easy recipes

Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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I prepared this soup on February 16th, the day of the Chinese new year and the beginning of the year of the dog.
I had planned to prepare and publish this post well before the 16th, in order to give my readers a chance to bring this wonderful, traditional dish to the table as part of the new year’s dinner celebration. Alas, some unforeseen events kept me from doing so. Now then, here it is, “Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup, two weeks late for the New Year celebration, but NOT TOO late, since these wonderful dumplings can, of course, be enjoyed anytime during the year. 🙂
Chinese egg dumplings, also known as dan jiao, are also often served in hot pots, in other soups or just as is, with a tasty dipping sauce.
These dumplings may look a lot more complicated and difficult to prepare as they actually are, so there is no reason not to enjoy them often. 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
These dumplings cook in a very short time when simmered in soup, so you should add them towards the very end of the cooking time !
They can also be prepared ahead and frozen, then easily reheated in simmering soup.
However, if you serve the dumplings without soup, bake them or steam them for a short time, since the original short cooking time in the omelet is not enough to cook the meat through !
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P.P.S.
This soup is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year because of its long noodles (longevity),
and the color of the dumplings, which resembles the color of gold coins ( prosperity)
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Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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Chinese New Year Egg Dumpling Soup ( 蛋饺 ) ( Dan Jiao )

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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“Sausage & Peppers”  seem to be an American/Italian thing that most of us fail to enjoy and/or appreciate.
And of course, there is a good reason…….
Sausage and peppers are usually just an afterthought on Italian/American restaurant menus, often using inferior/leftover/stale ingredients, and therefore being treated as food for the fools 😦 .
While traveling and living in Italy, I never came across anything similar in any restaurant, although in private homes, using leftovers and whatever the fridge and/or cupboard provided, could occasionally provide a similar dish………
When I first encountered this dish here in the US a few decades ago, I ordered it a few times and also saw it on plates my fellow diners ordered.
Frankly, more often than not, it was less than appealing, to say it in a nice way.
So, for many years it never occurred to me to prep this dish at home, until it just so happened that Italian sausage meat and peppers were the only things I found in my fridge before going to stock-up my supplies.
Long story, short solution – just look at the pics in this post to see what you can do with these most basic ingredients if you put a bit of love and feeling in the preparation of this so often abused and massacred dish 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you ever had this dish in a typical Italian/American restaurant, it was probably prepared with sliced Italian sausages, instead of the plain Italian sausage stuffing, shaped into balls, as I did here.
The texture will be very different, but the taste will be the same (Assuming you use “first-class ingredients”) 🙂
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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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EASY DOES IT # 35 – Italian Sausages And Bell Peppers

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD”  –  MONTH TWO 
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Click here for 
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD”  –  MONTH ONE

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Once in a while, my neighborhood fishmonger receives an overnight delivery of fresh-caught, never frozen salmon. He usually leaves me an e-mail message the same morning, so by noon I’ll have salmon in my kitchen which happily swam in the ocean or stream just one or maybe a couple of days before that. Ahhh, the wonders of our modern times 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more  Salmon  on  ChefsOpinion
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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Salmon With Arugula, Strawberries & Walnuts In Raspberry Vinaigrette


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Preparation :
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Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

 

Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

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This was such a pleasant salad to enjoy early in the day.
The colors, flavors and lightness of its ingredients brightened the rest of my day and gave me a wonderful, guilt-free lunch. (I am still working on losing some of the many pounds I added while in Argentina.
So far it’s going well, 13 lbs in about one month, while always eating good and plenty. 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

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Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

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Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

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Salad Of Endive & Chili Chicken

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD”  –  MONTH TWO 
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Click here for 
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD”  –  MONTH ONE

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Congee With Mushroom, Carrot & Egg

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Congee With Mushroom, Carrot & Egg

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“Congee With Mushrooms, Carrots & Egg (Chinese Rice porridge)
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Excerpt from a previous post of  Congee  on ChefsOpinion :
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” Rice Porridge –
The first thing that comes to mind is probably baby food or hospital gruff.
Most folks would never think of ordering it from a menu in a restaurant, much less wake up and crave it for breakfast, if they hadn’t tasted or at least seen it before.

Now, let’s try again :
Congee. Lúgaw. Chok. Xifan. Juk. Okayu.
OK now, that’s better  🙂

Sounds more interesting and exotic? These are just a few names given to rice porridge around the world. If there is a country or region which traditionally eats rice, then there is some form of rice porridge eaten.
Congee can be enjoyed as breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner. Congee most often contains rice, but other grains can be used.
Ideally, it is made with strong, tasty stock that infuses great taste and debt into the dish. But from there on, let your fantasy run wild. Congee can be made with seafood, meat, vegetables or a combination thereof.
Then there are the toppings – Pickled vegetables, fried shallots, sliced scallions, any mushroom, crisp fried garlic, dried shrimps, 100-year eggs, cilantro, etc, etc.
If you like it, put it on.
Below is a version I made on Sunday for breakfast. The texture is more like a Filipino Lugaw, with the rice VERY soft but still keeping its shape. .
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for  Congee With Smoked Pigs Tails & Vegetables  on  ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more  Congee  on  ChefsOpinion
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Click here to read all about  Congee
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Congee With Mushrooms, Carrot & Egg

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Congee With Mushrooms, Carrot & Egg

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Congee With Mushrooms, Carrot & Egg

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Congee With Mushrooms, Carrot & Egg

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Goulash is my favorite meat stew, no matter which protein is used – beef, veal, pork, poultry or game. The texture, color, and flavor have great appeal to me.
While there are of course different ways of preparing goulash, as well as different recipes, the main mark of a good goulash is to use the same amount of onions as protein, a great amount of sweet paprika powder for color and texture (sometimes hot paprika is added), as well as a special season mix of 1/3 thyme, 1/3 caraway seeds, and 1/3  lemon peel (yellow part only), all finely chopped and added to the meat while sauteing, to impart a rich, un-mistaking goulash-flavor. Of course, salt and pepper is a must.
Naturally, as with most dishes that have been around that long, there are dozens of variations,- you can add (or not) garlic, rosemary, bell peppers, potatoes, marjoram, red wine, bell peppers (zigeuner goulash) and even sauerkraut (Szegediner goulash). Also very popular is goulashsuppe (goulash soup). The big difference between preparing goulash and a regular stew is that for goulash, the onions are sautéed first until broken down and lightly colored, THEN the meat is added, and sautéed until all liquid has evaporated.
Because of the collagen in the meat, as well as the large amount of onions and ground paprika, no flour is needed to thicken the sauce.
Best enjoyed with pasta, goulash can also be served with rice, bread dumplings or potato dumplings, mashed potatoes, croquette potatoes, roast potatoes or just plain rustic bread.
Myself, I enjoy any type and version of goulash, paired with any good side dish that’s available 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here to read all about “Original Hungarian Goulash”,
as well as its History and Evolution through the Centuries.

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Click here for  Hungarian Beef Goulash  on  ChefsOpinion
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Click here for   Goulash Soup  on  ChefsOpinion
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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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Chicken Tandoori/Naan Sandwich

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Chicken Tandoori/Naan Sandwich

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This tandoori chicken sandwich needed no simple or fancy condiment to elevate it. The chicken was very juicy, very tender and VERY tasty. Usually, I would serve this with raita, sliced onions, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, a few spritz of fresh lime, plain yogurt, finely sliced cabbage slaw, or any other addition to moisten the sandwich, elevate the texture or the flavor. But on this sandwich, that would have been a wasted effort, since it was perfect, in every aspect, the way it was.
(If I would serve this in a restaurant, I would of course “improve” the presentation to make it seem fancier and justify a higher selling price, but since this was at “Chez Bella” (our home), I did not deem this a requirement. 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
I prefer to cook the chicken bone-in and tear the meat from the bones at the table. For a less messy way, you can, of course, use boneless thighs and knife and fork 😦
P.P.S.
Because I am a huge Stones fan, for obvious reasons I almost called this sandwich “Sticky Fingers”, but then something (good sense?) advised me against it.  🙂
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Garam Masala Recipe:
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You will need :
Coriander seeds, black cardamom pods, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, peppercorn, a small amount of cinnamon bark. Dry roast in a pan on low heat until fragrant, about one minute. Put in spice blender until powder-fine. Remove to a jar, cover airtight.
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Click here for  Naan Recipe  on  ChefsOpinion
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Chicken Tandoori/Naan Sandwich

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Chicken Tandoori/Naan Sandwich

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Chicken Tandoori/Naan Sandwich

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Preparation :
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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Little Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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And  here we go – another beautiful, tasty example of what a sandwich can be if you love food and take it serious 🙂
(If you wonder about the name “Torta”, click the link below to learn all there is to know about this great Mexican sandwich 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
Because I used a double layer of beef, I did not use standard breading (flour, egg, and breadcrumbs) for the beef, instead, I just dipped the beef slices in a mixture of 50/50 flour and panko. However, if you use a single layer of beef, I suggest you employ the traditional breading method.
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Click here to read all about  Mexican Torta  on  ChefsOpinion
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Click here to see more  Original Sandwiches  on  ChefsOpinion
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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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avocado, radish, and cucumber salad

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Preparation :
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Banana And Cranberry Salad With Homemade Sugar-Free Banana Ice Cream

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Banana And Cranberry Salad With Homemade Sugar-Free Banana Ice Cream

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If you are prepared, life (cooking) is easy ! 🙂
I usually have some sort of frozen dessert in my freezer for my (too frequently happening) sweets-craving-attacks.
More often than not, it’s some sort of frozen banana dessert, as it was this afternoon. I always have fresh bananas and dried cranberries in my cupboard, so this dish was an easy decision, and thanks to the ice cream in the freezer, a matter of a few minutes to execute 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
Obviously, there is natural fruit sugar in the ice cream and the banana/cranberry salad, but, besides the organic honey, there is no added sugar.
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P.P.S.
The ratios of fructose and glucose are pretty much the same in both fruit and table sugar.
Generally, there’s no advantage to substituting honey for sugar in a diabetes eating plan. Both honey and sugar will affect your blood sugar level. Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, so you might use  a smaller amount of honey  for sugar in some recipes.
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Click here for  Sugar Free Banana Ice Cream Recipe   on  ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more  Lighter, Healthier Food  on  ChefsOpinion
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Banana And Cranberry Salad With Homemade Sugar-Free Banana Ice Cream

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Banana And Cranberry Salad With Homemade Sugar-Free Banana Ice Cream

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Banana And Cranberry Salad With Homemade Sugar-Free Banana Ice Cream

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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Sautéed Hake, Shrimp & Potato

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Sautéed Hake, Shrimp & Potato

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Comfort Food ! 🙂
We usually associate this moniker with hearty, deft, heavy home-cooking, and rightfully so, because that’s what’s comes to mind most often – long-simmering meat stews, vegetable-studded chicken soup, pasta with rich sauces, hearty sausages, crusty bread, long basted poultry, slowly roasted mountains of beef, pork, lamb, game, etc, etc.
This featured dish is much different, but in its final stage, it represents comfort food just as well as the aforementioned dishes. Although its main ingredients consist of delicate fish filet and juicy shrimp, the generous use of butter and the comforting method of sauteeing all to a golden crisp will make this without a doubt a worthy contender of comfort food at it’s finest 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Sautéed Hake, Shrimp & Potato

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Sautéed Hake, Shrimp & Potato

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Sautéed Hake, Shrimp & Potato

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