Bell pepper

Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Chili-kissed you ask ?
Well, who wouldn’t like to be kissed by something hot and spicy once in a while (or maybe often). Certainly these chicken cutlets, which are transformed from ordinary to divine by the addition of fresh chili and plenty of garlic-confit paste. Tasty couscous with lots of bell peppers and sriracha add more flavor and a good quality olive oil, drizzled over the finished dish, rounds out this light and flavorful dinner, which I enjoyed after an extensive walk around the lake with madam, marveling at all the beautiful Christmas and Holiday decorations.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chile-Kissed Chicken Cutlet With Couscous

Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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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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: bring salted water, butter, garlic paste and sriracha to a simmer

: add diced bell peppers and couscous, stir, cover, remove from heat, set aside, after 10 minutes, fluff with a fork

: meanwhile, season chicken cutlets with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, dredge in half panko breadcrumbs and half corn starch, saute in butter l with chilis

: plate couscous

: top couscous with chicken cutlets and chilis, drizzle with good quality olive oil and a few spritz of fresh lime

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Dirty Rice Sticks

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Here is a variation of “Dirty Rice“, this one done with rice sticks. I am a big fan of dirty rice, but I prefer the dirty rice sticks by far, either as a side dish or main course with a couple of fried eggs on top. Serve with soy sauce and chili sauce on the side.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Dirty Rice Sticks

: saute chopped duck liver and duck gizzard with onion, scallion, garlic paste and grated ginger in peanut oil

: add soaked rice sticks, a bit of duck stock to moisten the noodles, sesame oil, salt and cayenne pepper, saute until rice sticks heated through

: Dirty Rice Sticks

: Dirty Rice Sticks

: Dirty Rice Sticks

: Dirty Rice Sticks

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(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
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Chili Beef, Pennoni Lisci & Peppers

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Great lunch today with a minimum of time and work. I used whole chili‘s because I find the taste better and more intense than chili flakes. Saute them until they change color and have infused the oil with their pungent heat. Remove the chili’s at this point or leave them in the dish for presentation ( I also like to chew on them a bit)

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chili Beef, Pennoni Lisci & Peppers

: cut beef tenderloin into strip’s, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dust with corn starch and saute in peanut oil until brown and still rare. Set aside

: saute onion and chili’s until fragrant

: add peppers and roasted garlic purre, saute another minute

: deglaze with red wine

: add, freshly cooked pasta, beef, chopped parsley, salt and pepper

: Chili Beef, Pennoni Lisci & Peppers

: Chili Beef, Pennoni Lisci & Peppers

: sprinkle freshly grated peccorino

: Chili Beef, Pennoni Lisci & Peppers

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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.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
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Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Here is Tuesday’s no-fuss, quick, easy, tasty dinner.
Many a moron (unfortunately, there is a never-ending supply of those) will say chicken breast is dry, tasteless and boring. (Yes, if you don’t know what you are doing).
But, put some love and knowledge into your food and everything can be made enjoyable, even a simple chicken breast 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

: Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Ingredient’s :

Chicken breast, pounded thin between two oiled sheets of plastic film
Broccoli rabe, blanched
Sun dried tomatoes, finely julienned
Red bell pepper, finely julienned
Onion, finely julienned
Dijon mustard,
Cayenne pepper,
Corn meal,
Corn starch,
Garlic paste,
Butter,

Method :

Mix cornmeal cornstarch, salt and pepper. Season chicken with mustard, dredge paillard in mixture, shake of excess and saute in butter until golden brown and medium well (the carry-over heat will take it to a safe 165F). Remove chicken to a warm serving plate. Saute onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic until fragrant, add broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper and saute until heated. Add to the chicken, dig in and enjoy 🙂
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Chicken & Tomato Stew With Orzo, Cabbage & Cauliflower

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Saturday lunch should be quick, light and delicious !
Well, here you go :
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Chicken & Tomato Stew With Orzo, Cabbage & Cauliflower

: Chicken & Tomato Stew With Orzo, Cabbage & Cauliflower

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Simmer chicken drumsticks in chicken broth seasoned with kosher salt, maggi, freshly ground black pepper, grated ginger and garlic paste until tender but not falling apart. Add blanched cauliflower florettes, diced white cabbage and diced green bell peppers. Bring back to simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat, add grape tomatoes. Adjust seasoning if required. Ladle over orzo (risoni) and sprinkle liberally with cilantro and finely grated parmigiano reggiano
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P.S.
If you ever wonder why I add grape tomatoes to so many of my dishes, here is why: First, I love the color accent it lend’s to many dishes. Second and even more important, I love the way they “pop” in the mouth and give you that instant tomato goodness. There you have it 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Have A Great Weekend !
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Stove To Table: Chicken & Veggies

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Rustic food does not have to be presented in a pretentious way to be appetizing and mouthwatering. (I know, most times we professionals are tempted to do so). But not today’s lunch. My friend’s Leo and Griselda knocked on the door unexpectedly, just as I was about to take some more “refined” pictures of my lunch.
So, here is how it went:
Prep it, cook it, take the pot and put it on the table. Everybody fishes for their favorite chunk’s of ingredient’s as they please.
(I did however fish for Bella and served her separately in her own dish 🙂

” Braised chicken with sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, onion, garlic, scallion, chilis, bell peppers, tomatoes, red wine, chicken stock, kosher salt, freshly grated black pepper “.

Bon Appetit! Today, Rustic Rules !
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Chicken Braised In Red Wine

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Carnitas Of Pork Belly

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Pork Belly in any form or shape, what’s not to love 🙂
For today’s early lunch, I prepared these simple yet mouthwatering, great looking carnitas. (I have been up since 4.00am, so 10.30am seemed like a good time for a good meal). I enjoyed them with flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa mexicana, sour cream and a cold “Negra Modelo“. Now, after posting this, a ” Siesta ” in the back of the house under the cool mist of the lake fountain, Bella chasing geckos, I’ll be having a few more negra modelos and a bit of a nap. Aaaaaa…….Life is Good !
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Carnitas Of Pork Belly

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Ingredients :

Pork belly, cut into cubes
Tomatoes,
Onions, diced
Bell peppers, diced
Garlic, paste
Chicken stock, substitute with other stock if preferred
Cayenne pepper,
Cumin, crashed
Smoked paprika,
Chili powder,
Kosher salt,
Lard, to saute ( same as you use to make your tortillas)

Method :

Saute pork until golden brown, add onions and most of the peppers, saute until translucent. Add garlic and cumin, saute until fragrant. Add most of your tomatoes, stock and seasoning and simmer until pork is very soft and falls apart under pressure. Now add the remaining peppers and tomatoes for eye appeal (color) when serving . Simmer for two more minutes, remove from heat. At this point you can either pull the meat apart or serve in cubes as is.
Serving suggestions: See pictures.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Curried Lentil Soup With Pork & Pork

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” Curried lentil soup with pork, vegetables, potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, chilis and chicharones (the other pork) ”

Last night it was a bone chilling 68 F outside, (this is Florida, folks),
so this one-pot meal provided much needed heat and comfort 🙂
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Ingredients :

Pork butt, diced
Chicken stock,
Lentils, any color will do
Bell peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Potatoes, diced
Celery, diced
Carrots, diced
Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Garlic, paste
Chicharones,
Butter, substitute with olive oil if you prefer
Kosher salt,
Cayenne,
Maggi seasoning,

Method :

Saute onions, carrots, celery, sun dried tomatoes and garlic in butter until onions are translucent. Add curry powder, saute slowly for 30 seconds. Add pork, chicken stock and seasoning. Simmer until pork is tender. Remove pork, set aside, cover so it does not discolor. Add lentils to stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and peppers. Simmer until tender but not falling apart. Blend one quarter of the soup until smooth and thick. Return to pot, add pork and heat through. Adjust seasoning if required. To serve, sprinkle with chicharones.

Bon Appetit ! Stay Warm !
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” Imperial Chow Mein “

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A Dish I created a few years ago for a chinese restaurant in Bogota, Columbia
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Image by : Hans Susser

Ingredients :

Shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail on, dusted in cornsatarch
Scallops, dusted in cornsatarch
Squid, sliced, dusted in cornsatarch
Egg noodles, cooked and drained
Cooked ham diced
Lap Cheong (chorizo) sliced
Bell pepper, red diced
Bell pepper, green diced
Bell pepper, yellow diced
Green peas, frozen
Onion diced
Scallions, finely sliced
Ginger, shaved
Garlic, paste
Salt, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Soy sauce, to taste
Sesame oil, to taste
Sherry wine,
Peanut oil, to fry

Method :

Saute shrimp, scallops and squid in very hot pan until halfway cooked.
Remove and set aside.
Saute all vegetables except scallions, deglaze with sherry.
Add noodles, seafood, ham and seasoning,
saute until well combined, adjust seasoning if necessary .
To serve, sprinkle with scallions.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Sunday Lunch Made Easy ” Chicken & Veggie Soup

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Even if you dont like to spend much time in your kitchen on a sunday,
this soup is well worth the 5 minutes prep time and 30 minutes wait until it’s all simmered to perfection.
Happy Sunday 🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Chicken drum sticks,
Cauliflower, florettes,
Carrots, sliced
Celery, sliced
Leek, sliced
Green peppers, diced
Scallion, sliced
Cherry tomatoes, whole
Cilantro, chopped
Lime, juiced for soup, sliced for deco
Salt, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Maggi seasoning, to taste

Method :

Simmer chicken in lightly salted water until cooked through but still firm.
(No falling of the bone here, that’s overcooked)
Add carrots, leek and celery and simmer until just done.
Remove from heat, add salt, cayenne, lime juice, cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes and let steep for another five minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with lime slices.

All about MAGGI SEASONING

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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