♥︎Kikerage & enoki with udon noodles.

For ➋
25 g dried kikerage (black fungus)
1 tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs mirin
100-150 g udon noodles
100 g fresh enoki, without feet, in 2 portions
5 g plant butter
3 scallions, cut in rounds
2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
1 tbs furikake

Pour warm water over the kikerage and let it soak for 15 m to 1 h. Drain it, and use as a base to cook the udon. If necessary, add some water. Heat and dissolve 1 tbsp miso in it. Cook the miso as directed.
Meanwhile, fry the kikerage for 5-7 m in 1 tbs sunflower oil. Add a dash of mirin and let evaporate. Set the kikerage aside in another container. Stew the onion and garlic for 2 m in the same pan, with a little oil.
In the meantime, cook the enoki with a few small lumps of plant butter in 2 packets 1 m in the microwave.
Mix the kikerage with the onion and garlic.
Let the udon drip. Place on plate. Mix the kikerage and onion over it. Sprinkle with furikake.
Place the enoki on the plate.  Serve.
Kikerage is an edible mushroom and is a popular condiment in Japanese ramen noodles. It is also commonly known as wood ear mushroom, black fungus, jelly ear, jew’s ear, and mu-er in Chinese. It is known for its nutritious value.The edible mushroom gets its name from resembling the shape of an ear. Kikurage has a smooth surface on both sides and is dark brown in colour. Raw wood ear mushrooms carry a light woody fragrance. Once cooked, the mushroom is gelatinous and easily absorbs the flavours in the dish. To rehydrate wood ear mushroom, soak the desired amount in cold water for 1 to 2 h. The wild mushrooms can expand 3-4 times in size. For faster results, soak the dried kikurage in warm water for 20 m. However, the mushrooms will not expand as much and will be less crunchy. Once rehydrated, store in the fridge and consume within 1-2 days.

Risotto with scampi & zucchini.

For ➍ 
240-300 g arborio rice
24 scampi
2 small zucchini
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
10 cl dry white wine
1.½ l chicken stock
olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper
1-1½ tbs vadouvan (*)

Clean the scampi (remove the intestinal tract), mix them with the herbs and 1-1.½ tbs oil and put them away in a cool place.
Cut the zucchini into slices of about 1 cm thick and cut the slices again into sticks.
Bring the stock to the boil and keep it warm. We will use the stock to cook the risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and fry the chopped shallot and garlic.
Add the rice to the pot and let it fry for a while until the grains become transparent.
Add the white wine and let it boil away. Then add a small tablespoon of stock and wait until the liquid has largely been absorbed. Then add stock again and keep repeating until the rice is done. This will take about 15 to 20 m. The rice should still be creamy, but should certainly not be cooked too flat.
Heat a large frying pan with a dash of olive oil and fry the marinated scampi over high heat.
Remove the scampi from the pan, add an extra dash of olive oil if necessary and fry the zucchini strips in the same pan, over sufficiently high heat (season them with salt and freshly ground pepper).
Add the fried scampi and zucchini to the risotto when it is done and stir everything carefully.

*or 1 ts kurkuma + 1 ts paprika powder + ½ ts chili flakes

♥︎Walnut cake with coffee

For ➑-➓ portions
4 eggs
150 zusto (or sugar)
100 spelt wholemeal flour
50 g chopped walnuts*
handful of walnut halves for decoration*
2 tbs instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tbs hot water
1 pack of dry yeast

Split eggs. Beat yolks with sugar until foamy.
Mix flour, yeast, dissolved coffee and chopped nuts into the foam.
Beat egg whites into snow. Mix egg whites beaten into snow with the flour mix.
Line a baking tin with baking paper.
Finish with walnut halves.*
Bake 45 m at 160°C.

*Or pecans.

♥︎Thai whitefish with lemongrass & fish sauce

For ➍
1 stalk of lemongrass
500 g white fish fillets (e.g. cod)
2 tbsp sunflower or other vegetable oil
1.5 tbs fish sauce
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 red chilli pepper, without seeds & chopped
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
pak choi*
rice

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Remove the outer hard leaves from the lemongrass. Chop the white part and discard the rest.
Place the fish, skin side down, in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Mix 1 tbs of the oil with the fish sauce, the shallot, the chilli and the lemongrass, season with pepper and pour evenly over the fish, so that it gets a nice layer of sauce. Bake the fish in the oven for 15 to 20-25 m, or until done.
Just before the fish is ready, heat the rest of the oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic and fry slowly and at a lower temperature/4-5/ golden brown without burning. If necessary, add some water or cooking liquid from the pak choi.
Pour the hot oil with garlic over the cooked fish and serve immediately.
Serve the fish with rice and green vegetables, such as spinach or pak choy.

*Cut the pak choi into green and white pieces. Wok the white, harder, pieces for 3-5 m. Add the green parts and wok for another 1-3 m.

♥︎Turkey stew with Oude Geuze

For ➍
300 g fresh pearl onions
a large knob of butter*
300 g smoked bacon**
2 cloves of garlic
250 g mushrooms
2 stalks celery
1 kg turkey leg (turkey cubes from breast or leg)
3 tbs  flour
3 dl Oude Geuze Boon
40 cl chicken stock*
2 tbs grain mustard
some sprigs of sage
a few sprigs of thyme
4 bay leaves
3 cloves
1 bunch of (young) carrots
pepper & salt
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
800 g pine cones potatoes***
a dash of cream****

Preheat the deep fryer to 170 °C.***
First soak the fresh pearl onions in a bowl of hot water and remove the outer skin of the onions.
Melt a large knob of butter* in a large stew. Cut the bacon into strips and stew. Peel and crush the garlic and add, followed by the pearl onions. Cut the mushrooms into pieces and stew them. Rinse the celery under cold water, finely chop the stalks and stew. Season the turkey cubes with salt and pepper. Stew them and sprinkle some flour over them. Stir well so that the flour is evenly distributed over all the turkey pieces and vegetables. Pour the Oude Geuze and the chicken stock into the stew. Add the mustard. Make a herb bouquet from the sage, thyme and bay leaf and add it together with the cloves. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat down. Let the stew simmer gently for at least 1 h. 
About 20 m before dinner time, peel the carrots and put them in a pot over a gentle heat with a good splash of water and a good knob of butter. Season the carrots with salt and pepper and some finely chopped fresh thyme. Cook for 10 to 15 m under a lid. In the meantime, fry the pine cones until golden brown in the deep fryer at 170 °C. 
Season the stew with a little extra salt and pepper. *****  
Add the pasta in small pieces to your sauce and let it melt. 
Finish the stew with a dash of cream. ****
Spoon some turkey with sauce onto a plate and add the fried carrots and pine cones***.

*replace with vegan
**replace with smoked turkey meat
***replace with heart-friendly alternative
****optional
*****If necessary, add some beurre manié to thicken the sauce by kneading 1 tbs flour  into a paste with a knob of butter*.


Easy miso sauce for noodles

For ➍ 
1 heaping tbs white miso paste 
1 tbs plain peanut butter or Chinese sesame paste 
1 tbs toasted sesame oil 
½ tbs chili garlic sauce, adjust according to desired spice 
½ tb soy sauce 
1 ts dark soy sauce, optional for colour 
½ tbs maple syrup or other sweetener like mirin
½ tbs rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar 
1 ts minced garlic 
1 scallion chopped 

Mix everything together. Add to the boiled and drained noodles.

Salmon & miso butter & spinach

For ➍
25 g butter, at room temperature
25 g miso paste
1 ts finely grated lemon zest
1 ts lemon juice
250 g spinach
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
4 tbs oil
salt
4 salmon fillets (150 g each)

Mix the soft butter with the miso paste, the finely grated lemon zest and the lemon juice into a smooth paste. [Put in the center of a piece of cling film. Roll up the foil tightly to form a roll, and twist the sides like with a toffee.]* Cool in the refrigerator.
Clean the spinach, wash the leaves and drain in a colander.
Peel and chop the shallots and garlic clove. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large saucepan and sauté the shallot and garlic until translucent. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with salt and spoon the spinach leaves until shrunk. Add a little more salt if necessary.  Keep the spinach warm.
Grill the salmon fillet strips over hot coals or fry them in a non-stick pan in 3 tbs of oil.  Allow 3 to 4 m per side**.  Season the grilled or fried salmon with salt and put miso butter on top.

Serve the salmon on a bed of spinach. Serve with glass noodles or soba noodles. ***

*Optional
**The salmon will be glassy inside. If preferred, cook it for 1-2 m longer. 
Alternatively, marinate the salmon in a mix from miso paste, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, fresh garlic, ginger powder & honey. In a cast iron skillet fry the salmon with the non-skin part facing down for 1 m. Then flip salmon over and bring the cast iron into the oven and bake for 8-11 m (depending on thickness of salmon)Send salmon into the oven directly and bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). Or bake salmon in the oven directly bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). You can mix half of the marinate with 1or 2 tbs of water, boil for a m, and glaze the salmon with it, instead of using the miso butter. 
***Add some sauce to the noodles to spice them up.

Green apple & kale salad

For ➍
3 cups ribbed & chopped kale or borecole
handful of chopped parsley
1 cup cooked black lentils
1 green apple, diced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup shaved Parmigiano, or feta or goat cheese
dressing
one clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1 tbs Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup pumpkin seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt &pepper

In a large salad bowl, combine the kale, parsley, lentils, apples, cucumber, pepitas and parmesan.
For the dressing, blitz everything in a food processor or blender, with salt and pepper to taste, until the garlic is smooth.
Pour the dressing on the salad and toss well to coat. Garnish with more cheese if you wish. The salad will keep in the fridge for a full day and slowly loose it's crunch from there.

Thai fish soup

For ➍
1 tbs cooking oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 ts fresh ginger, grated
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
½ red chilli pepper, sliced (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass, bottom stalk only, bruised (substitute with peel of lemon or lime)*
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn (substitute with peel of lemon or lime)*
40 cl can coconut milk
2 dl vegetable broth
juice of ½ lime
1 tbs fish sauce
175 g shrimps, peeled & deveined
220 g salmon, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
assorted vegetables, such as spinach, snow peas, kale, tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.
1 tbs minced cilantro/coriander

In a wok or soup pot over medium high heat, add cooking oil and swirl to coat. When hot, add in the garlic, ginger, red onion, chilli pepper, lemongrass, kaffir and gently cook for about 2 m to release the aromas and flavors.
Pour in the coconut milk and broth and let simmer for 15 m. Remove the lemongrass, kaffir (or the lemon/lime peel if using)* and discard. Season broth with fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
Add shrimp, salmon, vegetables and cilantro. Cook for 3-4 m or until the shrimp and salmon is cooked through.

Add 250 g cooked dried rice noodles to turn the soup into a light dish.

*When substituting with the peel of a lemon or lime, use a vegetable peeler to get thin strips of peel  and give each strip a good bruising or twist to release the oils.
**Eventually, add some fresh tomatoes, cut into wedges.

Couscous with halloumi & fried red pepper

For ➍
4 red peppers, cut into strips
335 g whole grain couscous
40 g raisins
40 g almonds, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
20 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 limes
250 g halloumi, cut into 1-2 cm cubes
125 g fat yogurt
70 cl vegetable stock
3 tbs olive oil
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
pepper & salt

Grate the zest of the lime. Squeeze the lime.
In a salad bowl, mix the couscous and raisins with the stock and allow to soak, covered, for 10 m. Then stir with a fork.
Heat ½ of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pepper strips 7 - 9 m. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in another frying pan over medium heat and fry the lime zest and garlic for 30 s.
Add the cubes of halloumi, fry for 3 - 4 m until crispy. Then remove them from the pan.
Fry the soaked couscous 1 - 2 m in the same pan in the lime-garlic oil.
Mix the coriander with the couscous and season with the extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt.
Divide the couscous over the plates and scoop the bell pepper strips on the side. Drizzle the couscous with the lime juice and garnish with the halloumi and almonds. Serve the yogurt separately, so that everyone can add it to their own taste.

Risotto zucchine e gamberetti
(zucchini & shrimp risotto)

For ➍ 
vegetable broth 
1.5 l water 
1 lemon, zest, grated 
1 carrot 
1 celery rib 
½ onion 
coarse salt 
risotto
350 g arborio rice 
2 zucchini 
250 g shrimps 
½ onion, chopped 
olive oil 
½ glass white wine 
50 g butter *
lemon, zest, grated 
fine salt 
decorate 
lemon, zest, grated 
mint 

Start with a vegetable broth. Put the water in a pot and add the carrot, celery, onion and the zest of a lemon. Bring it to boil. 
In a frying pan, brown the chopped onion. Add the zucchini cut into small pieces, salt and cook for about 5 m. Add the shrimps in the pan and let it cook for another 2 m. Remove from the fire and keep aside. 
In another pan, toast the rice. When it's very hot, blend it with the white wine. Add the broth a little at a time, and mix the risotto. As soon as the broth dries, add a ladle and continue like this for about 15 m, to cook the rice.**
When it is close to the cooking, add the zucchini and shrimp and cook for a couple of more m. 
Turn off the heat and stir with the butter, stirring the risotto well. Add a copious grated lemon zest. Decorate the risotto with another lemon zest and a mint leaf. Serve immediately.

*Optional.
*Use a quicker way to cook risotto.

Za'atar chicken pilav
with pistachios & pomegranate

For ➍
4 chicken legs
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs za'atar
70 g pomegranate seeds
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 bunch of dill
4 tbs olive oil
50 g butter
2 large yellow onions
250 g basmati rice
40 cl poultry fond
75 g green pistachios
1 ts pilipili
1 bunch coriander

Peel the garlic and finely chop.
Cut the chicken thighs in half at the joint and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1 tbs salt and the garlic snippets. Toss together and refrigerate for min. 2 h.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Bake the chicken ± 7 m with the skin side down golden brown and crispy in a roasting pan.
Arrange in a baking dish, sprinkle the skin side with za'atar and roast for another 10 m.
Deglaze the casserole with poultry stock and heat.
Peel the onions and cut into fine half rings. Coarsely chop the pistachios.
Rinse the rice under running water until the rinse water is clear. Preheat the butter and oil in a shallow wide cast iron pot. Add the onion rings, sprinkle with salt and fry for 15 m until caramelised. Stir in the rice, pistachios, pilipili and warm poultry stock. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice. Pour the juices from the baking dish over.
Place in the oven for 45 m until the rice is soft. Cover the pan and let rest for 5 m.
Finely chop the parsley leaves, coarsely chop the coriander and dill and sprinkle over the chicken together with the pomegranate seeds. Serve.

Easy pistou

For ➍
80 g pine nuts
40 g basil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10-12.5 cl olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. 
Set aside 12 basil leaves. 
Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. While the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

♥︎Tray bake of giant beans
with ratatouille vegetables & pistou

For ➍
2 cans giant white beans (400 g each), rinsed & drained
2 red onions, peeled, cut into 8 wedges each
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 eggplant, in pieces
1 zucchini, in pieces
4 small tomatoes on the vine, each cut in 4 wedges
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbs rosemary needles, coarsely chopped
1 red chilli pepper, in rings
pinch chilli flakes
salt pepper
4 tbs olive oil
For the pistou*:
80 g pine nuts
40 g basil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10-12.5 cl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Put the beans, all the vegetables, the garlic, rosemary, chilli pepper and chilli flakes, four tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of coarse salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and toss. Divide the mixture over two baking trays lined with parchment paper.
Slide the baking trays into the oven and roast for 45-60m, until the vegetables are tender and the beans are just a little crunchy. Switch the baking plates halfway through, so that they both receive the same amount of top and bottom heat.
For the pistou, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. Set aside 12 basil leaves. Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, while the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.
Transfer the beans and vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pine nuts and the reserved basil leaves. 
Serve the pistou separately.

*Pistou is the Provencal version of Italian pesto. It's basically the same sauce without Parmigiano.

♥︎Vegan tajine of sweet potato, fennel & olives

For 
4 tbs olive oil
3 fennel bulbs, each in 8 wedges & keep the greens
juice & pulp of 2 oranges
juice & pulp of 1 lemon
2 red onions, in half moons
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3-5 sprigs of thyme
25 cl boiling water
1-2 tbs harissa
750 g orange sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
100 g  black olives

Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole or tagine. Add the fennel pieces and a pinch of salt and fry the vegetables for 8-10 m. Use tongs to turn the pieces so that they brown on all sides. Remove the fennel pieces from the pan and keep apart.
Put the onion in the pan and let it fry for 2 to 3 m. Add the garlic and thyme and fry for 1 m.
Fill a measuring jug with 25 cl of boiling water and dissolve the harissa in it. Add the orange and lemon juice and, if desired, a pinch of salt and pour this broth into the pan with the onions.
Add the sweet potato pieces and the fried fennel, toss gently and bring to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and turn the heat to low. Let simmer gently for 15 m.
Remove the lid from the pan and add the olives. Carefully toss again and let everything simmer for another 15 m without a lid, or until the sweet potato is cooked through.
Finely chop the fennel greens and sprinkle over the tajine before serving.

*Serve this dish with a whole grain of your choice, such as whole grain couscous, pearl barley, buckwheat, whole grain rice or quinoa. The last three are gluten-free. 
**Serve with a green salad.