garlic

Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

>
>
Yes. I’ve said it – The Ultimate ! The Best ! # 1 !
Some of you might not agree with me, but I can tell you, chances are that this is the best beef fried rice you will ever come across. Period 🙂
It will certainly be different from the fried rice you’ll get at your neighborhood joint and most probably will come close to what you will get in the best of Chinese restaurants or maybe even be better than that. Arrogant I am not. 🙂 But honestly, this was by far the tastiest, best textured fried rice I ever prepared or tasted anywhere, including Asia.
To be real, I know there is better out there, but I myself was not able to find it (Yet).
Maybe the fact that I used leftover sushi rice from yesterday’s chirashi sushi dinner made the big difference. It made it possible to add more moisture to the rice as is normally done while keeping its great texture and not get mushy. Using beef tenderloin was also different, as well as using more than usual egg in the rice. Whatever it was, it worked and made for a simple yet spectacular enjoyable lunch.
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
Click here for Fan Recipe
>
Click here for Sushi Rice Recipe
>
>
>

Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

>

>

Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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

: sushi rice, substitute with fan if preferred

: cut beef tenderloin head and tips into dice

: season with soy sauce, granulated garlic, chili paste and cornstarch, let marinade for at least four hours

: soy sauce, chili paste, grated ginger, garlic paste, sugar, sesame oil

: add green peas, kernel corn, sliced scallion and chopped cilantro to sauce

: whisk whole eggs, season with kosher salt

: cook to soft texture, set aside

: saute beef in very hot peanut oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, set aside

: stir fry rice until starting to “pop”

: add beef and sauce to rice, stir fry until fragrant

: check / adjust seasoning

: add scrambled eggs, stir fry another minute

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

>
>
>
>

Sexy Legs – Glazed Honey/Sriracha Chicken Legs

>
>
Yesterday I was at the supermarket at 4.00 pm considering what to buy to prepare dinner when I realized I did not feel like cooking dinner but just have a sandwich or fried chicken from the take-out counter.
As I was standing in line for the chicken, it dawned to me what a fool I was, to consider that sorry-looking fried chicken in front of me for dinner. It obviously had been sitting there for hours, greasy, tasteless and with dried-out meat under the too-thick breading, costing $10.00 bucks for a small cardboard box of legs and breast.
After I came to my senses, I went to the frozen chicken section of the store and bought a pack of 5 ea large, plumb legs for $ 8.00. Waiting at the checkout I felt better already, trying to decide how to prepare the legs and deciding on the most simple but tasty preparation, “Glazed Honey/Sriracha Chicken Legs”.
I still did not feel like getting a big production going, so I decided to omit any side dish and just make do with the chicken by itself.
When I got home I put the legs in running cold water and went for a walk in the rain with Bella. Upon return, I made a few cuts to the legs, all the way down to the bone, island style :-).
Then I mixed half a cup sriracha with half a cup of honey, added soy sauce, kosher salt and granulated garlic and brushed that seasoning generously all over the legs and into the cut crevices. Onto a buttered alu-foil they went and into an 385F oven for 50 minutes.
(The cooking time depends on the size of the legs, make sure they are cooked all the way through to the bone on the thickest part and on the joint’s) !
No side dishes diminished my enjoyment of those chicken legs. Four legs for me, one for Bella – just the right size portion for the both of us.
And renewed proof that a fresh-cooked meal is always worth the extra few minutes it takes to prepare it 🙂
Actual prep time – less than 5 minutes. Cooking time – about 50 minutes. Total time – approximately 1 hour !
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>

Sexy Legs – Glazed Honey/Sriracha Chicken Legs

soy sauce, sriracha, honey, granulated garlic, kosher salt

score the legs to the bone

rub with the seasoning

place on buttered rack, covered with alu-foil, bake at 385F for 50 minutes or until done

Sexy Legs – Glazed Honey/Sriracha Chicken Legs

>
>
>
>
>

Easy does it # 31 – Mushroom & Gorgonzola Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

>
>
And the award for best twice-baked potatoes goes to…………
No need to explain the virtues of this dish, just look at it and imagine
it would be in front of you right now
(anyone for a steaming, hot beauty ?)……….. 🙂
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>

Mushroom & Gorgonzola Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

potato, mushrooms, onion, garlic, gorgonzola, asiago

bake potatoes until soft in center, cut in half, remove flesh, lightly mash with grated asiago and diced gorgonzola

saute mushrooms in a sinful amount of butter, add to the potatoes, season with cayenne pepper and kosher salt, fill into potato shells

saute mushrooms and diced onions in a sinful amount of butter, add to the potatoes, season with cayenne pepper and kosher salt, fill into potato shells

sprinkle with grated asiago, bake until golden, sprinkle with sliced scallion and chili flakes

Mushroom & Gorgonzola Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

>
>
>

Steak Salad “Saigon”

>
>
The foundation of this steak salad is a refreshing rice stick salad, which I usually make at least twice a month. I normally make about four to six portions and eat it as part of a meal, as breakfast or as a late night snack. The noodles keep their texture for a few days without getting mushy, so this is ideal to prep in advance and then serve it when a quick bite is needed, especially on a workday as breakfast or as a snack late at night when I get home and just want to rest and more cooking is as far from my mind as possible. If I have it as part of a meal, I usually combine it with seafood, such as teriyaki- glazed salmon or sautéed shrimp. For breakfast, I usually add a couple of hard-boiled eggs and for a midnight snack some canned seafood. When Maria was still with me, she liked to serve it at bbq -parties, when it was a welcome alternative to the usual suspects of coleslaw and potato salad.
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
Click here for more Pasta Salad
>
Click here for more Steak Salad
>
>

Steak Salad “Saigon”

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

: season new york strip with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute or grill to your desired temperature, set steak aside and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: cook, shock in icewater and drain rice sticks

: make a dressing of peanut oil, sesame oil, kosher salt, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, fish sauce and rice vinegar

: fresh basil

: sliced basil, red peppers, iceberg lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots (if you plan to keep this for more than a few hours, replace the iceberg with cabbage)

: slice the steak

: mix half of the steak, the noodles and the vegetables with the dressing

: tell your dog to be patient 🙂

: almost……….

: spread some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, drizzle with a bit of the dressing

: top lettuce with the noodle salad

: top with the other half of the steak, sprinkle with toasted garlic

: Steak Salad “Saigon”

>
>
>
>
>

Beef And Bean Burrito

>
>
Nowadays, most folks are familiar with burritos. International cuisine with its many variations has come to the farthest corners of the world and that’s a great thing. Not so great is the fact that most of the ethnic food has been bastardized to the point of no return. I am not talking about changing and improving the originals, which is fine as long as you can still figure out the origin behind the dish. No, I am talking about replacing good, simple, honest ingredients with cheap crap, third-rate fillers which have the sole purpose to make a buck. When it comes to burritos, I have come across some incredible bad, tasteless excuses for the real thing lately in a variety of “Mexican” eateries here in South Florida. The filling usually has consisted of mainly rice and shredded lettuce wrapped in a tortilla, then re-heated in an oven and served with the usual condiments for laughable prices. Seems that instead of burritos on the plate, there are burros in the kitchen ? ! 😦
I prepare burritos often at home and the one thing they all have in common is the quality of ingredients I use for the filling and the fact that I cook them on a Comal or cast-iron pan to get that great crispy outside so essential to a great burrito (In my Opinion, anyway :-).
As long as you use a great filling, burritos are easy, quick and they ROCK 🙂
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
More Beef Burritos Here

>
>

Beef And Bean Burrito

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

: trim a strip stak of all fat and silver skin

: cut into 1/2 inch cubes, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic

: saute in a VERY hot pan, add sliced onions, cook until meat is browned on the outside and still very rare on the inside

: remove meat, spread out, let cool to room-temperature

: beans, grape tomatoes, chopped cilantro

: add mexican four-cheese mix, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste

: add cooled-down meat, mix all ingredients

: fill flour tortillas

: roll into burritos

: griddle on lightly oiled cast iron pan or comal until flat part is crispy and golden and filling is heated through

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: for a bit of a change of the usual suspects, serve burritos with marinated chilies and a crisp lettuce salad sprinkled with bbq’d korn kernels

>
>
>
>

Allgäuer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

>
>
Hörnchen means “Little Horns” in German. They are such a wonderful pastry when properly prepared. Unfortunately, to find good Hörnchen (Croissants, Media Luna’s) is increasingly difficult and in some areas downright impossible.
A good hörnchen is as light as a feather, with dozens of air-seperated layers of buttery pastry. Most of the stuff you can buy these days are mass-produced, previously frozen concoctions which have only a faint visual resemblance to a real hörnchen and none of the flavor and texture qualities of the genuine article. Some are not even made with puff pastry 😦
However, there is a silver lining – in my opinion, that stuff is perfectly suitable for a good sandwich or as an accompaniment to a rustic salad.
For today’s lunch I had these babies from a commercial bakery close-by, to share the honors of being my lunch with a “lecker” allgäuer wurstsalat.
Eaten together with the salad, dunked in the rich dressing, they served their purpose as “side bread” well.
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
Click here for more Hörnchen

>
P.S.
If you don’t have access to Fleischwurst (German Bologna) and Allgäuer Bergkäse, you can replace them with Swiss Cheese and American style Bologna
>
>

Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

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

: julienned cheese, sausage, onions, sliced cornichons, sliced chives

: for the dressing, add ketchup, dijon, red wine vinegar, fresh ground black pepper, garlic paste, kosher salt, mix well, serve with warm hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

>
>
>
>
>

Paniertes Rinderschnitzel (Breaded Beef Cutlet With Pickled Onions)

>
>
Breaded anything – can’t go wrong with that.
Anything breaded topped with pickled onions – got a winner every time 🙂
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>

Paniertes Rinderschnitzel (Breaded Beef Cutlet With Pickled Onions)

Pickled Onions

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

: red onion julienne, chopped cilantro, grape tomatoes, mild chilies, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, cider vinegar, olive oil

: marinade onions overnight

: Pickled Onions

: clean a strip steak of all fat and silver skin

: butterfly steak

: butterfly again

: pound flat between plastic film

: season with dijon, cayenne and kosher salt, bread scallop with flour, egg and panko

: saute in clarified butter

: rest for a minute on absorbent paper

: to serve, top with pickled onions

: Paniertes Rinderschnitzel (Breaded Beef Cutlet With Pickled Onions)

: Paniertes Rinderschnitzel (Breaded Beef Cutlet With Pickled Onions)

: Paniertes Rinderschnitzel (Breaded Beef Cutlet With Pickled Onions)

>
>
>
>

Delicious Quickie – Bucatini Con Sarde

>
>
Definition of Quickie : “something done or had quickly”.
– Ok now, time to get your minds out of the gutter 🙂
We are talking about a wonderful dish, quickly and easily prepared, light on the wallet yet tasty and pretty to look at.
– Did I mention – time to get your mind out of the gutter 🙂
While I absolutely LOVE fresh sardines, for this recipe I prefer good quality! canned sardines in tomato sauce.
This dish is one of my go-to dishes when I want something tasty and quick either just for myself and Bella, or in good company when unpretentious food is welcome (Midnight snack anyone ?)
>
Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
>
>

Bucatini Con Sarde

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

: saute onions, garlic paste and anchovy paste in olive oil until fragrant

: add canned sardines in tomato sauce (reserve 3 filets per portion), add chopped italian parsley and chopped oregano (or dry oregano), simmer until sardines are heated through and break into chunks

: the good stuff 🙂

: add fresh-cooked bucatini with some of the cooking liquid to the sauce, add a few dollops of whole butter, season with fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

: plate bucatini, sprinkle with chopped italian parsley

: garnish with reserved sardines and basil leaves

: Bucatini Con Sarde

Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

>
>
For 50 years I have prepared and eaten Filet Mignon with either Sauce Bernaise or a Demi Glace derived sauce, such as Sauce Chasseur, Sauce Bordelaise, Sauce Chateaubriand, Sauce Perigueux, Sauce Robert, etc, just as any hot-blooded, french-trained chef would do 🙂
Yet yesterday, although I had demi glace at hand ( I usually make a batch of demi glace and freeze it in individual portions ), for this dish I wanted to try something new, especially something to go well with the shiitake mushrooms.
So I mixed together the following ingredients which are a staple on my cupboard :
” Hoi Sin Delight ” –
Hoi sin sauce, soy sauce, garlic paste, chili sauce, lemon juice and – hold on to your hat -ketchup ! From this I got one of the best sauces I ever had with grilled or sauteed meat. I liked it so much that from here on I will use this concoction often, whenever I need a quick and delicious sauce or dip for any protein – seafood, chicken, beef, pork or what-not. Even as a drizzle for fried rice or grilled vegetables, this stuff rocks !
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>

Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

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

: mix 2 tblsp hoi sin, 1 tblsp ketchup, 2 tblsp soy, 2 tblsp water, 1 tsp chili sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, simmer for one minute

: Season 5 oz beef filets with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: Sear in a VERY hot cast iron pan on both sides, finish cooking in a 350F oven until cooked to the temperatore of your preference, remove from pan, let rest for 10 minutes before serving

: meanwhile, saute potatoes in garlic oil until golden

: add reconstituted shiitake, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: when mushrooms are heated through, add a generous dollop of butter and chopped cilantro

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

: Filet Mignon With Sautéed Potatoes, Shiitake And “Hoi Sin Delight”

>
>
>
>

Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

>
>
Trying to end 2015 on a healthy note :-).
Well, BS, I just don’t feel like cooking today 😦
Anyway, I could eat this salad for no reason any day, anytime, anywhere…….
>
Bon Appetit ! Happy 2016 !
>
>

Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

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

: grape tomatoes, scallions, julienned peppers, julienned red onions, cooked beans

: saute garlic paste in olive oil until fragrant

: add cooked diced octopus

: add vegetables, saute 2 minutes, season with salt, fresh oregano and freshly ground black pepper

: remove to bowl, add lemon juice, check/adjust seasoning, let cool to room-temperature

: just a picture of a pretty salad bowl 🙂

: cover serving dish with romaine

: add octopus salad, drizzle dressing from octopus salad all over romaine leaves, sprinkle with honey roasted corn kernels for crunch and additional flavor