beautiful food

Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Today’s breakfast – another winner, easily whipped up in minutes. (Assuming you have some leftover re-fried beans at hand).
If you don’t, just replace the re-fried beans with sautéed red beans, black beans or even chick peas (garbanzos), seasoned with cumin, kosher salt cayenne, garlic paste and diced onion,
which will only just add a few extra minutes to the preparation.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More Burritos on ChefsOpinion
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Breakfast Of Champions # 33 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season eggs with garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: scramble eggs in med-hot pan with butter or olive oil, when starting to set, add diced peppers, avocado and sliced scallions

: ready to eat………..

: spread re-fried beans on flour tortilla (corn tortilla if you prefer), sprinkle with crumbled / grated cheese of your choice

: add scrambled eggs

: roll tortillas into cylinders

: saute burritos in lightly oiled pan until golden, to serve, top with sour cream and more scallions and pair with a small salad or fruits

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Chilled Fruit Milk

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While I absolutely love smoothies, which are not exactly difficult or complicated to prepare, sometimes I crave an even simpler drink – fruit milk.
Chilled fruit, milk and a sweetener such as honey or fruit-preserve, blended and voilà – the embodiment of deliciousness at your fingertips 🙂
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P.S.
Of course in years past, I added liquor as well, usually rum, vodka or cognac 🙂
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Cheers ! Life is Good !
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Smoothies on ChefsOpinion
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Chilled Fruit Milk

bananas, raspberries and strawberry marmalade

add milk

blend until smooth

Chilled Fruit Milk

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Easy Does It # 32 – Italian-Style Sausage and Peppers

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This dish proves once more that the simple things in live can give us great pleasure. Unfortunately, it can also proof that even the simplest thing can easily be screwed up.
I have never ordered this in an Italian restaurant, but I remember well that Maria used to order it often and that half the time when the food arrived she was bitterly disappointed by the lackluster mess which was set in front of her.
It is my humble opinion that if a chef feels that to serve such a simple dish is below his or her culinary honor and dignity, he/she should just leave it off the menu. But, if one decides to feature it on ones menu, one might as well does ones best !
(To see what I mean, pls click on this link and see what some folks deem good enough to serve in their restaurant or on their dinner table – while there are of course praiseworthy exceptions, the majority looks like the disappointing stuff I remember Maria got served too many times) 😦
As for the all-important taste, use the best ingredients which are available to you, season and execute with love and you can’t go wrong 🙂
Oops, a bit of venting here, so let’s get back to the task at hand, which is to show you how I like to prepare Italian-Style Sausage and Peppers. If done right, and with love and gusto, it is like so many simple dishes – a pleasure to look at, and most of all, a pleasure to eat.
It will be equally gratifying when served with pasta, rice, potatoes or just a hearty sour dough bread.
So, here it goes :
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Recipe for Easy Tomato Sauce
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More dishes with tomato sauce on ChefsOpinion
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Easy Does It # 32 – Italian-Style Sausage and Peppers

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Preparation :
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: saute sliced Italian sausages in olive oil until nicely browned

: add peppers, onion and garlic paste, saute until peppers and onions start to caramelize, add fresh basil and oregano

: add GOOD QUALITY (preferably freshly made) tomato sauce, fresh basil and oregano, simmer for three minutes, check / adjust seasoning

: grate Parmigiano Reggiano or other cheese of your choice over fresh cooked pasta, rice or sauteed potatoes

: top with the sausage/pepper stew

: grate more cheese on top of sausage/pepper stew

: Easy Does It # 32 – Italian-Style Sausage and Peppers

: Easy Does It # 32 – Italian-Style Sausage and Peppers

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Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocado, Egg & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

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Who can resist Unagi Kaba-Yaki when it’s displayed in the front-row of the specialty section in one’s neighborhood fish market ?
I certainly can’t, so today I got to enjoy preparing and consuming (sharing the eel and avocado with Bella) this wonderful, light and tasty salad, accompanied by a few pieces of Knäckebrot.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Belgian Endive
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All about Knäckebrot
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Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocados, Eggs & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocado, Eggs & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: rinse the eel, pat dry, cut into pieces

: marinate frissee with raspberry vinaigrette or vinaigrette of your choice, top with eel

: add sliced, salted radishes, egg, avocado and onion rings, top each piece of fish with grated horseradish, drizzle a bit of dressing over avocado and egg

: Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocado, Eggs & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

: Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocado, Eggs & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

: Belgian Endive (Frissee) With Avocado, Eggs & Japanese Broiled Eel (Unagi Kaba-Yaki)

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I Once Was A Sinner………

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Sex, Drugs And Rock & Roll –
– Like most folks, I was not an angel growing up and growing old 😦 🙂
However, nowadays I am a lot older, a bit wiser and much less healthy, so the only sin I still engage in (ruefully) are the few sweet things which are left to me, such as cake, ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate.
Like everything else, I share them with Bella (tiny amounts of chocolate only, which she does not enjoy as much as ice cream and whipped cream anyway)
Here is an example of an afternoon sin-filled session which we both enjoyed 🙂
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Life is Good ! Enjoy It While You Can !
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: Mine……

: Mine…..

: Ours…..

: Bella’s……….

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Pho

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While Pho comes in many variations and can be served with a plethora of sides, such as finely sliced onions, chili peppers, culantro, lime, bean sprouts, Thai basil, etc, I kept today’s lunch relatively simple but nevertheless very rich and delicious. Preparation was lightning quick, since I had a strong beef stock leftover from yesterday’s “beef and vegetable stew”.
If you prefer your beef paper-thin, you might want to put it in the freezer for a few hours before slicing, but I prefer the texture of the beef the way I sliced it, slightly thicker than usual and thus with a bit more bite to it. Certainly not “original”, but, in my kitchen, cooking for myself and Bella – anything goes. (Well, almost anything 🙂 )
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Pho
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More Pho on ChefsOpinion
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Pho

Pho

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: slice beef tenderloin into thin slices

: season beef stock with star anise, cinnamon bark, coriander seed, fennel seed, grated ginger, garlic paste, kosher salt and crushed black pepper, simmer until fragrant, strain, check / adjust seasoning

: cook rice vermicelli, drain, rinse

: add vermicelli to serving bowl, add a few drops of fish sauce

: top vermicelli with sliced beef

: ladle simmering stock over beef

: garnish with cilantro, chilies, basil leaves, scallions, fried garlic and scallions

: Pho

: Pho

: Pho

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Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln- Spareribs With Sauerkraut And Sauteed Potatoes

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I will not tell you how wonderful, tasty, scrumptious, delicious, ambrosial, appetizing, dainty, delectable, delish, flavorful, flavorsome, luscious, lush, mouth-watering, palatable, savory , sumptuous, succulent, tasteful, tasty, toothsome, toothy, yummy and just far-out super this dish is 🙂
Why not, you ask? Because, if you look at the pictures below and you don’t see it, words can’t help, and convincing won’t work 😦
For the ones who see, enjoy the pics and find the time to prepare this dish and you will find yourself superbly rewarded 🙂
Schälrippchen mit sauerkraut und bratkartoffeln is a typical dish from Swabia, the area in Southern Germany where I grew up. Typically eaten on a Saturday, it was looked upon as a very simple, down to earth dish, enjoyed only with family and not fancy enough to share with guests.
Schälrippchen mit sauerkraut und bratkartoffeln is one of those dishes which turn back the time for me, stimulating me to vividly remember times more simple and happy…….
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Guten Appetit ! Das Leben Ist Schön !
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All about Spare Ribs
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More Bratkartoffeln
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All about Sauerkraut

Pictures of Swabia
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P.S.
Traditionally, the brine for the ribs contains “Pökelsalz” which contains Nitrite and turns the ribs pinkish.
At home I use regular kosher salt instead, which will result in the same taste without the pink coloring of the meat.
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P.P.S.
This is food which tastes even better when re-heated 🙂
If you can manage, eat just a bit after just finished cooking, then bury the ribs in the sauerkraut, top with the potatoes and keep in the fridge overnight. The next day, gently reheat.
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Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pork spare ribs

: cut ribs into one-rib pieces

: make a brine of 2.5 qt water and 1 lb kosher salt, 5 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tblsp crashed black pepper, cover ribs with brine, store in fridge for 4-6 days

: after brining, remove ribs from brine, rinse, discard brine, simmer in lightly salted water until tender but NOT falling apart

: use good quality sauerkraut, this one is one of my favorites

: rinse the kraut , squeeze dry

: saute onions in generous amount of pork or duck fat until translucent

: add the kraut, one tblsp sugar and enough cooking-liquid from the ribs to cover the kraut, cover with a lid and very slowly simmer for at least 45 minutes. ( stir often, if too dry, add a bit more stock)

: bind the sauerkraut with a bit of potato-or cornstarch slurry

: meanwhile, cut, blanche, schock and drain potatoes

: saute potatoes in pork- or duck fat until golden, season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper

: sauerkraut and bratkartoffeln

: top with the ribs

: serve with dijon or other good quality mustard

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Bella’s get’s the first bite, as usual 🙂

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Chicken In Salt Crust

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One of (culinary) life’s great mysteries for me is that so many people are buying roasted chicken at the supermarket.
Wrapping that chicken in a bag and eat it much later (sometimes hours) ruins both the texture and the flavor. I just don’t get it……… 😦
Yet, to buy a raw chicken, season it with salt, pepper,garlic and a bit of soy sauce, then roasting it in the oven is the most simple yet rewarding way to enjoy chicken.
Actual prep time is a few minutes, and nothing can beat the smell, flavor, crispy skin and moist flesh of a freshly roasted chicken 🙂
Sometimes I treat myself to an even more exquisite chicken, chicken baked in a salt crust. This preparation will not provide a crispy skin, but the divine flavor and moistness of the meat will more than make up for that. And if you have guests, the dramatic presentation and cracking open of the salt crust is most spectacular and well worth the extra effort to prep the crust.
So, either just as a special treat for yourself or when hosting guests, Chicken In Salt Crust will surely be appreciated.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I prepared and enjoyed this dish again last night at a friend’s house. Because of the amount of guests, I actually prepared four whole chicken and the meal was a great success.
My friend documented the whole process with her camera so I could use the pics for this post today, but as bad luck would have it, her camera ended up floating in the ice box – kaputt 😦
Therefore, the pictures and text below are from a previous post on ChefsOpinion from 2012 .
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“This is one of my favorite chicken recipes.
Season the inside with sriracha and salt, season the inside with sriracha and chopped cilantro, stuff chicken with orange quarters,lots of garlic and scallions. Then make the salt dough by combining egg whites,salt and flour, pack the chicken in it and bake it until the meat has reached a temperature of of 158. remove the chicken and let rest another 20 minutes before opening the crust. The carry-over heat will take it to a safe 165 temperature.
For most effect, crack and open the crust table side. For condiments and sides, you can go Chinese or western. Because the texture and taste reminds me so much of the time I used to live in Singapore and enjoyed “Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice”, I usually go Chinese, but just condiments, no rice or vegetables because together with
Bella we usually eat the whole thing in one sitting ! You can of course accompany it with steamed rice and maybe bok choy, or you can go western style and serve a western style vegetable and maybe mashed potatoes or noodles, in which case you probably serve it with a veloute to keep it all moist and tasty.”
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Chicken In Salt Crust

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: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

: Chicken In Salt Crust

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Faux Lasagna

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A good Lasagna is a wonderful dish. Ideally it is very flavorful and dripping with the goodness of rich ingredients. It is a sumptuous and satisfying dish that usually leaves nothing to be desired – unless you are looking for texture. After all, besides the crispy corners of the baked marvel, there is just one texture in lasagna – SOFT.
Now, while there is nothing wrong with soft, as a singular texture of a meal it can be a bit boring. So I decided to try something a bit different today for lunch and boy! was I happy I did.
Although not real meatballs (I used spicy Italian sausage) nor real lasagna (which by definition contains sheets of pasta) nor ricotta (I used cheddar instead), this dish knocked it out of the park and although I am a certified pasta lover, I would substitute this one for a real lasagna at any time, hands down 🙂
While the taste ranked with the best I ever had, the texture and taste of the potatoes was something else again and made this the very best “(Faux) Lasagna” I ever had 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Faux Lasagna

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cut large baking potatoes into planks, blanch in salted water, drain, shock in ice water

: grate good quality cheddar and parmigiano reggiano

: spicy italian sausage

: cut sausages into small pieces (no need to remove the skin

: saute sausages in garlic oil until cooked

: coat baking dish with garlic paste and garlic oil

: sprinkle grated parmesan and sliced onions

: add tomato sauce

: top with a layer of potatoes. sprinkle with parmesan

: add sliced onions, grated cheddar and half of the sausages

: drizzle with tomato sauce and sprinkle with italian parsley

: add another layer of sausage, sauce, cheddar and parmesam

: add one cup of milk seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bake at 320F for one hour

: to serve at once, scoop out with a serving spoon, otherwise, let slightly cool and set, then cut with a knife and serve with a spatula

: 🙂

: Faux Lasagna

: Faux Lasagna

: Faux Lasagna

: Faux Lasagna

: Faux Lasagna

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My Japanese Comfort Food – Chirashizushi (Scattered Sushi) ちらし寿司

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While sushi is a popular favorite around the world these days, most folks outside of Japan or Korea shy away from making it at home because they think it is too difficult and time-consuming. What’s more, really fresh, high quality seafood is not widely accessible or affordable for many people, so for the majority of us sushi has been and will remain a “Restaurant Treat”.
Chirashizushi to the rescue !!! 🙂
You will need sushi rice, any raw, cooked or otherwise preserved protein and / or vegetables, maybe some seaweed and sesame seeds thrown-in and you are ready to go. You can prepare the most simple combination as shown here, or the most beautiful, complicated, exquisite concoction you can muster. Your fantasy, skill and wallet are the only limits.
No need to make perfect rolls, or other shapes which are the common restaurant staples. Just rice in a bowl, everything else neatly arranged on top and voilà – sushi heaven without the sweat 🙂
The only difficulty one needs to be able to skillfully execute is the preparation of the sushi rice. But, considering the reward of a great sushi rice, learning to prepare it on a decent level is well worth the trouble. And while you might never be a sushi rice master, after a bunch of trials (and errors) you should be fine and able to wow yourself, friends and family with sushi rice that is well on its way to perfection – and probably far better than the crap most cheap eateries pass-on as sushi rice 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Sushi Rice Recipe
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More Chirashizushi on ChefsOpinion
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More about Sushi and Chirashizushi
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CHIRASHIZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI) (ちらし寿司

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: prepare the shari-zu by following the instructions at the link for “sushi rice recipe”

: prepare the rice by following the instructions at the link for “sushi rice recipe”

: plate the rice

: cut cod filets into sticks, season with lemon juice, kosher salt and chili paste, dust with rice flour, saute in peanut oil on all sides, when almost done, add similar-seasoned shrimp and cook together until both are almost cooked through, remove to absorbent paper