Cayenne pepper

Tostadas De Camarones

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I am not sure if I should call the this dish “Tostadas”, “Shrimp Salad” or “Shrimp Cocktail”.
It is actually all of the above, so pick the name that best suits you 🙂
All I know is that this was a great dinner after a long day at work , followed by a few hours of running errand’s.
Since I was very hungry and it was already late when I got home, something quick and light was appropriate. After all, at 3.00 am the alarm will sound again and I’ll have to be ready for another long, hard day. I already have started to have my breakfast and lunch according to the “Hans’Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” Plan, which will start in full on Monday, January 19th. If you are interested, you might want to go to “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” for more details. These “Tostadas”, “Shrimp Salad” or “Shrimp Cocktail” would be a typical example of a dinner Item on my monthly “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” meal plan.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Shrimp Tostadas

Shrimp Tostada

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: Make a salad of lettuce, baby corn, chilies, radish, onion, cilantro, salt, garlic paste, olive oil and lemon juice

: Salad

: marinade cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp with garlic paste, olive oil, kosher salt and lime juice

: serve shrimp and salad with fried tortillas (totopos), sour cream Thai chili sauce

: Shrimp Tostada

: Shrimp Tostadas

: Shrimp Tostadas

: Shrimp Tostadas

: Shrimp Tostadas

: Shrimp Tostadas

: Shrimp Tostadas

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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

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: grill a thick and a thin slice of whole wheat bread which you generously brushed with garlic paste

: spread both slices of bread on one side with Hans’Homemade Buffalo Sauce

: season chicken breast with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, soy sauce and granulated garlic, saute in canola oil

: slice tomamto and radish, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: add sliced avocado tothe thicker slice of bread, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

: add the sliced tomatoes

: top with cucumber shavings

: top with parmigiano reggiano shavings

: top with sliced chicken

: top with radish

: top whith second, thin slice of grilled bread

: The Slammer

: The Slammer

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Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock & Sour Lentils)

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This was the third and final Dish I made from the leftovers of the Roast Pork Ham I prepared on 25th December.
(I’ll post # 1 next week) 🙂
It brought back memories of spit-roasted pork and veal hocks on food , beer and song filled evenings with friends, spend in “gemuetliche” (cozy) rustic restaurants in Swabia and Bavaria 40 years ago when food like this could be had in most of the simple restaurants (Gaststätte, Gasthaus, Gasthof, Wirtshaus) in the South of Germany and in Austria, any day of the week, usually accompanied by potato dumplings or bread dumplings and sauerkraut.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to original dish – ROAST FRESH HAM WITH CARAWAY JUS
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Link to the first leftover dish – RÔTI DE PORC AVEC SAUCE AU CÈPE PORCINI
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Link to the second leftover dish – THE GERMAN DIP
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Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute chopped smoked hamehocks and diced onions in porkfat, add washed lentils and chickenstock, simmer slowly until tender but not falling apart

: season with rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer another 2 minutes, check/adjust the taste

: add fully cooked pork hock to the lentils, brush generously with melted butter, cover and bake in oven until pork is heated on it’s thickest part to 165F

: saute cooked small potatoes in olive oil , add sliced chives, season with kosher salt. To serve, add potatoes to lentils, brush pork with olive oil

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Bella – Iron Will 🙂 Look but don’t touch……

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Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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This will be my last meal in 2014. It fit’s the occasion of a New Years Eve Diner well for me, since I adore pork dumplings in soup and it is the perfect dish to devour while watching TV . Bella and I are spending the evening watching movies and every hour on the hour the fireworks from around the world. It started of with Sidney a couple of hours ago, which, as usual, had one of the most spectacular displays. Later when the clock strikes midnight here in Florida, we’ll go outside and watch the fireworks at the nearby airport live from our backyard. Not as glamorous as the one in Sidney, but………..
After that we will enjoy a night cup of hot chocolate and doughnut holes with caramelized pineapple and banana.
Boy, how things have changed for me from just a few years back :-).
Nowadays, I leave the wild partying to the kid’s and the kid’s at heart. Strangely enough, I don’t miss the partying a bit. (Yet?)
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Happy New Year ! God Bless !

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Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
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: for dumpling filling, mix ground pork, grated ginger, garlic paste, finely diced water chestnuts, salt, cayenne pepper and sesame oil, wrap with dumpling wrappers, simmer in pork broth until done, about 4 minutes

: season broth with kosher salt, chili oil, sesame oil, grated ginger and garlic paste, ass bok choy

: simmer bok choy for no more than 2 minutes, to serve, add sliced scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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Curried Beef & Pasta

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Sunday lunch is supposed to be the highlight of the week, when traditionally the whole family gathers around the dining table for the culinary highlight of the week. So sad to see traditions like that slowly but surely disappear 😦
However, Bella and I keep the tradition alive as best as we can, gathering on my chaise-lounge and enjoying a great lunch while watching a good movie (the movie substituting the lively conversation which is supposed to take place among the family during Sundays lunch).
We do converse though – she begs, upon which I sternly say “don’t beg, which she follows with a moan or bark, followed by me giving her a morsel. Then I have a few bites until she begs again, which is usually as soon as she swallows her bit. And so on, until the meal is finished 🙂
So, here we go, without further ado – today’s lunch :
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Curried Beef & Pasta

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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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Click here for Garam Masala Instructions
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: skirt steak

: cut skirt into strips, season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, saute in VERY hot garlic oil until rare, remove to absorbent paper, set aside

: saute onions in garlic oil

: add sliced peppers and scallion sticks, season with one table spoon garam masala and one table spoon curry powder, add half cup of heavy cream, simmer one minute

: remove from heat, add beef, check / adjust seasoning

: add pasta of your choice (I love broken lasagna sheets)

: Curried Beef & Pasta

: Curried Beef & Pasta

: Curried Beef & Pasta

: Curried Beef & Pasta

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Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

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Cod used to be the cheapest fish you can buy – but look at it now : 4 pieces for $ 38.00 at the fishmonger ! 😦
But once in a while I have to splurge a bit and this cod just fit the bill 🙂
Tomorrow we’ll have dry bread again……
Not really, but I really wish basic food items would be priced a bit more affordable. Shops get fancier all the time, advertising cost’s millions and all these costs have to be covered by the food we consume.
But then again, we are blessed to have this abundance available to us, unlike many (most?) folks in the world who consider them self lucky just to fill their belly every (some) day with whatever scraps they can find.
So with that in mind, on to last nights feast –

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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good (For some of us at least, blessed as we are)

P.S.
if you wonder what happened to the other 3 pieces of fish – Bella had one and I had three 🙂
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Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

Sautéed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
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: Carrots & Scallions

: season cod filets with granulated garlic, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dust with rice flour

: saute in butter until just done but not dry

: meanwhile, simmer carrots in perrier water and butter with a bit of sugar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper until perrier has evaporated

: saute carrots in the remaining butter until starting to caramelize, set aside

: add scallions, saute one more minute

: almost……..

: serve cod and carrots with fresh lemon wedge and thai chili sauce

: Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

: Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

: Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

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No Cook Octopus Salad

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Please forgive me for the slight misnomer of this dish, “No-Cook Octopus Salad”.
Of course, the potatoes have been pre-cooked and so has the octopus.
But since I had leftover potatoes from yesterday and the octopus came out of a can (Vigo Brand, which is one of my favorite canned seafood brands), all I had to do today for this quick and tasty dinner is to mix the cubed potatoes and drained octopus with sliced romaine, diced onions and a garlic/lime vinaigrette (lime juice, olive oil, garlic paste,cayenne pepper and kosher salt).
Voilà, minimum time and effort for maximum taste and satisfaction 🙂
With the salad I had a freshly baked warm french bread and a glass of iced peach tea.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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No Cook Octopus Salad

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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures, click on pictures
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: boiled cubed potatoes, sliced romaine

: marinated octopus, diced onions, boiled cubed potatoes, sliced romaine, garlic/lime vinaigrette

: No Cook Octopus Salad

: No Cook Octopus Salad

: No Cook Octopus Salad

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Turkey Season Is Over – Let The Steak Season Begin

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Turkey anybody ? Thank you, me neither 🙂
So now that things are finally back to normal (for a short while anyway, Xmas is looming around the corner, ready to attack), I had this wonderful dinner yesterday. The only sour note was that I had no duck fat in my larder to fry the potatoes, so I had to use olive oil. Same crispness and really good taste, but not as divine as when cooked in duck fat. (Got a tub on my way home from work today) 🙂
So, without further ado, I give you :

“Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites”
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures, click on pictures
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season flank steak with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and granulated garlic, broil on both sides until done to your liking, rest meat for 10 minute before slicing

: add peeled and cut potatoes to COLD oil, heat oil to 375 F

: when potatoes are golden brown, remove to absorbent paper, season with kosher salt

: soak porcini in hot water for 10 minutes, squeeze dry

: saute onions and garlic paste

: add porcini and heavy cream, add kosher salt, soy sauce and cayenne pepper, simmer until sauce thickens

: plate porcini sauce

: top porcini sauce with potatoes

: slice meat

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Bella says: Thank you Lord, no turkey today 🙂

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Bragging Alert !!! Best Turkey-Leftovers Sandwich – Ever !

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It is my firm believe that leftovers should be as good as the original dish it derived from. Yesterday I prepared this sandwich and I am convinced that not only is it the best left-over turkey sandwich, but also one of the best turkey dishes overall, period 🙂
I usually prepare other dishes from leftover turkey since most turkey sandwiches I ever came across are boring and tasteless at best and at my house during times past the only leftover turkey would be white meat, which I can live without.
So, yesterday I had a nearly insatiable graving for a good sandwich, because on the previous evening I made the mistake of buying two “Vietnamese” sandwiches at a newly opened place, “546 bánh mì café” at 6461 Stirling Road, Davie. I was looking forward to a good sandwich but was bitterly disappointed. I had 3 different sandwiches with different meat fillings, all three were completely tasteless. The clerk asked me if I wanted chillies and of course I said yes. When I got home, I found one !!! thin slice of chili in one of the three sandwiches. The meat was mostly tasteless and their contribution to Vietnamese food was the addition of a few spritz of maggi seasoning. (Which I am fond of). But the most disappointing thing was the portion size. Although the bread was of a nice size and of great texture, the amount of filling was laughable small. Granted, the sandwiches are very reasonably priced, but I’d rather pay a bit more and have a decent sized sandwich.
Fazit: Once is enough 😦

But back to the sandwich at hand : After I ate my three sandwiches (shared with Bella), I was still hungry and started to fantasize about eating a “real” sandwich the next day. The featured sandwich is what I came up with. I loved it so much that I will add them to my favorite dishes 🙂
Of course, you can substitute the turkey with chicken, beef, shrimp or any other protein you fancy and happen to have at hand, but the turkey leg meat was just perfect. Also, I had a bottle of “salsa de aji amarillo” in my larder which added that special touch of flavor and spiciness.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you don’t have “salsa de aji amarilo”, make a substitute by blending mayo, yellow peppers, salt, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers and turmeric (for the bright yellow color). For hot dishes, replace the mayo with heavy cream. Few folks will be able to tell the difference from the original, especially the bottled stuff.

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Best Turkey Sandwich – Ever !

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Preparation :
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To see instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures, click on them

: season finely sliced cabbage and carrots with rice wine vinegar, peanut oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: mix diced cucumbers with fresh ground black pepper, kosher salt, garlic paste, chopped dill, lemon juice and greek yogurt

: tzatziki

: open can 🙂 (or prepare fresh) yellow chili sauce

: Naan

: top naan with shredded turkey dark meat, drizzle with maggi seasoning

: top meat with slaw

: top slaw with tzatziki

: top tzatziki with finely sliced onions and chopped cilantro

: drizzle with salsa de aji amarillo – careful, this is wickedly spicy 🙂

: roll tightly in aluminium foil, heat in 420 F oven for three minutes or until naan is hot

: Best Leftover Turkey Sandwich – Ever !

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Korv Med Potatis Mos (Swedish Sausage & Potato Puree)

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One of the most satisfying meals I had in my entire life I had in 1973 at around 3.00 am in Gothenborg, Sweden.
It was certainly not the fanciest or the most beautiful meal, but it was the first food I had in three days and I was starving…….. It was also the first time I ever saw sausage and mashed potatoes served at a roadside kiosk (everywhere else it was sausage and fries) The combination of sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup and mustard on that cold winter night, together with the satisfaction of a hot meal after nearly starving and the even greater satisfaction of impending hot sex made for a truly exceptional and, as you can see, unforgettable meal 🙂
My friend Heinz and I had finished a short summer season in Torekov, Sweden. After that, we went to Gothenborg, being sure to be able to secure a job working for “Swedish American Line“, which at the time was one of the most famous and luxurious cruise lines in existence. After a few wild weeks enjoying Gothenborgs nightlive, we finally applied for a job at their office.
The HR manager, Helge Swenson, took one look at us and then laughed us out of his office. (Sweden being one of the most conservative countries at the time, I did not look suitable with my shoulder length hair, high platform shoes, skin tight pants and mirrored hippy t-shirt)
So Heinz and I left his office a bit worried, since we had no money left and a hotel bill of considerable heft. (There was money for beer and smoke, but not for food). As we walked down the hallway toward’s the elevator, a very beautiful, sexy brunette passed us. I made some remarks to Heinz in German of the adventures I’d like to have with her. After a few seconds and steps had passed, she turned around and said in perfect German: “Do be careful, you never know who speaks your language in a foreign land”. Turned out she was a manager at the HR office. We started talking and I gave her the address of our hotel. Heinz made fun of me, being sure a hot woman like that would not bother to call a penny-less punk. But low and behold, when we got back to the hotel late that night, there were at least ten messages. I called her back the same night at 2.00 am and invited her out. She said yes and I said wonderful, just one problem: I have no money and if I go out, so does my friend. Well, she agreed, and that’s how Heinz and I finally got food in our belly that night – Korv med Mos.
Needless to say, I held on to that great gal for a while. She got jobs for both Heinz and I on the MS Gripsholm, and so started a long career on cruise ships for me. Unfortunately the stint on the MS Gripsholm lasted only about one month for Heinz, after which he became very ill. He never recovered and was never able to work again. Myself, I lasted about six months before I broke my spine and was unable to work for about a year. After surgery in Germany, I spend most of the year at Bitte’s house in Sweden, a beautiful house on a lake in the woods near Gothenborg, which she shared with her even more beautiful female friend. Great house, fireplaces all over, sauna, right on the lake. These were the wild 70’s, so we all shared a lot more than the roof we lived under. Life certainly was good 🙂
I slowly recovered while she was still working at the HR office of Swedish American Line. She eventually got jobs for both of us at Royal Viking Line, where we soon split up and went our own ways…………
Nevertheless, that first Korv med Mos that night was one of the best meals I ever had 🙂
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Smaklig måltid ! Livet är bra !
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