Author Archives: Amanda Dews

As part of the restrictions here in the Netherlands I have fallen out of practice of planning for meals. I have one daughter back at school full time and my eldest has just started back four half days each week. For lockdown I stocked the fridge with food they could grab for lunch but IContinue reading “Time to overhaul the fridge!”

We love Mexican food and am trying my hand at making burrito bowls. I have to admit the name throws me a little because burrito’s are wraps filled with Mexican foodie goodness and using a bowl instead in my mind means the burrito is left at the back door but let’s go with it. IContinue reading “Burrito Bowls”

Every week I face the battle of the fish dish. My girls like salmon with peri-peri seasoning and my youngest would eat that every week if I let her and my husband loves fish but hates the smell of the kitchen/house after we have cooked it and so each week I try to find aContinue reading “Mustardy mackerel, spinach and spuds”

For my second soup selection for the family I found this recipe in Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen cook book. I like butternut squash but sometimes find the soups a little sweet so am hoping the lemongrass and chilli will help balance out the flavour. I will be cooking this later in the week so will updateContinue reading “Soups: 2.Thai Butternut Squash Soup”

The Autumn months are upon us and when the rain starts to pour and the sky is grey I start hankering after comfort and warmth and all things hygge which I find easily in a steaming bowl of soup. Unfortunately my daughters are not as impressed when I announce soup is on the menu andContinue reading “Soups: 1. Minestrone with orecchiette and barlotti beans”

Normally I will make a beef stew when I see that the weather is getting a bit bleak and we need to be cheered up, as stew and dumplings has to be one of my husbands all time favourite dishes. The recipe below is a general guide as I chop and change it depending onContinue reading “Beef Stew”

One of the clearest memories I have of my Grandma from being a child was of her making scones. Watching her mix the ingredients together then adding the raisins and then cutting them into squares, a quick egg wash and straight in the oven. Her scones always turned out perfect and I am always comparingContinue reading “Buttermilk Scones”

A couple of month back my daughter’s friend came to dinner and cooked a lovely potato and tomato curry. To go with it I decided to try my hand a chapatis which I found really easy to make, even if the first few turned out a bit thin and tortilla-ish. Since then I love anyContinue reading “Buttermilk Flatbread”

I love picking up random books at the airport. This is one of the things I am missing most with coronavirus and not travelling. My rules for selecting the books are simple: They can’t be chicklit or a new fictional release. Or the book has to be one that I generally would not pick up.Continue reading “Is Universe is sending a message?”

This is a perfect recipe for those days when you need something quick and easy. You will notice on my photo that I have loads of black olives and mozzarella, my daughters love them and would happily pick them out of the bowl as soon as my back is turned. In fact this evening IContinue reading “Summer Pesto Pasta”