Homemade Pad Thai

Everyone loves pad thai right? Well, I do at least.

So I decided to make it at home.

Although in the US (and in Ansterdam) the pad thai is often scarily orange in color, it still usually tastes yummy. But that is not normal. My pad thai was tasty and tan in color.

I followed recipes I found on youtube. Basic ingredients are rice noodles, tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, peanuts, shrimp, egg and veggies. I didn't find dried shrimps so I used the tiny Hollandse garnalen.

Yummo!

I got some of the ingredients at Tjin's Toko. I love that place.

Next I'm going to attempt Pad See Ew. I wish I could find that chinese broccoli, but I haven't seen it at any of the street markets.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Have you ever made Vietnamese style summer rolls before? I never had because I figured my clumsiness would mean a big disaster rather than the pretty rolls you get in a restaurant. Eén grote rommel!

But then I got this crazy idea to try and it turns out to be oh so easy. And yummy!

The only special ingredient you really need are rice paper wrappers, I got mine at Toko Dun Yong. You can also use rice vermicelli noodle inside the rolls but I chose to go with a veggie packed powerhouse instead.

First, I prepped some veggies. I went a little overboard.

Then I wet the rice paper as I saw on a YouTube video. Easy, just fill a shallow bowl or plate with cool or warm water, get the whole thing wet, then start rolling on a clean plate. Stuff with your veggies of choice, and add tofu or meats if you like. I used lettuce, nappa cabbage, carrot, zucchini, cooked mushrooms, shredded broccoli, cilantro and mint. I added in some cooked shrimps cut in half.

Healthy, fresh and easy! Looks pretty too. I'm sure I'll make them a lot for summer picnics! If the weather would just warm up...

Cake

Lest you think we subsist only on hummus and weird smoothies, check out these cakes we have had the pleasure of sharing with friends in the last few weeks.

When Amsterdam gives you cake, they give you a big piece! (I accidentally typed pig piece...)

De Drie Graefjes Red Velvet Cake - the cream cheese frosting is awesome!

Cake Loves Coffee Chocolate Cake - the biggest piece of cake in Amsterdam!

Buffet van Odette Sticky Toffee Cake - the most delicious sugar bomb ever!

We're working on an article about cakes and cupcakes in Amsterdam. Do you have a favorite?

Fruit and Veg Smoothie

Here's another funny smoothie for your viewing pleasure.

Spinach
1/2 Frozen Banana
Spoonful Avocado
Raspberries
1 Frozen Strawberry
Carrot
Juice of 1 Tangerine
Lettuce

Random, but it came out tasty!

I like to make them kind of thick like ice cream and eat them out of a bowl. Sometimes topped with homemade granola.

Hummus Lettuce Wraps

I just can't seem to stop writing about hummus on here!

Check this out! Look how much a chickpea increases in size by just soaking overnight! You double your money right there just by adding water. Holla!

Here's a lunch we made using some of our homemade hummus. Lettuce hummus wraps with tomato and sliced jalapeno. Yummers!

Guacamole anyone?

We went to the Ten Katemarkt today and just couldn't resist the bargain on these limes and avocados.

All this for €3!

Kimchi Stirfry

I've been reading this very interesting website about the microscopic organisms in our guts that made me want to eat some fermented foods asap!

Kimchi was in da house and fit the bill. I made a little stirfry mashup with broccoli, carrot, red onion, kimchi and farro, added some sesame seeds and gochujang - voila! A quick, tasty and healthy meal with a dose of micro organisms.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I highly recommend Sandor Katz' book Wild Fermentation.

Do you try to get fermented foods in your diet? What do you eat/drink? Kombucha? Yogurt?
Sauerkraut?

Girlie Lunch

When you first move to a new city, especially if it is in a foreign country, you might have a problem meeting new friends.

Sometimes you will be introduced to a new potential friend through your partner who tries to match you up with their friend's partner. Maybe you'll hit it off with someone in your Dutch class, at work, or at yoga. And then you have one friend. But sometimes one friend just isn't enough!

We started to have these girlie lunches last year as a way for all these newcomers to meet one another and make a whole bunch of new friends. We get together for lunch or drinks and often someone brings one person who is new to the group. It's a really great way to meet new people, whether you have been in Amsterdam for a week or five years.

This week we met up for afternoon drinks at Brug34, a cute little cafe on the adorable Utrechtsestraat. We got to meet a new person, Susie, who just moved to Amsterdam 2 weeks ago. She's charming and cool and now she has 5 new best friends in town!

Our regular lunches are also a great way to meet up with each other even when life is busy and hectic. Typically between four and 10 people are able to join. We have some food or drinks, and a good long chat. It's a nice break during the week.

 How do you make new friends? And how do you keep in touch with your old friends?

Homemade Granola

I've become totally addicted to my homemade granola. One of the most wonderful things about it is the smell while it is toasting in the oven. Heavenly!

It's so easy to make. Here's my rough recipe:

Homemade Nutty Granola (without oil or processed sugar)

1 cup rolled oats or spelt
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
3/4 cup applesauce
splash of vanilla concentrate
spoonful of honey or whatever sweetener you prefer

Chop up the nuts. Mix all together until consistency is moist but not wet. Bake in a flat pan like a cookie sheet at 100-150 degrees Celsius. Stir about once every 5 minutes for even browning and no burning. Adjust your oven if it seems to be burning at all. Once it is dry and toasted all over it is done!

Let cool and store in an air-tight container. Sprinkle over yogurt or fruit, eat as a cereal, or eat by itself. Yum!

This recipe makes a really healthy granola that is not too sweet. If you like it sweeter just add more honey, sugar or maple syrup. Or you can add dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, grated coconut) after it is done baking.

The applesauce binds it together and makes it sweet. I use homemade applesauce or pearsauce including the skins. It kind of dries and makes sweet little bites. You can use store-bought. You can even use freshly grated apple in it, very yummy!

just the nuts and spelt

add honey and applesauce

stir regularly until browned and toasty

homemade applesauce and granola

A few notes on shopping and measuring. When I say cups, I mean a mug or whatever cup you want to use. It's about the proportions rather than the actual measurement.

Also, you can use whatever kind of nuts you want. I like these, but I use whatever I have on hand. I also add flax seeds sometimes or sesame seeds.

If you are looking for places to buy organic nuts and oatmeal and such, check out my article on health food shops in Amsterdam. I like to shop at Delicious Food because they have stuff in bulk! Reducing waste yay! You can also buy nuts at the nut stands at the weekly open air markets like Ten Katemarkt or Albert Cuypmarkt. If you need help with translating the ingredients, here is a short list:

Oatmeal = havermout or havervlokken
Spelt flakes = spelt vlokken
Walnuts = walnoten
Almonds = amandelen
Hazelnuts = hazelnoten
Cashews= cashewnoten
Sesame Seed = sesamzaad
Flax Seed = lijnzaad
  
Do you have a recipe for homemade granola that you love? Let me know, we always like trying new things!

Strawberry, Banana, Carrot Smoothie

I have always disliked carrots. Cooked carrots, raw carrots, I just don't like them. When I was a little kid my mom used to give us raw carrots with our dinner. She'd peel them and slice them into nice sticks, soak them in ice water in the fridge and then serve them to us. I ABSOLUTELY HATED THEM! I used to hide my allotted portion under the table and throw them over the backyard fence after dinner.

In my old age I have realized that perhaps these kind of dislikes are more mental than real. So I tried making a soup with blended carrots and lots of spices. Yummy! Healthy and so inexpensive. Maybe I don't hate carrots as much as I think I do.

Today I wanted a smoothie but I didn't have very many fruits on hand. I had a small frozen banana, some fresh strawberries and umm ... a carrot. So I grated some carrot and added it to the blender along with a splash of coconut milk.

Delish! And the carrot was completely undetectable anyway.

Are there veggies you have always hated but decided to give another try?

Oh and btw, did you know carrots originally came in several colors like purple, white, red and yellow? But then the clever Dutch wanted to make them orange, and selectively bred those varieties. It became the most popular worldwide and now we associate carrots and the color orange.

Hummus

Do you make your own hummus or do you have a special place where you buy it ready made?

Many people (like Elizabeth of Welcomethuis.com) swear that the Mezze stand at Ten Katemarkt in Oud-West has the best hummus in Amsterdam.

I think the best hummus can be made at home to your own specifications. Some like it a little lemony, others with more tahini. Well, at home you can make it however you prefer! (if you love hummus, you have to check out this blog: http://humus101.com)

My friend Carrie makes a healthy hummus without added oil or salt. I really love her recipe!

My friend Lena follows her mom's traditional Palestinian recipe. So yummy too! Check it out:

1 clove garlic540 g garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved
60 ml lemon juice
30 g tahini
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 g salt
black pepper to taste
30 ml olive oil

In a blender, chop the garlic. Pour garbanzo beans into blender, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top. Garnish with reserved garbanzo beans.

I'm a disorganized cook so I just throw ingredients into the blender in a random way, but it usually tastes good. Try a basic recipe then add your own spin. I often add some cumin. Maybe toss in herbs like coriander, basil or mint. Top with chopped veggies like tomato or cucumber. Try using roasted garlic. Add a hot chili when blending or sprinkle sumac or pimentón de la Vera over the top.

The options are endless. Try a google search for lots of recipe ideas. Just please don't spell it "humus" haha, that's dirt and it doesn't taste as good.

Soda Club Sparkling Water

It's the best €5 I've ever spent!

 

I loooooove sparkling water! It just seems more refreshing and delicious than flat water. I know, I'm so spoiled. First world problems, as they say.

But I hate buying it. First of all, it's a waste of money to buy water when the stuff that comes out of the tap for free is perfectly tasty and healthy. (but unfortunately it doesn't have bubbles, don't ask me why) Also it is horrible for the environment buying all those plastic or glass bottles that have to be shipped all over the place. So I try not to do it too often but I do love my bubble water.

Soda Club to the rescue! You can have as much bubbly water as your heart desires without going to the store. Yay!

But Soda Club (now called Soda Stream) machines are around €90 new. Uh huh. Yeah. No. That might solve my environmental concerns, but honestly doesn't do much for my price worries as I can get a big bottle of AH plainwrap Spa Rood for 30 cents.

Marktplaats to the rescue! Through some clever searching Bas found a used Soda Club machine complete with half-full cylinder and plastic bottle for ... €5. YEAH BABY! What a deal!

So now, I'm a Soda Club devotee. Each morning (and night) I make my bubbly water and pour it into random recycled glass bottles for storage in the fridge. Then it disappears into my belly. Yummy yummy in my tummy.

Do you have a Soda Club machine? Do you love it? Do you make clever concoctions or cocktails with it? I'm hoping to experiment with some refreshing juice-based drinks this summer.