Cooking with the Leiden International Centre: Food to Survive the Dutch Weather
Cold winds and gray skies call for one thing: the warmth of homemade food. We asked our team members to share their favorite recipes for this time of year!
And the cherry on top? You don’t have to be a kitchen master to make them, simple ingredients and a little love are all you need to create something delicious.
Michelle's Lasagna alla Bolognese
Sunday’s lasagna is Michelle’s favourite way to wrap up the week. Because really, what’s better than a warm, comforting plate of earthy lasagna to lift your spirits? And the best part… it’s easier to make than it looks!
🍝 Ingredients
- Dried or fresh lasagna sheets (circa 2 boxes)
- 300gr of minced meat (can be substituted with a veggie alternative)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stocks celery
- 1 onion
- 1l vegetable stock (bouillon)
- 600gr tomato sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 glass red wine
- 500gr bechamel
- 500gr shredded mozzarella
- Parmesan to taste
👩🍳 Instructions
- Sauté chopped carrots, onion, and celery in a bit of oil. Add minced meat (or a veggie substitute) and a splash of wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add tomato sauce and approximately 1 litre of vegetable broth. Let it simmer for at least two hours, until it thickens. Stir from time to time to prevent it from sticking!
- Then comes the last step, layering! Start with a layer of tomato sauce, then lasagna sheets. Add bechamel, more sauce, mozzarella… and repeat until your tray is full.
- Sprinkle some parmesan on the top and bake at 180°C for 40–50 minutes.
- Poke it with a fork if its soft then its ready!
There you go, your warm, cosy lasagna to brighten even the gloomiest day!
Gwen's Pumpkin Pancakes
Looking for the perfect breakfast for a rainy day? Gwen’s cosy favourite comes straight from home: her mom’s pumpkin pancakes. Quick, easy, and packed with flavour - the best way to start a chilly morning.
🥞 Ingredients
- Pumpkin
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp melted butter or olive oil
👩🍳 Instructions
- Peel, seed, and dice a pumpkin, then boil until soft. Mash it up!
- Mix in a bowl all the ingredients, including the pumpkin and if you like it add cinnamon, nutmeg, or raisins for extra flavour.
- Cook in a lightly oiled pan until golden on both sides.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Ruth's Red Wine Beef Stew
For Ruth, nothing beats a steaming plate of her homemade beef stew (stoofpot), slowly simmered in rich red wine to warm both the body and the soul on a gloomy, rainy day. Every bite reminds her of comfort, family, and the little joys that make the cold weather feel a bit brighter.
🍷 Ingredients
- 6 small shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 carrots, halved and cut into chunks (feel free to add extra veggies or pulses)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 900g braising beef
- 2 tsp corn flour (optional, for thickening)
- ½ small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- Red wine
👩🍳 Instructions
- Peel and chop the shallots. Cook them in oil until soft and fragrant, either in a pan or directly in your slow cooker.
- While the shallots cook, cut your beef into chunks. Sear in a hot pan until browned all over.
- Add the beef and shallots to your slow cooker. Stir in the carrots, tomato purée, bay leaves, stock cubes, and your chosen amount of red wine. Top up with boiling water just enough to cover the ingredients (don’t overfill).
- Let time do the work: cooking times vary based on the slow cooker you have. If you have a pressure cooker, 30 minutes will do its trick.
- Taste it and if it's too bitter add a teaspoon of sugar.
- If you’d like a richer sauce, mix corn flour with a splash of cold water to make a paste. Stir in 2 tbsp of stew liquid, then put it in the pot and cook for another 10 minutes until thickened.
Grab a plate and dive in!
Sibilla's Pasta with Lentils
This is Sibilla’s go-to for the cold rainy days, like the ones we’ve had recently here in Leiden. The intense taste and the warm feeling make her immediately feel at home, back in Milano.
The recipe is simple, “I do not love spending long time cooking - but love eating!” Sibilla says.
🍲Ingredients
- 200g lentils (cooked)
- 140g small pasta (ex. macaroni)
- ½ onion
- 1 carrot
- 125 g pancetta (Dutch spekreepjes are also good!)
- Salt
- Olive oil
👩🍳 Instructions
- Chop up the carrot and onion and brown them with a bit of oil in a large non-sticking pot. Add the pancetta and let it cook until it releases most of its fat.
- Mix in the lentils and pour in enough hot water to cover everything. If you like, stir in a spoonful of tomato paste and season with salt. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then toss the pasta and cook until tender.
- You might have to pour some water to allow the pasta to cook evenly and avoid sticking to the pot. Sibilla prefers to let it simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, giving it a thick, creamy consistency.
- Serve with some olive oil and lots of parmigiano.
Buon appetito!
