Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Here is another hearty recipe of wonderful comfort food.
Many folks are familiar with Jamaican dumplings and some have become addicted to them like I have. Although in their most basic form they are made of just flour, water and salt, as part of a soup or stew they can be mind-boggling great because of their unique texture. As for the taste, I usually add garlic paste and cayenne pepper to give them a bit of extra umph 🙂
The traditional shape of Jamaican dumplings is a thick disk shape with an indention in the center. Spinners are made of the same dough, but they are “spinned” between your hands to shape them into tapered tubes, which is the shape I prefer.
As for the protein in the bean soup, use whatever you like and/or have at hand. Chicken, pork, salt beef, fresh beef, even seafood or just root vegetables. Of course, smoked ham hocks are the price in today’s lunch’ version, which could not have been more tasty and delicious.
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Bon Appetit ! Irie, Mon !
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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Preparation :
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simmer ham hocks in generously seasoned water (kosher salt, garlic paste, scotch bonnet hot sauce) until tender but NOT falling apart

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when ham hocks are tender, remove from stock, reserve

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smoked ham hocks

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remove bones from ham hocks, give one each to your dog and his/her friends 🙂

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dice meat and skin into bite size cubes

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add canned, strained black beans, quartered onions, a small amount of curry powder and turmeric and coconut milk to stock, simmer for another 45 minutes

add canned, strained black beans, quartered onions, a small amount of curry powder, turmeric and coconut milk to stock, simmer for another 45 minutes

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blend in electric blender until smooth, check / adjust seasoning

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make a dough of a/p flour, water and salt, knead until the dough looks like this

make a dough of a/p flour, water, garlic paste, hot sauce and salt, knead until the dough is smooth

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roll individual pieces into small tubes like this, simmer in salt water until cooked through, 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size you prefer

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almost………..

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add meat to soup to heat through

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plate soup in serving dish

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top with spinners

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sprinkle with scallions and/or herbs of your choice

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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After being sick as a dog for the past few day’s, today I can at least walk again without fear of falling on my behind because my legs could not hold me up. So, as any sane person would do, the first thing to do was to prep a meal that would make me feel better. Shrimp and mayo might not seem very smart as a first solid meal in three day’s, but I am happy to report that three hours later I am still ok 🙂
(In case you wonder how I posted the last post about the fish in black bean sauce:
I usually have one or two post’s on stand-by for situations like this and all it needs is the push of a button, the rest takes care of itself)
Anyway, I hope my recovery is going to last for a good time to come and things will be back to normal, at least healthwise.
So here we go, today’s early, delicious lunch:
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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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shrimp, green peas, golden grpe tomatoes, radish, scallion

shrimp, green peas, golden grape tomatoes, radish, scallion

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mayonnaise, sriracha, ketchup, brandy, horseradish, dijon mustard, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, lime juice

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slice italian garlic roll in half (toasting optional)

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top with romaine leaves in lime vinaigrette

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top with generaos amount of shrimp salad

top with generous amount of shrimp salad, garnish with fennel leaves

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serve with lime wedges and arugula in french dressing

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Old Fashioned Shrimp Roll

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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This particular fish, Corvina Sea Bass, is, according to the seller, legally caught fish, in contrast to Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Tooth Fish).
I have enjoyed Chilean Sea Bass many times while I was living in Argentina in the 90’s, when the fish was still abundant and cheap. Unfortunately, due to overfishing, the fish is now rare and endangered and should only be bought from sources which can proof that their fish was legally harvested .
When properly cooked, sea bass is wonderfully moist and flaky, which lends itself to a variety of cooking methods and recipes.
Following is one of my all time favorites 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Chinese Steamed Rice (Fan) recipe
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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Preparation :
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cut sea bass into large cubes, marinade with five spice powder, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dust with rice flour, mix well

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saute whole chilies for a second or two, remove, reserve

saute whole chilies for a second or two in sesame oil to flavor, remove chilies, reserve

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saute onions until translucent

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add peppers and scallions, saute for two minutes, add garlic paste and grated ginger, saute until fragrant, remove, reserve

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reserved sauted onions, peppers, scallions and chilies

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saute sea bass in peanut oil until golden, remove from wok, reserve

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add soy sauce, black bean sauce, chili sauce and rice wine to wok, simmer for one minute

add soy sauce, black bean sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil and rice wine to wok, simmer for one minute

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return fish to wok, simmer until fish is almost cooked through, about one minute

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remove from heat, return vegetables to sauce, mix well, check/adjust seasoning

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce With Fan

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Fan & Black Sesame Seeds

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Got up late today, so a substantial breakfast and no lunch will be the order of the day 🙂
Later an early dinner and to bed early, 3.30am the new work week starts 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Breakfast Of Champions
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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Preparation :
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fresh croissant

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cut croissants in half

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saute ham in garlic oil, top two croissant halves with ham

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top with sliced spicy chorizo

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top remaining two croissant halves with sweet chili sauce

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grate asiago cheese on top of chorizo

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top with two soft-boiled eggs each

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top with arugula in french dressing

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Octopus is one of my favorite seafood. Unfortunately, fresh octopus is not usually available around here. I sometimes order it online, but for the spur of the moment, I usually fall back to canned octopus. I have tried many different brands over the years and my favorite is the Vigo brand in garlic/olive oil. I usually prepare a salad by mixing it with peppers, herbs, potatoes and vinaigrette. Once in a while I mix it in a mixed seafood stew. However, for the dish at hand it was the perfect taste and texture. I even added the garlic oil from the can since it has a strong taste of the sea. A quick, easy and very affordable seafood recipe. If you are not a fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp, just simmer the shrimp and sauce for less time in order to keep the shrimp succulent and moist.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more about Octopus
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions and garlic paste in olive oil

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when onions are translucent add tomato paste, saute another minute

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deglaze with red wine, add octopus with it's canned oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer fr three minutes, check/adjust seasoning

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with its canned oil, finely chopped tomatoes, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

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meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, mix with olive oil

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, add some olive oil

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plate bucatoni, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

plate bucatini, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video below. Thank you 🙂
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Milanesa Mexicana

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Playing with food 🙂
Green, white and red –
very easy to come up with a real Mexican dish using the mexican flag colors.

¡ Buen Provecho ! ¡ Viva México!
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Click here for Guacamole recipe
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana recipe
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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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season veal cutlet with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

season thinly pounded veal cutlet with mustard, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

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place onto serving platter, drizzle with lime juice, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa mexicana, sprinkle with chives or cilantro (however, there is already plenty cilantro in the guacamole)

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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Eat or be eaten……..

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Watch Mike Monahan explore the belly of a bluefish

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Picture by Dean Robert Blog

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Let’s Face It – Once In A While, This Is All We Want And Need :-)

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Every chef knows this feeling, even if it only hit’s once a year – you get home after a crappy day at work and you don’t want to hear or see about cooking for the rest of the day but still want something fine for dinner. Exactly what happened to me today. So, here is what went down at my house today:

Bubbly aperitif by the lake at sunset, then a dinner of strawberry ice cream (store-bought), fresh pineapple and ice-cold milk in front of the TV. Success ! Already feeling a whole lot better.
( I wonder if that’s the ice cream or the bubbly?) 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Don’t let it get to you !
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Thank you Dana and Lara for the nice wine and champagne.
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Sunset Apéritif & TV Dinner

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Sunset Apéritif & TV Dinner

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Sunset Apéritif & TV Dinner

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Sunset Apéritif & TV Dinner

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Korean Dinner – Bulgogi, Gamjajorim, Kimchee & Sukju Namul

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Tonight (Tuesday) my fridge and cupboard were nearly empty and the best thing I had at hand was a great looking rib eye steak. I did not feel like having just a plain old steak from the grill, so when I saw the mung bean sprouts and the cooked potatoes, first some Asian, then some Korean recipes started to dance around my head and I decided on this menu, which turned out to be just the flavors and textures I craved and they sure hit a home run with my tastebuds 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Kimchi (Kimchee) recipe

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul & Gamjajorim

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Bulgogi

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Preparation :
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rib eye steak

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rib eye steak most fat removed (leave some on for better taste and texture)

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sliced rib eye steak

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sliced beef, scallions, onions

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pineapple, (for tenderizing purpose, (traditionally use asian pear), onion, ginger, garlic, blend until smooth

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season with kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, blended pinepple mix, mix well, marinade for 30 minutes (for a tough cut of beef such as top round, marinade up to 8 hours)

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Meanwhile, blanch mong bean sprouts in salted, boiling water for 20 seconds, drain, shock in ice water, drain again

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add sliced scallions, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil

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Sukja namul

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heat sliced potatoes with honey, soy sauce, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, when heated through check/adjust seasoning, add white sesame seeds

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sukju namul

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grilling bulgogi

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul,

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Bulgogi

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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EASY DOES IT # 16 – Two Quick, Simple Salad’s

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A lot of folk’s shy back from constructed salads because they find them difficult to make and the recipes too complicated.
I can asure you that nothing is further from the truth. First, choose two main components, such as pasta and cold cuts, rice and seafood, potato and vegetables, vegetables and cheese, any grain such as amaranth, barley, quinoa, or rye, add herbs or whatever else tickles your fancy. Add whatever else you want to add that you think will enhance your salad, dress with whatever dressing you fancy. Combine any ingredients you feel will go well together and experiment.
However, if the salad is to be served at a later point in time or outside at a party, I don’t recommend homemade mayo for obvious reasons, use the store-bought version which is safer. Also, for pasta, rice and potato salads, I recommend to cook the starch a bit longer than if you use them in a hot dish. The texture will be more pleasant.
Following find two simple salads which I made yesterday. The whole prep and assembly took about thirty minutes total. If you don’t have much practice, both salads might take you an hour, not bad for two different dishes that serve about 20 each. Just remember, It’s your salad – do with it whatever you like as long as YOU think it’s the way it should be: omit, add, deduct any ingredient You feel makes your dish a better one 🙂

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“Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad”

Penne rigata, shrimp, fennel leaves, eggs, peas, cherry tomatoes, mayo (easy on the mayo), olive oil, garlic paste, white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, greek yogurt, maggi. Use whatever ratio of ingredients you prefer. If it tastes good and looks good, you’ve done it right 🙂
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“Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons”

Farfalle pasta, salame, pepper jack cheese, cornichons, scallions, mayo (easy on the mayo), olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic paste, white balsamic vinegar, cornichon liquid, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, maggi. Same here again, use whatever ratio of ingredients you prefer. If it tastes good and looks good, you’ve done it right 🙂
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Happy Cooking and Bon Appetit !
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Click here for more “Easy Does It”

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