Me gusta

I love food, I love to cook, I love to eat. Imagine my joy when I got this phone call last Friday. You won a cooking workshop for two in Brussels. Are you willing to come over here and help us cook a fantastic meal? Hello??? Of course I'll be there! So looking forward to that! There will be a crowd of approximately 10 people and we're going to cook a wonderful menu together. I'm so excited!!! Always ready to learn new things and have a good time in the kitchen. The recipes will definitely end up in my digital cook book. This is too awesome! Chef Philippe Leplae will be our host and I'm looking forward to learning new things. He's an excellent baker and I'm curious about his technical skills and experience.
Lana is willing to join me. I'm sure she will take superb pictures and she will enjoy a good night.

Thank you, Lekker van bij ons, for offering us this opportunity. What a great Christmas present!

Photo by Lana Joos

おいしい

It was definitely worth serving this dish in a fine restaurant. I was so proud of myself for having made this wonderful Asian dish. Easy, healthy, tasteful and a lot of fun to eat. Make sure to use your chop sticks and add small dots of wasabi to go with the tuna. It's a must.

what do we need:

• 1/2 a cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced on the bias
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
• 1/2 red onion, in thin slices
• rice noodles, cooked, drained and cooled
• 2 lemons, squeezed
• 2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 piece of fresh ginger, grated
• chili pepper to taste
• freshly chopped coriander
• cashew nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• fresh tuna
• black sesame seeds
• salt and pepper
• oil

what do we do:

• Mix the salad of cucumber, carrots, red onion, rice noodles.
• Prepare the dressing and pour it over the salad. Mix well. Sprinkle with the cashew nuts.
• Rub some oil in the tuna and roll it in black sesame seeds to coat all sides. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat your grill and sear the tuna on both sides for maximum 1 min a side.
• Slice the tuna on the bias.
• Dress your rectangular plates with the Asian salad. Top with slices of tuna. Sprinkle some sesame oil on top. 

I'm totally zen

What's the perfect way to give yourself total relaxation?
A massage?
A long walk along a pristine beach? Classical music or a romantic movie?

I'm not very good at relaxing. Some years ago, I signed up for a number of relaxation classes. The silence in the room freaked me out in advance. I wanted to hear some music instead of that deadly silence. But that was not going to happen. I heard nothing but my own breath and that could not give me any relaxation.

Comfort food makes me zen. Honestly.. Having spent time near my stove before I sink down in a chair to enjoy that one perfect meal. Total relaxation! I keep some recipes handy for these moments. How about a comforting apple crumble?

what do we need:

• 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 50 grams of real butter
• 50 grams of sugar
• 80 grams of plain flour
• 80 grams of cold butter, cut into pieces
• 80 grams of demerara sugar

what do we do:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Heat a pan on the stove. Melt the butter and bake the apple slices until nearly done.
• Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and let it simmer for a while, until the apples caramelize.
• Fill 4 ovenproof bowls with the apple slices and press well.
• Mix the flour with the butter and the sugar until you get fine crumbs that look like sand.
• Divide the crumble over the 4 bowls and make sure all of the fruit is covered with crumble.
• Bake the apple crumble for 25 min or until golden.
• Serve plain, with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.
• Dive in!

MOF MOF

Minimum of fuss, maximum of flavor. That's how Antonio Carluccio would name this pesto sauce. It's so easy to make and it comes in real handy. Toss it with home made cappellini, spread it on thick slices of ciabatta as an appetizer or use it to cover your gnocchi. It's so good and it can't be compared to store bought pesto. Just give it a try. It's a no fail recipe.

what do we need:

• 1 bunch of basil or rocket
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 30 grams of pine nuts
• a generous dash of salt
• 50 ml of olive oil
• 60 grams of parmigianno reggiano 

what do we do:

• Remove the stalks and just keep the leaves. Chop them roughly.
• Get your blender out of its box and throw in the basil, garlic, pine nuts and salt. 
• Blend. 
• Add most of the oil through the opening of your operating blender.
• Open the blender, add the cheese and some more oil.
• Blend again.
• Done!

This pesto is ready to use or can be frozen. I like to freeze it in single servings. Great for a fast one person meal.

Pitch perfect

This is my favorite dish of the month: Asian steak salad. It's just pitch perfect! Just try it. I'm sure you won't regret the effort.

what do we need:

• 2 sirloin steaks
• 4 baked potatoes, quartered (not peeled)
• 2 boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• a small tin of lima beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons of cashew nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• mixed greens
• 2 spring onions, chopped diagonally
• 1 onion, divided in rings
• oil
• marinade for the steak:
• 2 tablespoons of sweet-and-sour sauce
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• a few drops of hot sauce
• dressing for the salad:
• a piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon of liquid honey
• a few drops of hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons of orange juice
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of oil

what do we do:

• Use a meat hammer to flatten the steaks.
• Marinate the beef for 15 minutes.
• Dress your plates with salad, cashew nuts, egg, potatoes, lima beans. 
• Sprinkle the dressing over your salad.
• Grill the beef shortly in a hot pan.
• Cut the meat in wide strips and drape them over the salad.
• Fry the onions in some oil and top the beef with the onions.
• Sprinkle with spring onion.

Think outside the box

Flemish people are pretty particular about their food. They like their plate to look as so: boiled potatoes, a nice piece of meat, gravy and some vegetables. It's not always easy to convince them to try a different cuisine for that matter. They don't want to miss out on their potatoes and they are not happy if you skip the meat. Just don't overfeed them on the veggies, because that's the part they like the least.

Am I a real Flemish woman? I mean, I really don't like the traditional Flemish kitchen. I love a more exotic touch to my food and I don't mind to make sacrifices if it comes to meat or potatoes. I do like my greens though.

There are plenty of substitutes for meat, although that's not a word I would voluntarily use. I don't feel the need to substitute my meat. It's not that I'm a vegetarian. I'm more of a flexitarian, meaning I do eat meat, but only when I feel like it. I prefer legumes over meat. How about some lovely kidney beans or wax beans? Lentils and chickpeas? They have so much flavor and no fat. They are very nutritious and yes, they contain quite some calories, but they are healthy and filling. A favorite legume recipe of mine, is hummus. I like to make my own. It's not that difficult and it's so satisfying to make your own chickpea puree. Because that's exactly what it is.

What do we need:

• a can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained (save the liquid though)
• 80 ml tahini (sesame paste)
• 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• a pinch of salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 15 ml good olive oil
• a pinch of paprika
• parsley, freshly minced

What do we do:

• Blend the chickpeas with the tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Add some of the juice until you reach the desired consistency.
• Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.
• Drizzle the oil over the hummus. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
• Serve with (pita) bread and crudites.

My top 10 dishes

I often ask people what their most favorite dishes are. Just out of curiosity. I like to cook and I love to try out new recipes. Maybe I should make a cookbook that contains nothing but favorite dishes of my friends. Wouldn't that be thrilling? Some people write down their favorite recipes on little sheets of paper. Those written recipe notes get dirty and in the end they get lost. If we would make a cookbook, we would safekeep all of these recipes.

I'm ready to let you know my top 10 dishes of the moment:

• buttermilk mash, wax beans with shallots and a home made dressing, poached egg
• chili con carne (yep, beans again)
• pasta all'arrabiata
• goat cheese salad
• quiche lorraine
• Chinese dim sum
• foie gras
• orange chicken and stirfried veggies
• Vietnamese spring rolls
• artichokes with a mustard dressing

Let me know if you want to share one of those meals with me. I'm ready!

Delectable

Photo by Lana Joos

Aren't they picture perfect? Trust me, these tarts are just delectable! Crunchy puff pastry, tangy double cream and ruby red and luscious raspberries.. My idea of a great dessert.

I read the recipe on someone's food blog and instantly, I decided I wanted to make my own. I had some puff pastry in my fridge, that was waiting for me to start on that quiche I had planned on making. What the heck.. who cares for quiche if you can have these beauties instead?

There's always double cream in the fridge as well and lemons are just a necessity around the kitchen. The other day I had a day out with a friend and we strolled around the farmer's market. That's where we got those plump raspberries. They were a true bargain. Only 4 euros for 1 kg of delicious red diamonds!!

I think the tarts turned out real well. Too bad Lana's stomach wasn't feeling well (her gastritis is still bugging her), so she only took the picture and didn't have any.
I promised her I would make them again one day. Because they're so easy to make and the result is just superb!

A beautiful flower

I really love artichokes. This delicate flower shaped vegetable is a joy to eat. A very basic recipe is probably the best: stock poached artichoke with a simple mustard vinaigrette. I'm not talking about just the artichoke hearts! Don't forget to munch on the leaves. It's a pleasure to tear off the leaves from the flower, dip them in the vinaigrette and suck the lovely "meat" out.

I sometimes eat artichokes for lunch. It doesn't require anything else and I find it very fulfilling. You may serve artichoke hearts as an appetizer if you prefer. But if you do want your artichokes to be a whole meal, you could try this recipe. It doesn't ask for fresh artichokes, so you can make it any time you want.

what do we need:

• 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (try to find marinated artichokes, it will add to the taste)
• 60 grams of Parmesan cheese, grated
• 90 ml of good mayonnaise
• 90 ml of sour cream
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• a clove of garlic, minced
• 4 chicken breast halves

what do we do:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Mix the artichokes with the cheese, mayo, sour cream, pepper and salt and garlic.
• Place the chicken in a greased baking dish and cover evenly with the artichoke mixture.
• Bake the dish for 30 min or until the chicken is done.
• Serve with slices of fresh baguette and a green salad.

Bring it on!

Panda Express is a great Chinese fast food restaurant throughout the US. Unfortunately, they haven't expanded to this part of the world yet. Meaning we have to be creative, if we want that typical Panda Express touch in our food. Or we need to go to Florida more often..

I tried out this recipe and it's a keeper. I've altered it a little to our taste, but it's still pretty close to the original. Just try it out!

what do we need:

• 675 grams of chicken breast, chopped up in small pieces
• salt and pepper
• 175 grams of corn flour

marinade:

• 1 tablespoon of white wine (see, you should never toss out left over wine nor finish the bottle!)
• 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed
• a small onion, finely chopped

sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (you can use bottled juice)
• 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled, whole
• 3 tablespoons of ahorn syrup
• 2 oranges, peeled and divided in sections, no membranes left (canned tangerines are fine too)
• jalapeno, to your personal taste, finely chopped

what do we do:

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Make the marinade and pour it over the chicken pieces. Let it sit in the fridge for 20 min.
• Put the sauce on the stove on medium heat.
• Sift the cornflour over the chicken pieces and make sure all pieces are coated.
• Deepfry the chicken pieces until golden. Use a sheet of paper towel to drain the chicken.
• Cover the chicken with sauce and let it simmer until all pieces are coated with sticky sauce.
• Serve with white rice and stirfried veggies.

Do enjoy this excellent meal. I'm sure you'll keep the recipe. Or come over here and pull up a chair. I'll be happy to make this orange chicken for you!

Korean cooking

On our last weekend abroad, I bought about 7 new cookbooks. I can't help it, but there's something about cookbooks that makes me happy. I like to stroll around cook shops, pick up some cookbooks and loose track of time. I forget about the rest, when I'm going through those books. They make my mind go mad and brilliant ideas sprout from what the pictures tell me.

I'm a creative cook and I like to try out foreign cuisine. For the first time, I bought myself a Korean cookbook. I had never eaten Korean food before, but it sure looked very appealing to me. Some ingredients I already had in my pantry, because every now and then I look to cook Thai food. While shopping around Aalst, I ran into a small Asian supermarket. Great! Just what I was looking for! I got the final ingredients for my new recipes and I rushed home to prepare my first Korean dish.

I like the freshness and the tang of Asian food. Plenty of crispy vegetables, lovely spices and healthy components make excellent dishes. One of my favorites was a beef stock filled with meaty oyster mushrooms and bean sprouts. Let me share the recipe with you! My guest the other night was pretty excited about this stir-fry, so I'll make it again!

What do we need:

• 500 ml of beef stock
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 eggs, beaten
• oil
• 4 oyster mushrooms, cut down in strips
• toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 broccoli, cut up
• 100 grams of Asian noodles or a package of bean sprouts (depends on how many carbs you want to eat)
• 3 spring onions, chopped diagonally
• 1 red chilli, chopped finely
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• toasted sesame seeds

what do we do:

• Add the soy sauce to the stock and set the pan aside.
• Make an omelette out of the eggs and cook it on both sides. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper. Roll up the omelette and slice it.
• Bake the strips of oyster mushroom in a small amount of oil. Sprinkle some sesame oil over the mushrooms and set them aside.
• Stir-fry the zucchini and set them aside.
• Stir-fry the broccoli and set it aside.
• Cook the noodles and drain them.
• Heat the stock and add the bean sprouts, if you're having those instead of the noodles. Season the stock with garlic and chilli.
• Divide the noodles (or the bean sprouts) over 2 bowls. Top with the mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and omelette.
• Pour the stock over the veggies and top with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

I like my Korean soup with some extra zing: sambal oelek! Absolutely perfect for this dish. I wouldn't have a problem adding beef or shrimp or tahoe or substituting the bean sprouts for Chinese glass noodles.

Totally irrelevant

I think I'm going to order myself another T-shirt, saying: Yes, I'm allowed to have sugar!

In 1994, there was a new understanding on how diabetes should be treated. Scientists figured out that all carbohydrates eaten become glucose in our body. That same body doesn't make any difference in the source those carbs come from. So whether the carbs come from candy, bread, rice, potatoes or fruit: it all turns into glucose in our body after all. So yes: diabetics CAN have sugar. The trick is to make sure you know how to count your carbs. Take a class, buy yourself a book or surf around the Internet. You will find plenty of information on how to count carbs.

If you're overweight, you have to be more careful on your carb intake. Work out a plan with a certain daily amount of carbs you want to stick to. Replace some carbs by other if you want to have a treat. But please, don't forget to live. Life is too sweet..

Florentines

Photo by Lana Joos

what do we need:

100 grams of shortening
100 grams of light brown sugar
30 grams of honey
80 grams of flour
50 grams of almond slivers
30 grams of candied lemon zeste
1 bar of dark chocolate

what to we do:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt the shortening with the sugar and the honey until no sugar crystals are left to be seen.
Mix the melted shortening with the flour, almonds and lemon zeste.
Spoon 20 florentines on a silicone baking mat.
Bake the cookies for 12 min or until golden. They will crisp up some more after cooling down.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium heat. Dip the bottoms of the florentines in that melted divine mass and let them dry upside down on a piece of baking paper.
Keep the florentines in a tin. That is if you can keep from having them right away.

TIP:

If you wish, you may add some finely chopped dried apricots or cranberries, to give some extra taste. You will end up with a slightly thicker cookies (I won't look lacy), but they are full of flavor!

Don't speak

Italian grissini
Photo by Lana Joos

If you would speak now, you would miss the sound of my crispy home made Italian grissini. They are absolutely delicious.

Grissini are golden bread sticks. You can serve them with soup or as an appetizer with artichoke/spinach dip. Have them as a snack, dipped in home made chocolate spread.

There are so many reasons why one should make his own grissini. They are easy to make and a good start for a beginning baker. You don't need a whole of ingredients and you won't need hours in the kitchen to finish them. And they are absolutely worth the effort. Why don't you invite some guests to have soup and grissini, before you make them a good ravioli?

what do we need:

• 200 grams of all purpose flour
• 50 grams of semolina flour (00 flour)
• 1/2 package of dry yeast
• 140 ml luke warm water
• a pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of good olive oil
• a pinch of salt
• herbs to taste (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, ..), chopped finely if you use fresh herbs
• poppy seeds, sesame seeds or coarse salt

what do we do:

• Combine the flour, semolina and salt.
• Let the yeast leaven in the luke warm water with the sugar.
• Add the oil and the yeast mixture to the flour.
• Sprinkle the herbs over the flour and add a pinch of salt.
• Mix with a fork and form it into a dough.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about a quarter of an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Divide the dough into 12 little clumps.
• Roll each ball into a long grissini.
• Roll each grissini into poppy seeds, sesame seeds or coarse salt. Or have them plain!
• Bake the grissini until crisp and golden (approximately 15 min).
• They will crisp up even further when they cool down.
• Store them in a tin or serve them in a glass.

So what are you waiting for???

A standing O

Photo by Lana Joos

My oldest daughter gave me a standing ovation for this delicious home made meal. I had this feeling I wanted to make ravioli and was still looking for a filling, when I remembered an appetizer of goat cheese and fresh cheese, rolled in finely chopped nuts. And immediately I knew that was going to be the base of my ravioli.

Home made pasta is so easy to make and it tastes a whole lot better than the storebought stuff. Being in control of the ingredients is another benefit we can't deny. So yes, I'm a fan!

First I made the pasta, using 500 grams of Italian pasta "00" flour, a pinch of salt, 5 free range eggs and two tablespoons of oil.
For the filling, I made a mixture of 150 grams of fresh goat cheese, 50 grams of cream cheese and a handful of toasted, ground hazelnuts. That's when I discovered a leftover summer truffle in my fridge and I decided to chop it up and add it to the cheese mixture, enriched with a few drops of truffle oil. I kept the filling in the fridge until the pasta dough was ready to work.

I made the ravioli and boiled them in salted water. Leaving them to dry on a kitchen towel, I chopped a shallot and a couple of slices of bacon. Those were to be baked in a bit of oil, before I added the cooked ravioli, soy cream, fresh chives, pepper and salt. A piece of parmesan cheese was sitting on the table, ready to be grated over our delicious meal.. Life is beautiful..

Beloved ones

If there's something one could do for his beloved ones, there's no effort in doing so. In fact, the effort has become a pleasure.

For those who follow my blog, it's no secret that I like to spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Cooking, baking, trying out new recipes, there are so many challenges to face and so little time.

This time, I'm giving you the recipe for amazingly good cookies.
Try them out, you won't regret it. And your beloved ones will love you for it.

What do we need:

• 80 grams of rolled oats
• 75 grams of margarine
• 235 ml of boiling water
• 90 grams of cornmeal
• 1/2 cube of stock (beef or chicken)
• 120 ml of milk
• 120 grams of shredded cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 360 grams of whole wheat flour

What do we do:

• Preheat the oven to 165°C.
• Combine the oats, margarine, boiling water and the stock cube. Let stand for 10 min.
• Grease your cookie sheet or use baking paper.
• Stir in cornmeal, milk, cheese and egg.
• Mix in flour - 1 cup at a time - until a stiff dough has formed.
• Add the rest of the flour, kneading the dough until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make perfect cookies.
• Bake the cookies 35-45 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown.
• Store the cookies in a loosely covered container.

Did I mention that these cookies are for your beloved dogs? They'll be begging for more!!

Indulgence

There's a certain truth to the saying: those who indulge bulge. Whoever made food so good, never realized about the consequences it could have on one's health.

Every now and then, we are allowed to treat ourselves. The pudding I'm going to share with you today, is a dessert we endeavoured during our stay in Egypt. It's the Arabic version of bread pudding and I must say: it's heavenly. It is called Um Ali or Om Ali, meaning the mother of Ali.

what do we need:

• 1 package of frozen puff pastry sheets
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of double cream
• 3/4 cup of pistachios, shelled and chopped finely
• 1/2 cup of pine nuts
• 1/2 cup of blanched almonds, chopped finely
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

what to we do:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Place the pastry sheets on greased baking sheets and bake them for 15 min or until golden and puffy.
• Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
• Break the puff pastry into small pieces and mingle with the nuts.
• Place the nuts and the pastry in a greased baking dish.
• Heat the sweetened milk, vanilla and water on medium heat in a saucepan. Let it cook for about 5 min. Allow the mixture to cool.
• Pour the milk over the bread/nut mixture and pour the cream on top.
• Bake the dish for 15 min until golden.
• Dig in!

Gooey

For the real chocoholics: gooey chocolate moelleux.. You just have to bake these, to enjoy the creaminess of this divine, rich and delicious chocolate dessert.

What do we need:

• 115 grams of shortening
• 5 grams of pure cocoa
• 115 grams of dark good chocolate (Belgian chocolate of course), cut into pieces
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 grams of sugar
• 5 grams of flour

What do we do:

• Preheat the oven to 230°C.
• Grease 4 ovenproof dishes with shortening. Dust them with cocoa.
• Take a microwave proof bowl and melt the shortening with the chocolate pieces in the microwave. Stay with it, you really don't want to burn the chocolate!
• Beat the eggs with the yolks and the sugar until the mixture becomes almost white. Don't be afraid to overmix, just go for it.
• Sift the flour over the eggs and fold in.
• Fold the chocolate mixture in to the beaten eggs.
• Divide the mixture over the ovendishes.
• Bake the chocolate moelleux for just 7 minutes. Let them cool down on a wire rack for a second and invert them onto a dessert plate. 
• Serve right away!

A tropical breeze

I'm so looking forward to going abroad! It's exciting to visit different countries and getting to know other cultures and products. Just to get a little of that sunny atmosphere, I have prepared a colorful mango salsa salad. It's easy to make and it's just so attractive, you won't be able to let it sit in the fridge. You will just want to dig in!

what do we need:

• 1 mango, peeled, seeded and very finely diced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and very finely diced
• 1 green onion, minced
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, juice only

Just mingle all of the ingredients and let the salsa marinate in the fridge for at least one hour. It's a very attractive side dish and it can accompany various recipes. You could serve it in small glasses as an appetizer as well. Top with some fresh cilantro leaves.

Everybody likes a compliment

The day before yesterday, I paid my diabetes nurse a visit. My appointment was set at noon. I decided to surprise her by bringing home made lunch. She really enjoyed that spinach quiche and I promised her to forward the recipe. So here it is:

what do we need:

• 1 recipe of shortcrust pastry
• 1/2 tablespoon of oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 bag of fresh spinach
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 150 grams of your favorite grated cheese
• salt and pepper

what do we do:

• Preheat the oven to 175°C.
• Heat the oil in the pan. Add the minced shallot and let it simmer until it's become translucent.
• Add the spinach and keep stirring until the spinach has wilted. Let the spinach drain in a colander until it has released all of its fluids.
• Beat the eggs and add the cheese. 
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pre-bake the crust for 10 min.
• Divide the spinach over the crust.
• Pour the egg-cheese mixture over the spinach.
• Bake the quiche for 30 min.
• Serve warm or cold, with a salad on the side.

Eat your lima beans please

There's this constant fight between kids and vegetables. There aren't many kids who are extremely fond of veggies. They'd rather not see them on their plates. Some vegetables are more in favor than other. Most children like cherry tomatoes, carrots, peas. But few voluntarily eat Brussels sprouts or Belgian endive, do they?

I don't know what the thing with lima beans is, but going back in time, I remember American parents telling their kids to eat their lima beans. I have never even seen lima beans, have you? I suppose they are very good for you and they taste like crap?

There are several ways to have your kids eat their greens. They may not like the way you prepare them or the way they look in the store. Maybe you should try a different cooking method. Or serve the vegetables as crudités. Have you ever tried to thinly slice raw Brussels sprouts? How about raw mushrooms? Or egg plant caviar? There are so many good recipes out there, that I'm convinced not one child can say: I don't like vegetables..

Today I have a vegetable terrine for you. It's packed with veggies that are good for you and it looks so festive that maybe, just maybe, your child might even dig in and enjoy it.

what do we need:

• 300 grams of fresh green beans, finely chopped (pea size)
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut in fine julienne
• 1 grilled red pepper, cut in stripes
• 125 grams of cubed ham
• 1/4 of a Jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut finely
• 4 eggs
• 230 ml of (soy)cream
• salt and pepper
• fresh parsley or chives, snipped finely

what do we do:

• Cook the beans and the carrots separately. Drain and dry them.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Dress a rectangular cake tin with cling film and let it hang over the edges.
• Drape half of the carrot julienne in the tin. Put a layer of beans on top. Add a layer of red pepper and a layer of ham. Start over again.
• Finish it off with the jalapeno.
• Beat the eggs with the cream. Season with salt and pepper and the finely chopped herbs.
• Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and let them sink in.
• Fold the cling film over the vegetables.
• Put the tin in a large oven dish. Fill the dish up with hot water up to half of the tin.
• Bake the terrine for 1 hour.
• Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 min.
• Unmould the terrine and let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
• Cut slices of the terrine and serve with a fresh herb sauce, full of gherkins, spring onion, capers, dill and parsley.

vegetable terrine
Photo by Lana Joos