Sajoer Boontjes or Green Beans with Rice

These are green beans cooked in the style of Java, Indonesia.

Usually only served with hot rice.

I was intrigued to see a lot of spice paste in a container to serve with 500 g of green beans. Here I used the local fresh Bobby beans. But I think the long snake like beans of South East Asia would be a better choice.

The cooking instructions started with cook the rice first.

For the sauce a medium onion is sauted first in some oil, then water and the paste is added. It needs to dissolve completely and cook for 2 minutes.

The beans need to be blanched in salted boiling water for 5 to  8 minutes, depending on the kinds of beans you use. Drain them and put them in cold water for a bit so they keep their color.

The sauce is tangy and sweet and has a little kick to it. Put the beans in and stir well. No other seasoning needed.

I had some of my rotissery chicken meat leftover from the day before and ate it together with the beans and rice.

Surinamese style Bami

I was on a Trackday in Meppen way up in the North and before I drove home I used the chance that the border to the Netherlands was only 15 minutes away. The next town there with a large JUMBO supermarket only 5.

The International isle was the one I was looking for. Suriname spices and sauces are not available here in Germany and Indonesian is rare too.

I was lucky, there was a good variety of things. But not only these went in my shopping cart, lots of other things too.

Now was the time to get the first foodpack going. Luckily I had everything that was in the recipe needed at home.

On the backside of the package was the basic way to prepare this noodle dish, but a more improved way was shown there too. I opted for the more fancy way.

Fancy as is protein and fresh vegetables. The package contained the spice paste, the noodles and some fried shallots for garnish.

I had some rotissery chicken legs in my fridge. They just needed to get the bones out and cut up. The second protein were 2 eggs. They were scrambled and set aside. 

I chopped the 250 g mixed veggies and put them together with the onion in some oil in a wide pan. After a couple of minutes the spice paste and 125 ml water came next.

Then the noodles were added, they did not needed to be cooked in water. The scrambled eggs were stirred in and the Bami was ready.

Served with some kroepoek prawn chips.

Ingedients:

Surinamese spice and noodle package

2 rotissery chicken legs

2 eggs

1 tbsp oil

1 large green onion

1 garlic clove

1 red bell pepper

50 g leek

2 radishes

fresh herbs

prawn chips

 

 

Pistacchio Panna Cotta

This is a recipe from our big supermarket chain REWE. Since everybody in the moment is still in pistacchio heaven, I looked for a recipe to get rid of a jar of pistacchio cream.

The base it pretty much a standart panna cotta recipe. It is fast and for 4 people easy to prepare. 

Only keep in mind, it needs 4 hours minimum to set in the fridge, but keep in mind that it should cool down to room temperature before you put it in. And at 34 C outside in the moment and no AC, it takes a while to get to this point.

I love doing panna cotta during the colder month, then I use my balcony to get the jars cooled down quickly.

Recipe for 4:

400 ml double cream

100 ml whole milk

5 gelatine leaves, soaked and squeezed

Seeds of a vanilla bean (I used dried seeds)

50 g sugar

120 g pistacchio cream

Shelled pistacchios

In a small pot heat up cream, milk, sugar and vanilla and cook it for 2 minutes.

Take it of the heat and dissolve the squeezed out gelatine in. Add the pistacchio cream and melt it too. Fill in jars and let them cool down.

Later add some shelled pistacchios on top.

 

 

Iranian Food in Meppen

The day was hot and exhausting at the racetrack Circuit Meppen. 55 C asphalt and 34 C air temperature.

After coming back to the Hotel to shower and rest for a bit, I went out on foot to go to Restaurant Safran.

A place with Iranian food, but a Steakhouse, a Pizza place and and you could get different ice cream cups. 

I did not see that before I got the menu, but decided to go with then traditional Iranian food.

I had 2 different kinds of lamb, such as lamb cotelett and lamb loin. The side was either fries or saffron butter rice. I opted for rice. That was totally bland and had no salt, just saffron in unsalted butter on mixed to a third of the rice. The lamb meat was ok.

The Tzaziki in a small cup on the plate had no umpf too.

The dish came with a side salad. That was iceberg lettuce, fine cut cabbage salad (it was good, but a convienience product) and 2 slices of tomato and cucumber with a "house dressing" and pomegranate seeds. Missing salt.

Vietnamese Food in Meppen

After a 5 hour drive up North and a stroll through the old town I found an Asian restaurant.

They serve mostly Sushi, but the menu has some Vietnames dishes.

I was not looking for Sushi, but I wanted something warm as a dinner tonight. The place is in the old town just a 2 minute walk away from the hotel.

I went for Summer Rolls with Prawns as a starter and had rice noodles with stir fried beef and onions.

A good meal after a long day.

One Pot hearty ground Beef Stew

I bought some ground beef at the supermarket today with no idea what to cook with it.

At home I asked KI what to do with 400 g lean ground beef. A recipe from CHEFKOCH  came up. I read through it and thought KI is crazy to give that recipe to me. The ratio 4x400  ingredients (beef, potatoes, canned tomatoes, stock) were sparse and the cooking method basic.

But the idea stuck and I started to make my own version of the stew. Cooking took only 30 min in total.

Recipe for 4:

400 g lean ground beef

1 tbsp olive oil

2 medium red onions

Salt, pepper, smoked paprika, Italian herbs

4 garlic cloves

650 g potatoes

1 tbsp paprika paste

1 tsp pepperoni paste

400 g can of whole tomatoes

2 small tomatoes

400 ml beef stock

1 bay leaf

60 g sugar snap peas

1/4 bunch of parsley

Heat up the oil and start to break up the beef and let it brown, add chopped onions and garlic and let them get a little soft. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and Italian herbs.

Add paprika paste and pepperoni paste.

Pour in stock, canned tomatoes, small chunks of potatoes, tomatoes and bring to a boil. Chuck in the bay leaf and reduce the heat and cover and cook for 15 min.

Cut the sugar snap peas in thirds and chop the parsley. Add both after the 15 min are over for an other 3 min.

Check if the potatoes are done and if you need more salt or seasoning (heat).

 

Sigara Börek

I have not done these in years.

On one of my trips I found a Turkish supermarket and since I had time I went in to browse.

 

Since that time a triangle shaped package of Yufka dough was sitting in my fridge. Last night I thought about what to cook for Sunday. I had not bought anything special for that day.

The Yufka package came up and one look to an upper shelve in the fridge turned up Feta cheese.

The filling of the cigars (sigara) is simple. Lots of fresh flatleave parsley, feta, yogurt, lemon, garlic and seasoning.

Put together in 5 minutes and ready to place in the yufka leaves. The top of the triangle is brushed with some water and it closes the cigar perfectly.

Use a wide pan and cover the bottom with 0,5 cm oil and heat that up to medium high.

Bake in 2 batches and make sure to keep an eye on it, because the sigara tend to burn easily. Turn them a couple of times, then put them on kitchen paper to soak up the oil.

Eat warm with yogurt and or spicy sauce.

Ingredients:

Yufka triangle pastry

200 g sheep/goat feta

1 bunch flatleaf parsley

4 tbsp Turkish/Greek yogurt

3 tsp minced garlic

1/2 lemon juiced

A little salt, pepper, dried herbs