Fish is the deal

Aren't these beautiful cod?

They looked so good I decided to make an oyster stuffing. Faye would have loved this recipe.  

You saute lots of butter with cellery onions parsely and mushrooms...add the oysters and cook for just a few more minutes...I cut up the oysters for this one....and then add the bread crumbs.

 Stuff the fish and wrap it in bacon.

 Bake in the oven at 375 for about a half hour.

Jeb told me you call this Brim in English...here it's Dorato.

Do you like groovy fish holder - great for one or two fish.

 I like cooking whole fish more than parts but that's just me.

We absolutely love THAI food and after the fish comes off the grill I throw a homemade Thai sauce over it. I usually use lemon or lime juice, honey, fresh mint and corriander and some pepper or hot sauce to give it a little kick.

Vanilla custard

I made custard several times in July...I love it when the fresh fruit is in season.

I use some eggs and some corn starch - that works ok when you stick to vanilla.

On top is a fresh plum and madera compote.

Some quick ideas

 Veggie Sandwhiches

I've been making this for years. Toasted bread (anything you got) with a little mustard topped with sauted peppers, onions and broccoli, avocado, beets, and swiss cheese baked or broiled until melted. I make a blue cheese dressing to pour over it....yummy and healthy.

Tomatoes stuffed with North Sea grey shrimp. 

This is William's recipe and it's always served with french fries, imagine. He uses a tiny little bit of mayo, diced shallot, a dash of ketchup and salt and pepper...and those little tiny shrimp.

Eggplant towers

I had to use up some eggplant and made these one evening. I grilled the eggplant first and then made a tower  layering eggplant, tomatoes and cheese...and baked it in the oven.

Fresh tortellini salad

For a hot summer night...cheese tortellini with tomatoes, 

olives, roasted peppers, chunks of gouda cheese and cellery ...it's what I had on hand!

Topped off with a light vinaigrette...served cold...the tortellini cools off fast, toss with a little oil first.

A cold plate

Smoked salmon, blue cheese, smoked haddock, olives, fresh melon - whatever you like.

I learned this recipe from Anja and Jeroen - they always called it flipper.
Belgian endive parboiled and dryed off, wraped in ham and covered with a homemade cheese sauce. I use my mother's reciep for the sauce....3 tlbs of butter, 3 tbls of flour...melt and stir for 3 minutes....add a cup of milk you've warmed up in the microwave and keep stiring till it gets thick....add some cheese that melts well.
The whole thing gets baked in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

How do you feel about Chicken Livers?

William and both love chicken livers....I can remeber my mother making them and I was the only one who would eat them with her. She was making calves liver but you can't get that here.

I started by slicing up some onions and peppers and sauted them in olive oil until they started to color. I then added the livers and cooked them ever so long...you don't really want to over cook liver...pink is good.

I like warm things over mixed greens sometimes....I let it cool off a little bit while I made the dressing.

Here's my standard salad dressing:

olive oil

balsamico vinegar

maple syrup

spicy mustard

a small glove of crushed garlic

salt and pepper

Paella season has started again

This year we opened the Paella season with Onno Ursula and Arthur.

Arthur loved the langoustine!

It was too early for mussels.

Miguel's dessert....moelleux au chocolat

Sometimes it's just better to go out!

Pictured above is a fabulous chocolate dessert with melted chocolate in the middle that my friend Miguel ordered out recently in Antwerp. I haven't tried this at home but just they way they plated it is inspirational...the dark raspberry is sorbet and the other things are baked goodies. 

rhubarb tart with a delicious creme patissiere and wicked light crust from a bakery in the Belgian Ardennes

William always like to order something with chocolate and I like custards and creams - these we're scrumptious and you get to keep the glass...:-)

Turkey Divan for Faye

'Cause Faye love aspergus. I blanched the aspergus first and plunged them in cold water. Wrap a few in some fresh turkey breast meat and lay them in a baking dish.

Make a simple white sauce and add some cheese...3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, melt and cook together sturing constanly for 5 minutes - stop before it gets brown....add 1 cup of warmed milk...keep sturing and add some grated cheese of choice....oh yeah - I add a bay leaf - a clove - maybe a piece of pounded garlic - whatever I'm in the mood for.

 Pour this over the turkey and asperegus and bake for 35 minutes.

Mac and Cheese...a work in progress

This is a recipe I'm still trying to prefect in Holland. No cheddar no Velvita here. What's a girl to do? It's funny how the "stupid" recipes are sometimes the most difficult to get right. I re-heated a batch for William in the oven with Gorgonzola - and he raved about it....but that seems like cheating and changing what a Mac and Cheese is all about. I'll let you know when I get it right.

My version of Duck with prunes

I love duck meat. It's so nice and dark and rich but mild and tender when cooked right. You can't go wrong these days with duck breasts. One big one is enough for 2 people. Score the fat side slightly and brown  in a combination of oil and butter.

I'm a one-pan-man...take the duck out and add some onions and prunes. 

 Brown these babies....add some dark beer - I've got Belgian beer close by but a Mad-Hatter would do just fine. 

 Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes - not too long or the duck with dry out. Pull the breast out and let it rest while your puree what's left in the pan to make a delicious sauce. Toss a salad and make some home-made french fries. Wine or beer goes fine.

Veggie Sandwhiches

When we feel like we've eaten too much meat we take a veggie break. This is a week-night meal for us - and it's wicked hearty. I usually saute brocolli, green and red peppers, and some onions in olive oil. I toast a nice bun or bread and spread it with some hot mustard. Pile the saute mixture on the bread with some grated cooked beets, avacodo and some swiss cheese.

 Grill it for 10-15 minutes. I make a blue cheese dressnig to go over it. Trust me - you don't need anything else. This recipe actually comes from the Moosewood Cookbook. It scares me to think I've been making it for 25 years.

Faye's Thanksgiving Table 2011

When you have company don't forget to set a nice table. This was my mom's table setting for Thanksgiving this year with Richard, Joe William and I. The flowers are from Loraine!

The recipe Dinah gave me for Cranberry Salad

 I don't really have a great picture of the finished product but my taste-testers loved this cranberry salad (William). It's got all the ingredients you might wish for to accompany a heavy turkey dinner...tangy but not too sweet - crunchy and fresh...jell-o at it's best!

 It's got an apple, pineapple, walnuts, cellery, cooked-down cranberries and lemon jell-o.

 You gotta mix everything before the jello sets.

 You can put it in a mold or pretty bowl...it all gets eaten.

Thanks Dinah!

Sweet Potato Butternut Squash Pumpkin Puree

This is a really easy sturdy recipe great with lamb and turkey - let's say roasted meat in general. You can bake almost any root vegetable in the oven- this time it was a small organic pumpkin, a butternut squash and a few sweet potatoes...and puree it!

When all the vegetables are soft and tender add some sour cream, cream and butter - creme fraiche or a bit of cream cheese - you know what I mean....and puree.

It should look like this. I like some fresh grated nutmeg but that's not for everyone.

Put a big glob of butter on the top and pop it in the oven when ever you need it.

Traditional Turkey with Stuffing