ethnic recipes

Chinese Pickled Cucumber

.
.
Chinese cucumber salad. 涼拌黃瓜 (liáng bàn huáng guā)
This is a dish I make often at home. It is easy to prepare, economical , (say cheap if you want :-). It holds up well in the fridge for a few day’s and I use it as appetizer, side dish or snack during any time of the day, but mostly late at night when I want something tasty, fresh and spicy.

.

.

.

.

Ingredients :

Cucumbers, cut into batons
White rice vinegar,
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Chili , diced (substitute peper flakes if you must)
Soy sauce, just a small amount, so as not to discolor cucumbers
Sesame oil,
Kosher salt,
Sugar,

Method :

Salt the cucumbers, cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Discard the salty juices which have collected. Ad all other ingredients, adjust seasoning if necessary.

Note: For a variation add a teaspoon of finely diced ginger. You can substitute the cucumber with another vegetable such as radish, jicama, cabbage or Chinese cabbage.
.
.
.

Curried Lentil Soup With Pork & Pork

.
.
” Curried lentil soup with pork, vegetables, potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, chilis and chicharones (the other pork) ”

Last night it was a bone chilling 68 F outside, (this is Florida, folks),
so this one-pot meal provided much needed heat and comfort 🙂
.

.

.
Ingredients :

Pork butt, diced
Chicken stock,
Lentils, any color will do
Bell peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Potatoes, diced
Celery, diced
Carrots, diced
Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Garlic, paste
Chicharones,
Butter, substitute with olive oil if you prefer
Kosher salt,
Cayenne,
Maggi seasoning,

Method :

Saute onions, carrots, celery, sun dried tomatoes and garlic in butter until onions are translucent. Add curry powder, saute slowly for 30 seconds. Add pork, chicken stock and seasoning. Simmer until pork is tender. Remove pork, set aside, cover so it does not discolor. Add lentils to stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and peppers. Simmer until tender but not falling apart. Blend one quarter of the soup until smooth and thick. Return to pot, add pork and heat through. Adjust seasoning if required. To serve, sprinkle with chicharones.

Bon Appetit ! Stay Warm !
.
.
.

More Udon

.
.
” Udon Noodles, Broccoli Rabe, Shrimp and Shiitake Mushrooms In Spicy Beef Broth ”
I still had some fresh udon noodles and the beef broth from a few days ago, so what better midnight snack (1.30 am actually), then a nice noodle soup. Obviously, this would be fine for any time of the day, breakfast, lunch, dinner or any time in between 🙂
.

.

.
Ingredient’s :

Beef stock, ( from beef ribs, see HERE )
Udon noodles,
Broccoli rabe, blanched
Shiitake mushrooms, soaked
Onion, sliced
Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Chilis, sliced
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Cilantro, chopped
Chili flakes,
Lime, juiced
Kosher salt,
Soy sauce,
Sesame oil,
Sriracha sauce,

Method :

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, mushroom and shrimp.
Add all other ingredients except cilantro and sesame oil,
simmer for one minute. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning
if necessary. To serve, drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle
with cilantro and chili flakes .

Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
.
.
.

Beef Ribs, My Way

.
.
” Beef rib’s with fresh horseradish and cabbage, apple and avocado slaw”
Boiled (simmered, actually) beef has a long tradition in many cultures.

Usually, we boil brisket, neck. shanks, cheeks, tail, and any other part
which is rich with fat and / or connective tissue. There is only one rule :
Slowly does it ! As far as I am concerned, the best condiment to go with
boiled beef is horseradish. The German traditional dish :
“Gekochte Rinderbrust mit Meerettich Sauce”,
(Boiled Beef Breast with Horseradish Sauce ) , usually served with steamed
white cabbage and steamed or roasted potatoes, is to die for. In my opinion,
the very best part of the animal for “boiling” are the ribs. The texture when
cooked right (very slow, very tender but NOT! overcooked) is just unequaled
by any other cut for this preparation. An added bonus is the rich beef stock
you get, which I usually have for breakfast the next two or three day’s
(See also : Breakfast Of Champions # 11 ” Millefanti In Brodo Di Carne “ )

.

.

.
Beef :

Ingredient’s :

Beef ribs, cleaned of excess (but not all) fat
Black pepper corn, crushed
Tomato, fresh, crushed
Star anis, crushed
Ginger, sliced
Garlic, sliced
Kosher salt,
Lime juice

Method :

Simmer all ingredients until beef is tender, but NOT overcooked.
Strain stock and reserve for other uses.

Slaw :

Ingredient’s :

Red cabbage, finely sliced
Avocado, sliced
Chilis, sliced
Apple, sliced,
Onion, sliced
Apple vinegar,
Cayenne pepper,
Kosher salt,
Lime juice
Walnut oil,

Method :

Salt the cabbage and let rest for twenty minutes.
Squeeze and discard all salty juice. Add all other
ingredients and mix carefully so as not to break
up the apples and avocados.

Horseradish :

Grate finely and mix with a bit of limejuice ans kosher salt.

To finish dish, sprinkle with scallions or chives and drizzle with chili oil.
Serve with pretzel or rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.
.

Udon, Seafood & Bok Choy

.
.
As far as I am concerned, all noodles could be udon noodles.
I just love them in any prep variation, be it with seafood, beef,
mushrooms, in a soup, sautéed, stir fried, any which way will do it for me 🙂
.

.

.
.
Click here to read all about UDON
>
.
Ingredient’s :

Udon noodles,   fresh, from your Asian market
Mixed seafood, any type you prefer
Baby bok choy,
Onion,   sliced
Cilantro,   coarsely chopped
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Soy sauce,
Sherry,
Sriracha,
Oyster sauce,
Sesame oil,
Chili oil,
Lime juice,
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Saute seafood in very hot peanut oil, remove onto absorbent paper. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute until translucent and fragrant. Add noodles, bok choy, soy sauce, oyster sayce, sriracha and a bit of sherry wine and saute until noodles are heated trough. Remove from heat, add seafood and sesame oil, mix well. To serve, drizzle with lime juice and chili oil, sprinkle with cilantro.

Note:
As you can see from the mis en place picture, I used inexpensive (but nevertheless good) mixed seafood since this was only a go-between snack. For a more elegant and important meal, use large prawns, scallops, lobster, mussels, etc. However, the taste of the dish and the texture of the noodles should be satisfying either way.

>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.

Flank On Peperonata

.
.
“Flank On Peperonata”

Or, as you might read on a “up to date” , “modern” menu :

Tender Wagyu kobe beef, dry aged for 42 days and 7.5 hours, sautéed in extra extra extra virgin olive oil on a finely tuned $ 200k aga stove in a guy fieri designed kitchen, accompanied by farm raised baby bell peppers from a farm 370 yards away from our kitchen, perrier-washed grape tomatoes, organic grown pearl onions which were hand selected and washed by a young, 16 year old future master chef , and lightly, delicately and expertly sprinkled with cilantro which has grown undisturbed by such adversaries as snow and sandstorms on a sunny slope in the beautiful napa valley…………….blah blah blah ……

But then, to each his/her own cup of tea 🙂

Here we go :
.

.

Read also : Food’s Biggest Scam : The Great Kobe Beef Lie !
.
Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
.
.
.

Geroestete Semmelknoedel Mit Ei

.
.
A few weeks ago I posted :

Rinds Rouladen & Semmel Knoedel ( Beef Roulade & Bread Dumplings )

in response to a request. I mentioned in the post that one can not re-heat bread dumplings in water, as they would become very dense. I promised to post another post soon to explain what to do with leftover bread dumplings. Here are two very delicious recipes.

A ) ” Semmelknoedel Salat ”
Dice the cooled dumplings, add diced red onions, diced radish, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced peppers, sliced chives and dijon mustard vinaigrette and mix all into a Panzanella – like salad. Beautiful and delicious 🙂

B ) ” Geroestete Semmelknoedel mit Ei ”
Quarter the cooled dumplings, then slice into quarter inch slices. Whisk whole eggs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute dumpling slices in butter until lightly browned. Add eggs and sliced chives, saute until eggs start to set. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve with tomato / cucumber salad.
Note : During the sauteing the dumplings will become crispy on the outside while they aquire a wonderful creamy texture on the inside.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>

<
,

Stir Fried Chicken, Mandarins, Walnuts & Bok Choy

.
.
Usually I am not a big fan of fruit in my savory dishes,
but here it just seemed to be the right thing to add, and
it made the taste so much more rounded.
The mandarins were a bit on the acidic side, not very sweet,
I think that’s what made it at the end. Very enjoyable dish 🙂
.

.

.
Ingredient’s :

Chicken Breast, wing separated, cut into large strips
Bok choy, cut on the bias
Mandarines, peeled, segmented
Walnuts, shelled, halved
Chilies, finely sliced
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Sesame seeds, toasted,
Chicken stock,
Kosher salt,
Corn starch,
Garlic paste,
Ginger, grated
Soy sauce,
Sriracha,
Oyster sauce,
White wine,
Sesame oil,
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Silken chicken by mixing corn starch,
egg white and water with seasoning and chicken.
Saute chicken wings until almost done, add breast
strips and cook until golden and 3/4 cooked.
Remove chicken, set aside. Sautee bok choy,
add garlic, ginger, chilies, walnuts and mandarines.
Deglaze with a bit of chicken stock and white wine,
simmer for one minute only. Remove from heat,
add the chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds and
serve with soy sauce and chili sauce.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.

Curry Wurst Mit Fritten

.
.
” Curry Sausage With French Fries ”

A post worth writing / reading you ask ? Well, if you ever had a good curry wurst, you start salivating just by reading the title. If you never had one, you might shake your head in disbelieve. What could be so special about a sausage drowned in curry-ketchup ? What the heck is curry ketchup ? Like many things in life, a mere description can never do justice to the actual experience of eating the real thing. I for one love my caviar, foie gras, lobster and so forth. But as you must have realized by now, I just as much appreciate the simpler thing’s in live. “Curry wurst mit fritten” certainly is one of them. Now, there are many different sausages suitable for this dish, but since I live in the states, it is more difficult in certain areas to source good quality sausages. However, I have access to very good mild Italian sausages which fit perfectly. As for the curry sauce, many elaborate sauces have been concocted over time, some more, most less successful. What works best for me is a quality ketchup mixed with roasted garlic puree, good quality curry powder and a bit of salt. That’s it ! Please don’t knock it before you tried it. I have surprised many a chef over the years with this simple sauce (condiment), most of whom were eager to get the “secret recipe”. Important also is to sprinkle a fair amount of the curry powder over the sauced sausage just before serving. I can think of no other dish in the world were I would suggest that, but here it works just beautifully. Also very important are first class, crispy french fries, sprinkled generously with sea salt and dipped into mayonnaise. Yep, the comercial kind of mayo works best here. Save the good home made stuff for something else 🙂

Guten Appetit ! Life is Good !
.

.

.

.
.

Phyllo & Pork Cigars

.
.
Many years ago, when I went to Istanbul for the first time, one day my friend’s and I went to a port side restaurant which had the day’s menu displayed as actual food on a table outside.
One of the things that caught our eyes where wonderful pastries, rolled up like cigarettes and obviously stuffed with ??? We could not find out from the waiter what it was stuffed with (nobody at the place spoke english ), but because they looked so appetizing we ordered a bunch. When they were served, much to my disappointment the first bite almost made me gag, because they were filled with feta cheese amongst other goodies. My friend’s loved the “cigarettes”, but sadly, I could not eat them. Although I am a fanatic cheese lover, one of the few cheeses I can not eat is feta cheese. But over the years, these pastries vividly stayed in my memories of my first visit to Turkey and I have since then created many different versions. ( None of them containing goat cheese ) but using fillings made of lamb, shrimps, lobster, vegetables, fish, as well as a number of sweet fillings, chocolate, strawberries, bananas, etc. They are great as party food, snack, appetizer or, as here, a main course .
Here is a version of Turkish Sigara Boregi I concocted earlier today. Because they served as dinner, I made them much thicker then the usual Sigara Boregi, so instead of cigarettes I call them Cigars 🙂
I just loved this dish, Bella and I pigged out and eat the whole tray for dinner, all eight of them.
.

.

.
.
Ingredient’s :

Pork, ground
Vegetable stock,
Onions, diced
Peppers, diced
chilies, diced
( I like my filling VERY spicy. If you don’t,
you might want to hold off on the scotch bonnet’s )
Tomato, chopped
Garlic, paste
Kosher salt,
Smoked paprika,
Parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
Butter, for phyllo
Olive oil, to saute
Red wine, to deglaze

Method :

Saute the meat in the olive oil until it start’s to brown.
Add the vegetables, continue sauteing until the onions
are translucent. Deglaze with red wine, add stock and
seasoning. Let simmer until meat is done and liquid
has mostly evaporated.
Brush each phyllo sheet with butter before topping with
the next sheet. In this recipe I have used three layers of
phyllo. Put some of the pork on one end of the phyllo sheets,
sprinkle cheese on top, roll up into cigar shape, cut to desired length.
A variation would be to sprinkle the pork loosely over the
entire surface and the roll them into cigarette sized rolls.
As dipping sauces I had sweet Thai chili sauce and dill-yogurt.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
..
.
.