Food

ChefsOpinion’s Sabbatical

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Dear Friend’s,

Due to personal circumstances I have to take a break from ChefsOpinion for the next four to six weeks.
This is mostly because next week I will move from the home I shared for fifteen years with my beloved wife Maria into a small (but very nice) apartment. During the move I will for some time be without internet access and it will also take me a while to set up my new kitchen. As you can imagine, there are many things involved with a life changing move like that, especially when one has to do it all by oneself.
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Anyway, I will try to get everything sorted out as soon as possible and hope to be back again during the middle or end of July 🙂
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In the meantime, you can go back to earlier post’s to get inspiration for your daily meals or to simply drool over some mouthwatering food pictures –
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simply click on this link :

ChefsOpinion Archive

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or simply click on this link :
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ChefsOpinion Pictures

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I am hoping to see you all back soon on ChefsOpinion so we can continue our journey through real food and real opinions 🙂
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Ciao ! Life is Good !

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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While a genuine Thai, Indonesian, Indian or any other “genuine” coconut soup can be wonderful if properly prepared, sometimes it is impractical to go to the full length of dozens of ingredients just to have a quick, flavorful and economic soup. If you find yourself in such a situation, you might want to try this simple preparation, which can be enjoyed after no more than fifteen minutes from start to finish. Of course, I am all for authentic recipes and I believe we must make an effort to make sure that under normal circumstances and whenever practical, we don’t make unnecessary short cuts because we are lazy. But sometimes, if you want something tasty and can’t do the big production for whatever reason ………., well, I am sure you’ve got the point 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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Preparation :
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marinade diced chicken breast in soy sauce, lime juice, kosher salt, five spice powder, grated ginger and garlic paste, add corn starch, mix well

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cook pasta of your choice, drain, blanch snow peas, shock in ice water, drain, heat chicken stock seasoned with kosher salt, cayenne, garlic paste, grated ginger

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add coconut milk, simmer for three minutes

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after simmering snpw peas one minute, schock in ice water

after simmering snow peas one minute, shock in ice water

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add fresh shiitake mushrooms and chicken to simmering stock, simmer for three more minutes

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add drained pasta and snow peas to serving bowl

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ladle soup with chicken and shiitake on top of pasta and snow peas

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sprinkle with chili flakes and chopped cilantro

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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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Coconut Soup With Silkened Chicken & Snow Peas

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Here is another hearty recipe of wonderful comfort food.
Many folks are familiar with Jamaican dumplings and some have become addicted to them like I have. Although in their most basic form they are made of just flour, water and salt, as part of a soup or stew they can be mind-boggling great because of their unique texture. As for the taste, I usually add garlic paste and cayenne pepper to give them a bit of extra umph 🙂
The traditional shape of Jamaican dumplings is a thick disk shape with an indention in the center. Spinners are made of the same dough, but they are “spinned” between your hands to shape them into tapered tubes, which is the shape I prefer.
As for the protein in the bean soup, use whatever you like and/or have at hand. Chicken, pork, salt beef, fresh beef, even seafood or just root vegetables. Of course, smoked ham hocks are the price in today’s lunch’ version, which could not have been more tasty and delicious.
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Bon Appetit ! Irie, Mon !
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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Preparation :
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simmer ham hocks in generously seasoned water (kosher salt, garlic paste, scotch bonnet hot sauce) until tender but NOT falling apart

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when ham hocks are tender, remove from stock, reserve

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smoked ham hocks

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remove bones from ham hocks, give one each to your dog and his/her friends 🙂

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dice meat and skin into bite size cubes

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add canned, strained black beans, quartered onions, a small amount of curry powder and turmeric and coconut milk to stock, simmer for another 45 minutes

add canned, strained black beans, quartered onions, a small amount of curry powder, turmeric and coconut milk to stock, simmer for another 45 minutes

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blend in electric blender until smooth, check / adjust seasoning

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make a dough of a/p flour, water and salt, knead until the dough looks like this

make a dough of a/p flour, water, garlic paste, hot sauce and salt, knead until the dough is smooth

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roll individual pieces into small tubes like this, simmer in salt water until cooked through, 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size you prefer

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almost………..

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add meat to soup to heat through

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plate soup in serving dish

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top with spinners

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sprinkle with scallions and/or herbs of your choice

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Jamaican Black Bean Soup With Smoked Ham Hocks And Spinners

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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This particular fish, Corvina Sea Bass, is, according to the seller, legally caught fish, in contrast to Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Tooth Fish).
I have enjoyed Chilean Sea Bass many times while I was living in Argentina in the 90’s, when the fish was still abundant and cheap. Unfortunately, due to overfishing, the fish is now rare and endangered and should only be bought from sources which can proof that their fish was legally harvested .
When properly cooked, sea bass is wonderfully moist and flaky, which lends itself to a variety of cooking methods and recipes.
Following is one of my all time favorites 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Chinese Steamed Rice (Fan) recipe
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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Preparation :
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cut sea bass into large cubes, marinade with five spice powder, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dust with rice flour, mix well

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saute whole chilies for a second or two, remove, reserve

saute whole chilies for a second or two in sesame oil to flavor, remove chilies, reserve

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saute onions until translucent

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add peppers and scallions, saute for two minutes, add garlic paste and grated ginger, saute until fragrant, remove, reserve

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reserved sauted onions, peppers, scallions and chilies

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saute sea bass in peanut oil until golden, remove from wok, reserve

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add soy sauce, black bean sauce, chili sauce and rice wine to wok, simmer for one minute

add soy sauce, black bean sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil and rice wine to wok, simmer for one minute

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return fish to wok, simmer until fish is almost cooked through, about one minute

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remove from heat, return vegetables to sauce, mix well, check/adjust seasoning

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce With Fan

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Stir Fried Sea Bass In Black Bean Sauce

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Fan & Black Sesame Seeds

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Got up late today, so a substantial breakfast and no lunch will be the order of the day 🙂
Later an early dinner and to bed early, 3.30am the new work week starts 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Breakfast Of Champions
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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Preparation :
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fresh croissant

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cut croissants in half

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saute ham in garlic oil, top two croissant halves with ham

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top with sliced spicy chorizo

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top remaining two croissant halves with sweet chili sauce

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grate asiago cheese on top of chorizo

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top with two soft-boiled eggs each

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top with arugula in french dressing

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Octopus is one of my favorite seafood. Unfortunately, fresh octopus is not usually available around here. I sometimes order it online, but for the spur of the moment, I usually fall back to canned octopus. I have tried many different brands over the years and my favorite is the Vigo brand in garlic/olive oil. I usually prepare a salad by mixing it with peppers, herbs, potatoes and vinaigrette. Once in a while I mix it in a mixed seafood stew. However, for the dish at hand it was the perfect taste and texture. I even added the garlic oil from the can since it has a strong taste of the sea. A quick, easy and very affordable seafood recipe. If you are not a fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp, just simmer the shrimp and sauce for less time in order to keep the shrimp succulent and moist.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more about Octopus
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions and garlic paste in olive oil

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when onions are translucent add tomato paste, saute another minute

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deglaze with red wine, add octopus with it's canned oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer fr three minutes, check/adjust seasoning

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with its canned oil, finely chopped tomatoes, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

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meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, mix with olive oil

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, add some olive oil

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plate bucatoni, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

plate bucatini, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Playing with food 🙂
Green, white and red –
very easy to come up with a real Mexican dish using the mexican flag colors.

¡ Buen Provecho ! ¡ Viva México!
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Click here for Guacamole recipe
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana recipe
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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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season veal cutlet with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

season thinly pounded veal cutlet with mustard, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

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place onto serving platter, drizzle with lime juice, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa mexicana, sprinkle with chives or cilantro (however, there is already plenty cilantro in the guacamole)

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Korean Dinner – Bulgogi, Gamjajorim, Kimchee & Sukju Namul

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Tonight (Tuesday) my fridge and cupboard were nearly empty and the best thing I had at hand was a great looking rib eye steak. I did not feel like having just a plain old steak from the grill, so when I saw the mung bean sprouts and the cooked potatoes, first some Asian, then some Korean recipes started to dance around my head and I decided on this menu, which turned out to be just the flavors and textures I craved and they sure hit a home run with my tastebuds 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Kimchi (Kimchee) recipe

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul & Gamjajorim

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Bulgogi

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Preparation :
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rib eye steak

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rib eye steak most fat removed (leave some on for better taste and texture)

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sliced rib eye steak

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sliced beef, scallions, onions

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pineapple, (for tenderizing purpose, (traditionally use asian pear), onion, ginger, garlic, blend until smooth

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season with kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, blended pinepple mix, mix well, marinade for 30 minutes (for a tough cut of beef such as top round, marinade up to 8 hours)

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Meanwhile, blanch mong bean sprouts in salted, boiling water for 20 seconds, drain, shock in ice water, drain again

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add sliced scallions, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil

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Sukja namul

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heat sliced potatoes with honey, soy sauce, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, when heated through check/adjust seasoning, add white sesame seeds

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sukju namul

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grilling bulgogi

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul,

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Bulgogi

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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EASY DOES IT # 16 – Two Quick, Simple Salad’s

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A lot of folk’s shy back from constructed salads because they find them difficult to make and the recipes too complicated.
I can asure you that nothing is further from the truth. First, choose two main components, such as pasta and cold cuts, rice and seafood, potato and vegetables, vegetables and cheese, any grain such as amaranth, barley, quinoa, or rye, add herbs or whatever else tickles your fancy. Add whatever else you want to add that you think will enhance your salad, dress with whatever dressing you fancy. Combine any ingredients you feel will go well together and experiment.
However, if the salad is to be served at a later point in time or outside at a party, I don’t recommend homemade mayo for obvious reasons, use the store-bought version which is safer. Also, for pasta, rice and potato salads, I recommend to cook the starch a bit longer than if you use them in a hot dish. The texture will be more pleasant.
Following find two simple salads which I made yesterday. The whole prep and assembly took about thirty minutes total. If you don’t have much practice, both salads might take you an hour, not bad for two different dishes that serve about 20 each. Just remember, It’s your salad – do with it whatever you like as long as YOU think it’s the way it should be: omit, add, deduct any ingredient You feel makes your dish a better one 🙂

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“Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad”

Penne rigata, shrimp, fennel leaves, eggs, peas, cherry tomatoes, mayo (easy on the mayo), olive oil, garlic paste, white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, greek yogurt, maggi. Use whatever ratio of ingredients you prefer. If it tastes good and looks good, you’ve done it right 🙂
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“Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons”

Farfalle pasta, salame, pepper jack cheese, cornichons, scallions, mayo (easy on the mayo), olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic paste, white balsamic vinegar, cornichon liquid, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, maggi. Same here again, use whatever ratio of ingredients you prefer. If it tastes good and looks good, you’ve done it right 🙂
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Happy Cooking and Bon Appetit !
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Click here for more “Easy Does It”

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Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

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Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

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Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

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Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

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Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

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Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

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Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

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Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Breakfast Of Champions # 37 – Raspberry Pancake

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What a difference it makes to make pancake batter from scratch, compared to the packaged crap. You can control exactly how sweet you want it, make a sweet or savory version (bacon pancake anybody?), add vanilla or not and best of all, the texture and taste is so much better when made from scratch. The only thing you want to be careful with is to make sure that the bowl and wire whisk (to whisk the egg whites) is absolutely fat-free so you can achieve stiff-peaked egg whites which are the key to a feather light pancake.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here to watch a video of how to make an epic Bacon Pancake With Gorgonzola And Cicharones
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Raspberry Pancake

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Preparation :
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mix 1 cup of selfrising flour, 4 eggyolks, 2 tbl spoon sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 dash of vanilla extract

mix 1 cup of self-raising flour, 4 egg yolks, 2 tbl spoon sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 dash of vanilla extract

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mix all ingredients until smooth

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whisk 4 eggwhites until stiff peaks form

whisk 4 egg whites to stiff peaks

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lightly fold egg whites into batter

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pour into medium hot pan

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sprinkle with raspberries

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bake at 380 until pancake has set, flip pancake to brown on other side and to caramelize the raspberries. (to avoid flipping the pancake, you can also turn of the oven when the pancake has set and switch on the broiler), but I personally like the first method better because of the way the raspberries spread out and turn into a caramelized puree 🙂

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