easy recipes

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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Epic Shrimp Fry

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This is probably the best/funniest food video of all time 🙂
Enjoy !  Life is Good !
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Wat
ch an Off-the-Rails, Totally Bonkers Shrimp Frying Video from Japan

The women in this video have a Rube Goldberg-style device that fries prawns by catapulting them through walls of flour, oil, and fire.

It’s one minute of maximum weirdness, and you might want to watch it more than once to catch all the nuances of this stunt.

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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Last Of The Turkey – See You Again Next Year

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Turkey Salad Crostini
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Here  we go, the last of the leftovers. Hallelujah ! 🙂
But the best part of this dish is that you can make it during the whole year, just replace the turkey with chicken or shrimp and you will have a quick and easy party snack standby, or maybe just for you in front of the TV while watching your favorite movie 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !  (- and thanksgiving is finally over!)
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Turkey Salad Crostini

Turkey Salad Crostini

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Turkey Salad Crostini

Turkey Salad Crostini

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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:
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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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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

Asparagus Omelette

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Asparagus Omelette

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

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

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saute blanched potatoes in garlic oil

saute blanched potatoes in garlic oil

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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

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Asparagus Omelette

Asparagus Omelette

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Asparagus Omelette

Asparagus Omelette

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Asparagus Omelette

Asparagus Omelette

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Asparagus 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

Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Preparation :
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cut trimmed skirt into squares

cut trimmed skirt into squares

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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plate a thick slice of grilled sour dough bread

plate a thick slice of grilled sour dough bread

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top with sauteed skirt and vegetables

top with sauteed skirt and vegetables

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Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

Sauteed Skirt Steak, Onion, Tomato & Peppers

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Salad. That’s It…….

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Today  is one of the few days when I don’t feel like cooking at all. I had store-bought brownies and coffee for breakfast, I will have Brie sandwiches for dinner and my lunch was this simple, albeit delicious and sexy, salad.
Conclusion: Even without the pleasure of cooking every single day, I will survive 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Salad Is Good For You !

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P.S.
I just came across this great book which I think should be in every chef’s library:
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A Brief Art Culinary History of The Western Chef Avante-Guarde Through The 20th Century by Tony Baran
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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette:
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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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dress grape tomatoes, small, halved potatoes, sliced onions and peppers with dijon vinaigrette

dress grape tomatoes, small, halved potatoes, sliced onions, chilies and peppers with dijon vinaigrette

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season sliced cucumbers generously with salt, let sit for 15 minutes, squeeze and discard excess liquid

season sliced cucumbers generously with salt, let sit for 15 minutes, squeeze and discard excess liquid

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mix with potato salad

mix with potato salad

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choose a pretty serving dish :-)

choose a pretty serving dish 🙂

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add greens of your choice with dijon vinaigrette

add greens of your choice with dijon vinaigrette

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top greens with potato salad

top greens with potato salad

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top with julienned bologna, asiago and scallions

top with julienned bologna, asiago and scallions

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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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