Chinese dumplings

While in China, I attended a cooking class. One of the dishes we made were dumplings cooked in 2 ways: steamed and fried. They were delicious!

What you need (approx. 20 dumplings):
at least 20 store-bought dumpling wrappers, defrosted (available at most exotic stores)
200g pork mince (or half pork/half beef if you prefer)
100g spring onion, finely chopped
100g carrot, finely chopped
100g Chinese mushrooms (soaked and drained if dried), finely chopped
chicken stock powder
soy sauce
salt
vegetable oil
water

You'll also need a wok, bamboo steam basket and some cheese cloth, cut to fit the bottom of the steam basket.

In a bowl, stir together the chopped vegetables. Make a marinade of 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder and 1 tsp soy sauce and add to the vegetables. Mix well and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Put the mince in another bowl and marinate with a mixture of 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder and 2 tsp soy sauce. Mix well and also rest for a few minutes.
Combine the meat and vegetables and mix well.
Place a dumpling wrapper on the palm of your hand and put a walnut-sized scoop of the meat mixture in the middle. Wet the edges of the wrapper with some water and fold the wrapper in half, Make sure the edges are completely sealed. Starting in the middle, make a few small pleats on the sealed edge of the dumpling. Place the dumpling on the cheese cloth in the steam basket. Repeat until there is no more meat mixture left.
Place the steam basket in a heated wok and add water to create steam. (it may be necessary to add some more water while you're cooking)
For steamed dumplings, cook the dumplings for 10 minutes. For fried dumplings, steam them for 6 minutes, then fry them in some oil for a minute on each side until they are brown and crispy.

The steamed dumplings must be served warm (or the dough will become chewy), the fried dumplings can be eaten warm or cold. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Grandma's meatballs

How is it, that your grandma's cooking somehow always tastes better than your own??
Anyway, this is how my grandma used to make her classic meatballs...

What you need (for 6 large meatballs):
800g ground beef
2 eggs
breadcrumbs
salt & pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
ground paprika
200g butter

Melt the butter in a large pan. In a bowl, mix the ground beef with the eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika and shape into 6 balls. Fry the meatballs in the pan until browned, then add water and let them simmer for a while, with the lid partly covering the pan.
Serve with potatoes and veg, or sliced on a sandwich.

Cabbage rolls with tomato sauce

What you need (2 servings):
6 large cabbage leaves (Savoy cabbage or Chinese cabbage)
250g ground beef
1 egg white
breadcrumbs
1,5 tbsp asian-style chili sauce
50g grated cheese
1 can chopped tomato
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove, minced)
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper to taste
vegetable oil

Boil the cabbage leaves for 5 minutes in ample water. Drain and cut out the thick part of the center vein/rib.
Mix the ground beef with egg white, some breadcrumbs and the chili sauce in a bowl and shape it into 6 rolls. Wrap each roll into a cabbage leave, making sure to tuck in the sides of the leaf.
Grease an oven dish with a bit of vegetable oil and place the rolls in the dish, seam down.
Heat some oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic. Add the canned tomato and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the cabbage rolls and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake in the oven for approx. 40 minutes at 200C (175C fan oven). Serve with boiled pasta.

Stuffed peppers

What you need (2 servings):

- 2 pointed peppers (red or orange)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cloved op chopped garlic (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
- 200 g lean ground beef*
- 1 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
- salt & pepper to taste
- vegetable oil

Slice a part of the pepper off lengthways and remove the seeds inside the pepper. Chop the sliced off piece finely. Put both peppers in an oven dish.
Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan and sauté onion, garlic, chopped pepper and sambal until the onion has softened. Add the ground beef and fry until browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan oven). Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and cover the oven dish with aluminium foil. Cook the stuffed peppers for approx. 30 mins and remove the foil after 20 mins.
Serve with rice or fried potatoes.

Try this:
* use ca. 100g vegan mince to veganize this dish.
- use chopped leek or spring onion instead of onion.
- add (frozen) peas and/or corn kernels (canned and drained).
- add chopped carrot and/or chopped courgette.

Based on this recipe.

Chili con carne from scratch

Store-bought spice mixes often contain a lot of salt. Making a dish from scratch is ideal if you want to watch your salt-intake. And I bet it will taste better too!

What you need (3 servings):
200 g very lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree
1 large can of beans (such as pinto, kidney, black-eyed), rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp ketjap manis (optional, to counteract acidity of the tomatoes)
sour cream or guacamole to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion and garlic, and chopped bell pepper, if using. Add the ground beef, and mash with a fork to break up the meat.
After the meat has browned slightly, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the spices and ketjap manis, if using. Season with some salt and pepper. Add the beans and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve in a bowl with crackers, or use as filling for taco's or burrito's. Top with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole if you feel adventurous :).

Try this:
- add a small can of corn, drained, along with the beans.
- want a thicker chili? Drain the chopped tomatoes before adding to the pan.
- use ground chicken instead of beef for chili con pollo.

Veganize it!
Use a vegan mince or minced TVP (TSP) for chili sin carne.

Grandma's braised beef and onions (hachee)

Perfect winter comfort food.

What you need (approx. 5-6 servings):
750g beefsteak, cut into cubes
1kg onions, cut in half and sliced
100g butter or margerine
80g flour
2 bay leaves
some cloves
vinegar

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and beef, and pan fry until the onion has softened and the beef has browned. Add sufficient water to cover the beef and add the bay leaves, cloves and a splash of vinegar.
Simmer for approx. 2 hrs.
In a dry pan, cook the flour whilst continually stirring, until it's nicely browned (don't let it burn!). Add some water to make a sauce and add this to the stew. Stir until mixed evenly and the liquid has thickened.
Serve with your choice of (mashed) potatoes and cooked veggies.

Grandma's soup

I have very fond memories of this soup. My grandma often used to make this on the weekends or for family get-togethers such as birthdays when a lot of family members would stay for dinner.
And I'm proud to say, that after having been her son-in-law for nearly 40 years, my dad finally managed to make this soup taste nearly as good as my grandma :-)

What you need (for 1,5l):
200g beef for stews, cut in small cubes.
200g ground beef
1 bag of ready-chopped soup vegetables*
2 nests of vermicelli noodles
4 beef stock cubes.
1,5l water.
Maggi seasoning sauce to taste

Cook the cubed beef in the water for a few hours until tender. Scoop the meat from the pot and set aside. Save the meat stock.
Make small meatballs from the ground beef. Cook them in the meat stock.
When the meatballs are almost cooked, add the vegetables and cook until tender (approx. 20 mins). Crumple the vermicelli noodles over the pan into small bits. Add the stock cubes and stir until they have disolved. Add the cooked beef cubes and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve with bread (for dipping!) and season to taste with Maggi seasoning sauce.

* contents will vary depending on where you live. The type that I use contains finely chopped leek, carrot, broccoli, white cabbage, selery and cauliflower and is sold in bags of 200-300g depending on the brand.

Tip: the soup is even better the next day when it has thickened...

Grandma's macaroni

This is how my grandma and my mom make macaroni. Really easy and yummy.
I more or less guessed the quantities, but it's enough to make a large pan: ideal for putting some portions in the freezer for days when you don't feel like cooking or don't have time to make dinner.

What you need:
300g lean ground beef
1 bag ready-chopped soup vegetables*
1 box of macaroni (approx. 500g)
salt & pepper for seasoning
tomato sauce of your choice

Heat a non stick frying pan (no need to add extra oil or butter), cook the beef with a little salt and pepper until it's brown. Drain most of the fat and set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the instuctions on the box. Drain when done and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
In another pan, cook the vegetables for about 15 mins in plenty of water with a pinch of salt. (I always test a piece of carrot to see if they're done, I like them soft and cooked instead of crunchy). Drain the vegetables and mix them, along with the beef, through the macaroni.
Serve with your choice of tomato sauce (my favourite is old-fashioned ketchup but you could use any type of pasta sauce).

* contents will vary depending on where you live. The type that I use contains finely chopped leek, carrot, broccoli, white cabbage, selery and cauliflower and is sold in bags of 200-300g depending on the brand.

Tip: don't throw out the water in which you cooked the veggies but use the stock as a base for soup or to cook rice in for some extra flavour. You can freeze it if you don't use it right away.

Beef & veggie stir fry with honey sauce

What you need (1 serving):
1 tbsp sesame seeds
100g sliced beef
1 tsp garlic paste or 1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp chili paste (sambal oelek)
1/2 onion, sliced
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
approx. 50g mushrooms, sliced.
approx. 50g green beans, blanched
approx. 50g zucchini, in thin strips
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
1 tsp oyster sauce
oil
salt, pepper


Heat a wok and toast the sesame seeds. Empty the pan and set the seeds aside.
Add some oil to the wok and quickly stir fry the beef until it's browned. Season with some salt and pepper. Take out of the pan and set aside.
Add some more oil if necessary, and stir fry the garlic, chili paste, onion, carrot, green beans and zucchini until the onion has softened.
Add the beef, then add the honey, soy sauce and oyster sauce and cook for another few minutes. Stir in the sesame seeds and serve with noodles or rice.

Meatballs in tomato sauce

What you need (4 servings):

500g extra lean ground beef
1,5 tbsp dried parsley
1 clove of garlic, pressed
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 can of tomato cubes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)
0,5 tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste

Mix the ground beef with the parsley, salt, pepper, garlic and breadcrumbs and roll into small meatballs. Pan fry the meatballs in heated butter until browned. Add the onion and sautée. Add the tomato cubes, puree, ketjap manis, basil and Tabasco to taste. Simmer for a few more minutes and serve with boiled rice or pasta.

[adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe]

Creamy beef and fennel

What you need (2 servings):
- (olive) oil
- approx. 250g beef in strips
- 1 carrot, finely sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, cut in strips
- 1 onion, cut in half rings
- 1/2 clove of garlic, pressed
- approx. 100ml creme fraiche
- dried herbs de Provence
- salt, pepper

Stirfry the beef in some (olive) oil. Add the sliced carrot and cook a few minutes before adding the fennel, garlic and onion. Stir in the creme fraiche after about 6 mins. Cook for a few more minutes and season to taste with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence.
Serve with panfried potatoes.

[ adapted from an AH recipe]