Easy as pie 6: Belgian Endives Pie with smoked salmon

For those of you who may not be aware: "Witloof Chicory (also called Belgian Endive) denotes the blanched, tight heads produced by forcing (or growing in the darkness) the big mature chicory roots in forcing structures." (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/endive.html).

Some people don't like Belgian Endives (witloof) because of the slightly bitter taste. There are ways of preparing it that make it taste less bitter. I've always loved the taste, even as a small child. Both of my children do, too, luckily (of course that may still change ;-)). 

One day, my 3-year-old daughter asked me to make a vegetable pie with Belgian Endives. One of my favourite ways to eat Witloof is with smoked salmon (instead of the traditional ham) and cheese sauce. So putting smoked salmon and cheese in the pie seemed the way to go. The children and I love this pie (husband is not a big fan of Belgian endives), so we hope you'll like it, too!

Belgian Endives Pie with smoked salmon

• 1 puff pastry pie base (supermarket)
• small bunch of chives, finely chopped
• 5 stumps Belgian endive (witloof), chopped
• 200 g smoked salmon, in small strips
• 60 g grated Parmesan cheese
• 60 g grated (old) Gouda cheese
• 150 g cottage cheese
• 1,5 dl condensed milk, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of cayenne pepper and/or nutmeg
• salt and pepper

- Fry the chopped endive in a little butter in a pan until they are rather dry. Add some cayenne pepper and/or nutmeg.

- Preheat the oven to 200° C of 180°C for a fan-assisted oven. Beat the eggs and mix them with the cottage cheese, flour and condensed milk.

- Add the chives, parmesan, Belgian Endives and smoked salmon.

- Put the pie base in a (silicone) baking tin, pour in the filling, sprinkle with the grated Gouda cheese and put in the oven for 15 to 20 mins. 

Enjoy!

Easy as pie 3: Zucchini, peas & salmon quiche

Since both of my children love to eat salmon, I invented this quiche for them. It's delicious!

Zucchini, peas & salmon quiche

Serves 4

• 1 puff pastry pie base (from the supermarket)
• 1 (green) zucchini (peeled and sliced)
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas (the sweetest you can find)
• 2 salmon fillets (in cubes)
• a handful of  grated cheese (I think I used gruyere cheese)
• 150 g cottage cheese
• 1,5 dl condensed milk (unsweetened)
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• olive oil
• tsp of dill
• (salt) & pepper

- Briefly steam or fry the zucchini slices (4 or 5 mins). They should still be crunchy, as you still have to put it in the oven. Season with dill and salt and pepper to taste.

- Cook the peas briefly in boiling water until they start 'floating'.

- Preheat the oven to 200°C (or 180°C for a fan assisted oven). Beat the 2 eggs and mix them with the cottage cheese, the flour and the condensed milk.

- Put the pie base in a quiche or pie pan (I tend to use a regular silicone pie pan, which means I have to 'fold' the dough a bit at the sides.)

- Now put the zucchini on top of the pie base. You can just throw it in and spread it out a bit, or you can create nice circles with it, that's what I do ;-). Then add the raw cubes or slices of salmon and decorate with the peas.

- Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

- Pour the egg 'mixture' on top of the vegetables and put it in the oven for 15 - 20 mins.

Enjoy!

Rice Salad with salmon, sweet chili-lemon sauce & peas

This is an ideal lunch for daytrips. I like to prepare it in the morning, put it in a Tupperware bowl and take it with me, but you could also prepare it the day before and put it in the fridge.

Rice salad with salmon, sweet chili lemon sauce & peas

Serves 4

• 4 fillets of salmon
• 125 ml Thai sweet chili sauce
• 60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup of boiled rice (preferably still hot)
• 1 cup of boiled peas (or more, and/or sugarsnap peas)

 - Put the salmon in an ovendish and season with pepper and/or salt to taste. Mix the sweet chilisauce with the lemon juice and pour it over the salmon fillet.

- Pre-heat the oven to 250°C or 220°C for a fan-assisted oven and leave the salmon in it for 5 to 6 minutes. Mix the fish and the chilisauce with the peas and/or sugarsnaps and chill for a couple of hours.

The salmon is also very nice as a hot dish, served with rice and spinach (and then you could replace the lemon juice with lime juice, as well).

(Dutch recipe available on demand)