Avocado

Chicken In A Nest

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Chicken Salad  is probably one of the most abused dishes out there. Ever more complicated and pompous, it has lost its original appeal for me a long time ago in it’s present form which is more likely than not a bunch of mostly outer salad leaves (I call that rabbit food 😦 , some obscure bottled dressing and a few slices of tomato and cucumber – $ 17.50 please! – plus tip and a diet coke or water and you will leave the restaurant with a bill of at least $ 25.00 for a mediocre meal you could prepare at home for a fraction of the price, much faster and most of all – much more delicious, healthy and appetizing !
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Chicken In A Nest

Chicken In A Nest

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Chicken In A Nest

Chicken In A Nest

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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$ 90 Salad Splurge …………….

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How do you justify an $90 salad for one?
I do by arguing that if I go to a restaurant and spend the same amount or even more, especially here in South Florida, my food will most likely not be as good and most certainly not as ample and luxurious. Three lbs of stone crab claws ($75) is a generous portion but not excessive. Add the shrimp, avocado and the other ingredients and you reach an eye-watering $90 bucks- definitely not something you want to do often, but once in a while for a special occasion ………….  so today I was celebrating my upcoming birthday (December 2nd !) 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Live a Little ! 🙂
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Crab And Shrimp Salad

Stone Crab And Shrimp Salad

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Crab And Shrimp Salad

Stone Crab And Shrimp Salad

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Crab And Shrimp Salad

Stone Crab And Shrimp Salad

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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Adana Kebab (Kıyma Kebabı) (Turkish Lamb Skewer)

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In  the early seventies I was lucky enough to be visiting Turkey many times ( Istanbul,  Kusadasi  and  Izmir  among other places). At that time, Turkey  still had an oriental mystique to it which was incredibly fascinating and exiting to a young man like me. The sights, smells and noises were so much different from what I was used to – even after all these years, they still linger vividly in my memory
My girlfriend and I almost got stoned by an angry mob one day at the market in Izmir. (They actually threw stones and small rocks at us). We just came from the Caribbean and my girlfriend Edith was wearing the popular outfit of the day – high heels, hot pants and a thin t-shirt without a bra – not a good idea at the time in a mostly Muslim country. Only the quick help and intervention of our taxi driver who came running to rescue us (carefree idiots) prevented great harm or worse.
But beside that particular episode, I only have great memories of Turkey in the seventies. One of the highlights of our stay’s were always the great meals we had in local restaurants. We tried anything we could, from five-star restaurants in five-star hotels in Istanbul to small dives along the beaches and funky eateries in the sea port’s more seedy areas. The food was always great, fresh, spice-laden and exotic (to me at that time, most anything seemed exotic)
I remember  Adana Kebab  to be widely served and today I finally got around to do my own version which turned out pretty spectacular 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Afiyet Olsun !
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Turkish Adana Kebab

Turkish Adana Kebab

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Turkish Adana Kebab

Turkish Adana Kebab

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Turkish Adana Kebab

Turkish Adana Kebab

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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The Slammer

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It  is great to have the liberty to name the dishes one creates, even using somewhat goofy but fitting names, such as “The Slammer” 🙂
This is one of the dishes which owe their creation to the fact that sometimes I think I have nothing in the fridge to prep a great meal and going to the shop is not an option. Out of this familiar dilemma, sometimes a wonderful dish finds the light of day, as happened with this mouthwatering, sexy sandwich.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Link to Hans’ Homemade Buffalo Sauce
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The Slammer

The Slammer

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The Slammer

The Slammer

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Today’s  breakfast would most certainly not qualify for my new  ” Hans’ Lighter Comfort Food “  type of food, at least not the portion size. But we are still in 2014, so I am hell-bound to enjoy the last few days of eating large portions of everything tasty 🙂
Nothing wrong with this dish itself, I’ll  just have to cut the portion by 75%, replace the rye bread with something lighter and use less fat. Doesn’t sound so bad 🙂
But, we are still in the year of plenty, so here we go :
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 –  Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 –  Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco  ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

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I was getting hungry at 1.00 am last night and did not feel like having just a boring packaged snack, so I put together this fabulous sandwich. The spiciness of the gorgonzola, the slight acidity and fruitiness of the guacamole and the distinctive taste of the prosciutto made for a great flavor experience, while the different textures of the crispy bread, the gooeyness of the half melted cheese, the crispness of the outside layer of the prosciutto and the soft, delicate inner layers of the ham made all of this into an absolute delicious winner 🙂
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Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

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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

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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

“Asopao”
Image Source : http://www.cynical-c.com

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 Buen Provecho !   Life is Good !

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Guacamole

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Guacamole  
Ingredient’s :

Avocado,   diced
Lime,   juiced
Fresh chilis,    diced
Cilantro,   coarsely chopped
Garlic,   paste
Salt,

Method :

Mix all ingredients until guacamole has the texture you desire.
The more you stir, the more the avocado breaks down and the
guacamole becomes smoother, less chunky.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Note: For a  slightly different version, add diced totatoes.
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Guacamole, Salame & Pita

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Yesterday  after work I did not feel like cooking,
so I made do with a little snack and a bit of merlot in the back by the lake.
Life could be a lot worse  🙂
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Ingredients :

Mini pita breads,
Salame,  finely diced
Olive oil,  to saute

Avocado,  diced
Chilis,  finely diced
Red radish,  finely diced
Lime,  juiced
Garlic,  paste
Cilantro,  chopped
Kosher salt,
Olive oil,
Sour cream,

Method :

Saute the salame in a bit of olive oil .
Fill a teaspoon full into the pita pockets.
Mix the guacamole ingredients, season with salt.
To serve, place the guacamole in center of plate,
surround with the stuffed pita pockets, top with
sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
While I was eating I watched these two guy’s.
They did not move for about an hour, until the sun was down.
Not very exciting, but pretty and nice to see  🙂
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” Whole Sauteed Fish & Guacamole “

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Last nights great dinner :

Whole sauteed fish & guacamole

Freshly caught fish, seasoned with salt, pepper and lime juice,
lightly dusted with a mix of AP flour and corn starch,
slowly sauteed in olive oil, some onions and garlic added towards the end.
I had some grape tomatoes laying around, so in the guacamole they went.
Three medium sized fish were just the right portion for Bella and I   🙂

Life is Good !
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