dinner

Trottole Alla Fortunello

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Although  this dish might not look very “light and healthy”, the small portion served makes it as promised – “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”. (I share the portions pictured with one of my neighbors) 🙂
I have, contrary to classic cooking methods, omitted to saute the coppa ham, prosciutto ham and the salame. I rather love the taste and texture of the protein without sauteing them over piping hot pasta (make sure you slice the coppa, prosciutto and the salame paper-thin), but as usual, if you prefer to saute them, don’t hesitate to do so.

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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Trottole Alla Fortunello

Trottole Alla Fortunello

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Preparation :
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Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad

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Today’s post on  “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” 

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Week One – Thursday Dinner
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“Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad”
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Click here to see all pictures and Cooking Instructions
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At  first I had planned to make a whole-baked cauliflower “Mornay“, but then I decided to prepare something a bit more exiting and I came up with this Beauty 🙂
I actually had it twice –
The first time, (inside, with the a/c blazing as usual) freshly prepared, with the slightly warm salad added to the piping hot soup .
The second time, (outside on the porch in the hot sun) both salad and soup chilled and refreshing.
Both versions were very tasty and satisfying, absolutely fit to be added to my list of all time-favorite soups.

Note: In order to be perfect, the soup must be blended until perfectly smooth and silky.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad

Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad

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Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad

Cauliflower Soup With Orzo & Shrimp Salad

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Week One – Tuesday Dinner

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Today’s post on “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” 

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Week One – Tuesday Dinner
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Chicken Noodle Soup
(Cornish Hen, Whole Grain Pasta, Broccoli)
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Bon Appetit ! Enjoy a Healthy, Happy Life !
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Salad Tessinoise

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Salad Tessinoise

Salad Tessinoise

 

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Preparation : 
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Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

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You  might wonder how pepper jack cheese has found its way into this otherwise more tame, traditional Polish dish.
Usually, “Quark ” (Farmers Cheese) is the cheese of choice for pierogies, but I like the added heat the pepper jack gives to my version. But of course, you can either use any cheese of your choice (try brie!) or even omit the cheese and double the amount of onions in the filling. – Decisions, decisions ……. 🙂
As for the garnish, again you can use your favorite ingredients and let your fantasy be your guide. You might want to try mushrooms, shrimp, any kind of vegetables, dried fruits, etc.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Link to more info on Pierogies

Link to ” Pepper Lack Suffed Pierogies, Corn, Radish & Peas “

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Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

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Preparation :
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Below find my own pierogi recipe :
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Ingredients :

         Method :

Saute onion in butter until translucent.
Stir into the mashed potatoes, add grated cheese and yoghurt,
season with salt and cayenne pepper, mix well.To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture,
mix well and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth.
Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 inch rounds using a cutter or drinking glass.Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round.
Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal.
Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and filling.Cook in boiling saltwater until dough is done, about 4 to 5 minutes,
depending on the thickest part of the dough. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain.

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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 Tostadas

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Shrimp Tostada

Shrimp Tostada

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Preparation :
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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)

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


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

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


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Preparation:
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“The German Dip”

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This  is the second  dish I prepared with the leftovers from the roast pork ham I prepared on the 25th. It turned out to become a masterstroke of a sandwich, and since I have not heard of a national German sandwich, I hereby declare this sandwich the “Official German Sandwich”, also known as “The German Dip”.
(Without the dipping jus, it shall simply be known as “The German”).
You are welcome Germany, glad to help 🙂
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Guten Appetit ! Das Leben Ist Wunderbar !
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"The German Dip"

“The German Dip”

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"The German Dip"

“The German Dip”

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Preparation :
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Link : Löwensenf
Link : Allgäuer Bergkäse
Link : Rotkohlsalat
Link : Schweinebraten

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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

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

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Preparation :
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Roast Fresh Ham With Caraway Jus (Gebratene Schweinekeule Mit Kümmelsoße)

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Like  last year, this year again I celebrated Christmas eve with my dear friends Dieter and Chacha, who were gracious enough to invite me to their family celebration. As usual, the food was out of this world. This years star of the dinner was a wonderful, tasty and succulent  standing rib roast  with all the trimmings and for dessert we all enjoyed Dieters traditional, perfect  soufflé.
After everybody ate, there was one leftover soufflé, which I bravely volunteered to put out of it’s lonely misery.
(All this great food plus two soufflé’s  on one evening – no wonder my belly looks so muscular). 😦
Earlier, just before I left my home to go to dinner, my  friend Curtis showed up with Christmas gifts. Among the goodies was a fresh ham of generous size, about enough to feed 7 people with a healthy appetite. In other words, enough for Bella and I to pig-out for two days 🙂 So, before I took off to Chacha’s and Dieter’s dinner, I scored the skin of the ham, salted it very generously with kosher salt and put it in the fridge to be cooked the next day. (This helps to draw the moisture from the skin and gives you a superior crackling). The next day, Thursday, I cooked the ham by starting it off at 420F for 20 minutes, then turning down the temperature to 325F for 4 hours and finishing the last twenty minutes at 420F again to crisp up the cracklings.
On this occasion I have forgone more traditional sidings such as vegetables, beans, rice, pasta or potatoes in favor of a simple guacamole, seeded rye bread, the pork jus, the onions which cooked together with the ham, grey poupon mustard and horseradish.
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Bon Appetit !   Life Is Good !
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Click here for  Guacamole Recipe
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P.S.
I will post a follow-up on the dishes I prepared with the leftovers.
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P.P.S.
I believe it is time to live a bit more “light” for at least the next few months, so starting January, I will change my food  (and therefore my post’s) to a bit of a lighter fare 5 days a week, while the weekend will feature the same type of food as usual, just smaller portions – and, sad to say, a drastic cutback on sweets.
Look for   ” Hans’ Lighter Comfort Food “  in upcoming post’s. See you there 🙂

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Roast Fresh Ham

Roast Fresh Ham

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Roast Fresh Ham

Roast Fresh Ham

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Preparation :
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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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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
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