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umami

Asian recipes/ Dinner/ European recipes/ Lamb/ Soups & Stews
Pappardelle with Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks & Spicy Lamb Broth

27 January 2022
Asian recipes/ Dinner/ Lunch/ One-pot recipes/ Quick & Easy/ Stir-fry/ Vegan/ Vegetarian
Miso Glazed Aubergine with Soba Noodles & Crispy Fried Smoked Tofu

5 October 2021
Asian recipes/ Dinner/ Lunch/ Oven dishes/ Quick & Easy/ Sauces, dressings & condiments/ Side Dishes/ Starters/ Vegan/ Vegetarian
Miso Glazed Aubergine (Nasu Dengaku)

19 May 2021

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

Roasted Pumpkin with Feta & Pommegranate

23 September 2022

Mushroom Lasagne with Balsamic Glazed Onions, Spinach and Lemon Ricotta

23 September 2022

Crispy Rice Paper Salmon & Avocado Cups

17 September 2022

Miso Chicken Ramen with Ramen Eggs, Shiitake and Bok Choy

16 September 2022

Courgette & Mushroom Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu and Oyster Sauce

14 September 2022

apinchofsaffron_amsterdam

Roasted Pumpkin with Feta & Pommegranate Autumn a

Roasted Pumpkin with Feta & Pommegranate

Autumn anybody? I absolutely love this season, still a bit sunny, but also nice and chilly and in the mood for warming and comforting dishes. And what is more autumny than pumpkin! I asked the young kid at the farmers market what kind of pumpkin it was, he said “A green pumpkin”…. Thanks for that. Anyway, after some google image searching I found out it was a kabocha squash, just an fyi. Anyway loads of pumpkin recipes to come this year!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #sides #pumpkin #roasted

Mushroom Lasagne with Balsamic Caramelised Onions,

Mushroom Lasagne with Balsamic Caramelised Onions, Spinach and Lemon Ricotta

Such an amazing autumn lasagne. I love mushrooms, I cook with them all year, but I love them best in autumn. I got a whole bunch of mushrooms from the farmers market: Shiitake, chestnut mushrooms and a 3rd one of which I forgot the name (I’ll look it up this weekend when I’m there again).

With the mushrooms I made a simple ragout by first frying them off until browned, then coating everything in flour, sauté for a few minutes till the flour cooks and then deglaze the pan with mushroom or vegetable stock. Keep stirring until you get a thick luscious sauce.

The onions are super easy, just sauté them slowly in some olive oil and butter and a good pinch of salt. The salt will help extract the moisture from the onions and caramelise better. Sauté on low heat until nice and browned, ± 25 minutes. At the end deglaze the pan with some balsamic vinegar and let bubble for 30 seconds. Add this to some sautéed spinach and your done!

For the 3rd layer you need 2 tubs of ricotta, season with pepper, salt, lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Now you’re ready to layer!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #lasagna #autumnrecipes #vegetarian #pasta

Mushroom Lasagne with Balsamic Caramelised Onions,

Mushroom Lasagne with Balsamic Caramelised Onions, Spinach and Lemon Ricotta

Such an amazing autumn lasagne. I love mushrooms, I cook with them all year, but I love them best in autumn. I got a whole bunch of mushrooms from the farmers market: Shiitake, chestnut mushrooms and a 3rd one of which I forgot the name (I’ll look it up this weekend when I’m there again).

With the mushrooms I made a simple ragout by first frying them off until browned, then coating everything in flour, sauté for a few minutes till the flour cooks and then deglaze the pan with mushroom or vegetable stock. Keep stirring until you get a thick luscious sauce.

The onions are super easy, just sauté them slowly in some olive oil and butter and a good pinch of salt. The salt will help extract the moisture from the onions and caramelise better. Sauté on low heat until nice and browned, ± 25 minutes. At the end deglaze the pan with some balsamic vinegar and let bubble for 30 seconds. Add this to some sautéed spinach and your done!

For the 3rd layer you need 2 tubs of ricotta, season with pepper, salt, lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Now you’re ready to layer!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #lasagna #autumnrecipes #vegetarian #pasta

Crispy Rice Paper Salmon & Avocado Cups Every tim

Crispy Rice Paper Salmon & Avocado Cups

Every time I make these little rice cups they get devoured in minutes, they’re just sooo good and sooo moreish! The rice paper cups are super easy to make, just cut rice paper sheets in 6 pieces and fry in a layer of hot vegetable oil in a frying pan. They’ll crisp up in just a few seconds!

The salmon and avocado filling has got all the classic Japanese umami flavours: soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds. I also added a sprinkle of furikake, a Japanese condiment made with dried seaweed.

If you’re looking for a great make-ahead appetizer then this is the one I’d recommend! As soon as they’re assembled you need to eat the right away so the cups stay crispy.

How to eat them? Just grab one and take a bite, a bit like a temaki (hand roll sushi).

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #ricepaper #salmon #umami #japanesefood #fingerfood #appetizers

Miso Chicken Ramen with Ramen Eggs, Shiitake and B

Miso Chicken Ramen with Ramen Eggs, Shiitake and Bok Choy

My dad came over for his birthday lunch, usually we go to a Japanese restaurant but there weren’t many open during the day for lunch, so I decided to cooking something Japanese myself. Nothing beats a big bowl of hot steaming soup, filled with noodles, roasted chicken and veggies it doesn’t get much better.

For the broth I used my homemade chicken stock, but any good quality store bought chicken stock will work. In the broth I simmered whole spring onions, slices of ginger and crushed garlic and I flavoured it with mirin, light soy sauce and the stems of the shiitake (nothing goes to waste!).

After simmering for about 30 minutes you’ve got a lovely broth for the ramen.

The chicken thighs I marinated in soy sauce (dark and light), garlic, chili flakes and mirin and roasted for 25 minutes. The last 5 minutes I basted it with a mix of brown sugar and dark soy sauce to create a dark and charred flavour. Soooo good!

The ramen eggs aren’t a must, regular boiled eggs would work too, but they’re super easy to make and do add extra flavour.

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #miso #ramennoodles #misosoup #japanesefood #soup

Wholewheat Penne with Cavolo Nero, Mushrooms and F

Wholewheat Penne with Cavolo Nero, Mushrooms and Fennel Sausage

Looking for an easy weeknight dinner packed full of flavour? The fennel sausage meat is fried off until crispy and browned and set aside. In the same pan the veggies are sautéed: onion, garlic, chili flakes, Cavolo Nero and mushrooms. Everything is deglazed with some white wine and chicken stock, making a lovely sauce, scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the pan. The sausage is added back to the pan and then it’s ready to serve with your pasta of choice.

Don’t have fennel sausage? Then just use regular sausage and toast along some fennel seeds!

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

Courgette & Mushroom Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu and

Courgette & Mushroom Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu and Oyster Sauce

Vegetables and crispy tofu coated in a glossy umami sauce, full of flavour and finger licking good.

When home alone and only cooking for myself it’s tempting to order in food, but if you have a few basic ingredients in your pantry it’s just as easy and sometimes even quicker to just make it yourself!

I started by coating smoked tofu cubes in seasoned cornstarch and then deep frying them in vegetable oil. Set aside and start working on the sauce and veggies, while the rice is cooking.

In a wok on high heat stir fry onions, garlic, mushrooms and courgette until nicely charred. Deglaze the pan with Shaoxing wine or sherry and then add the sauce (which consists of corn starch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, garlic and vegetable stock). Because of the cornstarch it will thicken quickly. Let it bubble away for 2-3 minutes, then add back the crispy tofu so it gets coated in the sauce.

Serve with white rice and some chili oil. Yum!

I used regular oysters sauce but to keep it vegan you can of course use a vegan version!

Recipe inspired by @thewokslife

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #chinesefood #vegan #vegetarian #stirfry

Roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Soup A rich and velvet

Roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Soup

A rich and velvety soup made with oven roasted and caramelized and charred tomatoes, pumpkin, onion and garlic. Super easy and a winner of a soup.

All you need to do is roughly chop tomtoes, onions, peeled garlic and pumpkin (leave skin on) into bog chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper and salt. Roast everything in 1 large baking tray for ± 45 - 50 minutes at 180°C until everything is nice and charred.

Pour everything it into a large soup pan. Add a drop of water to the baking tray and scrape off all the charred and caramelised goodness from the bottom and add it to the soup pan. Top off with your stock of choice (I used chicken stock, but vegetable stock would be great too) and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and blitz until smooth.

I served it with some seasoned creme fraiche, a drizzle olive oil, some chives and fresh crusty buttered bread. Yum!!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #soup #roasted #vegetarian #vegan

Instagram post 17979442336719597

Instagram post 17979442336719597

Hasselback Beets with Dill Sauce & Lemon Yoghurt

Hasselback Beets with Dill Sauce & Lemon Yoghurt

This technique certainly looks impressive but it’s surprisingly easy to do. I love making hasselback potatoes, but this is the first time I tried this technique on beets and I’m super happy with the result: Crispy and charred on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. Topped with a herby dill sauce and served with a chilled and savoury lemon yoghurt. What a treat!

To make it vegan use a non dairy yoghurt!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #sidedish #vegetarian #vegetarisch #hasselback #beets #vegan

Hasselback Beets with Dill Sauce & Lemon Yoghurt

Hasselback Beets with Dill Sauce & Lemon Yoghurt

This technique certainly looks impressive but it’s surprisingly easy to do. I love making hasselback potatoes, but this is the first time I tried this technique on beets and I’m super happy with the result: Crispy and charred on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. Topped with a herby dill sauce and served with a chilled and savoury lemon yoghurt. What a treat!

To make it vegan use a non dairy yoghurt!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #sidedish #vegetarian #vegetarisch #hasselback #beets #vegan

#healthyrecipes #enpapillote #cod #lemon #herbs

#healthyrecipes #enpapillote #cod #lemon #herbs

Irish Whole Wheat Soda Bread When we were in Ire

Irish Whole Wheat Soda Bread

When we were in Ireland we had soda bread in pretty much every B&B we stayed at. Homemade, freshly baked, deep intense favour, sturdy, crumbly and amazing with a good slather of salted butter and a dollop of jam. And above all: everybody has their own recipe, we never had the same soda bread.

I’d already heard it was a simple recipe but I didn’t realise it was THAT simple. It literally takes 5 minutes to whip together and then placed in the oven for 50 minutes. That’s it! I’ll definitely be making this again.

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #bread #baking #sodabread #irishrecipes

Italian Wedding Soup Contrary to what the name im

Italian Wedding Soup

Contrary to what the name implies, this is not a soup for weddings, but a soup in which the flavours of the veggies and meat marry together by softly simmering for a while. And man oh man what a flavours!

On Saturday I bought parsnips and carrots from the farmers market without actually having a plan what to make with them. I guess I was imagining roasting them. But then…. I was in the mood for soup, and this little flavourful wonder has been on my to cook list for a while!

I started by making the meatballs, flavoured with parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. I fried them off in a deep heavy based pot until all sides were nice and browned, but the inside still slightly undercooked. Remove these from the pan and in the meatball juices sauté onions, garlic, parsnip and carrots.

After 6-7 minutes I added some diced tomatoes, chicken stock, spinach, parsley and my secret ingredient: the rind of a parmesan cheese. I always keep this in the freezer just for these kind of dishes. It really adds a rich umami flavour to the broth.

When bubbling away I added some orzo and the meatballs. When the orzo is cooked, turn down the heat and let the soup rest for 30 minutes so the flavours can marry. There you have it, Italian wedding soup!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #italianfood #italianrecipe #soup

A long name for a super simple recipe, you can't e

A long name for a super simple recipe, you can't even really call it a recipe, it's so easy. Charred bimi is a great side dish to almost any meal, the charred flavours really bring out the sweetness of the bimi. They're done in under 10 minutes and a highlight of any meal.

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#sidedish #bimi #easyrecipes #vegan #vegetarian #charred #homecooking

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Creamy Sage & Lemon C

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Creamy Sage & Lemon Chickpeas

I love one skillet recipes, and this one surely is a winner. The chickpeas cook along in the sauce while the chicken is roasting, leaving the chickpeas with an al dente bite and the chicken nice and juicy with a crispy skin. I served it with charred bimi, but almost any vegetable would work with this dish (a fresh simple salad for example)!

For us the chickpeas are enough but if you’d like something to soak up the yummy gravy you can serve it with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, crunchy bread or even rice.

Inspired by a recipe by @anna_s_table and the delicious organic chicken I got at the market this morning from @uwbiologischeslager

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#onepotmeal #chickpeas #chicken #weeknightdinner

I love one skillet recipes, abd this one surely is

I love one skillet recipes, abd this one surely is a winner. The chickpeas cook along in the sauce while the chicken is roasting, leaving the chickpeas with an al dente bite abd the chicken nice and juicy with a crispy skin. I served it with charred bimi, but almost any vegetable would work with this dish!

Inspired by a recipe by @anna_s_table and the delicious organic chicken I got at the market this morning from @uwbiologischeslager

#onepotmeal #chickpeas #chicken #weeknightdinner

Creamy White Wine Linguine with Lemon, Bacon, Spin

Creamy White Wine Linguine with Lemon, Bacon, Spinach & Peas

It’s still summer, so summer dishes I’m still making! An easy week night pasta dish with zingy flavours and bright green veggies. Delish!

For the recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #healthydinner #dinnerrecipes #pasta #quickrecipes

It’s still summer, so summer dishes I’m still

It’s still summer, so summer dishes I’m still making! An easy week night pasta dish with zingy flavours and bright green veggies. Delish!

#pasta #recipes #homecooking

Chewy Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Salted Caramel

Chewy Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Salted Caramel Frosting and Pecans

If you like your brownies chewy and fudgy like I do then this is the recipe for you. Topped off with a salted caramel butter frosting and studded with chunky chocolate bits, this truly is one decadent little parcel of goodness.

I finished a freelance job at @gstarraw recently so I made these as a little going away treat, I think it hit the spot ;-)

For the full recipe see the link in my bio!

#easyrecipes #simplerecipes #homecooking #homecook #homechef #homemade #homemadefood #recipes #fromscratch #delicious #brownies #chocolate #fudge #frosting #baking #dessert

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