Grab Bag

Seafood Salad

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This afternoon I went to my fishmonger with the intention to get a fresh trout or a small snapper for a light dinner of fish and salad. What I came away with instead were the following:
Caviar, snow crab legs, king crab legs, clams, mussels, shrimp and crayfish. A short trip to the grocer for some endive, iceberg, grissini and a lemon, then five minutes of preparation and BINGO ! – best meal of the month 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I got a bit carried away with the amount of pictures here, but this stuff is just too sexy and beautiful not to show off and drool over 🙂
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P.P.S.
If you wonder why there is no “fru fru” on this dish – I believe these beauties need no embellishment other than them self.
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Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: steam clams in white wine and butter with a bit of salt and cayenne pepper

: when clams start to open, add mussels, steam until mussels open, remove from heat

: season scallops and shrimp with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, saute in garlic oil, remove from heat

: dress endive and iceberg with vinaiggrette, butter sour dough bread with unsalted butter, top with caviar

: place all items in a pleasant arrangement, serve with fresh lemon

: the only utensil you need is a nutcracker for the crab legs, for everything else (including the greens), get your hands dirty………

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

: Seafood Salad – lettuce in lime vinaigrette, endive in lime vinaigrette, grissini, lemon, caviar on sour dough bread, mussels, clams, shrimp. king crab, snow crab, crayfish, scallops

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Peperonata & Chicken Parisienne

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Click here to link to “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”
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Wednesday Dinner – Week Two
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While peperonata (peperonate) is a classic, well established Italian dish, this version is adapted to my personal preference of taste and texture.
I used the traditional olive oil, garlic, onions, tomato paste and basil, but instead of the usual mixture of different-colored bell peppers, I used a variety of chilis with different colors and various levels of spiciness, from sweet to very hot. Also, instead of cooking everything down to a soft mash, I left the vegetables with a bit of a bite to make the texture more pleasant. All in all, a successful, different and modern take of a classical dish 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: blend a/p flour with cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and kosher salt, pat chicken brest dry, dredge in flour mixture

: dip chicken breast in whisked egg

: saute in vegetable oil until golden and crisp

: saute diced white onions, sliced scallions and garlic paste in olive oil, add capsicum of your choice (bell peppers, chilis or combination thereof), add tomato paste, a bit of chicken stock, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three minutes,, add fresh basil, check / adjust seasoning

: plate peperonata

: top with chicken parisienne

: Peperonata & Chicken Parisienne

: Peperonata & Chicken Parisienne

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Crispy Fried Noodle Pillow With Braised Pork Belly In Oyster Sauce

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If there is a heaven, ( I know for sure that there is a hell), I believe this dish will be served there at least once a month……….
Crispy fried noodles and braised pork belly – a match made in heaven, available for us sinners now – down here on earth, no less 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Crispy Fried Noodle Pillow With Braised Pork Belly In Oyster Sauce

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season porkbelly with salt and saute until golden brown

: when brown, remove pork and set aside

: saute onions in garlic oil until lightly caramelized

: add hoisin sauce, grated ginger and garlic paste

: add oyster sauce

: add soy sauce

: add sriracha

: return pork to pan, add water

: simmer covered until pork is tender but NOT falling apart, remove pork, set aside, reduce sauce until thickened and onions are very soft, check / adjust seasoning

: braised pork, ready to be cut

: cut pork into bite-size pieces

: chinese egg noodles

: cook in boiling salt water, drain

: fry in peanut oil until crispy

: flip noodles, fry on the other side until crispy

: serving platter

: plate noodle pillow

: top noodles with generous amount of onion/sauce

: top with sliced belly

: sprinkle with sliced scallions

: Crispy Fried Noodle Pillow With Braised Pork Belly In Oyster Sauce

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Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

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New Post on ” Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort food ” :
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Week Two – Monday Dinner:

Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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To see all pictures and instructions, click HERE
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: Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger.Garlic Broth

: Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger.Garlic Broth

: Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger.Garlic Broth

: Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger.Garlic Broth

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The Italianator

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Sometimes, a simple sandwich can satisfy all my culinary needs, as long as it is interesting, tasty and – yes – as long as it looks great and appetizing!
When a slice of dry turkey and sandwich spread between two slices of wonder bread won’t do, (which, for me, is NEVER!), a sexy beauty like “The Italianator” will surely ring the bells of culinary bliss and lets me forget steaks and lobsters, at least for the moment.
– And on top of it, getting to name these creations is much fun in itself. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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The Italianator

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Rustic Italian Sourdough Bread

: slice bread into thick (dare I say monstrous) slices

: grill bread until golden, then brush with garlic oil

: season broccoli florettes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and garlic oil

: top bread with broccoli

: top broccoli with prosciutto cotto

: top ham with thick slices of gorgonzola, sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper

: bake sandwich until cheese is melted

: season cucumber and radish julienne with italian vinaigrette, sprinkle generously on top of sandwich

: The Italianator

: The Italianator

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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Since I am on a set meal plan for the time being, I am cooking a lot of goodies like this one for my very appreciative neighbor who, together with his wife and kid, loves good food but is (not yet) very successful in the kitchen, although this starts to change a bit since I am guiding him/them whenever I have the time 🙂
(I taste all of what I cook for them, but I can not eat any of it) 😦
This one was a great hit, especially the pasta . I had spaghetti in my larder and used those, but if you want the dish to be a bit more Asian in appearance, you might want to use cellophane/ or rice-noodles instead.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Japanese Plate And Serving Platter

: season bone-in rib eye generously with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, after steak is done to your preferred temperature, let rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes before slicing

: deglaze pan with mirin, add a bit of water, lime juice, sugar, garlick paste, soy sauce, sriracha and peanut butter, simmer for one minute

: add raw spinach and VERY finely sliced red peppers, remove from heat, check/adjust taste

: add freshly cooked pasta, return to heat, simmer for one minute

: plate pasta on a warm serving dish

: top pasta with sliced steak, sprinkle with sesame seeds

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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MEAL PLAN – WEEK TWO

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Week Two –
“Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Daily Breakfast – Fruit/Tea (fibrous fruit + unsweetened tea of your choice)
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Daily Lunch – Energy bar/Fruits (fruits of your choice + energy bar of your choice)
(many different brands / types of Energy Bars are available – consult your doctor/nutritionist)
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Daily Dinner –

Monday – “Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth”
Tuesday – “Grilled ~~Roman~~ Romaine Feast”
Wednesday – “ Pepperonata & Chicken Parisienne”
Thursday – “Red Beet Delight”
Friday – “Sauteed Pork medallions With Mushrooms And Pasta”
Saturday – “ Karachi Butter Chicken”
Sunday – “Salad Florentine”
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Monday – “Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth”
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Shrimp, Broccolini And Ramen Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

Tuesday – “Grilled ~~Roman~~ Romaine Feast”
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Grilled ~~Roman~~ Romaine Feast

Wednesday – “ Pepperonata & Chicken Parisienne”
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Pepperonata & Chicken Parisienne

Thursday – “Red Beet Delight”
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Red Beet Delight

Friday – “Sauteed Pork Medallions With Mushrooms And Pasta”
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auteed Pork Medaiilons With Mushrooms And Pasta

Sauteed Pork Medallions With Mushrooms And Pasta

Saturday – “ Karachi Butter Chicken”
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Karachi Butter Chicken

Sunday – “Salad Florentine”
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Salad Florentine

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P.S.
Update after my own completion of Week Three :
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So far I have lost 19.5 lbs of weight in three weeks of “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” meal plan.
I feel much better, sleep much better and on top of all the benefits of living a bit more on the sensible side of life, I eat as much as I want. (Except on the two days of the week which allow me a dinner of anything I crave, although in much smaller portions).
I have to admit that I fell off the wagon twice:
– Once in Week One: I had a pizza for lunch 😦
– Once in Week Two: I had a couple of strawberry-filled doughnuts after dinner 😦

If you want to read more about my new, very much improved lifestyle, click HERE.
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Rôti De Porc Avec Sauce Au Cèpe Porcini

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Rôti De Porc Avec Sauce Au Cèpe Porcini
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This was the first “leftovers” dish I prepared from the “ROAST FRESH HAM WITH CARAWAY JUS” a few weeks back.
Remember, to make this dish “lighter and healthier comfort food”, you must cut back on the portion size big time – the pictured portion should serve three people 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to Lattkes (Potato Pancakes) (Kartoffelpuffer)
Link to Apple Sauce (Apfelmus)
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Link to original dish Roast Fresh Ham With Caraway Jus
Link to the second leftover dish The German Dip
Link to the third leftover dish Gebratene Schweinehaxe

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Rôti De Porc Avec Sauce Au Cèpe Porcini

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: soak porcini in hot water for 20 minutes

: saute chopped onions and garlic paste in olive oil

: add porcini and heavy cream, add kosher salt and cayenne papper, simmer

: Meanwhile, slice leftover cold pork, add to a pan with a bit of salted water and brush with butter, cover and VERY SLOWLY reheat, without simmering (too hot – it will dry out and toughen the meat

: reduced cream and mushrooms

: add demi glace

: simmer for another minute, check / adjust texture and taste

: cook the latkes in peanut oil

: almost……

: serve with greens and apple sauce, sprinkle with fresh herbs

: Rôti De Porc Avec Sauce Au Cèpe Porcini

: Rôti De Porc Avec Sauce Au Cèpe Porcini

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Beef , Shiitake And Mung Bean Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

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Here you have one of these dishes were you can have a meal fit for a king with a minimum effort of labor and a very reasonable cost of ingredients.
Just plan ahead and either cook the beef the day before you want to eat the soup, or, if you want to have it for dinner after work, start the beef and it’s broth as soon as you get up in the morning. Bring it to a simmer, let it cook for as long as you can before you leave the house, then just let the beef cool in the broth until you get home. Also at that point, soak the shiitake in some of the hot broth during the day. From there it will only take another 10 minutes to finish this sexy beauty (the time to cook the noodles) and voilà ! – ready for a soup as good (or better) as you can get in your favorite noodle-house. 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Beef , Shiitake And and Mung Bean Noodles In Ginger.Garlic Broth

Beef , Shiitake And Mung Bean Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

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

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: simmer beef with chilies garlic paste, grated ginger, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and a dash of five spice powder

: remove beef, set aside, strain broth through a fine mesh strainer, check / adjust seasoning

: cut beef into bite size pieces

: remove shiitakes from soaking liquid

: remove stems, discard stems

: cook mung bean noodles (cellophane noodles), drain, coat with sesame oil, add lots of chopped cilantro

: plate noodles, top with mushrooms

: add beef, some lime wedges and a few chilies

: add broth, sprinkle with more chopped cilantro

: Beef , Shiitake And Mung Bean Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

: Beef , Shiitake And Mung Bean Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

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Trottole Alla Fortunello

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Although this dish might not look very “light and healthy”, the small portion served makes it as promised – “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”. (I share the portions pictured with one of my neighbors) 🙂
I have, contrary to classic cooking methods, omitted to saute the coppa ham, prosciutto ham and the salame. I rather love the taste and texture of the protein without sauteing them over piping hot pasta (make sure you slice the coppa, prosciutto and the salame paper-thin), but as usual, if you prefer to saute them, don’t hesitate to do so.

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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