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Isa's kitchen - Healthy food for gourmands – simple & pure ingredients – delicious & energizing meals – funny experimenting - new tastes - organic - vegan - veggies - balanced foods - yin & yang

Latest news

2009 Cooking

New classes will be scheduled from September 2009 after having been inspired by lots of new healthy summer stuff!

Practical:

Timing: from 6pm to 10-11pm
Price: 4000 HUF (including a full meal)

All the classes take place in a kitchen in the city center.

More information: email Isa on isatuyls@yahoo.com or call her on 0630 54 37 340 or on www.inthekitchen.eu

5th of July:

Cleansing dishes

which dishes are the best?
which season is ideal?
which drinks can help?
which cooking styles are beneficial?

prac ti cal

menu

Menu Cleansing Class

cooking classes
new dates & topics

Monthly classes 2009

March:macrobiotic basics part I
April: macrobiotic basics part II
May:macrobiotic basics part II
June:macrobiotic basics part III
July: sweet without sugar
August:bento boxes part 1
September: medicinal Drinks for winter
October: Bento Boxes part 2
November: cooking for women
December: Big festive meal

Macrobiotic basics part I
21th of March and the 4th of March

- understanding the energy of food with the 5000 year old Ying-Yang philosophy
- Study of the impact of modern eating habits
- The cost and effect of modern supplements like vitamins
- How to shift to a healthier and natural diet

Cooking
- Making basic macrobiotic dishes and getting to know the basic products:

-misosoup for different seasons
-brown rice in different variations
-basic desserts
-important cooking styles for vegetables
-introducing seaweeds
-the use of seeds

Macrobiotic basics part II
----25th of April and 9th of May --

The cycle of seasons
Acid-alkaline balance
Understanding of what is a good standard diet
Deeping your Yin-Yang knowledge: yin and yang in foods
Meet the seaweeds!!

Cooking
explore different grains
nabe and nishime style of vegetables
basic condiments and sauces
new recipes for bread spreads
Satisfying our sweet tooth

Macrobiotic basics part III
-- 7th of June --

Learn recipes to generate a quick balance after you’ve partied too much
Vitamins, how do they work, which ones do you need and how can you replace what we lack.
Practical application of the different cooking style and cutting techniques
The energetic benefits of all seven main grains
The Big Balance and How to Maintain It: Consumption & Elimination
How to get your protein

Cooking
making mochi: the easy way
experimenting with tofu, tempeh and natto
different desserts
oil, condiments and herbs

Sourdough bread making class
on 3rd of May with special guest Tine Tuyls. See all info in 'Latest News'

past series

Getting ready for spring: cleanse that body! (and keep on eating)

There's no room for new stuff until you discard some of the old. Why not take time this spring to give your body a boost by spoiling it with delicious cleansing foods?

You''ll wish you could cleanse the whole year after this class. So yummie. Although a macrobiotic style of cooking is already cleansing in itself, in this class we're going to focus on specific dishes that help you to detox your body and make room for the energetic vibes of spring & summer!

Upcoming topics
o Hungarian food in macrobiotic style
o Japanese temple cooking
o Healthy for kids
o Fast recipes for busy people
o Sweet desserts without sugar and dairy
o Slender delicious
o Be a witch in the kitchen: medicinal drinks
o Vegan cakes
o Cooking a festive Japanese meal
o special cooking for women
o Breakfasts and lunchboxes

Seasonal cooking
o Warm in winter
o Sparkling in summer
o Contemplating in autumn
o Awakening in spring

By putting order into cooking, you put order into your life

February 16: Revealing basic mysteries in the kitchen: discovering yin & yang

Revealing basic mysteries in the kitchen: discover yin & yang (and tell to everyone how it works!)

Can you keep a secret? Do you want to develop some witchcraft in the kitchen? What is the difference in energy between a carrot and celery? In this class we're going to take a closer look at the basic principles of yin & yang and how you can apply them to your cooking to create balance on your plate. We'll prepare an extensive list of basic recipes, going from two soups, a main course, a side dish and a wonderful dessert.

Fast balanced recipes for busy people (but don't tell the other family members how little time you spent in the kitchen!)

It seems to be a trend to cook fast & healthy. But can you also do that without opening cans, using your microwave or take refuge in sandwiches? How can you trick your family and surprise them with a warm and tasty meal every day? In this class we make some genious fast recipes that are very varied at the same time. You don't need complicated ingredients or sophisiticated kitchen appliances. We keep on applying the basic principles of balance.

Sweet recipes for sweet people (i was waiting for this one!)

Today you can indulge without feeling guilty! This is going to be a crazy class. We create the most soothing sweet desserts, dishes and drinks without using sugar or dairy. From now on eating dessert is going to be obligatory 'cause soooo healthy. After a while you won't even crave for chocolate anymore. Miracles cán happen.

Party cooking (Is it over already?)

Sweep away the prejudices! Create a fabulous and sparkling party with special and inventive snacks and spoil your guests with food for the soul. Energize conversations and relax the atmoshpere. In this class we're going to prepare festive dishes that have that little bit of extra.

Evening cooking session!

February 23: Fast balanced recipes for busy people

March 1: Getting ready for spring: clean that body!

March 15: Sweet recipes for sweet people

April 1st: Let the beat go on! Healthy party cooking

For more detailed information on the content of the classes, click on the picture!!

This series has ended now,
but this page gives you an idea of
what topics have been dealth with
so far. Check out 'new dates & topics'
for the new dates & classes

Other upcoming topics

New upcoming topics
- Slender delicious
- Japanese temple cooking
- Medicinal drinks
- Healthy for kids
- Blissful breakfasts
- Special cooking for women
- Be a witch in the kitchen: medicinal drinks
- Cooking a Japanese festive meal
- Luncbboxes
- Food from the sea
- Party for friends
- Special summer salads
- Get back on track after partying
- Picnic-food!
- cooking with colours
- cooking for men & women

Seasonal cooking

warm in winter
waking up in spring
sparling in summer
contemplating in autumn

catering
what & how

How & what
Home delivery of food based on preferred menu
special menus for all special occasions
Ask for prices and extended menu list via email

Food information
all recipes are vegan (non dairy) without use of sugar
use of organic food as much as possible (negotiable)

soups

Starters
Soups
o Thai pumpkin soup
o Creamy corn soup
o Clear shitake ginger kombu broth with tofu and spring onion
o Hearty miso soup with carrot, daikon and lemon
o Creamy cauliflower soup
o Borsjtsj with sour cream

Warm
o Beetroot, potato and Belgian endive salad with roasted hazelnut
o Tartlet with Belgian endive, Danish blue and honey

More information via isatuyls@yahoo.com

This is only a selection of the offer, you can ask for the complete menu via email

mains

Mains

Vegetarian
o Topinambur risotto with beetroot and pressed salad
o Spring stew for energy with tempeh, dill, garlic, umeboshi, onion, carrot and spring onion
o Pumpkin and parsley tempura with purple laos rice and Hiziki-salad with corn, shoyu, sesame seed,

Fish
• Tajine with perch, mussels, scampi, fennel, carrots, saffron and pastis

This is only a selection of the offer, you can ask for the complete menu via email

brunch

brunch

o Self made artisanal breads:
Foccacia bread
Natural sourdough bread
Oat bread
Russian bread
chapatti
o Self made bread with vegetables pâtés:
tapenade of black olives
pumpkin spread
lentil pâté
fresh made pesto
apple-butternut compote
hummus
o buckwheat pancakes with sweet sauces
o aramé rolls with shi-take and vegetables
o self made corn bread baked in the pan

This is only a selection of the offer, you can ask for the complete menu via email

desserts

Desserts
Desserts
o almond cake
o intensive chocolate mousse
o yummy coffee dessert without coffee
o coconut cake
o toffees

Coffee & cookies
o almond-oat cookies
o sesame cookies
o jam tartlets
o sweet & roasted seed crunch

catering

&&&&

Starters
SOUPS
o Thai pumpkin soup
o Creamy corn soup
o Clear shitake ginger kombu broth with tofu and spring onion
o Hearty miso soup with carrot, daikon and lemon
o Creamy cauliflower soup
o Borsjtsj with sour cream

WARM
o Beetroot, potato and Belgian endive salad with roasted hazelnut
o Tartlet with Belgian endive, Danish blue and honey

Mains
o Topinambur risotto with beetroot and pressed salad
o Spring stew for energy with tempeh, dill, garlic, umeboshi, onion, carrot and spring onion
o Pumpkin and parsley tempura with purple laos rice and Hiziki- salad with corn, shoyu, sesame seed,
VIS
o Tajine with perch, mussels, scampi, fennel, carrots, saffron and pastis

Desserts
o almond cake
o intensive chocolate mousse
o yummy coffee dessert without coffee

Coffee & cookies
o almond-oat cookies
o sesame cookies
o jam tartlets
o sweet & roasted seed crunch

brunch
o Self made artisanal breads:
Foccacia bread
Natural sourdough bread
Oat bread
Russian bread
chapatti
o Self made bread with vegetables pâtés:
tapenade of black olives
pumpkin spread
lentil pâté
fresh made pesto
apple-butternut compote
hummus
o buckwheat pancakes with sweet sauces
o aramé rolls with shi-take and vegetables
o self made corn bread baked in the pan

recipes
soups

Clear Dashi Soup

This is a very clear festive soup that is extremely easy to make. Just as the soup is clear, it will help you to have clear thoughts and make the best decisions!

Ingredients
Shitake
Kombu
Shoyu
Sea salt
Tofu
Watercress this is the kombu seaweed

Preparation
- Soak the shitakes
- Put the shitake together with the kombu in a pot and heat. Make sure the water doesn’t boil
- Take out the kombu
- Add shoyu and salt and bring to a boil
- Add the cubes of tofu
- Chop the watercress and add it to the soup right before serving. The watercress doesn’t need cooking

Sesame Crackers

Great to go with your soup

Ingredients
1 cup of sesame seeds
2 cups of flour
a few drops of oil
water
salt

Preparation
- Combine flour and sat, mixing well
- Add the oil, then rub the mixture through your palms to blend evenly
- Gradually add water to form a dough
- Dust with flour and knead lightly 2-3 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Roll out on a floured board as thin as possible
- Cut into long strips

Deep frying
Fill a heavy skillet or deep-fryer with 2-3 inches oil.
Drop a strip into the hot oil and deep-fry until puffed, crisp and light gold in colour, about 3-4 minutes
Drain on absorbent paper before serving

Soups

clear dashi soup
sesame crackers

appetizers

Appetizers

millet croquette
parsley pesto
pumpkin peel tempura

Millet croquettes
Ingredients
250 ml millet, cooked in 750 ml water with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes (cooled)
750 ml water
250 g tofu
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots or pumpkin, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
125 ml arrowroot, or some flour or potato flower
oil for frying

Preparation
Boil the millet together with the pumpkin or the carrot in 750 ml water with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes (cooled). Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl. Make balls. Heat oil and fry.

Shoyu sauce
Mix shoyu with freshly grated ginger

Parsley pesto

Ingredients
Parsley
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Walnuts
2 pieces of pressed garlic

Preparation
Mix everything in a blender. Season until tasty.

Pumpkin peel tempura

Ingredients
Peel from 1 organic pumpkin
½ medium onion, minced
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup water, aproximately
2 pinches salt
oil for deep frying

Preparation
Cut the pumpkin peel into thin strips, and mix with the minced onions.
Add enough flour and water to the vegetables to form a batter. Then add the salt.
Pour oil into a heavy skillet or deep-fryer, and heat
Spoon the batter-mix into the hot oil, and deep-fry until golden and crisp

mains

Quinoa salad
Ingredients
Salad
50 g of roasted sesame seeds
50 g of roasted sunflower seeds
50 g of roasted pumpkin seeds
25 g of Aramé
2 cups of quinoa
4 cups of water
1 red onion, cut into little cubes
1 red pepper (paprika), cut into cubes
red radishes, cut into matchsticks
1 big carrot, grated
corn (if in the season or from a jar)

Marinade
1,2 dl Vinegar (apple vinegar, rice vinegar)
8 cl olive oil
2 spring onion, cut into little rounds
garlic, chopped
sea salt
black pepper
fresh herbs (the ones that you have lying around,
otherwise some dried herbs)

Preparation

-soak the Aramé in some hot water
-bring the 4 cups of water to a boil and add the quinoa
-when the water boils again, lower the flame and let it simmer for 20 minutes
-let the quinoa cool down
-steam the red pepper (and the corn)
-chop the onion fine

For the marinade, mix the ingredients. Set aside. Mix all the seeds, the Aramé, the quinoa and the marinade and let it rest for 20 minutes

Tips:
To make this recipe faster, make sure you always have roasted nuts available. You can easily keep them in closed jars in your kitchen.

salads

Carrot coriander salad with amazu dressing

Ingredients
salad
Carrots
Fresh coriander
Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
A few drops of toasted sesame oil

Sauce (make half of this amount)
½ cup rice vinegar
1,5 spoon of oryza (barley malt) or mirin
¼ cup of dashi (kombu bouillon)

Preparation
Salad
- Toast the seeds separately on a low flame while constantly stirring
- Grate the carrot into slivers
- Cut the fresh coriander leaves finely
- Mix everything

- Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice and toasted sesame oil on the salad. Toss.
Serve

Sauce
- Dissolve the Oryza or mirin in the vinegar and add the dashi (or water)
- Bring to a boil and let cool to room temperature

Keeps forever

Tip: you can add a little bit of peanut butter to make it creamier

Salads

carriot coriander salad with amazu dressing
cabbage salad

Cabbage salad

Ingredients
White cabbage
Kombu
Lemon zest
Pepper (to be crushed)
salt

Preparation
Cut the white cabbage very finely
Cut the kombu in long thin slices with a scissors
Cut the lemon zest in tiny tiny pieces
Crush some pepper in a suribachi

Take a little pan and add some water (only the bottom of the pan should be covered)
Add salt
Simmer a few minutes until the water is evaporated

desserts

Desserts

Pancakes

Ingredients
1 ½ cup of oat flakes
1 ¼ cup of water (apple juice)
¼ cup of sunflower seeds
1/4 cup of raisins
¼ cup of salt
Cinnamon (if wanted)

Preparation
For the sauce
Use maple syrup or corn syrup or make a sauce with apple juice and arrowroot

Mix all the ingredients and let rest for an hour or if possible, for a night.
Oil the pan, spread the dough with a wooden spoon
Bake on two sides. Don’t put the flame too high too make sure the dough is ready inside too

Alternative sauce with cherries:
Heat the cherries with rice syrup and vanilla
Bind with some arrowroot/ buckwheat flakes/ corn flour

links

my blog: Isa in the kitchen
my Belgian site with my sister: In de keuken

to keep you going: Macro in London

one of the greatest cooks in the world: Peter Berley

Food for thought: torokszofi

the best coffee in Antwerp: Caffenation at Hopland

amazing coffee in London: flate white
an extraordinary coffee experience: Monmouth in Covent Garden in London

my foodblog in Budapest

London

restaurants
The Acorn House
EAT TWO and VEG
Whole Meal in Streatham (London)

shops
The Natural Kitchen
The Native Hop in Streatham (London)
Whole Foods Market Kensington

Worthwhile restaurants and organic shops
all over the world (all tried & approved!):
London
Budapest
Antwerp

Antwerp

De Brandnetel
De broers van Julienne

Budapest

M restaurant in Kertész utca
Darshan Biopont, Krúdy Gyula u 7. Mon-Fri 10am-10pm. Sat-Sun noon-10pm. Vegan
Nem Süti, Take away sandwiches. Jászai Mari tér 4./b (Pozsonyi u). Mon-Fri 10am-7pm
Hummus Bar The best falafel and hummus in town, in Kértesz utca and Alkotmány utca.

Worthwile books to help you cook
(all tried & approved):
Vegetarian/macrobiotic

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about me

Read Isa's blog!

Isa= foodlover going nuts when delicious and healthy meals are around.

local foods - seasonal cooking - fresh ingredients - tasty tasty tasty - new inventive dishes - energies of food - healthy healthy healthy

Food should tell stories, food should look good, but first of all food should feed our minds and souls. Therefor I always pay special attention to my ingredients, trying to create a plate that is balanced, interesting, colourful and healthy at the same time. Without losing too much time. And at moments when I'm very busy, it is of utmost important to pay attention to what I'm eating...my attention will stay focused, I won't be so tired, I will feel calm and energetic.

Once upon a time, when I was still 25, I was ambitious and hard working ánd entitled to three weeks of vacation every year. My trips were mostly fabulous and adventurous, having to compensate for twelve months of struggling and stress. But that specific year I realised this compensation was not going to be enough anymore. Actually, it had never been. My life had become way too efficient, incorporating too much time-management and company-smiles. I was longing for useless activities, idling time away with old friends and drinking beers with my neighbours, in short, I was longing for a life. And this time I didn’t want to disappoint myself. So I needed some serious restructuring and a steady base to start from. I cancelled my trip and impulsively enrolled myself for a macrobiotic cooking course, which turned out to be a good shot. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best shots of my life. From one week to another I changed from a bread and yoghurt eater into a kitchen-fairy, and during these few magic days I realised how radical the impact was of food on my life. From that week on I could be utterly moved when a friend cooked me an honest dinner or when my sister surprised me with self-made soup when coming home late from work. Above all I truly enjoy the magic and juggle of secret kitchen ingredients, how I can turn an onion into a sweetener to nourish my cravings or into an energizer that opens up my dish. How I trick my friends with sweet sugar free desserts and my meat loving boyfriend with hearty vegetarians stews.

In Europe nowadays we have a reasonable feeling of freedom.
After all, we chose the colour of our socks, our friends, our chamber
plants, our pets and our studies. There are dozens of supermarkets
we can shop from. Whenever we want we can read books or find
out about new movies. And even now and then we can make a
little trip. But are we free from all the needs and demands of our
body? How can we predict certain physical reactions or postpone
other ones? By gaining insight in the effects nourishment has on
my emotions and cravings, my energy and concentration I have
finally figured out how I can lead and guide myself again.

Before each meal I try to feel: what do I need right now? How is the rest of my day going to look like? How's the weather? How do I feel?

Special thanks to Lieve Cuypers who made most of the food-pictures on this website.

How did it all start?

contact

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Feel free to ask your question:

To contact Isabel Tuyls

mobile: 0036 30 543 7340 (Hungary)
0032 496 621716 (Belgium)
mail: isatuyls@yahoo.com