Rob's Recipes

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Ingredients 16 oz macaroni (UNCOOKED) 1 cup Mayonnaise 1/4 CUP Cider vinegar 1/3 cup Sugar 2 tbsp Yellow mustard 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper 1 cup Green onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Celery, chopped 1…

[robsrecipes]

Hutspot is an old fashioned dutch meal. Simple but full of flavor from the sweetness of the cooked carrots and the hardy taste of the onions. I adapted the amounts of carrots and onions to make it …

[robsrecipes]

Ingredients 9 oz finely chopped spinach 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 egg beaten 10 tbsp bread crumbs Preparation Mix all and make 1 inch size balls. De…

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Ramen noodles, yes, I know, cheap, weird texture and even weirder taste. But, it is a very cheap noodle and that comes in handy at the end of a paycheck or an empty wallet. Tried this simple recipe…

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Dutch Pancakes

Traditional Dutch pancake are not sweet and do not contain self rising flour nor yeast. These rather blend pancakes are traditionally topped with thing like bacon or cheese or sweet ingredients like apple and sugar. Pancake restaurants in the Netherlands have a large assortment of different toppings like rum/raisins or sliced steak. A popular variety is the pancake with pizza toppings.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour pinch salt 2 eggs 2 cups 2% milk 2 tbsp butter / margarine divided optional 1 tbsp sugar for sweet pancakes

Preparation:

Mix the flour is a large bowl with the salt. Add the eggs and slowly add milk while mixing vigorously. (electrical mixer)

For sweet pancakes you can add a tablespoon of sugar.

Melt some butter over medium heat in a frying pan and add a scoop of the mixture into the pan (about 1/6th of the total made).

When the top gets dry flip the pancake over to brown on both sides.

You can add thin slices of apple, bacon (bake crisp first), ham, cheese or whatever your taste.

Source: traditional Dutch pancake recipe. Common knowledge.

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Whole Talapia with Parsley and Garlic

You know when you walk through the local Chinese market and they have all these fish laying there? I want to know what to do to make that into food… So you buy the fish and then go on the internet to see how to prep them. After some trial and the inevitable errors we came up with the mashed (as in, you take a bunch of recipes and keep the best from each) recipe below.

Ingredients

2 whole talapia, cleaned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp butter, softened ½ cup fresh parsley (1 tbsp if dried) 1 tbsp lemon juice salt and pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400F (~200C). Prepare 2 square of aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap each fish and spray with a little olive oil on the shiny side.

Mix the softened butter, garlic and lemon juice.

Rinse and pat dry the fish including the inside body cavity and lay each fish on the center of the aluminum foil.

Season the fish’s cavity with some salt and pepper, then spread half the butter mixture inside each fish. Lay onions on the butter inside each fish’s cavity and top the onions with parsley. Make 2 slashes in the skin on the top surface of each fish.

Sprinkle the skin with a little salt and pepper and wrap each fish in the aluminum foil to make a parcel.

Place on a baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Optional

If you like the skin a little crispy you can open the parcels after cooking and broil the fish for about 5 minutes under a hot broiler.

Recipe from several internet sources and then mashed to this piece of “art”.

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Fried Spinach Balls

Ingredients

9 oz finely chopped spinach 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 egg beaten 10 tbsp bread crumbs

Preparation

Mix all and make 1 inch size balls.

Deep fry at 350 C for about 5 min. About 6 balls per load depending on the size of the fryer.

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Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

16 oz macaroni (UNCOOKED) 1 cup Mayonnaise 1/4 CUP Cider vinegar 1/3 cup Sugar 2 tbsp Yellow mustard 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper 1 cup Green onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Celery, chopped 1 cup Green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 cup Carrot, chopped 2 pce Large dill pickles, diced 2 cups Ham, diced

Preparation

Cook macaroni without salt and rinse with cold water when done. Mix all the other ingredients and combine with the cold or lukewarm macaroni.

Let cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

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Hutspot

Hutspot is an old fashioned dutch meal. Simple but full of flavor from the sweetness of the cooked carrots and the hardy taste of the onions. I adapted the amounts of carrots and onions to make it less sweet. Feel free to change the amount of onions and carrots to your own taste.

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs potatoes 2 lbs chopped Carrots 2 lbs chopped Onions salt to taste 1/2 stick Butter (or 1/4 cup Canola oil)

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 2 inch pieces.

Put the potatoes in a big boiling pan and put the under cold water. Add the carrots and the onions with the salt (about 2 teaspoons).

Boil the vegetables until the potatoes are well done and about to fall apart.

Drain the water and mash the mixture. You can add some butter or canola oil to smooth out the mash.

Enjoy.

Optional

Great when served with a beef roast.

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Zucchini / Egg Plant Stew

Ingredients 1 stick of margarine or butter 1 lbs diced onions 2 lbs cubed zucchini 1 lbs cubed egg plant 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 lbs diced Roma tomatoes 1/2 cup tomato ketchup Preparation Melt the margarine in a large wok or pan. Add the onions and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Now add the zucchini and egg plant with the garlic powder and pepper and salt and stir well. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the ketchup and simmer for another 15 minutes. You can serve it right away or let it sit and reheat just a few minutes before the rest of your dinner is ready.

Enjoy

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Peruvian Bean Soup

Peruvian beans are mild beans from Mexico that are light cream, buff or yellow, with a mild taste and creamy texture. They can be used in any recipes that call for navy, canellini or pinto beans. Although the beans are a common ingredient in Latin American cooking, they originated in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Peruvian beans are also called azufrado, canary, mayocoba or Mexican yellow beans.

Ingredients

1 pound dried Peruvian Beans 2 tbsp vegatable oil (canola or olive oil) 1 chopped onion (medium size) 4 stalks chopped celery 4 medium sized chopped carrots 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp ground black pepper 2 quarts vegetable stock 2 cups chopped ham (or SPAM) salt to taste

Preparation

Soak the beans in water overnight. If you do not have the time to do this you can do a quick soak by boiling the beans for 2 minutes and then let them rest for 2 hours in the wam water (not boiling) Put the oil in a deep frying pan or wok and heat to medium hot. Add the vegetable and stir fry for a few minutes until the onions start to soften. The  add the spices and herbs and srir fry for a few minutes more. Add the stock and bring back to a boil. Drain the beans and pour the vegetables over the beans in a large pot and let them simmer for at least 2 hours. I like to let it all simmer at least 3-4 hours as the flavors develop more.

Optional

Add a tbsp minced Jalepeno to increase the heat. A tsp ground Cayenne pepper is another hot option.

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White Breads

Homemade breads. Personally I do NOT like bread that has noticeable sugar in it. The sweet taste overwhelms everything else and that is an absolute no-no for me. These bread are based on a recipe from a classic home cook book from Holland: “Het Nieuwe Kookboek” (The New Cookbook) which was first published in 1948 but I use the version from 1985. This cookbook has always been “new” as it has been updated to the wishes of it’s readers over the decades. Below is the celebratory cover from the 60 year edition from  6. June 2008.

Ingredients

4 cups flour 1 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 beaten egg 1 tbsp dry active yeast 1 1/4 cup slightly warm water 1/2 stick of margarine

Preparation

Mix the flour and salt very thoroughly. Make a little cup in the middle and pour the egg in. Mix the yeast with the slightly warm water and pour into the flour. Mix the mixture and kneed until and elastic dough. I use my bread machine to do this. I set the bread machine on “Dough” and after 1 1/2 hours the dough is ready. Otherwise you put the dough in a quiet and warm place and let it sit for about 45 minutes. When the dough is risen divide the dough in 8 equal portions and roll into ball shapes.Place the breads on a slightly greased baking sheet and push them a little flat.  Then let them sit for another 3/4 of an hour. If the dough comes from the bread machine there is no use to let the breads sit and they go straight into the oven. Preheat the oven to 450F (260C) and bake the breads in about 18 minutes.

Optional

Brush some beaten egg on the top of the breads just before they go into he oven.

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Potato Soup

Just made this from scratch with only cheap ingredients but tasted great for lunch with a sandwich.

Ingredients:

6 cups of Chicken Broth 5 large peeled potatoes in 1″ pieces 1/2 Cup Milk (2%) 1/2 tsp Pepper 1/2 tsp dried parsley optional: 1/2 cup medium sharp Cheddar (shredded)

Preparation:

Put the potatoes and the broth in a pan and bring to a boil. When the potatoes are soft (15-20 minutes) add the milk and stir. Using a blender puree the soup and bring back to a boil. Add the pepper and parsley and let it simmer for about 10 more minutes.

enjoy

Optional:

Add some Medium sharp Cheddar cheese in the last 5 minutes.

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Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

16 oz macaroni (UNCOOKED) 1 cup Mayonnaise 1/4 CUP Cider vinegar 1/3 cup Sugar 2 tbsp Yellow mustard 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper 1 cup Green onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Celery, chopped 1 cup Green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 cup Carrot, chopped 2 pce Large dill pickles, diced 2 cups Ham, diced

Preparation

Cook macaroni without salt and rinse with cold water when done. Mix all the other ingredients and combine with the cold or lukewarm macaroni.

Let cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

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Ramen Noodle Minestrone Soup

Ramen noodles, yes, I know, cheap, weird texture and even weirder taste. But, it is a very cheap noodle and that comes in handy at the end of a paycheck or an empty wallet. Tried this simple recipe for lunch today and actually liked it a lot as it does not have the strange “slimy” consistency of the regular ramen noodle preparations.

Ingredients

1 package Ramen Noodle (any flavor). 1 can condensed Tomato soup (about 11 oz) 3/4 cup chopped vegetables. (Ex. 1 medium carrot chopped and 1 stalk Celery chopped)

Preparation

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Do NOT drain the water! Flavor packet goes unused and can be saved for another day. Cut the vegetable and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the vegetable and mix with the ramen noodles and mix with the condensed tomato soup. Heat until it just boils and serve. Makes at least enough for a lunch for two.

Optional

Of course Pepper and Salt to taste…

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Juicy Hamburger

“Speedee” The original mascot of McDonald's burger joints. 

If you are interested in this, there is a nice article on Wikipedia about the history of the hamburger.

Ingredients (for 8 burgers)

2 lbs Ground beef 2 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp Onion powder 2 tsp Garlic powder 1/2 tsp Pepper 1/2 tsp Salt

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together well. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours so the taste blends nicely. Make 8 meat balls and flatten to about 1/2 of an inch thick. Grill the burgers on medium high heat on the grill or in a pan. Flip only one time after about 3 to 4 minutes depending on how well done you want your burger. Do not overcook as the burgers will get dry and loose a lot of taste.

And just so you know:

WARNING:  Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness

Enjoy !