Kidney Bean Brownies


Today I am here with a "special" recipe that has done the tour of a lot of blogs.

I am talking about the famous brownies filled with beans, instead of flour.
These brownies are completely gluten free and delish.

I took major inspiration here.

You will need:
  • 1 cup and 3/4 cooked red kidney beans
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar powder
  • 90 g dark chocolate (bain-marie)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Handful of flaked almonds (optional)
  • chopped dark chocolate
  • a pinch of salt
  • food processor or blender 
Preheat your oven at 175 °C.

Melt the dark chocolate in a sauce pan on a low heat.
In the meantime rinse en drain the beans, then put them in your food processor and mix until your beans get a texture like a puree (I added some water).

Put your pureed beans in a bowl and add all the ingredients except for the flaked almonds, the chopped dark chocolate and the melted chocolate. Once everything is well mixed, add the melted chocolate and the chopped chocolate. 

Pour the mixture in your lined baking dish.

Sprinkle some flaked almonds on top.

Put in your oven and bake between 25 and 30 minutes.

Allow your brownie to cool before to cut it. 



PS. They are even better after chilling a whole night in the fridge.

Until next time (actually until next recipe)!



XO

Ndundari con salsa di pomodoro e basilico di Contaldo


Today I present you a recipe from Gennaro Contaldo.
I discovered the existence of this dumplings in 'The greedy Italians'. 
I'am talking (actually writing) about Ndundari. Ndundari are Italian ricotta dumplings that Gennaro's mother used to make for him. 




For this recipe you will need:

-200 gr of flour (tipo '00')
-220 gr of ricotta
-3 egg yolks
-20 gr parmesan
-Salt and pepper 
-Vegetable oil
-Homemade tomato sauce
-Fresh basil
Optional: nutmeg, parmesan to sprinkle over the dumplings

Proceeding:

Start off by making your usually tomato sauce*.
While your tomato sauce is cooking, make your ricotta dumplings.

In a big bowl mix the flour with the ricotta, egg yolks, parmesan and salt and pepper (if using: nutmeg). 
Knead three to five minutes.
Roll the dough out to 'sausage' and cut it into little squares. 

In the meantime bring some salted water to boil. When it boils add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the water and add immediately the dumplings. Cook them two to five minutes.

Drain the Ndundari.

Assemble the Ndundari with the sauce. Finish off by adding a leaf of basil.




Serve immediately!


XO

*If you want a recipe for the tomato sauce: go to the original recipe of the Ndundari.





Outrageous Cheese and Vegetable Burger


Lately I have been making dinner every day. 
Suddenly I wanted to have a nice juicy burger full of vegetables, but WITHOUT meat. 
So some kind of an healthy burger.




For 3 people you will need:

-one courgette or zucchini
-one aubergine or eggplant
-one pepper
-some goats cheese
-balsamic vinegar
-vegetable or olive oil
-salt and pepper
-3 little buns (in french we call them 'pistolets').

The first thinh you want to do is to cut your aubergine in slices. On every slice you should put some salt and then superimpose the slides on each other as if you were reconstructing the aubergine. Let them sit in a plate for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime slice your courgette and bake it in the pan. 
You can also start now with your pepper. Take off the green part of your pepper, make a vertical incision in your pepper, take out the seeds. Add some salt in the pepper through his incision. 
Take out a casserole and heat up some oil.
Once it's hot add your pepper and lower the heat.
Keep on eye on the pepper and make sure to turn your pepper so that it won't burn.

Once you're done with baking your courgette, it's the turn of the aubergine. Wash your aubergines well and wring them. Bake them as well in the pan.

Once your vegetables are all cooked, let them rest a while.
Slice your pepper, put it in a bowl. Mix the pepper with some balsamic vinegar. 

Now it's time to MAKE the burger! 

Take your bun, slice it. 
Add your vegetables, making sure to add some goats cheese in the middle of all the vegetables.
Close all that goodness with the upperside of the bun.





Serve and be surprised by how good this is. 




See all the juice popping out of it! 


PS: it's better then an HAMburger ;-)

One-pan pasta from Martha Stewart


Today a fast and quick recipe to celebrate my come-back on the blog.

I know I have been absent of the blog, but that was because of  my exams. Now I am BACK to make some great stuff. As I didn't had a sea of time, because I was studying a lot, I made this recipe many times! It's simple, healthy and tasty... what can you ask for more?

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart (link here).

For 4 you will need:

12 ounces or 340 gr of linguine (in my case spaghetti) 
12 ounces or 340 gr  of sliced tomatoes (in my case cherry tomatoes)
1 sliced onion
1 clove of garlic
A piece of peperoncino
Some fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt (1 teaspoon) and pepper 
4 1/2 cups (560 ml) of water
Optional: freshly grated parmesan, pecorino, ricotta salata

Now just put all the ingredients in your pan, even the water. And let the water come to a boil.
Once it boils, lower the heat and let it cook accordingly to time on the package of your pasta (in my case 20 minutes).



Time passed, the pasta should be cooked and the water dissolved.

Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan, pecorino, ricotta salata or with nothing, like I did.



Buon appetito e a la prossima! 



Epic Fish Tacos with Homemade Tortillas


Here it is, the first salty recipe on my blog.
And it's not the usual, traditional Belgian course that I'm going to present you.
No, it's the recipe of the Epic Fish Tacos.


I found it here, a blog that I really like and from where I take a lot of inspiration.

Without further-doing here is what you need to make those tacos (for 3 people):

For the filling:


400 gr of white fish (I used Cod)
garlic
2 limes
4 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
salt
1 avocado
1 red onion
1 fresh salad

For the homemade tortillas (recipe here):

200 gr flour
37 gr of butter or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
90 ml hot water


Start of by making the dough for the tortillas, mix the flour and the butter/oil together until you get a sandy mixture. Dissolve the salt in 80 ml of the water and add slowly to the dry mixture. If the dough isn't soft add slowly the rest of the water. Divide your dough in 6 balls and let it rest for at least half an hour.

In the meanwhile make your guacamole accordingly to Roses recipe. Make the fish marinade by using a mortuar in which you 'mix' the salt with the juice of one lemon and  the olive oil. Lay the fish filets in the marinade for about thirty minutes.

Wash your salad. Set aside in a beautiful bowl.

Now unroll your 6 individual dough balls on a floured surface. Once that's done you can start baking them in a pan (without any butter or oil in it). Make sure to bake them enough. Set aside.

Grill your fish in your griddle pan and set on a plate once it's well baked.

Put your avocado, tortillas, fish and salad on the table and let everyone assemble their taco.





Enjoy!


XO!







Apple and Almond Cake, The A & A Cake


Lately I've been really into cakes, which is quite strange since we are in the month of june. Let me explain. 
At this time of the year it should be nice and hot, so that the only threat that you could give yourself should consist of ice-cream. But this year it hasn't been neither summer, neither spring weather.
So I had to rely on those traditional filling desserts which are cakes.

I decided tot make an Apple and Almond Cake (I am going to call it the A & A Cake). I just made my basic yogurt cake (which is a family recipe) and added apples and almonds (to enrich it a little bit).




For the A & A Cake you will need:

1 pot yogurt (125 gr)(obviously)
1 pot vegetable oil
2 pots white sugar and vanilla sugar
3 pots all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2 apples, peeled and sliced
40 gr almond flakes

Preheat your oven at 170°C.

Whisk the first 5 ingredients together. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks. 
Beat the egg whites until they're nice and fluffy. Add them slowly to the first mix.

Butter and flour your tin (23 cm) and pour half of the mix into the tin and put the half of the apples in it. Pour the remaining mix on top of the apple-layer. Add the remaining apples, make sure to make a beautiful layer. Sprinkle the almond flakes on top.

Bake it in the pre-heated oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Take it out. Let it cool on rack.

Serve



I also made a mini one and that's how it looked like at the inside ...





Tasty isn't it! The next recipe will be a little bit more salty and fishy. On that final note.

Goodbye



XO

Super Chocolate Cake from Leila Lindholm


This week I had a massive dessert "order". I had to bake cakes for a party.
I was pretty sure that we couldn't miss a chocolate cake.







That's why I decided to make this cake from Leila Lindholm, which she describes on her website as 'My Sticky Chocolate Cake'

And do I still have to tell you that this cake was Utterly delicious? No, I don't think so (just LOOK at it!).

You will need:

50 gr butter
50 ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
170 gr caster sugar
70 gr brown sugar, I used blond sugar (cassonade)
150 gr plain flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 pinch of salt
Butter and flour for the tin 
50 gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
icing sugar (optional)

Mix together the eggs and (white, brown and vanilla) sugar until the mixture "lightens up". Add the hot melted butter and the vegetable oil. 

Mix in a separate bowl the (sifted) flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. 

Add it slowly to the first mixture. 

Cut your chocolate in little pieces and add them to your mixture.

Butter your tin and pour some flour over it. Put in your mixture into the tin.

Place it in the oven that has reached 150°C.

Bake it for 30 minutes.
Let it cool down and sprinkle it with some icing sugar (optional).

Serve and EAT!



XO

Mutabbaq from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi


Let's hop right into this oriental dessert.









I saw it in the the BEAUTY-FULL book Jerusalem from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

For this addictive dessert you will need:

130 gr unsalted butter
14 sheets of filo pastry
500 gr ricotta
250 gr goats cheese (I used the one from Chavroux)

90 ml water
250 gr sugar 
3tbsp lemon

Butter your mould in.
Spread seven sheets of filo pastry in the mould, making sure to brush some butter between each sheet.
Mix the ricotta and goats cheese together and spread it 'evenly' onto your seventh sheet. Brush some butter on it and spread the other seven sheets of pastry like you did with the seven first ones.
Tuck in the edges.

Put it in the oven, that was pre-heated to 210°C. Let it sit there for about 25 minutes.

Make the syrup by putting the water and sugar in a pan and by mixing in it. Once it boils turn down the heat and add the lemon. Let it simmer for about two minutes. 

Take the mutabbaq out of the oven and pour the syrup all over it.

Serve immediately! But don't burn yourself!




It's really, really good!


Thank you Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi for letting me discover such a superb dessert.

Homemade dark chocolate and hazelnut spread


Another chocolate spread recipe!

I took major inspiration here.

You will need:



60 gr of honey
35 gr of cacao powder
40 gr of hazelnut butter (I used Biona hazelnut butter)
70 ml milk

Mix the cacao powder with the honey
Add then the hazelnut butter, mix well.
Finally add slowly the milk.

Put it all in a beautiful jar.




Store it in the refrigerator!


Nachos especial




Nachos especial is a starter that I used to eat in a Mexican restaurant in Brussels.

Unfortunately the restaurant had to close. And they took with their closure one of the tasties nachos I had ever eaten.

You have to keep in mind that those nachos aren't the ones we get in the movie theater.

The ingredients for this super delicious nachos are

a bag of natural flavoured nachos ( don't take the doritos)
mais
two tomatoes
sour cream
100 gr cheddar
guacamole (optional)
foil paper

Pre-heat your oven on the highest grill stand of your oven.
Take a big plate and dispose your nachos on it.
Grate the cheddar and put the grated cheddar on your nachos.
Put your plate in the oven. Make sure it doesn't burns.

In the mean time cut your tomatoes in little parts. 

Once your cheddar has melted take the plate out of the oven.
Dispose the mais, tomatoes and (three dots) sour cream on your nachos.

Serve immediately (on a nice summer day)!







Crostata alla ricotta / Ricotta tart


A new day, a new tart ... I mean a new crostata!

And then you're like what IS a crostata?
Crostata is the italian word for tart.

I took major inspiration here, but i left out the pine nuts and the honey.



For one crostata alla ricotta you will need:

-For the dough

200 gr flour
80 gr of sugar
80 gr butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
the zeste of one lemon (non treated)
a pinch of salt

-For the filling:

300 gr ricotta
2 eggs
80 gr sugar
25 gr maizena
the zeste of one lemon (non treated)
a pinch of salt
powder sugar 
50 gr pine nuts (optional)
(honey (optional)


First you have to make the dough. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and zest together.  Add then the butter, you will be left with a 'sand' texture. In the end you  add an egg. Mix it all well. Once you have the desired texture, let the dough rest for a bout half an hour in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180°.

While your dough is resting, make already the filling. Whisk in all the ingredients, a part from the eggs and the powder sugar. Then add slowly the eggs. 

Take your mould (23 cm) and make sure to butter it. 

Roll out the dough and put it in the mould, make sure to press the dough well.

NOTE: the dough can be a little fragile, so pay attention when you work with it.

Put the filling on your dough, and fold up the edges of your dough on the filling.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in your pre-heated oven!

Let it cool and serve to your family and or friends.
 











Chocolate Layer Cake


So recently I turned out 20 (I'm becoming old).
I decided to invite alle my friends and to have a big party.
And on every great birthday party there's a great birthday cake!





The ingredients:

-For the chocolate cake (inspiration here):

200g flour
200g sugar
75g cocoa powder
450g milk
10 g baking powder
40g vegetable oil  or any neutral oil (so no olive oil)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

-For the filling:

20 cl full fat cream
1 tablespoon of confectioner sugar
a handful chocolate flakes



Preheat the oven to 180°.
Whisk the first seven ingredients together.
Put the mixture in a buttered mould and let it bake in the pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes.

Take the cake out of the oven once it's baked and let it cool completely in his mould (I let it cool overnight).

Once it's completely cool, yo can start with your cream.
Whisk the cream to a stiff mixture and only when it's stiff you add in the sugar; make sure to not over beat it cause otherwise you stick with butter.

Slice your cake in two layers and put your cream on the bottom layer. Don't put too much cream!
Set the top layer on it. Put some cream on the sides too.
Leave it to cool in the refrigerator.

Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving and don't forget to put the chocolate flakes all around the cake!

Serve it and have the nicest chocolate birthday cake!




The best Cheesecake

A special dessert for easter?

Make some lovely cheesecake!


I took principle inspiration from  here, but made some changes (as usual!)

You will need:

-125 grams of speculoos
-50 gr of butter
-600 gr philadelphia
-200 ml cream
-2 eggs
-1 cup of sugar
-a few drops of vanilla extract
-1/4 of maizena

Preheat your oven to 180°.

Mix the speculoos with the butter. Put it on the bottom of your mold. Let it rest in the fridge while you make the filling.

Whisk the philadelphia, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and maizena together. Don't overmix it!
Put the filling on top of the speculoos.

Bake your cheesecake 'au bain marie' between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

And you should have this:



;-)

Tagliatelle à la crème de pleurotte


So today I'm posting a mushroom recipe.
I was craving some pleurotes. And since friday we always eat pasta, I decided to assemble the pasta and myfavourite mushrooms, pleurottes.

Ingredients for three (hungry) people:

-250 grams of pleurotes
-200 ml crème fraiche
-300 grams tagliatelle (or any pasta of your choice)
-two gloves of garlic
-parsley
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
-vegetable oil
(optional: grated parmesan cheese and flour)

You first start by washing your mushrooms and once there are nice and clean, slice them.
Heat up the olive oil in a pan. Get your pan nice and hot, add the garlic and mushrooms.
Lower the heat until a mid-high heat.
While you bake your mushrooms, fill a casserole with water. Put the casserole on a high heat.

Stir in your mushrooms and don't forget to season your mushrooms with some salt and pepper.

Once the water is boiling add two teaspoons of salt and about one teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add in your tagliatelle and cook it according to the time set on your box.

Add now the crème fraiche to your mushrooms. And let it thicken, if you see that it doesn't thickens, mix some flour with a little bit of crème fraiche and add it to your mushrooms.

Once your tagliatelle are all dente drain them (but keep some pastawater aside in a glass) and add them to to the pan with your mushrooms. Add your fresh parsley.
Serve immediately!

Here is the result



Have a nice easter!





Homemade bread with oats

I really wanted to make my bread from scratch, so yesterday I decided to try to make my own bread.
I took my inspiration from my favourite bread from my local baker. It is called Country bread and is covered with oats.

Because I never made bread before I decided to use all-in bread mixes.



For 1 bread of 700 grams you will need:

-375 grams all in mix for white bread
-125 grams of all in one mix for brown bread
-approx. 300 ml of tepid water
-two tablespoons of oats (bio)
-a lot of time
-some muscles

So you first mix the mixes together then you add slowly the water until you get a smooth paste.
Now you should knead the dough for about 20 minutes (it's here that you need the muscles).
Let the dough rest for 30-40 minutes.
After the dough has rested, you make sure you push all the air out of the dough. Give it a round form (or the form you want) and let it rest for another 40 minutes on a tin covered with baking sheet.
If you want a bread covered in oats, you should humidify the dough with some water and then gently sprinkle some oats on it (before you let it rest for 40 minutes)
In  the meantime preheat your oven to 210°.
After 40 minutes your dough should have risen enough. 
Put your dough in  the oven and put a ramekin filled with water on the bottom of your oven.
Let it in there for 35-40 minutes.
Take it out and let it cool down.


Eat it with a good layer of salted butter or with chocolate spread!




Gnocchi alla Sorrentina con Melanzane

Oké so today I have a quick post for you.
I don't really have the time since I have exams...
We're making gnocchi alla Sorrentina with a twist, I mean Gnocchi alle Sorrentina con melenzane.



For 2 people you will need:

-500 grams of gnocchi
-tomato sauce
-1 mozzarella
-1 aubergine
-parmesan cheese


So you first make your usual tomato sauce.
While you're making the sauce, you cut the aubergine in little cubes (approx. 1 cm on 1 cm) and you soak them in salted water for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 210° while they are soaking.
After 30 minutes you rinse them with some water.
Put the aubergine in a tin with two to three tablespoons of olive oil.
Put them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, making sure to mix the aubergines every five minutes!
After 20 minutes they should be golden brown and ready to be taken out the oven.
(Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180°)
Bring water to the boil for the gnocchi.
Once the water boils add in the gnocchi and two teaspoons of salt and some vegetable oil. Stir and let them cook for about two minutes (or until they start popping at the surface). Drain them.

In an oven resisting tin put a layer of tomato sauce then add some gnocchi, then put a layer of aubergines. Continue layering it up until you have used up everything.

Now put the shredded mozzarella on top and some grated parmesan.

Put your tin in the oven until your dish is well gratinated.

Serve immediately!



Pasta risotto (orzotto) from Nigella Lawson


So today I wanted to make something that was easy but tasty and off course quick.
Awhile ago I bought Nigellissima from Nigella Lawson.
Nigella convinced me to make this succulent dish.

 You will need following ingredients for two hungry people:


  • some olive oil
  • garlic
  • 150 gr pancetta cubes
  • 150 gr peas (or one zucchini if you don't have peas on the hand like me)
  • 250 gr orzo pasta
  • 625 ml boiling water
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • some parmesan
  • pepper
Cut the zucchini in small pieces and bake them in some olive oil.

In an other pan: let the oil heat up, ad then the garlic and the pancetta cubs. 

Once the pancetta is all crispy add in the zucchini.

Add the pasta to the pan and add the boiling water.

Add a little bit of salt.

Let it cook for ten minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Add the butter and the parmesan and serve!



Buon appetito!


Popular Posts

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images