peanut sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Last night on my way home I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant where I used to eat pho. I stopped eating there because of the tiny portions (see my post about it by clicking this link: ….Pho….
Knowing that I would be disappointed by the skimpy pho, I placed my hope into an order of summer rolls…….
Well, the same crappy principle as with the pho (a ton of stock, a tiny amount of anything else); only this time, there was a ton of wrapper (2 per roll !) and just a tiny bit of filling. I could have kicked myself for not following my own previous advise to avoid this place.
So, what’s an old cook to do? Well of course, make my own version of rice paper rolls 🙂
Mind you, these are NOT Vietnamese summer rolls! And, because of their plumpness, rather than eating them by hand, I suggest you use a fork in order to have a less messy encounter with these babies. 🙂
However, these rolls consist of the exact amount and ratio of ingredients I craved when I ordered the rolls in the restaurant and was so badly disappointed:
A small amount of wrapper, LOT’S of noodles and shrimp, and NOT drowned in fish sauce and basil. Ahhhh, the good life ! 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you prefer the more traditional skinny shape, just arrange the filling accordingly.
P.P.S.
I am still hoping to find a decent Vietnamese restaurant around here 🙂
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Hans’ Peanut Sauce

This recipe may not be the most authentic, but it’s really, really good.
Serve it as a dipping sauce, over hot or cold noodles or as a salad dressing.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons chili paste

½ teaspoon garlic paste

1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whisk again before serving.
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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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slice 1 lb medium size cooked shrimp in halves

soak 8 oz rice sticks in hot water until soft, drain, mix with the shrimp (reserve 12 halves for garnish, 2 inside the rool and one on top), fine julienne of 1/4 red pepper and 1/4 yellow pepper, fine julienne of 1/4 red onion and 3 ea finely sliced basil leaves, dress with rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili pepper, kosher salt and sesame oil to taste

prepare the peanut sauce according to the recipe on this page

the good stuff……

rice peper sheets

soak 1 sheet at the time in warm water until pliable

remove to a work surface

add a bit if peppers, cucumber and two half shrimp

top with the salad

fold both sides over the top, then roll tight

recipe will produce 4 “fat” rolls or 8 thin rolls; serves 2

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Nasi Goreng

Restaurant Version Nasi Goreng >

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Nasi Goreng can be had in one version or another in many Asian countries. Actually, it is the national dish of Indonesia, where it can be eaten at any time of the day from road side hawker carts to 5 star restaurants and in any home.
As with so many Asian dishes I learned about in Germany the 60’s, the”Nasi Goreng” of my youth was usually made with curry powder, which qualified the dish as “exotic” :-).
In later years, while working and travelling in Asia, I got to know the real stuff, usually seasoned with sambal ulek and kecup manis, garlic, sauteed and fried shallots and soy sauce.
However, even back then when I was a kid and enjoyed the curry powder versions, the standard accompaniments (Garniture) were the same as you’d find in a good restaurant then and now anywhere around the world, where appearance is almost as important as taste : Kroepek (shrimp crackers), sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, fried eggs, fried shallots and satay’s with peanut sauce.
Today, after coming home from work, “Garniture” was not in the forefront of my mind but rather a hearty, spicy, quick to prepare dish which would hit all the buttons of my culinary lust 🙂
So here it is : Nasi goreng without the bells & whistles but at it’s tastiest !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
As you can see in the picture, I used fresh-cooked rice. Day old rice is of course preferable for any fried rice, including nasi goreng, but I needed to have my fix NOW.
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Click here for more Fried Rice on ChefsOpinion
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Nasi Goreng

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: stir fry 1 1/2 cup diced chicken and 1 1/2 cup peeled and deveined shrimp in 2 tblsp peanut oil, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste; add 2 sliced medium hot chilis, 1 small finely sliced onion 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tsp sambal olek, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, 2 tsp kecap manis, 1 tsp soy sauce

: add kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, stir fry until well mixed and the rice starts to “pop”, check/adjust seasoning; put the nasi goreng on a serving dish, sprinkle with fried shallots

: top nasi goreng with 3 fried eggs, sprinkle with chili flakes and sliced scallions; serves 3

: Nasi Goreng

: Nasi Goreng

: Nasi Goreng

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Beef Satay’s

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Although peanut sauce is one of my favorite condiments for grilled or broiled meat, today I opted for Thai Chili Sauce instead. The combination of the beef, rice, pickled cucumbers and chili sauce was absolutely delicious and I am sure that in the future I will be having this dish often, whenever a quick, light and tasty meal is in order 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More Satay’s on ChefsOpinion
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Beef Satay’s

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season finely sliced strip steak with garlic paste, soy sauce, sugar, grd coriander, grd cumin, cayenne pepper and lime juice , let marinade at least two hours

: skewer meat onto pre-soaked skewers

: grill or broil satay’s until med/well

: previously, generously salt cucumber batons, let stand for 30 minutes, squeeze out excess liquid, discard liquid

: add chili flakes, sesame oil and a spritz of lime juice

: serve satay’s with thai chili sauce, pickled cucumbers and lime/scallion rice

: Beef Satay’s

: Beef Satay’s

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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Since I am on a set meal plan for the time being, I am cooking a lot of goodies like this one for my very appreciative neighbor who, together with his wife and kid, loves good food but is (not yet) very successful in the kitchen, although this starts to change a bit since I am guiding him/them whenever I have the time 🙂
(I taste all of what I cook for them, but I can not eat any of it) 😦
This one was a great hit, especially the pasta . I had spaghetti in my larder and used those, but if you want the dish to be a bit more Asian in appearance, you might want to use cellophane/ or rice-noodles instead.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Japanese Plate And Serving Platter

: season bone-in rib eye generously with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, after steak is done to your preferred temperature, let rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes before slicing

: deglaze pan with mirin, add a bit of water, lime juice, sugar, garlick paste, soy sauce, sriracha and peanut butter, simmer for one minute

: add raw spinach and VERY finely sliced red peppers, remove from heat, check/adjust taste

: add freshly cooked pasta, return to heat, simmer for one minute

: plate pasta on a warm serving dish

: top pasta with sliced steak, sprinkle with sesame seeds

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Peanut Glazed Pork Medaillons With Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce

Here is a recipe sure to tempt you if you like to have a tasty and exotic meal but do not have the time nor desire to prepare an elaborate, complicated meal, which is what happened to me today. I just finished my first week of work after two months of vacation, so my spirit and energy has been slightly drained this weekend. After cleaning the apartment, taking care of Bella, doing the shopping and a bunch of other chores, cooking an elaborate meal was not exactly at the forefront of my mind. Eating a good meal on the other hand ……..
So here is what I came up with. This was very delicious, yet simple and easy to prepare. You will be able to easily knock this out in about 15 minutes 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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For Peanut Sauce Recipe Click Here
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Peanut Glazed Pork Medaillons And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce

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Preparation :
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saute onions and garlic paste in peanut oil

saute onions, grated ginger and garlic paste in peanut oil

add blanched baby bok choy and mild chilis

add blanched baby bok choy and mild chilies

add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sriracha and sesame oil, simmer until bok choy is heated through, check / adjust seasoning

meanwhile, saute pork medaillons on both sides, when almost done, add peanut sauce and a few drops of water, remove from heat, mix well untill medaillons are completely covered with sauce

meanwhile, saute salt and pepper seasoned pork medaillons on both sides, when almost done, add peanut sauce and a few drops of water, remove from heat, mix well until medaillons are completely covered with sauce

ready to plate…

plate bok choy and a small side dish with peanut sauce for dipping

arrange glazed pork medaillons on bok choy

Peanut Glazed Pork Medaillons And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce

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Kare Kare

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So, everybody and their mother have the one, the only, the very best Kare Kare recipe. Of course, having lived in the Philippines for almost five years, I have my very own “best” recipe.
As for the protein, the most common is ox tail, but of course you can substitute it with any protein you like, even omit it completely and make a vegetarian version. The most important part of Kare Kare is the peanut sauce, of which a million of fine variations exist 🙂 (and maybe some not so fine)
Here now is my humble version of this wonderful dish:

Saute beef neck bones, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, in peanut oil until browned. Remove bones, reserve. Saute chopped carrots, onions and celery until caramelized, return neck bones to the pot, cover with water. Add lots of garlic paste, a handful of rice, a good amount of turmeric, a few annatto seeds, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender. Add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened. Add Patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning. While the meat simmers, blanch zucchini batons, eggplant batons, whole chilies and baby bok choy, shock in ice water, drain. When the stew is done, add the vegetables to it and simmer until vegetables have heated through. Serve with white rice.

Mabuting Gana ! Buhay Ay Mabuti !
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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Preparation :
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saute beef neck bones, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, in peanut oil until browned

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remove bones, reserve

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saute chopped carrots, onions and celery until caramelized

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return neck bones to the pot

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cover with water

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add lots of garlic paste, a handful of rice, a good amount of turmeric, a few anatto seeds, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer

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ook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender, add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened, add patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning

cook slowly for about two to three hours or until meat is tender, add a large amount of peanut butter and simmer until sauce has thickened, add patis and calamansi juice, check /adjust seasoning

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while the meat simmers, blanch zucchini batons, eggplant batons, whole chilies and baby bok choy, schock in ice water, drain. When the stew is done, add the vegetables to it and simmer until vegetables have heated through. Serve with white rice

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this weeks herb bush :
Opal Basil

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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Kare Kare

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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 🙂
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“Easy Does It” # 3 – Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drumettes

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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 :-)

Perfect for super bowl party !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Easy Does It #3 Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drummets

“Easy Does It” #3 – Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drumettes

season wings and drummets with kosher salt, sriracha, soy sauce, lime juice and granulated garlic, saute on both sides until cooked through

remove from heat, add sweet thai chilli sauce

add saoy sauce, mix well so all the chicken is well coated. To serve, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions

add soy sauce, mix well so all the chicken is well coated. To serve, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions

“Easy Does It” #3 – Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drumettes

“Easy Does It: #3 – Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drumettes

“Easy Does It” #3 – Asian Inspired Chicken Wings And Drumettes

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
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Parrillada

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Tonight, Bella and I enjoyed our own version of parrillada.
I made it a bit more interesting by adding corn, pickled mushrooms and kimchi,
as well as peanut sauce, chimichurri, horseradish and rye bread.
Great ending to a lazy, well fed weekend.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Parillada

: Marinade meat’s overnight with granulated garlic, sriracha, dijon mustard and soy sauce

: Just before grilling, season steak, chop and corn with sea salt

: Parillada

: Striploin, Morcilla, Pork Chop, Chorizo

: Parillada

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Malay-Inspired Shrimp & Salad

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Last night’s light dinner had most of the ingredient’s of a typical satay dinner – shrimp, cucumbers, onions, garlic, peanut sauce and chili. I did not attempt to go “authentic”, but rather enjoy great food with as little fuss as possible. The whole thing did not take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, but it tasted like a million bucks and reminded me of the sometimes simple, but alway’s wonderful meals my friend’s and I had so many times, so many years ago in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and other places in South East Asia and the Pacific / South Pacific. Sometimes, when I have a meal like this and I am in the mood and have the time to reflect, it connect’s me vividly to people, times and places in my distant past 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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The Good Stuff 🙂

Mise En Place

Season Shrimp With Granulated Garlic, Kosher Salt And Ground Chili, Saute Or Grill

Dice Onion, Tomato, Cucumber, Slice Scallions. Dress With White Balsamic Vinegar, Oil, Salt , Chili and Roasted Garlic Puree.

Sprinkle Salad With Salted Cashew Nuts

Serve Shrimp Over Salad, Accompany With Lime, Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Malay-Inspired Shrimp & Salad

The Good Stuff 🙂

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video below. ( You don’t have to watch it, just click once ) Thank you 🙂
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Chicken & Cabbage Egg Rolls

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Another winner. Easy, economical and quick to prepare .
Unless you are lucky and have a great asian place nearby, these are so much better than most of the soggy, cabbage and carrots only crap they sell you in most neighborhood joints. As usual, most ingredients can be replaced with stuff you have in your fridge and cup board. Replace the cabbage with shredded or diced vegetables of any kind, add other flavors like mushrooms, onions, etc. Colors like shredded beets, spinach, turmeric, etc. Proteins like seafood, ground beef, ground pork, etc. The combinations, texture of the filling and the possible flavors are just infinite. So, in the spirit of good eggrolls, go out and experiment. If you crave for standard mediocracy, you can always go back yo your corner “Happy Dragon” and have their frozen staple. If not, do the best YOU can do and find out how easy and great a home made fried or baked eggroll can be 🙂
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Chicken & Cabbage Egg Rolls

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Debone and dice chicken and skin, chop cabbage, chilis and garlic, grate ginger, slice scallions. Saute chicken in peanut oil until almost cooked through. Add all vegetables, continue to saute for another minute. Remove from heat, season with soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and sriracha,. Put filling onto one end of the springroll wrapper, moist the edges with water. Roll into tight spring rolls. Fry until crispy and golden. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce /sauces. (I used peanut sauce and scotch bonnet sauce 🙂
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