hans sussers food

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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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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to serve, sprinkle with powdered chocolate and sugar, top with raspberry yogurt and more fresh raspberries

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Raspberry Pancake

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Raspberry Pancake

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Raspberry Pancake

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Comfort food at it’s easiest, it’s quickest and it’s best. Once the spinach has been blanched (I always keep some in the freezer for occasions like this), the whole shamukus does not take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, ideal for a lazy day-off lunch while watching a good movie ( Captain Phillips )

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Click here for Creamed Spinach recipe

Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Preparation :
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season chicken and shiitake with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carryover heat will cook chickento a perfect 165F

season boneless chicken tights and shiitake mushroom with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carry-over heat will cook chicken to a perfect 165F

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place creamed spinach on a serving dish

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top spinach with chicken and shiitake, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with sliced scallion

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Gravlax Dinner

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Tonight I finally got to eat the gravlax I prepared last week. What a great tasting piece of fish. Of course, what makes it perfect is the accompanying dill/mustard sauce, without which a gravlax is not complete. Many restaurants nowadays serve gravlax with all kind of fancy sauces and condiments, which might seem right if you never been to Scandinavia and had the real deal. But please believe me, making the dill / mustard sauce will take you less then five minutes and only “it” will make the dish perfect.
The ingredients for dill / mustard sauce are few and in everybody’s cup board:
Good quality mustard, white wine vinegar, kosher salt, neutral tasting oil (I used grape seed oil), sugar, fresh dill leaves only, pepper(optional), I used cayenne pepper and replaced the sugar with weisswurst senf (sweet, brown, Bavarian mustard)

Smaklig måltid! Livet är bra !
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Click here for Gravlax recipe
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Gravlax, Sour Dough Bread, Dill / Mustard Sauce

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Gravlax, Sour Dough Bread, Dill / Mustard Sauce

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Preparation :
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dijon mustard, sweet mustard, dill leaves

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mix mustards, dill, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

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slowly drizzle grapeseed oil into mustard and dill mixture until a emulsion has formed, check / adjust taste

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dill / mustard sauce

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toast bread until golden

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toasted sour dough bread

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smear bread with garlic / herb butter

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top with thinly sliced gravlax, serve with dill/ mustard sauce, lemon slices and chilled white wine

top with thinly sliced gravlax, serve with dill/ mustard sauce, lemon wedges and chilled white wine

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Gravlax, Sour Dough Bread, Dill / Mustard Sauce

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Gravlax, Sour Dough Bread, Dill / Mustard Sauce

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Gravlax, Sour Dough Bread, Dill / Mustard Sauce

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Pig’s Tail Souse

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How many folks have actually tried pig’s tails? Not many in this part of the world I assume. In my opinion, pigs tails are one of the best parts of the pig, but sadly underutilized in the “civilized world”, were we tend to discard secondary cuts or feed them to the animals (lucky dogs 🙂 ).
Thankfully, lately some of these special cuts have found new fans and pigs tails are now widely available again at your favorite butcher and even in supermarkets.
Buy them fresh, smoked or salted (dry or in brine) for a variety of wonderful dishes. For the following dish I used pigs tails in brine.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pig’s Tail Souse

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Preparation :
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remove tails from brine, rinse under running water for 15 minutes, cover with cold water, season with cider vinegar, garlic paste and hot sauce, simmer until tender but not falling apart, about two hours

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cooked, tender pigs tails

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for the dresing, slice onions, cucumbers and radishes into fine julienne, add kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, cider vinegarand a few drops of olive oil

for the dressing, slice onions, cucumbers and radishes into fine julienne, add finely sliced chives, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, cider vinegar and a few drops of olive oil

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pour over tails, let stand at room temperature for about one hour, serve with rustic bread

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Pig’s Tail Souse

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Pig’s Tail Souse

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Pig’s Tail Souse

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this weeks herb bush : Chives

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Links to more pig’s tails on ChefsOpinion:

PIG’S TAIL AND POTATO CURRY, NAAN AND CUCUMBER RAITA

CONGEE WITH SMOKED PIG’S TAILS & VEGETABLES

SMOKED PIG’S TAIL, BOW TIES & VEGETABLE STEW

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Smoked Pork Shank

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I cooked this beauty yesterday for two hours, then let it cool in the stock overnight.
Served today for lunch with german potato salad, horseradish, dijon, pickled tomatoes and rustic Italian garlic bread.
Simple, but oh so good 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for German Potato Salad recipe
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Smoked Pork Shank, German Potato Salad, Pickled Tomatoes, Grilled Italian Garlic Bread, Dijon Mustard, Fresh Horseradish

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Preparation :
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simmer pork shank in salted water with lots of chopped raw garlic, onion and plenty of hot sauce, after two hours, remove from heat and let cool in stock

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grill italian garlic bread

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pickle tomatoes by pricking with toothpick all over, marinade overnight in balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper and kosher salt

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Smoked Pork Shank, German Potato Salad, Pickled Tomatoes, Grilled Italian Garlic Bread, Dijon Mustard, Fresh Horseradish

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Smoked Pork Shank, German Potato Salad, Pickled Tomatoes, Grilled Italian Garlic Bread, Dijon Mustard, Fresh Horseradish

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Smoked Pork Shank

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Kare Kare

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So, everybody and their mother have the one, the only, the very best Kare Kare recipe. Of course, having lived in the Philippines for almost five years, I have my very own “best” recipe.
As for the protein, the most common is ox tail, but of course you can substitute it with any protein you like, even omit it completely and make a vegetarian version. The most important part of Kare Kare is the peanut sauce, of which a million of fine variations exist 🙂 (and maybe some not so fine)
Here now is my humble version of this wonderful dish:

Saute beef neck bones, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, in peanut oil until browned. Remove bones, reserve. Saute chopped carrots, onions and celery until caramelized, return neck bones to the pot, cover with water. Add lots of garlic paste, a handful of rice, a good amount of turmeric, a few annatto seeds, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender. Add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened. Add Patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning. While the meat simmers, blanch zucchini batons, eggplant batons, whole chilies and baby bok choy, shock in ice water, drain. When the stew is done, add the vegetables to it and simmer until vegetables have heated through. Serve with white rice.

Mabuting Gana ! Buhay Ay Mabuti !
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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Preparation :
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saute beef neck bones, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, in peanut oil until browned

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remove bones, reserve

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saute chopped carrots, onions and celery until caramelized

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return neck bones to the pot

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cover with water

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add lots of garlic paste, a handful of rice, a good amount of turmeric, a few anatto seeds, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer

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ook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender, add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened, add patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning

cook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender, add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened, add patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning

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while the meat simmers, blanch zucchini batons, eggplant batons, whole chilies and baby bok choy, schock in ice water, drain. When the stew is done, add the vegetables to it and simmer until vegetables have heated through. Serve with white rice

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this weeks herb bush :
Opal Basil

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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EASY DOES IT # 15 – Gravlax

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There are a few compelling reasons to make your own gravelax instead of buying it at a store or online:

– Price – Fresh salmon $ 15.00 per pound versus store bought gravlax at $ 40.00
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– Ease of preparation – actual preptime about 10 minutes, curing between 3 and 5 day’s
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– Total control of texture and taste of finished product
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– The joy of adding another stunner to your cooking repertoire
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My standard dry-marinade recipe is as follows :
3/5th of kosher salt, 2/5th of sugar, fresh chopped dill including stems, white pepper, lemon peel, crushed mustard seeds and dark rum.

In the variation below, I have changed the dry-marinade recipe a bit as follows:
3/5th of kosher salt, 2/5th of sugar, freeze dried dill leaves, raw garlic paste, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, vodka.
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Mix the marinade ingredients, place half of it in a chemical reaction-free container. Top with salmon filet. Add remaining dry marinade to top of salmon. Cover airtight, place in refrigerator. Flip salmon every twelve hours. After twenty four hours, dry-marinade will have transformed into a thick brine. The salmon will be cured after two to three day’s, depending on the thickness and salt to sugar ratio in your marinade. I usually keep my salmon in the brine another one to two days, again depending on the marinade and thickness of the filet. The extra time will give me a slightly dryer and more opaque product which I prefer. This one took four day’s to be exactly the way I like it.
To serve, remove salmon and wash under running water to clean off excess brine. Slice into thin slices, accompany with dill/mustard sauce and rustic bread of your choice.
(To think, first time I prepared Gravlax was in the summer of 1973 at the Hotel Kattegat, Torekov, Sweden. Good times 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Note:
Start out the first time by following my standard recipe, the next few times experiment with the marinade and curing time until you find your own sweet spot.
Variations can be, but are not limited to, different salt/sugar ratios, different herbs, different seasonings, different liquors, different curing length’s.
Enjoy your gravlax journey !
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mise en place

Gravlax

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Preparation :
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mise en place

sprinkle top of salmon with plenty of dill leaves, mix dry-marinade ingredients

sprinkle top of salmon with plenty of dill leaves, drizzle with vodka,, mix dry-marinade ingredients

add half of the marinade to chemical-reaction-free vessel

add salmon filet, top with remaining dry-marinade, cover airtight, store in fridge for 3 – 5 days

flip salmon every twelve hours, cover again, back into fridge

4 day’s later – done, rinse under cold running water, carefull not to rinse of the dill

Gravlax

the beauty and the beast

Gravlax

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Iced Tomato Soup With Vodka And Tropical Fruit

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The day before yesterday I started to make a tomato bisque for dinner but had to abandon the plan when unanounced visitors arrived. So I put the tomato stock overnight in the fridge to finish the bisque yesterday after work. However, it was a rough day at work and whenI came home I wanted to spend some time outside on the terrace. Yesterday was a fairly hot day, so a hot tomato soup did not sound like the best of dinner ideas. Instead, I prepared for myself this delicious, refreshing cold soup which hit the culinary nail right on the head 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Preparation :
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simmer water, red wine, garlic paste, kosher salt, sugar, cayenne pepper for two hours, cool overnight

simmer very ripe tomatoes, water, red wine, garlic paste, kosher salt, sugar, cayenne pepper for two hours, cool overnight

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mix in blender until texture is very smooth

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add vodka, check / adjust seasoning

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add fresh pineapple, honey dew melon and passion fruit seeds to serving bowl

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ladle iced tomato soup on top of fruit, sprinkle more fruit, garnish with opal basil

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Iced Tomato Soup With Vodka And Tropical Fruit

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Iced Tomato Soup With Vodka And Tropical Fruit

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Iced Tomato Soup With Vodka And Tropical Fruit

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Since breakfast was substantial and relatively late, lunch was late as well and will have to do for both lunch and dinner. Well, maybe there is a midnight snack on the horizon, we’ll see 🙂
The red jalapeno peppers I used here were exceptionally fruity and only mildly hot, so they were perfect for my taste and heat tolerance. Please adjust the amount and heat level to your own taste or eliminate the chilies altogether and replace with mushrooms, water chestnuts, bell peppers, green peas, carrots or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Click here for FAN (chinese steamed rice ) recipe