Category Archives: low carb

Purple Matters!

Purple Kale Salad_mainIf colour means anything let purple take control. It’s always interesting to see what happens if you let a colour decide on the dish. Obviously, make sure the other ingredients go well with it. This one is colorful and tasteful like a dynamite!

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

Bunch of purple kale
Bunch of palm cabbage
1 Radicchio
1 Beetroot
2 Purple carrot
2 Spring onions
1Celeriac
1 Avocado
3 x3 cm Ginger
Black sesame
Rice vinegar
Sea salt
Ground pepper

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Bake the beetroot, or use pre cooked beets. Pre-heat the oven to 200c, rub the beets in some olive oil and wrap in foil. Toss them in the oven for 1 hour, depending on their size. Take out and let cool in the foil. Once cool enough to handle, remove their skin and cut in segments, set aside.

2. Was and discard the kale in cold water. Transfer to a pan and blanch in just boiled water for 20 seconds, finish with cold water. Squeeze out all the water, drop in a bowl and fluff with a fork.

3. Peel the carrot and ginger cut in in the carrot strips and the ginger in matches. Heat up a wok, add some sesame oil and fry the ginger for a minute or 2. Save 1/4 of the carrot strips and add the rest to the ginger and stir fry for another 3 minutes. Take out and set aside.

4. Finely slice the spring onion, slice the celeriac, grate a lemon and finely chop the red pepper. Add tot the carrot/ginger mixture and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Purple Kale Salad_done

The Almighty Miso Soup

almighty miso soupStock up on some miso paste and kombu, wack it in your freezer and you are 30 minutes away from a quick miso, all year round. Miso is easy to adjust and fits with summer and winter ingredients. The soup, back in the days named misoshiru is high in minerals and protein, so slurp away I would say!

[highlight]INGREDIENTS [/highlight]

Kombu, 5×5 cm cut in strips
handful shiitake
1 cup spinach or palm kale
1 small broccoli
1 carrot
2 or 3 shallots
2 big tablespoons miso paste
bunch celery leaves
soy, if desired
sea salt
ground pepper

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Cut a sheet of kombu into small strips and drop them in a pan with plenty of water, about 1.5 liter, bring to a boil. This will be your stock.

2. Whilst the stock is warming up thinly slice the shallots and carrot. Tear the shiitake and spinach leaves and cut the broccoli in small roses.  Reduce the heat and drop all the ingredients, but the spinach leaves, in the soup, simmer for 10 minutes.

3. When the vegetables  are softened spoon in the miso paste and stir until the paste is completely dissolved. Add the spinach leaves to the soup and bring to taste with salt,  pepper and perhaps some drops of soy sauce. Be carefull it doesnt become too salty. When the soup is done  add the celery leaves and serve in bowls.

* You can serve the soup with kale chips! Wash as small bunch of kale, discard the core and chop it in small bits. Toss with some olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and transfer to a baking tray. Bake in a low temp oven (60c) for up to 15 minutes, or until crisp but not burned!

finished miso

Punk Kale Salad

Punk Kale salad

Kale is the thing to eat now in cities like London and New York, spiced up in a salad or as side. Here in Holland kale is a popular winter number, originally mashed up with potatoes. Our urban Rooftop in Rotterdam was overloaded with the green stuff and since the weather was still not cold enough to long for that steamy pot of mash I came up with a salad, new style. Believe me, this will make you want to skip winter altogether…

INGREDIENTS
serves 4
5 to 6 bunches of kale
mint leaves
a mix of sultanas and raisins
dried apricot
red onion
roasted and salted almonds

Dressing:
1 tp lemon juice
2 ts  honey
1 ts horseradish
2 ts oil
3 ts cider or white wine vinegar
mixed ground pepper
course sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1.Pre-heat the oven to 180 C, remove the outer skin from the onion, chop in 4 and wrap in foil. Throw in the oven for up to 20 minutes. Remove, let it cool, segment the onion and set aside.

2. Soak the sultanas and raisins in water for 20 minutes and drain, set aside.

3. Remove stalks from the kale, chop roughly and wash under cold water. Drop the kale in the sink and pour boiled water on top, stir for 20 seconds, drain and splash with cold water. Squeeze out all the water, drop in a bole and fluff with a fork.

4. Chop the apricots and almonds, set aside.

5. Prepare a dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients.

6. Mix kale with onion, sultanas, apricots, almonds and toss. Pour the dressing over the kale, mix well and serve. Awesome as a side dish with veggie fries or as a lunch salad.

Kale salad-done

ARTICHOKE AND JAM-PACKED CHICORY

rtichoke_Chicory saladNot one that you will spot on your plate everyday, or listed on a menu. A first recollection as a child: “is it a cactus?” A giant green sunflower?” Will I find a frog in the heart?”

Mediterranean kids did not ask such questions, they where familiar with artichoke. It is in the warmer countries where they grow but it where in fact the Dutch who introduced it to England. To get to the heart you nibble the fleshy leaves first, they are taster of what to expect from the hidden gem inside. Not to mention it looks great on a plate.

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

1 yellow carrot
2 artichoke
2 red chicory
1 Lemon
handful golden raisons
150 g cottage cheese
300 g couscous
table spoon honey
mixed nuts
olive oil

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Preheat the oven to 200 c

2. Mix couscous with chilli flakes, olive oil, juice of half a lemon and cover with boiling water so there is about 1 cm above the line, let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

3. Swell the raisins, shave the carrot and roughly chop the nuts and add to the couscous.

4. Cut the chicory at the roots, gently wash the separate leaves and dry them. Fill the leaves with a spoon full of the couscous mixture and place in a lightly buttered oven dish. Finish each leaf with a teaspoon of cottage cheese, a drop of honey and pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is slightly golden.

5. To prepare the artichoke, cut of the tips of the leaves. Add a slice of lemon to the boiling water and steam the artichoke for 25 to 35 minutes or until the outer leaves can be easily pulled off.

6. Drizzle some olive oil over the artichoke, add a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper and serve like a flower with the baked chicory. A simple green, tomato salad goes nicely on the side.

Loaf_artichoke salad_done                       Loaf_artichoke salad_done2

Flower & Broad Bean Salad

Broad bean flower salad_main

So here is proof that flowers are not only pretty things to look at, they can be the eye candy for your   dish too. Now don’t start picking any flower you come across, check first what’s growing in your garden.  Our rooftop here in Rotterdam still grow flowers and its november! This palette was based on flavours that go so well together. Rainbow beet with punchy black tomatoes and fresh broad beans. The flowers bring in a colour punch and give a slight lavender taste, awesome..

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]
serves 4

200g podded broad beans, about (1kg unpodded weight)
300 g mixed cherry tomatoes
2 (rainbow) beets
1 garlic
little bunch of edible flowers
bunch of rocket salad
50 g hazelnuts
honey
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
ground pepper

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Preheat the oven to 180 c. Peel off any excess paper around the edges of the garlic. Cut the top part off, sprinkle with a little salt and oil and wrap in foil. Toss in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Clean the beets, rub with some oil, wrap in foil and toss in the oven with the garlic for 40 minutes.
3. Boil a pan of water, add the broad beans and boil for 2-3 mins. Drain and plunge into iced water, leave to cool a little before removing the skins.
4. Cut the  the tomatoes in quarters and put aside.
5 .Once the beets are cooled, remove the skin and cut in slices.
6. Cut the garlic in two or 4.
7. Whisk the honey, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper into a dressing.
8 Toss together the rocket, tomatoes, beets and broad beans.
9. Place the garlic on top, drizzle with some dressing and scatter chopped walnuts and flowers on top.
10. Serve with some Indian naan bread or on its own.

Broad bean flower salad_02   Broad bean flower salad_plate

Baked Beetroot

Baked Beetroot

Because beets are the most versatile vegetables. They are so fantastic in whatever form or shape:  baked, steamed, mashed or in fluid. Throw them in the oven wrapped in foil for an hour or so and you will get such a juicy thing. Mash it with sweet potato or turn it into a juice with avocado, celery and apple. Beetroot is rock and roll in the kitchen!

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

4 mixed beetroot and their greens
200 g smoked salmon
100 g goat cheese
soya cooking cream
1/2 avocado
small handful olives
pistachio nuts
sea salt
ground pepper
2 tablespoons dutch apple syrup
vinaigrette
200 ml extra virgin olive oil
50 ml tarragon vinegar
musterd
capers
2 tablespoons honey
sea salt

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Remove the greens from the beets by twisting, dont cut!

2 .Wash the beetroots and wrap individually in foil and bake them in the oven: small beets take one hour, big ones up to 2 hours. They have be soft,  check by squeezing a little. Let them cool, peel off the outer skin and shave or cut in thin slices. If you use pre-cooked beets so can slice them straight away.

3. Mince the salmon and finely chop 1/4 of the avocado. Mix well and add seasoning. Cover and put away in the fridge.

4. Prepare the vinaigrette:  Blitz together the vinegar, mustard, honey olive oil and little salt until one smooth sauce. Do you have fresh basil? Add and blitz as well. Stir in the capers.

6. In a little saucepan warm up the cream, when it start to boils take of the heat and whisk in crumbled goat cheese and if you have blue cheese to a slight stiff substance.

7. Wash and tear the beet greens and mix with other leaves like rocket or.

8. Slice the remaining avocado, halve the olives and mix them with the salad leaves.

9. Remove the salmon from the fridge

10. Pile a firm amount of salad on your plate. Use a cooking ring to make your salmon tartar. Then make your beetroot tower with the cooking ring. Alter layers of beetroot with the cheese cream, start and finish with beetroot slices, make sure you carefully lift the ring.

11. Warm up the syrup and drop a spoonful of melted syrup on top of the tower. Drizzle vinaigrette over your salad and a little on the salmon and serve up!!

 

Baked Beetroot_result_done  Baked Beetroot_result_done_03  Baked Beetroot_result_done_02

KOHLRABI snack WITH WASABINA DIP

Kohlrabi fries_home[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

snack

1  or 2 kohlrabi’s
sunflower oil
10 shishito peppers
salt
ground pepper

DIP SAUCE

small bunch of wasabina
1 pot of crème fraiche
1 lime
2 garlic cloves, grated

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Start with the dipsauce so the flavours can be enhanced:

2. Finely chop the wasbina  and grate the garlic. Mix  them with the crème fraiche,  a squeeze of lime juice and a good pinch of black pepper. Stir and set aside in the fridge.

3. Peel the kohlrabi and slice in chunky batons, then steam for a minute or 5.

4 .Pre heat a grill pan and add a glug of sunflower oil. Grill the batons until brown and crispy on the edges, pile on a plate and sprinkle with salt.

5. Continue to grill the shishito peppers and add to your snackplate with the dipsauce and extra slices of lime. Tuck in!

09.kohlrabi fries wasabina_reg noise

09.kohlrabi fries wasabina_done

Aubergine and quinoa roll ups

11_aubergine roll ups_main

That’s the difficulty when a veg has different names in different countries. An aubergine is also called a zucchini, which means courgette in French. A recipe that meant to start with a purple egg shape thing ended up with his green alter ego. I gave up, until I moved back to the Netherlands where things are called what they are. I learned that aubergine is an incredible versatile ingredient that lends itself in many varied ways. Rolled up for example, with little kumquats on the side, nice!

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

1 Aubergine
10 oyster mushrooms
3 kumquats
200 g Quinoa
handful yellow raisins
handful hazelnuts
flat leaf parsley
100 g goat cheese, mixed with 30 g parmesan
handful purple sprouts
olive oil
Salt &  ground Pepper
herbal stock cube

[highlight] INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Prepare a veggie broth and bring to boil, reduce to simmer and add the quinoa. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

 2. Slice the aubergine with a cheese slicer in thin  strips, leave out the two end pieces with their skin on.  Sprinkle the strips with a little salt and heat up a grill pan. Once the pan is hot grill the slices on both sides for about 2 minutes or when brown (not black) stripes appear. Put aside and start the stuffing.

3. Heat up a pan, cut the remaining aubergine ends to small pieces and tear the mushrooms. Add some oil to the pan and start with the aubergine. After 3 minutes add the mushrooms and stir for another 2 minutes. Then add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir to one mixture and season with salt & pepper. Fill the grilled aubergine slices by adding some of the stuffing to the thicker end (about a dessert spoon), and roll it up.

4. Once cooked transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and squeeze in some cumquat juice, then add chopped hazelnuts, raisins, parsley and finish with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.

5. Serve with the rolled up aubergine and garnish with purple sprouts and kumquat. No need to peel, you can eat the skin of kumquats.

Rolled up Aubergine_result_doneRolled up Aubergine_done2Rolled up Aubergine_done3

 

Salsify oh Salsify

01.Salsify pasta

The veggie man handed me a few twigs covered in dirt. ” Let me know what you’ll make with them!” ” With twigs?!” The correct name is salsify actually, miss..” I had to admit that I had never seen them before so was challenged to try them. Salsify are an old and forgotten veg so confirm the trend you’ll find them more often at your local market stall.  The other veggies I had at home  could also be leading in this dish so I gave them all a mail part.

 

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

2 courgettes
4 salsify, not to be mistaken by in earth covered sticks
1 romanesco
1 lemon
1 orange
1 pot creme fraiche
olive oil
120 g parmesan cheese
grounded all spice
coarse sea salt
ground pepper

[highlight] INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

serves 4
1.
Wash, scrub and peel the salsify until the white flesh is revealed. Cut into smaller pieces of 5 cm and drop them into boiling water with squeezed  lemon juice for about 8 minutes.

2. Wash your courgette and cut both ends, leave the skin on. Cut into thin slices lengthwise, and then slice into thin strips so you have courgette pasta.

 3. Break the romanesco down into florets.

 4. After the salsify, steam the romanesco florets, for about 4 minutes, then drain them under cold water so they reamain crisp. Finish with the courgette pasta, steam for up to one minute and put aside.

 5. Grill the salsify in a hot griddle pan until they have a golden brown pattern.

6. Start with the pasta sauce. Preheat a pan, add some olive oil and then some freshly squeezed orange juice. Bring to boil, then add creme fraiche and let it simmer for a minute. Mix in half of the steamed romansesco and continue to stir, add herbs like all spice. Then add 2/3 of the grilled salsify and grate parmesan cheese over the sauce, stir and add salt and pepper.

 7. When the sauce is almost done grill the steamed courgette until they have a light brown pattern.

 8. Pour the sauce on a big deep plate, divide the courgette pasta over the sauce and follow with the remaining romanesco florets and salsify. Finish with some grated parmesan and orange peel. Serve with warm baked bread and a simple tomato and vinegar salad.

 

24_TagliatelleSalsify_done

TagliatelleSalsify_done2

Salmon and japanese greens

02.Salmon_wasbina

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

1 salmon filet
big bunch of wasbina
1 lime
pickled myoga
1 cucumber
2 spring onions
handful of soya beans
handful of purple sprouts
sesame seeds
almond flakes
salt
ground pepper

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS [/highlight]

serves 2

1. Steam the edamame beans for 2 minutes and push out the beans.

2. Wash the wasabina, shop roughly and quickly stir fry in oil with sesame seeds, almond flakes  and ground pepper.

3. Grill the salmon, leaving it pink in the centre,  in a hot grill pan and sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds.

4. Slice the cucumber in long strips, leaving the skin on.

5. Toss together the wasabina, soy beans and purple sprouts.

6. Curl the cucumber strips on your plate and arrange your wasabina mixture on top and follow by  pickled myoga leaves.

7. Squeeze over a little lime juice, some myoga vinegar and sprinkle with chopped spring onions.

8. If you dont use myoga pickels prepare a dressing by dissolving some rice vinegar and brown sugar in a saucepan.

Myoga pickels:

2 to 3 myoga
100 ml rice vinegar
50 g  brown sugar
100 ml water

Combine vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil, then add water and bring back to boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut myoga in half (lengthwise) and blanch in boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and cool for apx. 15 min. Soak myoga in the sweet & sour mixture overnight or a few hours before preparing the salad.

 

Salmon Wasabina salad_done_02Salmon Wasabina salad_done_03Salmon Wasabina salad_done_01

 

Shungiku and shiitake stew

05.Shungiku_shiitake

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

big bunch of shungiku
10 shiitake mushrooms
handful of fresh seaweed
1 spring onion
handful of beansprouts
250 g sticky rice
1 chilli pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 table spoon black sesame seeds
200 ml ight soy sauce
100 ml rice vinegar
20 g brown sugar
150 ml sunflower oil
salt, fresh ground pepper

[highlight]INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

[column size=”one_fourth” last=”no”]1. Start by marinating the shiitake mushrooms: Prepare the garlic oil: in a wok heat up 125 ml sunflower oil and add the grated garlic cloves. Stir until brown, then sift and cool.[/column] [column size=”one_fourth” last=”no”]2. Dissolve the brown sugar, rice vinegar and light soy sauce in a small saucepan.[/column] [column size=”one_fourth” last=”yes”]3. Mix the shiitake with 2/3 of the sauce and a table spoon of garlic oil and marinate for 45 minutes.[/column]

[column size=”one_fourth” last=”no”]4. Transfer the shiitake to a saucepan, bring to boil with 500 ml of water and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile cook the sticky rice according to the instructions on the packet[/column]

[column size=”one_fourth” last=”no”]5. Wash the fresh seaweed, shop finely and quickly stir fry in little oil, mix with the sticky rice and a gulp of rice vinegar. Wash the shunguki, chop roughly and stir fry for 1 minute with some grated chilli pepper, salt and ground pepper.[/column]

[column size=”one_fourth” last=”yes”] 6. Arrange everything on one plate: start with the shunguki, add a broth spoon of rice in the centre, follow with a brothspoon of shiitake mixture and sprinkle with some fresh beansprouts, shopped spring onion and sesame seeds.[/column]

Shungiku with Shiitake_result_02_done

 

Japanese Rolls

03.Japanese_Rolls

[highlight]INGREDIENTS[/highlight]

6cm rice paper wrappers
small bunch of shunguki
handful of seaweed
5 to 8 shiitake mushrooms
handful of beansprouts
400 g cooked & peeled prawns
10 shishito peppers
light soy sauce
teaspoon honey
rice vinegar
Sesame seeds
sesame oil

[highlight] INSTRUCTIONS[/highlight]

1. Chop the shiitake mushrooms and stir fry in a hot wok for 10 minutes in a splash of sesame oil and a gulp of light soy sauce.

 2. Wash the seaweed, chop finely and add in the wok with shiitake, continue to stir fry for 1 minute.

3. Take the wok from the heat and stir in the washed and chopped shunguki, chopped shrimps and beansprouts.

4. Grill the shishito peppers in a hot grill pan in some sesame oil.

5. Soak a rice paper in warm water for 30 to 40 seconds until pliable, remove and add another to soak. Place a generous spoonful of the mixture in the centre of the paper and roll up to form a cigar, tucking in the ends as you roll. Place with the seam-side down on a plate and repeat until all the papers and filling are used up.Cover with a damp tea towel if not serving immediately.

 6. For the dressing dissolve honey, rice vinegar, light soy sauce and water in a small saucepan.

 7 .Serve the wraps with the peppers and sauce on the side.

Japanese Rolls_done