Split pea soup - winter soup

It's that time again....Temperatures are dropping and getting closer to the freezing point, wind is getting harsher and rain seems to be here all day. Time to make split pea soup, a thick, hearty soup/meal that'll get the coming winter out of your head. This soup can be served as a meal with some bread, there's quite some meat in it.

Ingredients:

• 500gr. split peas
• 200gr. thick,smoked bacon. Cut in chunks
• 1 cooked smoked sausage; +/- 250gr. Cut in rings
• 1 small, smoked ham hock
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 leeks, chopped in rings

Melt a big knob of butter in a large pan and fruit the onions. Clean the leeks under running water and add it to the onions. Let it fruit together with the onions for a minute or 2. Add the split peas. Normally you should let the peas soak in water overnight but I just add them to the soup and let all that simmer for about 2 hours, comes out nicely.

Submerge completely, ham hock also

When you've added the peas to the pan you put as much water in the pan untill all is submerged. Put in the ham hock and the bacon, bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 hours.

Take out the ham hock and most of the bacon, not easy but you don't need to get it all out, leave some in the pan. Mix the soup untill you get a thick silky soup. Taste and season with pepper and salt.

Cut up the ham hock in bitesize pieces and add to the soup again together with the bacon. I usually let this rest overnight to get an even more intense taste.

You'll notice that this will turn into a thick, puree-like soup after a night so you'll need to add hot water to make it more liquid. 

Add the sliced smoked sausages, let it warm up for another 8-10 minutes and serve with some golden croutons.

You'll be warmed up under a minute! ;)

Enjoy,

Kev

Organs and stuff @Viva m'Boma

One of the most lively neighbourhoods in Brussels when it comes to restaurants is the St.Catherine area, around the place Sainte-Catherine and surrounding streets. Situated in the heart of Brussels it offers a taste for every hungry soul. Whether  you're craving Indonesian, Vietnamese, Italian, Thai or French dishes, gourmet dining  or just a plat-du-jour you'll surely find it here! Choices enough!

One of the restaurants that's been here for a couple of years now(6 - 7?) is Viva m'boma. They started back then with a menu offering the not so popular or more forgotten cuts/pieces of meat, in specific organ meat.

Nowadays organ meat has won popularity again and the resto is widely known for this.

The interior is beautiful, dominated by white and black accents, making you think you're entering a Brasserie in Paris. Nice white tiles on the wall and a view into the kitchen in the back.

On the menu:

• Poached  veal brain with tartare sauce
• Pig's trotters
• Sweetbreads
• Kidney's
• Cow's udder
• Oxtail with creamy mash

It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it surely is mine.If you're not into organs, there's allways something on the menu for the more 'difficult' people ;)

The chef really knows how to prepare these delicate dishes, serving them with plenty of taste. The veal brain I had for instance was poached to perfection and served with a freshly made tangy tartare sauce that gave it just the kick it needed.

The main dish I had  was the plat-du-jour, a generous serving of 2 slabs of juicy meatloaf with a potatoe and endives mash...Delish!!!

I had to skip dessert due to the generous serving and sticked to a coffee. Oh well, there's allways a next time!

Enjoy,

Kev

Café-restaurant de la forêt -Overijse/Jezus-Eik

If you're looking for some easy, good value for money brasserie food and you happen to be in the neighbourhood of Overijse/Jezus-Eik/Tervuren then this is the place to go. Offering a wide variety of brasserie classics as there are; cheese croquettes, mushroom toast, eels in green sauce, côte a l'os, dame blanche and many more...

+ an often changing suggestion board.
















Toast Champignons - baked mushrooms on toasted bread

Escargot a la bourguignon - Snails in a garlic sauce

Delicious Mort Subite Geuze on draft -  Ideal to work up an appetite!

 Entrecôte nature bleu chaud - medium rare prime rib

 

The waiters are allways friendly and will adress you in 'Brussels', a language somewhere between French and Dutch. Athmosphere is lively and decoration is authentic brasserie style, don't expect  any Pinto here!

Golden brown crispy french fries with Vol-au-vent and my daughter's smile ;)

 And don't leave without having some nice dessert like ;

Profiterolles with chocolat sauce

Cheesecake with speculoos and red fruit coulis

Warm apple pie with vanilla icecream

Prices are all reasonable for the good quality you get so please,......

Enjoy,

Kev