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Gordon Ramsay’s Shepherds Pie

19 February 2024

About Me

Welcome to my page! My name is Saffron, I'm a freelance photographer living in Amsterdam. I’m not a chef but a passionate cook and lover of all things food. With this site I'd like to share my passion and knowledge and maybe even inspire you to go on an adventurous food journey as well.

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Latest Posts

Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

25 July 2024

Easy & Quick Confit Garlic

25 July 2024

Roasted Courgette with a Lemon, Pine Nut & Tomato Herby Salsa

24 July 2024

Chilled Lemon Yoghurt with Hot Charred Tomatoes

23 July 2024

Roasted Aubergine & Courgette with an Anchovie and Fresh Oregano Dressing

23 July 2024

apinchofsaffron_amsterdam

My name is Saffron | Food creative: Recipe developer, food stylist, culinary photographer and beekeeper on the weekends.

Easy & Quick Confit Garlic We eat loads of garlic

Easy & Quick Confit Garlic

We eat loads of garlic, I love the flavour in any dish and am always amazed how different it tastes in different forms. Usually confit garlic is made with whole garlic cloves but this can take quite a while, so when I’m in a bit of a rush but still in the mood for this golden goodness I make a cheat version. How? Just chopping the garlic into smaller pieces.

Garlic harvested at @plukcsafruittuin

#garlic #cookinghacks #sides #condiment #sauce

Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi with Roasted Red Pepper Sa

Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Man oh man I love this dish! The gnudi (recipe by the amazing @justine_snacks ) are soft, creamy and full of flavour and super easy to make. Letting them dry out in the fridge for a few hours benefit the texture and flavour, so great to make ahead of time. They only take 3-4 minutes to boil before done.

As for the sauce, this was a creation I came up with while cycling home from work. I was in the mood for roasted peppers and this came to mind. There’s no cream added but the olive oil in combination with the vinegar emulsify into a creamy rich sauce. Only the peppers are roasted, the rest of the fresh ingredients (tomatoes & fresh herbs) are blended through raw, so also a great make ahead dish!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #dinnerideas #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #makeahead #weeknightdinner #dinner #vegetarian #vegan #vegetables #italianfood #sauce

Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi with Roasted Red Pepper Sa

Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Man oh man I love this dish! The gnudi (recipe by the amazing @justine_snacks ) are soft, creamy and full of flavour and super easy to make. Letting them dry out in the fridge for a few hours benefit the texture and flavour, so great to make ahead of time. They only take 3-4 minutes to boil before done.

As for the sauce, this was a creation I came up with while cycling home from work. I was in the mood for roasted peppers and this came to mind. There's no cream added but the olive oil in combination with the vinegar emulsify into a creamy rich sauce. Only the peppers are roasted, the rest of the fresh ingredients (tomatoes & fresh herbs) are blended through raw, so also a great make ahead dish!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #dinnerideas #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #makeahead #weeknightdinner #dinner #vegetarian #vegan #vegetables #italianfood #sauce

When life gives you loads of courgettes you got to

When life gives you loads of courgettes you got to start thinking out of the box. This roasted courgette dish is a great side to any meal, great to bring to a BBQ or for lunch with a few slices of crusty bread.

The salsa is inspired by a recipe from @Ottolenghi but I added some extra parsley and mint in the mix and a freshly chopped ‘Sugar Rush Peach Pepper’ for extra flavour and zing. (Credit to @jonz_amsterdam for the tasty peppers!)

The rest of the salsa ingredients are pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, lemon zest lemon juice, fresh oregano, olive oil, pepper and salt. Just hope everything finely, roughly chop the pine nuts, give it a good mix and you’re good to go!

The courgette (from @plukcsafruittuin ) I roasted in the oven with some olive oil, pepper and salt. But you could also pan fry or grill it!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #dinnerideas #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #ottolenghi

Chilled Lemon Yoghurt with Hot Charred Tomatoes T

Chilled Lemon Yoghurt with Hot Charred Tomatoes

This is a recipe based on an @ottolenghi dish. The original is super tasty, but requires a bit more time and a bit more ingredients. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible, it was Sunday after all, and I was already making a few other dishes. Glad to say this turned out super tasty as well!

The yoghurt is mixed with lemon zest, seasoned with pepper and salt and then returned to the fridge to chill. The tomatoes I halved, coated in olive oil, pepper, salt, a pinch of chipotle chilli flakes and a sprig of rosemary. Roast for 30 minutes at 220°C until the tomatoes are nice and charred and the juices are flowing out. Just before the tomatoes are ready, spread the yoghurt over a plate and then top off with the sizzling tomatoes, don’t forget to include the juices, this is liquid gold!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #dinner #dinnertime #dinnerideas #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #vegetarian #tomatoes #ottolenghi

Roasted Aubergine & Courgette with an Anchovies an

Roasted Aubergine & Courgette with an Anchovies and Fresh Oregano Dressing

Every time I leafed through @ottolenghi ‘s cookbook Simple, I thought: Hey! I need to make this! Anyway, it’s taken a few years but I’ve finally got around to it. And oh man, why did I wait so long?! It’s sooooo good!

Charred aubergine and caramelised courgettes coated in a savoury and tangy ansjovis and oregano dressing. It’s just absolutely amazing! Ottolenghi only uses aubergines in his recipe but I had a courgette lying around, which works great as well.

Another good thing about this dish? It can we eaten cold or at room temperature, so also easy to prep ahead. You can eat it as is, but I think pressed onto a crunchy bruschetta this would be super tasty too!

Aubergines & Courgettes harvested at @plukcsafruittuin

For the recipe see the link in my bio.

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #dinner #dinnertime #dinnerideas #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #ottolenghi #vegetarian #seasonalrecipes #ottolenghi

Holiday Home Recipe - #4 Creamy Lemon Pasta with

Holiday Home Recipe - #4

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Pan Seared Courgettes

Another super simple yet tasty summer holiday recipe with just a few ingredients needed. Serve it as is or like I did with some tomatoes cubes over the top and a tomato salad on the side. Simple ingredients, great flavours!

Enjoy your holiday and stay tuned for more Holiday Home Recipe tips!

#menuplanning #mealplanning #recipeinspiration #easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #weeknightdinner #easydinner

Crispy Smashed Potatoes You really can't beat the

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

You really can't beat these golden crunchy beauties. I'm a HUGE potato fan and love them in all forms and sizes. But I think smashed must be one of my favourites.

Wash the potatoes, leave the skin on. If very large halve them otherwise leave whole. Make sure they're all roughly the same size.

Add the to a pot of cold salted water, put the lid on a bring to a boil. When it starts to boil cook on medium heat for ± 20 - 25 minutes (could be slightly shorter or longer due to the size).

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Drain and let the potatoes steam dry in the pan for ± 5 minutes.

Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil onto a baking sheet, I like to bake these without baking paper for extra crispiness, but with is fine too.

Pour the potatoes onto the baking sheet, toss gently to coat with the olive oil a bit. Use the pan you cooked them in or a large glass and press down to smash the potatoes. The thinner the crispier they will get. Let them dry out for another 5 minutes.

Drizzle more olive oil over te top and season well with pepper and salt (add herbs like thyme, rosemary or paprika if you like).

Bake for 45 minutes (small potatoes) to 55 minutes (medium) or until deep golden and crispy. Do not flip!

Recipe inspired by @recipe_tin

#crispy #crunchy #potatoes #golden #snacks #sides

Mixed Salad, Caramelised Seeds and a Tangy Sesame

Mixed Salad, Caramelised Seeds and a Tangy Sesame Dressing

When in Paris last year we had dinner at @hotelsamourparis and there was this one salad which captivated me right away: Asian-y umami flavours, tangy, sweet, salty, it had it all. Coating blanched vegetables, it was a thing of simplicity and so so delicious.

I wrote down in my notebook what I thought was in it and then I forgot about it. Until last week when I was playing around with ingredients to make a simple salad dressing. It brought me right back to that night in Paris!

Anyway, here goes (apologies @hotelsamourparis if this is totally the wrong recipe ;-)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp honey or sugar
Pepper & salt

Add all into a sealable jar, shake well, taste and adjust with the ingredients above to your liking.

As for the salad I used all kinds of leaves, cucumbers and radishes I harvested at @plukcsafruittuin , so good!

For the crunchy seeds simply add a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds into a dry skillet together with 2 tsp of sugar. Stir / toss until the sugar starts to caramelise, it doesn't have to melt all the way. Transfer to a plate to cool and season with sea salt.

#salad #dressing #easyrecipe #homemade #homemadefood #summerrecipes

Easy Courgette, Leek & Lemon Puff Pastry Pie An e

Easy Courgette, Leek & Lemon Puff Pastry Pie

An easy weeknight dinner which is super versatile and can be combined with different vegetables and sides. Instead of courgettes you can use sliced tomatoes, fennel or even broccoli would be great. For extra saltiness add some anchovies, fennel pork sausage, olives or capers when baking or serve with some soup on the side. Great for a lunch or light dinner!

For the full recipe see the link in my bio!

Courgettes harvested at @plukcsafruittuin

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #delicious #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #onepanmeal #vegetarian #vegetarisch #lasagna #courgette #summerrecipes

Easy Courgette, Leek & Lemon Puff Pastry Pie An e

Easy Courgette, Leek & Lemon Puff Pastry Pie

An easy weeknight dinner which is super versatile and can be combined with different vegetables and sides. Instead of courgettes you can use sliced tomatoes, fennel or even broccoli would be great. For extra saltiness add some anchovies, fennel pork sausage, olives or capers when baking or serve with some soup on the side. Great for a lunch or light dinner!

With Courgettes from @plukcsafruittuin

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #delicious #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #onepanmeal #vegetarian #vegetarisch #lasagna #courgette #summerrecipes

Courgette, Spinach, Ricotta & Mint Lasagne A supe

Courgette, Spinach, Ricotta & Mint Lasagne

A super easy one pot dish, inspired by a recipe from @donna.hay ‘s cookbook ‘One Pan Perfect’. One thing I’ve learned over the past summers is that courgettes grow like crazy in the summer! It starts with a little flower and in the blink of an eye you have a courgette! (Same goes for cucumbers by the way).

The filling consists of spinach, ricotta, parsley, mint, lemon zest, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, garlic and not to forget courgette. A match made in summer-food heaven!

A handful of toasted pinenuts mixed in would be great too! I served it with a simple tomato and (garden) cucumber salad. Delish!

For the recipe see the link in my bio.

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #delicious #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #onepanmeal #vegetarian #vegetarisch #lasagna #courgette #summerrecipes #seasonalrecipes #harvest

Ode to Oma Sonja: Beschuit met Aardbei My grandmo

Ode to Oma Sonja: Beschuit met Aardbei

My grandmother was addicted to strawberries, whenever they were in season she would have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all summer long.

Buttered beschuit with strawberries dusted with icing sugar is a classic Dutch way of eating them and also one of my favourites!

The 2nd slide is a family picture of my grandpa, uncle, grandma and my dad. Such a happy summery picture ;-)

#strawberry #strawberries #aardbei #dutchfood #summerrecipes #summerharvest #seasonalfood #comfortfood

Curried Broccoli & Yellow Split Pea Soup Last ni

Curried Broccoli & Yellow Split Pea Soup

Last night I was super tired after a long day at an event so the thought of having to go to the supermarkt to get groceries was the last thing on my mind. After a quick glance through my fridge, freezer and cupboards I realised I had enough ingredients to make a soup. I wasn’t planning on posting it but it was sooooo good that I had to take a picture so I could share it with you.

Ingredients (for 2 ppl):
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
± 10 curry leaves (optional, I always have a bag in the freezer)
1 bay leaf
Indian spices: mustard seeds, kurkuma, garam masala
1 cup yellow split peas
1/2 a broccoli, stems & florets finely cubed
Enough water to cover the broccoli, ± 600ml
1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken)
250 ml coconut cream (if you have a large can of 400 ml us all that and reduce the amount of water)

To serve: Soft boiled egg, toasted flat bread, chili oil

Method:
Heat the oil or ghee in a large soup pot and add the curry leaves if using. When starting to pop add the onions and garlic and stir to coat. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Pour in the lentils, stir to coat and add the water and stock cube. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 18 minutes. Then add the broccoli and the coconut mild and let it simmer for another 5-6 minutes until the broccoli is just cooked through.

Remove the bay leaf and then, using a handheld blender, pulse the soup a few times so you’re left with a coarse soup, I like mine a bit chunky but you can blend it until smooth if you like.

While the soup is cooking make the eggs and flat bread: boil the eggs for 6.5 minutes, rinse under cold water and peel. Drizzle some oil over the flat bread, season with pepper & salt (and some spices like nigella seeds if you like) and toast in the oven at 200°C for 5-6 minutes until crispy.

Serve with some chili oil drizzled over the top. Enjoy!

#menuplanning #mealplanning #recipeinspiration #easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #weeknightdinner #easydinner #vegetarian

Holiday Home Recipe - #3 Courgette and Parmesan Sa

Holiday Home Recipe - #3
Courgette and Parmesan Salad & Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with charred lemons

Another super duper easy holiday home recipe, with just a few simple ingredients you have a great dinner on the table.

Courgette Salad:
-Thinly sliced courgette
-Lemon Juice & zest
-Parmesan
-Pepper, salt & Olive oil

Pan Seared chicken:
-Chicken breasts
-Spices you have at hand (like paprika, thyme, rosemary or none of these and just pepper & salt)
-Oil to fry in
-The squeezed out lemons for the salad, quartered

To serve: some boiled baby potatoes, fries, pasta or rice, what ever is easiest

——

Method:
Mix the ingredients for the salad and set aside.
Season the chicken breasts with the spices and some olive oil, massage it all so it’s well coated.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and lay the chicken breasts in the pan together with the lemon pieces. Let it sear on side until nice and browned, don’t move the chicken breast but just let it caramelise. ± 4 minutes. Repeat on the other side.
Deglaze the pan with some extra lemon juice is have some left but no problem if not.
When just cooked through wrap the chicken and the lemon slices. In aluminium foil and let it rest for 5 minutes (it will continue to cook slowly while in the foil).
Serve with the resting juices poured over the chicken.

#menuplanning #mealplanning #recipeinspiration #easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #weeknightdinner #easydinner #holiday

Holiday Home Recipe - #2 Pan Fried Gnocchi & Tomat

Holiday Home Recipe - #2
Pan Fried Gnocchi & Tomato Sauce

On your way to your holiday home this weekend and in the need of some easy holiday home family recipes? Then I’ve got your back!

This little dish I actually make all the time, not just on holiday: crispy gnocchi and a super simple tomato sauce. You can just eat it like this if you like or add a piece of fish or sausages for example. Could’t be easier.

Enjoy your holiday and stay tuned for more Holiday Home Recipe tips!

#menuplanning #mealplanning #recipeinspiration #easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #weeknightdinner #easydinner #holiday #vegetarian

Creamy Mushroom Pasta Oh summer, where art though

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Oh summer, where art though? In the meantime I have a lovely simple creamy mushroom pasta for you. Warming, comforting with still a hint of summer with the tomatoes and freshly picked basil.

The mushrooms are slowly sautéed, that’s the trick to gate juicy, tasty, caramelised mushrooms: take it slow!

The minced beef is also slowly pan fried without stirring to much, this way you get nice and crispy bits.

Finished of with cream and a big handful of grated parmesan and you’ll forget about the rain for a moment.

#pasta #italianfood #spaghetti #creamy #easyrecipes #slowcooking #comfortfood

One Pot Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Stew with Go

One Pot Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Stew with Gorgonzola

I love me a stew. I love me a one pot dish! I love me some roasted peppers! So this dish was right up my alley.

It might look daunting to roast your own peppers, but believe me there's nothing to it. You can either do it on the open flame of your gas stove or in the oven. What you want is it to char till almost completely blackened, then let it steam in a sealed container for 10 minutes. The skin will peel off easily and you're left with smokey, silky soft peppers. Yuhum!

The other ingredients: tomatoes, onions, garlic, chickpeas, capers, smoked paprika, mushrooms, fresh oregano and I also had some gorgonzola left which I crumbled over the top. Divine!

#fridgeraid #vegetarian #vegan #stew #onepot #easyrecipes #charred

Creamy Mushroom Pasta Oh summer, where art though

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Oh summer, where art though? In the meantime I have a lovely simple creamy mushroom pasta for you. Warming, comforting with still a hint of summer with the tomatoes and freshly picked basil.

The mushrooms are slowly sautéed, that's the trick to gate juicy, tasty, caramelised mushrooms: take it slow!

The minced beef is also slowly pan fried without stirring to much, this way you get nice and crispy bits.

Finished of with cream and a big handful of grated parmesan and you'll forget about the rain for a moment.

#pasta #italianfood #spaghetti #creamy #easyrecipes #slowcooking #comfortfood

Halloumi & Smokey Prawn Skewers with a Fresh Herb

Halloumi & Smokey Prawn Skewers with a Fresh Herb Salsa

Summer on a plate? Yes please! These skewers are great to make ahead of time and just take a few minutes to pan fry or grill on the BBQ.

I marinated the prawns in lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and chili flakes. I skewered them together with halloumi cubes and grilled them off in a grill pan, basting in the left over marinade sauce along the way.

The salsa is a sweet and tangy sauce which goes amazingly with the rest of the flavours. I used dill, basil, parsley, oregano, mint and koriander. Blitzed together with red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, pepper, salt and chili flakes.

The charred lemons are a new favourite of mine, I made them together with another side dish (pan seared courgettes and aubergine). The lemon gets all charred and caramelised and are amazing to squeeze out over the skewers or grilled vegetables.

#skewers #vegetarian #halloumi #makeahead #summeronaplate #summerfood #summerrecipes #easyrecipes #bbq #bbqrecipes #fingerfood

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