Daring cooks june 2011: Potato salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

Last week tuesday the new herring season started in the netherlands, and as always it got kicked of with a fish auction. The profit of the first barrel at the auction is going to an charrity( a different one every year). After that the dutch people go mad for this fresh raw herrings. So thats why i decided to make an potatosalad with raw fish in it and it was delicious. If you like to know more about the duth herring look here and here.
An herring contains the following vitamins:A1, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D en E and is a good source for omega-3.

"A dutch"Potato salad with herring and red bellpepper
Original recipe can be found hereservings: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound(1/2kg)small potatoes
8 slices whole-wheat bread
1 jar roasted red pell peppers preserved in water, drained
4 raw herring, skinned and deboned
fresh chives
Lettuce(use any kind you like, i used crisphead)

for the dressing:
3 spoons light mayonaise
3 spoons yoghurt
1 spoon white winevinegar
salt and pepper

1.Peel the potatoes and boil them till tender but not to soft, let them cool completly.
2.Toast the bread.
3.Drain the bell pepper and cut in small pieces.
4.Clean the fish(i had mine cleaned at the market)and cut into a 0,25/0,50inch pieces.
5.Cut/chop the chives into small pieces.
6.make the dressing: mixx together the mayonaise,yoghurt and the vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7.Put the lettuce on one big plate or divide on 4 smaller plates to make induvidual potions.
8.Whisk together the cooled potatoes, pepper, herring, chives and the dressing. put the salat on the plate you made already.
9. Garnish with some chives.

Jami thank you for this great and healty challenge!

wicked chicken with coleslaw

It's that time of the month again, Potluck week at the I heart cooking Club. So we can make any recipe of Jamie Oliver we want or crave. Since my Mr. R had been sick for most of the week i chose a light meal with chicken and bread and coleslaw on the side. He hadn't been eating for some days but was craving for a tasty sammie now he was feeling better. Whe liked this easy dinner a lot end i'm going to make this one more often. Thats for sure. Never had been making my one coleslaw either, and how easy is that! And even more delicious(i Thought) because it was made in my own kitchen and not in a factory wich puts in preservatives so it keeps longer in the groceriestore.

Recipe can be found here
ingredients
(serves 4)

for the sandwich:
• 4 chicken thighs, preferably higher welfare
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 fresh rolls, halved

for the coleslaw:
• 2 carrots
• small white cabbage, outer leaves torn off, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 small onion, peeled and very finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a handful of rocket(i used mixed salat)

method

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Mix the chicken with the lemon zest and juice, the sliced chilli and the garlic, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and leave to marinate for half an hour.

Peel the carrots, throw away the peel and then keep stripping until you get a pile of carrot ribbons. Slice the cabbage as finely as you can with a sharp knife. Place the carrot and cabbage in a bowl with the sliced onion, the mayonnaise and the mustard. Mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the chicken thighs on a tray, skin side up, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the meat’s cooked through.

Take the chicken thighs out of the oven, leave to cool slightly until you can handle them and then pull the bone out of the middle (you might need a little knife to do this).

Toast the halved rolls under a hot grill or in the oven, and fill with rocket salad and a chicken thigh. Serve with the coleslaw and tuck in!

Tip: If you don’t like the idea of cutting out the bone, buy your chicken thighs ready boned.
 



Admitting this to:

Salt cod soup (Zuppa di baccala)

I'ts sunday again the last day of the week to admit our weekly cooked up dishes at I Heart Cooking Clubs. This weeks theme to cook one of Jamie Olivers recipes is Somethings Fishy! I had the feeling for some nice hot soup today so made his italian sald cod soup, it tasted good i thought but Mr.R(my boyfriend) didn't agree with me on that. He thinks it was to hot by the use of the red chili pepper, i loved it.


ingredients

• 310gsalt cod or 600g fresh cod, haddock or monkfish fillets
• 1 white onion, peeled
• 2 small carrots, peeled
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed, pale green inner leaves reserved
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, stalks and leaves separated
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small dried red chilli, crumbled
2 x 400g tins of good-quality plum tomatoes
425ml light chicken stock, preferably organic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon



method

Did you know that cod used to be a very highly prized, valuable trading commodity? Wars and battles were won on salt cod because, of course, in the old days ships were sailing for weeks or months and the sailors would have a very unhealthy diet. Having salt cod on board as a source of protein kept them going, and it meant they could jump off the boat with enough energy for a bit of fighting when it was required! All kinds of cultures began to salt fish – I suppose Iberian and Nordic countries are particularly well known for still doing it today. And certainly the Italians are more than partial to their fair share of it. Hundreds of years ago the only way to get fish into the centre of Italy would have been to use preserved fish like salt cod. It might sound obvious, but this is why Tuscan cooking is predominantly meat- and bean-based. In the old days the only common fish recipes would have used either preserved or fresh lake fish.

Unless you live in a country where it’s prevalent, like Portugal or Spain, salt cod can only be bought in good delis. Try to hunt out the real baccalà, but if you can’t find any then simply buy some fresh fish which can be salted overnight. As salt cod is preserved using copious amounts of salt, avoid seasoning this soup at all or do it right at the very end.

If using fresh cod, haddock or monkfish, pack it in a few handfuls of sea salt overnight and rinse it before using. If using proper salt cod, soak the fillets in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water a few times during this period. This way, the fish will rehydrate and the saltiness will be removed before cooking. (If the fish is more than 2cm thick it might need up to 36 hours’ soaking.)

Chop the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley stalks. Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan, and add the chopped vegetables, parsley stalks and dried chilli. Sweat very slowly with the lid ajar for 15 to 20 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the stock and bring back to the boil.

Break up any larger pieces of tomato with a wooden spoon and drop the salt cod fillets into the hot soup. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, just until the fish has poached and flakes apart when prodded with a fork. Pick out any bits of skin. Gently fold the flakes of fish through the soup, taste and season with pepper, salt (if needed) and a little lemon juice. Chop the parsley and celery leaves and scatter over the soup. Drizzle with plenty of extra virgin olive oil.



• from Jamie's Italy

also admitting this to:

Meatballs and pasta

Mad about herbs is this weeks theme at I Heart Cooking Club to cook with one of Jamie Olivers recipes. I decided to make spagetti with meatballs, and it was rockin'. The flavours of the herbs where great together. Feel free to join in!


ingredients
serves 4-6

• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 12 Jacob’s cream crackers
• 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 500g good-quality minced beef, pork, or a mixture of the two
• 1 heaped tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• a bunch of fresh basil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ a fresh or dried red chilli
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 400g dried spaghetti or penne
• Parmesan cheese, for grating


method

Meatballs are fantastic! They’re perfect like this, with a one-minute homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti, but you could also try polenta or simple chunks of fresh crust bread. I like to make meatballs with a mixture of beef and pork, as I think it gives a really wonderful flavour and texture.

To make your meatballs
• Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and finely chop them
• Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands
• Add to a mixing bowl with the mustard, minced meat, chopped rosemary and oregano
• Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper
• With clean hands scrunch and mix up well
• Divide into 4 large balls
• With wet hands, divide each ball into 6 and roll into little meatballs – you should end up with 24
• Drizzle them with olive oil and jiggle them about so they all get coated
• Put them on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed

To cook your pasta, meatballs and sauce
• Pick the basil leaves, keeping any smaller ones to one side for later
• Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic
• Finely slice the chilli
• Put a large pan of salted water on to boil
• Next, heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add 2 lugs of olive oil
• Add your onion to the frying pan and stir for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden
• Then add your garlic and chilli, and as soon as they start to get some colour add the large basil leaves
• Add the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar
• Bring to the boil and season to taste
• Meanwhile, heat another large frying pan and add a lug of olive oil and your meatballs
• Stir them around and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden (check they’re cooked by opening one up – there should be no sign of pink)
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer until the pasta is ready, then remove from the heat
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions

To serve your meatballs
• Saving some of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander
• Return the pasta to the pan
• Spoon half the tomato sauce into the pasta, adding a little splash of your reserved water to loosen
• Serve on a large platter, or in separate bowls, with the rest of the sauce and meatballs on top
• Sprinkle over the small basil leaves and some grated Parmesan




notes:
- didn't had any jacob cream crackers so i used bread crumbs instead
- for the minced meat used half beef half pork like Jamie suggested.
The meatballs where absolutly delicious, this recipe was a real winner and whe don't fancy red sauce on our pasta but after this we do.
From Jamie's ministry of food.

also posted this to:

Pancakes USA Stylie

Now whe are on our vacation in the USA this is one of our favorite breakfasts. Made this a few weeks ago before whe left, to get in The mood. A few days ago whe where even surprised to see this pancakemachine in The motel we stayed. Only one push one the button and in 45 seconds two pancakes came out of it. But this recipe is deffinatly better then the machinecakes.

ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 115g/4oz plain flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 140ml/5fl oz milk
• a pinch of salt

These American pancakes are great! Instead of being thin and silky like French crêpes, they are wonderfully fluffy and thick and can be made to perfection straight away. Simple, simple, simple – my Jools goes mad for them.

First separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the yolks and mix to a smooth thick batter. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold into the batter – it is now ready to use.

Heat a good non-stick pan on a medium heat. Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. At this point sprinkle your chosen flavouring (see below) on to the uncooked side before loosening with a spatula and flipping the pancake over. Continue frying until both sides are golden.

You can make these pancakes large or small, to your liking. You can serve them simply doused in maple syrup and even with some butter or crème fraîche. Or if you choose to sprinkle with a flavouring, try one of these...

fresh corn from the cob
crispy bacon or pancetta
blueberries
banana
stewed apple
grated chocolate
anything else you can imagine...

PS Blueberry pancakes (above) are great but you must try the corn pancakes. On one condition – you must use fresh corn. To do this, remove the outer leaves and carefully run a knife down the cob – this will loosen all the lovely pieces of corn – and sprinkle these raw over your pancake, before flipping it in the pan. I like to have some grilled bacon over my corn pancakes, drizzled with a little maple syrup. This sounds bloody horrid but it honestly tastes great!

From happy days with the naked chef.

Tagliatelle with asparagus, crispy pancetta and parmesan

This weeks theme at i heart cooking clubs is mum's the word! My mom really love's Asparagus, so made this delicious pasta especially for her and a little bit for me;)

ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 12 thin slices pancetta, the best quality you can afford, sliced into small strips
• 500g fresh egg tagliatelle
• 100g Parmesan, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

method

A great dish packed with earthy flavours that the whole family will love – and it's quick and easy, too!

Snap the woody bottoms off the asparagus stalks and throw them away.

Cut off the top 4cm of each stalk, put to one side and finely chop the remaining stalks. Heat a wide frying pan and gently fry the chopped asparagus stalks in a little olive oil with the pancetta. When the asparagus softens slightly turn the heat off and mash them roughly with the back of a fork.

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water, according to pack instructions. Add the asparagus tips for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and toss with the mashed asparagus and pancetta.

Stir in most of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. If needed loosen the pasta with a little of the cooking water. Serve with the last of the Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Tip: Cooking your asparagus with the pasta is a clever way to save on time and washing up.

Frozen fruit smoothies

It's that time of the month already, potluck time over at I Heart cooking blogs. Didn't had a lot of time to participate this week so kept it simple. Come and have a look what everybody else brought to the table.



ingredients
(makes 2 glasses)

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 glass of frozen fruit of your choice: mango, blackcurrants, or strawberries
• 2 heaped tablespoons natural yogurt
• 1 small handful of quick cook oats (not instant)
• 1 small handful of mixed nuts
• 1 glass of soy milk, fat free milk, or op pie juice

Optional: honey, to taste

method

Smoothies are not only deliciously tasty but they're also perfect to have for breakfast, as they're full of goodness. Adding quick cook oats and nuts to them is great, because it helps slow down the absorption of the sugar from the fruit into your bloodstream, which gives you more energy for longer. The great thing about frozen fruit is that it's been picked at its best, at the right time, and hasn't been forced to grow out of season, like so much of the "fresh" fruit on offer to us these days. It's also cheaper and far more convenient— it will keep happily in your freezer for months on end, so any time you fancy a smoothie, you can have one!

These smoothies are best made in a blender, as opposed to a food processor, as this will give your smoothies a lovely silky texture. And feel free to use any fruit you like, either one type or a mixture. Raspberries are really tasty and you can use them here, but I tend to stay away from them because of the seeds.

Peel and slice your banana and put it into a blender with your frozen fruit and the yogurt. Whiz it up and add the oats and nuts. Add the soy milk, fat free milk, or apple juice and whiz again, until nice and smooth. If it's a bit too thick for you, just add a splash more milk or juice and whiz around again. Give it a good stir, then have a taste. Rarely with a frozen fruit smoothie should you need to sweeten it, but if you think it needs a bit of extra sweetness you can add a little honey to taste — you won't need much.

From: Jamie's food revolution

Notes: Made a delicious banana&strawberry smoothie, very easy and simple to make. But the taste is fantastic and there healthy.