Fish Stew

A large pot

Through my friends on Face Book, what you're not on it yet, what a shame you don't know what you miss, I got a standard recipe for making a fish stew. When I read to put grated cheese on top, I had my doubts and looked further on the internet, however, most of the fish stews were with grated cheese and it was delicious! The nices thing of this recipe is that you can actually choose your fish and make it as expensive if you wish. Of course I gave my own twist to it and here it is.

For 4/5 persons:
Shopping list:
 

Individual pots

2 Filets of salmon and /or 2 slices of white fish and some seafood. (approximately 150 to 200 g. pp. fish (big eaters of course 200 gr)
2 Onions
2 Carrots
2 Leeks
Handful of mushrooms (optional)
200 gr. Grated cheese
500g Creme fraiche
Fish fond/powder  or vegetable stock from 2 cubes
Pepper and Salt to taste

Note: if your sauce is too liquid, then add some flour.
Note: you can add some dry white wine to give it a boost.
 Preheat oven to 180 ° C
Cut the vegetables into large pieces
Fry the onions in a little oil, once they turn brown the rest of the vegetables there, just to warm up, not too overcooked, because it needs to go in the oven! 
Add the vegetables
Add the creme fraiche and the stock.
Just heat through until the cubes are solved by a pepper and salt if necessary. (usually not necessary)

Cut the fish into cubes of about 2x2 cm divide among 4/5 small ramekins (a large scale can also, en famille)
Pour the creme fraiche mixture on top and garnish with grated cheese.

30 Minutes in the oven at 180 ° C degrees.

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or a (French) bread.

Mustard soup

Not a common soup for everybody, but it's very tasty and easy to prepare, but you have to like mustard.

This basic recipe is for 4 persons.

Shopping list:
30 Gr real butter
40 Gr flour
1 liter chicken stock (cubes)
1 Dl crème fraîche
2 Egg yolks (dooier)
4 Table spoons of mustard, with grains (not the smooth one)

Melt the butter in a pan and stirr the flour (I always sift the flour) for about 5 minutes.
Then, keep stirring, add little by little the stock until smooth.
Bring to the boil for 2 minutes (or if you want to finish the soup later, then re-heat the stock again)
Mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks. (Don't put it yet in the soup).
Now put the mustard in and finally the egg/crème mixture.

Ready to serve.

Snacks

We have made a lot of snacks yesterday for our aperif with friends.  Here are some ideas.

Tulips from Amsterdam

Only for the patient chefs!

13 Large cherry tomatoes
14 Stalks of chives
200g Cottage cheese or other soft white cheese
1 Cucumber (optional)
½ Teaspoon dried basil (optional)
Salt and pepper

Tip: Use a piping bag (we didn't think of it)

Time consuming, buy de-stoned dades

Dades

We filled the dades with goat cheese and wrapped them in bacon.
About 15 minutes in the oven and you'll have a lovely bite.

Eggs

The eggs were filled besides the egg yolk with red pesto and a mix of yoghurt and mayonaise.

Ladybirds

Cherry tomatoes and black olives make really cute lady birds. Base is made up of sliced baguettes, cream cheese, smoked salmon and flat leafed parsley. Dots on body can be ground black pepper or cut pieces of olives and the eyes are dots of cream cheese.

Children like to help with this dish

Mix of brochettes (see marinades on this blog)

Marinade for Chinese chicken brochettes

I do like Asian food a lot, so this marinade for chicken goes well on it's own or as a side dish.

For the marinade:

A handfull of fresh coriander
2 cm of fresh ginger (to be grated)
6 Table spoons of soy sauce (Ketjap for the Dutch readers)
1 Tea spoon of honey
1 Tea spoon of mustard
1 Tea spoon of 5 herbs (you'll get this powder mixture in supermarkets)
Pepper

2 Hours in the fridge

Marinade for Lemon Chicken

I have made the marinade for chicken, but you can use pork mignon as well.

For the marinade:
2 Lemons, use the juice and the zest
Little hand full of fresh thyme
8 Table spoons of olive oil
Salt and Pepper

2 Hours in the frigde.

Marinade for Salmon and Chorizo brochettes

Maybe a somewhat unusual combination salmon and chorizo together on a stick, but actually it works.

For the marinade:Juice of a lemon or lime
8 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of Colombo* powder
Salt and Pepper

2 Hours in the fridge

If you -just like me- don't have 'Colombo powder', then these are the ingredients to make your own. Just take from everything a little bit and taste.

Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds
Mustard seeds pref. black
Black peppercorns
Fenugreek seeds
Whole cloves
Turmeric

Marinade for Langoustine and Tomatoe brochettes

Yesterday we had some friends over for an 'apéro' and we decided to marinade chicken and fish. So here is the first one.

For langoustines/crevettes and tomatoes:

Juice of 1 lemon
8 Table spoons of olive oil
4 Branches of basil
Salt and Pepper

The marinated brochettes need 1 hour in the fridge.