's also nice to serve as a starter together with some bread, or as part of some various 'mezzes' (small dishes).

Feta cream / hummus

Back to my Moroccan plate. You got the couscous recipe earlier and now I will let you in on the sauces. A thick cream of feta, a nutty and earthy hummus and some harissa form the ideal company to some couscous or serve well as a dip with other dishes.



Harissa is a hot North African sauce made of chillies and garlic. In Morocco it's served with couscous and other food. I found it in the regular supermarket, otherwise a North African store will have it. You can substitute it by sambal, or hot ajwar.



Feta cream (half bowl)

The feta cream is made by mixing 100 g of feta with a few tablespoons of Turkish yogurt. Put it together in a bowl and mix into an almost smooth paste with a fork.

About the feta: there is feta and there is feta. Feta should be made of sheep and/or goat milk, but definitely not of cow milk. Check the ingredients. Real feta might be a bit more expensive, but there is such a big difference between the real feta and the fake, that it's worth paying a little bit extra.
Turkish yogurt is almost like mascarpone: it's very thick and creamy. Can be substituted by ordinary full fat, thick yogurt.

And then the hummus. I tried making hummus with my handheld mixer (NL: staafmixer) but that didn't work. My mixer is not very strong though, so you could try it and maybe it works. I have a little food processor that is more like a small chopping machine that did the trick (wish I had a real machine though..)



Hummus (makes a full bowl)

1 can chickpeas (400 g) (NL:kikkererwten, S: kikärtor)
juice of 1/2 small lemon
3 tablespoons tahin (sesamepaste)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8-10 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 tablespoons of liquid from the chickpeas

* place all the ingredients in the mixer bowl
* mix it
* stir and mix again
* repeat until it has become a smooth paste, add more olive oil/liquid if necessary
* drizzle a little olive oil on top before serving, or some paprika powder

If you have the time: make the hummus a day in advance. That way the flavours work together to get an even better tasting substance.

The hummus and feta cream also serve very nicely as a snack, with for example some toasted pita breads or sliced red bell peppers and sticks of cucumber.

Oven-steamed couscous

You should have smelt my kitchen just now. Roasted cumin seeds, fresh lemon, sesame paste, honey... This Swedish little house had some Morocco in it tonight!
I made myself a plateful of delicacies. Some steamed couscous with prunes and raisins, a fresh salad of tomato, cucumber and roasted cumin, a dollop of feta cream and homemade hummus and oh so spicy harissa.



I will give you all the recipes, but I will spread it out a bit over the days. That way you might come back again!

Let's start with the steamed couscous.

Oven-steamed couscous (4 portions)

5 dl water
1 cube of vegetable or chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon ground cumin (for this dish I use ready grounded cumin / NL: gemalen komijn)
1 teaspoon harissa (substitute: 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek)
1 big teaspoon honey
2 big teaspoons butter
4 dl couscous
handful of dried prunes (8-10 pieces), chopped
handful of raisins
1/2 lemon in thin slices

* preheat the oven to 200 C
* bring 5 dl water to the boil with 1 cube of vegetable or chicken bouillon
* stir in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of harissa, 1 big teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of butter and let that melt
* in the meantime: put 4 dl of couscous in an ovenproof dish (something you would make lasagna in)
* chop up a handful of prunes and add to the couscous, together with a handful of raisins
* pour the bouillon mixture over the couscous and place the lemon on top
* cover with alumiumfoil and place in the oven for 15 minutes

Variations: use apricots and/or dates; add some almonds or a chopped shallot et cetera. This couscous is also very nice with some grilled fish or lamb. You can also use bulgur instead of couscous, but check if it's fine or course. The course bulgur might need a bit more time and some more bouillon.

Mercimek - Turkish lentil soup

Now that I am on the roll, I will also tell you my favourite lentil soup recipe. I just heated up some for lunch.
A few years ago I went to Istanbul with my mother and sister. Every day we would eat a cup of 'Mercimek' and sometimes even two. I thought it was so good!

















Mercimek

(olive) oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1,5 dl water
1 cube of instant bouillon
salt + pepper
2 teaspoons dried mintleaves
1 big tablespoon tomatopurée
350 g red lentils

* fry the onion and potato until soft in a little oil (on low heat)
* add 0,5 dl water, 1 bouilloncube, salt + pepper, 2 teaspoons dried mintleaves and 1 big tablespoon of tomato purée
* bring to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes
* add 1 liter of water and 350 g red lentils
* bring to a boil while stirring regularly (the lentils like to stick to the pan)
* let it simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are mushy and soft
* purée the soup with a hand-held blender until smooth
* serve with fresh lemon (very important!)

I usually freeze some, and then take it as a packed lunch. It can also serve as a meal, with some bread on the side. As a starter I think it is too heavy - it really fills you up.

Enjoy!