Styrian Potato Salad

Styria is a state (Bundesland) of Austria. It's located in the south-east of Austria and famous for its apples and pumpkins. Pumpkin seed oil originated in Styria, but is now known and loved all over Austria. It's dark brown-green in color and rich and delicious in taste. 

Whenever you read "Styrian salad" on an Austrian menu, it's prepared with pumpkin seed oil.

For 4 Servings: 

• 750 grams waxy potatoes
• 1 large white onion
• 150 millilitres vegetable stock
• 3 table spoons vegetable oil (I usually use rapeseed oil) 
• 3 table spoons pumpkin seed oil
• 3 table spoons brandy vinegar
• 3 table spoons pumpkin seeds
• salt
• black pepper

Cook the potatos for 20-30 minutes in a lot of water. Cut the onion into very small dices. Mix the marinade using the vegetable stock, the vegetable oil, the brandy vinegar, salt, black pepper and the diced onion.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Fold the potatoes in the marinade and let it sit for a couple of minutes to cool down as much you like. Traditionally Austrian potato salad is served warm, but it's also delicious when it's cold. If necessary, add some more salt and pepper.

Sprinkle pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds on top.

Grandma's Hutspot

This is one of the dishes my Grandmother, who was Dutch, prepared for us kids when we visited her - and we all loved it. Hutspot is a traditional Dutch dish, that everyone in the Netherlands knows. It's simple to prepare, very filling and delicious as both a side dish or a main course - real comfort food.

Prep and cook time: 30 min
For 4 servings as a side dish or 2 servings as a main course:

• 500 grams potatoes 
• 300 grams carrots
• 1 large white or yellow onion
• 500 millilitre vegetable stock *)
• 3 table spoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 tea spoon dried dill
• salt
• black pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes, carrots and onion into pieces. Heat vegetable stock with dill in a large pot, add the cut vegetables and cook until they are soft.

Mash the vegetables and the vegetable stock with a potato masher. Add vegetable oil and as much salt and pepper as you like. Stir well.

*) I like my hutspot rather soft and creamy, if you want a firmer hutspot, use 350 to 400 millilitres of vegetable stock.

Enjoy your meal & eet smakelijk,

Vegan Dashi - Step by Step

I really love Japanese food and dashi is a staple, not only for miso soup but for many Japanese dishes. Usually dashi is made using konbu seaweed and bonito fish blakes, but I'm not a big fan of fish, so I usually make vegan dashi using konbu seasweed and dried shiitake mushrooms. Of course, this is not the original - but it tastes delicious and goes really well with any kind of Japanese dish.

I usually prepare 2,5 litres of dashi at once and freeze it in ice cube forms. You can store it up to 6 months in the freezer.

Prep and cook time: 45 minutes.

For 2.5 litres of dashi you need: 

• 2,5 litres water
• 3 pieces of dried konbu seaweed (~ 10 * 7 cm in size)
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms

Cut the konbu pieces from the side to increase surface.

Pour 2.5 litres of cold water into a large pot, add konbu seaweed and shiitake mushrooms and let it soak for 30 minutes.

Bring to a boil and remove konbu seaweed when it starts to boil. Boil the water with the shiitake mushrooms for 10 minutes.

Remove the shiitake mushrooms (you can cut these and use them as e.g. a soup vegetable for miso soup). That's it, your dashi is ready.

Enjoy your meal!

Orange & Pepper Sharmûlah

Sharmûlah or Chermoula (in Arabic: ‏شرمولة) is a kind of marinade used with fish, seafood and meat. There are many versions of this marinade, but there is alwaysfresh herbs, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in it.

This version is prepared with orange juice, orange blossom water and green pepper. It's great with chicken or vegetables, such as slices of zucchini or eggplant, eiter for a tajine or a BBQ. 

Prep and cook time: 5 minutes

• 1 handfull fresh coriander leaves
• lemon juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1 red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
• 2 table spoons pickled green pepper
• 3 teaspoons baharât
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt

Cut coriander, garlic and onion into piecees. Blend with all the other ingredients until you have a smooth marinade. That's it. Yes, really!

Enjoy your meal!

Shakshukah

Shakshûka is a dish Tunisian origins, that is now a staple of Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisines, and is also popular in Israel. It's originally hot or very hot with chilies in the tomato sauce, but for breakfast I prefer a milder version.

By the way, it's not only great for breakfast or brunsh, but whenever you want a good, healthy & fast meal. 

Serves: 4
Prep and cook time: 30 min

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cans peeled tomatoes (400 grams each)
• 1 red sweet pepper
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon harissa (2 teaspoons if you like it hot)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 hand full fresh coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Cut pepper, onion and garlic into pieces. In a large non-stick frying pan heat the olive oil, add pepper, onion and garlic and fry until the mixture starts to brown. Add harissa, tomato paste, cinnamon, coriander seeds and cumin. 

Cut the potatoes into pieces and add them (with the tomato sauce from the cans) to the pan. Cut half of the the coriander leaves into pieces and add them to the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, stir regularely. Add the eggs to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. 

Cut the rest of the coriander leaves.

Enjoy your meal!

Almond & Orange Cake

This is a very light and fluffy cake. It's perfect to be served in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea. You can also freeze pieces of this cake and defrost them, whenever you need them.

• 2 oranges
• 6 eggs
• 250g caster sugar 
• 250g ground almonds 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• icing sugar for dusting  
• peeled almonds for decoration
• oil for greasing the pan

Preheat oven to 190°C. Wash oranges and place unpeeled, in a pot of boiling water for 2 hours. Drain the water and allow the oranges to cool.
Break 6 eggs into a mixing bowl or blender. Add caster sugar and beat or blend together.Place the two oranges into the egg mix. Break up the oranges and then blend together to a smooth consistency. Add the almond meal and baking powder and blend.
Grease a square baking pan with vegetable oil. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour to an hour and a half or until the top is golden brown. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with peeled almonds to serve.

Enjoy your meal!

Rice & Almond Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

This is a lactose-free, vegan and vegetarian version of a popular lebanese recipe.

Serves 4

Prep & cook time: 15 minutes

• 200 ml rice drink
• 2 table spoons rice flour
• 2 table spoons ground almonds
• 2 table spoons sliced almonds
• 2 table spoons honey
• ½ vanilla fruit
• 100 ml raspberries 

Cut vanilla fruit lengthwise, remove vanilla pulp. Heat rice drink with 1 table spoon honey, vanilla fruit and vanilla pulp in a non-stick frying pan. When boiling, add rice flour and ground almonds. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring.

Pour the pudding into 4 tea glasses.

While the pudding is cooling, puree the raspberries with 1 table spoon honey. Add raspberry sauce to every pudding and top with sliced almonds.

Enjoy your meal!