spicy

Spinach Wrap With Smoked Spicy Sausage, Coleslaw And Black Beans

Before I started this post today, I googled “Wrap”, to see some comparison to what I had prepared for dinner.
To tell you the truth, almost all of them, especially the ones from food chains, look absolutely gorgeous – well balanced with equal amounts of protein, lettuce and other “Stuff” 🙂
The problem???
Almost all these wraps are very different from the real thing you can purchase in restaurants and deli’s. While there are a few exceptions, most commercial places serve you these monster wraps, huge and beautiful to look at. But upon closer inspection, one finds mostly shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, sprinkled sparsely with the other ingredients listed on the menu. Even when there seems to be a lot of the goodies, the maker of the wrap usually places most of the goodies in the very center of the wrap, so when it is cut for presentation, it shows an abundance of it at the displayed center cut, while the rest of the roll contains mostly the cheap shredded lettuce. This would not be such a problem if the prices would not be so outrageous for what is actually being served (mostly lettuce) 😦
Good restaurants are usually an altogether different animal, although many serve you the same “lettuce wrap with a bit of other stuff”.
By now you will know what’s the solution – yep, make your own and pack it with the good stuff ! 🙂
Here we go:
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Sausage on ChefsOpinion
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Spinach Wrap With Smoked Spicy Sausage, Coleslaw And Black Beans

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: cut 8 oz of your favorite sausage into medium size pieces

: saute sausages with 1/2 medium size onion until onion is lightly caramelized

: add 6 oz black beans, 2 tblsp grated parmesan, 1/2 tsp garlic paste and 2 oz finely sliced raw bell peppers

: sprinkle 1 large spinach tortilla with grated parmesan

: add the sausage filling

: sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped cilantro and hot sauce to taste

: roll wrap tightly

: wrap roll into alu-foil to re-heat at a later point (omit this step if you serve the wrap right away); If re-heated, serve with or without foil. If you serve with the foil, peel-back as you eat to avoid a mess 🙂

: Spinach Wrap With Smoked Spicy Sausage, Coleslaw And Black Beans

: Spinach Wrap With Smoked Spicy Sausage, Coleslaw And Black Beans

: Spinach Wrap With Smoked Spicy Sausage, Coleslaw And Black Beans

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Hot Legs

Easy, peasy, but soooo delicious 🙂
When you don’t feel like spending lots of time in the kitchen, but you want to have a great, hot meal just the same, these beautiful, juicy, spicy and wonderful delicious babies can come to the rescue.
5 minutes prep time (max), 45 minutes total time, – voilà !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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” Hot Legs “

” Hot Legs “

” Hot Legs “

” Hot Legs “

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Preparation :
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: 2 tblsp organic honey

: 3 tblsp sriracha

: 2 tblsp say sauce

: 1 tblsp garlic paste; mix well

: 4 large chicken legs

: incise on both sides all the way to the bone

: put legs on a rack which is suspended above a baking sheet with 1 inch water(to prevent the drippings from burning), brush with half the marinade on both sides

: bake at 420F for 20 minutes

: remove legs from oven, brush with the remaining marinade on both sides, return to oven until done (162 on the thickest part on the bone); serve with steamed rice or flat bread

: ” Hot Legs “

: ” Hot Legs “

: ” Hot Legs “

: ” Hot Legs “

: if serving the legs with steamed rice, use the pan drippings to pour over the rice; otherwise, reserve for stir fried noodles

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Grilled Tuna Steak, Garlic Confit With Black Olives And Greens In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Fresh grilled tuna steak might seem a tad old-fashioned these day’s, but when it is so yummy, who cares ? 🙂
This dish, and the memories it evoked, mentally transported me back to the shores of the Mediterranean, where this would be a traditional, light lunch – a few, simple but fresh and fragrantly seasoned ingredients, enjoyed with good company and a few glasses of wine, then, a short Siesta and on to a wild night about town 🙂
Well, in my case it was iced tea instead of wine, then a walk with Bella instead of a siesta and afterward a good movie instead of a wild night about town. 🙂
But, nevertheless, great food and a wonderfully relaxing evening.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Tuna Steak, Garlic Confit With Black Olives And Greens In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Mediterranean Fish Seasoning:

3tablespoons dried rosemary
2tablespoons ground cumin
2tablespoons ground coriander
1tablespoon dried oregano
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients well. This mix seasons 4 to 6 steaks.
Brush tuna with olive oil, season liberally with the spice mix, grill until temperature reaches your preference.
Saute confit and black olives in EVO, add to steak.
Serve with a salad of your choice.
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Click here for Garlic Confit on ChefsOpinion
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Grilled Tuna Steak, Garlic Confit With Black Olives And Greens In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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I do realize that taco bowls are sooo 80’s, but I feel they still look great today, and this piece of once “in” popular food culture deserves a place within the classics we should re-visit once in a while so as not to forget them 🙂
In order to be a bit more colorful, instead of the usual flour tortilla, I have used a brightly colored spinach wrap here. Wraps come in all kinds of colors, so this opens up the visual spectrum to be a bit more varied.
As far as the filling is concerned, today I felt like bean salad, avocado, greens, and shrimp, but of course, the sky is the limit, as long as it is not liquid and you serve it right after preparation in order to avoid the shells to become soft.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Shrimp on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana Recipe on ChefsOpinion

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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

ready to go……………serves 2

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: spinach wraps

: lightly oil two molds of your choice with olive oil, drape wraps over them, bake at 350F until crisp

: cool bowls before removing from molds

: saeson 16 oz of med size, tail-on peeled shrimp with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, saute in 1 tblsp whole butter until cooked through, remove to cool to room tempereture

: mix one 10 oz can of drained black beans or other beans of your choice with 1 cup salsa Mexicana

: dress a small amount of frisee salad or other greens of your choice with honey/lime dressing

: ready to go……………serves 2

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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Not Your Typical Poolside Snack

Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

Lately, the weather has been perfect for poolside meals – not too hot, not too windy, no rain.
Bella has taken on to take a swim in the pool whenever we are in the back. She used to hate the water, but all of a sudden she has become a big fan. For me, the water is still a bit too cold to enjoy swimming, but I love to cook outside and eating al fresco next to the water. Life is Good 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Living In Florida Is Great (Mostly) 🙂
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Click here for more Shrimp on ChefsOpinion
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Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: soak 1 pck rice flakes in hot water until pliable, drain

: toss rice flakes with sesame oil

: stir fry 10 thin slices of spicy sausage of your choice, 1 lb med size shrimp, tail-on, peeled and de-veined in 3 tblsp peanut oil until shrimp are half-done

: add 1/4 head of white cabbage (1 inch squares), stir fry until cabbage starts to wilt

: add the rice flakes, 1 tblsp chili paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 2 ea fine-sliced mild chilies, 4 ea scallion, cut into 1 inch pieces

: stir fry another minute until well mixed, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

: Stir Fried Rice Flakes With Shrimp And Spicy Sausage

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Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Chances are that if you love seafood and have traveled in Spain, especially in the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona, you have at one point or another had an encounter with the dish featured here. It represents the philosophy of both old and new cooking styles one finds all over this area and in fact, in most parts of the Mediterranean coastline – a few first-class ingredients cooked without fuss and pronto- Life is Good !
A wonderful meal, ideally shared with great company and a glass (or two) of the local wine, and, if on top of that you are lucky enough to sit in a cozy little restaurant by the sea, life is as good as it gets.
Somebody gifted me with a small bag of mussels on Sunday, which by itself would have made a great appetizer. But because I always have shrimp in the freezer (today I had two different types, small/ peeled,/ tail-off and large/ tail-on), and because I wanted to have something a bit more substantial for dinner, I thought this seafood stew would do the trick. And indeed, it did 🙂
Great taste, easy on the eyes and a snap to prepare, both Bella and I were completely happy with the way this turned out 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Since I don’t drink/use alcohol, I have started to use apple cider as a substitute where wine is called for.
Works out great for most dishes, both in the food and with the food 🙂 Cheers !
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Click here for more Seafood on ChefsOpinion
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Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute 1 ea large diced onion and 9 ea whole garlic cloves (confit) in 4 tblsp olive oil

: when the onions are translucent, add 1/2 cup blanched diced celery stalkes and 1/2 cup diced bell peppers, saute another minute

: add 2 lbs raw shrimp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute shrimp until halfway-cooked

: add 2 cup tomato sauce, 1 tblsp chopped toasted almonds, 1 tblsp chili flakes, 2 tblsp sweet Spanish paprika and a few threads of saffron

: add two lbs of well-cleaned mussels, 1 bunch chopped parsley, 1/4 cup sherry (or substitude) and 1 cup clam juice

: bring stew to a simmer, turn off heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes, check, adjust seasoning, remove and discard any unopened mussels, sprinkle with more chopped parsley and small capers; serve with pita bread or grilled sour dough bread, serves 2

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

: Catalan Shrimp & Mussels Stew

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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

Meanwhile – in Florida……….BBQ Floridian Style

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OK, while you let this sink in, let’s move on to today’s featured dish :
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If you are not used to VERY hot food, don’t try these noodles !
If you love bland and boring noodle dishes, don’t try these noodles !
If you don’t want to open your mind and taste buds to new sensations, don’t try these noodles !
But, if you love the sensation of flaming hot (spicy) food and the incomparable mouthfeel you get when the pain of the first few spicy bites subside, to be replaced by the warm, slight numbness which can only be achieved by eating large numbers of chilies, then this dish is for you. (Think Szechuan hot pot)
While I don’t eat VERY spicy food as often as I used to, once in a while I need my fix, and today was the time to get it. 🙂
A wonderful dinner, a full belly and clear sinuses – another great and very enjoyable evening !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: soak 1 pck rice noodles in boiling hot water until soft

: drain noodles, mix with 1 tblsp sesame oil

: de-bone 4 large chicken breasts, remove skin, slice thin, dust with 2 tblsp riceflour, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: stir fry chicken in 4 tblsp peanut oil until golden and half-cooked, remove from oil, set aside

: in the remaining oil, stir fry 8 cloves of garlic confit and julienne of 1 large white oinion until onions are translucent

: add 7 ea hot chilies, 1 can drained straw mushrooms and 16 oz blanched broccolini

: add 4 tbslp chili sauce, 1 tblsp hoisin sauce, 1/2 tsp grated ginger. 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 water, simmer for one minute

: add the noodles and the chicken with its juices, mix well, check/adjust seasoning; serves 4

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Shepherds Pie is such great comfort food.
Meat sauce, mashed potatoes, and cheese – who could resist ? 🙂
However, there is one flaw in shepherds pie which diminishes its enjoyment a bit for me – it is entirely soft in texture and usually, the sauce is a bit bland and the whole thing, therefore, often resembles baby food 😦
Let me come to the rescue with this new recipe.
Instead of mashing the potatoes to a puree, just break them up a bit into med-sized chunks. Adding the peppers and lots of onions and garlic to the meat sauce will further increase the taste and texture of the filling of the potato shells, which will result in a dish who’s taste still resembles shepherds pie but at the same time is so much more interesting and TASTY !
Overall, this “fully loaded” baked potato is without a doubt one of the tastiest incarnations of the lowly baked potato as well as the ordinary shepherd’s pie.
While I have prepared and created dozens of variations of twice baked potatoes over the years, some more, some less exotic, some over the top and some down to earth, using all kinds of additions to the stuffing, such as shrimp, smoked salmon, ham, different vegetables, cheese, yogurt, herbs, etc, etc., the ones I prepared today are the very best of the best 🙂
Although very simple and easy to prepare, the texture, taste, and looks are just perfect and go to show that uncomplicated food, if done right, can take the price over complicated and elaborate any time ……..
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: in a 400F oven, bake 2 large russet potatoes until cooked through, remove from oven, cut -off the tops, remove the flesh, discard the empty tops

: saute 1 cup sliced onions, 1/2 cup diced bell peppers and 1 cup ground beef in 4 oz whole butter

: when onions are translucent and all meat is seperated, add 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic paste and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated

: coarsely break-up the potato flesh, add the meat sauce, 2 tblsp fres-grated asiago cheese, 1/2 tsp sriracha, 1 eggyolk and kosher salt to taste

: mix until all ingredients are incorporated but make sure the potatoes remain coarse

: fill the stuffing into the half-shells

: sprinkle generously with asiago cheese, bake in a 350F oven until the to is golden crisp

: serves 2 appetizers or one main course; serve with greens on the side

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Pork Sinigang (Sinigang na Baboy)

Yesterday I had a long-standing wish fulfilled 🙂
(Mind you, there are “BIG WISHES” in life and then there are “small wishes” This was a small wish, but nevertheless, I am happy that it finally came through)
For years, I wished there’d be a good Filipino restaurant in my neighborhood, but there is only one that I know of within a few miles around, and frankly, that one sucks!
I don’t want to go into details, but believe me, if it would be halfway decent I would still go there. I have tried it three times, but all three times it was VERY disappointing, so I stopped going there and gave up hope. Whenever I needed a Pinoy food-fix, I had to prepare it myself.
So yesterday I went to do some errands in a close-by shopping center to which I have been going for more than 15 years. Much to my surprise, I saw a “new” restaurant named Manila Grill&BBQ tucked away in a corner. (I asked an employee how long they’ve been open and he said more than two years)
I had never noticed it before, maybe because what sticks out on the sign is Grill & BBQ, so one does not quickly associate this with Pinoy food………..
The place is very clean, simply but nicely appointed and the employees are very friendly, attentive and professional.
The food, THE FOOD 🙂 – it was absolutely delightful, very authentic, nicely presented and wonderfully tasty. The prices are moderate and overall, it was one of the best lunch experiences I had in any restaurant in Miami in years.
You can read more about it here: Manila Grill & BBQ, Pembroke Pines, Florida
So now, back to the dish at hand, Sinigang Na Baboy
Sinigang is a sour soup native to the Philippines. Beef, pork, shrimp, fish, and even chicken (sinampalukang manok) can be used. The one featured here today uses pork as the main ingredient. One can use boneless pork, though bony parts of the pig known as “buto-buto” are usually preferred. Neck bones, spare ribs, baby back ribs, and pork belly all can be used.
The most common vegetables used are egglant, okra, onion, green beans, tomato and taro root.
The most common souring agent is tamarind juice, (sampalog), but if not available, you can use calamansi, lime, lemon, guava, bilimbi (kamias), green mango, pineapple, and wild mangosteen (santol) To go an even easier route, you can buy instant “Sinigang Mix” ready to add to the stock while cooking. (For my personal taste this is too salty and not sour enough)
Today I went to look-up the sinigang I posted before on ChefsOpinion, but much to my surprise I could not find a single post, although I cook sinigang quite often. I then checked my folder of unpublished posts and low and behold, there was a bunch of pics of a sinigang I cooked about 6 years ago but never published. Looking at the quality of the pics I understand why I hesitated, but what the heck, here it is:
Sinigang na baboy from the distant past 🙂
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Masaya Ang Buhay ! Kainan Na !
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Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pork-cut of your choice (I love pigs-tails), kosher salt and hot chillies to taste

: add sliced ginger, onions, scallions, tomatoes and garlic

: simmer all until pork is tender but NOT falling apart, remove pork, set aside, strain soup into a new pot, season the soup with the souring agent of your choice (I used tamarind juice), add the pork back into the soup, add the vegetables of your choice

: (I added cabbage, radish, scallion and tomato) , simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning, serve with steamed rice and patis (fish sauce)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

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Fajas De Res

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To prepare a great meal is no problem for most of us –
as long as there is plenty of time, money and somebody who cleans up the mess afterward.
But what if there isn’t ?? Well, how about this easy solution: Fajas De Res (Beef Fajitas)
– Cut and marinate the beef and onions: 3 minutes
– Saute the beef: 2 minutes
– Prepare the guacamole: 3 minutes
– Reheat pre-made tortillas: 2 minutes
– prepare salsa Mexicana: 4 minutes
– All in all, no more than 15 minutes for a smashing dinner. Life is Good 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Viva Mexico !
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana Recipe and Guacamole Recipe on Chefsopinion
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For the fajas, cut beef flank into slices or batons, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic to taste, saute with sunflower oil in a VERY hot pan or comal until rare, add chopped onions, saute another minute. Serve with salsa Mexicana, guacamole, sour cream, and chilies.
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