by Ellen Bannink -

Slow cooker Chicken Taco Bowls

Slowcooker chicken taco bowls p

Before moving to the US I wanted to buy a slow cooker, I did a lot of research and it turned out they sell only three different kinds of Crock-Pot in the Netherlands and they are só expensive! And by expensive I mean €49 – €59 and €149 so that will be $66 – $80 and $200

But if I would do it, I would do it right so I saved up some money and went to the store to get some information about ordering them. And one day later my husband received an important email from LA what made me decide not to order the Crock-Pot.

by Ellen Bannink -

Chinese Pulled Pork

I had a dream.

Well, not actually a dream, it was more like a day dream. I was day dreaming of a soft steamed Chinese bun filled with tender pulled pork.

I had the dream about this delicious meal after having lunch at Take A Bao in the Century City Mall. I had a bao with hoisin pork and it was good! After my bao lunch I went to see the Jennifer Aniston movie We’re the Millers, the lens of my camera was ‘kaput’ so I decided to take a day off. And I knew P didn’t need to see that movie so if I wanted to see it I had to go alone. And I could do that during the day!

chinese pulled pork

I liked the movie, I was laughing my ass off but all I could think of was baozi and Chinese pulled pork.

by Ellen Bannink -

Bali meatballs

– Click here to read this recipe in Dutch -> Oma’s Baliballetjes –

This recipe is a winner. You will make friends with it.

This recipe is one of my grandma’s recipes to start with.
My grandma is 81 years old and she is a tough cookie. She lives with my 82-years old grandpa in an apartment building with really nice neighbors. They like living there and that makes me happy.

Bali balletjes

At their birthday parties in the Summer we sit on the balcony. But the balcony is small so we expand easily to the corridor.
The neighbors don’t mind 🙂

by Ellen Bannink -

Chicken Madras curry

– Click here for this recipe in Dutch -> Kip Madras zonder pakjes –

I’m always a big fan of homemade food so when my brother sent me a picture of the dinner he was cooking at that moment I made a promise.
A promise to do a post on Chicken Madras curry. So here it is.

Kip Madras p

This curry is a populair dish in the Netherlands and it all comes from a package. These kinds of packages all go under the name ‘Wereldgerechten’ which means World Dishes. There is Italian lasagna, Mexican burrito’s, Indian chicken tandoori, Greek kofta, Morrocan chicken tajine, Spanish paella, Japanese teriyaki and so on.

This is the picture my brother sent me, Chicken Madras that comes from a box.
This is the picture my brother sent me, Chicken Madras that comes from a box.

And I have to admit, I also used to prepare those Wereldgerechten quite often.

by Ellen Bannink -

Pasta sauce

– Klik voor het recept in Nederlands -> pastasaus –

Always make sure to have some portions of this pasta sauce in the freezer. It can save lives.

Because it’s the best pasta sauce in the world, believe me!
This pasta sauce recipe is an easier version of the classic Italian bolognese sauce, which includes carrots and celery.

Pasta sauce p

 

Once in a while I’m craving real tomato sauce but the storebought pasta sauces were always so dissapointing to me 🙁

by Ellen Bannink -

Chicken Meatballs

I bought a bike last week! It’s so nice to ride again, I didn’t ride a bike for 8 weeks, the longest since I’ve learned to ride. So that would be 27 years or so 😉 The weather is so good here, and I enjoy to do some grocerie shopping with my new minty-green cruiser.

bike

In Amsterdam I used riding my bike all the time. I didn’t even had a driver license until I was 29! So yes, that’s just 2 years ago 😉
In Amsterdam you need a bike, you can’t live there without having one. Owning a car isn’t necessary, to be precise it’s only annoying. You need a parking permit and even then it’s hard to find a parking spot. In the city centre (where we used to live) the streets are narrow and you’ll get easily stuck in traffic.

Chicken meatballs p

by Ellen Bannink -

Chinese Chicken Skewers

Summer has begun and we bought a barbecue grill last weekend. I’m the cook at home, P once said he can prepare food but he can’t cook. That’s exactly how it is! But when it comes to grilling, he’s my man!

Three years ago -when P & I just met- I invited some friends over for a barbecue party at my roof terrace. I would practically be away the whole summer so this would be a nice thing to do before I had to miss all the fun that summer. And of course I already figured out this was a nice opportunity to see P again, I already had a small crush on him 😉

Chinese chicken skewers p

Luckily he showed up, bringing some shrimps in a fantastic marinade. ‘Wow, a man who can cook!’ I thought, and I liked him even more.