Main Meals
The main event. Dutch food is healthy, cheap and nutritious -- perfect for mid-week meals for the whole family or comfort eating for one. But even better, these recipes are simple to make.
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76 Articles in: Main Meals
Nasi Goreng (Dutch-Indonesian Fried Rice)
Thanks to Holland's colonial past in Indonesia, nasi goreng is a staple in every Dutch family home today. It's a classic fridge-raid recipe, using up leftover rice, vegetables, bacon and eggs to make a filling meal that'll please the whole family. Turning your leftovers into another meal isn't only a tasty way to save money, but will help to...Mussels with Saffron & Ginger Recipe
Mussels are a typical Dutch meal and while the use of saffron and ginger may seem very modern, this recipe can actually be traced back to a 15th century culinary manuscript in the library of the 'Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde' (the Royal Academy for Dutch Language and -Literature) in Ghent.Mussel Pot with Trappist Beer Recipe
Our southern neighbours, Belgium, may have turned mussels into their national dish, but the Netherlands is actually the leading mussel supplier to both the French and Belgian markets, and one of the biggest mussel exporters worldwide. Zeeuwse mussels, from the Dutch coastal region of Zeeland, are prized for their quality and really come into...My Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe
Every cook should have a recipe for baked vegetables in his or her repertoire. Not only because they're so ridiculously easy to make - you don't even have to peel the veg and the oven does all the work for you - but because they're so satisfying to eat. This is my winter version, using those root vegetables that take so well to our local soil;...Lemony Chicken Breast Fillets with Brown Bean Salad & Herring and Herb Relish
Chicken marinated in lemon is always a popular choice. I like to serve it with my brown bean salad and herring & herb relish. Here, traditional Dutch ingredients combine with zesty flavors for a light and thoroughly modern dish.Moreish Mussels
The Netherlands is world renowned for its mussels. For the uninitiated, I could only describe their taste as slightly briny, surprisingly sweet and creamy. They really taste of the ocean. My dish combines mussels with the familiar (carrots and leeks) and the not-so-familiar, briny sea beans/samphire, which seem to bring out the wonderful ozone aroma of the ocean even more in the mussels.Raw Curly Endive Stamppot Recipe (Stamppot Rauwe Andijvie)
This old-fashioned Dutch winter dish with curly endive, potatoes and bacon may be the very definition of comfort food in cold weather, but it's actually quite good for you, too. Potatoes are packed with potassium and vitamin C, while curly endive is rich in folate, fiber and vitamins A and K.Omelet with Turnip Greens, Chevre & Chili
Turnip greens (known as 'raapstelen' in Dutch) are a very typical and traditional ingredient in Holland. They are very tasty (slightly bitter and peppery, like a cross between spinach and arugula) and super good for you. Get your day off on the right track with my omelet with turnip greens, chevre and chili.Ostrich Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Blackberry Sauce
This recipe is a good example of the pure, honest flavors that Landgoed Mariënwaerdt, a well-known Dutch country estate, is renowned for. Ostrich is a great alternative to most fatty festive foods, because it has all the beefy flavor of red meat, but only 1/3 of the fat. The blackberry sauce makes the most of this lean meat, in much the same way...Roast Pigeon with Limburgian Apple Syrup Gravy
This recipe combines roast pigeon, -apples and -potatoes with Limburgian apple syrup. A superbly seasonal meal for the fall and winter months. If you're not mad for pigeon, these roast apples and apple syrup gravy works really well with pan seared duck, too. In fact, they'd taste wonderful with most game birds, venison and even pork.Puff Pastry Tarts with Hard Dutch Goat's Cheese, Leeks & Mushrooms
Puff pastry tarts are an easy way out when you want a savory pie but none of the hassle. I simply use pastry squares straight from the box and add the pan-softened veggies on top, before sliding it into a warm oven - what could be easier?Poached Salmon with Chive Sour Cream & Fresh Potato Salad
Salmon is native to Dutch rivers, and although not as abundant as they once were you can catch local Dutch salmon in our rivers today. While most of the salmon we eat in the Netherlands today is either farmed and/or imported, recipes for salmon has been appearing in Dutch cookbooks since at least 1514. This recipe makes a light and modern...Rendang Padang Recipe (Beef in Spicy Coconut Sauce)
Indonesian food is to the Dutch what Indian food is to the British. And, just like there are Mexican restaurants in almost every American city, Indonesian restaurants abound in the Netherlands. In fact, the Dutch have embraced the food of their former colony as their own and are more likely to take visitors to their country to an Indonesian...Roast Guinea Fowl with Tarragon & Dill Butter (Geroosterde Parelhoen met...
Guinea fowl, that African cousin of the chicken, tastes much milder than you might think and can be used as an interesting alternative to chicken. Its skin is yellower than that of a chicken and its flesh is darker, but its tasty meat is naturally high in protein and low in fat. Annointed with my tarragon and dill butter and drenched in a fresh...Stamppot Sla (Spring Salad Mash with a Runny Fried Egg)
Stamppot (Dutch vegetable mash) is usually considered a winter dish, but it was such a diet staple in bygone times that the Dutch used to eat it year round. Stamppot Sla is a Spring stamppot. It is made with spring-fresh butter lettuce ('Hollandse kropsla').Steamed Asparagus with Ham, Egg, Potatoes & Butter Sauce
Most traditional Dutch recipes call for white asparagus to be poached or steamed and served with melted butter or hollandaise, chopped boiled eggs, ham and boiled new potatoes. My updated version of this old-fashioned recipe puts the microwave to good use, cutting down on time and dishes.Telor Besengek Recipe (Eggs in Coconut Sauce)
I was intrigued by this recipe from Boekoe Kita, because I couldn't quite imagine eggs and coconut working together, but I assure you, it does so dreamily. The tender yellow yolks of the boiled eggs melt together with the creamy coconut sauce, and when combined with fluffy, white rice, this is the ultimate in comfort food. What's more, this dish is wonderfully economical and is sure to please vegetarian guests.Zuurkoolstamppot met Spek (Sauerkraut & Potato Mash with Bacon)
This old-fashioned hotchpotch with sauerkraut, potatoes and bacon is wintry and warming. Due to its high vitamin C content, sauerkraut has long been viewed as a vital source of vitamin C during cold Dutch winters. Nowadays, however, we eat 'zuurkoolstamppot' because we crave its sweet-sour-salty flavor.White Winter Vegetable Mash with Sausages (Stamppotje van Witte Wintergroente...
I have already included a recipe for this perfectly pale puree of parsnips, turnip rooted parsley, celeriac root and jerusalem artichokes in my section of side dishes, but topped with a fresh sausage or two and served with gravy, this makes a vitamin-packed main meal for fall and winter.
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