cooking

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 44 – Asparagus Omelette

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It’s 4.30am and I am jumping out of bed, upset that I’ll be late for work today. While walking Bella it dawns to me that it is Sunday…..
Well, the good thing is that my day will last longer,the bad thing is that I went to bed at 2.30 am in anticipation of sleeping in. Perhaps next weekend will be the time to get enough sleep…….. 🙂
So, after deciding that it’s too late to go back to bed, at 5.00 am I had my first breakfast of coffee and brownies with whipped cream, followed by a second breakfast at 7.30 am of asparagus omelette with sautéed potatoes. Lunch was a German pancake with peaches and chocolate and dinner will be a vegetarian curry with basmati rice.
Life at present is not very exciting, but at least we eat good and plenty 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Asparagus Omelette

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Preparation :
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season white asparagus spears with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I usually don’t use black pepper on light food, but here it belongs), when warm, remove and reserve

saute blanched potatoes in garlic oil

make an omelette with four whole eggs, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, fold asparagus into omelette

make an omelette with four whole eggs, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, fold warm asparagus into omelette

Asparagus Omelette

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Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Coming home from work on a Friday afternoon and being hungry, but way too tired and listless to do much of anything (except lounging 🙂 ), the solution was this very quick, flavor- and texture bursting dish. Beginning to finish – less than 10 minutes.
Then on to enjoying a great meal and a wonderful, funny and sexy movie – John Torturros Fading Gigolo.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Fading Gigolo, with, amongst many other great actors:
Woody Allen, John Turturro, Sofía Vergara, Sharon Stone, Liev Schreiber and Vanessa Paradis

Watch the trailer here 🙂
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Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Preparation :
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cut trimmed skirt into squares

then cut ACROSS the grain, season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

saute in garlic oil until rare, remove meat from pan, reserve

saute onion, scallion and chilies in garlic oil, season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

add grape tomatoes, saute until tomatoes are heated through, add skirt, remove from pan

plate a thick slice of grilled sour dough bread

top with sauteed skirt and vegetables

Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Metzelsuppe Mit Grießklößchen

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Of the thousands of readers and followers of ChefsOpinion, I am sure only a small handful will be familiar with this dish. To all others, I highly recommend this if you are a lover of hearty fare, especially now during the winter months.
Metzelsuppe, Schlachtsuppe, Metzel Supp, Kesselsuppe – the proper translation would be Slaughter Soup or Butcher Soup, which does not exactly sound politically correct these days. Sausage soup would be a more palatable name, although it would not give you the proper idea what this dish is all about.
When I was a kid, I grew up in Gechingen, a small village in the Black Forrest in Southern Germany (Baden Wuerttemberg). Most of our neighbors were farmers. Once or twice a year, they slaughtered one of the pigs which most of them raised at the back of the house in the Schweinestall ( Pigsty). It was a time honored tradition to bring the friends and neighbors which had no pigs of their own, each a pair of liver wurst, a pair of blood wurst, a small piece of boiled belly and a small amount of Metzelsupp. This soup was the stock which resulted by cooking all the sausages, belly, head, feet and tail of the pig in one large Cauldron. Some of the sausages burst during the cooking. This, together with all the flavor from the meat and fat, as well as from the herbs and seasoning used in all the sausages, made for the most flavorful soup you can imagine. My Mom usually served it either with Spaetzle or Grießklößchen as Einlage (garnish).
Later, when I was an cook apprentice, we also raised pigs at the back of the hotel (as did many other hotels and restaurants at the time who were lucky enough to have the space to do so).
As a price, everybody who helped with the slaughtering got to share the head as soon as it was boiled, served sprinkled with coarse salt and accompanied by sour dough bread and a cup of Metzelsupp. Life sure was good then……..

Now, I did not slaughter a pig on my patio yesterday so I had to resort to some other methods and ingredients to come as close as possible to the Metzelsupp of my youth.
To be sure it was not as rich and mind-blowing good as the real deal, but it came darn close and made me real happy 🙂
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An Guata Wönsch I Eich Älle !
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Click here for Semolina Dumpling Recipe

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Metzelsuppe Mit Grießklößchen

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Preparation :
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liverwurst, blood wurst, pork wurst - remove casing, crumble

liver sausage, blood sausage, pork sausage – remove casing, crumble

add sausages, onions and plenty of italian parsley to a strong pork stock, simmer for one hour, season with kosher salt and black pepper, check / adjust seasoning

add sausages, thyme, oregano, sage, majoram, onions and plenty of italian parsley to a strong pork stock, simmer for one hour, season with kosher salt and black pepper, check / adjust seasoning

semolina dumpling massa

simmer dumplings in salted water until done, about 40 minutes, depending on size

almost……..

plate dumplings

add soup, sprinkle with chopped parsley

Metzelsuppe Mit Grießklößchen

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Steamed Cod Filet With Red Beet Risotto And Sugar Peas

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Risotto is such a delicious, easy preparation of rice that I am amazed it does not show up more frequently in homes and restaurants. Maybe because it has a stigma of being difficult to prepare and labor intensive, which is far from being the truth. While it does take time to prep and simmer for ca 25 minutes while stirring constantly, it might be called tedious but hardly labor intensive. It also has the advantage of being the perfect dish for a dinner party if done by the “restaurant method” – cooking the risotto about 2/3’s and then cooling off, later finishing the cooking process for just a few more minutes right before service time. (That’s how you get your risotto served on time in restaurants, otherwise too much time would pass from the time you order to the time you get served). Just remember to have the texture of your risotto slightly more liquid when you remove it from the stove top then you actually prefer the risotto when eating it, since the rice will continue to cook and absorb liquid between the time you stop cooking and the time you’ll have your first spoonful.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steamed Cod Filet With Red Beet Risotto And Peas

Bella say’s : Let’s dig in…

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Preparation :
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season cod with kosher salt and white pepper, steam covered very slowly in butter and white wine, when cooked about halfway, set aside on a warm plate to slowly cook through

simmer cleaned red beets in salted water until cooked, reserve cooking liquid,peel and dice beets

set diced beets aside, return beet stock to a simmer, season with garlic paste and cayenne pepper

saute onions and garlic paste in butter

add arborio rice and saute another minute

add beet stock to the rice, enough to just cover, stir constantly, keep adding beet stock as it is being absorbed by the rice, constantly stirring

almost……..

when rice is almost al dente, add the diced beets and heavy cream, simmer while stirring until rice is al dente

add blanched green peas to the poaching liquid of the fish, let heat through for another minute

add blanched green peas to the poaching liquid of the fish, cover again, let heat through for another minute

add parmigiano-reggiano, check / adjust seasoning

add parmigiano-reggiano to the risotto, check / adjust seasoning

plate risotto

top risotto with steamed cod

top cod with green peas

Steamed Cod Filet With Red Beet Risotto And Peas

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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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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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Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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My favorite Asian market carries about 30 different types of fresh mushrooms at all times, not to mention a myriad of dried ones. Today I bought a nice selection of different fresh ones, the whole lot was less than $ 10.00. What a great bargain . The fresh spinach linguine ran about another $ 3.00, plus the cream, butter and seasoning, so the whole lot (which feeds 3 normal people easily) came to about $ 15.00, or $5.00 per person. Not a bad deal I’d say 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach Linguini With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions in garlic oil

add mushrooms according to their cooking time

add white wine and heavy cream, simmer one minute, remove from heat, season with kosher salt and white pepper

cook spinach linguini al dente, drain, toss with olive oil

cook spinach linguine al dente, drain, toss with butter, plate

top pasta with mushroom ragout, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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Asian Style Glazed Pork Ribs With Fermented Black Bean Sauce

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This dish will suit everybody with a taste for Asian flavors but no great desire to spend a lot of time prepping food in the kitchen 🙂
Although this will take about 3 – 4 hours to cook, the actual prep-time is only about 10 minutes, the rest is waiting patiently for the ribs to become tender. You could blanch them in simmering salt water before roasting to save about two hours, but the texture and flavor would be very different.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Asian Style Glazed Pork Ribs With Fermented Bean Sauce

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Preparation :
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season ribs with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and five spice powder, cook at 230 F on a rack above a wter filled baking pan until very tender, about three to four hours, depending on the size and quality of the ribs

season ribs with kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and five spice powder, cook at 230 F on a rack above a water filled baking pan until very tender, about three to four hours, depending on the size and quality of the ribs

remove tender ribs from oven, heat oven to 420 F

meanwhile, make a basting sauce by whisking together fermented bean sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil

basting sauce

baste ribs generously with the sauce on all sides, bake until starting to caramelize, baste again, caramelize again

when nicely caramelized, remove from oven, sprinkle with sesame seeds

to serve, sprinkle with finely sliced scallins

to serve, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

Asian Style Glazed Pork Ribs With Fermented Bean Sauce

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Roasted Red Snapper

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Many folks have asked me why I don’t feature more fresh fish on my blog, since I live right by the ocean.
Well, maybe you’ll understand when I tell you that the featured snapper below has actually cost $ 24.00, head, tail and guts included! I bought it at my favorite neighborhood Asian market where all seafood is extremely fresh and at the same time much cheaper than anywhere else around here, but still…..
So, there you have it, I love fresh seafood, but with the prices nowadays, I can’t afford it as often as I wish 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Expensive !
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Roasted Red Snapper

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Preparation :
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gut and scale the snapper, season inside and out with lime juice, soy sauce, sriracha and kosher salt, bake at 430F until cooked through but still moist, approximately between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on the size of the fish

gut and scale the snapper, cut off fin’s, season inside and out with garlic oil, lime juice, soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt, bake at 430F until cooked through but still moist, approximately between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on the size of the fish