Getting re-rooted

Doesn’t it piss you off when a recipe book can’t do the basic thing they are meant to do, and enable you to recreate it?

Well, they have excelled themselves in the Dutch Cooking Today cookbook and got the proportions so out of whack, that I have finally decided to rewrite the recipe after testing it about half a dozen times and finally getting the proportions right. If it works well, this cake is simply delicious. I took one to my friend Stephanie’s, along with a Dutch apple pie, and although she normally isn’t into this sort of cake, she tried it to be nice. Happy to say, she was on the end of it!

So, if you want to be on the end of it, don’t refer to the cook book.

Oh, the other thing I love about this flan is that it is from the region of Holland that my father is from – Limburg. They specialise in flan (called vlaai in Dutch), and the Rijste vlaai (Rice flan) is particularly good. It’s basically a flan base with rice pudding on it, baked. Delish. You can get a million different types of flan, and if you wish, you can substitue the cherries for other fruits (plums, apricots, summer fruits) and you can vary the base from custard to rice pudding as well. The crumble is not common on all types of flan.

So, to get you started, here’s a cherry crumble flan. Hope you enjoy!

The base

Ingredients

• 50g butter, melted
• 250g plain flour
• 25g raw sugar
• 1 dessert spoon of  dried yeast
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 100ml tepid milk

What you will need

Ingredients

What to do

Some variations

• Substitute plums or apricots for the cherries.
• Make a nut topping by adding 50g of finely chopped hazelnuts to the crumble mix.

Due to overwhelming feedback from my Facebook friends, here’s my latest and greatest guilt-free dessert. Awesome for the wheat-free, sugar-free, fat-free conscious friends.

I picked this recipe up today at work, attending a healthy cooking class (I work for a Health Insurance company, so it’s good to see the company promoting this stuff). Never mind blogging the Quinoa salad (I will blog it, but it’s not as high a priority as these rum balls). They come from www.eatwellnutrition.com.au

In class the teacher had a variation on this recipe (ie no Rum), but I just couldn’t help myself. If it’s shaped like a rum ball, and looks like a rum ball, then really, it should have rum in it. She basically added a teaspoon of ground coffee powder instead of the rum/bitter dark chocolate.

The core ingredient in this recipe are fresh dates – not dried ones. You can easily get fresh dates in the produce section of the supermarket. They are soft and juicy, and bind all the other ingredients together. The other ingredients in this recipe are mostly nuts and seeds – high in Omega 3 fatty acids and proteins and the sugars are natural sugars (low GI, so they will sustain you for longer). Plus this is so yummy, who can resist (unless you have a nut allergy of course!!!).

The best bit is there is no cooking to do. I made a batch in 10 minutes. Perfect.

Ingredients:

• 220g fresh dates (not dried) – about 12 dates in total
• 2/3 cup Pecan nuts (you can use Almonds or Walnuts too)
• 4 teaspoons Almond meal
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 1/2 teaspoon of rum (I have 80% alcohol volume rum that I bought back from Holland, and it’s so strong you can’t drink it. But it’s perfect for this recipe).
• 4 teaspoons Chia Seeds (you will find these in the health section of the supermarket).
• 2 or 3 squares of organic dark chocolate (very high cocoa content is best, and is lower in sugar).
• Desiccated coconut for coating.

What you will need:

Another road trip bought me by this beauty of a breakfast – perfect for those of you who want something hearty that isn’t laden with gluten or egg.

We escaped down the great ocean road a few weeks ago, and stopped in Port Fairy. I must say I could live in Port Fairy indefinitely. The problem is, every other person has the same idea, and the prices are sky high for real estate. So, I will just have to settle with a breakfast then.

I love trying new foods, they are a source of inspiration for a whole host of things, so it’s a pleasure to actually see something different on the menu, and an even greater thrill when it’s really really nice. Tom on the other hand is going to be trying Eggs Benedict (aka Pope Benedict) at all breakfast venues across the planet Earth. It’s his thing.

So, I went for the Wild Rice Porridge at Rebecca’s cafe in Port Fairy. I had to come home and try to recreate it, so here’s my recreation…

PS. I must mention that I consulted my good old trusty Edmonds cookbook again for guidance on all things rice. Thanks Edmonds!

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild & brown rice blend (about 1 tablespoon of wild rice in all)
• 280ml tin of coconut milk (you can use a cup of milk if you prefer dairy)
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 of a vanilla bean, sliced and beans removed
• dash nutmeg
• dash cinnamon
• 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup, or to taste

What you will need

• Medium-sized saucepan

What to do

1. Over high heat, bring the rice and wild rice to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the water reduces, stirring occassionally (30 mins)
2. Combine cooked wild rice, coconut milk, vanilla bean and spices.
3. Bring to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Season to taste with the maple syrup.

Can be garnished with yoghurt, berries, almonds, whatever takes your fancy.

Serves 2.

It’s been  a while since I have last blogged. It’s been a mad house here. Literally.

In the last few months Tom and I have undertaken the mammoth task of completely renovating a house and turning it around for the rental market. This sounds impressive, but to be honest, we didn’t do most of the work – our builder and his crew did. That with said, we still spent every waking hour working, either on our normal chores or getting quotes, picking materials, running around town, building screens, making the garden etc. Our local hardware store has seen more of us in the last few months than the supermarket has.

After we completely reno’d this house, we then had the mad-cap idea of using the opportunity to move into it while we fixed our floors and kitchen. It was the spur of the moment decision (in consultation with the bank of course) and the next day, during a dinner party the builders started to rip the carpet up around us. I usually like to keep my house fairly tidy – especially if I am having guests, but I found myself unable to control the events that happened in that time. It really pushed my buttons. I experienced more chaos in the last few months than I think I can handle.

To make matters worse, we had relatives turn up from Holland for 3 weeks, and instead of lazing around in the back yard in the sun, they were shoveling gravel or scrubbing bathrooms. Poor things. They did say they wanted to help…but I am not sure if that’s what they had in mind.

Anyway, I am relieved to be able to say it’s 99.9 per cent over. The bit that isn’t finished is painting, and quite frankly, I can’t even fathom that at the moment. This year we have renovated three houses, have looked after three children, and I have worked full time. Amber is now 15 months, and still waking during the night (which is hard to remedy with relatives in the house or when you feel shattered yourself). So, for the last few weeks, and maybe the next few, I am going to indulge in a little me time, maybe even try and untangle the garden.

But for all my complaining, the best bit is, I have a supportive husband, a house rented out, and the bestest kitchen ever! A bench so big I can’t wait to give it a huge work-out. In the next few weeks, maybe after a bit of a rest the creative juices will start flowing again.

Till then – I hope you have a nice rest over the Christmas period. Enjoy your family and friends and stay safe!

We had healthy food day at work the other day, so I decided to take a salad. I have been blogging for a year now, but have forgotten to add this beauty to the blog. I only made this salad for the first time last year, and it’s so good that you could eat it every week. I always feel fantastic after I have eaten this – not too heavy, not too light. Anyway, it’s here by demand. I keep being reminded to add it to my blog. So here it is.

I have also made this salad without the chicken (as a side), and most people have complimented and devoured it. So trust me on this one – it’s good.

Ingredients

• 400g of chicken breasts
• 1 stem of lemon grass – the white part chopped finely, the green end bit cut in half
• 200 g Chinese Wom Buk cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves and stems chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint (I use vietnamese mint) chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• 1 tablespoon crisp fried shallots (from the Asian section of the supermarket)
• 2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (optional – I grow Kaffir lime, and it’s devine so I need excuses to use it!)

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1 lime, juiced

What you will need

• Small saucepan
• Salad bowl

What to do

• Place the chicken and lemongrass twigs (stem ends) in a small saucepan of slightly salted water
• Bring to the boil, and then reduce and heat for 8-10 mins
• Drain and keep warm
• Put the Wom Buk, carrot, onion, coriander and mint in the salad bowl
• Finely slice the chicken and place on top
• Drizzle over the fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice
• Add the Peanuts and dried shallot
• Toss and serve

Check out the ingeniousness of my blister-in-law Rose. She whipped up 5 strawberries for Amber’s first birthday, and popped them in a strawberry punnet.

Some people are so clever – don’t you think? I don’t posses the talent of crocheting, and normally I couldn’t care less until I see something like this.

What I love is the thought and time that goes into home-made gifts. They are so simple, and Amber (12 months old) spends all day putting them in the punnet and then taking them out. Perfect for busy little people!

Fuelled by a comment made my my 5 year old (who constantly reminds me that she is 5 and a half!) that I haven’t made chicken and noodle soup in a long time, I whacked one up today in 10 minutes, and it must have been pretty good, because it is being touted by all as their most favourite soup. That is a tall order. I was pretty pleased with myself considering I just pulled things out of the cupboard and didn’t follow a recipe.

Now that we buy organic chickens, and they cost an absolute fortune, I have taken to roasting them and then collecting all the bones and uneaten bits and making chicken stock. So in my freezer I had some uneaten chicken legs soaked in stock, which had all the residue of roasted pumpkin, potato, parsnip, carrot, onion and lots and lots of garlic.

Ingredients

• Chicken stock, and any left over bits of chicken meat (for this I used the meat off a few chicken legs), and a few other random bits of chicken meat that were pulled off the roast.
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• Optional 1 or 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
• 270g udon noodles – the supermarket sells an organic variety – cool!

What you will need

• Large saucepan

What to do

1. Heat the stock
2. Remove the meat from any bones and put into the soup
3. Add enough water to the stock to bring it up to a desired level
4. Add the soy, sesame oil and hoisin sauce
5. Add the udon noodles and spring onion
6. Heat until the noodles are cooked (about 5 mins)
7. Garnish with more spring onion if desired

Served 4 hungry people. I added some sambal oelek to my bowl so that it was taken from kiddy-licous to a more adult zone.

A year ago to this week I gave birth to the beautiful Amber, and for the next few months did all the normal mum stuff you do when in the hormone/sleep deprived daze that is with a new baby. I did however do this with a difference this time. Knowing from past babies that I can feel a little lost, unmotivated and alone (most likely also assisted by hormones), I had set myself a challenge to do some things I hadn’t done before – activities that could all be done from home while you wait for someone to sleep.

For me, this worked a treat! I hit the notepad and wrote down all the things I love to eat, and then researched whether or not I could grow them. Then I found an online Organic plant supplier Green harvest and purchased a whole array of wonderful things such as tumeric, galangal, ginger, water chestnut, lemongrass, comfrey, horseraddish and asparagus. I will be honest and admit to killing some of these poor plants, and also forgetting where I actually planted some of them and then pulling them out later thinking they were weeds (I now have a system in place to stop this from happening in the future). I did have success however with the tumeric, ginger, water chestnuts, lemongrass, comfrey and horseraddish. Growing something you love is so much better than planting random vegetables in the ground, because you take so much more interest in their welfare and progress.

Tom had been baking sourdough bread and other such things, and at the time I would I sort of leave him to it. But, sitting at home waiting for the next feed enabled me to get the gumption to sit at home and watch dough rise. I was so nervous about trying sourdough and thought I would never get it right. It was easy, and what’s more, my buns rose higher than Tom’s. I also felt extremely proud of myself for extending my comfort zone, having a go, and making my own things.

Before I new it, I was cooking something different everyday, and I embarked on a different salad a day, or making my own pasta, yoghurt or muesli.

Then, after some crazy conversation with Tom and good friend Vincent, who suggested I should put some of my thoughts online, I found myself writing a blog – not something I even fully comprehended as to the purpose.

Well…I have just passed the 100 blog mark, and although I don’t write with the same fervor as I did at the beginning, I am still as passionate today about trying to be more sustainable – day by day, and pushing myself to make small changes – step by step.  Writing a blog seems like such a good motivator to keep going. It’s easy to sit back and relax unless you are thinking of your next project.

I have also made lots of new friends through my blog, or connected with others in a different way. I have discovered a real passion, and it gives me such joy to share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I married one of the few Dutch men on the planet who doesn’t like cheese. Yes, Tom won’t eat it. I don’t know why. I suspect he had some horror cheese experience earlier on in life. Who knows. It’s hard to believe really, considering his parents would probably die from withdrawal symptoms if you took cheese out of their diet.

Even worse than that, he doesn’t like mushrooms. That really limits the repertoire a bit. Regardless, I have started to cook mushrooms now and again, and I figure that he and the rest of the family can just pick them out if they don’t like them. I like them, and I don’t see why I should go without all the time.

It’s when you have friends coming around that you can splash out and rustle up something that you don’t get to have very often, and for me, this is the dish. Inspired by the Squire’s Loft steakhouse, I made my own version of their Fetta and Garlic Mushrooms. And it’s pretty easy and great to have as a vegetarian option.

Ingredients

• A bag of your favourite mushrooms
• 250g block of fetta
• 3 to 4 large cloves of garlic
• Olive oil to drizzle
• A bunch of fresh Parsley, chopped

What you will need

• Stove top/oven dish
• Garlic press

What to do

1. Brush the mushrooms clean
2. Place them with their stalks upright in a dish
3. Crush 3 to 4 large cloves of garlic over the mushrooms
4. Crumble the fetta over the mushrooms
5. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over as well
6. Drizzle with olive oil
7. To cook, you can heat the mushrooms on the stovetop to soften, and then place under the grill to brown the fetta slightly.

Must be eaten with really good friends who will still love you even with your garlic breath. This dish is totally delishious!