Month: February 2013

Steak Salad With Horseradish Dressing

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Healthy does not have to be boring or tasteless, as this wonderful salad shows:
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Salad:
Strip steak, arugula, mango, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, baby carrots, daikon,
red radish, lemon balm leaves, fresh horseradish.
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Dressing:
Horseradish, dijon mustard, lime juice, olive oil, maggi seasoning, sea salt, freshly
grated black pepper.
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Mix all ingredients with the dressing. To serve, grate more horseradish over salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Stay Healthy ! 🙂
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Steak Salad

: Steak Salad

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Arroz Con Pollo

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“Arroz con Pollo“
In my opinion this is one of the most widly and often prepared dishes in the whole world.
“Hans, have you gone nuts?”, you probably think when you read this statement.
But what I am talking about is the actual Concoction, not the dish named “Arroz con Pollo”.
“Arroz con Pollo” simply translates into “Rice with Chicken”. Now, it is my firm believe that anywhere in the world where you have rice, and where you also have chicken, sooner or later folks threw the two, plus another bunch of stuff, together and made it a one dish meal, calling it “Rice and Chicken” or, surprise surprise, “Chicken and Rice”.

I would like to ask my readers to please give us the name of your country’s or region’s dish containing chicken and rice and other stuff 🙂
Also, any other dish containing these ingredients, be it from your own country or region or any other you might be aware of. Descriptions or pictures even more welcome.
I am looking forward to your input in the comment section. Thank’s.
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Arroz Con Pollo

: Arroz Con Pollo

Ingredient’s :

Chicken, preferably dark meat
Rice, rinsed repeatedly to get rid of all excess starch
Chorizo, sliced
Peppers, diced
Chilis, diced, use your preferred heat level
Onions, diced
Garlic, paste
Saffran, or substitute with turmeric (I used both for a brighter color and taste)
Oregano, freeze dried or fresh
White wine, substitute with beer if preferred
Chicken stock, substitute with vegetable stock if preferred
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Olive oil, to saute

Method :

Saute chicken until golden, add onions and chorizo, saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic, peppers and chilis and saute until garlic is fragrant. Remove chicken, set aside. Remove 1/4 of the vegetables to use as brightly colored garnish. Add rice and saute until each corn of rice is covered with olive oil. Add wine (or beer, or both) and stock, season with salt and pepper. Return chicken, bake at 385F in center of oven until moisture has been absorbed by rice and rice is done. Sprinkle with reserved vegetables and chopped cilantro.
My meal yesterday had also a nice glass of chilled chardonnay (same as which went into the dish) and what I call “avocado cream” . (mashed avocado, seasoned with lime juice, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, roasted garlic paste and cilantro). Not quite guacamole, but even less prep and equally good 🙂
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Note : Some folks like their arroz con pollo very moist, others less so. If you like it more moist, simply add more liquid while cooking until the rice is done, giving you more of the texture of an “Asopao”.
Note : Some folks like their arroz con pollo more “heavy “, some like it more “light and fluffy”. This will depend on the amount of fat used in the dish.
I usually like my arroz con pollo dry but heavy, so I use less liquid and a bit more fat 🙂
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“Asopao”
Image Source : http://www.cynical-c.com

Buen Provecho ! Life is Good !

Chicken & Cabbage Egg Rolls

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Another winner. Easy, economical and quick to prepare .
Unless you are lucky and have a great asian place nearby, these are so much better than most of the soggy, cabbage and carrots only crap they sell you in most neighborhood joints. As usual, most ingredients can be replaced with stuff you have in your fridge and cup board. Replace the cabbage with shredded or diced vegetables of any kind, add other flavors like mushrooms, onions, etc. Colors like shredded beets, spinach, turmeric, etc. Proteins like seafood, ground beef, ground pork, etc. The combinations, texture of the filling and the possible flavors are just infinite. So, in the spirit of good eggrolls, go out and experiment. If you crave for standard mediocracy, you can always go back yo your corner “Happy Dragon” and have their frozen staple. If not, do the best YOU can do and find out how easy and great a home made fried or baked eggroll can be 🙂
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Chicken & Cabbage Egg Rolls

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Debone and dice chicken and skin, chop cabbage, chilis and garlic, grate ginger, slice scallions. Saute chicken in peanut oil until almost cooked through. Add all vegetables, continue to saute for another minute. Remove from heat, season with soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and sriracha,. Put filling onto one end of the springroll wrapper, moist the edges with water. Roll into tight spring rolls. Fry until crispy and golden. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce /sauces. (I used peanut sauce and scotch bonnet sauce 🙂
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So I Threw A Coconut In He’s Face…….

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My drinking buddy is always right.
He said onion is the only food that makes you cry.
So I threw a coconut in he’s face.

Question:

Do cannibals get hungry one hour after eating a china man?
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Three cooks, one from Kentucky, one from California and one from Oregon, were sitting on a park bench passing the time. Suddenly, the cook from Kentucky reaches under the bench and drags out a new bottle of bourbon, takes a big swig, tosses the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from California.
“We got lot’s of bourbon in Kentucky” was the reply.
Next the cook from California takes out a bottle of fine wine, takes a huge swig, throws the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from Oregon.
“We got lot’s of wine in California” was the reply.
The cook from Oregon takes out a bottle of Henry’s Private Reserve beer, takes a humongous swig and shoots the cook from California.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from Kentucky.
“We’ve got lot’s of Californians in Oregon” was the reply.
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How to reach inner peace:

I am passing this on to you because it was passed on to me and it has definitely worked for me like a charm. By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace. It read: “The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you’ve started.” I looked around to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished… So far today I have finished one bottle of vodka, a bottle of red wine, a bottle of Scotch, some Valium, a small box of chocolates and 9 beers. You have no idea how good I feel. You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace.
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Strawberry toppings:

Young Hans lives across from a horse farm. The farmer was driving out unto the road with a load of horse “fertilizer”.
Hans saw him and called, “What’ve you got in your truck?”
“Horse Manure,” the farmer replied.
“It stinks! What are you going to do with it?” asked Hans.
“Put it on my strawberries,” answered the farmer.
“You ought to come to our house,” Hans advised him.
“We put sugar and cream on ours.”
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Life is Good !
It’s even better when you’re having fun !
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Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

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This is such a versatile dish. Every ingredient can be replaced with a substitute without losing any of the complexity of texture and taste.

Spinach : Asparagus, cabbage, corn, broccoli, carrots, beets, etc.
Potato : Sweet potato, mashed potato, pasta, rice, etc.
Asiago : Gorgonzola, parmesan, cheddar, brie, pepper jack, stilton, etc.
Sausage : Bacon, chicken, seafood, beef, lamb, game, etc.

Saute onion, garlic and sausage in butter, add spinach, wilt. Add blanched potatoes, cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Bake at 375 F until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let set for 30 minute before serving.
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Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

: Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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My Kind Of ” Finger Food “

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Sunday night and monday evening was very cold here in Miami, so cold in fact I actually had to turn on the central heating system in order to be comfortable in the house. So, in order to help with the comforting process, I prepared two dishes which aided greatly in the warming of soul and belly :

Sunday afternoon :
“Smoked pig’s tail’s”
with fresh horse radish and potatoes fried in rendered duck fat “.

Monday afternoon :
“Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole”
(I’ll post that in the next few day’s).
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: My kind of ” Finger Food “

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Simmer the smoked pigs’ tails in salted water with kosher salt, lot’s of garlic and cayenne pepper until very tender but not falling apart. Grate the horseradish very fine and mix with salt and lemon juice. Fry the potatoes in rendered duck fat, starting with cold fat and slowly increasing the temperature to 375 F. The potatoes will be creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Add the sliced chilis and onions for the last few seconds of frying. Remove to absorbent paper and sprinkle with sea salt.
Enjoy a great , simple meal; “Finger food” at it’s finest 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Keep Warm And Cozy 🙂

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Nathan Myhrvold Plays With His Food.

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Super fascinating and informative.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the video 🙂
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Nathan Myhrvold plays with his food.
Credit: The Cooking Lab, LLC
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Click here for more of Nathan Myhrvold
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Drunken Turkey Drum Stick

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Usually when I walk into a store to buy food, turkey does not stand in the forefront of my mind. Today I was looking for something like gizzards, trotters, necks, etc. But when I saw this beautiful piece of poultry, my mind was made up, decision made :
Braised Turkey 🙂

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Turkey drums stick, onion diced, garlic paste, tomato chopped, chilis chopped, basil, peppers chopped, celery chopped, red wine, beer, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, butter

Saute drum stick in butter until golden, remove. Saute vegetables, add wine and beer (no stock needed), return drum stick , season with salt and pepper, simmer until tender but not falling apart. Remove 1/3 rd of the vegetables and blend until smooth. Return to stock to lightly thicken. Serve with any starch, such as pasta, potatoes, rice. I used a nice italian white bread which I sautéed in butter with roasted garlic paste. The best way to soak up the sauce and scoop up the vegetables. Simple food at it’s best 🙂

Drunken Turkey Drum Stick

Drunken Turkey Drum Stick
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Link To Beer Braised Turkey Leg’s
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Chicken / Noodle Soup

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Tonight we have lousy weather here in Miami, rainy, cold, windy. What better way to feel cozy and warm at home than to enjoy a good, rich, flavorful chicken noodle soup ! Chicken legs, gizzards, cabbage, bok choy, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, peppers, onions, carrots, celery, maggi and chinese egg noodles. Afterwards a good glass of merlot and early to bed – Bliss !
Tomorrow will be a good day 🙂
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” Chicken / Noodle Soup “

: ” Chicken / Noodle Soup “

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Imperial Fried Rice

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Time to get excited about fried rice 🙂
No, not the cabbage and soy sauce laden one you get for two bucks at your corner chinese restaurant. No, I am talking about my treasure chest of a fried rice which has a whole bunch of goodies in it. Each one (shrimp,chicken, lap cheong, ham, eggs, vegetables), fried on it’s own with rice would make a good fried rice, but here the combination of all of this stuff together makes it a truly memorable dish.
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Imperial Fried Rice

: Imperial Fried Rice

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Ingredient’s :

Fan (飯),   day old chinese steamed rice (Recipe Here)
Chicken,   cubed
Shrimp,   peeled, tail on
Ham,   diced
Lap cheong, fresh, unsmoked
Scallion,   sliced
Bean sprouts,
Red/green bell peppers,   diced
Onions,   diced
Kernel corn,   blanched
Green peas,   blanched
Eggs,   whisked
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Sesame oil,
Peanut oil,   to stir fry

Method :

Season protein and vegetables with salt and cayenne pepper. Saute (stir fry) chicken in oil until medium, remove chicken. Saute shrimp, ham and sausage until shrimp are 3/4 cooked, remove. Saute vegetables, ginger and garlic until fragrant, add rice, fry until rice starts to puff a bit. Form a whole in the center, add more peanut oil, add the eggs. Styr fry until the eggs have set, return proteins to the rice and stir fry until rice starts to pop again. Add bean sprouts, season with sesame oil, salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with scallions and more bean sprouts.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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