onions

Hickory Smoked, Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

>
>
Here we have another dish which exemplifies home cooking at it’s most simple, most tasty, most satisfying goodness.
It goes to show that you don’t have to be rich or a professional chef in order to serve excellent food. Creativity and good, simple ingredients will get you pretty far.
While I love my lobster, caviar and foie gras, food made with simple ingredients should, in my opinion, alternate with the high-end stuff which most of us could not afford on a daily basis anyway. But even back in the day’s when I ran five star operations and could have had “the good stuff” for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I always liked to mix it up with some home style cooked dishes. After all, the beauty of good food lies, among other things, in variation.
Well, there you have it : Another ChefsOpinion 🙂
>
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

>
>
Preparation :
>
>

mix 1/3 corn starch, 1/3 ap flour, 1/3 panko bread crumbs, season with cayenne pepper, english mustard powder and granulated garlic

dip ham steak on both sides into flour mixture, saute in butter until golden, remove ham and set aside, fry sunny side up eggs in same butter, season eggs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

almost……

saute onions in butter until lightly caramelized, add garlic confit paste

add cabbage and peppers, saute until cabbage starts to wilt

add demi glace and grape tomatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

plate cabbage on serving dish

top with ham steak

top with fried eggs, serve with horseradish mashed potatoes or a good rustic bread to soak up the sauce and juices

top with fried eggs, serve with horseradish mashed potatoes or a good rustic bread to soak up the sauce, egg yolks and juices

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

>
>
>
>
>
>

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 🙂
>
>
>
>
>

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

“
“
Living in Florida does not necessarily lend itself to be inspired to cooking with mushrooms, but thankfully the markets around here carry small offerings of fresh mushrooms which I like to enrich by adding some good quality dried mushrooms. Today I got some fresh baby bellas, oyster mushrooms and botton mushrooms, to which I added dry shiitakes and porcini’s. To intensify the mushroom flavor even more, I added some porcini powder to the sauce as well.
And voilà – Mushrooms Galore 🙂
“
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

“

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

“
“
Preparation :
“
“

boil fusilli al buco until al dente, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

“

saute diced onions and fresh mushrooms in butteruntil onions are opaque

“

add garlic paste and re-hydrated mushrooms, saute until dry

“

almost….

“

add heavy cream, demi glace, merlot, sliced chives, porcini powder, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

“

simmer until nape texture is reached, check / ajust seasoning

“

add pasta and a small amount of fresh grated asiago cheese, blend well, if too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid

“

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

“

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

“

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

‘
“
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 # 10 – Onion, Pear And Red Wine Marmalade

>
>
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 :-)
>
>

This savory marmalade is the perfect condiment to meats and vegetables. I also use it as a sandwich component when I make meat sandwiches. It is super easy to make and holds in the fridge for a good amount of time.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
“
“

Onion, Red Wine And Pear Marmalade

“

saute garlic paste in its oil

“

add onions, saute until translucent

“

add peeled, sliced pears

“

add red wine, small amount of kosher salt and cayenne pepper

“

after most of the wine has evaporated, check /adjust seasoning

“

Onion, Red Wine And Pear Marmalade

“
“

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 # 8 – Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

>
>
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 :-)
>
>
While I am a big fan of creamed spinach, sauted spinach is one of my other favorite vegetables. Usually when I buy spinach, I buy a big bag which is about enough for a family of four. Since I live alone with Bella, I blanch the spinach and freeze what I don’t use emidiately. So, for this recipe you can either use fresh or blanched spinach, the result is the same. Also, I cut the onions and bacon in a rustic fashion fitting for this dish. If you prefer, dice the onions fine and slice the bacon fine.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>

Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

“
“
Preparation :
“

“

blanch spinach in salted boiling water

“

shock in ice water, drain, squeeze dry

“

saute bacon until fat is rendered and bacon crispy

“

remove, reserve bacon

”

saute onions and garlic paste in bacon fat

“

add spinach, heat trough, season with kosher salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper

“

return bacon, mix

“

put spinach into oven proof dish

“

sprinkle with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, gratinate until golden

“

Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

“
“
“
“
“

” Smoked Goodies ” – Artisanal Smoked Fish

.
.
I recently run into an old buddy of mine from the cruise ship day’s.
Much to my surprise, Greg is now following his dream of many years,
running a comercial ” Smoke Shack “.
On the weekend he surprised me with a few (too few 🙂 samples of his
selection and I was amazed by it’s taste and quality.
Unfortunately, his website is not up to the quality of his food, so as soon as
I have the time I will be helping him with it.
In the meantime, here are some of his delicacies which I enjoyed saturday
and sunday :
(Sides are : Sauteed potatoes, onion bread, wasabi, horseradish cream,
onions, grape tomatoes, boiled eggs, scallion, capers, chilies, radish, lettuce)

Captain Greg’s Smoke Shack

Smoked Fish Selection

Smoked Marlin

Smoked Salmon Filet

Smoked Salmon, Served Warm

Smoked Salmon, Sliced

Wahoo Filet

Wahoo Filet, Served Warm

Whitefish Dip

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.

” Baked Walla Walla Onion Stuffed With Chorizo & Cheese “

>
>
No “Food Porn” here 😦
>

(other than the stuff you can get anytime at home if you really want it )
– and that ‘s usually the best ” Stuff “, anyway.
Delicious, satisfying, exiting food. What else is there ?
Yeah, I can think of a few things, but let’s stick to food 🙂
<
>

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
>