Baked Sriracha Wings with Creamy Stilton Dip
Move on over deep-fried Buffalo Wings. There’s a new kid in town! This is the perfect fodder to get messy with with a couple…
Category: Recipes & More
Sea Bream on a Leek and Potato Cake with Warm Chorizo Salsa and a Bouillabaisse Sauce
O my. My guests were literally gushing over this one. I’d call this the perfect fish dish for the colder season. It is hearty,…
Salad of Mulled Wine Pear, Stilton, Cranberry And Maple Salted Walnuts
This winter salad takes one of my favourite classic flavour combinations right into the Christmas spirit. I’ve waxed lyrical about pears, blue cheese and…
Beetroot and Gin Cured Salmon with Horseradish and Pomegranate
I adore smoked salmon. But in my book, home-cured salmon beats any smoked salmon, mass-cured salmon or gravadlax hands down. Being a lover of…
Italian Brunch Croissant Tear-and-Share
Despite trying not to overindulge in ready-bought starchy carbs all too often, I do confess to a serious soft spot for pastry dough. I…
Trio of Sweet Mango and Lime
When I saw a glut of mangoes going cheap at my local shop, I pounced om them. I adore mangoes, as they work equally…
Spatchcock Lemon and Thyme Chicken on a Rustic Bean Stew
England has a real love affair with whole roast chicken. Especially on Sundays. Personally, I’m not the greatest fan, as I find whole roast…
It’s A Wrap
Whenever I am in the US, it has now become tradition to have lunch at the nearest Cheesecake Factory on my last day. I…
Stuffed Brunch of Portobello, Spelt, Feta, Egg and Avocado
Stuffing things were all the rage years ago. There would not be a dinner party in the land without at least one stuffed something.…
Sole with Preserved Lemon, Caper Crumbs and Kohlrabi Colcannon
My dad adores fish. But mostly fillets. My brother hates fish. Can’t stand the fiddling with bones and stuff. And he doesn’t trust fillets…
Three Cheese Thyme and Tomato Tartlets
The other week I hosted a lovely summer get-together for my work colleagues. As usual, time ran away with us. We were chatting and…
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Sage and Prosciutto
I never used to like pork and hardly ever cooked it. not even beautiful tenderloin. Blame it on childhood memories of overcooked fatty pork…
Peach and Pistachio Galette with Honey and Orange Blossom
Apparently August is National Peach Month in the US. Well, as far as I’m concerned any summer month when fresh British seasonal peaches are…
Cod, Chorizo and Chickpea Casserole with Spinach Pesto
Sadly, British summers aren’t all that. The last couple of weeks, the weather has been predictably dreary, with some impressive downpours forcing us indoors,…
Italian Tagliata Sharing Platter
Sharing platters are perfect for easy summer entertaining. Generously fill a large wooden board or slate with lots of yummy delicacies and serve family…
Get Your Kimchi On And Take A Bao
Let’s face it: if you’re making my delicious Char Siu Pork, you need some Chinese steamed buns to go with it, right? To me,…
Char Siu – Chinese BBQ Pork
This Char Siu Pork is a labour of love. So I have dedicated a whole weekend to bring you this gorgeous recipe. The good…
Beetroot Buckwheat Risotto, Caraway, Horseradish and walnuts
I went through a major kitchen revamp recently. Which meant clearing my kitchen cupboards from stuff I’d long forgotten I had in there. A…
Black Forest Clafoutis
The only good thing about the asparagus season coming to an end, is that it signals the start of the British cherry season. I…
Red Hot Chili Linguine
If you don’t like it hot, look away now. Because this is a freestyle Pasta Puttanesca on steroids. Then again, you can of course…
Charred Caesar Salad
The Caesar salad must be just about the most popular and well-known salad in the world. Often believed to be an American classic, this…
Honey Yoghurt Cheesecake with Caramelised Oranges
Baked cheesecakes are not usually my thing. Most of the time I find them heavy and cloying. I prefer the lighter no-bake varieties, such…
Easy Oriental Salmon Traybake
As the weather hots up, I’m always looking for ways to spend less time slaving over a hot stove. But continuous salads aren’t the…
GF Lasagna Primavera
Lasagna is glorious, isn’t it? Well, at least a good one is. But I get a bit fed up with the run of the…
Very Merry Berry Verrine
I adore blueberries. I always have a glut in the fridge and the freezer. They are gorgeous stirred through Greek yoghurt and sprinkled with…
Fiery Chicken with Cooling Mango and Pineapple Salsa
Looking back over my blog, I note a particular fancy for sweet and savoury. I never knew that about myself before I started this…
Mini Flour Tortilla Quiches with Red Peppers and Chorizo
Most foodbloggers pretend that they share what they cooked and ate on that day. On a whim. Nearly as an afterthought. And sometimes they…
The whole Enchilada
I’m going through a Mexican phase. And avocado with everything. Do you have that? Food phases? When you rediscover flavours you hadn’t tasted or…
Tex-Mex Steak Lettuce Tacos with Cowboy Caviar
Crispy taco shells aren’t my thing. Gorgeous as they are, I always end up with the filling on my lap, as the shells break…
Oven Pancake with Apple, Onion and Bacon
This is one of those classic sweet and savoury combos that are popular in Canada and the Netherlands. The Canadians have a penchant for…
Black Risotto, Asparagus, Prawns and a Lemon Saffron Sauce
A few weeks back I took out a second mortgage to purchase a tiny bundle of early season white asparagus in England. The following…
Roast Vegetable Upside Down Tart
This glorious savoury tarte tatin was born out of fridge leftovers. Frugal cooking to the max, but your family need never know. The upside…
Musings About Chips
“Where are the chips?” A comment from an ex-colleague seeing my fishcakes pic. Good question. Due to my childhood in Belgium and despite my aim…
An Anglo-French Affair
On the menu: “Everything Duck” Salad Salmon Fish Cakes with a Lemon Butter Sauce Pumpkin meets an Avocado and a Pecan Pie I may…
Cocotte of Escargots, Bacon and Mushrooms
I have no idea why escargots aka snails are not eaten more outside France. I guess people may be put off by the sheer…
Spring Pasta with Asparagus, Eggs and Ham Hock
I’m literally counting down to the brief British asparagus season. Hopefully these green spears of delight will arrive soon. Then, 5 or 6 weeks…
Open Sandwich of Fish Coujons with Wasabi Crema
Ah… The child-like joy of biting into a glorious fish finger sandwich. Sustainable organic 100% fish or not as the case may be. The…
Moroccan Pizza with Butternut, Harissa and Feta
I’m still having fun with my new pizza stone. But I like to mix things up. There is so much more you can do…
Skinny Hot Cross Bun ‘n Butter Pudding, Lazy Salted Caramel
OK, let’s not pretend this is a healthy recipe by any stretch of the imagination. In my defense, it is a skinnier version of…
Pot Roast Chicken Veronique
Even after 27 years in the England, I am still amazed by the English obsession with roasts. Roast chicken, roast pork, roast duck, roast…
Pastiera Di Grano – Neapolitan Easter Torte
This is the most unique, unusual and unlikely Easter cake I’ve ever made. But it is magical and delicious. Pastiera di Grano has been…
Salad of Fregola, Courgette, Artichoke and Goats Curd
A little while ago I rediscovered fregola, a nutty semolina pasta from the Italian island of Sardinia. I made a delicious tomato and clam…
Yoghurt Panna Cotta, Rhubarb, Elderflower and Pistachio
We’ve all done it. Go on, admit it. As kids we’ve all pulled a stick of rhubarb from a forbidden garden and skipped along…
Cajun Chops with Papaya Hot Sauce and Baked Onion Rings
I’m not going to introduce this one with a long story about why I don’t eat pork very often, weaving in some of my…
Spring Soup with Chorizo and Confit Garlic
This in-between March weather is driving me nuts. One day temperatures are soaring to the late teens and I’m getting all excited about spring…
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Baked Rainbow Couscous
I’ve been indulging in some new kitchen toys lately. One of which is a tagine. A huge tagine. A mahousive tagine. In fact it…
An Indonesian Twist on the Dutch Sausage Roll
These little beauties combine two of my favourite food memories: my mum’s Indonesian spiced meatballs and the traditional sausage rolls from North Brabant, the…
How to Make a Classic Apple Tarte Tatin
Classic Tarte Tatin will never go out of fashion. OK it’s not a dish for the calorie conscious, I give you that. But as…
Nduja Fregola with Clams and Artichokes
Fregola is a fabulous pasta from the Southern parts of Sardinia. These little pasta pearls are reminiscent of Israeli Couscous, and North African berkoukes…
Slow Cooked Beef in Chocolate Porter with Roast Onion Cauli Mash
With spring around the corner I thought best to quickly sneak in a last bit of comfort food. Well, it was -8 C overnight…
Poffertjes – Dutch Mini Pancakes
It doesn’t need to be Pancake Day for the Dutch to eat pancakes. We eat them any time of the year, for breakfast, brunch,…
Cheat’s Flammkuchen
Don’t be fooled by the pictures: this is not a pizza. The mere comparison will get the whole of Alsace on your tail. This…
Sweet Potato and Courgette Chia Fritters, Avocado-Feta Dip
With the sun now occasionally sneaking a peak from behind the winter clouds to remind us spring is around the corner, I’m finding myself…
Herb Crusted Fish on Celeriac Alfredo
My beloved spiraliser was starting to gather dust over winter, as I tend to associate spiralised veggies with bright salads and summer sun. Until…
Retro Steak Archiduc with Seasoned Oven Chips
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I’d say this applies to many ladies too! Steak is still top…
Sambal Goreng Prawns with Papaya and Sweet Potato
This fusion dish is a HUGE vitamin C booster and finger-licking good. Sambal and ketjap manis are deeply rooted in Indonesian cuisine and are…
Healthier Home Made “Nutella” Brownie Mug Cake
Today is World Nutella Day. Hoorah. I admit that for a nanosecond I considered writing a post about the other celebration I spotted on…
Warm Salad of Butternut, Mung Bean and Pomegranate
This is where I’d reluctantly stand up in a room full of fellow-afflicted and confess: “I am The Dutch Foodie and I am a…
Croissant with Chorizo, Garlic Mushrooms and Taleggio
I don’t know who invents these things, but apparently today is National Croissant Day. Not sure whether to laugh or cry since discovering the…
Nam Yue Braised Spare Ribs With Tangerine
If the past year hasn’t treated you kindly, or vice versa, this is your second chance:
Curried Cullen Skink with Confit Egg Yolk
25th of January marks the birthday of the Scottish Poet Robert Burns. Never heard of him? Ever sung “Auld Lang Syne”? Then you’ve sung…
Calf’s liver with lime and baby leeks
My adopted country has a longstanding love affair with liver and onions. Preferably served with butter-laden mashed potatoes. More often than not, the liver…
Three Cheese White Pizza with Radicchio and Caramelized Red Onion
Woohoo! My new pizza stone has arrived! I do have one already, a fire clay one that takes forever to heat up and cool…
Mum’s Budget Salmon Pie
Leafing through recipes of old while housebound with the cold from hell, I found the frayed well-used recipe for mum’s salmon and egg pie.…
Ricotta Gnudi in a Tomato Broth
The first and last time I made potato gnocchi was at my dinner party from hell. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.…
Lazy Confit Duck Cassoulet
Have you faltered yet on your New years resolutions for a leaner healthier you? Or did you not bother? Either way, I’m sort of…
The Indonesian Answer to Chicken Ramen – Soto Ayam
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to cook more Indonesian food. OK, you’re right, it’s the only New Year’s resolution I actually wholeheartedly…
Smoked Pork Belly with Apple, Cider and Sage
My Dutch pea soup left me with a sizeable slab of smoked pork belly. What to do. I had never cooked nor eaten pork belly…
Sgroppino – the boozy smoothie that doubles up as a dessert
Just as we’re preparing for a leaner January, which for many of us may include a return to calorie counting, juicing and smoothies, let’s…
Cheesy Leftover Turkey Soup
If leftover turkey is still coming out of your ears and you can’t find space in the freezer for it, this delicious soup is…
“Traditional” Boxing Day Turkey Tikka Masala
Whole roast turkey is the Go-To Christmas dish in the UK. Even though I gather most Brits don’t care for turkey all that much.…
Seasonal Mess – Meringue, Hazelnut Cream, Cognac, Agen Prunes
If this was one of those cheap, over-the-top adverts on one of the teleshopping channels, it would go something like this (imagine a dramatic…
Assiette of Shrimp and Salmon
On the menu: Assiette of Brown Shrimp cocktail, Salmon Rillette, Avocado Mousse, Kinglas Salmon, Pickled Raw Beetroot and Apple and Cucumber Dressing This is…
Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta With Kale And Cashew Pesto
On the menu: Lemon Pepper Chicken with Creamy Roast Tomato Pasta and Kale and Cashew Pesto Sometimes you don’t want haute cuisine. Sometimes you…
Salmon Rillette with Pickled Beetroot
“Let’s do something different this year”, my boss said. So we did. This was my first experience of a pop up restaurant and I…
Easy Homemade “Ricotta”
There is a saying out there, that every self-respecting food blogger will post about homemade ricotta at least once in their blogging-life. As a…
Asian Salmon with Chilli, Mirin and Soy, Egg Fried Cauli Rice
In this festive season of excess, parties, indulgence, rib sticking fare and sugar overload, I need something light and completely different on the days…
Italian Stuffed Squid with a Black Orzo Risotto
I’ve been cooking a lot of wholesome brown-looking autumnal dishes lately. And goodies that would make nice little Christmas presents such as cookies and…
Seasonal Dutch Spice Cookies and Sinterklaas
Christmas was never a commercial blow-out in our house. A real Christmas tree, midnight mass, dressing up in our Sunday best for cake and…
Venison with Celeriac, Chestnuts and Wild Mushrooms
This indulgent venison dish would grace any Christmas table that does not need to feed a crowd expecting a huge turkey and turkey sandwiches to…
Classic Dutch Pea Soup
Pea soup is a Dutch institution and a national treasure. Like the British Sunday roast and the American Thanksgiving dinner. We’re not talking about…
Dutch Apple and Frangipane Turnover Roll
We’ve all been there, right? What to do with unsightly puff pastry leftovers? Simples. Apple turnover time! Sweet crisp golden pastry puffs with a…
Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree, Marbled Eggs and Curried Cauliflower Rice
This is a delicious British-meets-Indian-meets-Dutch-Foodie mish-mash. Kedgeree is a British breakfast dish hailing from Indian colonial times. It is derived from the Indian Khichdi,…
Two Chutneys and an Apple Butter
What To Do With Two Pineapples and a Glut of Apples: Pineapple Chilli Jam Pineapple, Apple and Mustard Chutney (slow cooker option) Apple Butter…
Tartare of Beetroot, Apple, Smoked Eel, Horseradish and Vodka
In Scandinavia, Christmas dinner is served on Christmas eve. It tends to be a buffet-style feast of all matter of loveliness served throughout the…
Breakfast Buckwheat Pancakes with Bacon, Egg and Cheese
The French call this a “galette complète”, which unsurprisingly translates to “complete galette”. Traditionally this is a buckwheat pancake filled with egg, ham and…
Quinoa Salad with Garam Masala Vegetables and Goats Cheese
On the menu: Warm Quinoa Salad with Garam Masala Roasted Vegetables and Goats Cheese, Halloumi or Feta Autumnal salads are a great way of…
Garlicky Sweet Potato Crush with Sausages and Onion Gravy
On the menu: Garlicky Butter Bean and Sweet Potato Crush with Baked Sausages and a Caramelized Onion Gravy – Gluten Free and Dairy Free…
Belladonna Surprise – a Spicy Chorizo Traybake
The other week I ended up listening to music and talking all things food till dawn with a fellow-foodie friend. He mentioned this recipe, which…
Wild Mushroom Risotto and a Risotto Masterclass
This Italian classic shouts “Autumn” to me. It is rich and comforting, yet only needs a few affordable ingredients to deliver that “MMmmm”. The…
Baked Apples with Nuts, Sultanas and Custard
Hot desserts are a great British tradition (commonly referred to as “puddings” or “puds” by the Brits, though in Dutch-land a pudding refers to…
Butternut and Nut Butter Soup
On the menu: Butternut Squash Soup with Almond Nut Butter and Toasted Almonds Just because Halloween is done and dusted, doesn’t mean the pumpkin…
Avocado on Toast with Egg and Spicy Chorizo
Smashed avocado on toast is rapidly becoming a global breakfast classic. From the unadorned to endless variations with tomatoes, poached egg, chili sauce, smoked…
A Menu of Belgian Classics
On the Menu: Tomatoes Stuffed with Brown Shrimp Waterzooi from Ghent Belgian Chocolate Mousse This is no-frills classic Belgian cuisine. The shrimp stuffed tomatoes…
Naan Pizza with Roast Tomato, Nduja and Burrata
This is so wrong and yet tastes so right. The lovely people at Ocado gave me a freebie of flame-grilled naan bread with my…
Caramelized Fennel and Kale Soup with Basil Oil
Soup Season has arrived! You could call this a superfood soup. But I suspect many of you will run a mile at the mere…
Baked Stuffed Camembert in a Pastry Crust
There’s one of those trendy cooking videos doing the rounds on Facebook for a stuffed Camembert. I’m sure you’ve seen it. And it’s bugging me.…
Cod on a Puy Lentil Fricassee
This is one of my all-time favourite autumn recipes. It is easy to make, healthy, low GI and hits the comfort food button big…
My Favourite Steak Sandwich
A steak sandwich is a simple yet beautiful thing. The challenge therefore lies in its simplicity. Choose the freshest bread, with just the right balance…
Carbonara Inspired Vegetarian Pasta
As the nights are drawing in, yet the memories of balmy summer evenings linger, the comfort of pasta beckons. Mind you, this is the…
Sous-vide Steak in your Home Kitchen
This is a wonderful yet healthier version of steak and chips. The steak is simply pan-fried, or cooked sous-vide. “Sous-vide” is French for “under…
GF Whole Orange, Almond and Chia Cake
The Great British Bake Off always inspires me to want to bake! I’ve seen many incarnations of GBBO, including the Dutch one. And although most…
Good Morning Vietnam
On the menu: Vietnamese Chicken Salad Slow Cooked Vietnamese Lamb Shanks, Sesame Roast Sweet Potato, GABA rice Banh Flan (Vietnamese Coconut Creme Caramel) I…
French Buckwheat Galette with Pear, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
I am getting galette withdrawal symptoms. For the past months I spent several days a week at our Paris office. Correction. It’s in Boulogne-Billancourt.…