Hot thunder and lightning

This probably sounds like the weirdest dish ever, but it is actually a very traditional, and very tasty, Dutch dish. 

The traditional variety is simply called Hot Lightning and probably earned its name because the dish keeps hot for a very long time. It is a simple mixture of boiled and mashed potatoes mixed with sour and sweet apples (or pears). It is crucial that you find the right balance between sourness and sweetness. 

The Thunder and Lightning variant adds French mustard and baked boiled ham slices. I’ll give you the traditional kind with variations. 

Hot (thunder and) lightning
Serves 6

Ingredients

1,25 kg potatoes
500 gr sour apples
375 gr sweet apples
2 medium or 1 large onions, sliced
salt to taste
50 gr butter

Method
1. Peel the potatoes, slice them in cubes and wash in cold water. Put the potatoes in a large pan, completely cover them in water and set them aside.

2. Peel the apples, remove the core and slice in cubes.

3. Gently fry the apples and onions in a bit of butter.

4. Boil the potatoes for 20 or 30 minutes in salted water. When they are done, make sure you keep most of the liquid and pour the water off.

5. Mash the potatoes with the fried apples and onions. 

6. Add butter to the cooking liquid and mix whatever you need through the potatoes until you have the desired consistency.  

Notes
— Traditionally you boil the onions and apples with the potatoes.

— For Thunder and Lightning add:

6 tbsp flower honey
6 tsp french mustard
6 thick slices of boiled shoulder ham
fresh chives to taste

Method 
1. Preheat the oven on 200 °C.

2. Mix the honey with the mustard, taste and add more honey if you like. Put the ham on tinfoil and cover with the honey mixture. Fold the ham once and bake for 10 minutes in the oven.

3. Serve the ham with the Hot Lightning scattered with chives. 

Easy old fashioned meatballs with a twist

Sometimes old fashioned no fuss food is all you need after a long, dull but very busy friday at work. You only need to make the meatballs, then you just have to turn them regularly to make sure they bake evenly. It makes a very easy meal with some slices of bread or rolls and a bit of salad.

I also like them with my Bombay potatoes or with a very Dutch dish which can be translated as hot lightning. I’ll post the recipe next week, it is a mix of potatoes and apple or pear. Very delicious.  

Granny’s meatballs with a twist
serves 8 (freezes well)

Ingredients
65 grams of pine nuts
500 gr of half beef, half pork minced meat
4 shallots, finely sliced
2 tsp of dried rosemary
4 cloves of garlic, sliced finely or crushed
1 slice of white bread 
100 ml milk
12 gr butter

Method
1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan while stirring until they are golden brown (this will take 2 minutes).

2.  Mix the minced meat with the shallots, rosemary, garlic and pine nuts. 

3. Soak the bread in the milk, crush until the excess of milk is gone and mix through the meat. Season with some salt and pepper. Make 4 balls from the mixture.

4. Heat the butter in a cast iron pan (a Dutch Oven) and fry the meatballs on high heat for about 5 minutes. Turn them regularly and make sure they get nice and brown.

5. Lower the heat and continue to fry the meatballs for 20 more minutes. Keep turning them regularly.

Untitled

The christmas flavours arrived at our Starbucks. I enjoyed my first Gingerbread Latte of the year tremendously. 

Untitled

My boyfriend brought macarons as a treat :)