scallion

” Flank Steak & Veggies “

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I have done a few variations of this dish lately and I have become a real fan of it.
Cutting the flank in finger sized pieces, dusting it with corn starch and sauteing
at high heat gives a very pleasant texture and taste. And of course, mixing it with
great vegetables, lots of garlic and then deglazing the pan with red wine or
white wine, depending on the type of veggies – what could be better, once all
these flavors and textures come together in a simple, hearty, flavorful dish   🙂

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Ingredient’s :

Flank steak,                    cut into large strips
Corn starch,                     to dust beef
Onions,                            diced
Grape tomatoes,             whole
Artichoke hearts,           whole, canned
Butter beans,                   canned
Garlic,                               paste
Scallions,                         sliced large
Oyster sauce,                   to taste
Sriracha,                           to taste
Teriyaki sauce,                to taste
Kosher salt,                     to taste
Cayenne,                           to taste
Peanut oil,                        to saute

Method :

Season beef with salt and pepper, dust with corn starch and saute
in very hot oil until nicely browned at the outside, rare on the inside.
Transfer to a rack with a plate underneath to catch the juices.
Saute all vegetables and garlic. except scallions,  until fragrant.
Add a bit of white wine and the collected beef juices to deglaze,
add sriracha, oyster sauce and teriyaki sauce, blend well.
Add the beef, adjust seasoning if necessary .
To serve, sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

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” Imperial Chow Mein “

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A  Dish I created a few years ago for a chinese restaurant in Bogota, Columbia
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Image by : Hans Susser



Ingredients :

Shrimp,                                                shelled and deveined, tail on, dusted in cornsatarch
Scallops,                                              dusted in cornsatarch
Squid,                                                    sliced, dusted in cornsatarch
Egg noodles,                                       cooked and drained
Cooked ham                                        diced
Lap Cheong (chorizo)                       sliced
Bell pepper, red                                   diced
Bell pepper, green                              diced
Bell pepper, yellow                            diced
Green peas,                                          frozen
Onion                                                    diced
Scallions,                                              finely sliced
Ginger,                                                  shaved
Garlic,                                                    paste
Salt,                                                        to taste
Lime juice,                                            to taste
Cayenne,                                                to taste
Soy sauce,                                              to taste
Sesame oil,                                            to taste
Sherry wine,
Peanut oil,                                             to fry

Method :

Saute shrimp, scallops and squid in very hot pan until halfway cooked.
Remove and set aside.
Saute all vegetables except scallions, deglaze with sherry.
Add noodles, seafood, ham and seasoning,
saute until well combined, adjust seasoning if necessary .
To serve, sprinkle with scallions.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Lion’s Head Soup ” ( Shr Za Tou )
  •  >Today I made a soup for dinner which is traditionally eaten during the cooler months of the year. But I figured it is cold somewhere in the world, even if it isn’t so in Miami, so what the heck, bring it on. Besides, I turned the a/c down a bit so all was fine   🙂
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    All about  LION’s HEAD SOUP
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    Ingredients :1 pound ground pork
    1/2 pound mung bean noodles, soaked
    1 whole egg
    1 tablespoon cornstarch
    5 chinese black mushroom
    1 red radish, finely sliced
    2 teaspoons sesame oil
    1 tablespoon ginger root, paste
    2 scallions, sliced
    1 tablespoon peanut oil
    1 head napa cabbage, sliced coarsely
    2 cups chicken stock
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 teaspoons sesame oil
    salt. to taste
    cayenne, to tasteMethod :

    1. Mix the ground pork, egg, cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, salt, cayenne and half of the scallions together in a bowl.
      Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
    2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
      When the oil is hot, saute the napa cabbage and mushrooms until cabbage begins to wilt, about one minute.
      Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
    3. Shape the pork mixture into tennis ball size balls.
      Add  them into the boiling stock. When the last ball has been added, cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, depending on size of dumplings .
      When dumplings are done, (at this point, they should be very light and delicate in texture) remove from heat and add noodles and seasoning to the soup.
      To serve, garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro, drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil..Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Sunday Lunch Made Easy ” Chicken & Veggie Soup

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Even if you dont like to spend much time in your kitchen on a sunday,
this soup is well worth the 5 minutes prep time and 30 minutes wait until it’s all simmered to perfection.
Happy Sunday   🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Chicken drum sticks,
Cauliflower,                      florettes,
Carrots,                              sliced
Celery,                                sliced
Leek,                                   sliced
Green peppers,                 diced
Scallion,                            sliced
Cherry tomatoes,             whole
Cilantro,                            chopped
Lime,                                  juiced for soup, sliced for deco
Salt,                                     to taste
Cayenne,                            to taste
Maggi seasoning,            to taste

Method :

Simmer chicken in lightly salted water until cooked through but still firm.
(No falling of the bone here, that’s overcooked)
Add carrots, leek and celery and simmer until just done.
Remove from heat, add salt, cayenne, lime juice, cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes and let steep for another five minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with lime slices.

All about  MAGGI SEASONING

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Bologna & Asiago Salad “

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One  of my standby’s for a quick, hearty, delicious, no-cook dinner  🙂
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Ingredient‘s :

Bologna,                cubed
Asiago cheese,     cubed
Eggs,                       hard boiled, diced
Onion,                    diced
Roasted garlic,     paste
Scallion,                sliced
Salt,                        to taste
Black pepper,       freshly ground, to taste
Dijon mustard,    to taste
Olive oil
Vinegar

All about  WURSTSALAT

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Easy Beef Curry & Coconut Rice “

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Easy  beef curry !
This seems to be so wrong on different levels.
First, eating beef in india ?  Yes, of course. There are many christians and believers in other faith’s living in that vast country who don’t consider cows to be holy and therefore consume beef.
Also, in Goa there is a long and wonderful tradition of portuguese cuisine, using beef and veal in many of it’s recipes, sometimes pure and traditional, most often intertwined with indian cuisine which mostly results in a very distinctive cuisine, much loved by me.
Second, easy curry ?  Here I refer to my use of curry powder, which is definitely a much easier way than making your own mix from many different spices, roots and herbs (depending on the curry)

Traditionally, in Europe the general public did not know much about other countries ethnic cuisines ( with a few exceptions) until the late 50’s, early 60’s.When I was a young apprentice in the mid – 60’s, some of the more exotic dishes on our hotel’s menu were “Curries” usually shrimp or chicken, served with rice. These so called curries were a far cry from what we have learned and experienced by now what a curry is supposed to be. At that time, we did not make our own curry and masala mixes but rather used the ubiquitous “Curry Powder” , still to be found in most grocery stores around the world, available for those folks who want a quick fix of curry without the fuss. I have lived for some years in Pakistan and in South East Asia, as well as having visited India on many occasions. I consider myself an absolute devotee of curries in all of it’s myriads of incarnations. However, I am also a big sucker for the dishes of my home and my youth, so sometimes I have to make a decision which route to follow on that particular day for a particular dish or style of cooking. Yesterday the curries of my youth won out. The creaminess that is so characteristic of our old fashioned “curries” and the inclusion of fruit into the sauce ( apples, bananas, pineapples) has an appeal all of it’s own to me.
So, in the spirit of good food, no matter what, here is one of my versions of curry.
In the same spirit, there are many variations of coconut rice, this is one of my versions.

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All you want to know about  CURRY

All you want to know about CURRY POWDER

All you want to know about CLASSIC FRENCH CURRY SAUCE
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Curry
Ingredients :

Striploin,                    sliced
Banana,                     diced
Onion,                        sliced
Cauliflower,              blanched
Cherry tomatoes,     whole
Heavy cream,
Ginger,                       grated
Garlic,                         paste
Curry powder,           to taste
Salt,                             to taste
Cayenne,                    to taste
Scallion,                     finely sliced
Cilantro,                     chopped
Star anis,
Cinamon stick
Peanut oil                   to saute

Method :

Saute beef on high heat until medium rare and brown.
Remove on rack to catch juices.
Saute onion, ginger, garlic, 1/2 scallion, 1/2 half cilantro, cinnamon, anis and curry powder until fragrant.
Add cream and slowly simmer to reduce until sauce has become creamy.
Add juices from beef, simmer another minute , season with salt and pepper to taste.
Strain sauce, add beef, cauliflower and tomatoes and heat through without simmering.
To serve, sprinkle with remaining scallion and cilantro

Coconut Rice
Ingredients :

Basmati rice,             thoroughly washed to remove excess starch
Coconot milk             2/3 liquid
chicken stock             1/3
Onion,                         diced
Ginger,                        grated
Garlic,                          paste
Salt,                              to taste
Cayenne,                     to taste
Butter,                          to saute

Method :

Saute onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant (no color), add rice and saute for another minute. Add stock,  coconut milk and seasoning, bring to a simmer.
Cover tightly and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender and dry, about 25 to 30 minutes, depending on rice and applied heat.
DO NOT STIR DURING THIS PROCESS !
When rice is cooked, let rest off the heat for another five minutes before removing lid.
Fluff rice carefully with a fork. To serve, sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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P.S.
My previous post about another “Curry”
Enjoy !    🙂
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All about  CURRY WURST
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Currywurst, Berlin style

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” Sauteed Chicken, Potatoes & Vegetables “

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Today’s lunch  🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Chicken,             boneless, diced
Asparagus,        blanched, halved
Potatoes,            turned, blanched
Red peppers,     cut into triangles
Onions,              diced
Garlic,                 paste
Scallions,           sliced
Peanut oil,         to saute
Salt,                     to taste
Black pepper,    freshly ground

Method :

Saute chicken until golden brown but still juicy.
Remove to absorbent paper, reserve. Saute potatoes
until lightly browned, add garlic, onions, peppers and
scallions and saute until garlic becomes fragrant.
Remove from heat, add chicken and seasoning, mix well.
To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Bon Appetit !  Life is Good !
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” Braised Pork Ribs With Fermented Black Bean Sauce “

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Today I wanted to use my newly purchased glass cooking vessel, “guaranteed stove top save”
Well, it might have been be save from talking or painting or other such mundane undertakings, but it certainly was not save from exploding into a thousand pieces.
So much for ” guaranteed warranties ” . ( Kind of like the promises of our politician’s ).
Any way, after I cleaned up the mess and calmed Bella down, I proceeded to cook dinner the old fashion way, on the stove top in a rigged metal steamer.
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Braised pork ribs with fermented black bean sauce & rice.
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Ingredients :

Pork ribs,
Scallion,
Onion
Chilis,
Ginger,
Garlic
Cilantro
Soy sauce,
Fermented black bean sauce
Scotch bonnet hot sauce
Sesame oil
Water or unsalted stock

Method :

In a steamer (or makeshift steamer)put all ingredients except
half the cilantro you are using in the bottom of the steamer.
Add a wire rack, place ribs on top and cover air tight.
Steam for one hour or until ribs are tender.
Remove ribs and set aside. Strain sauce and brush both sides of ribs.
Put ribs back on rack on a clean baking tray and bake in oven until
nicely glazed, repeatedly adding more sauce as needed.
To serve, nape with remaining sauce and sprinkle with
cilantro and some more chilis.


Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Penne Rigate alla Contadino ”

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Last nights dinner, rigate alla contadino,
a rich concoction you might find at a poor farmers table.
Even at a simple farmers dinner table you can find pasta,
sausage, cheese, cream and vegetables.
With a little imagination and love for food, you can turn these
simple ingredients into a dish fit for a king   🙂
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Ingredients :

Penne Rigate,          cooked al dente, strained, reserve some of the cooking liquid
Morcilla,                   thinly sliced
Chorizo,                     thinly sliced
Peppers,                     julienned
Onion,                        julienned
Garlic,                         paste
Tomato,                      wedges
Scallions,                   sliced
Parmesan,                 grated
Hot sauce,                 to taste
Salt,                             to taste
Cream,
Olive oil,

Method :

Saute onions and garlic until translucent, add chorizo and peppers and saute one more minute.
Add pasta,cream, cheese, morcilla and seasoning, simmer and mix well for another minute.
If texture becomes too thick, add some cooking liquid until you have the desired  texture.
To serve, sprinkle with scallions and more parmesan.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Smoked Pig’s Tail, Bow Ties & Vegetable Stew “

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In my opinion, pig‘s tails are the second best part of the whole pig,
right after the cheek’s. I prefere them brined and simmered, served
with a good mustard and sour dough bread. However, I found those
smoked ones at my neighbor hood store and what better way to enjoy
them then in a good stew  🙂
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Ingredient‘s :

Smoked pig’s tail’s,
Bow tie pasta,                    cooked, al dente
Cauliflower,                       blanched
Broccoli,                             blanched
Carrots,                               blanched
Scallions,                            sliced
Tomatoes,                          wedges
Ginger,                                grated
Garlic,                                 paste
Cilantro,                             chopped
Cayenne pepper,               to taste
Kosher salt,                       to taste
Maggi seasoning,             to taste

Method :

Simmer pig’s tail’s in lightly seasoned water until tender.
Add all other ingredients, simmer until heated through.
Serve with rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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