Simple starters: Spring onion soup

3 Ingredient spring onion soup
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I invented this soup after picking up 6 bunches of spring onion on the market for 2 euros. This left me looking for creative ways to use up this tasty vegetable. We like to eat it cold, but it also makes a good warm soup.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
3 Ingredient spring onion soup
Print Recipe
I invented this soup after picking up 6 bunches of spring onion on the market for 2 euros. This left me looking for creative ways to use up this tasty vegetable. We like to eat it cold, but it also makes a good warm soup.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
3 Main ingredients
Optional, to garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Fry your onions and potatoe in a little amount of oil until they start to soften.
  2. Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
  4. Blitz until creamy and season to taste.
  5. Let the soup cool. Serve with a blob of creme fraiche and finely chopped spring onions.
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My Vichyssoise or Delicious & creamy cold soup

VichysoisseSWhen the weather is getting hotter, I recommend you spend an evening making a large batch of this beautiful soup. It is both healthy and tasty, and well loved by all family members. I like to use vegetable stock, this means the dish is completely vegetarian and all my friends can enjoy it as well.

The soup can be served hot or cold. I would cool the soup for at least 4 hours before serving. That’s why I like to make this dish a day in advance.

This soup is also beautiful als a small course at a dinner party or for a high tea. Just serve the soup in a dainty tea cup or a small glass instead of a large plate.

Vichyssoise (6 portions)

  • 2 leaks, sliced and thoroughly cleanVichyssoiseMed, including the green part
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
  • 4 medium potatoes, diced
  • 500 – 750 ml vegetable stock
  • 150 ml cream
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • To serve:
    • Greek yoghurt or sour cream
    • Chopped spring onion or chives
  1. Fry off the potatoes, onion, leaks and garlic until the onion is translucent.
  2. Add vegetable stock until all ingredients are submerged.
  3. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
  4. Blend the soup to a smooth puree, add stock if you want a thinner soup.
  5. Stir in the cream and season to taste. Remember that cold soup will need stronger seasoning.
  6. Serve your soup with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or sour cream and some chopped chives or spring onions.

VichysoisseXL

On hot summer evenings I enjoy a plate of this cold soup with some fresh bread. The best thing is that all you have to do is serve it up, no mess or fuss, just a cooling and healthy dinner.

Cheese scones

I have been having a lot of trouble posting this recipe, every time I want to fotograph these fluffy delights, they seem to disappear. I am glad to post this recipe just before Easter brunch. Because it would be perfect for this occasion!

They also make a great side dish with a salad or a soup (like Dutch pea soup).CHScones2

Cheese scones (for 8 scones)

  • Dry ingredients:
    • 225 gr flour
    • 75 gr cornmeal
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 150 gr grated cheese
    • 1 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Wet ingredients:
    • 55 ml oil
    • 240 ml milk
    • Optional: friend onions
  • For finishing:
    • coffee milk or 1 egg
    • rock salt

CheeseSconesBWS

  1. Combine and mix your dry ingredients.
  2. Pour in your wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
  3. Form into a round flat disc of about 1.5 cm thick, wrap in cling film.
  4. Let this dough rest in your fridge for 20 minutes to 24 hours.
    Resting your dough will ensure a good fluffy end result!
  5. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C.
  6. Cut your disc into 8 triangles with a sharp knife.
  7. Brush your scones with coffee creamer and sprinkle them with salt.
  8. Back them in your oven for 15 minutes.

These scones are best when eaten the same day, to prepare in advance, just make your dough one day ahead. You find my scone recipe here.

Dutch Pea Soup

I have been working hard to record my mother’s recipes. I want to record these for myself, my siblings and my own children. I have been on a mission to illustrate this book. Today I would like to share my progress with the world. This is a sneak peak into our family recipe book.

Besides this Dutch pea soup, I am also working on my mother’s macaroni, sweet & sour fish, curry chicken, tomato soup and many more. It is great to see how these recipes reflect special my family is. For instance, the love my mother feels for her family, but also all the travelling we di , are reflected in her cooking. I can really recommend you write down your own family recipes, your children will be so grateful someday!

The basis for this classis Dutch recipe are dried split peas. It is a winter warming dish associated with frosty weather. We like to eat it when we’re able to skate in the outdoors. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen every winter, this does not stop me from making this dish whenever it gets cold. It is a dish meant to be shared, great to share with friend or your helpful neighbours. That’s what my mom used to do.

DutchPeaSoup

Dutch pea soup (3 to 4 litres of soup)

  • 1 l vegetable stock
  • 250 gr dried split peas
  • 1 large leak, in thick slices
  • 1 large winter carrot, roughly diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 500 gr pork chops
  • ½ Celeriac, diced
  • 2 Celery storks, in slices
  • Optional: add the celery leaves, chopped
  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 Dutch smoked sausage (about 275 gr), sliced
  1. Bring the stock, split peas and meat to a boil and let it simmer for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. You can slice all your other ingredients while the soup simmers.
  2. Remove the meat and shred it. Place the meat back in the pan.
  3. Add all the vegetables and the bay leaves to the soup.
  4. Let the soup simmer for another hour.
  5. Add the celery leaves and smoked sausage a few minutes before serving.

We like to eat rye bread and with slices of bacon (katenspek) with our soup. This makes it a very satisfying winter meal!

Find more soup recipes here.

Simpel Starters : Brussel sprout cappuccino

SpruitjesCap1I learnt this recipe at a cooking workshop. It was such a simple recipe, but it is a major showstopper for dinner guests. It celebrates the flavor of the sprout, complementing it with fluffy cream, crunchy salty bacon and zingy fresh spring union. It’s secret for me is the diversity in flavors and textures.

What I like most of all is that this luxury treat is easy to make for any starting cook.

For a vegetarian option replace the bacon with homemade garlic croutons.

You can serve this starter in a cappuccino cup, or a stylish glass cup.

Sprouts

Brussel sprout cappuccino (serves 4)

  • 250 gr brussel sprouts
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • 150 ml (whipping) cream
  • 75 gr bacon cubes
  • 2 spring unions

Clean your sprouts. Boil the sprouts in the stock for about 10 minutes, until tender. Turn of your heat. Place a lid on the pan while you prepare the other ingredients.sprouts2

Fry your bacon cubes until they are crispy while the sprouts are cooking. Slice the spring union in thin slices. Divide the bacon cubes and spring unions over your cappuccino cups.

Whip the cream into stiff peaks.

Blitz the sprouts and vegetable stock until smooth.

Add a spoonfull of whipped cream to the smooth sprout soup. Add the soup to the whipped cream and fold the mixture in until combined.

Gently spoon your fluffy soup in each cup and let your guests dig in.

Simpel starters: courgette soup

GSoup1In the summer I find myself overwhelmed my the bounty of produce. One vegetable that grows in abundance in the summer is the courgette. When I have a large surplus, I like to make this soup. It can be eaten warm or cold, my favorite! When it is cold you really appreciate the smooth texture and the subtle flavors.

Courgette soup

  • 2 courgette
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt
  • Fresh herbs to your taste
  1. Dice your courgette and finely slice your onion.
  2. Gently fry your courgette and onion in the oil for five minutes.
  3. Add the stock and let this mix simmer for 15 minutes until the courgette is soft.
  4. Blend your ingredients to a smooth soup and add in the Greek yogurt.
  5. Mix in some finely sliced fresh herbs like dill, basil or mint.
  6. Season to taste. If you plan to eat the soup cold, season you soup well as cool soups need intenser seasoning.

Gsoup2Combine with some carrot soda bread for a healthy vegetarian lunch!

My favorite high tea recipes

For my birthday this year I organised a high tea. I received many compliments for the entire spread. It did take me a whole day to prepare for it, but it was delicious! This is a list of the food I made, and some tips.

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  1. Omelet rolls: Mix up eggs, finely sliced chives and some cream to make the egg mix. Fry thin omelets. Let the omelets cool and spread out cream cheese, cover with ham. Roll the omelet up. Wrap your omelet roll in cling film. You can make the rolls 1 to 2 days in advance. For serving, slice and serve these lovely pinwheels.
  2. Fruit punch: Peel and slice your favorite fruits. Make sure you have various colors. Add some fruit juice. Cool your punch and serve it in dainty glasses.
  3. Mini chocolate mousse: Make your favorite mousse recipe and serve in shot glasses or little jam jars. I garnished them with dried cranberries.
  4. Small cups of vichyssoise soup: This simple cold soup is made with potato, onion and leek. I served it in small glasses with a teaspoon of greek yoghurt and some chives.
  5. Scones: My most important tips: don’t knead your dough, rub to combine the flower, sugar and butter, then stir to combine using milk or buttermilk. Wrap your dough in cling film and let it cool for up to 24 hours (in your fridge). This way you can work ahead. Take your dough from the fridge and cut your scone shape quickly then bake right away. Cooling and resting your dough gives you the lightest scones you ever had!
    For those who don’t live in the UK: use mascarpone instead of clotted cream.
  6. Savory pies: Using puff pastry line a muffin mold. Fill each cup with ham, peas, cheese. Fill the cups up with eggs and cream. Bake for 20 mins at 220 degrees C.
  7. Pizza squares: Make a large pizza a day before. Warm it up in a 160 degrees C oven for 20 minutes. Cut your pizza into squares and serve.
  8. Cut candy bars into bite size chunks for inexpensive little treats.
  9. Serve with tea, coffee and white wine

For a relaxed party:

  • Make sure you prepare well in advance and make lists.
  • Find recipes you can prepare 1 or 2 days in advance that take little assembling.
  • Ballance hot, cold, sweet and savory dishes.
  • Don’t try complicated recipes for the first time.
  • Make sure you have enough refridgerator space.
  • Make sure you have enough oven space.
  • Make sure you have enough china. Buy teacups and saucers at your local thrift shop or lend them from friends and family.
  • Use some disposable plates and cups, for less washing up.