Let's go Dutch!

My husband is dutch, so I am learning to cook the dutch foods. I bought some dutch cook books to get more knowledge on thier foods. Dutch foods has influences from the different European countries but they still have thier own kick.

Everytime I will try to cook the foods, I will always ask my mother-in-law how and what to do. Sometimes, it is not perfect but hey, we learn from our mistakes, right?

This time, I made a Stampot Prei (mashed potatoes with leek). Stampot is a common winter food for dutch, it is a hearty and healthy food.

Stampot Prei met worst en jus (Stamppot Leek with smoked sausage and gravy)

What you need: This is good for 6 persons.

1 kl. potatoes (peeled and cut into half)

2 teaspoons salt

2 pcs Leeks (sliced)

2 pcs hard boiled eggs (sliced)

100 grams bacon bits (spek)

any gravy of your choice

smoked sausage (prepare it according to the package)

What to do:

Boil the potatoes with salt for 20 minutes or until done. While cooking the potato, get another pan and blanch the leek for not more than 2 minutes and remove from the pan using a strainer to get the excess water. Fry the bacon bits until brown. Boil the eggs. When the potato is done, remove the water from the potato using the strainer. Put the potatoe back in the Pan (be sure you used a big pan) add the remaining ingredients and start to mash it - no need to add salt because the bacon bits are salty enough. Then your dutch food is ready for serving. Serve with the smoked sausage and gravy.

Eet smakelijk! (enjoy your meal!)

A fruity and vegie salad

A yummy side dish makes your main course more exciting. Last sunday, It was a great weather here in Netherlands (at last, after months of rain! LOL). Me and hubby really loves barbeque, so we decided to have barbeque for dinner and eat at the backyard. I always love to eat outside the house if the weather allows me :).

Barbeque is a heavy meal, a meal that is full of protien, so to lighten it up, I made a fruit and vegetable salad. It is so easy and yet so healthy and yummy.

I just grab some lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, silver onions in a pot, Kappers, oranges, apple and salad dressing ( i used a natural herbed dressing). Sliced them and tossed them all in a big bowl. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper. And whaalaaa! There's the yummy-healthy-easy fruit and vegetable salad.

You can use some pineapple tidbits, Corn, pear and other fruits you want.

Mami (Philippine beef noodle soup)

It has been almost 5 years since my last mami or beef noodle soup. I just missed it so much, so I decided to make it last week. A yummy soup for a cold rainy weather is always the best!

So this is my own rendition of Mami because some of the ingredients are not available here.

All you need:

250 grams egg noodles (cooked as what in the pack says)

Lean beef (sliced into tiny chunks)

1 beef knucle (for the stock)

Carrots (sliced thinly)- for garnishing

bell pepper (sliced thinly) for garnishing

Chinese cabagge (sliced thinly) for garnishing

2 pcs. spring onions (sliced thinly) for garnishing

1 onion

thumbsize ginger

2 liters water

salt and pepper

2 tbsp. oil

3 tbsp. fish sauce

pinch of Vetsin

2 pcs eggs (fried and sliced thinly) for garnishing

chicharon (pork skin crackling) crushed- for garnishing

Set the garnishing ingredients aside

for making the stock:

saute the onion then add the beef chunks, when the color turns brown, add the beef knuckle, ginger and water. Simmer until the beef chunks are soft. Put the fish sauce, vetsin and pepper (taste if it is salty enough for you, you can add more fish sauce or salt)

Put the boiled noodles in a bowl (enough for 1 person) put some vegetables (it is sliced thinly, so it will be cook with the hot stock) then add some eggs and chicharon. Pour the hot boiling stock into the noodles. Just enough for one person. Then set aside for 2 minutes to let the vegetables cook and enjoy!

Spaghetti Napolitana (inspired) with meatballs and zucchini

I love pastas, for me, it is like a comfort food after a busy day. When I make my pasta, I always put vegetables on it. This time, I cooked Spaghetti Napolitana with meatballs and zucchini or cougette (this is my own recipe).

This recipe is so easy and so yummy.

To make my Spaghetti Napolitana, you need the following; (good for 4 persons)

2 tbsp. Olive oil

1 medium size onion chopped

1 red paprika (bell pepper) sliced

1 small cougette sliced

750 grams ripped tomatoes, skinned and chopped or you can use ready made tomato sauce (I used the ready made tomato sauce about 500 grams)

fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper

Pasta (any pasta you want)

Meatballs (cooked)

What to do:

Boil the pasta.

Get a pan, saute the onion in the olive oil then add the meatballs and vegetables, when the vegetables are done, add the sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Let it boil and add the torned basil leaves. Put it over your pasta and topped with cheese!

Old Fashioned Tea

These days, we usually buy our tea in a grocery store. These teas are already packed in a factory. It's yummy but have you ever tasted the old fashioned tea? I love to drink a cup of tea while watching tv and sitting on the couch after a rough day. My 2 year old daughter loves tea too. So what I really mean about old fashioned tea?

Last sunday, me, hubby and my daughter went biking after dinner and decided to drop by in my brother-in-law's house. My sister-in-law offered me a cup of tea, it was just the best tea i've ever had. Then my she showed me the freshly dried fruits and spices which smells like heaven, it's not like in a grocery that is packed for a cup of tea, you have to use an old fashioned container to hold the peices of tea leaves, fruits and spices. That's what I mean of old fashoined.

She told me if I want to buy something, she'll go with me and show me the store nearby.

I am free from work today, so I called her and we went to the tea/coffee store. While I was walking inside, I can already smell the aromas of fresh coffee beans and tea spices. It's just like smelling your favorite perfume. So relaxing!

They have about 30 kinds of tea flavours. I bought some Rooibos Chocolate kiss (Rooibos tea with chocolate pieces, Zorgelos (anti stress) and Autumn tea.

I will difinitely go back thier and buy more tea. hmmmmm.. Wanna have a cup?