potato

Pigs Tail And Potato Curry, Naan & Cucumber Raita

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Some folks are probably scratching their head, going “WTF” (what he food 🙂 ) when reading this. But hey, I love pigs tail and curries of any style.

Pigs tails – not everybody’s cup of tea read about Pigs Tail
Real curries – everybody loves those read about Real Curries
European style curries – if you grew up with them…….. read about “European Style” Curries

The good thing is that if you don’t love pig’s tails, you can replace them with any other protein or vegetables.
However, here is what went on in my kitchen for today’s lunch:
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Pigs Tail And Potato Curry, Naan & Cucumber Raita

: Pigs Tail And Potato Curry, Naan & Cucumber Raita

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Curry :

Pigs tails, cut into pieces
Potatoes, peeled, cut into wedges
Bananas, sliced,
Baby carrots,
Peppers, diced,
Celery, sliced
Tomato, diced
Ginger, grated
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Vegetable stock,
Coconut milk,
Turmeric,
Curry powder,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Butter,

Saute pigs tails in butter until lightly browned, add vegetables, banana, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant. Add curry and turmeric, saute for another minute. Add stock, salt and pepper and very slowly simmer until pigs tails are tender. Add coconut milk and potatoes and simmer until potatoes are done but still firm. Adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve, sprinkle curry with plenty of coarsely chopped cilantro.

Naan :

1/2 cup water,
1 pck yeast
2.5 cup a/p flour,
1/4 cup vegetable oil,
1/3 cup greek yogurt,
1 lg egg
Salt

Combine yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve, let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well mixed. Continue adding flour a half cup at a time until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).

Turn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky.

Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!
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For Raita Recipe, click here
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

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“Sauteed Gizzards in curry cream with buttered, herbed yukon gold potatoes and frisse salad in honey mustard dressing”
The verdict is out : I’ve got a new favorite chicken gizzard recipe, taking the #1 spot and pushing “Gizzard Adobo” to spot #2 🙂
What a great dish. Even if you are not a fan of gizzards, you can of course replace them with anything that tickles your fancy: Shrimps, scallops, mussels, sliced beef, diced chicken, shredded duck, whatever you like and whatever is available. The curry cream, potatoes, butter, herbs and frisse just go together so well, you don’t want to miss this combination.

Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

: Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

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1. Simmer gizzards in salted water until tender, but still with a bit of a bite. Strain. Saute garlic paste and diced onion in butter until fragrant, add curry powder and saute on low heat for another minute. Add heavy cream and a bit of ketchup and reduce until creamy. Add the gizzards, simmer for another minute. Season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, set aside.
2. Simmer peeled and cut potatoes until tender but still keeping their shape. Saute in LOT’S of butter without letting potatoes brown. Remove from heat, add lots of chopped italian parsley.
3. Mix honey, dijon mustard, canola oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and freshly ground black papper. Dress frisse with the dressing.
4. To plate, put gizzards on the plate, add potatoes and top with frisse. Sprinkle with chili flakes. Eat. Be happy 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Bone-In Rib Eye & “Stuff”

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What a great early dinner today (I started work at 4.00 am, so dinner at 5.0 pm does not sound so ridiculously early, does it? )
This dish was very satisfying, from the potatoes to the beans to the steak. I Sauteed everything in duck fat with lot’s of roasted garlic and used some leftover duck jus to lightly mash the potatoes and beans with, for a great flavor and texture 🙂

“Sauteed bone-in rib eye , with habichuelas blancas (smal white beans), potatoes, tomatoes, scallions and Duck jus”.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Bone-In Rib Eye

: Bone-In Rib Eye

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Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

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This is such a versatile dish. Every ingredient can be replaced with a substitute without losing any of the complexity of texture and taste.

Spinach : Asparagus, cabbage, corn, broccoli, carrots, beets, etc.
Potato : Sweet potato, mashed potato, pasta, rice, etc.
Asiago : Gorgonzola, parmesan, cheddar, brie, pepper jack, stilton, etc.
Sausage : Bacon, chicken, seafood, beef, lamb, game, etc.

Saute onion, garlic and sausage in butter, add spinach, wilt. Add blanched potatoes, cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Bake at 375 F until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let set for 30 minute before serving.
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Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

: Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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My Kind Of ” Finger Food “

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Sunday night and monday evening was very cold here in Miami, so cold in fact I actually had to turn on the central heating system in order to be comfortable in the house. So, in order to help with the comforting process, I prepared two dishes which aided greatly in the warming of soul and belly :

Sunday afternoon :
“Smoked pig’s tail’s”
with fresh horse radish and potatoes fried in rendered duck fat “.

Monday afternoon :
“Spinach, Potato, Sausage & Cheese Casserole”
(I’ll post that in the next few day’s).
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: My kind of ” Finger Food “

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Simmer the smoked pigs’ tails in salted water with kosher salt, lot’s of garlic and cayenne pepper until very tender but not falling apart. Grate the horseradish very fine and mix with salt and lemon juice. Fry the potatoes in rendered duck fat, starting with cold fat and slowly increasing the temperature to 375 F. The potatoes will be creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Add the sliced chilis and onions for the last few seconds of frying. Remove to absorbent paper and sprinkle with sea salt.
Enjoy a great , simple meal; “Finger food” at it’s finest 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Keep Warm And Cozy 🙂

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Spatchcocked Chicken “Nilda’s Way”

Spatchcocked Chicken

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When my mother in law , Nilda, was still healthy and living with us, she made roast chicken over potatoes and onions at least once a month. She did not spatchcock (what a funny word to say and write) the chicken, but rather left it whole to cook on top of the potatoes. I on the other hand, feel that to spatchcock the bird will give a superior result, both for the chicken and the potatoes. It will allow the potatoes to soak up all the juices and flavor from the chicken during the cooking process and at the same time it allows the chicken to cook very evenly, cooking all the way through but leaving both the legs and breast’s very juicy. Since the coarse salt will not all run down the side of the chicken as when you roast it whole, it will give the skin a unique texture, rather like a chinese style pepper & salt preparation. I used the same spice mix for the chicken and the potatoes / vegetables – kosher salt, sriracha, melted butter, granulated garlic. Mix the seasoning and butter with the potatoes and vegetables. Rub the chicken on both sides with a generous amount of butter and seasoning. Place the potato / vegetable mix on a rack which sit’s on a baking sheet, filled with half water and half red wine. Cook in the center of the oven at 390 F for approximately two hours. My chicken was VERY big, so it took two hours to reach a internal temperature of 16o F. After removing the chicken from the oven and letting it rest for another 15 minutes, the carry-over heat will take the temperature to a safe 165. This will leave the chicken safe to eat and the meat, including the breast, very moist and tender.
Finally, strain the jus from the sheet pan and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serving suggestion : See pictures 🙂
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Marc Osten on culinary-compass : Spatchcooking
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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So Loaded

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” Twice baked potato and the kitchen sink ”
This hit the spot perfectly at the right time,
11.30 pm, accompanied by a couple of glasses
of merlot and good company.

Bake the potatoes, remove the flesh, mash it coarsely. Saute finely diced chicken, salame, chilis and scallions in butter, add to the potatoes. Add egg yolk, greek yoghurt and grated asiago cheese. Season with roasted garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, mix well without mashing the potatoes too smoothly. Fill into potato skins, drizzle with butter and grated asiago and bake until golden brown. To serve, add a dollop of greek yoghurt and sprinkle with scallions.
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Twice Baked Potatoes

: Twice Baked Potatoes

: Twice Baked Potato

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Life is Good ! (Especially fully loaded…….
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Parmesan Encrusted Pork Cutlet, Sauteed Potatoes & Chili Butter

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Merry X-mas Everybody 🙂

After I jumped out of bed at 3.30am, thinking I’ll be late for work and realizing only after a quick shower and an even quicker breakfast (one banana and one cup of tea) that it is sunday and x-mas to boost, I took a long walk with Bella while pondering what to have for lunch. I was so hungry by mid morning that I had an early lunch (late second breakfast ?, or as we call it in southern Germany, “Vesper”)
Wonderful tasty breaded pork cutlet with spicy sauted potatoes and Scotch Bonnet & Garlic Compound Butter.
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Ingredient’s :

Pork cutlet, seasoned with salt, cayenne pepper, roasted garlic paste and lime juice
AP flour,
Whole egg, whisked
Bread crumbs, mixed 50/50 with grated parmesan cheese
Peanut oil, to saute
Butter whole, to saute

Potatoes, sliced, blanched
Red peppers, diced
Scallions, sliced
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Peanut oil, to saute
Butter whole, to saute

Method :

Season pork cutlet, dust with flour, dip into egg wash and bread with bread crumb / parmesan mixture. Saute in oil until almost done and golden brown. Replace oil with butter and saute until pork chop reaches 162 0n the bone. Remove absorbent paper.
Saute potatoes in oil until light golden and crisp. Add diced peppers, salt and cayenne. Drain oil and replace with whole butter. Saute until butter starts to foam and slightly changes color. To serve, sprinkle potatoes with scallion and top chop with chili butter.

Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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” Fish & Chips ” In Rice Paper

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I love fish and chips. Unfortunately, it’s relatively hard to come by around here. For a while I thought I found the perfect place, “the Pub” in Pembroke Pines. Maria and I had fish & chips there a few times in a row and it was very good each time, juicy fish, not too much batter, very crispy on the outside. Then we took a bunch of friend’s there for dinner, recommending of course the fish & chips. Imagine my embarrassment when they served us soggy, tasteless doughy crap which we did not eat. A few weeks later Maria and I went again, ordering other food, which was good. We also ordered one portion of fish & chips, just to make sure. Same crap again. Time to look for another place.
So, there you have it, I am a big fan of fish & chips.
Last night all I had in the fridge was tilapia, not usually a choice to make fish & chips. However, I also had rice papper sheets in the cup board, so here is what I came up with. Although it is not even close to the traditional version of fish & chips, it was nevertheless a great version . VERY light and crispy on the outside, the fish steamed perfectly on the inside, juicy and flaky. Served with mushy peas and baked chips.
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Ingredient’s :

Tilapia, cut into wide strips
Rice paper sheets, soaked
Lime, juiced
Kosher salt,
Sriracha,

Potatoes, cut into fries shape, blanched in water
Kosher salt,

Green peas, frozen
Green bell pepper, diced
Roasted garlic paste,
Butter,
Kosher salt,
Sriracha,

Peanut oil, to fry fish & chips

Method :

Bake potatoes in oven at 425 F until crispy and golden.
Sprinkle with salt.

Saute Peppers in butter, add peas, garlic and seasoning,
heat through. Blend with stick blender until coarsely pureed.

Season fish, roll tightly in rice paper and fry until golden and
crisp, about two minutes. Serve with lime and soy for the fish,
mayonnaise for the chips.

P.S.
In case you ever wonder, yes,
I do eat those peppers and chilis I garnish my plates with 🙂

All about FISH & CHIPS

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Caldo Verde

Food memories ……..

Caldo Verde.
For me this recalls the time we were living in Madeira, Portugal. We were living and working in Porto Moniz, in a wonderful apartment overlooking the ocean, close to the center of Funchal, near the rock pool and a great restaurant which was in a rock cave just below our house and specialized in grilled sardines. During many evenings during the cooler months of the year, Maria and I went across the street to a simple restaurant/kiosk which was located right on the stony beach, just opposite the cave restaurant. While I forgot the name of the places, I remember clearly what we consumed most times: A bottle of ” Gatao Vinho Verde ” for me, a diet coke for Maria and two bowls of ” Caldo Verde ” for the both of us if we had dinner on the beach. Same beverages, accompanied by four orders of grilled sardines (one for Maria, three for me ) when we dined in the Cave. These simple dinners alway’s made a perfect ending to a busy day. Memories……. 🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Kale, thoroughly washed, stems removed
Potatoes, medium diced
Chorizo, finely sliced
Stock, chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables
( I used leftover smoked pork stock I had in my freezer
from last weeks “Collard Greens” preparation )
Garlic, paste
Onions, diced
Black pepper, fresh ground
Kosher salt,
Maggi seasoning
Olive oil, to saute

Method :

Saute chorizo in oil until starting to brown.
Remove chorizo, reserve. Saute onions and garlic
until translucent, add potatoes and stock, simmer
until potatoes are soft. Mash potatoes or blend with a
stick blender. Add kale and most of the chorizo. Simmer
until kale is soft. Season soup with salt, pepper and maggi to taste.
To serve, sprinkle the rest of the chorizo on top for color.

Bom apetite ! A vida é boa !
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