Tag: vegetarian

For the Love of Pumpkins

29 October 2026

Until January 17th 2027 on view in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is the retrospective of Yayoi Kusama, one of the most influential and pioneering artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. She was born in 1929 in Matsumoto (Japan). As a child she began painting pumpkins, dots, flowers and patterns. The dots transformed into her famous polka dots, the net of self-obliteration. Pumpkins continued to inspire her throughout her life. In 2015 she said in an interview “I love pumpkins because of their humorous form, warm feeling, and a human-like quality”.

This is a comprehensive video about Yayoi Kusama and this article provides background information about her pumpkins.

Eating pumpkins was perhaps not something Yayoi Kusama would do, but we simply love them. In autumn they bring warmth and comfort to the table. Both dishes are made with kabocha, the Japanese pumpkin.

Pumpkin Soup (with Kabocha) ©cadwu
Pumpkin Soup

A vegetarian soup made with kombu dashi, meaning its basis is made with dried kelp only. Soy sauce is added to the soup, bringing saltiness and umami, which combines very well with the exceptional sweetness of the pumpkin and the mirin. You could prepare the soup with an unpeeled kabocha, but we love the intense orange colour of the inside.

Pumpkin with Shrimps

The shrimps are marinated in sake for a few hours and then fried. The pumpkin is simmered in dashi with tentsuyu and mirin. The pan is deglazed with dashi, mirin and tentsuyu. The shrimps are coated with the sauce and served with three slices of kabocha and pickled cucumber.

Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) with Shrimps ©cadwu

Pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama - Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama - Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Zucchini and Feta Quiche

22 October 2026

A few weeks ago we saw a quiche with rolled up zucchini. Beautiful! An additional benefit from rolling up the zucchini is that its taste is more present in the quiche, compared to adding (round) slices of zucchini to the filling. The recipe was published (in German) by Amalie. She bases her recipe on one by Geraldine.

Feta is a white, brined cheese made in Greece, from sheep’s milk, or a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Feta is salty, crumbly and tangy. It doesn’t completely melt, which is great when using it in a pie. Feta is essential when making a Greek salad or Spanakopita. It combines very well with olives, olive oil and oregano.

Zucchini is used in Greece for various dishes, for instance zucchini chips (thinly sliced zucchini, coated with a thin batter, and then fried) and zucchini fritters (made with grated zucchini and feta)

Combining zucchini, feta and fresh oregano makes a lot of sense. The aromatic character of fresh oregano goes very well with the sweetness and light bitterness of the zucchini. Feta’s saltiness and sharpness is balanced with oregano’s hint of earthiness, pepper and citrus.

Drink Pairing

Serve as a starter with a glass of unoaked, fresh and fruity white wine. We enjoyed a Pinot Grigio made by Tenute SalvaTerra in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region, north of Verona.

What You Need
  • For the Pastry (15 cm or 6 in springform cake tin)
    • 100 grams of Flour
    • 50 grams of Water
    • 10 grams of Olive Oil
    • 1 teaspoon of fresh Oregano
    • 1 gram of Salt
  • For the Filling
    • 1 organic Zucchini
    • 125 grams of Feta
    • 2 organic Eggs
    • 50 grams Double Cream
    • 30 grams of Crème Fraîche
    • 1 teaspoon (or more!) of fresh Oregano
    • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Combine flour, oregano and salt
  2. Add water and olive oil
  3. Kneed for a minute or so and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
  4. Preheat your oven to 180˚ C or 355˚ F
  5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface
  6. Coat a 15 cm or 6 inch round springform cake tin with oil
  7. Place the dough in the baking form
  8. Use a fork to make small holes in the pastry
  9. Line the pastry with parchment paper or aluminium foil, add baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Best is to use the second level of the oven rack, so just below the central one
  10. Remove the beans and the paper or foil
  11. Leave the pie shell in the oven for 5 minutes
  12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
  13. Wash the zucchini
  14. Use a kitchen knife to slice into thin ribbons
  15. Crumble some feta on each zucchini ribbon, add a touch of black pepper and roll it up
  16. Arrange the zucchini rolls in the blind baked pie-shell
  17. Combine eggs, cream, crème fraîche and oregano
  18. Pour the mixture over the zucchini, making sure it’s evenly distributed
  19. Transfer to the oven for 30-40 minutes on 180˚ C or 355˚ F, same level as earlier
  20. Immediately after having removed the pie from the oven, brush the outside with olive oil. This will intensify the colour of the pastry
  21. Let cool and enjoy lukewarm (65˚ C or 150˚ F)
Zucchini and Feta Quiche ©cadwu with lots of fresh oregano, creamn and eggs and with a quick pastry
Zucchini and Feta Quiche ©cadwu

Pea and Mint Soup

2 July 2026

We love refreshing chilled soups during summer. Could be gazpacho, could be avocado and cucumber soup or this classic. It’s delicious and uplifting when it’s really warm. Serve with crusted bread for a lovely, light starter.

What You Need
  • 1 small Shallot
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 400 ml of Vegetable Stock
  • 175 grams of (frozen) Peas
  • handful of fresh Mint
  • Lemon Juice
  • Black Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of Cream
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Chop the shallot, the garlic and the mint
  2. Heat the oil in a large pan
  3. Add shallot to the pan and glaze for a few minutes
  4. Add garlic to the pan and gently sauté for one or two minutes
  5. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil
  6. Add peas and reduce heat
  7. Leave for a few minutes until the peas are relatively soft
  8. Add mint and cream
  9. Allow to simmer for one or two minutes
  10. Add some lemon juice and black pepper
  11. Hand blender until smooth
  12. Taste and adjust (mint, lemon juice, black pepper)
  13. Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool
  14. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for three or more hours
  15. Spoon the soup into cold soup bowls and decorate with a sprig of mint
PS
  • Don’t overcook the peas. If you do, the soup will become too smooth and it will not be bright green.
  • You could add some olive oil just before serving and pulse with a hand blender. This will give the soup a velvety, rich feel plus it will make the taste more complex.
Pea and Mint Soup ©cadwu with lemon juice, vegetable stock, shallot, garlic and cream, to be served cold
Pea and Mint Soup ©cadwu

Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms

4 June 2026

The aromas and flavours of Mapo Tofu are powerful, also thanks to the use of Sichuan pepper. It gives the dish a floral, citrusy touch. The combination of silky, soft tofu with ground pork, Chili Bean sauce and scallions is very rich. It’s a delicious, heart-warming dish.
In this version we replace the meat with mushrooms (Wood Ear turned out to be the best choice, but Shiitake will also be fine). We think it’s a lighter, equally tasty but different, version of Mapo Tofu.

Sichuan pepper is not related to black pepper or chili. It’s actually not spicy. It causes a pleasant numbing sensation on your tongue and lips, for a few minutes only, which is surprisingly nice when eating spicy food. We recommend lightly toasting the peppers before grinding or crushing them.

Serving Mapo Tofu with rice is a great idea. Or enjoy it with some Bok Choy (Pak Choi) simmered in a combination of oyster and soy sauce.

Drink Pairing

Jasmine tea is an obvious choice. It has a nice aroma and floral taste. The combination with the spices and the Sichuan pepper works really well.

What You Need
  • 100 grams of fresh Wood Ear (or 25 grams dried Wood Ear)
  • 300 grams of Silken Tofu
  • 100 ml Vegetarian Stock
  • 2 tablespoons light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin
  • 3 teaspoons Sesame Oil
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 small Onion
  • 1 Scallions
  • 3 teaspoons of chopped Fresh Ginger
  • ½ -1 tablespoon Chili Bean Sauce (Douban, Toban-Djan)
  • 1-2 teaspoons Black Bean Sauce (Douchi)
  • 1 teaspoon of Red Sichuan Pepper
  • Oil
  • Cornstarch
  • Rice
  • Pickled Spicy Cucumber
What You Do
  1. Toast the Sichuan peppers lightly in a non-stick pan
  2. Remove the peppers from the pan and let cool
  3. Pre-heat your oven to 65 °C or 150 °F
  4. Cook the rice according to the instruction on the package
  5. Chop the onion, the garlic and the fresh ginger
  6. Slice the scallions and separate the white from the green
  7. Clean and slice the mushrooms
  8. Slice the tofu and make cubes (2 cm, 1 inch)
  9. Warm the stock
  10. Add oil to the pan and fry the mushrooms
  11. After a few minutes, add soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil
  12. Combine and leave to simmer for a few minutes
  13. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven
  14. Grind the Sichuan peppers coarsely
  15. Add oil to the pan
  16. Fry the white part of the scallions, the onion, the garlic and the ginger
  17. Add the chili bean sauce and fry. Enjoy the aromas!
  18. Add half of the grounded Sichuan pepper
  19. Add the stock, the tofu, the mushrooms and the black bean sauce
  20. Use a spatula to mix
  21. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so until the sauce is nicely reduced and the flavours mixed
  22. In the meantime, finely crush the remaining Sichuan pepper
  23. Use cornstarch to create the right consistency
  24. Just before serving sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and the green of the scallions.
  25. Add spicy pickled cucumber to the rice
  26. Assemble and serve
Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms ©cadwu made with wood ear and Sichuan pepper
Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms ©cadwu

Orecchiette with Zucchini and Parsley

12 March 2026

How about a delicious, vegetarian starter, one that is easy to make and requires only a handful of ingredients? It combines orecchiette, zucchini (courgette), parsley, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Parsley is often used, as decoration, to add a touch of green to a dish. Which is such a pity, because parsley is not just a bit of green: it’s a delicate herb. In this dish it’s crucial: you will taste its slight bitterness and its peppery notes. At the same time, it enhances the flavour of the zucchini and it brings everything together. 
Pasta-wise we think orecchiette is perfect for this dish. The ‘ears’ allow you to taste everything in the dish, with every bite.

Wine Pairing

We suggest a white wine with the orecchiette with zucchini and parsley, for instance from the Lazio region in Italy. In general a light, refreshing wine with hints of green apple and citrus.
We enjoyed a glass of Prima Luna Frascati. This is a white wine made by Mauro Merz with malvasia bianca di candia and trebbiano grapes. Its freshness matched very well with the various flavours of the dish and, obviously, with the parsley!

What You Need
  • Zucchini
  • Flat Leave Parsley
  • Orecchiette
  • Olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Wash the zucchini. Don’t peel. Chop (think of the size of the orecchiette)
  2. Chop the parsley
  3. Grate Parmesan cheese
  4. Heat a skillet, add olive oil and gently warm the zucchini; no colouring needed
  5. In parallel cook the orecchiette accoding to the instruction
  6. A few minutes before the orecchiette is ready, add half of the parsley to the zucchini, combine
  7. When the orecchiette is al dente, drain but keep some of the cooking liquid
  8. Add the orecchiette to the pan with zucchini and parsley
  9. Add some black pepper and combine
  10. Check if you’re happy with the result, feel free to add cooking liquid, olive oil and/or black pepper
  11. Serve on hot plates, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Orecchiette with Zucchini and Parsley ©cadwu is a great vegetarian starter that pays tribute to all ingredients, including the parsley.
Orecchiette with Zucchini and Parsley ©cadwu

Mushroom Balls

6 March 2025

We were asked to prepare a vegetarian main dish for a buffet style dinner. We immediately knew what we wanted to cook: mushroom balls and oven baked vegetables. Tasty and colourful. Could we make it gluten free? Which in this case means not adding breadcrumbs to the mushroom mixture, so we needed to think about an alternative. We tried well cooked rice, but that didn’t do the trick. Next idea was to blender the rice and make a very sticky paste. It did what we hoped it would do: the mushrooms balls are firm, but not dense. Great! Plus, they go very well with the vegetables!

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of French Malbec with the Mushroom Balls. In general you’re looking for a long, full bodied red wine, smooth, with hints of berries and ripe dark fruit.

What You Need
  • 25 grams of dried Porcini
  • 150 grams of fresh Mushrooms (Button Mushrooms, Shiitake)
  • 1 Shallot
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 sprig of fresh Oregano
  • 2 sprigs of Thyme
  • 1 sprig of Rosemary
  • 1 sprig of Sage
  • 40 grams of Rice
  • ½ beaten Egg
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Boil the rice in water (with a pinch of salt) or in vegetable stock for 40 minutes. The rice should be thoroughly cooked.
  2. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and check for sand.
  3. Chop the shallot and fry in oil until translucent.
  4. Clean the fresh mushrooms, chop, add to the pan and fry on a higher heat.
  5. When the mushrooms are somewhat fried, add the chopped garlic for five minutes. Be careful not to colour the garlic.
  6. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.
  7. Chop the soaked mushrooms. Add to the mixture.
  8. Use a kitchen knife to chop all herbs and then add these to the mixture.
  9. Blender half of the rice until it’s a sticky paste.
  10. Add remaining rice, paste and a relatively large amount of pepper to the mixture.
  11. Beat ½ egg and grate a generous amount of Parmesan Cheese.
  12. Add cheese and egg to the mixture.
  13. Pulse with a blender. The mixture should have granularity.
  14. Taste and add pepper and/or Parmesan if necessary.
  15. Allow the mixture to cool and transfer to the refrigerator.
  16. Preheat the oven to 180 °C or 355 °F.
  17. Use your hands to make balls, line a rack with baking paper and place the balls on the paper.
  18. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the balls are slightly coloured and firm.
  19. Allow to cool and leave for a few hours at room temperature.
  20. Preheat oven to 160 °C or 320 °F.
  21. Bake mixed, chopped vegetables (beetroot, parsnips, sweet potato, potato, butternut squash, parsley root, kohlrabi) by placing them in a large oven dish with plenty of olive oil and sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram in the oven for 20 minutes under aluminium foil at 160 °C or 320 °F and then 15-20 minutes at 180 °C or 355 °F without foil.
  22. Warm the mushroom balls in the oven in a separate oven dish.
  23. Combine just before serving.
  24. If gluten are okay, use half the rice (no need to make the sticky paste) and add breadcrumbs. The mixture will firmer and drier, so perhaps use 1 egg.
PS

This recipe is for two. The picture shows the result of the recipe times 2.

 
Mushroom Balls ©cadwu
Mushroom Balls ©cadwu

Helianthus with Blue Cheese

30 January 2025

Always fun to shop at our organic supermarket and see what forgotten vegetables they have. This week they offered oca, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus Tuberoses), parsnip, black radish and helianthus, which was new to us. We bought a few of the helianthus roots and when at home we started thinking about ways to prepare them. Both Jerusalem artichoke and the helianthus roots are a touch sweet and nutty. A purée perhaps? We then noticed a recipe for a tartelette with blue cheese. Great idea, but not so sure about the combination with pastry. After a few minutes we came up with the recipe below. The helianthus roots are creamier than the Jerusalem artichokes and this worked very well in the combination with blue cheese and crème fraîche.The dish is rich with a touch of freshness.

Wine Pairing

In general, we suggest a full bodied, well balanced red wine, with aromas of black fruit, perhaps liquorice and with supple tannins. 

What You Need
  • Roots of the Helianthus Strumosus
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Roquefort
What You Do

Clean the roots and cook in boiling water for perhaps 5 minutes. They become soft very quickly. Drain and let cool. In parallel use a fork to combine equal parts of crème fraîche and Roquefort. Slice the roots and combine with the mixture. Place in ramekins and transfer to the oven at 200 °C or 390 °F for a few minutes, until hot and golden. You can also place them under the grill for a few minutes.

PS

Interested? Find out more about forgotten vegetables!

More PS

As Dorothy suggested (see below) it’s a great idea to fry or roast them with onions. We also added some garlic. Delicious!

Helianthus Roots ©cadwu
Helianthus with Blue Cheese ©cadwu

Mushrooms and Miso

23 January 2025

Shiitake is becoming more and more available. It has a unique flavour, savoury, meaty, earthy and it is rich in umami. The name is a combination of shii (a tree native to Japan and Korea, also known as the Japanese Chinquapin) and take (meaning mushroom, as in matsutake and maitake). The mushroom grows on decaying wood, not only on shii but also on other trees such as oaks and chestnuts. It’s fun to buy a shiitake log and grow your own mushrooms. 
In this dish we combine shiitake and oyster mushrooms. These two have very different structures, which adds value to the dish.

Wine Pairing

Enjoy your Mushrooms with Miso with a lightly oaked chardonnay. The oakiness of the wine will match well with the umami and miso flavours. The richness of the chardonnay will be very nice with the mushrooms.

What You Need
  • 100 grams Shiitake
  • 100 grams Oyster Mushrooms
  • Fresh Ginger
  • One Garlic Clove
  • One Scallion
  • Miso
  • Mirin
  • Soy Sauce (light)
  • Olive Oil
  • Black pepper
What You Do

Remove the stem of the shiitake, slice the caps and tear the oyster mushrooms. Fry in olive oil. Add thinly sliced white of the scallion. Add chopped garlic. Combine a teaspoon of miso with one tablespoon of mirin and one tablespoon of light soy sauce. If using thicker soy sauce, add some water. Mix and taste. It should be both salty and umami. Add some of the mixture to the mushroom. Coat the mushrooms with the miso mixture. Add more mixture if required. Be careful, you don’t want a sauce. When ready to serve add some black pepper, freshly grated ginger, the thinly sliced green of the scallion. Combine and serve. 

PS

Don’t throw the stems away! Simply add them to a pan with water, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for 30-60 minutes. Strain and store the broth. It freezes well.

Mushrooms and Miso ©cadwu
Shiitake ©Sharon Mollerus

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

9 January 2025

It’s the time of year to enjoy simple, seasonal, rich and flavourful food, for instance spicy pumpkin soup. The trick in this case is in the coconut milk or cream. Coconut milk contains something like 15 grams of fat per 100ml. For this soup you need 25+ grams of fat per 100ml. The fat enhances the coconut flavour and it combines very well with the spicy and aromatic character of the soup (ginger, chili, djeroek poeroet).

What You Need (for 4)
  • Small Pumpkin
  • Large Shallot
  • 2 large Garlic Cloves
  • 4 cm Fresh Ginger
  • Chili Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • 8 leaves of Djeroek Poeroet  
  • Coconut Cream
  • Cilantro
What You Do

Wash the pumpkin and chop. If the pumpkin is organic, then you don’t need to peel it. Peel and chop the shallot, garlic and the ginger. Ground dried chili pepper. Gently fry the shallot in olive oil. Add chilli pepper. Add ginger. Stir, mix and add pumpkin. Stir and add garlic. Now add the vegetable stock, the djeroek poeroet and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. If the pumpkin is soft, remove the djeroek poeroet and blender the mixture. Taste and adjust. Add 6 spoons of coconut cream, 1 by 1, mix and taste. When you’re happy with the flavours, leave the soup on low heat for 15 minutes. Serve with lots of chopped cilantro.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup ©cadwu
Spicy Pumpkin Soup ©cadwu

Asparagus with Chervil

6 June 2024

One of the classic ways of serving asparagus is à la Flamande (Op Vlaamse wijze) with melted butter, boiled eggs, parsley and nutmeg. The mixture of melted butter and egg is like a sauce, delicious with the asparagus. In this case we add lots of chopped chervil to the mixture of melted butter and eggs, making it a light combination of bitter, crunchy and sweet (the asparagus) and velvety, anise-flavoured and savory (the mixture).

Wine Pairing

Serve the asparagus with a dry, white wine, for instance a glass of Silvaner produced by the German Winery Thörle. The wine comes with freshness, some acidity, minerality and fruit (pear, green apples). Excellent with our asparagus. A dry muscat will also be perfect.
We decided to take a different approach and balance the lightness in the dish with a Portuguese white wine, made from chardonnay grapes and aged for 4 months in oak barrels. It is produced by Casa Ermelinda, a winery some 20 kilometers south of Lisbon in the Setúbal region with over 550 hectares of vineyards and 29 different grape varieties. The barrel aged chardonnay is Intense and comes with a complex bouquet of exotic fruits. The wine is balanced, fresh, elegant and long..

What You Need

  • 4 Asparagus per person
  • 2 Eggs
  • Chervil
  • Butter
  • White Pepper

What You Do

We use our Russel and Hobbs food steamer to prepare the asparagus. An essential kitchen aid for only 50 euro or US dollar. 
Clean and peel the asparagus. Put butter in a cup. Steam them for 10+5+5 minutes. After 10 minutes add the eggs to the steamer basket. After 5 minutes, turn the eggs upside down and place the cup in the steamer basket. Another 5 minutes later everything is ready. Chop the chervil. Peel the egg and mash with a fork, creating a ‘mimosa’ of egg. Combine mimosa and chervil. Add some white pepper. Add the butter to the mixture and combine. Spoon the egg mixture on top of the asparagus.

Asparagus a la Flamande ©cadwu
Asparagus with Chervil ©cadwu