dinner

Surf & Turf

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For  most folks with ordinary disposable income, it used to be that “Surf & Turf ” was a “special occasion dish”, something you ordered on your anniversary or birthday at that special place you went to once or maybe twice a year. As for myself, ditto, – plus I would not normally think of cooking meat and seafood at home for one dish, it is usually  Either – Or .
It just so happened tonight that I had a craving for shrimp and steak. Since I live alone with Bella, it felt okay to just serve everything at once, instead of eating it divided into three courses, as would be more traditional and “proper”.
So, instead of the menu being:

“Sautéed Shrimp In Garlic Butter”
“Hearts of Romaine Lettuce In Raspberry Vinaigrette”
“Aged Rib Eye Steak With Spicy Herb Butter And Toasted Sour Dough Bread”

It was rather simply :

“Surf & Turf”

What a feast, all prepared quickly, served quickly and devoured even more quickly 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for Garlic/Herb Butter Recipe
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Surf & Turf

Surf & Turf

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Surf & Turf

Surf & Turf

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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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Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

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Comfort  food – the moniker say’s it all – it gives you comfort and leaves you in a better state than you were before you consumed it.
And the best thing about it is that not only does it make you feel good and satisfied, it usually is also uncomplicated and easy on the wallet.
I have included spicy Italian sausage “meatballs” here since I had leftovers from yesterdays dinner. Frozen tomato soup is a staple in my freezer, since I usually make a large batch and freeze whatever I don’t eat right away. ( Empty” Crystal Light” containers are perfect and free for this). So all that was needed for this beauty of a soup was to cook the pasta, heat the soup and saute the sliced  sausages in garlic oil.
Voilà – instant great comfort and happiness 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for Tomato Soup Recipe
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Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

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Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

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Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

Tomato Soup With Spicy Sausage & Pasta

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Preparation :
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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

Curried Beef & Pasta

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Curried Beef & Pasta

Curried Beef & Pasta

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Curried Beef & Pasta

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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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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Sauteed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

Sautéed Cod Filet & Honey-Glazed Carrots

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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
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

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Versatile  is an understatement when describing this dish.
Tasty, great, satisfying,  lecker  , delicious and wonderful on the other hand are highly accurate.
Because of the large amount of shrimps added to the potatoes, there is fair amount of stuffing left over. You can shape this into patties (2 ounces for hors d’oeuvres, 4 oz for appetizers, 6 oz for main course) and freeze them between oiled plastic film (airtight) for at least one month, then just saute them in butter until heated through and golden.  Or, you could forgo the whole stuffed potato thing and transform all of it into patties :-).
Either way, I am sure whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned veteran, you will love and appreciate this simple yet sophisticated dish.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & CucumberTomato Salad In Lime Vinaigrette

Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

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 Baked Potato Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

Baked Potato/Shrimp Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

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Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & CucumberTomato Salad In Lime Vinaigrette

Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

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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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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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Octopus Salad

No Cook Octopus Salad

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Octopus Salad

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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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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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 Leftover Turkey Sandwich - Ever !

Best Turkey Sandwich – Ever !

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Best Turkey Sandwich - Ever !

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


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German Chocolate Pancake & Caramel Sauce With Peaches And Bananas

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Sometimes  you come to a crossroad and have to make a fundamental decision from which there is no return –
” Should I eat this pancake or not ”  ?!!!
Because I am a diabetic, this dish probably cost me one week of my life. But then again – I used to smoke, drink and do a whole lot of other ungodly stuff and I am still around.
Who would have thought that eating a pancake could be so wickedly dangerous……….. 🙂
Anyway, I am happy to report that the risk was well worth it. I actually had two of these babies and feel no regret’s. I won’t have another one for a long time to come (probably), but I’ll decide when I am at that crossroad again 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good ! 

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German Chocolate Pancake & Fruit Caramel Sauce

German Chocolate Pancake & Fruit Caramel Sauce

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German Chocolate Pancake & Fruit Caramel Sauce

German Chocolate Pancake & Fruit Caramel Sauce

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Preparation :
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Caramel Sauce With Peaches And Bananas:
Click on images to enlarge
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Chocolate Pancake:
Click on images to enlarge
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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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Korv Med Mos - Original Version (Image Property: Peter Linquist)

Korv Med Mos – Original Version                    (Image Property: Peter Linquist)

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Korv Med Mos - My Version

Korv Med Mos – My Version

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Preparation :
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Cook diced potatoes in saltwater until tender, drain, mash

cook diced potatoes in saltwater until tender, drain, mash

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add garlic paste, horseradish, heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and lots of butter, wisk

add garlic paste, horseradish, heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and lots of butter, mix well

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saute onions and sausage, remove sausage when done

saute onions and sausage in garlic oil, remove sausage when done

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add soy sauce, garlic paste, cayenne pepper and a bit of chicken stock to caramelized onions

add soy sauce, garlic paste, cayenne pepper and a bit of chicken stock to caramelized onions

 

add peppers and cabbage

add peppers and cabbage

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saute until heated through but vegetables are still crispy

saute until vegetables are heated through but still crisp

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plate mashed potatoes, make indention in the center

plate mashed potatoes, make indention in the center

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fill indention with vegetables, top with sausage, drizzle liquid from vegetables over sausage

fill indention with vegetables, top with sausage, drizzle liquid from vegetables over sausage

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Korv Med Mos

Korv Med Mos

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Korv Med Mos

Korv Med Mos

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final inspection.....

final inspection…..

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