Olive oil

Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock & Sour Lentils)

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This was the third and final Dish I made from the leftovers of the Roast Pork Ham I prepared on 25th December.
(I’ll post # 1 next week) 🙂
It brought back memories of spit-roasted pork and veal hocks on food , beer and song filled evenings with friends, spend in “gemuetliche” (cozy) rustic restaurants in Swabia and Bavaria 40 years ago when food like this could be had in most of the simple restaurants (Gaststätte, Gasthaus, Gasthof, Wirtshaus) in the South of Germany and in Austria, any day of the week, usually accompanied by potato dumplings or bread dumplings and sauerkraut.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to original dish – ROAST FRESH HAM WITH CARAWAY JUS
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Link to the first leftover dish – RÔTI DE PORC AVEC SAUCE AU CÈPE PORCINI
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Link to the second leftover dish – THE GERMAN DIP
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Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute chopped smoked hamehocks and diced onions in porkfat, add washed lentils and chickenstock, simmer slowly until tender but not falling apart

: season with rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer another 2 minutes, check/adjust the taste

: add fully cooked pork hock to the lentils, brush generously with melted butter, cover and bake in oven until pork is heated on it’s thickest part to 165F

: saute cooked small potatoes in olive oil , add sliced chives, season with kosher salt. To serve, add potatoes to lentils, brush pork with olive oil

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Bella – Iron Will 🙂 Look but don’t touch……

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Pollo En Escabeche (Fried Chicken In Vinegar And White Wine)

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Like so many other “classical / original dishes, there is a million and one ways to prepare “en escabeche”, which in Spanish simply means marinated or pickled.
As usual, I have picked my favorite one to be featured on ChefsOpinion.
Of course you can also do vegetables, seafood, and other proteins “en escabeche”. (For my German-speaking friends, how about “Brathering 🙂
But today we are going to savor one of the goodies which I used to serve many times in our house to my family and friends in times past.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more on Escabeche
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Pollo En Escabeche

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season chicken parts with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, dust in flour and fry until internal temperature reaches 165F

: when chicken is fully cooked, remove to absorbent paper

: meanwhile, mix 1/3 water, 1’3 white vinegar and 1/3 white wine, olive oil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, bay leaves, sliced peppers and onions, bring to a boil, add chicken, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature

: Pollo En Escabeche

: Pollo En Escabeche

: Pollo En Escabeche

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Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Chili-kissed you ask ?
Well, who wouldn’t like to be kissed by something hot and spicy once in a while (or maybe often). Certainly these chicken cutlets, which are transformed from ordinary to divine by the addition of fresh chili and plenty of garlic-confit paste. Tasty couscous with lots of bell peppers and sriracha add more flavor and a good quality olive oil, drizzled over the finished dish, rounds out this light and flavorful dinner, which I enjoyed after an extensive walk around the lake with madam, marveling at all the beautiful Christmas and Holiday decorations.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chile-Kissed Chicken Cutlet With Couscous

Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: bring salted water, butter, garlic paste and sriracha to a simmer

: add diced bell peppers and couscous, stir, cover, remove from heat, set aside, after 10 minutes, fluff with a fork

: meanwhile, season chicken cutlets with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, dredge in half panko breadcrumbs and half corn starch, saute in butter l with chilis

: plate couscous

: top couscous with chicken cutlets and chilis, drizzle with good quality olive oil and a few spritz of fresh lime

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

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Versatile is an understatement when describing this dish.
Tasty, great, satisfying, lecker , delicious and wonderful on the other hand are highly accurate.
Because of the large amount of shrimps added to the potatoes, there is fair amount of stuffing left over. You can shape this into patties (2 ounces for hors d’oeuvres, 4 oz for appetizers, 6 oz for main course) and freeze them between oiled plastic film (airtight) for at least one month, then just saute them in butter until heated through and golden. Or, you could forgo the whole stuffed potato thing and transform all of it into patties :-).
Either way, I am sure whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned veteran, you will love and appreciate this simple yet sophisticated dish.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & CucumberTomato Salad In Lime Vinaigrette

Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

Baked Potato Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

Baked Potato/Shrimp Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures, click on pictures
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: baked idaho potato

: let potato cool, cut off top 1/3

: scrape out potato flesh, mash, not to smooth

: add greek yogurt, cooked shrimp, sriracha, garlic paste, kosher salt, mix

: add lots of sliced chives

: spoon back into potato shells

: spray with melted butter, sprinkle with panko and parmesan

: shape patty with leftover stuffing, spray with melted butter, place with stuffed potato in pan or baking dish

: ready to bake

: mix cucumber and grape tomatoes with chili flakes, kosher salt, olive oil, garlic paste and lime juice

: Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

: Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

: Shrimp-Loaded Twice Baked Potato & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette

: Baked Potato/Shrimp Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

: Baked Potato/Shrimp Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

: Baked Potato/Shrimp Patty & Cucumber/Tomato Salad In Chili/Lime Vinaigrette With Aji Amarillo Sauce

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No Cook Octopus Salad

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Please forgive me for the slight misnomer of this dish, “No-Cook Octopus Salad”.
Of course, the potatoes have been pre-cooked and so has the octopus.
But since I had leftover potatoes from yesterday and the octopus came out of a can (Vigo Brand, which is one of my favorite canned seafood brands), all I had to do today for this quick and tasty dinner is to mix the cubed potatoes and drained octopus with sliced romaine, diced onions and a garlic/lime vinaigrette (lime juice, olive oil, garlic paste,cayenne pepper and kosher salt).
Voilà, minimum time and effort for maximum taste and satisfaction 🙂
With the salad I had a freshly baked warm french bread and a glass of iced peach tea.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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No Cook Octopus Salad

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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures, click on pictures
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: boiled cubed potatoes, sliced romaine

: marinated octopus, diced onions, boiled cubed potatoes, sliced romaine, garlic/lime vinaigrette

: No Cook Octopus Salad

: No Cook Octopus Salad

: No Cook Octopus Salad

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Turkey Season Is Over – Let The Steak Season Begin

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Turkey anybody ? Thank you, me neither 🙂
So now that things are finally back to normal (for a short while anyway, Xmas is looming around the corner, ready to attack), I had this wonderful dinner yesterday. The only sour note was that I had no duck fat in my larder to fry the potatoes, so I had to use olive oil. Same crispness and really good taste, but not as divine as when cooked in duck fat. (Got a tub on my way home from work today) 🙂
So, without further ado, I give you :

“Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites”
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures, click on pictures
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season flank steak with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and granulated garlic, broil on both sides until done to your liking, rest meat for 10 minute before slicing

: add peeled and cut potatoes to COLD oil, heat oil to 375 F

: when potatoes are golden brown, remove to absorbent paper, season with kosher salt

: soak porcini in hot water for 10 minutes, squeeze dry

: saute onions and garlic paste

: add porcini and heavy cream, add kosher salt, soy sauce and cayenne pepper, simmer until sauce thickens

: plate porcini sauce

: top porcini sauce with potatoes

: slice meat

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Broiled Flank Steak , Porcini In Cream And Pommes Frites

: Bella says: Thank you Lord, no turkey today 🙂

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Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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My favorite Asian market carries about 30 different types of fresh mushrooms at all times, not to mention a myriad of dried ones. Today I bought a nice selection of different fresh ones, the whole lot was less than $ 10.00. What a great bargain . The fresh spinach linguine ran about another $ 3.00, plus the cream, butter and seasoning, so the whole lot (which feeds 3 normal people easily) came to about $ 15.00, or $5.00 per person. Not a bad deal I’d say 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach Linguini With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions in garlic oil

add mushrooms according to their cooking time

add white wine and heavy cream, simmer one minute, remove from heat, season with kosher salt and white pepper

cook spinach linguini al dente, drain, toss with olive oil

cook spinach linguine al dente, drain, toss with butter, plate

top pasta with mushroom ragout, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

Spinach Linguine With Mushrooms In White Wine And Cream

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Cherry Tomato And Cheese “Crumble”

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The problem with cherry tomatoes is usually that their flavors do not match up with their pretty appearance. So, in order to have a satisfying cherry tomato dish, one must add a lot of flavor and texture. Here now is a recipe which does that and might just become your next tomato go-to recipe. It is easy, economic, looks great and packs a ton of flavor 🙂 It is equally suited as a side dish with a main course, (served here with a small rib eye steak with my home made buffalo sauce), or as a snack or appetizer, served cold or warm on bread (I used Wasa Light Rye Crisp Bread, which is a permanent ingredient in my cupboard)
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Cherry Tomato “Crumble”

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Preparation :
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saute onions, scallions, garlic paste (lot’s of it) and ham in olive oil (replace the ham with mushrooms for a vegetarian version)

add tomatoes, season liberally with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

add half diced swiss cheese and half diced brie cheese

add 50% diced swiss cheese and 50% diced brie cheese

add diced rustic, dry bread (I used 50% sour dough bread and 50% jalapeno/cheese bread)

mix all ingredients

sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and grated asiago cheese, bake at 390 F for 45 minutes or until top is golden and crispy

sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, grated asiago cheese and scallions, bake at 390 F for 45 minutes or until top is golden and crispy

Cherry Tomato “Crumble”

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa/Tomato Sauce, With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Last month my friend Curtis introduced me to a store which I have been missing all my cooking life. It’s the “Foodtown Supermarket” in Davie, corner sterling/dairy rd extension. Here I can find EVERYTHING my culinary cravings will ever desire as far as Asian and Latino food ingredients are concerned. EVERYTHING !!! 🙂 – Live frogs, live crabs, live shrimps, fresh fish heads, intestines, you get the idea.
(You can check it out online by clicking this link, especially read the comments) 🙂
Although Merguez sausage is neither Asian nor Latino, Foodtown has a great quality one on offer, as well as a small selection of other African/Mediterranean items.
So yesterday after work I stopped by there for a few goodies and amongst other stuff I got merguez sausage, harissa and pearl pasta (Piombi)
So here is what I had for lunch today :

Click here for more on MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Click here for more on LAMB MEAT BALLS

Click here for more on HARISSA
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Preparation :
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cook pearl pasta in salted water, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid in case you need to thinnen the sauce

cut mild chilies, onion and blanched carrots into triangels

cut mild chilies, onion and blanched carrots into triangles

saute carrots and onions in a generous amount of herb / garlic butter and olive oil until starting to caramelize

add chilies and sliced scallions

add pearl pasta, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

add pearl pasta, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

remove merguez sausage from casing, form into small balls, saute in olive oil until medium, add 1/3 of harissa and 2/3 of tomato sauce. If too thick, add some of the pasta liquid, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

plate pasta, leaving a well in the center

add lamb meatballs and harissa / tomato sauce

sprinkle with finely crumbled feta cheese and sliced scallions

Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video below. Thank you 🙂
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Potato And Carrot Cream With Spicy Octopus

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This started out with the plan to make a simple potato cream soup with bacon. Soon I realized that I had no bacon in the house, so I tried to figure out another approach. Checking the cupboard revealed Spanish octopus in virgin olive oil. I also had a bunch of nice, sweet carrots. This might at first seems like an odd combination, but when you think about it – seafood, potatoes and root vegetables – surely a match made in heaven 🙂 The result was even more delicious and balanced as I had expected, so this dish will definitely be a new standby for me, either as a substantial main course or a small appetizer 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Potato And Carrot Cream With Spicy Octopus

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Potato And Carrot Cream With Spicy Octopus

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Preparation :
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saute onions and garlic paste in olive oil

add carrots, saute until starting to caramelize, but just lightly so that the soup does not get too dark

add the potatoes

add white wine and chicken stock, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

simmer until carrots and potatoes are soft

blend until very smooth

add heavy cream

add sriracha and maggi seasoning, check / adjust taste

season drained octopus pieces with kosher with garlic paste, salt and cayenne pepper, saute in olive oil until heated, add finely sliced scallion

season drained octopus pieces with kosher with garlic paste, salt and a good amount of cayenne pepper, saute in olive oil until heated, add finely sliced scallion