onion

” Salmon Parisienne, Bean & Mushroom Ragout “

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When I cooked this dish last knight I realized that I have not seen anything ” a la Parisienne ” on a menu for many years. What a shame that so many classic dishes and methods simply disappear from the repertoire of our younger chef’s. Granted, old fashioned and steeped in tradition might not be practical or popular on a daily basis. But I feel we should not completely stop to learn and enjoy the classics. How long before we all get sick and tired of the one hundred’st version of grilled fish with salsa ? Let’s mix it up a bit ! Mix the classics with the modern, the traditional with the new, the tried and proven with the daring 🙂 I vote for a greater repertoire for our younger food enthusiasts in order to keep the spirit of our culinary profession vibrant and alive !
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Ingredients :

Salmon filet, cleaned, skinless, marinated w.salt. pepper, lime juice
Whole egg, to dip fish
Flour, to dust fish
Butter, to saute fish

Baby portabellas, quartered
White beans, cooked
Red peppers, finely diced
Garlic, paste
Onion, diced
Scallion, sliced
Scallion , whole
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Butter, to saute vegetables

Method :

dredge seasoned fish in flour, coat with whisked egg, saute until
egg is tender and fish is cooked but still juicy. Remove to absorbent paper.

Saute onion and mushroom in butter until onions are translucent and
mushrooms start to brown.
Add Garlic paste, saute another minute. Add peppers, whole and sliced
scallions and seasoning.
To plate, put ragout on plate, top with salmon and garnish with whole scallion.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Breakfast Of Champions # 6 ” Farmers Omelette

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Today I finally found time again to do a proper breakfast,
after a week of peppermint tea and bananas.
During the week I get up at 3.30am and after a usual sleep time
of 3 to 4 hours, my desire to cook a full meal is usually subdued a bit 😦
Not today ! So here we go:
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” Farmers Omelette ”
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Ingredients:

Eggs, whole, whisked, seasoned with salt and cayenne
Grape tomatoes, whole
Asparagus, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Onion, julienned
Garlic, paste
Potatoes, blanched
Chorizo, thinly sliced
Chives, sliced (fresh or freeze dried)
Butter (substitute olive oil if desired)
Parmesan, grated
Salt, to taste
Cayenne Pepper , to taste

Method :

Sautee potatoes in butter (oil) until starting to change color,
add onion and saute until starting to brown.
Add garlic, saute until translucent, add all other vegetables
and seasoning and saute until heated through.
add eggs, cover tightly, lower heat and cook slowly until eggs are set.
to plate, invert onto serving dish, sprinkle generously with chives.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Three Minute “Gourmet” Meal

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I got home today totally exhausted,
deprived of sleep last night and just too bummed out
to be enthusiastic about being in the kitchen and on
my feet any more time then absolutely necessary.
The solution: My favorite three minute gourmet meal 🙂

” Octopus, mussels and romaine salad “
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The key to the success of this dish is to use the best
ingredients available. Please note that while there are a lot of
crappy canned and frozen food‘s out there, there are also some
pretty amazing items available which make it a snap to produce
a wonderful, high quality meal on the fly when, for whatever reason,
time restraints and / or other restrictions prevent you from using the
ideal fresh product.

Ingredient‘s :

Romaine lettuce, sliced
Octopus, canned, drained
Mussels, canned, drained
Grape tomatoes, halved
Radishes, sliced
Onions, sliced
Basil, freeze dried (Litehouse)
Oregano freeze dried (Litehouse)
Fuji apple dressing bottled (Litehouse)
Sangria dressing bottled (Litehouse)
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Granulated garlic to taste

Method :

Mix all ingredients carefully so as not to break up the delicate mussels.
Serve with jalapeno / cheese sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Tomato Bisque

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This is one of those soups where I have to make enough for two day’s,
because one meal of it’s goodness is just not enough to satisfy the quarterly
craving that is nagging me 🙂

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Ingredients :

Tomatoes, 15 lbs
Onions, 1 lb
Celery, 1 lb
Garlic, 8 oz coarsely chopped
Rice, 4 oz uncooked
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
Heavy cream, 2 cup
Chicken stock 1 gall
Oregano, 1 bdl
Basil, 1 bdl
Cayenne, to taste
Salt, to tase

Method :

Add all Ingredients except cream to a large stock pot and simmer for about 2,5 hours.
Blend until VERY smooth. Add cream and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and serve.

Note :
Bisques were originally thickened with rice.
This made the bisque smoother and silkier than using flour or other thickeners.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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” Spaghetti With Beef, Veggies & Brie “

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Today’s lunch combined, amongst other goodies, two of my favorite food items :
Pasta and brie cheese 🙂
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Ingredients :

Spaghetti, cooked al dente, some cooking water reserved
Beef, finely julienned
Bell peppers, finely julienned
Onion, finely julienned
Tomatoes, thin wedges
Garlic, paste
Brie cheese, sliced
Butter, substitute with olive oil if prefered
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste

Method :

Saute beef in very hot fat for a few seconds, remove and reserve.
Saute veggies and garlic until garlic is opaque but still light in color.
Add pasta, half of the brie and a bit of the cooking water, salt and pepper.
Mix well until the cheese is melted.

Plate and garnish with more brie and some herbs.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Curried Pumpkin Soup With Carrots, Yoghurt & Ginger “

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Last week I bought some pumpkin at the grocery store.
I had planned to use it as side dish, but the days passed and the pumpkin just sat there.
So today when I felt like having a soup, curried pumpkin and carrot cream with ginger and chili oil came to mind. I have done this soup a few times in the past for privat dinners at home, and it was always a success with my friends and family.

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“ Curried pumpkin and carrot cream with ginger and chili oil ”

Ingredients:

1 Pumpkin, peeled and deseeded

2 Carrots, diced

3 Banana, peeled and diced

4 Onion, peeled and diced

5 Ginger, grated

6 Garlic, chopped

7 Scotch bonnet hot sauce

8 Greek yoghurt

9 Curry powder

10 Cinnamon stick
11 Butter
12 Chicken or vegetable stock
13 Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Method:

Sautee first 6 ingredients in butter until onions are translucent,
add curry and cinnamon and sauté for one minute.
add stock and simmer until vegetables are soft.
Mix in blender until smooth, add yoghurt and salt and Pepper to taste.

To serve, drizzle with more yoghurt and chili oil.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Cancun Cowboys

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Chorizo Sliders and spicy Slaw
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Tonights dinner were these terrific sliders with caramelized onions and gorgonzola,
with a slaw of cabbage, corn, radish, cilantro and ranch dressing.
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Sliders :
Take chorizo mix and shape into small, thick burgers.
Cook until cooked through but still juicy.
In another pan, saute onions until caramelized.
At the same time, brush buns lightly with olive oil and
toast under broiler until golden.
Arrange pickle, scallion, cheese and chili on top bun.
Put a dollop uf greek yoghurt on bottom bun, top with
chorizo patty and caramelized onion.
To eat, put to top and bottom buns together and enjoy
the heck out of it 🙂
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Slaw :
Season Cabbage and radishes wit salt and lime juice and let stand
for 30 minutes. Squeeze to remove all moisture, add diced avocados,
cooked corn, cilantro and ranch. Mix.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” My 4th Of July Dinner “

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Very simple, very delicious.

Baked ribs
Cous cous salad with corn and beans
Lettuce, tomato, reddish,onion, balsamic vinaigrette

Life is Good !
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” Potatoe’s Balsamico “

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Of all potato dishes in the world,
this is my absolute favorite !

Potatoes,
Balsamic Vinegar,
Garlic,
Onion,
Spicy Sausage,
Olive oil,
Chilies,
Scallion,
Kosher Salt,
Fresh Ground Pepper.
Cover potatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper with foil, steam in oven at 420 until soft.
Remove foil, add all other ingredients and roast until golden brown.