heavy cream

Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Today, I like to share a dish with you that I have prepared in its basic version hundreds of times over the years. It is a “a la minute” dish, so it requires no prolonged cooking and can be prepared on short notice (a la minute) and in just a few minutes of prepping and cooking.
The ingredients for the sauce are always the same – clarified butter, curry powder, turmeric powder, cumin, garlic paste, grated ginger, kosher salt, chicken, beef or vegetable stock, and heavy cream.
On the other hand, besides the sauce, anything goes. You can replace the potatoes, chick peas and shrimp with anything your heart desires and your belly craves – any poultry, any seafood, beef, veggies-only to make the dish vegetarian, even potatoes and tomatoes only (one of my favorites), and so forth…..
The sauce is what makes this dish so delicious and unique and I usually make more than the dish actually needs, so I can use the leftover sauce to flavor some rice or pasta, usually for a simple breakfast or a tasty midnight snack 🙂
The ratio of the ingredients for the sauce is also flexible and depends on the main ingredient you use.
While the basic sauce for two portions requires 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 pinch of cumin, 1 tblsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger and kosher salt to taste, I like to use more curry powder for beef and chicken dishes, more cumin for lamb, more liquid for starchy dishes, less liquid for vegetable variations, etc.
As usual, please let the recipe I give you here serve as a guideline, which you can/should adjust according to your own preferences 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for my opinion on “Authentic Recipes” on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for “Easy Does It Curry Sauce ” on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: blanch, peel and slice 1 lb of small potatoes, pat dry, fry in 2 cup 375F peanut oil until lightly browned

: remove from oil with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season 1 1/2 lbs 21/32 shrimp with 1 tblsp lime juice, 1 tblsp corn starch and kosher salt to taste

: fry in 375F peanut oil for 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season the chickpeas with a pinch of curry powder, a pinch of cumin and kosher salt to taste

: saute in the remaining 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: slice 1 ea large jalapeno into thin slices, dust lightly with corn starch, saute in 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve, discard the peanut oil

: add 1 ea tblsp clarified butter to the pan, saute all spices and aromatics until fragrant (see the ingredients on this page)

: add the stock and heavy cream (see the ingredients on this page), simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat, check/adjust the seasoning, add all the previously sauteed ingredients except the jalapenos, mix well,

: place the curry on a deep serving bowl, top with the fried jalapenos, basil leaves, sliced chives and pickled chilies (optional); serves 4

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

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Tomorrow is the 4th of July, “Independence Day”, Americas most celebrated public holiday.
And what better way than to rub it into the 200+year-old wound of the British than to celebrate this glorious occasion with this most typical of British desserts, the English Trifle 🙂
Well, just kidding. We are of course thankful that the Brit’s left us with this superbly wonderful dessert
(But mostly with the fact that they left us) 🙂 .
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Excerpt from “The Spruce”:
>>An English Trifle is the quintessential pudding that has graced British tables for more than four centuries.
The blousey looking, decadent, rich dessert is simply luscious. There are so many variations in the traditional recipe; some will boast jelly in their trifle, some not; fruit is a must-have for some, for others, no way. This is my recipe and one I have been making for many years. Essentially a trifle needs a sponge soaked (if for adults) in sherry, a thick layer of creamy custard and a deep layer of lightly whipped fresh cream. The rest is all about personal preference. My favorite trifle recipe is made with jelly as it is even more appealing to children though if so, do leave out the sherry. If you prefer a trifle without jelly, simply omit and proceed without, this will be quicker to make as it will not require setting in the fridge. You choose, they are all delicious.<<
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Vanilla pudding recipe:
1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, pinch of salt, 2 cups milk, 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten, 2 tablespoons softened butter, a dash of vanilla extract.
1) – In a 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Simmer and stir 1 minute.
2) – Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Simmer and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla.
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P.S.
You can easily control the texture of your trifle by adding more or less cake, more or less fruit or jello, more or less whipped cream, more or less pudding and by soaking the cake with more or less liquid (booze for the grown-up’s, juice or honey for the kids)
(I personally prefer a lighter texture – more pudding, more cream, more fruits, easy on the cake).
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P.P.S.
I would usually use a bright red jam for a trifle, but when I started to prepare this one, I realized that I forgot to buy the jam. After an agonizing 2 seconds of mental deliberation, I decided to save myself a 5 mile trip to the store and instead use the apricot preserve I had in the larder. Less color, same great flavor.
And there you have it 🙂
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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !!!
(Great Britain rejoice, you still have Gibraltar) 🙂
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Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: prepare vanilla pudding according to the recipe on this page, chill overnight

: whisk heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks, chill

: carefully wash and pad try fruits of your choice

: slice pound cake to the thickness you prefer

: spread pound cake slices wiyh jam or marmalade of your choice

: drizzle pound cake with the liquid of your choice (for this one I used white chocolate Liqueur)

: spread first layer of pound cake on bottom of your bowl

: top pound cake with fruit

: top fruit with first layer of pudding

: spread pudding evenly

: top pudding with first layer of whipped cream, spread evenly

: top whipped cream with first layer of blueberries; repeat all layers once or twice, as you prefer

: top the last layer with whipped cream and fruit, dust with castor sugar; to serve, sprinkle with chocolate dots (optional)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

: Fourth Of July – Celebrating The First Brexit Of 1776 (English Trifle)

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Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Gnocchi with corn, peas, ham, mushrooms, cream and Camoscio d’Oro.
(Camoscio d’Oro is an Italian cheese similar to camembert or brie, sometimes available in Italian markets around here ).
So, can you guess where I ate this dish the first time? Yep, at Via Candia 17, Torino, Italy.
I was about 20 years of age at the time and to this day, when I close my eyes, I can see the dish and the people I shared it with in front of me as if it was just a little while ago.
Happy memories, may they never fade…….. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Gnocchi Recipe
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More Gnocchi on ChefsOpinion
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Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute mushrooms in olive oil until golden

: add whole butter, diced ham and diced onions, saute until onions are translucent

: add garlic paste, heavy cream, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer until lightly thickened

: add green peas and kernel corn, check / adjust seasoning

: add freshly cooked gnocchi

: add diced Camoscio d’Oro (substitute with brie if not available), stir carefully until cheese has melted; to plate, sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

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(Beef Tenderloin, Three Cheeses And Whole Grain Pasta Casserole With Pesto)
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When you want something a bit more exciting than this :

OK, but………..

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Adding a few more ingredients and a lot more love will give you a much more satisfying culinary experience 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Pesto Recipe
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Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: swiss and pepper jack (plus parmesan – not in the pic)

: diced beef tenderloin – head and tips

: season with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper, sear in VERY hot pan until outside is browned but meat still rare

: mix whole-grain penne, beef, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, carrot julienne, sliced scallions, ketchup, sliced chilies, GARLIC PASTE, heavy cream, shredded pepper jack, grated parmesan and diced swiss

: place into an ovenproof dish (cast iron pan works fine for me)

: sprinkle generously with grated parmesan, top with butterflakes, bake until top is golden and crisp, serve with pesto

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

: Mac & Cheese – Boss Level

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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe (Ahlbeck-Style Seafood Soup)

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Back when my wife Maria and I were owners of Restaurant Gildenkeller in Neubrandenburg, (in the former East Germany), one of our short weekend trips took us to the island of Usedom, which is about an hours drive by car from Neubrandenburg, where our restaurant was located.
I remember the quaint little Inn’s and the few stately, but outdated and mostly dilapidated grand hotels of better times past (before the communists took over). However, there were also a number of small, new restaurants, run with much enthusiasm and love by their newly capitalist owners, which excelled in their standards of food and service. In one such gem in the town of Ahlbeck (I forgot the name of the restaurant but not the food we ate) Maria and I had a most wonderful lunch, consisting of an delightful appetizer of “Matjes Herring” with “Pumpernickel“, a superb main course of “Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe” and a great dessert of “Rote Grütze“.
Today I prepared the soup as I remembered it from so many years ago and it did not disappoint 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Check the bottom of this page for “Bella’s Salmon Stew” 🙂
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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: fresh salmon, fresh cod fillet, shrimp, chopped smoked salmon, squid (replace with mussels for more authenticity)

: simmer cut fish in water seasoned with salt, white pepper and lemon juice

: when fish is almost done, add squid (or mussels) and shrimp, remove from heat, let steep another minute

: drain seafood, save the stock

: saute onions, anchovy paste and garlic paste

: add smoked salmon, saute another minute

: add a bit of a/p flour, saute another minute

: add clam juice (there is not enough flavor from the small amount of seafood in the stock)

: add the stock, simmer for 15 minutes

: add heavy cream, check / adjust seasoning

: plate the warm seafood, sprinkle with chopped parsley or dill

: ladle the hot soup over the seafood

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

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Bellas Fish Stew
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: for your four-legged friend (dog or cat), simmer the salmon trimmings in a bit of water

: Bellas Salmon Stew 🙂

: spoil her to smithereens, 🙂

: Happy Bella 🙂

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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Soup……….
(Excerpt from “FoodTimeline”)
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Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking. The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling, easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures, rich and poor, healthy people and invalids. Soup (and stews, pottages, porridges, gruels, etc.) evolved according to local ingredients and tastes. New England chowder, Spanish gazpacho, Russian borscht, Italian minestrone, French onion, Chinese won ton and Campbell’s tomato…are all variations on the same theme.
Soups were easily digested and were prescribed for invalids since ancient times. The modern restaurant industry is said to be based on soup. Restoratifs (wheron the word “restaurant” comes) were the first items served in public restaurants in 18th century Paris. Broth [Pot-au-feu], bouillion, and consomme entered here. Classic French cuisine generated many of the soups we……read more about Soup here
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Many years ago when Maria and I visited one of my friends in Germany, Carlo (better known in Germany’s food community as “Kräuter-Carlo” aus Trebenow), served us this great soup which has stayed in my repertoire for home cooked comfort food ever since. It is so tasty and the texture so pleasant that every time I prepare a large pot full in order to be able to re-heat it in batches in the next few days, I usually end up finishing most of the whole pot right then and there :-).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

Carlo’s Pork & Leek 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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: saute onions and garlic paste in butter

: add ground veal, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute until all meat is crumbled

: add finely sliced leek

: saute another minute

: add a small amount of a/p flour

: add chicken/or vegetable stock, simmer for twenty minutes, add small pre-cooked potatoes, simmer another ten minutes

: add heavy cream and grated nutmeg, check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with grated asiago cheese and Italian parsley

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Casarecce Gorgonzola

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I was going to make a quick salami and gorgonzola sandwich, when I realized that I felt I had to treat myself to a better lunch than a simple sandwich, so I checked the larder for a few available goodies and the following is what I came up with. By the time the pasta was cooked al dente, I had all the other ingredients prepped and it took only about another five minutes to complete the dish. While I love a good sandwich, this dish was a far more rewarding lunch and it took only slightly more time to prepare.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Casarecce Gorgonzola

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute onions, salame, chillies and garlic paste in olive oil

: add gorgonzola cheese

: add heavy cream, simmer until gorgonzola is melted

: add quartered artichoke hearts

: add freshly ground black pepper and scallions

: add casarecce pasta

: mix until pasta is well coated with gorgonzola sauce, if sauce is too thick, add a bit of the cooking liquid from the pasta, check / adjust seasoning

: Casarecce Gorgonzola

: Casarecce Gorgonzola

: Casarecce Gorgonzola

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Guilt Free Banana Icecream

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Image by pkgbranding

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Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream

Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream With Sugar-Free Whipped Cream And Sugar-Free Strawberry Coulis

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Since I have started to live a healthier life style, my one problem is how to satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling guilty. The solution to my dilemma are sweets without refined or artificial sugar/sweetener, which are increasingly hard to find. So I took to thinking about new recipes which will make me happy with their natural sweetness and are not too offensive to my diabetic restrictions. The following one is definitely a keeper ! 🙂
An added bonus to this recipe is that you don’t need an ice cream machine for its preparation. I used to have one, but I threw it away after a while because the churning cylinder took up too much space in the freezer department of my fridge.
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P.S. :
This Ice cream is ready for consumption after about 4.5 hours in the freezer. If you freeze it longer or overnight, you might want to put it from the freezer into the cooler for 15 -20 minutes to facilitate easier spooning (That’s spooning of the ice cream kind, not the other one – although….. 🙂 )
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P.P.S. :
If I would still drink alcohol, I would have added a shot of brandy or dark rum to this baby 🙂
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: chop 4 large bananas

: blend 1 large banana with 1 cup organic peach nectar (or any other organic fruit nectar), 1 cup cream cheese, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 cup heavy cream, a dash of organic vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon organic honey

: mix with chopped bananas

: freeze in a shallow container, stir with a fork every 1,5 hours

: after 4,5 hours – ready to serve

: Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream

: Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream

: Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream With Sugar-Free Whipped Cream And Sugar-Free Strawberry Coulis

: Guilt Free Banana Ice Cream With Sugar-Free Whipped Cream And Sugar-Free Strawberry Coulis

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Mondongo

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Even if you never had mondongo (tripes, kutteln) before, this variation should help you overcome your resentment easily because it is eye-appealing, tastes mild and best of all, it smells great, which you can’t say of some recipes utilizing tripe. The secret here is to blanch the tripe 3 times in salted, vinegared water, so that the typical smell of tripe has disappeared and you have an odorless piece of offal which should please you with its great taste and unique texture 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to more Mondongo Recipes
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All about Tripe
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Mondongo

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Preparation :
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: blanch tripe in salted, vinegared water

: rinse, cut into strips

: blanche 2 more times, drain, rinse

: saute onions, garlic paste and bay leaves in olive oil

: add chicken stock, simmer for 10 minutes

: add heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and tripe, simmer for 10 minutes

: add cooked potatoes, corn, chick peas, chives and white beans, simmer another 5 minutes

: add grape tomatoes, check / adjust seasoning

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

: Mondongo

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Red Beet Delight

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Link to : “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food”
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Like most kid’s, when I was little I used to hate vegetables. One of my favorites in the hate department were red beets. Mom used to make a salad with them, so that salad combined the TWO most hated food stuffs – beets and onions :-(.
My Mom used to bribe me sometimes (When my dad didn’t catch it) with 10 pfennig, or about a nickel, to eat the onions, which I otherwise sorted out and pushed to the side 🙂
Of course, things have changed, like so many other Issues ( I went from skinny to fat, from handsome to rugged?, from long-haired to bald and from a vegetable hater to a vegetable lover) 🙂
I have prepared red beet soup for many years, but as it is tradition, I usually included a (un)- healthy dose of heavy cream to lighten the color and to smoothen the texture. Not this time. This beauty is pure red beets, liquefied with vegetable stock and enriched with a topping of steamed broccoli and a bit of Greek yogurt.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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