Coriander

Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

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Curried garbanzos (chickpeas) are one of my favorite snacks. They are quick and easy to prepare and their heat (add as much chile flakes or cayenne pepper as you can handle) makes for a great snack when boring pretzels just won’t do.
Today I prepared one of the hybrids of curried garbanzos I make on hot days – curried garbanzo salad, this time wrapped in sun dried tomato wraps.
As a general rule, when preparing curried garbanzos to be served hot, I add more ghee, about 4 tblsp for 16 oz of garbanzos. If serving as a cold (room temperature) salad, I reduce the amount of ghee by 3 tblsp and replace with that 2 tblsp mayo and 1 tblsp ketchup.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Garbanzos (Chickpeas) on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wraps With Raita

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: peel and dice 2 lg baking potatoes, simmer in lightly salted water until soft but NOT falling apart

: meanwhile, seed and dice 2 medium sized tomatoes

: seed and dice 1 large cucumber, add 1 cup greek yogurt, season with ground cumin, ground coriander, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: raita

: saute julienne of 1 lg white onion in 1 tblsp ghee

: when onions are lightly caramelized, add 8 oz cooked and drained garbanzos

: add 1 tblsp curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 pinch ground cardamon, 1 pinch ground cumin, 1 pinch ground coriander, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: add 1 tblsp garlic paste, saute until fragrant

: add cooked potatoes, diced tomatoes and 2 tblsp chopped cilantro, mix well, let cool to room temperature

: add 2 tblsp mayo and 1 tblsp ketchup, mix, check/adjust seasoning (mix carefully in order not to break up the potatoes)

: heat sundried tomato wraps to make them pliable

: slice 1 small head of romaine lettuce into julienne

: place 1/4 of the romaine onto 1 wrap

: add 1/4 of the salad to the wrap

: fold/roll wrap, secure with 2 picks; recipe serves 4

: Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wraps With Raita

: Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

: Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

: Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

: Curried Garbanzo And Potato Wrap With Raita

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Pork Ribs & Rice Noodles Soup

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I was tempted to call this dish “Kluay Teaw Moo Toon”, but then I remembered that Mirandi of the “High Heel Gourmet is coming by at ChefsOpinion sometimes and how fierce she is about authentic Thai recipes. (I REALLY don’t want to get her mad 🙂
All jokes aside, this dish is definitely Thai inspired. Fragrant, light, bright, tasty. I hope that recipes like this will inspire my readers to understand the philosophy of cooking as I see it :
Take a look at good stuff, feel inspired by it, learn from it, do your own spin on it. Just make sure you call it “inspired by” or “in the style of”. But then again, if the shoe fit’s……
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“Kluay Teaw Moo Toon”
( “Variation Of A Thai Pork Spareribs Noodle Soup” )

: Kluay Teaw Moo Toon ( “Variation Of A Thai Pork Spareribs Noodle Soup” )

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Ingredients :

Pork ribs, blanched (for a clear stock)
Rice noodles, soaked
Bok choy, substitute with other green vegetable if you prefer, I used brocoli
Bean sprouts, (I prefer the crunch and tasteof raw onion julienne)
Cinnamon stick,
Star anise,
Coriander, crushed
Garlic paste,
Cilantro stems, Thais normally use cilantro root but I can’t get it around here
Cilantro leaf’s, coarsely chopped
Soy sauce,
Sugar,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Onion, peeled, quartered
Ginger, grated
Pork stock, substitute with vegetable stock if you prefer
Peanut oil,

Method :

Saute ribs in peanut oil until lightly browned. Add garlic, ginger , star anis , coriander and onion and saute until fragrant. Add stock and cilantro stems (roots if you can get hold of them) and simmer until ribs are tender but not falling apart, about 2 to 3 hours. Remove ribs and set aside. Adjust seasoning. Strain stock. To serve, place noodles, ribs and vegetables in a serving bowl. Top with boiling hot stock. Sprinkle with cilantro and onion julienne. Serve with soy sauce, chili sauce and fried shallots.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Guacamole, Salame & Pita

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Yesterday after work I did not feel like cooking,
so I made do with a little snack and a bit of merlot in the back by the lake.
Life could be a lot worse 🙂
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Ingredients :

Mini pita breads,
Salame, finely diced
Olive oil, to saute

Avocado, diced
Chilis, finely diced
Red radish, finely diced
Lime, juiced
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt,
Olive oil,
Sour cream,

Method :

Saute the salame in a bit of olive oil .
Fill a teaspoon full into the pita pockets.
Mix the guacamole ingredients, season with salt.
To serve, place the guacamole in center of plate,
surround with the stuffed pita pockets, top with
sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
While I was eating I watched these two guy’s.
They did not move for about an hour, until the sun was down.
Not very exciting, but pretty and nice to see 🙂
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” Rotelli, Cepes, Peppers & Chorizo “

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Tonights quick and tasty dinner :
Rotelli, cepes, peppers and chorizo, giving non- offal lovers a break today .

( Offal will be back tomorrow, three dishes to go 🙂
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Ingredient’s

Rotelli, cooked al dente, strained, reserve some cooking water
Chorizo, sliced
Cepe mushroom, re-hydrated
Onions, julienned
Chili peppers, julienned
Garlic paste, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Olive oil, to saute
Cilantro, coarsley chopped
Manchego, finely grated
Butter, whole, not melted
Olive oil, to saute

Method :

Saute onions, garlic and cepes in olive oil, until fragrant,
add chilies, pasta and seasoning, toss well. remove from heat.
Add manchego cheese, butter and a bit of the cooking water from the pasta.
Toss again until the pasta is covered with a thin film of cheese sauce.
(Starch from the pasta, the butter, water and cheese will combine into
this delicious sauce). To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and more manchego cheese.

Bon Provecho ! Life is Good !
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” Healthy Mac & Cheese and Guacamole “

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“Healthy” mac & cheese ? Why not, it’s got veggies 🙂
Well, there you have it. It all depends on how you look at things.
But honestly, what’s wrong with a good meal of pasta, cheese, cream
and vegetables ? Nothing ! Just don’t do what I did :
Eating too much of it at one time. ( The pic’s of the individual portion
should indicate a proper portion for the health- and weight- conscious).
Everybody else : Just dig in and enjoy.

Life is too short to feel miserable about thing’s that make you feel good!
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Ingredient‘s :
Pasta:

Ziti, cooked al dente
Carrots, blanched
Broccoli, blanched
Celery, finely diced
Garlic, paste
Whip cream,
Whole egg, whisked
Salame, diced
Sharp cheddar, shredded
Parmesan, shredded
Brie, finely diced
Salt, to taste
cayenne, to taste
Chili flakes, to taste
Maggi, to taste
Butter

Guacamole :

Avocado, diced
Lime, juiced
Fresh chilis, finely sliced
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Garlic, paste
Salt, to taste
Cayenne, to taste

Method :
Pasta :

Butter a ovenproof casserole generously with butter.
Mix all ingredients except the chili flakes and half the parmesan.
Fill casserole to the rim, sprinkle with parmesan and chili flakes.
Bake until set and crust is golden. Serve with Guacamole.

Guacamole :

Mix all ingredients until guacamole has the texture you desire.
The more you stir, the more the avocado breaks down and the
guacamole becomes smoother, less chunky.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Smoked Pig’s Tail, Bow Ties & Vegetable Stew “

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In my opinion, pig‘s tails are the second best part of the whole pig,
right after the cheek’s. I prefere them brined and simmered, served
with a good mustard and sour dough bread. However, I found those
smoked ones at my neighbor hood store and what better way to enjoy
them then in a good stew 🙂
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Ingredient‘s :

Smoked pig’s tail’s,
Bow tie pasta, cooked, al dente
Cauliflower, blanched
Broccoli, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Scallions, sliced
Tomatoes, wedges
Ginger, grated
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Maggi seasoning, to taste

Method :

Simmer pig’s tail’s in lightly seasoned water until tender.
Add all other ingredients, simmer until heated through.
Serve with rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Tacos Al Camaron “

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These tacos are in no way authentic Mexican 😦

But they are are in every way delicious 🙂
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” Tacos Al Camaron “

Shrimp salad:

Cooked schrimp’s, tail removed, diced, except one for each taco for decoration
Avocado, diced
Red onions, julienne
Tomatoes, de-seeded, diced
Chilis, julienne
Yellow peppers julienne
Cilantro chopped
Lime juice,
Olive oil,
Salt,
Scotch bonnet hot sauce,
Salt,

Blend all ingredients, season to taste.

Lettuce salad :

Lettuce, julienne
Red onion, julienne
Yellow peppers julienne
Chilis, julienne
Cilantro chopped
Mayo
Greek yoghurt
Salt,
Scotch bonnet hot sauce

Blend all ingredients, season to taste.

Assembly :

Fill tacos ¾ with lettuce salad. Top with shrimp salad.
Garnish each taco with one whole shrimp.
Drizzle with yoghurt / mayo / hot sauce mix, Sprinkle with Cilantro.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Cancun Cowboys

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Chorizo Sliders and spicy Slaw
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Tonights dinner were these terrific sliders with caramelized onions and gorgonzola,
with a slaw of cabbage, corn, radish, cilantro and ranch dressing.
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Sliders :
Take chorizo mix and shape into small, thick burgers.
Cook until cooked through but still juicy.
In another pan, saute onions until caramelized.
At the same time, brush buns lightly with olive oil and
toast under broiler until golden.
Arrange pickle, scallion, cheese and chili on top bun.
Put a dollop uf greek yoghurt on bottom bun, top with
chorizo patty and caramelized onion.
To eat, put to top and bottom buns together and enjoy
the heck out of it 🙂
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Slaw :
Season Cabbage and radishes wit salt and lime juice and let stand
for 30 minutes. Squeeze to remove all moisture, add diced avocados,
cooked corn, cilantro and ranch. Mix.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Flatbread & Shrimps “

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Minutes to prepare (I used store bought flatbread)
Hours of satisfaction 🙂
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Simmer shrimp in water with salt and lemon juice until just done.
Schock in ice water. Remove tails except for 3 shrimps, for decoration.
Dice peppers and chili. Chop cilantro.
Marinate shrimp, peppers and chili with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Heat the flat bread on both sides under your broiler, adding some more char if you like.
Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add shrimp salad to flat bread, drizzle greek yoghurt and sriracha on top.
Sprinkle with cilantro and top with tail-on shrimp. EAT !

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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