spicy

Filet Au Poivre Avec Pommes De Terre Lyonnaise

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The plan was to prepare a traditional pepper steak when I realized that I had no demi glace in the freezer for a proper pepper sauce. I usually have demi glace, tomato sauce and curry base/sauce in the freezer, but today I was out of luck with the demi glace. So there were four options to choose from :

– sit down and cry,
– prep a new batch of demi glace which will take a couple of hours
– use the curry sauce,
– use the tomato sauce.

I decided to go with the tomato sauce and the result was excellent. Very little different from the demi glace version, just as creamy and tasty as a “proper”, traditional pepper sauce. Great lunch in no time 🙂

(Have to prepare a batch of demi glace now )
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Traditional Pepper Steak (Steak Au Poivre)
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More Steak @ ChefsOpinion
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Filet Au Poivre Avec Pommes De Terre Lyonnaise

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Preparation :
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: Season a 8 oz beef tenderloin steak with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, saute in garlic oil until rare, remove from pan and let rest (carry-over heat will continue to cook the meat until medium rare)

: saute sliced blanched potatoes in duck fat until golden, add sliced onion, garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, continue sauteeing until onions caramelize

: meanwhile, deglace pan with heavy cream, reduce until slightly thickened

: add a dollop of tomato sauce, simmer another minute, check / adjust seasoning

: plate potatoes, sprinkle with sliced chives

: drizzle with pepper sauce

: Filet Au Poivre Avec Pommes De Terre Lyonnaise

: Filet Au Poivre Avec Pommes De Terre Lyonnaise

: Filet Au Poivre Avec Pommes De Terre Lyonnaise

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Sautéed Smoked Salmon Patty

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If you love smoked salmon as I do, but are a bit weary of it on toast or bagel for the ‘thousand’s time, you might want to try this dish. Different, super easy to prepare, very tasty, great texture and not too shabby looking either. Accompanied by “simpleton potato salad”, romaine lettuce in honey/mustard dressing and a dip of spicy ranch dressing. (3/4 ranch, 1/4 sriracha and a good dose of garlic paste)
Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Sautéed Smoked Salmon Patty

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: diced cooked potatoes, diced cucumbers, mayo, dijon mustard, sriracha, garlic paste, kosher salt

: Mix all ingredients, check / adjust seasoning

: diced smoked salmon, panko bread crumbs, mayo, sliced scallions, diced peppers, ketchup, cayenne pepper

: mix well, form patties

: coat patties in panko bread crumbs

: saute patties in olive oil

: Sautéed Smoked Salmon Patty

: Sautéed Smoked Salmon Patty

: “Simpleton Potato Salad”

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Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

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Although I have cut back on my consumption of red meat, I still crave a rare steak once in a while. Tenderloin is not usually my cut of choice (that would be bone-in rib eye), but my Argentinian butcher had a special of grass-fed, cleaned and trimmed beef tenderloin for 26.85 per pound. Who could say no to that ? – not me, since the same quality and cut runs usually a lot higher around here.
This cut and quality needs no fru fru, just some kosher salt, garlic oil and chili oil and that’s it – beef heaven 🙂
The mushrooms with cannellini beans are the perfect side dish, spicy, flavorful and hearty.
What a great dinner, Bella and myself perfectly happy and ready to plan the next meal 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

first bite for Bella, as usual 🙂

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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 tenderloin with kosher salt and rub with chili oil and garlic oil

: grill in a very hot grill pan until marked on one side, turn and finish in a 325F oven until medium rare

: saute mushrooms in olive oil

: add cannellini, garlic paste, sriracha, kosher salt, a dash of maggi and a small amount of grated asiago cheese, simmer one minute, check / adjust seasoning

: add a few scallions (seasoned with salt, garlic oil and chili oil) during the last few minutes of cooking the steak

: Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

: Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

: Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

: Grilled Tenderloin With Mushrooms And Cannellini Beans

: first bite for Bella, as usual 🙂

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Curried Lentil Salad With Tandoory-Style Chicken

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Today, let’s make a salad that is both full of flavor and easy to prepare.
Curried lentils are of course one of my favorite lentil recipes, served either hot or cold (vinaigrette added), by them self as salad or as a sexy side dish (again, either hot or as salad). And tandoori chicken?- well, anytime, please 🙂
While I don’t have a tandoori oven in my kitchen (neither do you, I guess), cooking the chicken without fat in a VERY hot cast iron pan will give satisfying, similar results.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Tandoori Chicken Salad

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Preparation :
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: marinate chicken thighs overnight in a paste of ghee, garam masala, cumin, allspice, lemon juice, yogurt, paprika, cinnamon, grated ginger, garlic paste, black pepper and kosher salt

: cook lentils by slowly simmering in salted water until soft, but not falling apart

: mix greek yogurt, mayo, mustard, curry powder, turmeric powder, rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: add lentils, chopped cilantro, diced radish, diced cucumbers and sliced chilies, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

: add chicken to VERY HOT cast Iron pan, cook for about 3 minutes on one side

: turn chicken, turn down temperature a bit, cook until cooked through

: dress lettuce with vinaigrette of your choice

: add lentil salad

: top with chicken breast

: top with a dollop of greek yogurt, sprinkle with chopped cilantro

: Tandoori Chicken Salad

: Tandoori Chicken Salad

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Curry Ribs

This recipe uses my standard curry base/sauce, of which I always have a few containers in the freezer.
You can of course make any type of curry base in which you braise your ribs, but this dish is pretty easy and fast to prepare when you start out with a great, readily prepared base/sauce and take it from there. Just remember, when you simmer the ribs, you must add the same amount of water to the base/sauce as will evaporate during the cooking process, so that you end up with the same textured sauce you had when you started. I suggest you don’t add too much water at first and add more as needed while you go.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Hans’ “Easy Does It” Curry Recipe

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Naan Recipe
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Preparation :
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: saute chilies, tomatoes, scallions, onions and garlic paste in butter until onions are opaque

: add curry sauce/base

: add water or stock of your choice

: add single-cut pork ribs

: cover, simmer until ribs are tender but not falling apart

: if sauce is too thick, add more liquid, if sauce is too thin, remove ribs and let sauce reduce to preferred texture

: freshly baked naan

: Curry Ribs

: Curry Ribs

: Curry Ribs

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Come Together………

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Here are some of the meals I had during the last few days, utilizing some previously posted dishes –
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–Potato Salad
–Pickled Cauliflower
–Pickled Broccolini
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It goes to show that simple individual dishes which are great on their own will be even better when they finally come together as one.
Hopefully this will inspire you a bit to decide what will be next on YOUR dinner table 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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new york strip with pickled broccolini, pickled cauliflower and potato salad

spicy italian sausages with pickled cauliflower and tomato in honey/mustard vinaigrette

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: New York Strip

: new york strip with pickled broccolini, pickled cauliflower and potato salad

: new york strip with pickled broccolini, pickled cauliflower and potato salad

: new york strip with pickled broccolini, pickled cauliflower and potato salad

: spicy italian sausages with pickled cauliflower and tomato in honey/mustard vinaigrette

: spicy italian sausages with pickled cauliflower and tomato in honey/mustard vinaigrette

: spicy italian sausages with pickled cauliflower and tomato in honey/mustard vinaigrette

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Salad With Irish Cheddar

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The other day I came across this cheese and thought I’ll give it a try. Turns out that this is my new favorite semi-hard cheese. It is simply delicious and, because of its sharpness and strength, ideal to pair with salad, which of course I did at once. Here is the result:
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Salad And Irish Cheddar

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Preparation :
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: the good stuff…..

: fresh herbs, always at hand…..

: rainbow tomatoes, radish. mild chilies

: sliced cucumbers, onions, radish. mild chilies, halved rainbow tomatoes, dressed in honey/mustard vinaigrette

: lettuce julienne with honey/mustard vinaigrette

: to serve, add vegetables and shaved cheddar, sprinkle with fresh basil, fresh cilantro and fresh ground black pepper

: Salad And Irish Cheddar

: Salad And Irish Cheddar

: Salad And Irish Cheddar

: Salad And Irish Cheddar

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Chili/Duck Rice Sticks

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The other day I roasted a whole duck to have for dinner but when it was almost done a friend called me to invite me for dinner, so I put the whole shamuckus in the fridge for the next day to be used. The following dish was the result and I must say – what an extraordinary satisfying result it was, both visual and taste-wise, which just goes to show (again) that sometimes leftovers are better than the original. (Mind you – not alway’s – but often enough)
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chili/Duck Rice Sticks

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Preparation :
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: soak rice sticks in water for five minutes, drain

: remove all bones from duck,, discard bones

: saute slivered garlic in peanut oil until crisp and golden, set aside

: saute sliced onions in peanut oil until caramelized but not crisp, set aside

: pure goodness………

: saute duck in very hot peanut oil until skin is crisp but meat still juicy

: add chilies and grated ginger, saute a few seconds until chilies blister

: add rice sticks, equal parts of hoi sin sauce, chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sweet thai chili sayce and ketchup )don’t scoff on the ketchup, it adds acidity and sweetness as well as richness to the dish

: mix all ingredients well, add a dash of sesame oil, check / adjust seasoning

: add bean sprouts and scallions

: almost there………..

: plate noodles on a deep plate or bowl

: sprinkle with more scallions

: add onions

: sprinkle with crispy garlic

: Chili/Duck Rice Sticks

: Chili/Duck Rice Sticks

: Chili/Duck Rice Sticks

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Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

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Link to : “Hans’ Lighter, Healthier Comfort Food ”
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Baby bok choy – must be one of the best vegetables anywhere. I just love the looks, the taste and especially the texture. Of course, as far as the taste is concerned, there is not much of it’s own, so I usually add oyster sauce or fermented black bean sauce among other strong ingredients to bring out the best of these beauties 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
In case you wonder why I did not toast the sesame seeds –
I sometimes prefer the taste of un-toasted sesame, it is milder as if you toast them, – just a personal preference 🙂
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drizzle vegetables with oyster sauce mixture

top with chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro

Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In 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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: make a sauce by simmeringoyster sauce, hoi sin sauce and soy sauce with garlic paste, grated ginger and cayenne pepper until reduced by half

: season bok choy with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute in peanut oil until leaves start to wilt, add oyster sauce mixture, cover, steam for ca 3 minutes or until bokchoy is heated through

: remove bok choy, from sauce, set aside, add beansprouts and radish julienne, steam until heated through, remove veggies from sauce, set aside

: meanwhile, season chicken breast with salt and pepper, grill, brush generously with sweet chili sauce

: serving platter….

: arrange vegetables on platter

: drizzle vegetables with oyster sauce mixture

: top with chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

: Steamed Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce & Grilled Chicken Breast In Sweet Chili Sauce

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Seafood Snack

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Your choice:
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$ 3.95 – 1 pack of crappy “Nachos”
$ 4.50 – 1 small tub of crappy “Salsa”
$ 3.50 – 1 small can of crappy “Cheese Dip”

Total: $ 11.95 for a crappy snack 😦
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OR !!!
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$ 11.00 – 1,5 lbs snow crab legs
$ 6.00 – 0.5 lb eat & peel shrimp
$ 1.00 for some Thai sweet & spicy chili sauce
$ 0.50 half a lemon
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Total: 18.50 for a delicious, healthy, beautiful snack 🙂
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You be the judge !