♥︎Grilled tuna with green beans, lemon, garlic & eggs

For ➍

1 tbs olive oil*

300 g green beans

4 tuna steaks, 220 g each & 3 cm thick

1 tbs extra virgin oil

2-3 eggs

2 cloves of garlic

lemon (finely chopped zest of a lemon)

Hard boil the eggs in 10 m, peel them and rub them through a sieve.

Clean the beans and cook them until al dente.

Shock them in ice water and then drain them well.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic in it.

Add the beans and heat well.

Season with the lemon zest, pepper and salt and carefully mix in the finely ground eggs.

Keep warm.

Rub the tuna steaks with extra virgin olive oil and grill them for about 5 m.

Season with pepper and salt afterwards.

Serve with the beans and southern sauce of your choice.

*or vegetable fat

♥︎Baked cod fillet with samphire, fennel, potatoes & lemon mayonnaise

For ➋

250 g baby potatoes*

1 red onion

1 clove of garlic

1½ pieces of fennel

½ lemon

5 g fresh dill

50 g mayonnaise

2 cod fillets

50 g samphire

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the potatoes and halve them. Place the potatoes in an oven dish and mix with 1 tbs olive oil per person. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 25 – 35 m. Stir halfway through.

In the meantime, chop the red onion and press the garlic. Halve the fennel, cut into quarters and remove the hard stems and core. Chop the fennel. Heat butter♥︎ in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the red onion for 2–3 m. Add the chopped fennel and fry gently for 10–12 m.

Then deglaze with 3 tbs water per person and let it reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add more water if you want the fennel to be even softer. In the meantime, squeeze the lemon and coarsely chop the dill. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with ½ tsp lemon juice per person.

Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and rub with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil per person in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the fish for 1 - 2 m on each side.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in another frying pan and fry the garlic for 1–2 m. Add the samphire and stir-fry for another 1–2 m.

Divide the potatoes over the plates, spoon the fennel next to them and place the cod on the fennel. Spoon the fried samphire on top of the fish and garnish the dish with the dill. Serve with the lemon mayonnaise.

*Or more.

♥︎Replace with a plant-based alternative or olive oil.

♥︎Smashed Asian cucumber salad

For ➍ 

2 seedless cucumbers (about 600 g) 

1 ts salt 

2½ ts sugar 

2 ts sesame oil 

3 ts light soy sauce 

1½ tbs rice vinegar 

2-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 

1-2 ts chili oil (optional)* 

2 ts toasted sesame seeds 

a small handful of chopped coriander 

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. 

Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside. 

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. 

Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander. 

*If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up 1 tbs of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. 

♥︎Roasted cauliflower salad with pancetta & baby potatoes

For ➍ 

50 g pancetta♥︎

1 cauliflower 

400 g baby potatoes 

2 cloves garlic 

½ lemon, juice 

10 g flat-leaf parsley

400 g chickpeas 

200 g hummus 

5 Medjool dates 

5 cl tahini 

1 tbs za'atar 

4 tbs olive oil 

salt & pepper 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Rinse the baby potatoes and cut them into wedges. 

Cut the cauliflower into florets and the slices of pancetta in half. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and drain. 

Stir the za'atar through the olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cauliflower, chickpeas, baby potatoes and pancetta and mix thoroughly. 

Peel and halve the garlic and mix with the vegetables. 

Roast the vegetables and pancetta in the oven for 25 m until cooked and crispy. 

Stir the tahini into the hummus and spoon a generous amount of the mixture onto each plate. 

Spoon the roasted vegetables and bacon on top and finish with a generous amount of finely chopped parsley and pieces of date.

♥︎Replace with heart-friendly alternative like turkey.

♥︎Fregola Sarda with clams & fennel

For ➍ 

350 g fregola Sarda

1.5 kg clams/ vongele

1 l fish or vegetable stock

2 cloves of garlic

2 large fennels, cut in small cubes, stems reserved

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely

1 organic lemon, juice & zest

1 glass of white wine

sea ​​salt & pepper

extra virgin olive oil

If you still have to clean the shells yourself, soak them in a large container of cold water beforehand. Then rinse them under the tap. The mussels will then open for a moment and you can rinse away the sand.

Boil a pan of water with the fish or vegetable stock.

Take a deep pan and now add a dash of olive oil. Cut 1 clove of garlic into slices and fry it together with the fennels for 5 m on medium heat until the fennel is translucent and just turns a brown color. Add the fregola and stir well.

Add enough stock (approximately the same volume as the pasta) to the risotto, reduce heat and cover with a lid for +/- 10 m. Fill if necessary. add extra stock.

5-6 m before the end of the risotto cooking time, cook the clams. Place a large frying pan or wok over low heat with a dash of olive oil. 

Crush 1 clove of garlic and fry with the skin on briefly in the oil. Remove after the oil has been seasoned. 

Add the shells, increase the heat and add a dash of white wine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the shells for a few m. Shake the pan regularly to ensure they all open. 

After 10-12 minutes, when the fregola is just al dente and the mixture looks soupy, stir in the clams and the cooking liquid with a little chopped parsley and the lemon zest.

Squeeze half a lemon and add it, season the pasta with salt and pepper.

Serve the dish in bowls with some of the fennel fronds kept aside and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

♥︎Fregola, cucumber & orange

For ➋ 

2 small cucumbers about 150 g* 

1 tbs caster sugar 

1 ts sea salt 

1 ts coriander seeds 

5 tbs white wine vinegar 

2 tbs dill, finely chopped

150 g fregola Sarda** 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large orange

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

a handful of watercress 

To make the pickle, thinly slice 1 cucumber and put in a small mixing bowl. Mix the sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, vinegar and dill and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cucumber, cover and place somewhere cool for at least 1 hour. The cucumber will darken a little in colour and soften slightly, but should retain its crunch. 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then tip in the fregola. Simmer for about 10 m, testing regularly for tenderness. Drain thoroughly, tip into a bowl then sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over it and toss to coat evenly. This will stop the beads sticking together as they cool. 

Peel the second cucumber, halve it lengthways and cut it into 1cm chunks. Peel the orange with a kitchen knife, taking care to remove the white pith, then cut into thin slices. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the raw cucumber pieces and continue to fry them gently. 

Add the spring onion to the pan with the drained fregola. Season with salt and black pepper. Fold the pickled cucumber and its liquid into the ingredients, add the watercress then stir briefly. 

Divide between plates and place the orange slices at its side. 

*When using larger cucumber, cut the slices in half. 

**Use Sardinian roasted fregola. Or plain pearl couscous

♥︎Sea bass fillet with tomato & caper salsa

For ➍ 

4 large sea bass fillets with skin

1 fennel bulb,  4 slices of ½ cm, keep the fennel tops aside

2 tomatoes on the vine, peeled, without seeds, cut into cubes

4 tbs capers

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 handful of fresh thyme

6 tbs good olive oil

1 tbs lime zest

1 handful of watercress

pepper and salt

Fry the fennel, garlic and thyme in some olive oil until al dente.

For the salsa, mix the rest of the olive oil, capers, lime zest and tomato together and season with some salt and pepper.

Pat the pieces of sea bass fillet dry with kitchen paper and mark the skin of the fillets lightly with a small knife.

Fry the fish in a hot pan with a non-stick coating until nicely browned on the skin side, for about 3 to 4 m, turn off the heat and leave the fish in the pan for another 1 m.

Serve the fish skin side up together with the fennel, salsa and watercress.

Season everything with some coarse pepper and sea salt and the fennel tops.

Serve with fried potatoes.

♥︎Miso soup with pak choi & citrus balls

For ➋ large or ➍ small bowls 

1 l chicken or vegetable stock 

1 piece of ginger (1 thumb in size) 

4 small or 1 large pak choi  

2 handfuls of green leafy vegetables such as spinach or asparagus 

1 tbs dark or red miso 

for the meatballs: 

400 g minced poultry (or pork, beef or a mix) 

1 shallot 

1 clove of garlic 

1 piece of ginger (2.5 cm)

grated zest of 1 unsprayed orange & lemon 

25 blades of chives 

5 sprigs of coriander, the leaves (or other green herbs such as basil or parsley) 

salt & black pepper from the mill 

finish with available: roasted sesame oil, chili flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce, green herbs, spring onion, fresh chili peppers, etc. 

Bring the stock to the boil with the sliced ginger (no need to peel it). Let the pot simmer gently with the lid on while you roll the meatballs. To do this, finely grate the ginger and chop the shallot, garlic and herbs. Mix together with the grated orange and lemon zest into the minced meat. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and roll it into balls the size of a cherry. Remove the ginger from the broth. Then cook the meatballs in it for 3 to 5 minutes until done (when they float to the top, they are ready). Remove the stems from the pak choi and let it cook for 3 m, so that they are cooked but still have bite. Place a few tablespoons of stock in a bowl and dissolve the miso in it. Mix into the soup together with the green leafy vegetables. Or: after temporarily removing the balls, add the miso all the vegetables, first the hard white bok choy, then the green, to the broth. Add the balls at the end. 

♥︎Spanakorizo ​​(Greek spinach rice).

For ➋

400 g spinach leaves (wild spinach)

150 g onions

20 g dill

4 tbs olive oil

120 g carnaroli rice

5 cl dry white wine

25 cl of water

1 lemon

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Check the spinach, wash it several times in plenty of water, drain and chop coarsely. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Remove the dill from the stems, set some tops aside and chop the rest finely.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium to high heat. Fry the onions until translucent; stir regularly.

Add the rice and fry briefly. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the wine almost completely.

Add the chopped spinach and let it shrink. Add 25 cl of water, add some salt and let it simmer without a lid for about 15 m (depending on the type of rice) over low heat, until the rice is al dente; stir occasionally.

The rice should be cooked, but not falling apart. 

Stir in the dill. Season with the finely grated zest of ½ lemon, 1-1½ tbs lemon juice, 1-2 tbs olive oil and black pepper. The rice should taste fresh and lemony.

Divide the spinach rice over two deep plates. If desired, drizzle some olive oil over it and grate over the zest of a few lemon wedges. Sprinkle the dill tops over it.

♥︎Egg clouds with pancetta, thyme & oregano

For ➍

80 g pancetta*

4 eggs

2 sprigs of thyme

1 ts oregano

2 tbs olive oil

pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until foamy with the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover an oven tray with baking paper and spoon 4 mounds of meringue onto it. Make a well in each meringue and carefully pour in the egg yolks. Sprinkle with the finely chopped pancetta and place in the oven for 8 m.

Drizzle the eggs with a dash of olive oil and serve. Finish with arugula or another fresh herb if desired.

*Replace the pancetta with smoked turkey bacon or smoked salmon for a heart-friendly version or with spicy chorizo for an extra spicy version.

♥︎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 tbs 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.

♥︎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 tbs 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*.

♥︎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 ➍

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.