Dutch Bitterballen recipe

Do you know that the Netherlands has occupied and ruled Indonesia in the past? During that time a lot of  Dutch influence almost everything including Indonesian food. And the other way around,  Indonesian taste also affected some Dutch foods - even up to this day. Several examples of classic Indonesian food which affected by Netherlands taste are: Kaastengels, Kroketten, Poffertjes, klaperrtaart, Spekkoek, Ontbijtkoek, Bruine soep, bifstuk, Fracadel (now popular as "perkedel" in Indonesia), Oliebollen, etc. Bitterballen which I make now and some other more. Those food are everybody's favorite till now.

Some I already posted here, and I try to make some other too.. ..I believe you will love them.

Bitterballen is small round-- meatball look-alike, coated with bread crumb and deep-fried in hot oil. Better serve it warm with mustard sauce or mix mayonnaise and tomato ketchup/ chilly.

Yield: 15 ~ 20 balls

Kaastengel Cookies II / Cheesy cookies

Selam...Merhaba from Turkey.

One of Classic Indonesian cookies. People said it's one of Dutch's heritage recipe beside some other Indonesian classic food.

It's my second Kaastengels recipe. You can use either first recipe or this recipe, both will give you nice and perfect Cheesy cookies for your tea time with family.

@(*_*)@

Kastengel or kue keju is Dutch-Indonesian cheese cookie in the form of stick, commonly found in the Netherlands and Indonesia. The name describe its ingredients, shape and origin; kaas is Dutch word for "cheese", while stengels is also Dutch word for "stick". Unlike most cookies, kaasstengels taste savoury and salty instead of sweet.

Ingredients: 

• 250 gr butter, soften at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 ¾ cup (350 g) AP flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• ¾ cup (100 g) grated cheddar cheese/ edam cheese

No Knead #Bread

This is my first attempt at making no knead bread. Mostly I make ​​"soft bread" which is more popular in Indonesian taste. Total time to make this bread was approximately 18 hours, so better time to start making the dough is evening/ afternoon so you can finish whole process in morning next day.
The appearance of this bread not so successfully looking good because I didn't put it in my pyrex pan right (I was afraid my finger touch that very hot pan)... But anyhooooo..... the bread was good and we all like it :)

Yield one big loaf

Ingredients:
 3 cup all-purpose flour, plus for dusting 
 ½ tsp instant yeast
 ½ tbsp sugar
 2 teaspoon salt
 1 ½ cup warm water
 Enough sesame, slightly grind

The process:


A) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and stir until blended- the dough is wet and sticky one (image 1). Cover with plastic stretch and let stand a warm place for approximately 15 hours.


B) After approximately 15 hours (I did in 18 hours), the dough will seems like image No. 2, bubbles and foamy on it's surface. Sprinkle your work surface with plenty of flour, move the dough onto it, fold it several times to it self (image 3). Cover again with plastic wrap and rest for about 20 minutes.


C) Take a medium-size pan (± 18 cm), sprinkle with grind sesame seeds. Dust your hands with lots of flour, take the dough and quickly shape like a ball. Place it in pan sprinkled with sesame earlier (image 4). Cover with plastic wrap and let stand a warm place for about 2 hours before baking in oven.


D) Prepare your 8" or 9 " iron/ enamel pan/ pyrex with lid (anything heat proof). Preheat oven 30 minutes ahead. Place your iron/enamel pan /pyrex  in it. Set you oven temperature of 240 ~ 250 ⁰C (your highest temp)


E) Carefully remove the pyrex / iron / enamel pan from oven. Dust again your hands with flour before taking the dough from pan, put the dough into the pan / pyrex-be careful with the heat of the pan. 
Cover pan / pyrex with it lid and bake for 25 ~ 30minutes. Take pan/pyrex's lid and continue baking about 20 ~ 30 minutes more, until golden brown on surface and when you patted  sounds hollow inside.

Grilled Mustard and molasses Salmon

Do you know why we must consuming fish (at least twice a week according to American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association)?

Fish, beside rich with protein, vitamins, and minerals, also contain fatty acids omega-3 which is very good for our body. Fatty acids Omega-3, including DHA and EPA, has effect of reducing inflammation in the body. Because of these effects, so these compounds can reduce heart disease risk and blood vessels. Also omega 3 also role to prevent the occurrence some disease are also associated with inflammation, like Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.

Well...what about Salmon?

Salmon are known as "Brain food" (Food for the brain) also nutritious as food to maintain healthy skin. Salmon can be as a treat and occur wrinkles on skin and maintain appearance of skin stays healthy..

Besides fish, another healthy menu is also recommended consumed in equal proportion. So.. what are we waiting for to get healthy and stay beautiful .... @(^,^)@

Make 2 portion


Ingredients and how to make:
 ± 700 g fresh salmon. Clean and cut according to taste (you could also use fillets)
 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
 3 fresh green onion, thinly sliced
 1 tablespoon mustard sauce
 2 tablespoons molasses
 2 tablespoons lemon juice
 4 tablespoons canola oil (or other vegetable oils)
 Salt to taste

Combine all marinade ingredients and marinate salmon with that marinade mixture. Let stand in refrigerator at least 2 hours (or overnight).


Roasted in oven 170 ⁰C until cooked (just about 20 minutes) or over the coals.


Serve warm with salad.

Broken Heart Cookies (eggless)

Broken heart cookies? Well... you don't have to be broken heart first to eat this cookies. It's just cookies with Chocolate melted decoration. If you read recipe below and you can not find egg in it, don't worry... the recipe is correct and I did not use egg for this cookies. You  must try it and you bet you will like them so much with your afternoon tea or coffee.. (*_*)

Yield: about 50 cookies
Ingredients:
 1 package (250 grams) margarine, soften at room temperature
 ¾ cup powdered sugar (you can reduce up to ½ cup) 
 2 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
 2 tablespoons powdered milk
 2 tbsp rice flour
 ½ tsp fine salt
 1 tsp Vanilla powder
garnish:
 Semi-sweet cooking chocolate, melted

Chicken Pilaf

I'm rice lover. And if you are too and looking for other idea to cook and vary our rice/ pilaf? Well, maybe this can be your choice.

Eat them with your favorite salad and sprinkle with Chilly flake or fresh green onion. 

Served: 4

Ingredients and how to cook it:
 ± 600 gr boneless chicken breast
 2 cup rice, washed and drained
 ± 125 g margarine plus 1 tablespoon, separated
 Salt and pepper to taste
 Chily flakes or sliced of fresh green onion for topping

Boil chicken until cooked, remove and strain from broth then shredded.
Heat 125 g margarine, put the rice and stir for a while. Pour with chicken broth about 2 ~ 3 cup (according to rice type you are using), season with salt according to your taste, stir well. Cover the pan and reduce heat at lowest heat. Cook until cooked (± 20 minutes). 

Turn off heat and let stand without opening the lid for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat small amount of margarine (about 1 tablespoon) in medium skillet, put shredded chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix into the cooked rice. Serve hot with a sprinkling of chilli flakes or sliced green onion and salad.

Enjoy.

Strawberry Blackberry Pie dessert and award

Nothing more I can say about this fave dessert. Combination of the crunchy pie as a base and creamy yummy cheese cream, topping with fresh fruits which covered by yummy jam... Hmmm.. who's gonna refuse this??

İngredients for 9 inch Pie Crust:
 1 ¼ cup flour
 2 tbsp caster sugar
 115 grams butter, cut into cubes and store in refrigerator until ready to use
 5 ~ 6 tablespoons ice water
 ¼ tsp fine salt
For the Filling:
 ¾ cup cream cheese
 ½ cup powdered sugar
 1/3 cup heavy cream
Topping:
 3 tablespoons strawberry/ blackberries jam
 2 tablespoons cherry liquor
 ½ tbsp gelatin, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
 Strawberry and fresh blackberries (or fresh fruit to your taste)

Method:
>> Pie Crust:
In a food processor, put flour, salt and sugar. Gradually mix in cold butter, pulse a few times, mix in cold water and pulse to resamble (crumble). Pour into the work table, gather the dough and fist forms a ball, wrap plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few moments ± 45 minutes
Pre heat oven at 190 ⁰ C. Sprinkle your work desk with a little flour, roll dough crust wider than your pie mold. Moving into your pie mold, bake until cooked ± 25 minutes

>> Filling and topping:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and heavy cream, mix until smooth and well blended, set aside in the refrigerator.
Mix the strawberry jam / blackberries with cherry liquid. Heat the gelatin by double boil until gelatin dissolves, mix in liquor mixture, stir well. Remove from heat, let it slightly cool at room temperature, mix in Fruits (strawberries and Blackberries), stir them carefully to cover them with that liquor-jam mixture

>> finishing:
Pour the cream filling over the pie crust and smooth the surface. Arrange the fresh fruit.
Store in refrigerator before serving.

Enjoy.

And now about the award. This is my few times I receive such an honor from my dear Friend : Ridwan with his great blog Asian Spice mix , please do visit his kitchen here

I know Ridwan recently in foodie blog community. Even we know each other quite short time but we feel "close" since we are same Indonesian and of course we have same taste of food. I like mostly his recipe and bookmarked some of them too... Thank you Ridwan for passing some awards to me:

Now, I'd like to pass this awards also to my other foodie bloggers as below:

- Ancoo at Anncoo Journal

- Elies at Give thanks

- Paty at Paty's kitchen

- Shizuka at The cat, the rabbit and the hedgehog

- Ping at Ping's picking

- Yesim at Yesim style kitchen

- Elisabeth at Food and thrift

- Lizzy at That skinny chick can bake

- Stephanie at Eat. Drink. Love

- Junia at Mis pensamientos

- Madeja at Cranberry jam

 Please do visit their wonderful page with many great recipes and contents.

Tumis Kacang Panjang (stir fried chinese long bean)

Another kind of Indonesian side dish. We usually serve it over warm steamed rice and "sambal" (ground hot chilly) company with other side dish like chicken/ meat or fried tofu/ tempe (fermented soy bean).

Ingredients:
 ± 300 g chinese long green beans, trim approximately 7 cm, washed
 ± 100 gr shrimp, discard head and tail, veined
 1 medium onion or 4 cloves small red onion, thinly sliced
 3 cloves garlic, smash and finely chopped
 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
 2 ~ 3 long red chillies, thinly sliced
 1 bay leaves
 2 cm galangal, lightly smash.
 Sweet soy sauce 3 ~ 5 tablespoons (I use 5 tablespoon)
 Salt to taste
 enough Cooking oil for sauteing


How to cook:
Heat oil in a skillet, saute garlic and onion until fragrant and transparent, put tomatoes, chilly sliced, bay leaves and galangal, saute for few minutes. Mix in shrimp, stir-fry until shrimp change color, then put in long beans, soy sauce and salt. Pour enough water (about 1 glass) and cook until fresh long bean turn a bit soft and the water dried. 
I like my long bean stir-fry slightly crunchy.


Serve warm as a side dish with rice.

Kue Kering PUTRI SALJU I / Snow White Cookies I

Selam everybody...Merhaba from Turkey...

Kue kering Putri Salju literally means Whi

te Snow cookies in Indonesian language. Well, I guess you already notice why it call White snow cookies right? @(^,^)@.

 It's very popular among Indonesian especially in some Holiday occasion (Idul Fitri and Christmas) beside Kaastengels, Nastar, pastel mini , Semprit susu (spritz cookies) and other traditional Indonesian Cookies.

Yield about 700 gr (125~140 cookies)

Ingredients: 

Steamed Spiced Cake from egg whites (Cake Kukus Berempah dari putih telur )

Long holiday for Ramazan Celebration... Now I'm back online again.. Been busy since ramadhan cause we change our sleep and eating time. This year, ramadhan (fasting month) at August which is summer time, so we start our fasting break around 20.00 ( mostly I got my fasting break around 18.00 in Indonesia). We slept late  around 00.00 or 01.00 then I must wake up again at 03.00 morning for prepare "sahur" (last supper before whole day fasting). After morning pray, we usually sleep again until around 9 or 10 morning. And I couldn't cook & post something new because I couldn't taste them during the day.. hehehe..

Then Ramadhan celebration coming, after we fasting about 30 days (mostly) but this year in Turkey we was fasting 29 days. During Ramadhan celebration (in Turkey called Ramazan Bayram. And we call it "Idhul Fitri" in Indonesian language), most of time we spent time with family, relatives and close friends. We visit each other house, lunch or dinner together also eat A LOT of Baklava! (^,^)

During Ramadhan I gain 4 kilos ! ...  :((  *huhuuuhuuu..

You know how hard to loose some weight, but it's VERY easy to gain and gain more weight !

Well.. anyway, I must work harder and eat less to loose some kilo again. So I'll try to make something healthy and less sugar for my snack and dessert. Like this one: Steamed Spiced Cake.. Are you agree this is healthy one? ^,^

Ingredients:
 1 cup egg whites, room temperature
 1 cup brown sugar ( I use only 3/4 cup)
 1 tsp lemon juice
 tip of a teaspoon fine salt
 2 /3 cup canola oil or other vegetable oil
 Margarine / butter for grease the baking pan