Breakfast / Brunch

Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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My old standard smoothie recipe used to be ice, fruit, ice cream and lots of liquor.
I could never get enough of those rum and/or vodka spiked concoctions, which I drank by the bucketful and although they had quite a kick, they always made me feel that I am drinking healthy, what with all that fruit in it…… 🙂
So after I went cold turkey two years ago, I never felt the craving for smoothies, because frankly – no booze? – then what’s the point ?
But then somebody treated me to a smoothie about a week ago and I was hooked again. That particular smoothie was made with just mango and ice, no other ingredients. Although it was pretty good, it was at the same time lacking some more refinement, either in the form of some booze 😦 or some other taste and texture enhancer.
So today I had these slightly over-ripe mangos and nectarines in the cupboard, yogurt in the fridge and thanks to modern appliances, Ice is always just a push of a finger away at the ice-dispenser. I added a bit of organic honey, some 2% milk –
And just like that, Voilà ! My new favorite drink was born 🙂
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À Vôtre Santé ! Life is Good !

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P.S.
Adding a few jiggers of rum to this………ahhhh….
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Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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Preparation :
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: wash, peel and pit two very ripe mangoes and two ripe nectarines

: really ripe, really sweet….

: add fruits to a blender, add 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tblsp organic honey (optional), 2 cup 2% milk and 10 ea ice cubes, blend until smooth

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Aged beef tenderloin and a hearty salad – if done with love, a wonderful, sexy, perfect fit.
I am usually not a big fan of beef tenderloin because in my opinion, the texture is rather boring and more suitable for a toothless baby than for a grown man.
However, cut into lardon’s, seasoned properly and sautéed really hot until nicely browned on the outside and still rare on the inside, it is the perfect meat to add to a salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Preparation :
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: Basil Bush

: slice 10 ea medium sized red radishes into thick slices, add 2 tblsp kosher salt, mix and let rest to marinade for 20 minutes; squeeze-out excess water, discard water

: trim 16 oz beef tenderloin of all fat and skin, cut into lardons, season with 1 tblsp chili paste, 1 tblsp garlic paste and kosher salt to taste

: saute beef in VERY HOT pan until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside

: 4 ea hard boiled eggs, 1 ea yellow chilies, 1 ea avocado, peeled and cut into slices, salted radishes, 1 head endive,

: whisk 3 tblsp olive oil and chiffonade of 10 basil leaves with 1 tblsp white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, mix with the salad

: divide salad onto 2 serving plates, top ea salad with half the sauteed meat each, garnish with more basil ; serves 2

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Black Plum Bread Pudding

Plums

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5 Reasons We Love Plums
By Erika Freeman
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1. “Plum” is often used to describe a deep purple hue, but in fact plums come in a wide spectrum of colors, such as black, yellow, red, pink, even green.
2. Dark plums (purple, black) are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, antioxidants that give them their color and are associated with helping to keep the heart healthy and the brain sharp.
3. Without the plum, we wouldn’t have prunes! Oh, but excuse us, we call them “dried plums” now. (In 2000, the prune was renamed to make it easier to market—apparently prunes’ reputation as a fruit to keep you regular was no longer a selling point.)
4. They have an au naturel protection; called a “bloom,” it’s a natural wax coating the fruit produces to keep its skin from losing water. Look for the whitish-silvery bloom: it’s also a sign a plum hasn’t been over-handled.
5. This juicy sweet treat has only about 36 calories.
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This plum bread pudding was the glorious end to a great meal I had with my friends Laura, Fernando and André at my house the other day.
It was the first multi- course dinner I hosted at home in four years and it reminded me how much I miss these gatherings with great food, drink and company that were so common and frequent at the homes Maria’s and I shared for so many years in times past. Happy dinner parties were the highlights of our social life when she was still alive and sometimes I miss them, along with so many other things we shared.
Although Maria was not physically present at this dinner, her spirit was with us and so it was only the second social gathering I was happy at since her passing.
(Xmas dinner at Dieters and Chachas house being the only other occasion) 🙂
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So, while the seafood salad, tenderloin steak, flat iron steak, teriyaki cauliflower and tomato/garlic pasta were delicious, the highlight was the dessert in the form of this black plum pudding.
Plums are wonderful to prepare cakes and tatin’s with, superb for marmalade and compote and, as you can see below, just perfect for bread pudding.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Bread And Black Plum Pudding

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Preparation :
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: wash and pit 10 medium size black plums, cut into small “cubes”

: butter an ovenproof dish generously with soft butter

: whisk together 6 small eggs, 4 cup milk, a pinch of ground cinnamon, 6 tblsp organic honey and a dash of organic vanilla extract

: cut 10 THICK slices of day-old white bread into large cubes, mix with the plums, fill into ovenproof dish

: add the egg/milk mixture, press the bread and plums into the liquid until most of the mixture has been absorbed by the bread, sprinkle generously with sugar and top with butter flakes

: bake pudding at 375F until set and plums are soft and top is caramelized, about 45 minutes, remove from oven, let slightly cool; sprinkle with castor sugar and serve with whipped cream; serves 8

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

: Bread And Black Plum Pudding

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 57 – Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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A bowl of granola for breakfast is a wonderful thing for a lot of folks – but for me, it is NOT.
If I want my day to start on a happy note, I need food that say’s HAPPY to me.
A bowl of granola or such just says BAHH to me and is, in my humble opinion, but a sorry excuse for a satisfying breakfast 😦 .
On the other hand, a delicious frittata – now we are talking ! 🙂
Throw in a couple of gherkins, a few green leaves and grape tomatoes in yogurt/honey dressing and Voilà ! – bring it on, tough day !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Yogurt/Honey Dressing :
Whisk together 2 tblsp greek yogurt, 1 tsp organic honey, 1 tsp rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste
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Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Preparation :
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: Cook 2 lbs peeled potatoes in lightly salted water until tender but NOT falling apart, drain, let cool enough to handle, cut into fine slices

: slice 2 med-size chicken breasts into slices, season with 1 tsp garlic paste, fresh-cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste

: saute the chicken in 1/2 tblsp olive oil until cooked through

: remove chicken from pan, reserve

: saute the potato slices in 1 tblsp olive oil until browned

: return the chicken to the pan

: add 2 oz cleaned fresh spinach, saute for one minute

: add 6 whole whisked eggs

: cook on low heat until eggs have set, flip eggs to other side, cook until lightly browned; serve with gherkins and small salad of greens and tomatoes in honey/yogurt dressing; serves 4

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Dragon Waffles

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Pitaya, drachenfrucht, fruit du dragon, buah naga, kaeo mangkon, thanh long, huǒ lóng guǒ, lóng zhū guǒ, nanettika fruit – these are just a few of the many  names for one of the most versatile, beautiful and delicious fruits I know.
Dragon fruit comes in three main varieties – red, green and yellow peel with either fiery red flesh with black dots (seeds) or white meat with black dots (seeds). Then there is the less common bright-yellow dragon fruit, with yellow peel and white meat with black dots (seeds). The taste of the dragon fruit spans a great range, from rather sour to very sweet.
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Today’s at breakfast time I had a great craving for waffles. I had a couple of mangos as well as one dragon fruit in the larder, so the menu was set :
“Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream”.
I usually serve the dragon waffles with caramelized apples, but the mangoes I had in the fridge were rather ripe and needed to be used – good thing I did use them for this dish, because the soft, very sweet mangoes fit perfectly with the slightly tart dragon fruit and the crisp waffles. What a wonderful way to start the day 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Waffle Batter :
Ingredients :
1. 1/3   cup flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1. 3/4 cup buttermilk, two egg yolks (whisk the two egg whites to stiff peaks)
Method :
Mix dry ingredients well, add buttermilk, egg yolks and melted butter, fold-in whisked egg whites
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Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream

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Preparation :
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: nango and dragon fruit

: dice 1/2, peeled dragon fruit into small dice, mix with the waffle batter (see recipe on this page)

: cook waffles as usual

: bring 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 dash organic vanilla extract and 2 tblsp organic honey to a simmer, reduce by halfhoney and

: peel and slice 3 medium sized mangoes, add to the cream, remove from heat

: place the creamed mangoes on a serving plate, garnish with dragon fruit wedges

: top mngoes with a handful of dried cranberries for texture

: top with the dragon waffle wedges; serves 4

: Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream

: Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream

: Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream

: Dragon Waffles With Mangoes In Honey/Vanilla Cream

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Pearl Burgers

Pearl Balls

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Pearl ~~Balls~~ Burgers :
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DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD !
When we were kids, most of us had to be told not to play with our food in order to install respect and gratitude towards our daily nourishment, which in my case, immediately after WWII in Germany, was not nearly as guaranteed and abundant as is now for most of us.
But, decades later, like any professional chef, I love to “play” with food, either to improve a dish’s taste, appearance, profitability, or just for the heck of it. 🙂
“Just for the heck of it” happened today.
I was well on my way to prepare traditional “Chinese Pearl Balls”, which I love dearly and I prepare quite often for myself at home. They are easy and quick to prepare, look wonderful and they serve perfect as snack, appetizer or main course in a multi-course meal.
However, today I had the urge to “play with my food” a bit and the following was the result. Both versions of the burgers were outstanding in taste and especially in texture, and I will definitely prepare them again 🙂
Because of their size and the additional liquid added to the ground meat, the pearl burgers were much more juicy than regular pearl balls, which tend to dry-out quickly when removed from the steam. The burgers without the rice coating were very juicy as well, with the additional bonus of the taste/texture-enhancement resulting from the maillard reaction.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
As mentioned above and as you can see in the prep-pictures below, I added much more water to the ground meat as one would to regular pearl balls, since holding their shape was not an issue for the patties as it would have been shaping the pork into spherical shapes. The added moisture made a huge difference in the final product.
P.P.S.
Serve with Kecap Manis or other dipping sauce of your choice.
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Click here to read about Maillard Reaction
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Click here for Kecap Manis Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Pearl Burger

Asian Flavored Pork Burger

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Preparation :
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: mix 2 lbs ground pork, 4 ea stalks sliced scallions, 1 tblsp sesame oil, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp chili paste, kosher salt to taste and 1 cup water or unsalted chicken broth

: soak 1 cup long grain rice overnight in water; next day, drain rice and pat dry

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: divide pork into 4 patties, dip 2 ea on both sides in the soaked rice

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: saute the 2 plain patties on both sides in peanut oil until golden and cooked medium-well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

: place one ea of the pearl patties on a lightly oiled plate or parchment paper, steam in 2 steamer baskets (one above each other) until medium well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Steamed Pearl Burger

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Pearl Balls Burger

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Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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Today’s breakfast served actually as an early lunch (10.45 am), so I added a small salad to the eggs and Rösti, which turned the whole thing into a complete, delicious meal which sustained me well into the evening.
The tart apples in the salad as well as the ranch dressing were a great fit with the crisp Rösti. The gooey cheese inside the potatoes took the dish to new heights and the addition of eggs turned the whole thing into a wonderful lunch with nothing else to wish for 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Käse Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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Preparation :
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: Cook 1 lbs peeled potatoes halfway (the inside will be hot but still raw), drain

: shred potatoes

: shred and add 1 small onion

: season with fresh-ground black pepper, fresh grated nutmeg and kosher salt to taste, mix carefully, avoiding to msh the potatoes

: add 2 tblsp vegetable oil to a medium-hot pan, spread 1/2 of the potatoes evenly, saute until bottom is golden and crisp

: add 1 cup grated swiss cheese, spread-out evenly

: top with the second-half of the potatoes, spread evenly, cook until second side of rosti is golden and crisp

: slide potatoes onto a plate, invert back into the pan, add 4 tblsp clarified butter, saute until golden and crisp

: to serve, cut rösti in half, top with two friied eggs, serve salad on the side; serves 2

: while the rösti is cooking, peel, core and slice one large apple

: add to a bowl containing lemon water (2 cup ice water, 2 tblsp lemon juice); when ready to mix the salad, drain the water, pat dry the apple slices

: add the same amount (in volume) of diced iceberg lettuce, dress with ranch dressing

: Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

: Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 56 – Steak And Egg

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If you feel you need a breakfast that will prepare you for a special day ahead, be it a tough work-day or a fun play-day, this tasty beauty will probably fit the bill. Even if you are a vegetarian, just omit the steak and you will still have a dish that is full of flavor and texture, pretty and just – yummy 🙂
Good morning and have a great day !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Sauce Mornay Recipe
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Note: Although only 2 eggs are needed for this recipe, I usually cook one extra egg, just in case one breaks……(better safe than sorry)
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Breakfast Of Champions # 56 – Steak & Egg

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Preparation :
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: peel one large baking potato

: trim the ends and discard, cut the remaining potato into four 1/2 ” slices

: simmer slices in salted water until soft but not falling apart

: meanwhile, season two 8 oz beef tenderloins with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute or grill until cooked to your preferred internal temperature, reserve

: saute potatoes in duck fat until golden and crisp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: season 2 thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, finely slice 2 ea scallions

: dust tomato slices with a/p flour, saute in duck fat until golden

: poach three eggs to your desired doneness in 1/2 qt of water that has been seasoned with 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt

: to assemble the dish, place 1 slice potato on serving plate

: top potato with 1 slice tomato

: top tomato with another slice of potato

: top potato with 1 beef filet

: top beef with one egg

: nape (cover) egg with sauce mornay (cheese sauce)

: sprinkle with finely sliced scallions; recipe serves two

: Breakfast Of Champions # 56 – Steak & Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 56 – Steak & Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 56 – Steak & Egg

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Portuguese Eggs

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While Maria and I were living in Funchal, Madeira, we became friends with a wonderful local couple, Balduino and Felicidade. They invited us to their home often, where we usually had an early brunch and then set out to explore the island, usually by car and sometimes by scooter. After a while this became a wonderful routine and it was Balduino’s pride (and our enjoyment) to prepare a different variation of “Portuguese Eggs” each time we met at his house. Over time, we were able to enjoy this dish with squid, octopus, lobster, shrimp, espada (the most popular local fish), chorizo, ham and different greens and herbs. He sometimes sprinkled grated local cheese on top of the eggs before baking, but he never included the more common ricotta cheese. Always accompanied by hearty, home-baked bread and local wine, it was the perfect delicious and fortifying meal to keep us going for hours on our expeditions around the island 🙂
(To be truthful, sometimes we replaced the tours with more wine and a bottle of port and just talked about past and future island-explorations).
Let me say here that Madeira is one of the most beautiful places Maria and I had the luck and privilege to live together 🙂
Here now is today’s version of “Portuguese Eggs” in memory of great friendship, great places to live, happier times and the great love of my life, Maria, who passed away exactly 3 years ago.
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Love ……….
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Portuguese Eggs

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Preparation :
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: tomatoes, potato, shrimp, onion, peas, basil

: peel, dice and simmer 1 large potato in salted water until soft but not falling apart, drain

: slice one medium onion, saute in 1 tblsp olive oil until translucent

: add 2 lbs halved tomatoes, season with salt and cayenne papper, broil until starting to caramelize

: add 2 cup water and 1 tsp garlic paste, simmer until tomatoes have broken down and a sauce has developed, about 20 minutes (add more water if sauce becomes too thick)

: add potatoes, simmer 5 minutes

: season 10 oz shrimp with fresh-ground black pepper, kosher salt, garlic paste and olive oil (if you prefer, remove the tails before adding them to the stew)

: add the shrimp and 3 oz green peas to the tomatoes, mix, check/adjust seasoning

: add whole eggs to the stew, sprinkle eggs with kosher salt, simmer slowly until eggs are cooked the way you like them; if you like your eggs more cooked than I do, put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes, ; to serve, sprinkle with herbs of your choice; serves 4 or 5

: meanwhile, cut 2 pretzel-rolls into halves

: brush with garlic paste

: grill rolls until golden

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: to serve, place bread on bottom of serving dish, top with portuguese eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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What’s there to say about this breakfast other than that it was beautiful, delicious and satisfying –
I believe the pictures speak for them self – start drooling 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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: clean and cut into small florets 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower

: blanche cauliflower, drain cauliflower, pat dry

: dice 16 oz of beef flank steak, 3 oz of onions and 2 oz of red peppers

: poach 3 eggs for 3 minutes, remove to absorbent paper

: mix 1 tblsp finely sliced chives with 1 tsp chili oil, 1 tblsp olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt

: carefully add poached eggs to chili oil, keep warm

: season beef with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute in garlic oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, remove from pan, reserve