Sautéing

Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto – Kani Kama Risotto

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Residing  close to Hialeah means one can buy a lot of goodies by the roadside from “flying vendors”, who sell anything from the trunk of their cars, – electronics, Christmas decorations, clothes, steaks, flowers, fruit, churros, plants, mani, limes, and of course, “fresh seafood”.
I suspect that most of this stuff comes from a “fell off the truck supplier”, but who knows 🙂
My neighbor, Maribel, showed me some of the bargains she bought yesterday from a roadside seafood dealer and asked me if I can replicate one of her favorite dishes, crab meat risotto. Of course, I was happy to do this for her and her husband, as I do cook at least twice a month for them. I asked her to bring me the crab meat; I had the rest of the ingredients in my larder and fridge, so no problem. Well, to no surprise to me, the $10.00 pack of “crab meat” turned out to be Surimi (Kani Kama). To the seller’s credit, at least it was in good shape and smelled and felt very fresh when defrosted, so I explained to Maribel that I can make a seafood risotto for her and that it would be a great dish, although with a basic seafood taste instead of crabmeat taste. And so I did, using the surimi and clam juice for flavor, and the resulting risotto looked great, tasted great and, most important, it made my neighbors happy. (I assume the “crabmeat risotto” which they usually eat at their favorite restaurant in Hialeah is not exactly loaded with “real crabmeat” either 🙂
So there you have it – a wonderfully tasty and pretty dish for the price of a basic “fish and rice” meal. Mission accomplished! 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Poor Man's Crab Meat Risotto

Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

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Poor Man's Crab Meat Risotto

Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

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Preparation :
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Duck For Dummies………

Duck For Dummies

Duck For Dummies

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Many  folks shy back from preparing duck because of it’s stigma of being difficult to prepare. Now, I admit, duck can be royally screwed-up if you don’t know what you are doing, just like anything else. Many chefs, in order to hoot their own horn,  will also try to convince you that cooking duck, especially a whole duck, is difficult and can only be mastered by an expert. While everything is easy if you are an expert, cooking a whole roasted duck doesn’t have to be difficult or fussy. With just a few hours’ roasting and hardly any work at all, you can have a very tasty, very tender, very juicy bird with very crisp skin.
All you need is a duck (you don’t say), salt, a wire rack and an oven. No need for fancy seasoning, fancy equipment or anything else fancy.  Duck meat is very tasty in itself, so you don’t need to get into complicated spices, glazes, etc. In fact, you only need a sauce with your duck if you serve a starchy side-dish.
If you opt to enjoy the duck by itself, either as a main course or an appetizer, the meat alone, without any distraction such as a side dish or sauce, should make you a happy camper.
The following recipe is absolutely foolproof.
The result looks great, tastes like heaven and its texture is textbook-perfect;  moist and tender on the inside, crackling-crisp on the outside, with all the fat between the skin and meat rendered and with a perfect color to boost 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Duck for Dummies Recipe:
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Ingredients:
1 med size duck
Kosher salt to taste
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Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400F
Prick skin and fat of duck all over, remove excess fat-flaps
Season duck generously inside and out side with the salt.
Place duck breast-side down on a wire rack which rests on a sheet-pan.
Place into oven, immediately turn temperature down to 300 F
Roast duck for 3 hours and 45 minutes, turning duck every 30 minutes
After 3 hours and 45 minutes, increase heat to 420F, roast duck breast side up until skin is very crisp and golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Let duck rest for 10 minutes before carving.
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Duck For Dummies

Duck For Dummies

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Duck For Dummies

Duck For Dummies

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Preparation :
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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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The  style of this curry soup has it’s origins in Europe. As I mentioned in previous posts, many decades ago, when I was an apprentice in Europe, “curries” were prepared the European way, nothing at all like “real curries” as they exist in far-away land’s 🙂
Madras curry powder, ground cumin, cream or milk, onion and banana and chicken stock were the main ingredients in our “curries”. They usually contained chicken or shrimp and were thickened with flour, or in the case of soups, with rice or potatoes. Although not in any way “authentic”, they were nevertheless (and still are!) very delicious in their own way.
During the years Maria and I gave regular dinner parties,  we served this soup often and it was always a hit as part of a multi-course meal.
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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Preparation :
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Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms


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Here  is another simple, hearty and delicious dish that I prepare often, since gnocchi and broccolini are some of my favorite ingredients to a happy meal.
Add cheese, mushrooms, butter and pangrattato and you’ll end up with the dish pictured here 🙂
However, if you are not a fan of any of these ingredients – just nix any one of them, or replace them with something you prefer to the original – shrimp instead of mushroom, another pasta instead of gnocchi , another vegetable instead of the broccolini, etc.
Let your imagination, wallet and available time be the guide to your pasta of the day, while using the one featured here as your inspiration 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Gnocchi Recipe:

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Ingredients:
1 lb Russet potatoes,   cooked, peeled, mashed
A/P flour,   sifted – as needed
2 Eggs,  whole, whisked
Kosher salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 0z Butter
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Method :
Add egg, seasoning and flour to potatoes, mix lightly until smooth.
Shape into gnocchi.
Make light indentations with a fork.
Cook a sample in simmering salted water. If too soft, add flour. If too dense, add egg.
Cook gnocchi in simmering water until gnocchi float. Remove with slotted spoon into strainer. Saute in melted butter.
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Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

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Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

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Preparation :
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Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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I just  have come across some debates about what constitutes a “true” Jägerschnitzel, so I’d like to put that to rest, right now, right here, with some authority on the subject (easy now !) 🙂
After all, I grew up  in Swabia in Southern Germany, where, during my youth, schnitzel were one of the most commonly served animal proteins, served a few times a month at home and more often than not during special occasions, such as restaurant visits, birthdays, weddings or funerals or any other gathering where “decent” food was served for a reasonable price.
Traditionally, a Jägerschnitzel is a thin-pounded veal or pork cutlet, dusted with flour and sauteed, then  covered with mushroom sauce, to which sometimes cream and parsley or chives are added, and accompanied by pasta (mostly, but not exclusively Spaetzle), roast potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or dumplings (Knödel).
A “TRUE”  Jägerschnitzel is “NEVER” breaded (never cover anything breaded with sauce, one of the basics in classic cooking – after all, you bread it to be crisp, so why soften it by covering it with moisture ?!!) And yes, I know, like always in cooking, there are a few exceptions, but they do NOT pertain to schnitzel.
Then there are Jägerschnitzel made of chicken or turkey. While less traditional, they have become popular lately because of changing eating-habits and because the meat is more affordable than pork and veal, (especially milk-veal), which has been priced out of reach for most folks.
So there you have it – the end of the Jägerschnitzel Debate.
You are welcome 🙂
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Guten Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze - Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze - Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

Jägerschnitzel Vom Huhn Mit Pasta Und Schmelze – Chicken Cutlet Hunter Style

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Preparation :
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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Today’s  dinner salad was pretty special for me, because it contained six of my favorite food items – endive, pears, Gorgonzola, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and Entraña (faux hanger steak).
While the shiitake might not seem a good fit for a salad at first glance, they turned out to be a perfect fit with the rest of the ingredients.
This salad was at the same time very rustic and very refined.
The different textures and flavors combined to be an absolute beautiful and tasty salad that can be served as main course, appetizer or snack.
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Preparation :
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chefs-doctors-and-allergies
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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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This  dish does not need  a lengthy, flowery introduction, ’cause, what could be more familiar, appetizing and, at the same time, easier to prepare than fried chicken. Especially when it’s done the American way as opposed to the European way.
Classically and in the European style, fried chicken is breaded with a simple breading procedure: Flour, egg wash, bread crumbs.
Following the American procedure, coat the chicken in flour, then dip it in buttermilk, then coat it in flour again.
(This method is also used for “Chicken Fried Steak”)
So there you have it, fried chicken done the American way. Dare I say: The better way ? 🙂
Well, of course both way’s can be excellent (and will be, assuming it’s done right). However, the American way turns out more crisp (again, IF ! properly prepared), so it is slightly ahead on my preference-scale of fried chicken 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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Preparation :
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End Of The Month Noodles

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While  we like to believe that most folks nowadays can afford any food they like, this could not be further from the truth.
Since the beginning of time, providing nourishment for oneself and ones family has always been and still is an important part and often a struggle of the majority of people around the world, although we usually are ashamed of admitting that it can be hard to feed our-self and our loved ones on a level we would love to maintain at all times, especially the good folks who live on a monthly income. Sometimes, towards the end of the month, it can be a bit difficult to keep the excitement for the next meal going, when the purses get lighter and lighter and the freezer, fridge and cupboards are getting emptier and emptier as the month stretches toward the next payday. Many will just give-up at this point, believing that a meal without meat or seafood is substandard and not worth being happy about. This opinion is of course absolutely misguided, especially since there are many food groups besides meat and seafood which are full of protein and nutrition, which can be prepared to be most attractive and yummy.
However, there are also lots of people out there who really love any type of food, no matter what its consists of, as long as it is great to look at, tasty, filling and nutritious. And sometimes, one just gets tired of the usual stuff and opts for something like the meatless dish featured here (as I did today).
To prepare such a meal is super easy, all you need is love, fantasy and “the spirit”, especially in a time when you can search for anything on the net and get a variety of answers within a split second. For a good example, please click on the “Mamapedia”  link below)
To prepare a successful “End Of The Month Dish”, you can use any kind of pasta/noodles/starch, any kind of vegetables, mushrooms or no mushrooms, any type of seasoning (curry, tomato sauce, reduced chicken stock, hoisin, etc), any thing you have available or anything which is economic to purchase, as long as it comes together as a wholesome meal.
And of course, you don’t have to be broke to enjoy a tasty dish like this!
But then, as the end of the month draws closer…………… 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more  End Of The Month Tips  on  Mamapedia
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Click here for  Non-Meat/Seafood  Protein Sources
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P.S.
IF you have a sense of humor, you might want to click here to see how they make ketchup on another planet
 🙂
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End Of The Month Noodles

End Of The Month Noodles

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 End Of The Month Noodles

End Of The Month Noodles

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Preparation :
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Rice Noodles

Rice noodles are much more delicate and fragile than their wheat noodle counterparts. This actually makes them so easy to prepare that we hardly think of it as cooking.

Place all your rice noodles in a deep mixing bowl, trying to snap as few of them as possible as you remove them from the package (always a challenge for us). Bring a good amount of water to boil. Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged.

Every minute or two, give the noodles a stir to loosen them up. When they are completely limp, give them a taste to see if they’re cooked through. The thread-like vermicelli noodles used in spring rolls will cook through in just a few minutes. The flat rice noodles might take upwards of ten minutes depending on thickness. Pay attention and test the noodles frequently because they’ll become mushy if they overcook.

Once the noodles are tender, drain them and run them under cool water to stop the cooking. Toss them with a bit of sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other if you’re not going to use them right away.

More Tips:

  • If the noodles will be used in a stir-fry dish like Pad Thai, you definitely want to under-cook them a bit. They will absorb more moisture and cook the rest of the way through once in the stir fry. If your noodles are perfectly cooked to start, they will turn to mush in the stir fry. Trust us, we’ve done that more times than we can count!
  • If you’re making a soup, you can cook the noodles directly in the broth. Add them just before serving and monitor closely to make sure they don’t over-cook.
  • Even with a bit of sesame oil, the noodles still tend to clump up after you drain them. They will loosen again once you mix the noodles into your dish .

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Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

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While  I love grits and eat them quite often, after a while they can become a bit boring, so I like to dress them up a bit with additional flavors and textures. The version here is especially yummy and pretty, what with the added red beets who give a brilliant red hue, the interesting and unusual texture and a wonderful, earthy flavor. This earthy flavor is nicely greeted by the shrimp in their lemony herb butter (as you can see in the pictures, I splurged a bit on the butter, but so what, sue me).
After all, one probably does not have a rich breakfast like this everyday, so I guess that makes the over-indulgence acceptable  (once in a while, anyway) 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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PORK AND NOODLES IN TWO PARTS – “PART TWO”

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Click here for  “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts – Part One”  on  ChefsOpinion
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Well  dear friends, here now is part two of “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts”.
As I’ve explained in part one,  “Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork” was not planned to exist in its final form, but I was glad it came about, because it was truly a beautiful, delicious dish I would not want to have missed.
It just goes to show that great food can be had by using simple leftovers, as long as one adds a bit of creativity and lot’s of love 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
I like some of my chili dishes’ heat level to the point when the first few bites actually almost hurt, only to then morph into bliss full near-numbness and delightful tingling of the taste bud’s.
If you are less hard-core in the spice-department, adjust the heat level of this dish (or any other) by adding less chili paste.
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Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Preparation :
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