Spinach tartlet with caramelized onion and walnuts
I can never eat enough spinach. In every variation, this is my all-time favorite vegetable. In this pie, spinach doesn’t attract all the attention, but more than enough to please me. The caramelized onion and walnuts make it a festive little dish. It’s a winner. Delicious as an appetizer, snack or side dish.
Classic Lebanese Toum (garlic dip)
If you love garlic, and have a little bit of patience, this is totally your recipe. You can serve this as a dip, or use it with vegetables, for example. It is a very classic Lebanese dip/sauce that is often standard on the table. Just for the sake of it. Simply because it cannot be missed.
Lentils with sweet slowly cooked tomatoes
Sometimes you think that lentils can no longer surprise you. That you now know them from all sides. And believe me, I like lentils so much that I put them on the table very often. This is a new variant. And one that we had two days in a row, we liked it that much.
Airy, crispy Lebanese bulgur bread with za’atar
I’m not a bread eater. I don’t really like bread. With the exception of a warm crispy ‘kaak’ and this bulgur bread. This is really exactly what I’m looking for in a loaf of bread. My eyes widened, my head nodded approvingly, I was in my own delicious world full of taste sensation for a few minutes before I realised again that I was sitting at the table with others. That kind of bread.
Lebanese pie with cauliflower and eggplant
It’s always a bit difficult when it comes to pies. As long as the dough is good. Exactly soft enough. Just crunchy enough. Evenly. And the filling also matches the amount of dough. In that regard, these pies simply score a 10. In every way really. Just super successful as a dish. Or it can also be served as a snack.
Labaneya: Arabic spinach soup with turmeric, sesame and rice
When you think of a hearty soup, you think of a heavy hearty soup. This is a meal soup, but one of the lighter kind. Nice for lunch, nutritious and very tasty. A bit spicy, really something different. And since spinach is one of my absolute ‘favourites’, I’m always happy when you can put this vegetable on the table in a different way. Right?
Quince pie with a touch of Middle East in it
When you have been given kilos and kilos of quinces from your customer Xandra, you start experimenting. Quinces are ‘tough cookies’ in the sense that they are rock solid and you have to soften them to get them tasty and to use them. It works great in this recipe. And don’t forget, 100 percent plant-based, right?
Golden bulgur with enchanting carrot and pomegranate
Carrot nog so tasteful? Well, then you haven’t made this dish yet. The carrot is so flavorful thanks to fennel seeds. The bulgur turns gold because of the turmeric. Pickled cucumber gives it an unparalleled freshness. And the pomegranate seeds provide the indispensable bite. Together they form a golden combination. Well, the picture speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
Short baked cauliflower with raisins, pine nuts and dried mint
This is your new favorite dish. Briefly fry the cauliflower florets in the olive oil. Raisins, pine nuts, dried mint, salt and some lemon juice. And you have such a surprisingly light and delicious dish. Cauliflower at its best.
Chutney with quince: nice and sweet and spicy
Chutney, I always bought it ready-made. Too hard to really make it tasty, I thought. But, this is not true at all. It takes some patience, using the right proportions. But then, the result is magnificent. From a jar, but your own jar. And of course so much tastier. And well worth the effort.
Pasta with braised radicchio and pine nuts
Radicchio is not so common while it is such a delicious vegetable. Raw but certainly also smothered like in this pasta. Nicely ‘lit up’ with lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. And made ‘earthy’ again with the pine nuts. A feast. A nice quick lunch dish or just nice for the evening meal… All is fine.
Mushroom risotto with cavolo nero and hazelnuts
This is where all the great earthy flavors come together. Mushrooms, palm cabbage, hazelnuts. With the counterpart of the fresh lemon and white wine. We often bring a meal to an elderly sweet man, Jos. He said this risotto is my favorite. Well, all is said with this one.
Smooth lentils, spinach, tomato in mustard sauce
Spinach is my favorite. Lentils are my favorite. I love mustard. Well, that translates into a win win win for me with this dish. It is tasteful. It is outspoken. It’s ready in a jiffy. I would serve it with a delicious thick toasted slice of bread with fried garlic on it.
Pesto of palm cabbage (and much more of course)
Well well well, one can use pesto for just about everything, right? For me, it’s the same as with hummus. A daily companion. On toast. In salads. Mixed in some vegetables. Or just a spoon of it, just like that. Because it’s so good. I made this variant with palm cabbage after I was inspired by Penny. And then of course it got me going à la Damaris style.
Exciting and unctuous orzo with kale, tomato and more…
Somehow orzo always gives such a comfort food feeling. And especially if you can make a one-pan dish like this that has everything in it. The sensation of comfort food. An alternation of savory with a little sweet because of the cinnamon stick. Boost of health through the kale. And a bit of spiciness through the harissa. I said it already… it has everything in it.
Eggplant rice rolls with lemon tahina sauce
Complete, that’s actually what I think of this dish. Everything is there. Taste. Filling. Surprise. Spicy. Soft. Full. Light. Nice. Attractive.
Moroccan apple date pie
The apples fell from the trees at the neighbors in the backyard and ended up in my kitchen via a basket over the fence. And some time later they played the leading role in this delicious Moroccan apple date pie.
Stuffed pointed pepper with spicy quinoa
This is a really spicy quinoa, well filled. You can also eat it like this. But it looks a lot more festive in a pointed pepper. You will probably have some leftover quinoa after filling. You can serve it separately and/or have it the next day. It is also very tasty cold.
Sweet potato cookies with harissa
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. And with a slightly spicy sauce a delicious combination. Fresh. I prepare it as a snack or as a side dish. Success assured.
Grilled artichoke hearts with za’atar aioli
Grilled artichoke hearts. Crispy right? And then with that delicious za’atar aioli. Well, it is a snack or a side that is ready quickly. A lovely addition on the table. Delicious as an appetizer. Lovely with a mezze. If you always have a few artichoke hearts in the freezer—just like me—you can put this surprising dish on the table in no time.
Clementine salad with black olives
A salad made of fruit and olives. I don’t think you make it often, but it’s a fantastic combination of sweet and salty. Sweet and nutty. In bright orange with inky black. Of a soft taste with a very dark taste. Very tasty and beautiful to look at too.
Labneh with figs and caramelized walnuts
Figs are comfort food for me. I eat them with skin and all. I simply cannot get enough of them. I feel happy when I can gently squeeze a ripe fig. En dan als je ze openscheurt. Beautiful sight. I didn’t even mention the taste. The sweetness. The festive taste. Phew… and here with caramelized walnuts and yogurt. A true party.
Spiced celeriac from the oven
I’ve been very successful with this recipe this summer. Celeriac. People are shy. Look at it. Yeah, looks nice but… Yeah, celeriac …. Do I dare or not? And if, after some encouragement, they do take a bite, and then it all takes off. There is no stopping it. Do I need to say more? No, thought so.
Grilled cauliflower on a bed of chickpea puree with pickled apple
Crispy and tasty grilled cauliflower. The base of a delicious chickpea puree. And the ultimate freshness of pickled apple. And this all brought together. It’s a surprising combination, but a real winner.
Full red saffron rice, fatteh and vegetables
I try to make sure every dish has something to bite. You need a good bite. Super important for vegan dishes that often largely consist of vegetables. But good traditional classics, dishes that are originally vegan, have already thought of that themselves. Just like with this dish. I use red rice for this one. That in itself is a bit sturdier. But the signature element of fatteh is, of course, the crusty bread that is part of it. And it works perfectly together here. PS: do you see the cinnamon stick in the picture?
Grilled romaine lettuce with crispy chickpeas
Green lettuce reinvented. That is, grilled nicely. Which is not so visible on this picture though. Some nice crispy chick peas en a delickous soft dressing with tahina. Really nice. A nice variation on the green salad theme.
Roasted cauliflower with tahini and smoked paprika
Cauliflower is undemanding. Easily surrenders to your preparation. Makes sure it’s always tasty. Surprisingly tasty even. Even people who solemnly declare that they do not like cauliflower, are nevertheless positively captivated by this delicious vegetable. This is also a way of preparing that is very popular with many.
Baked quinoa with beets, black olives, orange and walnut
You want to make it just for the picture, right. But you also want to make it for its taste. For sure. The sweet beetroot, the nutty black olives, the crunchy walnuts and the subtle orange. It is simply a feast of flavors and colors.
Haricots verts salad with hazelnuts
Minimal effort, maximum result. Completely against my slow cooking nature, this is a nice and quick recipe. But one with a maximum surprise effect, so to speak. Which stays with you as much as possible. And that will amaze your guests at the table. Sometimes it’s nice to have a beautiful dish that you can serve at your table in no time.
Sweet potato in tomato-lime sauce and cardamom
I don’t like sweet potatoes. I often find it dull, tacky and not adding much. But this dish helped me get over my prejudice instantly. Super tasty, and exactly what you want at your table. In fact, you will regret it when you find out the pan or bowl is empty. Glad I threw my prejudice overboard and gave sweet potato another chance with this recipe.