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Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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So this is what happened last night –
I was working on this post for ChefsOpinion.
While processing the pics from the day’s dinner, I came across this sign of love (I did NOT arrange this before I took the pics).
Not only does it look like a heart, it also resembles two stylized swans heads and necks, an image we use often in food decoration.
What are the odds ?????
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Bon Appétit ! Love is Good !
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P.S.
It would have been even more awesome if it would have happened on the 14th (Valentines Day),
but then certainly nobody would have believed that it happened by happy chance 🙂
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Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers, And Gorgonzola

Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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Preparation :
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: gorgonzola, spaghetti, bell pepper, onion, white cabbage

: saute julienne of 2 med.size onions, 1 tblsp garlic paste and 5 ea spicy Italian sausages in 2 tblsp olive oil

: saute until the onions are lightly caramelized and the sausages are cooked through

: add julienne of 1/2 head white cabbage and julienne of 1 large red bell pepper, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute 1 minute or until cabbage has heated through but is still crisp

: add 1 lb al dente spaghetti to a bowl

: top the spaghetti with the sauteed sausage and veggies, add 3 tblsp fresh-grated asiago cheese and 3 tblsp chopped Italian parsley

: mix all ingredients, check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with more parsley and coarse-crumbled gorgonzola; Serves 4

: Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers And Gorgonzola

: Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers And Gorgonzola

: Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

: Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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This Is Not A Pretty Picture……….

Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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This Is Not A Pretty Picture……….just a darn tasty and satisfying dish 🙂
Just as any other food blogger who is making big efforts to produce a popular food blog, I usually strive to present my food as “pretty” as possible (Food Porn anybody?)
But, today I was not interested in that at all. Instead, I was rather hoping that the essence of this meal shines through to my readers, by showing it as natural as possible, emphasizing it as the great comfort food it actually was. This meal was so tasty and satisfying, additional “fru fru” would just have distracted from its simplicity and down to earth flavors and textures.
So, without further ado, here it is –

“Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo”
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more about Yuca (Cassava)
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Click here for more about Mojo
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Click here for more Turkey Leg on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for instruction on how to prepare Collard Greens on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for instructions how to prepare Yuca In Mojo
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Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute julienne of 1/2 medium size onion in 2 oz whole butter until translucent, add smoked turkey leg, add 1 qt water, cover, simmer until meat is tender but NOT falling apart

: transfer meat to collard greens (see recipe-link on this page), simmer another 20 minutes

: add 1 cup of the stock from cooking the turkey to 3 lbs cooked yuca (see recipe-link on this page)

: add 4 oz whole butter and 1 tsp chili flakes, simmer until liquid has evaporated

: add the mojo ingredients, simmer another minute

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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Piri Piri Chicken With Portuguese Fried Rice

Piri Piri Chicken

Here we have two beloved Portuguese dishes which are not typically recognized as Portuguese staples (rice) and chicken (piri piri chicken).
Piri piri chicken is a favorite way of preparing chicken/poultry in most parts of Portugal, especially in Lisbon. I remember eating grilled chicken brushed with a spicy sauce in Lisbon way back in the seventies and then twenty five years later again, when I lived on Madeira with Maria, although I did not recall the “piri piri” part until I came across this video on my Portuguese friend’s Peter a few weeks ago (see link below) .
As for “Portuguese fried rice”, any cuisine in which rice features as a staple also has at least a few fried rice recipes, since everybody is used to reheat the leftover rice in a pan and adding “stuff” to it, usually in the form of other leftovers and/or veggies, seasoning, eggs, protein etc.
Grilling over an open fire is, of course, one of the best ways to cook chicken (or most other protein, no matter the country, style of cuisine or occasion. Brushing the meat when it almost ready to be served with a savory, spicy sauce and a squirt of fresh lemon or lime is all one needs to lift said protein (or vegetables) one more step up to reach culinary heaven 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more info about Piri Piri Sauce
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Click here for a short video about Piri Piri Chicken
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Click here for more info about Food , Dining & Drinks In Portugal
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Pls note :
Piri piri sauce is prepared in a myriad of different ways, depending on the country, region, family preference, etc. The one essential common ingredient is the use of piri piri peppers. Also, the amount of piri piri you brush onto your food depends on your own preference. As you can see in the picture, I love to be generous with my thicker than usual piri piri 🙂
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Hans’ Piri Piri Sauce Recipe :
4 tablespoons lemon juice, 5 tablespoons olive oil, ¹⁄₄cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (optional), 1 tablespoon garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon piri piri peppers ;
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

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Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

Portuguese Fried Rice

Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: wash and pat dry 1 ea cornish hen per person (or half a chicken)

: cut through back of the hen (or chicken), season with kosher salt; for a formal dinner, remove back bone and wing tips

: grill poultry on both sides, finish by roasting in a 375F oven until about 3/4 cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes for a small hen, longer for a chicken, depending on size

: saute 4 oz diced onions and 4 oz diced linguiça (or other hard sausage such as chorizo or salami) in 2 tblsp olive oil

: when the onions are translucent, add 1 cup diced bell peppers, saute 1 minute

: add 4 cups of day-old rice and 1 tblsp garlic paste, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute until the rice “pops”, move the rice to one side of the pan, add two more tblsp olive oil, scramble 4 whisked eggs until set

: mix the eggs with the other ingredients, saute until the eggs are dry

: check/adjust seasoning; to serve, top with black olives; serves 4

: Portuguese Fried Rice

: Portuguese Fried Rice

: when the poultry is about 3/4 cooked, brush generously with piri piri sauce and 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice, return to oven; repeat this step every 5 minutes until poultry is cooked through

: hello beauty !

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

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Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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When I got up this morning, I had a big craving for egg salad. During the day, in my head, I kept adding ingredients to the egg salad until finally, when it was time to prepare early dinner, this yummy concoction materialized 🙂
Very simple and straightforward, yet a real delicious and pretty dish that can be enjoyed either as a salad with bread on the side or, as I did, on top of toasted bread as a sandwich that left nothing to be desired for Bella’s and my dinner.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Salads on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
Personally, I prefer Florida avocados over Haas avocados. Click here to read about the pros/contras of both 🙂
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Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: for the dressing, mix 2 tblsp mayo, 1 tblsp Thai hot sauce, 1 tblsp dijon mustard and kosher salt to taste

: mix the dressing with10 ea hard-boiled eggs, 1 ea diced Florida avocado, 8 oz diced smoked salmon, 1 ea diced mild chili pepper and 20 ea grape tomatoes

: check/adjust seasoning

: toast bread of your choice

: top bread with a generous helping of salad

: top the salad with additional smoked salmon and finely sliced onion rings (optional)

: Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

: Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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Szegediner Gulasch (Székelykáposzta / Székelygulyás)

Szegediner Gulasch

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Szegediner Gulasch  ( Krautgulasch) is a pork goulash (gulasch) prepared with sauerkraut and sour cream. It probably originated in the Austrian/ Vienna cuisine. (Pork is not typically used for goulash in classic Hungarian cuisine).
The Austrian/German name Szegediner Gulasch is probably misleading since the Hungarian name for the (Austrian) dish does not connect to the city of Szeged, but rather to the Hungarian writer  József Székely, who wrote favorable about this Viennese dish.
In Vienna, Szegediner Gulasch is usually served with serviettenknoedel, potatoes or rustic bread.
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Szegediner Gulasch

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: for a small side-salat, dice 10 ea cherry tomatoes, 1 med size onion, 4 oz Austrian bergkaese, (Austrian mountain cheese) and 3 scallion stalks

: make a dressing of 1 tblsp raspberry vinegar, 2 tblsp walnut oil and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: add the dressing to the salad, mix well

: remove skin and bones from 1 ea pork butt

: cut meat and skin into large cubes

: saute 4 sliced large red onions in 2 tblsp pork fat until caramelized

: add 1 cup sweet paprika pwd, 1/2 tblsp chopped caraway seeds and 2 tblsp garlic paste

: add the meat, skin and bone, add 2 qt of water, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer until meat is tender but NOT falling apart

: remove the bone (Bella’s Price)

: add 1 lb sauerkraut, simmer another 20 minutes

: remove gulash from heat, add 1 cup sour cream

: mix well, check/adjust seasoning

: add side of your choice to a serving plate (pasta, potatoes, dumplings, bread, etc), add goulash, top wit a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with chopped parsley

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

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Pozole

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Partial excerpts from Wikipedia:
“Pozole. Variants: pozolé, pozolli, pasole), which means “hominy”, is a traditional soup or stew from Mexico, which once had ritual significance. It is made from hominy, with meat (typically pork), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa and/or limes.
It is a typical dish in various states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Morelos, State of Mexico and Distrito Federal. Pozole is served in Mexican restaurants worldwide.
Pozole is frequently served as a celebratory dish throughout Mexico and by Mexican communities outside Mexico. Common occasions include Mexico Independence Day, quince años, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and New Year’s Day.
Pozole can be prepared in many ways. All variations include a base of cooked hominy in broth. Typically pork, or sometimes chicken, is included in the base. Vegetarian recipes substitute beans for the meat.
Dried hominy can be used for pozole, but it must be soaked and cooked
The three main types of pozole are blanco/white, verde/green and rojo/red.
White Pozole is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce. Green Pozole adds a rich sauce based on green ingredients, possibly including tomatillos, epazote, cilantro, jalapeños, and/or pepitas. Red Pozole is made without the green sauce, instead adding a red sauce made from one or more chiles, such as guajillo, piquin, or ancho.
When pozole is served, it is accompanied by a wide variety of condiments, potentially including chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sliced radish, cabbage, avocado, limes, oregano, tostadas, chicharrónes, and/or chiles.
Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún‘s General History of the Things of New Spain (c. 1500). Since maize was a sacred plant for the Aztecs and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica, pozole was made to be consumed on special occasions. The conjunction of maize (usually whole hominy kernels) and meat in a single dish is of particular interest to scholars, because the ancient Americans^(which?) believed the gods made humans out of masa (cornmeal dough).”
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According to research by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on these special occasions, the meat used in the pozole was human. After the prisoners were killed by having their hearts torn out in a ritual sacrifice, the rest of the body was chopped and cooked with maize, and the resulting meal was shared among the whole community as an act of religious communion. After the Conquest, when cannibalism was banned, pork became the staple meat as it “tasted very similar” [to human flesh], according to a Spanish priest.“
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Pozole

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cook a whole med size chicken with 4 scallion stalks, 1 large peeled onion, kosher salt o taste and one tsp dried oregano in 2 qt water until chicken is tender, remove chicken and set aside; there should be 1 qt stock remaining – check/adjust seasoning

: remove meat from carcasse, shred and divide into 4 soup bowls

: drain and rinse one 12 oz can of homini, add to the chicken

: according to your preference, add chopped tomatoes, sliced avocados, sliced chilies, shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and chopped fresh oregano to the bowls, (or any other condiment mentioned in the intro), top with the chicken broth, serve with fresh lime

: Pozole

: Pozole

: Pozole

: Pozole

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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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The style of this curry soup has it’s origins in Europe. As I mentioned in previous posts, many decades ago, when I was an apprentice in Europe, “curries” were prepared the European way, nothing at all like “real curries” as they exist in far-away land’s 🙂
Madras curry powder, ground cumin, cream or milk, onion and banana and chicken stock were the main ingredients in our “curries”. They usually contained chicken or shrimp and were thickened with flour, or in the case of soups, with rice or potatoes. Although not in any way “authentic”, they were nevertheless (and still are!) very delicious in their own way.
During the years Maria and I gave regular dinner parties, we served this soup often and it was always a hit as part of a multi-course meal.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut 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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: pumpkin, onion, potato, cumin, curry powder, coconut milk

: saute julienne from 1 small onion in 3 oz whole butter

: add the flesh of 1 small pumpkin, 1 medium potato and 1 small banana, saute until the banana gets soft, add 3 tbslp curry powder, 1 pinch of ground cumin, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute until fragrant

: add 8 oz chicken stock, simmer until potatoes and pumpkin are soft

: add 8 oz coconut milk, simmer another 3 minutes

: place soup in blender or bowl with magic stick

: blend until smooth, check/adjust seasoning, serve in hollowed-out mini pumpkins or soup bowls; (if you use the pumpkin shells, submerge them in boiling water to sanitize for 1 minute); serves 4

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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For me, these three condiments are not to be missed to accompany any Mexican-style meal I prepare at home. In my opinion, they also fit very well with a wide range of dishes of non-Mexican cuisine from around the world. They pair nicely with steaks, schnitzel, sandwiches, salads, meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, etc.
In fact, I usually have at least a small bowl of one or two or sometimes all three of them in my fridge. I prep them once a week, then serve them with a variety of different dishes, be it for breakfast (without the onions), lunch or dinner.
Sometimes, just these three goodies, together with a bunch of tortillas or on a slice of toast or grilled sour dough bread, make a perfect, tasty and quick meal 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I did not include measurements for these recipes since I believe you should add ingredients according to the ratios you personally prefer 🙂
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Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

Salsa Mexicana

Guacamole

Escabeche De Cebolla

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Preparation :
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: jalapeño, onions, garlic, lime juice, tomatoes (most seeds removed), cilantro, kosher salt

: Salsa Mexicana

: Salsa Mexicana

: avocado, kosher salt, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic (optional)

: guacamole

: guacamole

: Guacamole

: onion, lime juice, cayenne pepper, cilantro, kosher salt

: Escabeche De Cebolla

: Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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I just have come across some debates about what constitutes a “true” Jägerschnitzel, so I’d like to put that to rest, right now, right here, with some authority on the subject (easy now !) 🙂
After all, I grew up in Swabia in Southern Germany, where, during my youth, schnitzel were one of the most commonly served animal proteins, served a few times a month at home and more often than not during special occasions, such as restaurant visits, birthdays, weddings or funerals or any other gathering where “decent” food was served for a reasonable price.
Traditionally, a Jägerschnitzel is a thin-pounded veal or pork cutlet, dusted with flour and sauteed, then covered with mushroom sauce, to which sometimes cream and parsley or chives are added, and accompanied by pasta (mostly, but not exclusively Spaetzle), roast potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or dumplings (Knödel).
A “TRUE” Jägerschnitzel is “NEVER” breaded (never cover anything breaded with sauce, one of the basics in classic cooking – after all, you bread it to be crisp, so why soften it by covering it with moisture ?!!) And yes, I know, like always in cooking, there are a few exceptions, but they do NOT pertain to schnitzel.
Then there are Jägerschnitzel made of chicken or turkey. While less traditional, they have become popular lately because of changing eating-habits and because the meat is more affordable than pork and veal, (especially milk-veal), which has been priced out of reach for most folks.
So there you have it – the end of the Jägerschnitzel Debate.
You are welcome 🙂
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Guten Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: for the schmelze, saute 2 tblsp panko bread crumbs in 1 tblsp whole butter until crisp and golden, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: de-bone and remove skin from 3 ea chicken breasts, pound thin between 2 plastic sheets, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, dust lightly with a/p flour, saute in 1 tblsp peanut oil until cooked through

: remove chicken breasts from pan, keep warm; saute julienne from 1/2 white onion until translucent

: add 6 oz sliced button mushrooms, saute until lightly browned

: add 1/2 cup heavy cream

: add 1/2 cup demi glace, simmer 1 minute

: check/adjust seasoning, add 2 tblsp chopped parsley

: place schnitzel on serving plate with pasta and schmelze, top with 1/3 of the sauce, sprinkle with more parsley ; recipe serves 3

: Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

: Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

: Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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Hans’ Panzanino

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The first written recipe for Panzanella dates to the 15th century. Originally, stale bread was soaked in water, onions added, then dressed with olive oil, salt and vinegar. This eventually morphed into the modern Panzanella , through the addition of cucumbers and, later-on, tomatoes.
Later still, lettuce, olives, mozzarella, white wine, capers, anchovies, celery, carrots, red wine, red onion, cucumber, tuna, parsley, boiled eggs, mint, bell peppers, lemon juice, and garlic were sometimes added, although traditionalist’s still prefer the simple version of soaked bread, onions, olive oil, salt, tomatoes and sometimes fresh basil.
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The dish below is NOT panzanalla !!!
However, it shares with panzanella the rustic, vinegar and olive oil soaked bread and the fresh vegetables (and a lot of other stuff) 🙂
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Here now is my (slightly askew and liberal) take on panzanella, sandwich and salad – all three rolled into one wonderful dish.
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Today I did not feel like cooking, so I thought I’ll have a simple “Vesper” (the Swabian word for a snack involving bread, cheese, cold cuts and sometimes onions, pickles and tomatoes)
……then I thought, why not make a nice salad of it………then I thought why not make an enriched variation of panzanella…….. then ………..
Well, here you see the final result of my back and forth considerations.
And what a great result/dish it had become. I am not sure if there was such a thing as a Panzanino in Italy before today, but in my opinion, it certainly should be from now on. Even if there was, if it does not include all the stuff you see here, it certainly would not be as splendid as the great Hans’ Panzanino you see here.
This dish absolutely rock’s, and for lack of a better name, I officially name it :
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“”” Hans’ Panzanino “”””
(As in Panzanella / Panino)
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And there you have it.
A wonderful “Italian” style sandwich – born on 11/17/2016 in, of all places, Miami, Florida 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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