Pizza Party with Wagner!
One of my guilty pleasures in life is pizza and I know there are more of you, dear readers, who can’t resist it at least once in a while 
Those of you will be happy to hear that Wagner Pizza is giving away 40 Pizza Parties in Belgium – that means one Pizza Party EVERY WEEK till the end of 2012!
If you want to win an original Pizza Party for you and your friends, go to www.wagner-pizza.be and connect with them through one of your social networks whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or even Instagram! With the motto “You share it, we Pizza Party it”, everything you will share from then on can become an inspiration for Wagner and help you win the most amazing and original Pizza Party! If you don’t believe me, watch the video here.
Six Sweet Ways to Pamper Your Mom
What’s a better way to pamper your mom on her special day that to treat her with a delicious breakfast or dessert! So if you are still looking for sweet ways to make your mother feel like royalty this Sunday, check out a selection of my treats below:
Recipes here:
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Mini Carrot Cakes
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Mini Scones
Speculoos Cheesecake in a Jar
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Radish & Feta Salad
This time of the year comes a whole new array of in-season, locally grown vegetables, one of my favorite being radish! Though small in size, radish will bring big flavor and a splash of color to any dish! This radish and feta salad with fresh honey and lemon dressing is perfect for a quick weekend lunch or a light weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Salad:
200g (goat cheese) feta
12 radishes
125g green leaves (rocket lettuce, fresh spinach etc.)
100g sugar snap peas
Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method
Steam or cook the sugar snap peas for just a couple of minutes until al dente. Wash and slice the radishes.
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey and lemon juice.
Place green leaves in a salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Top with sliced radishes, sugar snap peas and feta cheese. Sprinkle with pepper if desired. Enjoy!
Mother’s Day Gift Idea: DIY Tea Blends
With Mother’s Day being just a week away, it’s time to make sure you have the perfect gift to celebrate that extraordinary woman in your life. If your mom is a tea drinker and you’re still looking for a gift idea, you might want to consider making a personalized homemade tea blend!
With just a little time and imagination, you can create that one tea blend your mom will love. When making a personalized blend, think about whether your mom prefers: flowery or fresh flavors, green, white or black tea?
To get you started, below you can find some ideas for my favorite tea blends. And on that special occasion, I want you to meet my beautiful mama!
Flowery Berry Tea
40g loose white tea with fruit flavor
3 tbs dried cranberries
3 tbs dries raspberries
3 tbs dried chamomile flowers
3 tbs dried hibiscus flowers
1 tsp vanilla beans powder
Green Lemon Tea
50g loose green tea
5 tsp dried lemon rind
Orange Cinnamon Tea
50g loose Ceylon tea
3 tsp dried orange rind
3 tsp cinnamon
1 crushed cinnamon stick
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Put tea in a transparent bag or a pretty jar. For preparation, use one teaspoon per cup of water.
A little early Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
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Restaurant Without Walls: Vrienden van de Smaak
Lovely Sunday afternoon somewhere in Limburg. I feel the heat of the sun, shining on my back as I sit at a long table in the most beautiful setting I could have asked for – a greenhouse. The moist and peat-moss smell triggers memories from my childhood; summer days spent in my dad’s greenhouse playing, running around and eating vegetables straight off the vine.
I am pleased to be a part of the first dinner organized by Vrienden van de Smaak – a culinary adventure that brings attention to local farmers and hosts locally sourced dinners, outside or in other unusual location, prepared by a celebrated chef of the region.
The long table at the De Wroeter greenhouse is filled with familiar and unfamiliar faces, sharing rye bread and passion for food while Chef Giovanni Oosters & his team work their magic in the kitchen. From chervil marshmallows and asparagus mousse through spinach & goat cheese salad, fresh potatoes and lamb to the star of the evening – goat milk pannacotta with hibiscus and rhubarb, food is extraordinarily fresh and flavoursome and would please any crowd. An outstanding culinary experience, one I will surely remember.
Curious to know where the next dinner will be taking place and how to secure your spot, visit the Vrienden van de Smaak website or follow them on Twitter.
For more information about local products from Limburg, visit Puur Limburg.
Goat Cheese Cups
Whether you are looking for a simple and quick party appetizers or an easy but beautiful starter, these goat cheese cups will definitely do the trick. Serve them with some whole grain crackers or a toast and you will surely please any palate.
Ingredients (makes 4 small or 2 medium glasses)
250g goat cheese
8 sundried tomatoes
Basil
Method
Whip the goat cheese with a spoon and fill half of each glass with it. Divide sun dried tomatoes between the glassed and fill the other half of the glass with the whipped goat cheese. Decorate each glass with basil. Serve with a cracker or toast and a small spoon.
Vanilla & Chocolate Yogurt Cups
For those of you who don’t like spending much time in the kitchen or are just in need for a really quick dessert, I present to you – a vanilla & chocolate yogurt cup. With only two ingredients, it is really the most minimalist dessert EVER and it literally takes 3 minutes to make. But trust me, the combination of cold vanilla and hot chocolate will make any mouth water. Put it in a pretty jar or glass and serve as dessert, snack or you know what, even breakfast!
Ingredients
4 x 125g vanilla soy or regular yogurt
140g dark chocolate
Method
Put yogurt in 4 little jars or glasses. Melt chocolate in a pan or in a microwave. Pour the hot chocolate over the yogurt and serve right away!
Enjoy!
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Easter Eggs with White Chocolate Mousse
Very simple to make and so lovely looking – these Easter eggs filled with delicious white chocolate mousse are a real treat! Serve them at your Easter brunch or with the 4 o’clock tea!
Ingredients:
12 empty chocolate eggs (in the size of a normal egg)
100g white chocolate
2 egg whites
50g sugar
150ml double cream
40ml milk
Blueberries
A handful of small mint leaves
Method:
In a bowl, whip the egg whites with sugar until they form firm peaks. Melt the chocolate au bain marie. Add milk and set aside. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix. In another bowl, whip double cream till soft peak stage and again fold gently into the chocolate mix.
Put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Cut the tops off the chocolate eggs. With a small spoon, fill each egg with the white chocolate mousse. To serve, decorate with a blueberry and mint.
Enjoy!
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Chocolate Easter Nests
With Easter being just a few days away, I spent my weekend in the kitchen creating treats for family and friends! Simple but delicious, chocolate nests are one of my favorites! A combination of crunchy cereal and creamy chocolate will make them popular among the young and the old! Put them in a transparent gift bag, add a tag with wishes and they will also make a perfect gift!
Ingredients (makes 6)
150g cereal (Special K type)
200g pure chocolate chips
Colorful chocolate eggs
Method
Put cereal in a bowl. Melt chocolate, pour into the cereal and toss till well coated. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and divide chocolate cereal into 6 parts. Arrange nests and leave to harden for 2 hours.
Put one chocolate egg into each nests. If you are making gifts, pack them into transparent foil and add a tag. And if you’re not, eat them and enjoy!
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Homemade Blueberry & Almond Granola
Homemade food is the best. That’s a fact. It tastes better, it’s free from preservatives and you know exactly what’s in it! Granola is my favorite week-day breakfast next to oatmeal but there is just no granola in store that I really truly love. For that reason, I decided to take granola into my own hands – and made a homemade blueberry & almond one. With only 4 ingredients, it’s so simple but oh so good!
Ingredients:
250g organic oats
70ml maple syrup
80g dried blueberries (you can also use other dried fruit like cranberries or raisins)
80g chopped almonds
Method:
Preheat oven to 145°C. Mix oats and almonds in a bowl. Add maple syrup and toss until oats and almonds are well coated.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the mixture evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to make sure your granola bakes evenly. Take out of the oven and stir in the dried blueberries. Let cool completely and store in a glass jar or a food container. Enjoy with milk or yogurt!
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