garlic

Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

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A dish like this demonstrates to the foam and tweezers-camp cooks why good, old-fashioned, well-established and expertly prepared great food will never die!
Give me this over a plate of “edible earth, foraged spring moss, chocolate covered ants topped with wheat-grass foam”, anytime ! 🙂
But then again, maybe that’s just me……?
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

Caramelized Onion Slice

Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

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Preparation :
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: season one 20 oz bone-in rib eye per person with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: cut 3 thick slices of firm tomato and one thick slice of white onion per person, season generously with kosher salt

: peel, cut into slices, blanch and drain 1/2 large potato per person

: clean, cut in half, blanch, shock and drain 6 oz brussel sprouts per person

: saute steak to your preferred temperature, remove from pan, let meat rest at least 10 minutes

: saute potato slices in garlic oil until golden and crisp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute onion slice until caramelized

: when onion is almost done, add tomato slices to heat through

: in another pan, in 1 tblsp olive oil, saute finely diced salami and onion until onions are translucent

: add 1/2 tsp garlic paste and the Bruessel sprouts, saute until heated through

: plate the steak

: top the steak with onion slice

: top the onion with tomato slices

: add the potatoes to the plate, top the potatoes with the Brussel sprouts

: Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

: Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

: Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

: Bone-In Rib Eye With Sautéed Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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I do realize that taco bowls are sooo 80’s, but I feel they still look great today, and this piece of once “in” popular food culture deserves a place within the classics we should re-visit once in a while so as not to forget them 🙂
In order to be a bit more colorful, instead of the usual flour tortilla, I have used a brightly colored spinach wrap here. Wraps come in all kinds of colors, so this opens up the visual spectrum to be a bit more varied.
As far as the filling is concerned, today I felt like bean salad, avocado, greens, and shrimp, but of course, the sky is the limit, as long as it is not liquid and you serve it right after preparation in order to avoid the shells to become soft.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana Recipe on ChefsOpinion

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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

ready to go……………serves 2

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Preparation :
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: spinach wraps

: lightly oil two molds of your choice with olive oil, drape wraps over them, bake at 350F until crisp

: cool bowls before removing from molds

: saeson 16 oz of med size, tail-on peeled shrimp with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, saute in 1 tblsp whole butter until cooked through, remove to cool to room tempereture

: mix one 10 oz can of drained black beans or other beans of your choice with 1 cup salsa Mexicana

: dress a small amount of frisee salad or other greens of your choice with honey/lime dressing

: ready to go……………serves 2

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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Tomato Bisque with Gorgonzola Croûton

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Dinner tonight was dictated by three factors :
# 1 – I had a big craving for soup.
# 2 – I had a lot of slightly over-ripe, soft tomatoes in my fridge.
# 3 – I was too lazy to prepare anything that kept me in the kitchen more than 15 minutes.
This bisque was the perfect solution. It only took a few minutes to chop the veggies, and once they were on the stove simmering away, all that was left to do until it was time to purée the soup after a couple of hours slowly simmering away, was to cut a few slices of white bread, butter them lightly on both sides, top it with some thin slices of gorgonzola and bake them for a few minutes in a 375F oven until the cheese melted and the underside of the bread was lightly toasted, then remove and let cool to room temperature, sprinkle with chili flakes and chopped Italian parsley. Done !
Total prep time for the soup and croûtons – about 15 to 20 minutes.
Total time from start to finish – about 2,5 hours. (The longer you simmer the soup, the more the tomato-taste intensifies ).
Enough soup for today’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch. Good Stuff 🙂

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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Tomato Bisque Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Tomato Bisque with Gorgonzola Croûton

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: click on link on this page for Tomato Bisque Recipe

: click on link on this page for Tomato Bisque Recipe

: click on link on this page for Tomato Bisque Recipe

: click on link on this page for Tomato Bisque Recipe

: Tomato Bisque with Gorgonzola Croûton

: Tomato Bisque with Gorgonzola Croûton

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Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

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As I have mentioned before, I love to prepare my own pizza dough, pie dough, tortillas, fresh pasta, and a myriad of other things which are usually better (although not always) when home made.
On the other hand, sometimes this is just not very practical or sensible, for example at times when there is simply no time or space to do so.
Also, I have cooked just about anything one can cook, mostly? with good results, so I am not embarrassed to sometimes use good- quality convenience products, such as the crust I used for this pie. I actually bought it without a plan, just because it looked so delicious and I wanted to find out if it tastes as good and has the great texture it promised when I looked at it on the shelf in my neighborhood grocery store. Well – it did, even much better than I had expected 🙂
I absolutely love it and have used it already twice since I made this pie, once for an onion pie and once as a base for sandwiches.
It is supposed to be used for pizza, but for that, I will stick with my homemade dough for now.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

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Preparation :
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: pre-baked pizza shell

: brush shell with garlic oil

: top with sliced brie, scallion, mild chilies and grape tomatoes, sprinkle with fresh-ground black pepper and fresh or dried oregano

: bake at 400F until brie starts to melt, remove from oven

: top with finely sliced capocollo

: drizzle with EVO

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

: Easy Does It # 33 – Brie and Capocollo Pie

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Not Your Typical Poolside Snack

Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

Lately, the weather has been perfect for poolside meals – not too hot, not too windy, no rain.
Bella has taken on to take a swim in the pool whenever we are in the back. She used to hate the water, but all of a sudden she has become a big fan. For me, the water is still a bit too cold to enjoy swimming, but I love to cook outside and eating al fresco next to the water. Life is Good 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Living In Florida Is Great (Mostly) 🙂
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Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

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Preparation :
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: soak 1 pck rice flakes in hot water until pliable, drain

: toss rice flakes with sesame oil

: stir fry 10 thin slices of spicy sausage of your choice, 1 lb med size shrimp, tail-on, peeled and de-veined in 3 tblsp peanut oil until shrimp are half-done

: add 1/4 head of white cabbage (1 inch squares), stir fry until cabbage starts to wilt

: add the rice flakes, 1 tblsp chili paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 2 ea fine-sliced mild chilies, 4 ea scallion, cut into 1 inch pieces

: stir fry another minute until well mixed, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

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Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

JUICY ! grilled pork chop, cooked all the way 🙂

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To all the wannabe “Chefs” out there who insist that pork, poultry and fish has to be undercooked to be juicy – look at this piece of well-cooked pork, then please go back to school/apprenticeship and let a REAL chef teach you how to cook !!!
As Chef Susser used to say:
Cooking is easy – IF you know how to do it 🙂
(However, if you just happen to like the awful texture of undercooked pork – pls go ahead and enjoy) 😦
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

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Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

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Preparation :
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season 2 ea pork chops with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, grill until cooked through but still juicy at 161F, the carry-over heat will take it to a perfect 164, when chops are about 3/4 done, add 2/2 lemon to the grill and cook until well caramelized but not burned

bake two washed baking potatoes at 400F until cooked through, about 50 minutes, depending on size

for the Mast-o klar, cut 2 small cucumbers around the seeds, discard seeds, cut flesh into small dice, add 1 tsp grated onion, 1 pinch grated garlic, 1/2 tsp finely sliced dill leaves, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt and ground cumin to taste, mix well, check/adjust seasoning; serve as a side dish or topping for the baked potatoes

Mast-O Klar

Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

Grilled Pork Chop, Caramelized Lemon, Baked Potato And Mast-O Klar

JUICY ! grilled pork chop, cooked all the way 🙂

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Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Chances are that if you love seafood and have traveled in Spain, especially in the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona, you have at one point or another had an encounter with the dish featured here. It represents the philosophy of both old and new cooking styles one finds all over this area and in fact, in most parts of the Mediterranean coastline – a few first-class ingredients cooked without fuss and pronto- Life is Good !
A wonderful meal, ideally shared with great company and a glass (or two) of the local wine, and, if on top of that you are lucky enough to sit in a cozy little restaurant by the sea, life is as good as it gets.
Somebody gifted me with a small bag of mussels on Sunday, which by itself would have made a great appetizer. But because I always have shrimp in the freezer (today I had two different types, small/ peeled,/ tail-off and large/ tail-on), and because I wanted to have something a bit more substantial for dinner, I thought this seafood stew would do the trick. And indeed, it did 🙂
Great taste, easy on the eyes and a snap to prepare, both Bella and I were completely happy with the way this turned out 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Since I don’t drink/use alcohol, I have started to use apple cider as a substitute where wine is called for.
Works out great for most dishes, both in the food and with the food 🙂 Cheers !
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Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Preparation :
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: saute 1 ea large diced onion and 9 ea whole garlic cloves (confit) in 4 tblsp olive oil

: when the onions are translucent, add 1/2 cup blanched diced celery stalkes and 1/2 cup diced bell peppers, saute another minute

: add 2 lbs raw shrimp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute shrimp until halfway-cooked

: add 2 cup tomato sauce, 1 tblsp chopped toasted almonds, 1 tblsp chili flakes, 2 tblsp sweet Spanish paprika and a few threads of saffron

: add two lbs of well-cleaned mussels, 1 bunch chopped parsley, 1/4 cup sherry (or substitude) and 1 cup clam juice

: bring stew to a simmer, turn off heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes, check, adjust seasoning, remove and discard any unopened mussels, sprinkle with more chopped parsley and small capers; serve with pita bread or grilled sour dough bread, serves 2

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

Meanwhile – in Florida……….BBQ Floridian Style

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OK, while you let this sink in, let’s move on to today’s featured dish :
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If you are not used to VERY hot food, don’t try these noodles !
If you love bland and boring noodle dishes, don’t try these noodles !
If you don’t want to open your mind and taste buds to new sensations, don’t try these noodles !
But, if you love the sensation of flaming hot (spicy) food and the incomparable mouthfeel you get when the pain of the first few spicy bites subside, to be replaced by the warm, slight numbness which can only be achieved by eating large numbers of chilies, then this dish is for you. (Think Szechuan hot pot)
While I don’t eat VERY spicy food as often as I used to, once in a while I need my fix, and today was the time to get it. 🙂
A wonderful dinner, a full belly and clear sinuses – another great and very enjoyable evening !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

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Preparation :
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: soak 1 pck rice noodles in boiling hot water until soft

: drain noodles, mix with 1 tblsp sesame oil

: de-bone 4 large chicken breasts, remove skin, slice thin, dust with 2 tblsp riceflour, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: stir fry chicken in 4 tblsp peanut oil until golden and half-cooked, remove from oil, set aside

: in the remaining oil, stir fry 8 cloves of garlic confit and julienne of 1 large white oinion until onions are translucent

: add 7 ea hot chilies, 1 can drained straw mushrooms and 16 oz blanched broccolini

: add 4 tbslp chili sauce, 1 tblsp hoisin sauce, 1/2 tsp grated ginger. 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 water, simmer for one minute

: add the noodles and the chicken with its juices, mix well, check/adjust seasoning; serves 4

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Shepherds Pie is such great comfort food.
Meat sauce, mashed potatoes, and cheese – who could resist ? 🙂
However, there is one flaw in shepherds pie which diminishes its enjoyment a bit for me – it is entirely soft in texture and usually, the sauce is a bit bland and the whole thing, therefore, often resembles baby food 😦
Let me come to the rescue with this new recipe.
Instead of mashing the potatoes to a puree, just break them up a bit into med-sized chunks. Adding the peppers and lots of onions and garlic to the meat sauce will further increase the taste and texture of the filling of the potato shells, which will result in a dish who’s taste still resembles shepherds pie but at the same time is so much more interesting and TASTY !
Overall, this “fully loaded” baked potato is without a doubt one of the tastiest incarnations of the lowly baked potato as well as the ordinary shepherd’s pie.
While I have prepared and created dozens of variations of twice baked potatoes over the years, some more, some less exotic, some over the top and some down to earth, using all kinds of additions to the stuffing, such as shrimp, smoked salmon, ham, different vegetables, cheese, yogurt, herbs, etc, etc., the ones I prepared today are the very best of the best 🙂
Although very simple and easy to prepare, the texture, taste, and looks are just perfect and go to show that uncomplicated food, if done right, can take the price over complicated and elaborate any time ……..
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Preparation :
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: in a 400F oven, bake 2 large russet potatoes until cooked through, remove from oven, cut -off the tops, remove the flesh, discard the empty tops

: saute 1 cup sliced onions, 1/2 cup diced bell peppers and 1 cup ground beef in 4 oz whole butter

: when onions are translucent and all meat is seperated, add 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic paste and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated

: coarsely break-up the potato flesh, add the meat sauce, 2 tblsp fres-grated asiago cheese, 1/2 tsp sriracha, 1 eggyolk and kosher salt to taste

: mix until all ingredients are incorporated but make sure the potatoes remain coarse

: fill the stuffing into the half-shells

: sprinkle generously with asiago cheese, bake in a 350F oven until the to is golden crisp

: serves 2 appetizers or one main course; serve with greens on the side

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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And The Oscar Goes To …………This Salad

Salade Oscar

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No – I did not watch the Oscars tonight.
In fact, although I am a huge movie fan who watches at least one movie per day, often two and sometimes three, I stopped watching the once glamorous and exciting Oscars years ago, when it had become a boring, extremely drawn-out and pointless parody of its former glory.
So, in order to have my own little oscar celebration, I created my personal version in form of a great dinner, replacing the little statue with the best dish of the night.
While avocados, nectarines, red onions and pears in a dressing of lemon juice and sweet Thai chili sauce might not seem to be nominees that fit into the same (salad) category, here they share the top honors for my new favorite salad 🙂
For obvious reasons, I’ll call this salad “Salade Oscar”
Best supporting actor – bone-in rib eye steak 🙂
In the end, a great (show) dinner, lots of applause (Bella, for the steak) and I walking away with yet another trophy (salad) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for last years “Oscar” on ChefsOpinion
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Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

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Preparation :
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: season bone-in rib eye with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, grill to your preferred internal temperature

: 1 ea Florida avocado, 2 ea bosc pears, 1 ea nectarine, 1/2 ea red onion

: cut fruit and onion, dress with 3 tblsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of kosher salt, 4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil and 4 tblsp Thai sweet chili sauce; serves 4