sriracha

End Of Summer Celebration – “Creamy Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup”

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Now that summer is almost over in Germany, I took the opportunity to buy some of the last garden-grown tomatoes and bell peppers from my neighbor down the road. (In a normal year, September provides the last locally grown tomatoes, while the season for bell peppers ends during October/November. As much as possible, I like to buy food that has been produced locally. My neighbor produces eggs, chicken, and lamb, as well as potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, apples, blackberries, mirabelles, and strawberries.
Even the local supermarkets sell a lot of locally grown food-stuff, which makes one feel good about giving a little help to the local farmers. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good
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End Of Summer Celebration – “Creamy Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup”

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4 lbs tomatoes, 1.5 lbs red peppers

add 2 ea medium size onions, cut int chunks

add kosher salt, sriracha, sugar and garlic paste to taste

add 1 gallon chicken- or veggie – broth,, simmer until liquid has reduced to 2 quarts

with a stand-mixer or hand-mixer blend all until very smooth, last minute ad 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

add 2 cup heavy cream, check/adjust flavor

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Butterflied Grilled Chicken Breast With Sautéed Onion

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This dish should have earned two “Best of Show Awards” –
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*Best Tasting Chicken Breast* and *Most Beautiful Chicken Breast*
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Alas, this baby did not participate in any competition, it just made a wonderful dinner in our home, where it won the love and admiration of Bella and myself 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Butterflied Grilled Chicken Breast With Sautéed Onion

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: brine boneless chicken breasts overnight in5 oz water, 15 oz ice, 2 oz salt, 1/2 tsp sugar ( bring the water , salt and sugar to a boil, remove from heat, add the ice to cool the brine down quickly before you add the chicken)

: next day, butterfly the chicken breasts

: flatten the breasts and score without cutting all the way through

: season with salt and sriracha on both sides

: add soy sauce to both sides

: cut 1 small onion per person into thick rings, saute until starting to caramelize, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: meanwhile, grill the chicken halfway through

: drizzle with 1/2 tblsp lemon juice, turn chicken, repeat on the other side, cook until chicken is medium well, remove from grill, let rest in a warm place for 3-4 minutes to let the carry-over heat finish the cooking process and redistribute the juices; to serve, top with the onions and serve with salad of your choice

: Butterflied Grilled Chicken Breast With Sautéed Onion

: Butterflied Grilled Chicken Breast With Sautéed Onion

: Butterflied Grilled Chicken Breast With Sautéed Onion

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE

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Roast Pork Butt Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

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This sandwich is as German/Austrian as can be.
Roasted, juicy, tasty pork, rustic bread, good mustard and the pan jus from the roast.
End of story 🙂
Now, if this would be a typical, old-fashioned “American Style Sandwich”, it would probably be as follows:
Tasteless, soft, soggy wonder bread or a tasteless, soggy burger bun, topped with shredded, completely over-cooked pork (better known as “Pulled Pork” around here), limp lettuce (hot meat and lettuce, what else to expect?), pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, oceans of crappy BBQ sauce (most of the commercial ones are crap, as well as many “Home Made” BBQ sauces, what with the artificial “Smoke” most of them contain), crappy yellow cheese substitute (pre-sliced American “cheddar cheese” anyone?) and probably another 5 fillers to make the sandwich 5 inches tall, all served with limp fries (sadly, more often than not) and even limper (probably not a word 🙂 ) cole slaw.
If this all sounds negative, it is not meant to be. I just want to point out the fundamental different opinion Americans and Germans/Austrians have to what constitutes a great sandwich. Mind you, I am a bit of an old school fart, the kids in Germany and Austria, as well as kids in the rest of the world, nowadays’ all eat mostly the same soul-less stuff . 😦
I myself enjoy both approaches to a good sandwich, having lived in America for so long and gotten used to it and able to enjoy it on countless occasions.
You’ll find many instances of the “American Style Sandwich” approach to sandwiches on the pages of ChefsOpinion. However, when it comes down to it, the sandwich of choice for me would always be the simple variety with few but impeccable ingredients instead of the “American Style Sandwich” :
“It was the best sandwich I ever ate ! – it was so big I couldn’t even finish it” .
Of course, most of the bad stuff will be found at the fast food temples, who sell Billions of sandwiches every single day.
But thankfully, there are also many restaurants and shacks out there who will serve you a truly wonderful sandwich, made of quality ingredients, properly prepared and reasonably priced 🙂
And there you have it !
Different approaches to one final result – a well-loved sandwich 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

lightly toasted sourdough bread, whole grain Maillard mustard

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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 butt (pork shoulder/ pork leg)

: cut the skin into 1 in squares

: season generously with sriracha, granulated garli, caraway seeds and kosher salt

: add 1 qt chicken or pork stock to a roasting pan, cover with a rack, add the butt, roast in a pre-heated 330 F oven for 2- 4 hours, depending on the size of your pork. Check the center of the butt, it should reach 155 F. Remove from oven, rest for at least 35 minutes, the carry-over heat will take the roast to a safe 165 degrees

: Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

: Oh my…………..

: meanwhile, strain the jus from the roastin pan in to a small sauteuse, bring to a simmer, thicken lightly with a corn starch slurry. check/adjust seasoning

: lightly toasted sourdough bread, whole grain Maillard mustard

: when the roast has rested for at least 35 minutes, remove the crisp skin and cut into cubes, cut the meat into 1/3 in slices, place a generous amount of meat and some crisp skin on grilled bread of your choice, drizzle with the jus

: Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

: Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

: Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

: Roast Pork Leg Sandwich (Gebratene Spanferkelkeule Mit Brot)

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Seafood Indulgence

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In that perfect world we’re all longing for, we would all have neverending access to fresh-caught, properly handled and expertly prepared seafood, plentiful and for a reasonable price……….. 🙂
Yet, for most of us, this is but a dream.
However, thanks for modern technology improvements in transport, handling and distribution, there is abundant flash-frozen seafood available in specialty markets, top-tier seafood suppliers and even the internet.
But, in order to get the most out of this seafood, it has to be properly defrosted, cooked (if raw) and seasoned. While I want to keep my seafood chilled at all times, at the very last moment before consumption, I like to submerge my seafood in hot cooking liquid from the just cooked shrimp (and crawfish and crab if applicable), just for a minute or two.
This treatment will bring the flavor and texture of the seafood to a whole new level, far improved from chilled seafood fresh out of the fridge.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !

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Seafood Indulgence

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add the shrimp and the simmering stock with a tongue carefully mix all together,

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: simmer 2 lbs peeled, deveined, tail-on 21/24 shrimp in 2 tqt salted water, with 1 whole lemon sliced thin, 4 oz whole butter, 1 tblspn garlic paste and 1 tsp sriracha until half-way cooked (the shrimp will finish cooking while steeping with the other seafood)

: to a deep bowl add 2 lbs fresh, cooked crawfish

: add 3 lbs crab legs

: add the shrimp and the simmering stock with a tongue carefully mix all together,

: plate seafood on a serving platter, drizzle with 4 oz melted butter and 2 cups of the seafood stock, serve with horseradish or Thai sweet chili sauce serves 4 appetizer or 1 generous main course

: Seafood Indulgence

: Seafood Indulgence

: Seafood Indulgence

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Sautéed Chicken Thighs

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Sometimes when I think long enough about a certain dish, I can hardly wait to have it in front of me and to dig in.
Many times, my craving is so strong that I just want to have that particular item, with no “distraction” from side dishes, sauce or condiments. Such was the case with these chicken thighs, which madam and I nearly finished in one sitting.
Aaahhhh, gluttony…………. 😦 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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season chicken with sriracha, granulated garlic, dried oregano, soy sauce and kosher salt for at least 6 hours, better yet, overnight

pat the chicken dry, saute in peanut oil on both sides until golden and crisp (about 12 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the thighs); the temperature on the bone, at the thickest part of the meat should reach 162 F; remove from pan to absorbent paper, the carry-over heat will take the chicken to a safe and juicy 165F (any more and the chicken will be dry) !!!!!

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Sautéed Chicken Thighs

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE
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: Season Chicken with sriracha, granulated garlic, dried oregano, soy sauce and kosher salt for at least 6 hours, better yet overnight

: pat the chicken dry, saute in peanut oil on both sides until golden and crisp (about 12 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the thighs); the temperature on the bone, at the thickest part of the meat should reach 162 F; remove from pan to absorbent paper, the carry-over heat will take the chicken to a safe and juicy 165F (any more and the chicken will be dry) !!!!!

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: Sautéed Chicken Thighs

: Sautéed Chicken Thighs

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Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

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Seems like everybody loves fried camembert, yet few folks actually prepare it at home. Which is a mystery to me, since it is really quick and easy to prepare and it is versatile – it can be served as an appetizer, a main course or as a snack. Best of all, it is very economical. (After all, I am a poor retiree 😦 ).
In olden times, we used just one coat of simple breading. However, nowadays I like to use panko crumbs, which requires double breading. The texture is of course very different so you might want to experiment which one of the two versions you prefer. They are both great, it’s just a matter of personal preference.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: chop 1 lbs tomatillos

: to the tomatillos, add 1 med size chopped onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tblsp cilantro, 1 tblsp seeded jalapenos, kosher salt to taste (if you prefer your salsa verde creamy, add 1/2 avocado

: blend until smooth, check / adjust the seasoning

: salsa verde

: dice 1 ea avocado, 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 yellow pepper, add 1 tblsp lime juice, 2 tblsp olive oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: the good stuff……….

: to 2 whole eggs add 1 tblsp sriracha, kosher salt to taste

: cut 10 oz chilled french camembert into cubes or slices, bread twice with flour, egg mixture and panko bread crumbs (press the first coating of panko onto the cheese, lightly dip the camembert into the crumbs for the second coating) (replace the camembert with brie for a creamier texture)

: fry the cheese at 375F until crisp and golden, serve with the salsa, avocado and vinaigrette dressed romaine; serves 4 appetizer or snacks, 2 main course

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

: Fried Camembert With Avocado Salad, Salsa Verde, And Crisp Romaine Leaves

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Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

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About a week ago I read in a “respected” magazine that one should NEVER eat Sauce Hollandaise or one of its derivatives in a restaurant because hollandaise is NEVER made fresh to order, but rather before the service and then kept warm during the whole service.
What a load of crap !!! 😦
Admittedly, some restaurants may do this, but many restaurants who have one or two dishes with hollandaise on the menu will not waste the ingredients if there is no order for a particular service. It takes a professional cook or chef maybe 1 or 2 minutes to produce 2 portions of fresh hollandaise, so to do it “a la minute” (to order) is no problem at all.
When I was an apprentice and later as a young cook, we ALWAYS made hollandaise a la minute during a la carte service.
– The moral of this? always double-check before you take a story/advise for granted. 🙂
– Also, hollandaise is one of the easiest and quickest sauces to prepare.
– Have I mentioned that Sauce Hollandaise is one of the French mother sauces?
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When I prepare a whole roasted whole chicken for Bella and myself, I usually eat both tights and all the scraps from the bones, including the neck, wings, and back, while Madam enjoys the two breasts (one per day). However, yesterday she kept begging for food while the chicken was still a while before being done, so I gave her a full portion of her own food (usually she gets only half that amount because she’ll eat some of my food later).
After I ate my usual part of the chicken, I removed all the skin and bones from the breasts, submerged it in salted water and kept it in the fridge until today, when I used it to prepare this Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet.
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P.S.
Please note that both mushrooms and sauce hollandaise are optional in this classic dish.
P.P.S.
Nowadays, in most commercial venues, because of safety issues, hollandaise is made from powder or ready-made from a can, which eliminates the danger of eggs served at unsafe temperatures.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: bake 6 small frozen puff pastry shells according to package instructions

: meanwhile, reduce 1 cup of heavy cream until thickened

: add 1/3 cup sauce veloute

: cut the breast meat into cubes

: add the chicken, heat through

: melt 1/2 stick butter (clarify the butter if you prefer, otherwise, when you pour the butter into the egg, just leave the milk solids on the bottom of the pot behind)

: while the chicken heats up and the butter melts, (see next step), whisk 1 egg yolk, 1 tblsp water, 1 tsp lemon juice (or vinegar), white pepper (I prefer sriracha, so you could call this a “Sriracha Hollandaise), and kosher salt to taste in a water bath until the egg mixture becomes creamy

: add the warm butter in tiny increments; if the sauce becomes too thick, add more water, if the sauce is too thin, add more butter

: check/adjust seasoning

: remove the top of the pastry shells,, fill the cavities with the chicken salpicon, serve with a small salad (optional) ; makes 6 appetizer or 2 main course

: Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

: Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

: Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

: Vol Au Vent Aux Blancs De Poulet

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Movie Time – Pizza Roll Time

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Yesterday evening, looking forward to binge-watch the final four episodes of season one of “The Crown” on Netflix, I got settled into my favorite chair, with a bucket of peach iced tea on ice next to me and a dish of pizza-rolls in the oven.
Twenty minutes into the first episode, the rolls were ready. Another fifteen minutes of cool-down time and voilà , a large tray of great snacks, nurturing me for the rest of the evening through episode 10, until the end of season one.
Great evening, happy as a lark, tired, relaxed, full and content.
I probably gained five lbs, but, such is the price of indulgence 🙂
(To be repeated next year for season two of “The Crown”).
2.30 am – time to take Bella for a one-hour walk around the lake………..
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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More Pizza on ChefsOpinion
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Pizza Dough Recipe:

Ingredients :

A/P flour, 2 cups (plus more for kneading)
Water, 3/4 cup, warm
Active dry yeast, 1 envelope
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Olive oil, 3 table spoon
Kosher salt,

Method :

Pour water into small bowl, mix in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil, knead until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth. Dust with flour as you work the dough. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with moist towel. Let dough rise until doubled in volume.Punch down dough. Pull dough until desired thickness and shape is achieved. If this is too difficult, roll the dough with a rolling-pin. However, in my opinion, the pizza will turn out superior if the dough is pulled.

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Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: italian parsley, 2 ea italian spicy sausage (skin removed), 15 ea cherry tomatoes, sriracha to taste

: stretch or roll the dough as thin as possible, sprinkle with corn meal

: sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with sriracha to taste, sprinkle with 1/3 cup grated parmesan

: cut tomatoes in half, add into the center-line of the dough, season with kosher salt and granulated garlic to taste

: shred the sausages, add to tomatoes

: top generously with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1 cup shredded mozzarella

: drizzle with 1/3 cup EVO, roll into a tight roll

: brush generously with more EVO

: cut into 1,5 inch slices, arrange tight in a oiled baking dish

: sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan

: bake in a 375F oven until cooked through and a nice crust has formed, remove from heat, let cool down to room temperature, sprinkle with fresh basil leaves

: Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

: Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

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Cucumber And Carrot Slaw In Greek Yogurt Dressing

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It’s BBQ time ! The perfect opportunity to shine with your favorite home made salads, sauces and condiments.
This salad is one of my BBQ standby’s, a perfect side dish to accompany hot meat just off the grill.
“Cucumber and carrot slaw in Greek yogurt dressing” is full of flavor and crunchy texture, looks great and can be made hours in advance, which makes it well-suited to take to potlucks, or before friends and family show up for a BBQ at your house.
Actually, I sometimes enjoy a large bowl of it just by itself as a light and tasty lunch on a hot summer day (As I did yesterday) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Cucumber Carrot Slaw In Greek Yogurt Dressing

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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slice 1 lb of cucumbers into thin slices

season generously with 2 tblsp kosher salt, mix well, set aside for 15 minutes

after 15 minutes, squeeze all excess water/juices from the cucumbers, discard the liquid (or add vodka and ice for a great cocktail 🙂

add 1 lb freshly shredded raw carrots

add 1 tsp sriracha, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 2 cup Greek yogurt, mix all together

add 1 tsp sriracha, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup ranch dressing,, mix all together

check/adjust seasoning

Cucumber Carrot Slaw In Greek Yogurt Dressing

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Shrimp Sliders

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After having a monstrous burger with all the trimmings at Fuddrucker for lunch, dinner was a bit more quaint.
The attraction of these sliders is the flavorful butter in which the shrimps are sauteed. Lots of garlic paste, horseradish and sriracha make these sliders exceptional and extraordinary.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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