https://paulstapel.com/categories/difficulty-25/Recent content in Difficulty 2|5 on Paul's ParticlesHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usMon, 01 Jun 2026 19:38:08 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-thigh/Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:38:08 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-thigh/I’ve been wanting to make some more simple meals that are more inspired by European cooking. This led me to create this recipe. Ingredients Chicken thighs Salt Black pepper Paprika powder Onion powder Garlic powder Chili flakes Heavy cream Shallots Garlic Thyme Chicken stock Flour Cooking plan Start by seasoning the chicken thighs on both sides with salt, black pepper, paprika powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Next, heat up a cast-iron pan with olive oil and cook your chicken until the outside is crispy and the inside is cooked.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/suan-la-tang/Sun, 29 Mar 2026 22:03:22 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/suan-la-tang/I made this soup for my birthday last year, and it was a great success. Now, I finally remembered to share it with the world as well. This recipe is mainly vegan, but can also include meat and non-vegan ingredients if you so wish. Ingredients For non vegan: Chicken stock instead of veggie stock Shredded chicken Eggs Main ingredients Veggie stock Soft or silken tofu Dried shiitake mushrooms Fresh (or dried) chestnut mushrooms (woodear also works i’ve heard) Bamboo shoots Carrot Cornstarch Chinkiang vinegar (else regular rice vinegar) Light soy sauce Dark soy sauce (for a bit of color and salinity) White pepper (black pepper works, but is less suitable) Sesame oil Sichuanese chili oil (or regular chili oil) (garnish) Spring onions (garnish) Cilantro (garnish) Cooking plan Slice your dried mushrooms into strips and soak them in warm water for about half an hour.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/greek-ground-beef/Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:25:27 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/greek-ground-beef/I like Greek food, but with food prices nowadays, it can be a bit difficult to afford lamb or quality beef for these recipes. Luckily, you can still get all those lovely flavors of the Greek kitchen with just a few ingredients and ground beef. Let’s get into it. Ingredients Ground beef Olive oil Butter Cinnamon Nutmeg Thyme Basil Rosemary Oregano White onion Garlic Lime (optional) Feta cheese (optional) Yoghurt (optional) Cooking plan Start by adding olive oil and ground beef to a pan.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/teriyaki-shrimp/Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:28:10 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/teriyaki-shrimp/I like shrimp, as they are easy to put in the freezer and stir fry when needed. I try to have some shrimp in the freezer so that I can always have a quick meal ready, and this teriyaki shrimp recipe is really easy and tasty. Ingredients Cooking oil Shrimp Garlic Ginger Soy sauce Vinegar Sugar Cornstarch Mirin (optional) Green onion (optional) Sesame seeds (optional) Cooking plan Dice your ginger and garlic In a hot wok, add a little oil, and stir fry your shrimp until it browns a little and is fully orange Next, lower the heat and add your garlic and ginger.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/dan-dan-noodles/Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:43:58 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/dan-dan-noodles/Dan dan noodles, or 担担面, was one of my favorites when visiting Chengdu. It is spicy, hearty, filling and easy to make (as long as you have the ingredients). I tried to port the flavour over rather than stay true to the original recipe, so that it is also easy to make while here in the west. Ingredients: Egg noodles Chili oil 红油 Ground pork Soy sauce Hoisin sauce Neutral cooking oil Five spice powder Tahini or peanut butter Sichuan peppercorns Garlic Green onions (only the green part, garnish) Sugar Spinach Peanuts (optional) Cooking plan Start by wokking your ground pork on high heat in neutral cooking oil.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/thai-salmon-curry/Wed, 13 Aug 2025 20:58:31 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/thai-salmon-curry/I wanted to create an easy dish that incorporates some more complex flavors, and haven’t cooked with salmon in quite a bit. That’s why I decided to create a new recipe using this fishy friend. Ingredients Salmon (fresh, skin-on, but frozen also works great!) Salt Black pepper Olive oil Garlic Shallots Ginger Brown sugar Honey Thai red curry paste Coconut milk Fish sauce Half a lime (for the juice) Holy basil (or substitute for regular basil with a touch of anise powder) Cooking plan If you are using fresh salmon, season with salt and pepper then cook it on its skin with olive oil until golden brown.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/coconut-chicken-curry/Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:41:20 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/coconut-chicken-curry/I want to make my Indian recipes a bit more accessible for weekday dinners, so to start, I have contrived this nice little recipe for an Indian coconut chicken curry. Ingredients Neutral cooking oil (1 - 2 tbsp) Chicken (thighs taste best, but breasts also work) (500 grams) White onion (1 piece) Garlic (5 cloves) Ginger (small-medium piece) Indian curry spices (2 - 3 tbsp, or more to taste) Salt (to taste) Sugar (about 1 tsp or to taste) Coconut milk (300 - 400 ml) Chicken stock (Just about half a cup to deglaze your pan and add some extra flavor) Parmesan rind (optional, for extra taste) Koriander (fresh, or dried) (1.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pad-kra-pao/Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:30:46 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pad-kra-pao/This is one of my favorite recipes from the Thai kitchen. The combination of ground beef with the aromatics and delicious holy basil just hits different. I’m happy to share this recipe with you today. Ingredients Ground beef Holy basil leafs Black pepper Garlic Lemongrass (optional aromatic) Dried or fresh chilies Chicken stock Fish sauce Cooking oil Cilantro (optional) Lime (optional for garnish) Cooking plan Start by mincing or grinding the garlic, lemongrass and chilies (aromatics) into a paste Next, heat some oil in a wok (or pan) until smoking hot Stir-fry your ground beef until browned (so for about 3-4 minutes) Next, push aside your meat and add some more oil to cook your aromatics until fragrant and a little crispy.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/nasi-goreng-biasa/Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:39:46 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/nasi-goreng-biasa/I love cooking fried rice, and I wanted to share this basic (Biasa = basic) recipe with you all because it really is versatile and delicious. From this base, a lot of very delicious types of Nasi Goreng can be constructed, and it can be served with almost any Indonesian, Malay, Thai, or even Chinese dish. Ingredients Cooking oil (high smoke point) Old cooked rice (as dry and grainy as possible) Kecap Manis (can be subbed with dark soy sauce combined with palm sugar) Garlic Shallots Fish sauce or Shrimp paste (substitute 2 tbsp fish sauce for 1 tbsp shrimp paste) Fresh chilies (optional) Cooking plan Chop your garlic, shallots and fresh chilies until they are fine.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/marry-me-chicken/Thu, 29 May 2025 09:26:04 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/marry-me-chicken/Before getting started with this recipe, I must credit the original recipe, as it is a classic and this dish is heavily based on it. I really liked the dish, but felt that I could give it a bit of a twist to suit my own taste. From that, this recipe spawned into existence. Ingredients Boneless chicken breasts. Butter Flour (optional, you can skip this step, but it makes chicken juicier) Garlic Salt Black pepper Thyme Oregano Red pepper flakes (can sub with chili powder) Chicken broth Sun-dried tomatoes Heavy cream Grated parmesan Parsley (fresh, for garnish, optional) Extra virgin olive oil (optional) Cooking plan Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/coconut-keema/Wed, 28 May 2025 20:06:04 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/coconut-keema/Yep, another keema recipe. Ground beef is cheap here in the Netherlands, and I always like to try interesting ways to spice up such a simple base. This is a go-to for when I crave some quick coconutty flavors. Ingredients Ground beef Vegetable oil Garlic Ginger White onion Coconut milk Tomato paste Koriander (Cilantro) (optional) Lemongrass (optional, for more of a Thai kick to the dish) Lemon juice (optional) Garam masala (optional, for extra seasoning to taste) Spice mix (see below) Spice mix 2 tbsp coriander powder 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp paprika powder 1 tbsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp clove powder 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1/2 tsp salt Cooking plan Heat some vegetable oil in a pan on high heat and brown your ground beef until the water contents have evaporated.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hoisin-garlic-chicken/Wed, 28 May 2025 19:59:27 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hoisin-garlic-chicken/Some good chicken goes a long way. A classic chicken dish with a Chinese touch is Honey garlic chicken, and I decided to create my own take on this popular dish. The result is this Hoisin garlic chicken. Ingredients Chicken breasts Flour Butter Salt Black pepper Garlic Ginger Soy sauce (dark) Hoisin sauce (sub with honey if not available for a more popular honey garlic chicken) Apple vinegar Cooking plan Start by seasoning your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/spanish-chicken-rice/Sat, 03 May 2025 10:12:34 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/spanish-chicken-rice/I like the taste of paella, but it can be a bit of a hassle to get right. I wanted to make a dish that scratches that paella itch without having it be an actual paella. This is the result. Ingredients Chicken breast (If it’s too thick, cut it in half crosswise) Lemon Chicken stock Coriander leafs (fresh or dried) Parsley (fresh or dried) Rice Cooking oil Spice mix 2 tsp paprika powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp tumeric powder (optional) 1/4 tsp dried parsley (optional) Cooking plan Put about half of your spice mix on your chicken, and rub in some of your cooking oil.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/roasted-veggies/Sun, 13 Apr 2025 20:29:54 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/roasted-veggies/This post is a simple one, but simple does not always have to equal bland. Usually when veggies are served, I find them a little dull, but I have just recently opened my eyes to the possibilities of some good ol’ roasted veggies. Pair them with a juicy piece of meat, and you’ve got yourself a wonderful meal. Ingredients Extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Dried Italian herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley) Mustard Grated cheese (only a little, ads a nice flavor and crisp) Veggies Choose any combination of:https://paulstapel.com/recipes/peanut-noodles/Fri, 11 Apr 2025 07:47:32 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/peanut-noodles/On a budget? Check! Done in under 10 minutes? Check! Vegan? Check! Delicous? CHEACHK (check in Portuguese?). Ingredients Whole peanuts Sesame seeds Peanut butter Noodles (I use udon noodles) Spring onion Soy sauce (I use dark, but light works as well for a stronger flavor) Vinegar (I use Chinkiang vinegar) Chili oil (Lao Gan Ma also works) Garlic Ginger Cooking plan Grind some of your peanuts and leave some whole for a more interesting texture.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chili-beans/Fri, 28 Mar 2025 07:38:52 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chili-beans/For this dish, I was inspired by a recipe from a book I was recently given (One Piece: Pirate Recipes xD). It is a very simple recipe, and I wished to expand upon it to make it even tastier. Ingredients Kidney beans Ground beef (or pork, or mixed) Garlic Onion Ground cayenne pepper Paprika powder Tomato paste Diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce Salt Cooking oil Cooking plan Start by seasoning your ground beef with ground cayenne pepper, salt and paprika powder.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/eel-brioche-amuse/Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:09:16 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/eel-brioche-amuse/My friend Levi and I usually like to cook when we meet up. He is active in the culinary world as a host, and before that he has also worked in the kitchen for a while. It helps that we both have a soft spot for good food :). Last week, he surpised me with an amuse that he had devised himself. It was light yet incredibly tasty, and for how easy it was to make, it left a fancy impression.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/festival/Sun, 16 Feb 2025 09:40:40 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/festival/I really like my take on jerk chicken, which is why I decided to try a side-dish to complement it. I eventually settled on this classic Jamaican treat: festivals. It is quick and easy to make, and can even be enjoyed as a dessert with some added sugar. Ingredients Flour (500 grams) Cornmeal (60 grams) (or substitute with breadcrumbs) Baking powder (25 grams) Brown sugar (2 - 4 table spoons, depending on how sweet you like it) Cocounut milk (200 milliliters) Butter (50 grams) (softened or melted) A pinch of salt Cinnamon (3/4 - 1 tsp) Grated/powdered nutmeg (A hint, about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp) Oil to fry in (I used sunflower oil) Cooking plan In a pan on medium to high, heat up your cooking oil.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/queso/Mon, 10 Feb 2025 09:19:17 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/queso/When I have guests around, I want to make something easy and filling that I can just put on the table and forget about. Dips are perfect for this, as it creates a central piece whereabout everyone can gather. I really like this recipe as a guilty pleasure, and would like to share it with you all now. Ingredients Ground beef or chorizo (about 300 to 400 grams) White onion (one large white onion) Flour (2 tbsp) Milk (1.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pico-de-gallo/Sat, 08 Feb 2025 08:50:28 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pico-de-gallo/I love Mexican food, and I can never resist a good salsa. I wanted to start making more salsa whenever I make Mexican food from now on, and I decided to start with a pico de gallo, as it is well defined and a tried and true recipe. This is definetely not my own recipe, as I am just throwing ingredients in a bowl, but I will outline some of the things I do to make it taste even better.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/kheer/Fri, 07 Feb 2025 07:31:25 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/kheer/I have been making breakfast more of a part of my daily routine lately. I think it has something to do with the fact that a lot of SEA-countries have warm breakfast, and I felt more invigorated last time I visited. So I started experimenting with breakfast recipes, and I have now decided to make it an entire category. To start, i wanted to share this Kheer recipe, as it is easy to make and energising.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mustard-bechamel-sauce/Thu, 06 Feb 2025 07:29:04 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mustard-bechamel-sauce/So I was looking for something to add some extra flavor to schnitzels, as I really like eating them, but they get a little plain after a while if you only add lemon. That’s why I thought of making some kind of mustard sauce, and ended up with this recipe. A friend of mine talked about making béchamel sauce using chicken stock, and after having tried this it actually tasted better than I expected, so I added it to this main recipe.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/jerk-chicken/Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:54:29 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/jerk-chicken/Yesterday, I combined my love for Jamaican food and inventing new foods to come up with a delicious take on jerk chicken. The result is this simple recipe that consists of simply grilling the chicken and then broiling it in the flavorsome jerk sauce. I usually serve this with a baguette, as the sauce is just heavenly for dipping. Ingredients I am trying to experiment with measurements, as I’ve had quite some people approach me saying they would like to know exactly how much to add of each ingredient.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/htipiti/Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:47:30 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/htipiti/It is pronounced “tee-pee-tee” by the way. Serve with pita or something, idk, idc, I’m not your mom. Ingredients Feta cheese Red bell peppers Extra virgin olive oil Salt Red wine vinegar or lemon juice Black pepper Cooking plan Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius Cut the four sides of your bell peppers and reduce the stem. Lay them out on a baking tray and put them in the oven for roughly 25 minutes.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/larb/Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:06:08 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/larb/A few years back, I had a trip to Thailand with my family. While there, we ate a lot of very delicious food, and I have been recreating the things I ate there quite often. One thing that does bug me about doing this, however, is the fact that some of the ingredients can be quite troublesome to acquire. Not today however, as we will be making larb. The ingredients used for this are quite easy to come by in your local Asian supermarket or even just the grocery store.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/beef-stroganoff/Thu, 14 Nov 2024 21:19:53 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/beef-stroganoff/All jokes aside, this recipe results in a rich and creamy beef stroganoff. As pork is a lot cheaper where I live, I often use pork as instead of beef. This is still very tasty, but if you can, try making it with beef, as it will be even richer in flavor. You should serve it with pasta. I recommend serving this with pasta like tagliatelle, but mashed potatoes would also be verrryyy good I imagine.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pork-adobo/Thu, 14 Nov 2024 20:48:12 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/pork-adobo/My auntie Rose from the Philippines shared this awesome recipe with me recently, and i’ve made it a few times now. I will be sharing the base recipe with some optional ingredients you may add, but having cooked this dish in a few different ways now, I can safely say that all of them are delicous. Serve with white rice. Ingredients Pork belly (or chicken for chicken adobo) (Use the bones seperately as well if you have them) Garlic (lots of it) Olive oil String beans (Optional) Potatoes (Optional) Hard boiled egg (Optional) Salt White onion (Own addition, optional) For the marinade White vinegar (I have found that Chinkiang black vinegar also works, but I prefer white) Soy sauce Brown sugar Black pepper Bay leafs Warm water Cooking plan There are two ways to do the marinade.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/garlicsplosion-noodles/Fri, 27 Sep 2024 08:19:15 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/garlicsplosion-noodles/The only way to make a good dish even gooder is to add an exuberant amount of garlic to it. That was exactly the premise of this little experiment. Adding a lot of garlic and seeing where it leads me. It turned out to be a delightful recipe that I have even decided to share her on my blog. Be warned, not for the faint of heart. Ingredients Lots of garlic (I used about 2 bulbs, but adjust to your own tolerance/taste) Noodles Onion Zucchini Ground beef or meatballs Chili oil (I use Lao Gan Ma) A little vegetable oil Light soy sauce Optional black bean sauce Cooking plan To a pot, add some salted water and cook your noodles as per the instructions on the package.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/carbonara/Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:03:41 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/carbonara/So, yesterday I was craving some good ‘ol spaghetti. I usually go with a tomato sauce, but this time, I saw that I still had some parmigiano in my fridge. I simply couldn’t resist the urge to try something new, and ended up making this delicious carbonara. It may not be the healthiest, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I included a secret ingredient of miso paste in order to boost the umami content.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/ants-climbing-a-tree/Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:38:46 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/ants-climbing-a-tree/After a long day of work, you probably don’t want to have to cook anything complicated. Whenever I have days like this, I like keeping it simple as well. Of course, simple does not necessarily mean bland, and this dish is both easy and flavorful. The name “Ants climbing a tree” stems from the fact that the small ingredients on top of the glass noodles look like ants climbing a tree.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tennessee-onion/Sun, 14 Jul 2024 21:18:06 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tennessee-onion/Ok, so the description may have been a lie. I usually don’t barbecue because Dutch weather can be very unpredictable (Dutch struggles). Instead, I like to put stuff in the oven (like a true patriot). Therefore, this dish will be using our favorite inferno machine. The TTC (time to cook) is about an hour, so prepare it well in advance! Ingredients White onions Shredded cheese (Gouda, because it melts well and because it’s Dutch) Butter Paprika powder Chopped parsley Dried thyme Dried oregano Aluminum foil Cooking plan Preheat an oven to 160 degrees Celsius.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/souvlaki/Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:26:17 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/souvlaki/This is a lovely meaty dish that you can serve as a main course. With summer at its peak, you enjoy this dish on straight from the grill during a barbecue for example. Marinade (extra virgin) olive oil Oregano Sweet paprika powder Thyme (optional) Bay leaves Juice from a lemon LOTS OF GARLIC Salt and pepper Chicken (cubed, which you’ll marinate) Cooking plan Mince the garlic. You should use enough that you can smell it.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/egg-drop-soup/Tue, 07 May 2024 21:12:21 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/egg-drop-soup/I’ve started getting into making soup recently. This is new territory for me, but I decided to give it a try after pondering what to do with the leftover chinese cabbage that had been living rent-free in my fridge for too long. Behold! This soup was the result. Ingredients Chinese Cabbage About 1 liter of chicken stock Eggs (about 3) White onion (can be omitted) Garlic Sesame oil Powdered or grated ginger Salt and (preferably white) pepper Scallion A little bit of cooking oil Cooking plan Chop up your onions, garlic and scallion (put aside the green for garnish).https://paulstapel.com/recipes/teriyaki-sauce/Sat, 06 Apr 2024 18:50:31 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/teriyaki-sauce/I love eating this sauce with, for example, chicken and noodles. Do note that this sauce is by no means traditional, and is a take for the home kitchen for people that don’t have the ingredients to make traditional teriyaki sauce. I also have a more traditional recipe on my blog, so give that one a try as well, and see for yourself which you like best! Ingredients Sesame seeds (optional, adds flavour and thickens sauce) Soy Sauce Honey Sugar (only a little if you like it less sweet) Garlic powder Grated ginger Sesame oil (optional, ads nice sesame flavours) Some water Cornstarch (Add if you like a thicker sauce) Cooking plan Add all ingredients to a pan, and stir over medium heat until desired taste and texture is achieved.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/rice-pudding/Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:09:19 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/rice-pudding/Whenever I have rice left over, there are two things that immediately come to mind. Storing it to stir-fry it later, or turning it into a pudding if I have time to do so. This is the ultimate thoughtless recipe for when you want to keep your hands busy while listening to music for example. Ingredients (Left over) rice Milk Sugar Vanilla extract (optional) Cooking plan Submerge the rice in milk.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/garlic-beans/Tue, 02 Apr 2024 17:59:38 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/garlic-beans/Ingredients Green beans Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce Butter Cooking plan First, fry the beans in the oil till they become shriveled and you begin to see some yellow. Next, in a new pan, add the butter and heat up the garlic, ginger and soy sauce on medium heat. Go easy on the soy sauce. Finally, add the beans back in and mix them with the sauce. ENJOY!