Olive oil

Stew Of Cornish Hen In Merlot With Beans And Vegetables

>
>
Cornish Hen has very tender meat and does not need to be stewed – it can be grilled, roasted , poached or sautéed.
However, once in a while I like to braise (stew) one because of the delicious sauce this cooking method will produce. So then, this is what I had for lunch today, accompanied by a tall glass of iced tea. (No more booze for me, at least for the moment 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>

Stew Of Cornish Hen In Merlot With Beans And Vegetables

>
>
Preparation :
>
>

season 8-cut chicken with salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic in olive oil until golden brown

add onions, saute until translucent

add chorizo, saute until starting to brown

add diced red peppers, garlic paste and scallions, saute one minute

deglaze with merlot, add small blanched potatoes, chopped tomatoes with their juices, cannelini beans and straw mushrooms

simmer until sauce sliightly thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes

simmer until sauce slightly thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes

add grated asiago cheese, check / adjust seasoning

to serve, sprinkle with chopped cilantro

Stew Of Cornish Hen In Merlot With Beans And Vegetables

>
>
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video below. Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>
>

Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

“
“
Octopus is one of my favorite seafood. Unfortunately, fresh octopus is not usually available around here. I sometimes order it online, but for the spur of the moment, I usually fall back to canned octopus. I have tried many different brands over the years and my favorite is the Vigo brand in garlic/olive oil. I usually prepare a salad by mixing it with peppers, herbs, potatoes and vinaigrette. Once in a while I mix it in a mixed seafood stew. However, for the dish at hand it was the perfect taste and texture. I even added the garlic oil from the can since it has a strong taste of the sea. A quick, easy and very affordable seafood recipe. If you are not a fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp, just simmer the shrimp and sauce for less time in order to keep the shrimp succulent and moist.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
”
Click here for more about Octopus
“
“

Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

“

Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

“
“
Preparation :
“
“

saute finely diced onions and garlic paste in olive oil

“

when onions are translucent add tomato paste, saute another minute

“

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with it's canned oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer fr three minutes, check/adjust seasoning

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with its canned oil, finely chopped tomatoes, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

“

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, mix with olive oil

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, add some olive oil

“

plate bucatoni, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

plate bucatini, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

“

Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

“

Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video below. Thank you 🙂
“
“
“
“
“
“
“

Milanesa Mexicana

“
“
Playing with food 🙂
Green, white and red –
very easy to come up with a real Mexican dish using the mexican flag colors.

¡ Buen Provecho ! ¡ Viva México!
“

“
Click here for Guacamole recipe
“
Click here for Salsa Mexicana recipe
“
“

“

“

Milanesa Mexicana

“

Milanesa Mexicana

“
“
Preparation :
“
“

mise en place

“

season veal cutlet with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

season thinly pounded veal cutlet with mustard, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

“

place onto serving platter, drizzle with lime juice, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa mexicana, sprinkle with chives or cilantro (however, there is already plenty cilantro in the guacamole)

“

Milanesa Mexicana

“

Milanesa Mexicana

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
“
“
“
“
“
“
“

EASY DOES IT # 16 – Two Quick, Simple Salad’s

“
“
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 🙂

“
“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 🙂
“
“
“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 🙂
“
“
Happy Cooking and Bon Appetit !
“

Click here for more “Easy Does It”

“
“

Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

“

Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

“

Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

“

Shrimp, Pasta And Egg Salad

“
“
“

Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

“

Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

“

Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

“

Farfalle Salad With Salame, Pepperjack And Cornichons

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
“
“
“
“
“
“
‘

Pig’s Tail Souse

:
:
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 !
:
:

Pig’s Tail Souse

:
:
Preparation :
:
:

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

“

cooked, tender pigs tails

“

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

“

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

“

Pig’s Tail Souse

“

Pig’s Tail Souse

“

Pig’s Tail Souse

“

this weeks herb bush : Chives

“
“

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

“
“
“
“
“
“

EASY DOES IT # 14 – Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

:
“
Click here for all previous EASY DOES IT recipes

Click here for previous Fondue Au Fromage Sec recipe
“
“
This is a dish you want to share with your best buddy or closest family on that special, informal occasion. That time when you just want to have a few drinks and eat good, without spending too much time in the kitchen (- or non at all – you can prepare this the day before without baking it, keep it in the fridge and then just jugg it in the oven 15 minutes before you are ready to eat).
Goes great with cold beer, cold white wine or slightly chilled red wine.
P.S.
Although there is a knife and cutting board in the picture below, the whole thing is even more agreeable if you just grab a piece and rip it from the loaf 🙂
“
“
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“

“
“

“

Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

“
“
Preparation :
“
“

mise en place: Sour dough loaf, sun dried tomato, sliced chives, sliced asiago cheese, crumled gorgonzola, mustard, sriracha, olive oil

mise en place: Sour dough loaf, sun dried tomato, sliced chives, sliced asiago cheese, mascarpone, crumbled gorgonzola, grey poupon mustard, sriracha, olive oil

“

score bread in a criss-cross pattern about half way down, in a bowl, mix all remaining ingredients, then stuff them into the breads cavities.

score bread in a criss-cross pattern about half way down, drizzle a good amount of mascarpone over bread and into the cuts, in a bowl, mix all remaining ingredients, then stuff them into the bread’s cavities.

“

bake at 375 F until cheese has melthed and center of bread is at 165 F

bake at 375 F until cheese has melted and center of bread is at 165 F

“

EASY DOES IT # 14 – Fondue Au Fromage Sec, #2

“

Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂

“
“
“
“
“

Pork Blade Steak

“
“
If you are on a budget but still like to have more than a tiny steak for dinner, you might want to try this cut. While not overly popular, probably because folks don’ know how to prepare it, it is a great piece of meat, tender, juicy and very economic (meaning bloody cheap 🙂 ) The three steaks in the picture were just $ 4.20, so the whole meal was under six buck’s. Even if you are not on a budget, these steaks make for a great, tasty meal. I guess that most people would have had enough with just one steak (which would then be about $ 2.50 per portion, including the salad), but since I did not prepare any starch, the three of them with a small salad were just the right sized portion for me. And of course, Bella had a few bites too.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“

Pork Blade Steak & Arugula In White Balsamic Vinaigrette

“

Pork Blade Steak

”

arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

arugula with radish and onions in white balsamic vinaigrette

“
“
Preparation :
“
“

season sliced onions and sliced radishes with kosher salt, set aside

“

season blade steaks with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper, dredge in flour, saute in peanut oil

“

first one done, two to go…..

“

two done, last one on the way

”

saute grape tomatoes in garlic/olive oil, season with salt and pepper, just before serving add fresh chives

“”

meanwhile, squeeze and discard excess juice from radish and onions, add arugula, white balsamic vinegar, freshly ground white pepper, garlic/olive oil and a splash of maggi seasoning

arrange steaks on serving platter, top with sauteed tomatoes and chives

“

Pork Blade Steak & Arugula

“

Pork Blade Steak

“

Pork Blade Steak

“

arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂

“
“
“
“
“
“

Steak Tartar

‘
“
Ok, folk’s, before you send me tons of anger and disapproval, I admit that this is not your typical, modern Steak Tartar. However, Larousse Gastronomique describes steak tartare as ground beef mixed with raw egg yolk. Wanna argue with Larousse?
Here now is my traditional version of this classic. I can assure you that both texture and taste are exceptional. Why screw with a classic , just to be “modern and innovative”, especially if it obviously does not appeal to most people who actually grew up eating this dish often? I, for example 🙂
If you are lucky enough to have a good butcher in your neighborhood who you can trust with the quality of the meat and the cleanliness and food safety of his shop environment, do as I do: Order a pound of freshly ground, most fat and all sinew’s removed striploin (in front of your eyes if possible, it will make you feel safer). Then proceed within the hour in your kitchen as follows.
In a ice cold bowl, mix the following items, fresh out of the fridge:
Chopped capers, finely diced onions, finely sliced scallions, chopped anchovies, chopped jalapeno, good quality mustard, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, hot sauce of your choice, raw egg yolk, garlic paste, a few drops of good quality oil of your choice. Mix everything well. Remove ground meat from fridge and lightly fold with the seasoning. Serve with bread of your choice and a couple of brewskies (Negra Modelo fits best for me).
“
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“

mise en place

“

seasoning

“

Steak Tartar & Sour Dough Bread

“

Steak Tartar

“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“

Chicken Parmigiana

>
>
“
This post is for David’s mom, who needs a fool proof recipe/instructions for chicken parmigiana.
David, make sure you send us pictures when your mom prepares it 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“
Click here for Tomato Sauce recipe
“
“

Chicken Parmigiana

”

season skinnles chicken breast with salt and pepper, bread with flour, egg and bread crumbs

“

saute in butter until 3/4 cooked through, remove to baking rack

“

sprinkle with grated parmesan, cover with tomato sauce

“

covered in tomato sauce

“

sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with oregano, bake until cheese has melted

“

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

“

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, grated parmesan, some of the cooking water, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

“

sprinkle bucatini with fresh basil

“

bucatini in creamy tomato sauce

“

Chicken Parmigiana

“
“
“
“
“
“
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
“
“
“
“

“
“
“
“

“

Easy Does It # 7 – Mac & Cheese (Mac & Cheese Recipe # 3784)

>
>
Dear Friend’s,
Although most of my followers are culinary professionals, there is also a large segment of followers who are just starting to enjoy cooking on a slightly higher than basic level. I have therefore decided to publish, under the moniker “Easy Does It“, from time to time some very basic recipe variations of dishes which otherwise might seem complicated to some folks. I will break them down to the easiest, most simple instructions, so that those of you who are intimidated by elaborate recipes will be able to prepare these dishes properly, adjusted to your taste and liking, right from the get-go.
Enjoy :-)
>
>
In anticipation of my splendid dinner to come (you’ll see), I decided to have a very simple late lunch. Before I came to the USA I had never seen or eaten mac & cheese and for the first few years I was not interested in it either, always having been served the packaged version and never been able to understand its appeal. However, when I started to make my own, using quality ingredients, good seasoning and pasta cooked al dente, I changed my opinion and became a fan like millions of others :-).
I have used all kind of different cheeses and added many other ingredients, such as mushrooms, vegetables, protein etc.
Here now is what I consider to be a basic version. Just make sure you season properly, don’t overcook the pasta and most of all, use the best quality sharp cheddar you can find.