Chives

Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Today, I like to share a dish with you that I have prepared in its basic version hundreds of times over the years. It is a “a la minute” dish, so it requires no prolonged cooking and can be prepared on short notice (a la minute) and in just a few minutes of prepping and cooking.
The ingredients for the sauce are always the same – clarified butter, curry powder, turmeric powder, cumin, garlic paste, grated ginger, kosher salt, chicken, beef or vegetable stock, and heavy cream.
On the other hand, besides the sauce, anything goes. You can replace the potatoes, chick peas and shrimp with anything your heart desires and your belly craves – any poultry, any seafood, beef, veggies-only to make the dish vegetarian, even potatoes and tomatoes only (one of my favorites), and so forth…..
The sauce is what makes this dish so delicious and unique and I usually make more than the dish actually needs, so I can use the leftover sauce to flavor some rice or pasta, usually for a simple breakfast or a tasty midnight snack 🙂
The ratio of the ingredients for the sauce is also flexible and depends on the main ingredient you use.
While the basic sauce for two portions requires 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 pinch of cumin, 1 tblsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger and kosher salt to taste, I like to use more curry powder for beef and chicken dishes, more cumin for lamb, more liquid for starchy dishes, less liquid for vegetable variations, etc.
As usual, please let the recipe I give you here serve as a guideline, which you can/should adjust according to your own preferences 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for my opinion on “Authentic Recipes” on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for “Easy Does It Curry Sauce ” on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: blanch, peel and slice 1 lb of small potatoes, pat dry, fry in 2 cup 375F peanut oil until lightly browned

: remove from oil with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season 1 1/2 lbs 21/32 shrimp with 1 tblsp lime juice, 1 tblsp corn starch and kosher salt to taste

: fry in 375F peanut oil for 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season the chickpeas with a pinch of curry powder, a pinch of cumin and kosher salt to taste

: saute in the remaining 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: slice 1 ea large jalapeno into thin slices, dust lightly with corn starch, saute in 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve, discard the peanut oil

: add 1 ea tblsp clarified butter to the pan, saute all spices and aromatics until fragrant (see the ingredients on this page)

: add the stock and heavy cream (see the ingredients on this page), simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat, check/adjust the seasoning, add all the previously sauteed ingredients except the jalapenos, mix well,

: place the curry on a deep serving bowl, top with the fried jalapenos, basil leaves, sliced chives and pickled chilies (optional); serves 4

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Pig’s Feet Souse ( Love It Or Hate It )

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Pig’s feet are not everybody’s cup of tea, but for those of us who love them, they are a special treat.
I prepare them quite often, in stews, steamed, braised, Asian style, Latin style, German style; any way is fine with me 🙂
The following dish is Caribbean Style Souse, as I enjoyed it many moon’s ago a couple of times in Trinidad, at the home of my friend Lyron’s mother.
Very spicy and lightly acidic, with lots of vegetables, it was the perfect food on a hot day by the beach, spend in wonderful company and washed down with a few bottles of Carib Beer – nothing else was needed in those moments to feel happy and content 🙂
These meals (and times) are now in the distant past; all that’s left are the happy memories, vividly recalled by preparing the meals we enjoyed together then – Lyron and his wife Dorsey, my wife Maria, myself and Lyron’s mother, whose name eludes me after all these years but whom I always remember when preparing this particular souse………….
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Souse on Chefsopinion
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Click here for Escabeche on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Pigs Feet on ChefsOpinion
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Pig’s Feet Souse

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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 1 large cucumber, 1 bunch chives, 2 large carrots, type and quantity of chilies of your choice, 5 ea red radishes, 1 large onion; make a dressing of 1 cup water, 4 small bay leaves, 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, grated ginger, maggi seasoning and garlic paste to taste, mix all except the carrots and bay leaves, set aside

: rinse 4 lbs pigs feet , cut into large pieces, cover with cold water, season with 1 cup white balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice), 2 tplsp garlic paste, kosher salt and hot sauce to taste, simmer until tender but not falling apart, about two hours, add the sliced carrots and bay leaves, let cool to room temperature; drain the broth, add the vegetables with the dressing and serve either cold, at room temperature or hot; serves 4

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

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Mondongo

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Even if you never had mondongo (tripes, kutteln) before, this variation should help you overcome your resentment easily because it is eye-appealing, tastes mild and best of all, it smells great, which you can’t say of some recipes utilizing tripe. The secret here is to blanch the tripe 3 times in salted, vinegared water, so that the typical smell of tripe has disappeared and you have an odorless piece of offal which should please you with its great taste and unique texture 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to more Mondongo Recipes
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All about Tripe
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Mondongo

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Preparation :
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: blanch tripe in salted, vinegared water

: rinse, cut into strips

: blanche 2 more times, drain, rinse

: saute onions, garlic paste and bay leaves in olive oil

: add chicken stock, simmer for 10 minutes

: add heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and tripe, simmer for 10 minutes

: add cooked potatoes, corn, chick peas, chives and white beans, simmer another 5 minutes

: add grape tomatoes, check / adjust seasoning

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

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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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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: guacamole ingredients

: remove avocado flesh, dice tomatoes, chop chilies, chop cilantro, add garlic paste, kosher salt, freshly squeezed lime juice and olive oil, mix well

: Guacamole

: toast seeded rye bread or bread of your choice

: arrange bread on serving dish

: add some vinagrette dressed romaine, top half the bread and romaine with guacamole

: saute chorizo, add whisked eggs and scramble

: top other half of bread with scrambled eggs, sprinkle with finely crumbled queso blanco and sliced chives

: 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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Soupe A L’Oignon Au Crème (Creamy French Onion Soup)

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If you think that french onion soup is one of the best soups in the world you are undoubtedly right. But did you ever eat its lesser known cousin, creamy french onion soup? Once you do, you’ll probably be hard pressed to decide which version is the better one, the more famous gratinated clear version or this creamy one, which I have enhanced here with toasted bread, toasted almonds and fried garlic chips. I am of course a huge fan of both versions, but for me, the creamy version is the clear winner.
Way back, during my youth in the old countries, these two variations alternated on the menus of many restaurants of all types and they also were a cold weather staple in many homes, where often lager beer was added for even more richness. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for another variation of “Onion Soup”
Click here for “Classic French Onion Soup”
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Soupe A L’Oignon Au Crème (Creamy French Onion Soup)

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Preparation :

To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute onions and garlic in butter until onions have completely broken down, about 30 minutes, without caramelizing

: add flour,saute another 3 minutes without letting the flour changing color

: add chicken or vegetable stock, simmer until onions are VERY soft, (add some white wine if you are not off the wagon, as I am 🙂

: add heavy cream, season with kosher salt and white pepper, simmer another 3 minutes

: check / adjust seasoning

: toast a few slices of bread of your choice, I used seeded reye

: add bread slices to serving bowl, sprinkle with grated parmesan

: add soup

: top with toasted almonds (center), sliced chives (middle ring) fried garlic chips (outer ring)

: Soupe A L’Oignon Au Crème (Creamy French Onion Soup)

: Soupe A L’Oignon Au Crème (Creamy French Onion Soup)

: Soupe A L’Oignon Au Crème (Creamy French Onion Soup)

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Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Yesterday, on my way home from work , I told myself that under no circumstance will I cook and clean up the kitchen, I was just too tired and a bit under the weather.
So, while driving along university drive and contemplating where to stop for a bite or some take out, evaluating the choices a I checked out the restaurants along the way, I crossed off one after the other, knowing that none of them would be able to satisfy my craving for real, good, tasty food for a decent price. Eventually, as I drove by my favorite Asian Market, I made a quick stop to buy some octopus sashimi. I was not sure at this point what I would prepare with it, but I usually have enough stuff at home to fix a couple of good meals. When I got home, rice noodles, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili oil, sesame oil, red chilies, green peppers and onions were the usual suspects. Together with the octopus they became a great and perfect dinner.
As usual, more often than not, if I want to eat exactly what I want, I have to prep it myself (and clean up the kitchen afterward 😦 ).
But as always, it was well worth the time and effort and I’ve saved a bunch of good dollars doing it 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Preparation :
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mix soy sauce, water, peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, chili oil, simmer for one minute, if too thick, add water, if too thin, add peanut butter

season octopus with kosher salt and chili oil, saute in VERY HOT pan with garlic oil for about 3 seconds, remove from pan, set aside

saute onion, green peppers and red chilies in garlic oil

add rice noodles which you had soaked in warm water for 10 minutes then drained, add a small amount of soy sauce and water, cook until liquid has evaporated

add rice noodles which were soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained, add a small amount of soy sauce and water, cook until liquid has evaporated

put noodles to one side of the pan, add some more garlic oil, add whisked eggs, scramble, cook until eggs are dry

add peanut sauce, mix well

stir fry for another minute, check / adjust seasoning

plate noodles on serving dish, top with octopus, sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds

Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Caramelized Apples And Walnuts

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Last night’s dinner was very atypical for me, since I usually don’t like nuts and/or fruits in my savory dishes.
However, in cooking, as in most other things, there is sometimes an exception to the rule, so this is one of the few exceptions where I actually like to add fruit and nuts to a savory dish for my own consumption 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Caramelized Apples And Walnuts

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Preparation :
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simmer potatoes in saltwater until tender, drain

add garlic paste and garlic oil

add heavy cream, kosher salt and white pepper

mash together until creamy

saute diced apples and walnuts in clarified butter until lightly caramelized

pork tenderloin

trim tenderloin, cut and flatten into steaks

season with kosher salt and black pepper, grill to your preferred doneness

plate potatoes

make an indention, add red wine sauce

top with steak

top with apples and nuts, sprinkle with chives

Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Caramelized Apples And Walnuts

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 43 – Eggs & Eggs

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Chicken eggs and fish eggs – what an incredible combo. Super tasty, beautiful to look at, quick and easy to prepare.
Have a wonderful day ! With this dish, you’ll have a great start 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 43 – Eggs & Eggs

Eggs & Eggs

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Preparation :
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Naan

fry eggs in garlic oil, season with kosher salt

top naan with fried eggs, drizzle with sriracha

top with caviar of your choice (and wallet) :-)

top with caviar of your choice (and size of your wallet) 🙂

Sprinkle with fresh chives

Eggs & Eggs

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 42 – Brandade

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While a traditional brandade is usually made with salted cod (bacalao) and olive oil, over time many different variations have evolved. Today I’ve had a version that has evolved in my own kitchen. When Maria was still alive, I prepared bacalao for her often, since it was one of her favorite food’s and many times she asked for it to be prepared as brandade.
I myself, on the other hand, am a stout hater of bacalao ever since I encountered klippfisk and lutefisk (bacalao) the first time while I was working in Sweden during the early 70’s. While FRESH bacalao /torsk / cod / kabeljau remains one of my favorite fish’ of all time, the salted / dried / lye’d versions are not something I’d eat voluntarily, although I have cooked thousands of portions over time for guests in restaurants around the world and mostly for fellow sailors during my time as crew cook on Royal Viking Sky. I became quite an expert in preparing it, making many a Swede, Norwegian, Spaniard, Portuguese and any other bacalao / klipfisk / lutefisk- lover happy 🙂
So, while I don’t like bacalao, I adore brandade, so at home I make different versions often. I’ll have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner and sometimes, if I cook too much (usually), for all three meals on one day, served with different sidings and condiments.
So there you have it – a not so traditional “Smoked Salmon & Spinach Brandade”
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Brandade

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Preparation :
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bake potatoes until soft, let cool, remove flesh

mix potaho with garlic paste, horseradish, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper,

add heavy cream

mix ingredients well

add blanched spinch and diced smoked salmon

add blanched spinach and diced smoked salmon

almost….

put mixture in buttered baking dish

sprinkle with bread crumbs and grated asiago cheese

bake until golden and crisp, sprinkle with chives

Brandade

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Gratinated Breaded Beef Scallops, Brie & Tomato

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Paniertes Schnitzel, Milanesa, Katsu, Kotlet Schabowy, Filete Empanado, etc, etc. You have seen it a million times in various shapes, forms and names – the wonderful, easy to prepare, always satisfying breaded cutlet.
However, I bet you have never seen this version 🙂
This dish came to exist because it was what I had at home today and did not feel like going to the store to buy anything else. I love breaded food as long as it is crispy and not greasy. I love anything with brie cheese and I add grape tomato to just about anything……..
so there you have it, here is what I came up with for dinner today. Great looking, great tasting and easy on the wallet.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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