♥︎Quick muesli bread

For ➓ portions

50 g oatmeal flakes

2 tbs oatmeal flakes for decoration

30 cl (oat) milk

240 g spelt flour

1½ ts baking powder

1 ts cinnamon

3 tbs honey or apple syrup

1 egg, beaten

125 g currants and/or raisins

50 g dried apricots

5 tbs coarsely chopped almonds (or several types of nuts)

a ​​little bit of butter for the tin

bread / cake tin 9 x 21cm

Put the oatmeal in a bowl and pour the milk over it and let it rest for 30 m.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a cake tin with a little butter and place a small sheet of baking paper on the bottom.

After 30 m, add all the other ingredients to the bowl.

Stir everything together with a fork or mix in a food processor on low speed. Add the dry ingredients last and mix for another 30 s.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top and sprinkle with 2 tbsp oatmeal.

Bake the muesli bread for 45 m or until well done and brown on top.

Let the bread cool slightly in the tin, then turn the bread out onto a rack, remove the baking paper and let the bread cool completely.

Keeps for 4-5 days.

Cucumber sandwich with egg salad

For ➍ 

½ cucumber

8 slices of bread (rye bread)

egg salad:

8 cool hard boiled eggs (10 m boil)

3 tbs mayonnaise*

1 ts grain mustard

1 lick white wine vinegar

1 small bunch of chives

1 small bunch of dill

black pepper from the mill

salty

Finely chop the cold peeled eggs and place in a bowl. Finely chop chives and dill. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients under the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. If the egg salad is too dry, stir in an extra tbs of mayonnaise.

Cut the cucumber into thin slices (use the mandoline). Cover the sandwiches with the egg salad, finish with the cucumber.

*for a lighter sauce, replace 1 or 2 tbs mayonnaise with low-fat yoghurt

Muesli bread

For ➊ loaf

500 g [AVEVE] all-in white fiber bread or  all-in lumberjack (houthakkers) bread

(20 g butter)

35 cl water

2-4 g dry yeast 

150-175 g muesli mixture*

Mix ingrediënten.  Bake with bread machine, menu 3.

Burrata with warm peppers & tomato salad

For ➍
3 mixed peppers
4 tbs olive oil
360 g mixed tomatoes
2 tbs green pesto
½ jar (90 g) sun-ripened olives Taggia
1 ciabatta
1 burrata

Halve the peppers, remove the stalk and seeds and cut into strips 1 cm wide. Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan or wok and fry the peppers over high heat for 8 m. Stir frequently.
Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes and cook for 1 m with the pepper mix. Remove the pan from the heat.
Mix the pesto with the remaining oil and stir in the olives. Spoon into a bowl and let stand for 5 m.
Meanwhile, tear the bread into pieces. Put the burrata on the pepper-tomato salad and serve with the bread. Drizzle cheese with some oil.

Egg in bun

For ➍
4 long pistolets (small buns)
4 eggs
6 cherry tomatoes
16 leaves of spinach
3 mushrooms
4 slices of cheese
2 tbs of melted butter
pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place baking paper on a baking tray.
Cut the mushrooms into slices, the cherry tomatoes in quarters.
Carefully hollow out the pistolets. Make sure that the outside of the rolls stays intact.
Coat the inside of the buns with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put 3 leaves of spinach, a few slices of mushroom and 3 pieces of tomato in each roll. Put a slice of cheese on it. Press it just as well.
Break an egg above each bun. Finally divide a little spinach, piece of tomato and slice of mushroom over the bun.
Sprinkle a little pepper and salt over it.
Bake the rolls in the oven for 10 to 12 m. Cover the rolls loosely with aluminum foil. Bake the rolls for another 20 to 25 m.
Serve hot.

Fried egg avocado toast

For ➍
2 medium ripe avocados, pitted & diced
juice from ½ lime
salt & pepper to taste
4 slices bread, toasted
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1-2 tbs vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Place diced avocado in a medium bowl. Mash thoroughly with lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide smashed avocado between toast slices. Top toast with tomato and pepper slices. Set aside for a moment.
Make the fried eggs. Working in batches, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Crack 2 eggs into pan and sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Allow eggs to cook, without flipping until whites of eggs are set. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula and transfer to a plate. Repeat step 2 with remaining 2 eggs.
Carefully arrange fried eggs on top of each toast.
Sprinkle minced parsley over top. Serve.

Cobb grilled cheese

For ➋ sandwiches
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 tbs softened butter
250 g aged gouda, grated
1 roasted chicken breast, sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
½ avocado, pitted, peeled & sliced
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
4 slices cooked bacon
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, then stack the two buttered sides together and repeat with the other 2 slices.
Layer top slice of the bread with a handful of gouda then follow with tomato, chicken breast, avocado slices, egg slices, blue cheese crumbles and 2 pieces of bacon then top with another handful of gouda.
Place the ingredient stacked bread, buttered side down, in a non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat and top with the other slice of buttered bread. Cover with lid and let cook for 3-4 m or until golden.
Reduce heat to medium and flip sandwich to the other side and cook for 2-3 m or until bread is toasty golden and the cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully. Repeat process with the other sandwich ingredients to make the second grilled cheese.
Slice sandwiches in half and enjoy hot.

Cannellini soup with garlic & parsley

For ➍-➏
8 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 ts chopped garlic
350 g cooked cannellini or other white beans, from dried beans (recommended)*
salt & black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
25 cl homemade beef stock or water**
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
thick grilled or toasted slices of crusty bread (optional)

Put the oil and chopped garlic in a soup pot and turn on the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring it, until is becomes colored a very pale gold. Add the drained cooked or canned beans, a pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 5 to 6 m.
Take about 100 g of beans from the pot and puree them through a food mill back into the pot, together with all the broth.
Alternately, use a blender, loosening with a bit of the broth. Simmer for another 5 to 6 m, taste, and correct for salt and pepper. Swirl in the chopped parsley, and turn off the heat.
Ladle over the grilled bread slices into individual soup bowls.

*cannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean
For dried beans, soak them in lots of cold water for a minimum of 5 h. Drain and rinse, then put them in a large pan, cover with 5 cm of cold water, bring to the boil, scoop off any foam, then boil for a further 10 m. Scoop the foam off again, then add just a little salt (too much salt before they're cooked will harden the skin, as will anything acidic like lemon juice or tomatoes), and simmer gently with the pan lid half on for 1 to 1.5 h, until tender. Keep an eye on the water level, and add more if necessary.
**Use a little less water or broth (5 cl) and oil (2 tbs) to make a thicker mash that can be served as a side dish with roast white fish, spicy chorizo and grilled scallop, or spread on thick bread.

Bouillabaisse de poulet aux légumes (Provençal chicken stew)

For ➍
4 chicken breasts
1 carrot, chopped
1 fennel, chopped
1 leek (white), sliced
4 tomatoes
1 jet of pastis
1 capsule of saffron threads
½ chicken stock cube
2 potatoes with firm flesh
5 cl olive oil
pepper & salt
1 baguette
chopped chives
fresh rouille

Heat 5 cl of olive oil in a casserole. Add the chopped and sliced ​​vegetables; sauté for 10 m over moderate heat (vegetables should be transparent without losing their colour).
Wash and chop the tomatoes. Sift tomato juice over vegetables, squeeze the pulp to extract the most juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Add pastis and saffron. Add 0.5 l of water. Melt the stock tablet; bring to a boil, cover and cook at a rolling boil for 5 m.
Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes 0.5 cm. Add the potatoes to the other vegetables and cook 10 m, uncovered.
Poach the chicken breasts in the sauce for 20 m. Do not boil but maintain just below boiling point.
Meanwhile, prepare the rouille.
Cut the baguette into slices and brown under the grill.
Divide the chicken breasts on plates. Surround with the vegetables and the sauce. Smear the rouille on the rust baguette pieces and arrange them around the chicken pieces. Garnish with chopped chives.

Panzanella (Italian bread salad)

For ➌-➍
4-5 thick slices of stale, springy country bread with a good crust*/**
1 small red onion
1-2
 tbs red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 medium, crunchy cucumber, thinly sliced (you could also peel if you like)
1 handful rucola, washed and pat dry
salt & pepper, to taste***
extra-virgin olive oil
10-12 basil leaves

Pass the slices of bread under running water and let sit in a bowl to soften while preparing the other ingredients.
Slice the red onion very thinly and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tbs of red wine vinegar and cover with cool water. Let sit 10 m (this will take some of the edge off the raw onion).
When the bread pieces are springy to the touch, tear and crumble the bread in your hands (depending on the type and freshness of your bread, the crusts may be too hard. If so, you may wish to remove them, but some like the chewiness of the crust). If the bread is still too hard, you can sprinkle on some more water, but keep in mind that you’ll be adding vinegar and oil to the salad as well, which the bread will also soak up. If you have added too much water, simply give your bread a squeeze to remove the excess liquid before adding to the salad. Place the bread in a large bowl with the cucumber and rucola.
Drain and add the onion to the salad. Season with a good pinch of salt***7*, a few twists of pepper, a healthy dose of olive oil, a splash or two of red wine vinegar, and toss until well combined.
Add the basil leaves, torn into pieces just before serving****.

*the bread should make up half of the volume of this salad
**ciabatta would work well
***use chopped anchovies instead
****this dish is best eaten about an hour after preparing, to give time for the flavors to combine. That said, it does not keep well for more than a day because the fresh ingredients tend to get ruined by the vinegar.

This is an early version without tomatoes, which now have become a staple ingredient in most recipes. You could add 2 tomatoes, peeled, sliced

Roasted grape & olive crostini

For ➍-➏*
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup (+/- 100 g) (purple) (seedless) grapes
1 cup (+/- 120 g) (kalamata) olives, pitted
1½ ts finely chopped rosemary, divided (or thyme)
sea salt & red pepper flakes
12 baguette slices, toasted
180 g ricotta (or blue cheese)

Heat oven to 205°C. Combine olive oil, grapes, olives, 1 ts rosemary, a couple pinches of sea salt and pepper flakes in a baking dish or roasting pan. Roast until grapes are wilted and leaking juices, about 35 to 55 m, rolling ingredients around in pan a few times throughout roasting time to encourage even cooking.
Slather each toast with ricotta, then heap each with grapes, olives and pan juices. Finish with remaining rosemary and eat immediately.

*Double ingredients for a small party.

Artichoke & olive crostini

For ➍
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 cup (120 g)large green pitted olives
1 tbs capers, rinsed and drained
6-8 medium canned artichoke hearts, drained
6 cl extra-virgin olive oil
8 large slices of crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a food processor, process the garlic, olives, capers, artichoke hearts and olive oil to a coarse paste.
Toast the bread on the oven rack for 6 m, or until crisp and browned.
Spread the olive paste thickly over the toasts and serve.

*Do ahead: the olive paste can be refrigerated for 2 days. Let it return to room temperature before using.

London smoked eel sandwich

For ➊
1 slice of sourdough bread
butter
30-40 g fillet of smoked eel*
1 heaped ts of horseradish cream
Dijon mustard
¼ small red onion, peeled & thinly sliced
2 tbs white wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Steep the sliced onion in the pickle and let stand for 1 h.
Warm a grilling pan over a gentle heat. Lay the sour dough on the grill and brown nicely.
Cut the eel fillet into 3 largish pieces.
Butter the toasted side of the sour dough. Cut this in half and spread with Dijon mustard.
Lay on the eel and then the horseradish cream. Lay on the other piece of toast and return to the grill.
Allow the sandwich to brown, then flip and cook similarly on the other side.
Put on a plate and heap the drained pickle alongside.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with smoked trout or mackerel fillet. Or even smoked halibut.

Eggs with lemon & mint

For ➊
Flat bread, such as pita bread
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
​​2 eggs
handful of mint leaves, washed & coarsely chopped
lemon juice
salt & pepper

Put a small frying pan over medium heat. Heat the oil and fry the garlic, stirring so that the slices are evenly colored. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the bread (preheat the oven when using it). Otherwise, use the toaster. The bread will be hot and soft in 1 m. Let it not get hard.
Pour the eggs into the pan and slide the mixture back and forth with a spatula. Before they are solidified, stir in the lemon juice and mint.

Spoon the eggs directly on a plate and give it bread. Use extra lemon and a sprig of mint if you like.

*Add 3 mounts of yogurt on the bread, cover with thinly sliced onion. Add the eggs, and add ground cumin, dried chilli flakes, crushed garlic to enhance the toast.

Toast with mushrooms, leeks & fried eggs

For ➍
2 tbs canola oil
500 g mushrooms, mix recommended
2 leeks, white & light green parts, sliced into 0.6 cm thick
salt & pepper
4 tbs butter
1 tbs sherry vinegar
4 tbs chopped herbs (rosemary, parsley, chives...)
4 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted & buttered
5 cl heavy cream
Tabasco sauce
1 lemon, halved
4 eggs

Heat the oil. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt. Cook and stir until lightly browned. Stir in 1 tbs of butter along with the vinegar and herbs.
Put the bread slices on plates. Add the mushroom mixture.
In the same pan, melt 2 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Add the leek, season and stir until soft, 7 m. Add the cream, bring to simmer and cook for 1 m. Season with Tabasco and lemon juice. Spoon over the toast.
Heat 1 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Crack the eggs in the skillet and season. Cover the pan, so the whites will set faster. Remove the egg when the whites have set and the yolk is still runny. [Work in batches or use different skillets].
Place the eggs on top of the toast and serve.

Try the traditional toast champignon.

Baked Brie with herbed artichokes

For ➍-➏
1 (220 g) round of mild Brie, top rind removed
1 (275 g) bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained & thoroughly dried*
1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced
60 g grated Parmigiano cheese
2 tbs mayonnaise
2 ts finely minced Italian parsley
¼ ts kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
toasted baguette slices, for serving

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the Brie in a round baking dish, a little bit larger than the cheese.
Combine the thawed artichoke hearts, garlic, Parmigiano; mayonnaise, parsley, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon the mixture over and around the brie.
Bake until warm and soft but not oozing, 8 to 12 m.
Garnish with additional Parmigiano and parsley, if desired. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices for dipping.

*Use a 350 g jar of  artichoke hearts, drained and thoroughly dried, instead.

Witloofsoep (endives' soup]

For ➍
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek (white only)
15 endives, chopped (reserve some tips)
1.5 l chicken stock
2 laurel leaves
1 bunch thyme
salt & epper
100 g North Sea shrimps, peeled
50 g butter
20 g croutons
parsley, fried

Sauté the onion and the leek in butter. Add endives, stock, thyme and laurel.
Cook on low fire for 1 h.
Put some shrimps, croutons,endives' tips and parsley in each plate. Add hot soup.

Spring pea purée with preserved lemon

For ➍
1 kg shelled peas (or frozen)
1 garlic clove
4 tbs parsley leaves
olive oil
salt
10 cl water
1 tbs of preserved lemon peel, chopped*
lemon juice
crushed red pepper flakes
6-8 slices of sourdough bread

Put the water in a pot. Add the peas, 1 tbs of olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt. Simmer 5 m for fresh peas, 2 m for frozen.
Drain and save the cooking liquid.
Place the peas in a food processor and process until smooth.
Scrape that puree into a bowl.
Add a tbs of chopped preserved lemon peel (you can use some of the flesh as well), a squeeze of lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and more olive oil. Mix it.
Add some of the cooking liquid to lighten it up.
Grill thick slices of sourdough bread in a very hot cast iron skillet on high heat. Use no or very little oil. Press the bread down in the skillet. Flip once.
Rub the bread with garlic and brush it with olive oil.
Top with the spring pea puree and sprinkle everything with more pepper flakes.

*You can make the same without preserved lemons and serve it on regular toast.

Italian meatloaf

For ➍
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 jar of roasted peppers 300g
20 g parsley
1 mozzarella, 125 g
600 g ground beef, seasoned (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
10 cl milk
3 slices of white bread, without crust
160 g pancetta, sliced

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Chop the onion and chop the garlic.
Let the peppers drip in a colander. Cut into strips.
Chop the parsley. Cut the mozzarella into slices .
Mix the minced meat in a bowl with the onion and garlic. Put the milk in a deep plate and soak the bread in the milk for 2 m. Squeeze out and mix with the meat.
Line the bottom and sides of the cake tin with the pancetta.
Divide the meat on the bottom and spread about half of the pepper, parsley and mozzarella. Make another layer. Spread the rest of the meat on top and close with the pancetta around.
Bake for about 30 m in the middle of the oven until golden brown. Take out, let rest 5 m in the mold. Carefully pour the fat out of the mold.
Cut into slices and serve with salad and baked potatoes.

Ajuinsoep (Flemish onion soup)

For ➍
400 g onions, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
200 g potatoes, sliced
80 g butter
1 l beef or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
a small glass of jenever (gin)*
(80 g Gruyère cheese**)

Melt the butter. Add onions and fry until golden. Add potatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 m.*** Add jenever, pepper and salt to taste.

Serve with toast.

*Optional.
**Optionally, preheat oven to 200° C. Put the soup in small serving cups, sprinkle with cheese and put in the over for 1 m. Or put cheese on toasts and brown in the oven.
***For a smoother soup, remove most of the onions and shallots, mix the soup and return the oignons.