hans sussers food

Mama Tilly’s “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

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Link to “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”
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I wish I could sit one more time at my parents dinner table and be served my moms “Quer Durch Den Garten” eintopf. Of course, as a child, veggies and stews were not exactly big time favorites, but, as with so many memories, decades later all we usually remember are the good parts of our experiences and so it is with this dish – so, one more time please 🙂
This dish shows up in many homes nowadays but its new name is usually “clear out the fridge”.
But, what was then, way back, poetically called “quer durch den garten” (across the garden) was literally just that – everything that was ripe in the vegetable garden and had to be used up before it spoiled. Therefore, during harvest time in our back of the house small veggie garden, “quer durch den garten” was a dish that showed up a bit too often. Always a bit different, sometimes added pasta or rice instead of potatoes, usually different vegetables (whatever was ready for consumption) and most always a different protein – bacon, sausage, chicken, beef, or a combination of whatever was available. Obviously, this is one of my favorite dishes now, but back then…….. 😦
So here it is, in honor of my mom’s “Quer Durch Den Garten” eintopf:
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Bon Appetit ! Hans, you are not allowed to go outside before you finish your plate !!!
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Link to ” Eintopf ”
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Link to ” Gnocchi ” Recipe

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Mama Tillys “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: chicken, kilbasa, tomatoes, broccoli stems

: simmer all vegetables in chicken stock until almost done, add meat

: bring back to a simmer, add gnocchi, simmer until gnocchi float

: check / adjust seasoning

: Mama Tillys “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

: Mama Tillys “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

: Mama Tillys “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

: to serve, add freshly grated swiss cheese ( mama tilly’s original) or parmesan cheese

: Mama Tillys “Quer Durch Den Garten” Eintopf

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Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

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Link to : “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food ”
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Baby bok choy – must be one of the best vegetables anywhere. I just love the looks, the taste and especially the texture. Of course, as far as the taste is concerned, there is not much of it’s own, so I usually add oyster sauce or fermented black bean sauce among other strong ingredients to bring out the best of these beauties 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
In case you wonder why I did not toast the sesame seeds –
I sometimes prefer the taste of un-toasted sesame, it is milder as if you toast them, – just a personal preference 🙂
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drizzle vegetables with oyster sauce mixture

top with chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro

Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili 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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: make a sauce by simmeringoyster sauce, hoi sin sauce and soy sauce with garlic paste, grated ginger and cayenne pepper until reduced by half

: season bok choy with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute in peanut oil until leaves start to wilt, add oyster sauce mixture, cover, steam for ca 3 minutes or until bokchoy is heated through

: remove bok choy, from sauce, set aside, add beansprouts and radish julienne, steam until heated through, remove veggies from sauce, set aside

: meanwhile, season chicken breast with salt and pepper, grill, brush generously with sweet chili sauce

: serving platter….

: arrange vegetables on platter

: drizzle vegetables with oyster sauce mixture

: top with chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

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Seafood Snack

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Your choice:
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$ 3.95 – 1 pack of crappy “Nachos”
$ 4.50 – 1 small tub of crappy “Salsa”
$ 3.50 – 1 small can of crappy “Cheese Dip”

Total: $ 11.95 for a crappy snack 😦
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OR !!!
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$ 11.00 – 1,5 lbs snow crab legs
$ 6.00 – 0.5 lb eat & peel shrimp
$ 1.00 for some Thai sweet & spicy chili sauce
$ 0.50 half a lemon
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Total: 18.50 for a delicious, healthy, beautiful snack 🙂
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You be the judge !

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Bon Appetit ! (Either way) 🙂
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: Seafood Snack

: Seafood Snack

: Seafood Snack

: Seafood Snack

: Bella loves Seafood 🙂

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Corned Beef And Cabbage – Happy St Patrick’s Day

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After a week of corned beef almost daily, (I bought too much meat, as usual), I am happy that today St Paddy’s day is finally here, the mountain of corned beef is devoured and we can move on to other goodies. 🙂
However, today’s dish, Corned Beef and Cabbage, has been served in so many different versions that most of it has become just a shadow of its former glory. I hope that I can help resurrect people’s interest in this lovely dish. My version is a simple one, yet pretty to look at and most important, VERY tasty and sumptuous.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click Here For Corned Beef Recipe
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Corned Beef And Cabbage

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: rainbow potatoes, onions, herb/garlic butter

: saute vegetables in herb/garlic butter

: add beef stock, simmer until potatoes are almost done

: add cabbage

: add corned beef, ladle butter/stock from the bottom of the pan over the meat and cabbage, cover, simmer until cabbage is done, about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your preference of texture

: plate cabbage and potatoes

: top with beef, ladle stock / butter over the top, sprinkle with scallions

: Corned Beef And Cabbage

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Matzoball & Corned Beef Soup

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Today’s lunch pay’s homage to the fact that tomorrow is St Paddy’s day and to the fact that corned beef is not really Irish in origin but has its roots in the Jewish community 🙂
(Before you scream at me, you might want to read the article below)

Is Corned Beef Really Irish?
The rise and fall and rise of the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal
By Shaylyn Esposito, smithsonian.com , March 15, 2013

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Besides that, look at the pictures of this culinary knockout! If you are a soup lover, you won’t be able to resist this sexy, curvy beauty 🙂
I prepare this dish and many variations of it many times during the year, although usually I use regular beef, chicken or vegetable broth.
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Bon Appetit ! B’taya Von ! Gow dty vee dty fondagh ! Go raibh an bia blasta !
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Click Here For Corned Beef & Corned Beef Soup Recipes
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Click Here for Matzo Ball Recipe
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Click Here For More St Paddy’s Day Recipes
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Matzoball & Corned Beef Soup

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: follow link for Matzo Ball Recipe

: cut corned beef into cubes

: place corned beef and finely sliced chives in serving dish

: matzoballs, starting to simmer

: same matzoballs, 30 minutes later

: add matzoball to beef

: add stock to matzo ball and meat

: Matzoball & Corned Beef Soup

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Greek Salad (Limburger Salad)

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” ~~Greek~~ Limburger Salad “
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When I decided to have a Greek salad for dinner I had to go to the store first to get the necessary ingredients. To my tremendous surprise and delight, I discovered a type of cheese in the dairy section which I had not encountered for at least 20 years and which I would never have expected to find here in Miami – Limburger Cheese. This was the favorite cheese of my dad when I was a kid, and as I got older, the taste (and smell) eventually grew on me and Limburger became one of my favorite cheeses as well 🙂
So of course, never mind the feta cheese, Limburger it had to be ! It pairs great with the fresh vegetables and vinaigrette of the original Greek salad and, for my palette at least, it is the perfect substitute for the feta cheese in the original Greek salad.
As usual, use any cheese which suits your taste and budget best.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Limburger Salad and Jalapapeno / Cheddar Bread

Limburger Salad and Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: what cheese-dreams are made of……

: Limburger

: dice onions, cucumbers and peppers, add tomatoes, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh chives, fresh oregano and fresh basil

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

: Limburger Salad And Jalapeno / Cheddar Bread

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Éirinn go Brách – Cál ceannann (Colcannon)………

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Colcannon, Corned Beef & Horseradish Sauce
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Cál ceannann (Colcannon) is, in the form presented here, without a doubt one of the most sumptuous and decadent potato dishes you’ll find in any home or restaurant. Far removed from its humble beginnings, this version is loaded with butter, cream, leeks and scallions, seasoned with sea salt and nutmeg and served with corned beef in horseradish cream. This combination far elevates the corned beef above its more common pairing with simple cabbage and onions.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to Horseradish Sauce Recipe
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Link to Corned Beef Recipe
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Colcannon, Corned Beef & Horseradish Sauce

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: getting started with the colcannon…..

: dice leeks into fine brunoise, thinly slice scallions

: simmer leeks in cream until soft

: peel and slice potatoes, simmer in salted water until soft

: drain potatoes

: add a stick of butter, cayenne pepper, grated nutmeg

: add cream with leeks

: add scallions

: blend all into smooth puree

: to serve, place a portion of potatoes on plate next to sliced corned beef, make an indention, place a generous knob of butter in indention

: ladle horseradish sauce over corned beef

: Colcannon, Corned Beef & Horseradish Sauce

: Colcannon, Corned Beef & Horseradish Sauce

: Colcannon, Corned Beef & Horseradish Sauce

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Braised Turkey Leg With Bell Peppers And Great Northern Beans

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Week Three – Monday Dinner – “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” meal plan
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While most folks think Turkey is only appropriate as a thanksgiving meal, I enjoy turkey all year-long. Braised turkey legs, turkey giblet adobo, grilled turkey hearts and turkey neck soup are some of my favorite dishes, while the whole turkey serves mostly as a showpiece for family celebration on thanksgiving.
Turkey legs are a lean cut, so they fit perfectly into my meal plan at “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food” meal plan.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Braised Turkey With Bell Peppers And Great Northern Beans

Aaahhhhhh

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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 turkey leg with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute in olive oil on both sides until golden

: add diced onions, sliced chilies and peppers

: saute veggies until fragrant

: add fresh chopped thyme ,oregano, garlic paste and diced tomatoes, saute another minute, cover vegetables with chicken stock

: simmer covered until turkey legs are done, about 20 minutes

: almost there…….

: remove legs, set aside

: add canned, drained northern beans, simmer another 2 minutes, check / adjust seasoning, return turkey to heat through

: plate vegetables in deep plate

: top with turkey leg, sprinkle with chopped italian parsley

: Braised Turkey With Bell Peppers And Great Northern Beans

: Braised Turkey With Peppers And Great Northern Beans

: Aaahhhhhh

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Freeze Your Bananas !!!

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Link to “ Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food ”
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One of my favorite fruits are bananas. So, me being me, every time I buy a bunch, without fail I buy too many. In the past, I discarded them once they had too many brown spots – until I started to become a fan of smoothies.
At first, I made my smoothies like I’ve seen them being made in bars around the world: Some fruit, lots of ice, milk, lots of sugar. Wonderful concoction if you are young, healthy, slim and have a smoothie once in a while. However, if you drink a lot of the stuff you will soon realize that after standing at room temperature for a short time, all that ice will melt and you have a very watered-down mess in your glass. Also, all that sugar and full-fat milk is fattening and can be harmful if you are a bit overweight (HELLO) and a diabetic (HELLO AGAIN).
In order to remedy all that , here is my recipe for a guilt free, delicious sweet treat / great drink, which can be had any time of day, for breakfast, lunch or dinner or as a sweet treat / dessert in between or after meals:

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Freeze any fruit that is on the verge of becoming overripe in airtight ziplock bags. This will save you money and it eliminates the need to add ice to your smoothie, keeping it from watering down.
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Instead of full-fat milk, use fat-free milk.
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Instead of sugar or artificial sweetener, use natural honey or fruit nectar (frozen into cubes) as sweetener.
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For extra body, add fat free Greek yogurt.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Guilt Free Sweet Pleasure: Banana / Strawberry Smoothie

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

: place in ziplock bag, freeze

: to prepare smoothie, place greek yogurt into blender

: add fruit of your choice

: add more frozen fruit of your choice

: add fat free milk

: add honey or fruit nectar

: blend all until smooth

: serve in chilled glass

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Corned Beef – Getting Ready For St Patrick’s Day

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Here is the deal – you can of course buy corned beef ready-made :-(, – or you can make your own, which in most cases will leave you not only with a far superior product, but also with unbeatable bragging rights 🙂
Usually, you want to brine your brisket for about 10 days (depending on the size), but if you add the beef to a boiling brine, bring it back to a simmer for a few minutes, then cool it down in the brine, your beef should be ready after 4 – 6 day’s, again depending on the size of the brisket. (Cut it into smaller pieces if you are pressed on time, the brine will penetrate faster)
So, two weeks ago I bought 8 lbs of the finest brisket I could find – grass-fed, organic – no added hormones nor added antibiotics. At about $ 10.00 a lb, this was a sizable investment, but judging after the first test, well worth the Mula. Bella agreed, as you can see in the pic below 🙂 Then there was the waiting time for ten days until yesterday, when I cooked the meat for about 2,5 hours, (one more time – cooking time depends on the size of the brisket) and then, finally, corned beef wonderland !
Bella and I had some of it yesterday, the rest will be had for a variety of dishes for the next few days leading up to St Paddy’s day.
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Bon Appetit ! Life Is Good !

Click here for Corned Beef Brine

Please note that I omitted the Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) in the brine of the corned beef. Saltpeter will turn the meat into the bright- red colored corned beef we are normally used to. However, I am trying to stay away from the stuff since my doctor has given me the news that all the medicine I am forced to take has messed up my kidney’s, most notably Metformin. Saltpeter is therefore not an ingredient I should use in my food. On top of that, if you want to use the stock from cooking the corned beef for a soup, you sure don’t want that soup to be laced with saltpeter ! After the corned beef is cooked, you want to strain the stock and reserve for further use for soup and/ or sauce. I will make a Velouté with some of the stock to make a horseradish sauce for my “Corned Beef With Horseradish Sauce And Colcannon“. (Upcoming post).

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