It’s become a vast classic in our house: Hot Cheese Dip. Not hot as in ‘spicy’ (though that is a possibility of course), but rather as in ‘very warm’. That’s because this dip is served straight form the oven. For those of us who can’t wait (not mentioning any names), this may result in a burnt mouth. I mean, this is really, really good, you won’t be able to wait that it’s cooled down just a tiny bit.
Cheese – that’s this month’s theme at the FOODBLOG EVENT organized by Foodbloggers BENELUX. And that theme can be interpreted in the broadest sense of the word. So, anything goes. I’ve thought long and hard about what I could make with cheese. Should I make something sweet of rather go for savoury? What kind of course will it be? Should I cook or bake? What kind of cheese should I use? There are so many ways to go with cheese!
It’s almost April and King’s Day is approaching fast. Many schools in the Netherlands have held the King’s Plays last Friday and everything turned orange. We are not such King’s Day fanatics, partly because we are living in Belgium since a couple of years and the kids attend school here. The 27th of April is just a normal day for us.
That doesn’t mean we’re not participating in all that orange madness, though. I am again participating in the Foodblog Event organised by Foodbloggers BENELUX and the theme this time (obviously) is: King’s Day. The colour orange is quite essential then. And I came with a recipe I had never made before: Roasted Carrot Hummus.
It’s holiday season and there is wonderful food wherever you go. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed Christmas dinners, loads and loads of cookies, lovely drinks and so much more. No need to feel guilty about, though. As long as we balance all that holiday food with a few healthier options, we’re just fine. And these cheesy cauliflower breadsticks fit that bill.
Riced cauliflower is the base for these breadsticks. Whether you’re trying to eat less carbs or have food allergies that don’t allow you to eat bread, these breadsticks will definitely brighten your day. They’ve even converted the die-hard bread eaters in this house (including me). To give them just a bit more texture, I’ve added chickpea flour. But if that’s too much carbs for you, you can omit it.
Have you ever had polenta before? Polenta is not an ingredient, as some people might think. It actually is a dish made from cooking coarsely-ground yellow cornmeal into a kind of mash. It can be eaten like porridge or mashed potato. I won’t go into the details of the classic dish right now, that will be for some other time.
If you let the polenta cool though, the consistency changes and the ‘porridge’ or ‘mash’ firms up so that you can ultimately cut it into pieces, like squares or wedges. When cut into pieces, you can perfectly grill them on the BBQ, roast them in the oven or fry in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Add a few spices and you have a prefect side dish for your grilled chicken or steak. Now I’ve made these patties or cakes on several occasions, but a few weeks ago I saw this recipe for polenta ‘fries’ on Boter, Kaas & Eieren Blog, a fun food blog with great recipes. I really thought this was a fun idea. Why I have never thought about ‘fries’ myself before, is beyond me. And since the boys are crazy about fries, I set to work (almost) immediately. I have made a different version, but you can find the original recipe here (a must-try!).
Make super fast Soft Pretzel Bites using canned dough!
Making soft pretzels or pretzel bites from scratch is not really difficult. I understand that quite a few people find it a daunting idea to make a yeast dough. I used to be one of them. But I’ve learned that it really isn’t all that hard. It just takes a bit of patience. Yeah, I know, I don’t have that in abundance. Plus, you sometimes just don’t have the time to make a yeast dough and wait for it to rise. Or you’re bad at planning, like me (or was it time management?). Anyway, that usually means that I’m simply too late to start on a yeast dough.
A new way to use up overripe bananas: BANANA WAFFLES!
Yes, you read that right: banana WAFFLES. I have made a fair share of banana bread, bars and muffins in my life. I’ve used loads of (overripe) bananas in smoothies and ice cream (my freezer is filled to the rim with frozen banana). Or pancakes.
Not only do I love the taste, I also love the fact that bananas naturally sweeten your baked goods or other ‘concoctions’, which means no or less sugar has to be added. Always thinking of new ways to use up overripe bananas. But never did it cross my mind to make waffles out of bananas. No idea why not.
These colorful little Easter Nests are definitely a kid’s favorite and so easy to make!
This can hardly be called a recipe, it’s more an edible DYI idea. Since it was such huge hit in our house, I simply have to share. This is really easy. You don’t have to be a good cook or baker to do this. And the kids will be so thrilled! The adults too, believe me. Had a hard time keeping my husband away from them 😉
Dark Chocolate Covered Mixed Nuts with Sea Salt. That’s a almost whole sentence for a tiny snack. No, not tiny, it’s a mighty snack. And I’ll better warn you straight away: these are highly addictive!
I’m kind of embarrassed to actually post a recipe for this. Can’t really call it a recipe, but they are so good, I just have to share this with you.
It’s really just a bag of mixed nuts (take whatever nuts you like), dumped in a bowl of melted chocolate, stirred to get all covered, spread out on a tray, sprinkled with sea salt and voilà… your snack is ready.
