All posts tagged: spices

Pumpkin and apricot tajine

We have several pumpkinplants in our veg allotment and harvested the first pumpkin (squash)! And there are plenty to follow, in different shapes and sizes. We also have zucchinis, carrots, green beans (haricots), potatoes, parsley and cilantro in our garden. Perfect match for a North African stew or tajine! Ingredients pumpkin and apricot tajine – vegan A tajine, or large (wok)pan with lid (see below) one small zucchini, chopped coursely 4 tbs olive oil 1 onion, chopped finely 2 cloves minced garlic 2,5cm (1inch) grated ginger 1/2 ts cumin 1/2 ts turmeric 1 ts powdered paprika 1/2 ts cayenne pepper 1 ts cinnamon 1 medium sized squash, chopped in pieces 2 potatoes, chopped in pieces 2 to 4 carrots 125g haricots 175g dried apricots, chopped 3,5dl veg bouillon 2 ts tomato purée 1 can (400g) chick peas, drained 2 ts grated lemon zest 2 tbs chopped parsley 2 tbs chopped cilantro salt & pepper fresh cilantro, for garnish Preparation Boil the zucchini 10 min. Drain, let cool and mash. Set aside Heat the olive oil, bake the onions for 5-7 …

De Olijfboom (The Olive Tree), shop Bruges

Shop review #4 – De Olijfboom (The Olive Tree) is a small shop close to ‘t Zand. The place is packed with spices, chutneys, salts, a selection of Japanese products, vanille (from many different countries), a wide variety of olive oils and more. And not the regular brands that are available in other shops, but rare and exclusive specialities. At least, we think they are rare, because we haven’t seen any of their products available anywhere else and the owner gave us information on the exclusiveness of some of the brands. It’s not an all vegan shop (eg some of the Japanese products contain fish), but a lot of the products are commonly used in vegan cooking. The owner told us the majority of De Olijfboom’s clientele are restaurants and catering businesses, and there is a selection of their business cards stalled inside the shop. Among which Michelin star restaurants like Hof van Cleve*** (Kruishoutem, 53km from Bruges). There’s a wide selection of olive oils available, bottled, but also tapped: We bought two different types …

Zaboer Asian Food, shop Bruges

Shop review #1 – After our restaurant visit to restaurant Chang Ton Thai (review will follow) we accidentally stumbled upon this Asian shop just around the corner, next to ‘t Zand: Zaboer Asian Food. Quite a surprise, also because it was still open at 21:30 (which is quite unusual for shops in Belgium, most close at about 6 or 7 pm). UPDATE: see below! It’s not very big, but has some specialities which are not so common to find, and may interest vegans: a wide variety of dried beans and lentils, some brands of coconutmilk that I’ve never seen before, and a good collection of spices and herbs (eg, I saw different kinds of kardemon pods, which are not so commonly available in regular shops around here). A bit messy and untidy place though, not all items were clearly labelled. Also noticed some items which were past their expiry date, eg a tiny flacon of coconut extract (yeah! never found this before!) which was a bit overdue, and as such I got it for free, thanks! …