pasta

“Canned” Dinner

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I am a big fan of the notion that all food should be as fresh as possible and whenever it is practical, I try to go into that direction. But, alas, sometimes it is just NOT practical. I got home late today, Bella needed her walk right away and by the time I walked her and fed her, it was already 7.00pm. I get up at around 4.00am on weekday’s, so I was pretty beat by 7.00pm. Dinner had to be fast and furious.
Here is what I found in the cup board :
Canned tuna, canned artichokes, canned sun dried tomatoes, mascarpone, dried lasagna pasta, butter, heavy cream, roasted garlick paste and chives. Add some salt and cayenne pepper and pronto, perfect dinner in ten minutes. 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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canned dinner

mise en place

saute garlic and tomatoes in butter, add cooked pasta, cream, artichokes, tuna and seasoning.

simmer one minute, add mascarpone and chives, check/adjust seasoning

to serve, sprinkle with more chives and grated pecorino romano

canned dinner

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Ungarischer Rinder Gulasch (Hungarian Beef Goulash)

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In my opinion, one of the best way’s to prepare a tough beef cut is to transform it into Paprika Gulasch (Paprika Goulash or Hungarian Goulash).
While there are many great and not so great recipes out there, the basic principle to a great goulash is simple: Same amount of onions and meat by volume, LOTS of sweet paprika, no flour to thicken (the onions will take care of that) and most important : Goulash seasoning, which will set it’s flavor apart from any other meat stew : 1/3 finely chopped caraway seed, 1/3 finely chopped thyme, 1/3 finely chopped lemon peel.

“Ungarischer rinder gulasch mit gemelli und gurkensalat”
“Hungarian beef goulash with gemelli and cucumber salad”

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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goulash with pasta, schmelze and yogurt / dill cucumber salad

: mise en place

: cubed beef

: saute onions and garlic in olive oil

: cover, steam until onions break down

: add beef

: saute until lightly caramelized

: add chopped tomatoes, chilies, sweet paprika, small amount of kosher salt

: saute for about two minutes

: add beef stock, simmer until meat is very tender but not falling apart

: goulash with pasta, schmelze and yogurt / dill cucumber salad

: Hungarian Goulash

: Ungarisher Gulasch

: Goulash & Gemelli

: Gemelli & Schmelze

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Angel Hair With Morells, Shiitake, Cepes, Baby Bellas & Oyster Mushrooms In Cream Sauce

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Usually, I don’t fancy much angel hair pasta, but for these mushrooms in a light,
creamy white wine cream they were the perfect pasta to be paired with 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Saute Onions And Mushrooms In Olive Oil, Add Wine And cream, Reduce. Add Pasta , A Bit Of The Pasta Water, Salt, Pepper And Grated Aged Gruyere. If Too Thin, Add Cheese. If Too Thick, Add Pasta Water. Sprinkle With Chili Flakes And Cilantro.

Angel Hair With Morells, Shiitake, Ceppes, Baby Bellas & Oyster Mushrooms In Cream Sauce

Angel Hair With Morells, Shiitake, Cepes, Baby Bellas & Oyster Mushrooms In Cream Sauce

Angel Hair, Morells, Shiitake, Cepes, Baby Bellas, Oyster Mushrooms, Cream, White Wine, Onion, Garlic,
Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Aged Gruyere, Chili Flakes, Cilantro.

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Pot Au Feu

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My butcher had these beautiful, fleshy beef neck bones which begged me to take them home and transform into a tasty dish. Since I had some nice baby carrots and beans in the fridge, what else then a rich “pot au feu” with pasta.
As usual, simple is best 🙂
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Pot Au Feu

: Pot Au Feu

: Pot Au Feu

Ingredient’s :

Beef neck bones,
Penne rigate
Baby carrots,
Baby beans,
Onion, large dice
Bell pepper, large dice
Cilantro, finely chopped
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Cayenne pepper,
Kosher salt,
Maggi seasoning,

Method :

Cover neck bones with cold water, add salt, pepper, garlic and ginger and slowly bring to a simmer, skimming of all scum and most fat which surfaces.
Meanwhile, blanch and shock all vegetables. Cook pasta until al dente, drain. When beef is very tender but not falling of the bone, add vegetables to heat through. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
To serve, place pasta in bottom of serving dish, ladle pot au feu on top and sprinkle with cilantro.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spaghetti With Walnut, Cashew & Cilantro Pesto, Dried Cranberries And Pecorino Romano

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Dear Friends,

I had to think long and hard what I’ll do without Maria. I came to the conclusion that she would not have wanted me to give up life at this point (I was close, but thanks God for Bella…).
I am aware that the pain of losing her will never go away, but I will have to take care of Bella and myself in order to honer the memory of Maria.
Since Maria was the biggest fan of “ChefsOpinion”, I have decided to start posting again and hope that she still enjoys reading it wherever she is and sharing the dishes with me in spirit.
I hereby dedicate all future posts to Maria and our love for each other, our love for sweet Bella and our love for good food everywhere 🙂

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Todays lunch had all the usual ingredients of my cooking style :
Lot’s of taste, texture and simplicity.
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Spaghetti With Walnut, Cashew & Cilantro Pesto, Dried Cranberries and Pecorino Romano

: Spaghetti With Walnut, Cashew & Cilantro Pesto, Dried Cranberries and Pecorino Romano

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Ingredient’s :

Spaghetti, cooked al dente, some cooking liquid reserved
Walnuts, shelled
Cashew nuts, shelled
Olive oil,
Cilantro,
Cranberries, freeze dried
Pecorino romano, finely grated
Kosher salt,
Black pepper,

Method :

In a blender blend nuts, olive oil, cilantro, salt, pepper and cheese until your preferred texture is reached, If too thick, add more oil, if too thin, add a bit more cheese. Remove from blender and add the cranberries. Let steep for at least two hours.
Mix with freshly cooked and drained spaghetti and a small amount of the cooking liquid. If required, add more cheese and/or cooking liquid.
To serve, sprinkle with more cheese and freshly grated black pepper.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! (Mostly, Sometimes 🙂

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Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ” Midnight Snack In Simpleland “

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Yesterday I had a very long workday without lunch or dinner. I finally came home at 9.00pm (I left the house at 5.00am, after two hours of walking Bella, breakfast, checking e-mail, etc) .
First thing’s first, so I poured myself a glass of merlot and sat down to relax a few minutes before I wanted to move on to do what needs to be done. However, I woke up three hours later at around midnight, because Bella brutally stubbed me with her nose, demanding to finally be taken on her walk. When we got back it was past 1.00am and I was famished. I wanted to have something quick, uncomplicated, substantial and tasty, but not too heavy or fatty. A quick inspection of the fridge and cup board revealed, amongst other goodies:
Bucatini, salted butter, bologna, aged asiago, greek yoghurt, eggs, tomatoes and scallions.
Usually and traditionally, one would saute the bologna and tomatoes in fat before adding the other ingredients.
But I wanted to have a different, “fresher” taste. So, here is how it went:
I cooked the pasta, drained it (reserved some of the cooking water). I chopped the tomatoes, sliced the scallions, grated the asiago, whisked the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Then I mixed all the ingredients over low heat including a bit of the cooking water and cooked it until the eggs set. The result was a revelation of how the addition or absence of one single cooking step (sauteing) can completely alter the taste and texture of a dish. This version is actually my new favorite when it comes to pasta with bologna. The freshness of the bologna (must be of very good quality) and the slight acidity of the yogurt and raw tomatoes make it a new, much appreciated dish in my arsenal of pasta dishes.
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Bon Appetit ! Long Live The Midnight Snack ! 🙂
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More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 1

More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 2

More Bologna On ChefsOpinion

” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg “

: ” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ”

: ” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ”

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Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

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Dinner for two :
Sauteed strip loin, mafaldine, mushrooms, chilis and grape tomatoes with garlic and scallions.
Simplicity at it’s best 🙂

Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

: Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach Pappardelle, Ham & Bell Pepper Ragout

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What a great meal a bit of ham, peppers, pasta
and a good amount of love for all things pasta can make.
( As you can see, Madam agrees 🙂

Sharing a meal with a loved should count as one of life’s most precious moment’s. Even if not all of them can be there physically, they are alway’s there in spirit.
All my loved ones love food, – coincidence ?
And not all are as big-bellied as I am, thankfully 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach Pappardelle & Ham And Bell Pepper Ragout

: Spinach Pappardelle & Ham And Bell Pepper Ragout

Pasta. Basta !

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Pasta !
Sometimes, in our quest to create ever more complicated, fancy, elaborate, inventive, trendsetting dishes, we tend to forget why we fell in love with a food item in the first place. In most cases because in it’s true form and simplicity, it is perfect and can’t be much improved. It can be altered, changed, made more fancy, more colorful, spicier, fattier, more unrecognizable, deconstructed, more expensive (yep) or whatever, but in its original form, texture, and flavor it will alway’s be the star it has originally been. Without a doubt pasta is one of these food items. If properly prepared, it needs little or no embellishment to satisfy most senses. “Pasta Aglio E Olio” or, my personal favorite, Pasta Aglio E Burro” are the most basic dishes which, when prepared with love and knowledge, will produce the most satisfying meal or separate course in a meal. Here we have another basic, “Bucatini Pomodoro”

Cook pasta about 3/4 to doneness, drain, reserve some of the cooking water. Saute roasted garlic paste in butter or olive oil, add chopped peeled tomatoes, add a few sprigs of basil, simmer until tomatoes break down. Remove basil sprigs, blend tomatoes with a stick blender. Season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper. Add pasta, some of the cooking water, butter and finely grated pecorino and simmer until pasta is al dente. Add more water during the simmering if needed. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese.

Buon Appetito ! Life is Good !
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Pasta Pommodoro

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Pasta & Chicken

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One of my own personal junk food’s, pasta and chicken.
Any time of day, any which way, as long as it’s juicy and tasty 🙂
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Ingredients :

Lasagna pasta, broken into large pieces, cooked al dente
Chicken drumsticks,
Crimini mushrooms, cleaned
White cabbage, sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced
Onion, sliced
Garlic, paste
Scallion, sliced
Parmigiano reggiano, thinly sliced
Parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Maggi seasoning,
Butter , to saute, substitute olive oil if you prefer

Method :

Saute seasoned chicken slowly in butter until golden, put on a rack and cook in oven until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute onion and mushroom in same butter until onions are translucent. Add cabbage, garlic and peppers and saute until garlic becomes fragrant. At this point your butter will be light brown. Add pasta and a bit of the pasta water, seasoning and the grated parmesan, mix until a fine film of cheese sauce coats pasta. Remove from heat, add chicken, scallions and parsley and mix. To serve, sprinkle with sliced parmesan and chopped parsley.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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