recipes

Cajun Shrimp & Cheese Grits

Totally had a craving for Cajun shrimp on my way home, so I stopped at the whole food market to get two pounds of these beauties. Expensive but so worth the dough 🙂

Cajun Shrimp & Cheese Grits

: Cajun Shrimp & Cheese Grits

Ingredients Shrimp :

Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Clam juice,
Tomato Paste,
Paprika,
Thyme,
Oregano,
Garlic, paste
Oregano,
Cayenne pepper,
Kosher salt,
Butter,

Method :

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Saute in butter until halfway done. Remove shrimp, reserve. Saute more garlic in butter, add thyme, oregano, cayenne. Add tomato paste, saute another minute. Add clam juice and simmer until slightly thickened. A the reserved shrimp and heat through. Adjust the heat to your liking, adding as much hot sauce as you can muster.

Ingredients Cheese Grits :

Chicken stock,
Milk, (about 1/3 the amount of the stock)
Corn meal, coarse ground
Sharp cheddar, grated
Kosher salt,
Scotch bonnet sauce, (substitute with tabasco if you can’t stand the heat)
Butter, (splurge)

Method :

Bring the milk and stock to a boil and gradually whisk in the corn meal. lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy.
Remove from heat, add the hot sauce, cheese and butter, and whisk to combine.

To serve, top the grits with the shrimp and sprinkle with cilantro.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Skirt Steak, Garlic / Herb Butter, Sauted Scallion & Red Beets / Potato Puree

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Last nights dinner finally gave me an opportunity to use the red beet I bought a few days ago. Originally I had bought it to make a salad, but I changed my mind and integrated the beet into my garlicky mashed potato. Good stuff ! 🙂
Here is how it went :
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The Ingredients

Cooking Potatoes & Beets In Salt Water

Sauteing Onions And Garlic In Butter

Mashing Potatoes & Beets

Adding Butter, Cream, Kosher Salt & Cayenne Pepper

Mashed Potatoes & Red Beets

Top With Sauteed Onion & Garlic

Season Steak & Scallion With Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Saute To Preferred Doneness

Skirt Steak, Garlic / Herb Butter, Sauted Scallion & Red Beets / Potato Puree

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Breakfast Of Champions # 23 Scrambled Eggs & Caviar

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In this classic dish you should splurge – use the best caviar you can afford !
(I used grey mullet caviar, which is pretty good, especially for this dish.
Beluga, Imperial, Ossetra, maybe next time 🙂
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Scrambled Eggs & Caviar

: Scrambled Eggs & Caviar

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Ingredients :

Eggs, Very fresh !
Heavy cream,
Caviar, the best you can afford 🙂
Scallions, finely sliced
Butter,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Whisk the eggs lightly with heavy cream, salt and pepper.
Heat a pan,
Add the butter to melt, add the eggs and cook until done to your likeness.
Pour into serving dish and top with caviar and scallions. Enjoy !

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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Port Wine & Beaujolais Poached Bartlett Pears

Hard to believe, but many folks have never come across a poached pear on a restaurant menu, much less eaten one. What a shame, since this is such a versatile culinary gem. In classic restaurants you would come across them as part of different dishes often, be it by them self with a bit of Creme Chantilly or vanilla sauce, or part of a cheese course, maybe part of a dessert , or served as garniture to a savory dish such as pork, poultry, game or pork. But now I suspect it has become old-fashioned? For me however, if it looks good and tastes good it will never be out of fashion, so yesterday I treated myself to this beautiful, decadent and luxurious dish. Later in the evening I added a good shot of “Schladerer Zwetschgen Schnaps” to the remaining spiced wine and enjoyed it hot as a night cup.

Life is Good !
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Port Wine & Beoujolais Poached Pears

: Port Wine & Beoujolais Poached Pears

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Ingredient’s :

Bartlett pears, peeled
Port wine,
Beaujolais
Cinnamon stick,
Sugar,
Star anise,

Method :

Mix port wine and red wine 50/50. Add a bit of orange juice, cinnamon, sugar and star anise , bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Let cool to room temperature. Add the pears,(they must be covered by the liquid), bring to a slow simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool down to room temperature. Serve with chocolate dusted whipped cream.

Bon Appetit !

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Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Here is Tuesday’s no-fuss, quick, easy, tasty dinner.
Many a moron (unfortunately, there is a never-ending supply of those) will say chicken breast is dry, tasteless and boring. (Yes, if you don’t know what you are doing).
But, put some love and knowledge into your food and everything can be made enjoyable, even a simple chicken breast 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

: Paillard Of Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Peppers & Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Ingredient’s :

Chicken breast, pounded thin between two oiled sheets of plastic film
Broccoli rabe, blanched
Sun dried tomatoes, finely julienned
Red bell pepper, finely julienned
Onion, finely julienned
Dijon mustard,
Cayenne pepper,
Corn meal,
Corn starch,
Garlic paste,
Butter,

Method :

Mix cornmeal cornstarch, salt and pepper. Season chicken with mustard, dredge paillard in mixture, shake of excess and saute in butter until golden brown and medium well (the carry-over heat will take it to a safe 165F). Remove chicken to a warm serving plate. Saute onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic until fragrant, add broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper and saute until heated. Add to the chicken, dig in and enjoy 🙂
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Sauted Strip Steak , Cauliflower Tortilla & Sriracha/Garlic Butter

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Sunday’s late lunch / early dinner (4.00pm)
After sleeping-in late (7.30am and enjoying a big breakfast of strawberry smoothies and goose liver pate stuffed croissants, I did not feel hungry at lunch time and held out until late afternoon.
But then I knew I would have to combine lunch and dinner, so it needed to be a substantial meal, otherwise the snack monster would haunt me early in the evening. This is the first time I made a Spanish Tortilla with cauliflower and tomatoes and it made me realize what a great dish I’ve been missing all my live. What a wonderful dish. It can stand on it’s own, as breakfast, snack, even a complete meal if accompanied by a small salad, served hot or at room temperature. You can of course use different vegetables, different cheeses, add protein such as sausage, bacon, shrimp, crab meat, add different herbs, etc. The possibilities are endless and only limited by your fantasy 🙂
If you ever want to reproduce this dish, just make sure the cauliflower / vegetables are blanched al dente, so that the tortilla has a bit of a bite to it. While I was cooking the tortilla, I also added grated parmesan cheese to the whisked eggs, (not featured in the mise en place picture). You can omit the cheese, but it definitely adds another level of depth to the dish.
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Sauted Strip Steak , CauliflowerTortila & Sriracha/Garlic Butter

Sauted Strip Steak , Cauliflower Tortilla & Sriracha/Garlic Butter

: Sauted Strip Seak , CauliflowerTortila & Sriracha/Garlic Butter

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Ingredients :

Tortilla :

Cauliflower rosettes, blanched al dente
Eggs, whole, whisked, seasoned with kosher salt, cayenne and grated parmesan
Grape tomatoes,
Butter,

Method :

Saute cauliflower and tomatoes briefly in butter, add egg mixture and cook covered on low heat until eggs have set but are not dry. Slide onto a dinner plate, top with the saute pan, invert and cook other side of tortilla until golden.
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Steak :

Season teak with salt, granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper and saute both sides until desired doneness. Remember the carry over heat will cook it one more level after you remove the steak from the pan! Let the steak rest for ten minutes before slicing !

Butter :

Mix softened butter with sriracha, roasted garlic paste, a bit of lime juice and kosher salt.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pizza With Anchovies, Mascarpone, Tomato & Egg

I did not feel like having an elaborate meal tonight, so this quick and easy to prepare pizza was all I wanted for dinner. I actually had some pickled artichoke hearts in the fridge but I forgot to use them. Even without the artichokes, it was a very enjoyable, filling and satisfying dinner.
Looking forward though, to tomorrows braised oxtail with potato dumplings.
(Geschmorter ochsen schwanz mit kartoffel knoedeln) 🙂

Pizza With Anchovies, Mascarpone, Tomato & Egg

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Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients :

Pizza dough,
Anchovy filets, canned
Eggs, whole
Tomato, sliced
Chili flakes,
Mascarpone cheese,
Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Scallions, sliced
Olive oil,

Method :

Pull pizza dough into a thin oval. Top with anchovies, tomatoes and mascarpone, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 500F until bubbling, add eggs and sprinkle with chili flakes, Return to oven and bake until dough is cooked, golden and crispy.
To serve, top with arugula in honey / mustard dressing.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Rum Laced Iced Berry Soup

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What a gorgeous sunday afternoon by the lake. Perfect temperature outside, a good book to read (WHISKEY BEACH, by Nora Roberts), great rock in the background (Big 105.9) and this wonderful concoction of berries, yoghurt and rum, topped with a bit of whipped cream.
Ahhhhhhh 🙂

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Life is Good ! Cheers !

Rum Laced Iced Berry Soup

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Best Fish Taco

Well, at least for me they were the best in a very long line of disappointing restaurant and food truck fish tacos.
Most of the time, if you want to have the really good stuff, you’ve got to prepare it yourself 🙂
The secret here is the fish batter. You don’t want to have to prep something complicated or difficult for such a simple meal. So here I give you my “secret” easy and quick batter recipe:
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A/P flour, crushed ice, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic, chilled sparkling water (I use syfo lemon-lime, the only bottled water for me).
Mix all ingredients lightly, don’t worry about a few lumps, they fry out in the hot oil and become crispy. See the prep pic to get an idea about the texture. Then dip the fish into the batter and fry at 375F until crispy and fish just done. Remove to absorbent paper. Build your tacos with your favorit ingredients / condiments.
Voila ! Best fish taco 🙂
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Viva Mexico ! Viva Los Tacos ! Viva La Vida !
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