Grab Bag

Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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Udon, the Japanese noodle-love of my life !

Apparently, Alison Spiegel (and many others) caught the same love bug) :

( Excerpt from : The Huffington Post | By Alison Spiegel )
“Ramen may be everyone’s favorite Japanese noodle soup these days, but just because it’s the trendiest doesn’t mean it’s the best. We’re huge fans of ramen — don’t get us a wrong. We could eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks any day of the week, instant or otherwise. But it’s time to get to know other Japanese noodles, like soba and udon. Because they’re made with buckwheat, which is gluten free, soba noodles have gotten their due lately. Udon noodles, however, have been falling by the wayside, and we’re here to tell you why you should give them plenty of attention this winter.

Thick, chewy and ridiculously satisfying, udon noodles are in a league of their own. These long, Japanese wheat noodles are great hot or cold, and with a neutral flavor, they’re an unmatchable foundation for everything from miso soups to curry. In Japan,kake udon is one of the simplest and most common ways to eat these soft yet sturdy noodles. Udon noodles are served in hot dashi, a Japanese broth made with kombu and bonito flakes, and are topped with scallions. They might also come with tempura or fish cakes. Other popular ways to eat udon noodles include yakiudon, in which the noodles are stir-fried, and zaru udon, in which the noodles are served cold with a soy-sauce based dipping sauce. However you eat udon noodles, they will leave you feeling full but not stuffed, comforted but not sluggish, and completely nourished.”

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All about Udon
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Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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Preparation :
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: slice tenderloin tips into batons, season with oregano, chili flakes, whole chilies,and soy sauce

: stir fry in very hot peanut oil until nicely browned but still rare, remove to absorbent paper, discard most of the oil

: in the remaining oil, stir fry sliced onions and garlic paste until fragrant

: add finely sliced bell peppers, stir fry another minute

: add 4 tblsp water, 3 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tblsp oyster sauce, 2 tblsp hoi sin sauce, 1 tblsp ketchup

: simmer for one minute, remove from heat, add a few drops of chili oil and a few drops of sesame oil, check / adjust seasoning

: add cooked udon and stir fried beef tips

: mix well

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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Easy Does It # 25 – Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Let’s face it and admit to the truth – no matter how passionate we are about good food, not all meals we consume must be and can be culinary masterpieces or be completely homemade in order to make us happy.
In cooking, as with love, sometimes a loving hug will do it instead of a few hours of passionate love-making (Well, sometimes…….. 🙂
I have posted some pretty simple stuff in the past and judging by the positive responses, posts about simple food are as welcome as the more complex meals.
So, I feel confident that mixing a few very simple, basic dishes into my usual mix of international food posts will be a welcome addition to the folks who are still learning their way around the kitchen, as well as for the more seasoned cooks who will be reminded that sometimes, depending on our mood, the time and/or budget, simple means best 🙂
I believe today’s dish is a perfect example of how to lift a usually mediocre dish up to new hights by choosing top-ingredients and preparing the food with love and care.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you replace the mayo with the more customary butter and grill the sandwich instead, you will miss out on the best part of this sandwich – the wonderful crust which the mayo helps to provide.
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More “Easy Does It”
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Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Preparation :
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: smear both sides of seeded rye bread with mayonnaise

: griddle one side of each slice of bread until golden

: top the griddle side of the bread with sharp cheddar

: top the cheddar with ham, drizzle with sriracha

: top with more cheddar

: top with a slice of bread which has been smeared on both sides with dijon mustard

: top with more ham

: top with more cheddar

: top with another mayonnaise-covered, one side griddled bread, griddle side down

: griddle sandwich on a VERY low heat griddle (or cast iron pan) until golden, turn, griddle the other side

: cover and cook VERY slowly until the cheese has melted, to serve, cut in half, serve with spicy ketchup and kosher pickles

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe (Ahlbeck-Style Seafood Soup)

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Back when my wife Maria and I were owners of Restaurant Gildenkeller in Neubrandenburg, (in the former East Germany), one of our short weekend trips took us to the island of Usedom, which is about an hours drive by car from Neubrandenburg, where our restaurant was located.
I remember the quaint little Inn’s and the few stately, but outdated and mostly dilapidated grand hotels of better times past (before the communists took over). However, there were also a number of small, new restaurants, run with much enthusiasm and love by their newly capitalist owners, which excelled in their standards of food and service. In one such gem in the town of Ahlbeck (I forgot the name of the restaurant but not the food we ate) Maria and I had a most wonderful lunch, consisting of an delightful appetizer of “Matjes Herring” with “Pumpernickel“, a superb main course of “Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe” and a great dessert of “Rote Grütze“.
Today I prepared the soup as I remembered it from so many years ago and it did not disappoint 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Check the bottom of this page for “Bella’s Salmon Stew” 🙂
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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: fresh salmon, fresh cod fillet, shrimp, chopped smoked salmon, squid (replace with mussels for more authenticity)

: simmer cut fish in water seasoned with salt, white pepper and lemon juice

: when fish is almost done, add squid (or mussels) and shrimp, remove from heat, let steep another minute

: drain seafood, save the stock

: saute onions, anchovy paste and garlic paste

: add smoked salmon, saute another minute

: add a bit of a/p flour, saute another minute

: add clam juice (there is not enough flavor from the small amount of seafood in the stock)

: add the stock, simmer for 15 minutes

: add heavy cream, check / adjust seasoning

: plate the warm seafood, sprinkle with chopped parsley or dill

: ladle the hot soup over the seafood

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

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Bellas Fish Stew
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: for your four-legged friend (dog or cat), simmer the salmon trimmings in a bit of water

: Bellas Salmon Stew 🙂

: spoil her to smithereens, 🙂

: Happy Bella 🙂

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Pasta Cacio E Pepe

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This most simple dish of pasta, black pepper and cheese confirms the genius of classic Italian cuisine once more.
Good quality pasta, cooked al dente with just the right amount of salt, fresh ground black pepper, grated caciocavallo cheese and a bit of the cooking liquid, it is pasta perfection at its finest. I enjoyed it tonight as a second course after a first course of a sexy salad of Romaine, Radiccio Rosso and Bresola with Prepared Horseradish.
A truly wonderful dinner , fit for a king.
(And a Queen – Bella couldn’t get enough of both the pasta and the bresola) 🙂
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Buon Appetito ! Life is Good !
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Pasta Cacio E Pepe

Romaine, Radiccio Rosso, Red Radish and Bresola with Prepared Horseradish In Raspberry Vinegar Vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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: cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente

: drain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

: add fresh ground black pepper and finely grated caciocavallo cheese

: add some of the reserved cooking liquid

: mix ingredients well until a creamy sauce forms

: Pasta Cacio E Pepe

: Pasta Cacio E Pepe

: Pasta Cacio E Pepe

: Romaine, Radiccio Rosso and Bresola with Prepared Horseradish In Raspberry Vinegar Vinaigrette

: Romaine, Radiccio Rosso and Bresola with Prepared Horseradish In Raspberry Vinegar Vinaigrette

: Romaine, Radiccio Rosso and Bresola with Prepared Horseradish In Raspberry Vinegar Vinaigrette

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Steak Salad Sandwich

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Combine a good steak, some greens, grilled sour dough bread smeared with herb & garlic boursin and a few more goodies and you have yourself a delightful, quick and easy to prepare dinner, as I did this late afternoon.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad Sandwich

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Preparation :
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: trim a 16 oz striploin of all fat, slice into 3 thin strips, marinade overnight in soy sauce, thyme, oregano, fresh ground black pepper and garlic oil

: thinly slice red radishes, season generously with kosher salt, let marinade for 15 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture

: grill a thick slice of sourdough bread

: let bread cool, smear with garlic/herb boursin

: mix iceberg lettuce with radish and vinaigrette

: season steaks with kosher salt, grill until rare, remove meat from pan, let rest for 5 minutes

: plate bread and salad

: top with steaks

: Steak Salad Sandwich

: Madam first, as usual…..

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Raspberry / Cheese Blintzes

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While cheese blintzes are traditionally made with thin pancakes, I like to make my stuffed blintzes a bit more substantial and therefore make the batter a bit thicker and spread it in the pan more thick, (between the thickness of a crepe and a dutch-pancake). I also don’t usually eat them as snack or dessert but as a main course, so my blintzes are larger, thicker and contain more filling than usual.
Other than that, I stick with tradition – pancake, cheese filling with fruit and lightly sauteed – that’s all there is to another great culinary gem 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More about Blintzes & Blinis
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Raspberry / Cheese Blintzes

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Preparation :
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: ricotta and cream cheese

: mix well

: add organic honey and a dash of organic vanilla extract

: fold in fresh raspberries

: raspberry/cheese filling

: mix milk, eggs, self-rising flour and honey (if you want very thin crepes instead, use a/p flour

: whisk until smooth

: make pancakes in non-stick pan

: cook until starting to brown

: turn and cook on other side

: let slightly cool for easier handling

: fill each pancake with a generous amount of filling

: fold into pockets

: saute both sides until outside is golden and filling is heated through

: Raspberry / Cheese Blintzes

: Raspberry / Cheese Blintzes

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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Soup……….
(Excerpt from “FoodTimeline”)
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Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking. The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling, easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures, rich and poor, healthy people and invalids. Soup (and stews, pottages, porridges, gruels, etc.) evolved according to local ingredients and tastes. New England chowder, Spanish gazpacho, Russian borscht, Italian minestrone, French onion, Chinese won ton and Campbell’s tomato…are all variations on the same theme.
Soups were easily digested and were prescribed for invalids since ancient times. The modern restaurant industry is said to be based on soup. Restoratifs (wheron the word “restaurant” comes) were the first items served in public restaurants in 18th century Paris. Broth [Pot-au-feu], bouillion, and consomme entered here. Classic French cuisine generated many of the soups we……read more about Soup here
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Many years ago when Maria and I visited one of my friends in Germany, Carlo (better known in Germany’s food community as “Kräuter-Carlo” aus Trebenow), served us this great soup which has stayed in my repertoire for home cooked comfort food ever since. It is so tasty and the texture so pleasant that every time I prepare a large pot full in order to be able to re-heat it in batches in the next few days, I usually end up finishing most of the whole pot right then and there :-).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

Carlo’s Pork & Leek Soup

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Preparation :
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: saute onions and garlic paste in butter

: add ground veal, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute until all meat is crumbled

: add finely sliced leek

: saute another minute

: add a small amount of a/p flour

: add chicken/or vegetable stock, simmer for twenty minutes, add small pre-cooked potatoes, simmer another ten minutes

: add heavy cream and grated nutmeg, check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with grated asiago cheese and Italian parsley

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Rösti With Mushrooms In Cream

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Life is all about the crispy bits………….. 🙂
Most folks would probably agree with this statement, especially when we’re talking food, and of course especially when we are talking fried, baked or sautéed potatoes. And, in my own, humble opinion, of all the great potato dishes, the undisputed king is “Rösti”. Crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, it is a most versatile dish which can be enjoyed as a main course with just a fried egg on top and a green side salad, or as a side dish for such dishes as Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, Gulasch or Creamed Mushrooms, as shown below.
There are Rösti which are enhanced with such mixed-in goodies as cheese, herbs, grated onions, bacon and so forth. Yet for me, at least in the case of Rösti, simple is best, so I prefer the basic version – grated potatoes, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper and sautéed in duck fat – voilà . There is also the divide between advocates of using raw shredded potatoes versus the Rösti enthusiasts who insist on parboiled potatoes. While both versions have the potential to be wonderful, I myself prefer the parboiled potato version, which has a less starchy taste.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More on Rösti
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Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: Simmer potatoes until HALF- way cooked, drain, let cool, preferably overnight

: grate potatoes coarsely

: season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, saute in duck fat (substitute with clarified butter if duck fat is not available)

: shape into patty

: cook until crispy on one side, turn, cook on other side until crispy

: done…….

: Rösti

: button mushrooms

: saute diced onions and garlic paste until fragrant

: add mushrooms, saute until starting to lightly brown

: add heavy cream, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: simmer until reduced and creamy, add sliced scallions

: Creamy Mushroom

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Baby Arugula & Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

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Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Today’s late lunch / early dinner has send me way back to my day’s of gluttony. I will have to live on apples for the next few days to make up for today’s culinary excess, but it was well worth it 🙂
After a few days of eating mostly fruits and vegetables, my cravings for some hearty soul food got the best of me and I gave in to my innermost desires of preparing and enjoying a beautiful “Choucroute Garnie”, also known in some parts of Swabia as “Kleine Schlachtplatte”.
(A “Kleine Schlachtplatte” consists of sauerkraut, boiled pig such as belly, loin, or knuckles, sausage such as blood pudding, fresh liverwurst or knackwurst and bread or potatoes – as opposed to a real “Schlachtplatte”, which is eaten only on the day of butchering and processing a Hog and usually consists of sauerkraut, boiled pigs head or belly, fresh liverwurst and fresh blood pudding. Obviously, I had to make do with a “Kleine Schlachtplatte” today, which nevertheless was divine and deeply satisfying.
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good ! (And sometimes fattening) 😦 🙂
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More on Choucroute Garnie
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More on Schlachtplatte
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Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: select a good quality sauerkraut for this dish

: cover fresh ham hocks with salted water, bring to a boil

: turn down to a simmer, cook until tender but NOT falling apart

: meanwhile, saute onions in bacon fat, when onions are translucent, add sauerkraut

: add stock from the ham hocks, season with cayenne pepper, garlic paste and a dash of sugar

: simmer sauerkraut until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes

: add a bit of corn starch slurry to bind the juices

: check / adjust the seasoning

: add smoked pork chops, blood sausages (morcilla) and the knuckles, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauerkraut does not burn at the bottom

: meanwhile, saute small cooked potatoes in bacon fat with caraway seeds, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Shannons “Spinach & Fruit Smoothie”

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When I started to watch my nutrition some time ago, one of the first thing I tried were healthy smoothies. Usually bright green and healthy looking, with all kind of supposedly healthy ingredients, I had tried many of them in many different places. One thing they all had in common – they smelled and tasted awful 😦
So when I met Shannon the other day, I was naturally pessimistic, especially since she was selling a blender for a considerable sum of money which made me even more suspicious of the quality and taste of the free smoothie’s she handed out. I am not an expert on kitchen blenders and their prices and I think you usually get what you pay for, so I will leave the verdict for the actual blender to the experts of such equipment. I am however an expert on food-taste and -texture and can therefore wholeheartedly attest to the exceptionally great taste, color and smell of the featured smoothie. It is a recipe which will be a welcome addition to my “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” meal plan.

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Cheers ! Life is Good !
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Link to “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”
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