texture

Black Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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These pretty babies are a happy concoction of some of my beloved food items :
Blutwurst ( black pudding/blood pudding/morcilla), Swabian potato salad (schwäbisher kartoffel salad), röstzwiebeln (smothered or fried onions), good quality mustard, fiery chilies, and thin sheets of dough to wrap it all and bake to crispy goodness. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian Potato Salad)
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Click here for a very different kind of Potato Salad on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
For this dish I have used Argentinian style morcilla, which is widely available here in South Florida. A better fit would be Schwäbishe blutwurst, which melts when heated and spreads out better within the crispy wrap. But taste-wise, the morcilla I used is about the same.
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P.P.S.
I love to serve this with hot chilies to cut through the richness of the filling. If this is too spicy for you, serve the turnovers with a side of green salad.
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Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: potato salad, scallions, whole egg, onion, pre-made turnover dough sheets

: 4 ea small morcilla, to be peeled, skin discarded

: 2 whole eggs, whisked with sriracha and kosher salt to taste

: brush 1 dough sheet generously with egg wash

: spread-out 3 oz of potato salad, top with 1/2 ea morcilla, 2 tblsp smotthered or fried onions, 1 tsp mustard and 2 tblsp sliced scallions

: top with another sheet of dough, brush generously with egg wash, crimp the edges, place on buttered baking sheet

: bake turnovers at 375F until dough is cooked through and crisp; serve with a side of marinated chilies or a green salad; serves 8 snacks or appetizers (to enjoy as main course, double the amount of filling; serves 4)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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OOPS-My Doc Gave Me An A**-Whooping……….(Caramelized Apple-Cobbler With Twice baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble)

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So this morning I went to my doctor for my quarterly check-up. I knew I was in for some bad news, but boy oh boy did she let me have it. (Can you say verbal a**whooping !)
During the past couple of months, life had taken a bit of a downturn for me. Since I gave up drinking and smoking, the only way to make me feel better and help forget the daily crap has been eating – usually far too much quantities of sugar and starches.
As a result, my average sugar level has been way above my usual, decent levels. Therefore, the following dish will be the last of sugar-laden food I’ll eat. Any sweets I will prepare from here on will be strictly (mostly?) for visitors. As for starches, I will prepare and post the same as usual, although I will have to eat MUCH smaller portions again 😦 (also more salads and veggies) 🙂
And there you have it – let’s try to live a bit longer by eating healthier !
(See also ” HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” ).
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Bon Appétit ! Life is ~~Good~~ Tough !
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Caramelized Appe Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

Caramelized Apple Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: mix 10 med-sized, coarsely crumbled chocolate chip cookies with 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/4 cup a/p flour, 1/4 cup cashew nuts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup sugar

: Crumble Heaven

: core and peel 4 large firm apples, cut into slices

: saute apples with 1/4 cup sugar until lightly caramelized add 1/2 cup heavy cream

: simmer until thickened

: remove from heat, add 1/5 of the crumble, mix well

: generously butter a baking dish or cast iron pan

: add the apple mix

: cover with the remaining crumble, top with 8 oz butter flakes

: bake at 375 until top has lightly caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes, remove from oven to let cool slightly; to serve, dust with castor sugar; serve with ice cream and whipped cream; serves 10

: Caramelized Apple Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

: Caramelized Apple Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

: Caramelized Apple Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

: Caramelized Apple Cobbler With Twice Baked Chocolate Cookie Crumble

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Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

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This dish is one of my “go to” dishes when contemplating endlessly without resolve in my mind what I will cook for the next meal.
Although I am a sucker for real curry, pasta sautéed in curry powder and “stuff” is something I can eat happily any time of the day, as often as twice a week.
Usually the basic ingredients are items I have always stocked in my fridge, freezer or cupboard:
Pasta, beef, shrimp or chicken, any type of vegetables, curry powder, a bit of kecap manis, chili paste, soy sauce or maggi seasoning, onion or scallion, eggs and herbs.
An added bonus to this dish is that it reheat’s wonderfully. (Some say it’s even better when re-heated) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Pasta on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Curry on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg (Sunshine On A Plate)

Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: whisk 4 ea whole eggs, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: cook and drain 1 lb pasta of your choice

: saute 5 oz of mushroom in 4 tblsp clarified butter

: add 1 lb headless, tail-less, peeled and butterflied shrimp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: remove shrimp and mushroom from pan, reserve

: in the remaining butter, saute 1 lb of fresh vegetables of your choice, season with 1 tsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, remove from pan, reserve

: add two more tblsp clarified butter, add 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 tblsp curry powder, 2 tblsp turmeric, 1 tblsp kecap manis, 1 dash of maggi seasoning, 1 tsp chili paste, kosher salt to taste, saute until fragrant

: add pasta, mix well, put pasta to one side of the pan, add the eggs, scramble until set

: mix the scrambled eggs with the pasta

: add the shrimp, mushrooms and vegetables, mix well, check/adjust the seasoning; serves 4

: (Sunshine On A Plate) Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

: Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

: Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

: Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

: Curried Pasta With Shrimp, Mushrooms, Veggies And Egg

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Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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This morning for breakfast I had leftover pasta from last night, which required a much lighter lunch and no dinner (Maybe a bit of ice cream though 🙂
So, at around noon, off to the fishmonger down the road to get some fresh shrimp and to the supermarket to see what’s available that would be appealing to my desire for a tasty salad. Red pears, chicorée frisée (endive, curly endive, or frisée) and fresh lime for the salad and its dressing, and a small amount of sun-dried tomatoes and it was on. Twenty minutes after I got home, Bella and I were feasting on this superb creation, wrapped in flour tortillas and accompanied by peach ice tea. Bella ate about half the shrimp and a bit of the tortillas and graciously allowed me to enjoy the rest. Life is Good !
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Bon Appétit ! Thanks Bella, for your Generosity 🙂
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Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?))

Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pour 2 tblsp garlic oil from your homemade garlic confit into a saute pan

: peel and devein 20 oz shrimp, remove the head and tails, marinade in 3 tblsp Thai sweet chili sauce and kosher salt to taste, add 3 stalk sliced scallions

: saute the shrimp and scallions in the garlic oil

: clean and wash 1/2 head of a medium size chicorée frisée, core and slice 1 large red pear into batons, julienne 4 oz of sun dried tomatoes; dress with juice of 2 limes, 3 tblsp olive oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: toast “a bunch” of flour tortillas, cover to keep warm

: Flour Tortillas

: place the salad on a serving dish

: top the salad with the shrimp and its juices; serves 2 main courses or 6 appetizers

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?))

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

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In case you wonder, it translates to:
“Sautéed Beef Tenderloin Tips In Paprika Cream With Garlicky Potato Puree”
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The other day I saw a food show on TV with Michelle Bernstein (I actually like this show, it reviews South Floridian Restaurants)
During the show, one of the “Foodies” commented that the restaurant in question actually serves “REAL” Mashed Potatoes”, meaning mashed potatoes made from scratch, using “REAL” potatoes instead of the powdered stuff.
This is how far the quality of the majority of average restaurants has sunk to. Mind you, they were not talking about fast food, but a restaurant with an average dinner expense of $60.00 per person before drinks and tip. Very sad indeed !
So today I decided to prepare one of the best, easiest, cheapest and one of the most satisfying side dishes there is : “REAL Potato Puree”, accompanied by an equally great protein dish. While the beef tender-tips I used today are relatively expensive, they can readily substituted with a more economic protein, such as a cheaper beef cut or an altogether different protein such as chicken or pork.
I do make mashed potatoes quite often, exactly for the reasons I mentioned earlier (economic, yummy, easy), usually in a great variety. They can be mashed, pureed or whipped, they can contain additional ingredients such as cheese, sour cream, butter-milk, heavy cream or whole-milk, protein such as bacon, crab meat, or corned beef, vegetables such as caramelized onions, green peas, sautéed leeks or caramelized carrots, herbs such as chives, parsley, oregano, marjoram or cilantro, seasoning such as sriracha, garlic, black pepper, horseradish, nutmeg, butter, olive oil, etc, etc, etc ……….
Why would anybody use the powdered stuff, which tastes disgusting at best and, besides a few extra minutes to cook the potatoes, is neither easier nor much faster than the “REAL” stuff ???
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Mashed Potatoes on ChefsOpinion
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Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

Garlicky Potato Puree With Green Peas

Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

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

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: peel, dice and cook 2 lbs potatoes until soft, drain; add 8 oz fresh butter, 6 oz green peas, 1 cup heated heavy cream, 1 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: mix well, check/adjust seasoning, cover and set aside

: cut 1 small red pepper, 1 small green pepper and i medium size white onion into julienne, set aside

: cut 2 lbs of beef tenderloin tips into thick batons, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute in VERY hot peanut oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, remove from pan, reserve

: saute the vegetables in 1 tblsp olive oil until just heated through

: add 2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 tblsp paprika powder

: simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup, add the tender-tips, mix well

: DO NOT SIMMER OR BOIL ANYMORE ! (this would toughen the protein); check/adjust seasoning

: place 1/4 of the puree on a plate

: make an indention

: place 1/4 of the sauteed tenderloin into the indention, sprinkle with chopped parsley or herb of your choice; serves 4

: Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

: Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

: Sautierte Rinderfiletspitzen In Paprikarahm Mit Knoblauch/Kartoffel- Püree…..(Trust Me, It’s Good Stuff)

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This Is Not A Post !!! (Pissaladière)

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pic-source: bon-appetit-box

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I was going to post about this wonderful dish I prepared for today’s dinner. But, unfortunately, I can’t !!!
Why not, you ask ?
Because just as I took the Pissaladière out of the oven, my friend and neighbor Rod rung the door bell. Upon entering, he mentioned the fabulous smell coming from the kitchen. One thing lead to another, and before I realized what happened, we had devoured the whole thing right there in the kitchen, eating it standing-up by the stove.
Only then did I realize that I forgot to take pictures of the finished Pissaladière 😦
So instead, I included this stock photo of a baked Pissaladière at the top of this page. It is not the prettiest of Pissaladière and certainly not as gorgeous as the one I prepared, but I included it anyway for folks who don’t know how a Pissaladière looks.
However, I believe the picks I took of the prep, up to the point (but not included) when I added black olives, will tell the tale of this dish sufficiently and will give you an idea of it’s soul 🙂
Again, for those who are not familiar with Pissaladière, I recommend it as a snack or meal accompanied by beer or wine, best served at a party or other happy occasion when hearty food is appropriate……
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more pics of (not so pretty) Pissaladière
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Yeast dough for Pissaladière :

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 the 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 Pissaladière will turn out superior if the dough is pulled.
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Pissaladière – Gone…….

Pissaladière, pre-baking

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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 2 lbs julienned onions in 3 tblsp olive oil until lightly caramelized, season with 1 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: pull 1 lb dough (or more if you like your Pissaladière thicker) on a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal,then sprinkle the top of the daugh with more corn meal

: spread the onions across the dough, leaving a small border

: add anchovies fillets to taste

: sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, top with black olives to taste, bake at 420 F until dough is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes; serves 4 main course or 12 appetizer/snacks

: Pissaladière – Gone…….

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The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

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Tandoori Chicken cooking in a Tandoor

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Excerpt from Wiki:
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” Tandoori chicken is a dish originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is widely popular in South Asia particularly India and Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Western world. It consists of roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices. The name comes from the type of cylindrical clay oven, a tandoor, in which the dish is traditionally prepared.
The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with the spice mixture tandoori masala. Cayenne pepper, red chili powder or Kashmiri red chili powder is used to give it a fiery red hue. A higher amount of turmeric produces an orange color. In milder versions, both red and yellow food coloring are sometimes used to achieve bright colors, but turmeric powder is both mild and brightly colored, as is paprika, a sweet red pepper powder.^[5] It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven).“

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Excerpt from a previous post on ChefsOpinion:
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” Some of my favorite food-memories are from my time living in Karachi, Pakistan, were my wife Maria and I had many wonderful dinners at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel, the ” Avari Towers, Karachi“.
Sadly, I understand that this restaurant has been converted into a steak restaurant by now ( after all, its been nearly 20 years since Maria and I lived there).
At the time, the roof top was a very exclusive, local-fare only, restaurant, with a tandoori oven right there on the rooftop.
Benazir Bhutto, who a few years later became prime minister of Pakistan, resided in a house just next to our hotel and came to eat at the roof top a few times while we were there, which got Maria excited each time and she actually asked Mrs.Bhutto for an autograph (which she got, despite the incredible security), which made Maria happy and embarrassed me🙂 .
Anyway, as far as the food was concerned, all the restaurants at the Avari Towers were in my opinion by far the best and safest places to enjoy a meal in all of Karachi and the tandoori dishes at the rooftop topped it all !
I had many a good tandoori dish while traveling in Pakistan and of course in India, but never did I find a good one in Florida in all the years I have resided here. While they might exist, so far they have eluded me.
So, whenever I lust for tasty, well prepared tandoori-style food that rekindles my memories of times past, I usually have to take matters in my own hands. ”
Although I don’t have access to a tandoor, this is as close as you can get to the real thing. “Faux”, maybe – but super delicious, definitely 🙂
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مزےکری ! maze karein ! زندگی اچھی ہے !

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P.S.
Usually tandoori chicken is cut into cubes and threaded on skewers before cooking. However, sometimes whole or split chicken are cooked, hanging on hooks and wires in the center of the tandoor.
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The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

let chicken rest in a warm place at least 15 minutes before cutting into serving sized pieces; serves 4 – 6

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

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: mix 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 tblsp curry powder, 1 tblsp garam masala, 1 tblsp turmeric, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tsp cumin, kosher salt to taste

: wash and pat dry a 3 lbs chicken

: butterfly chicken, remove backbone if desired (I left it in)

: season chicken on both sides, using all the spice paste, place on a rack, keep uncovered in fridge overnight to dry overnight

: chicken, following day; the dry skin is essential to a super-crisp skin

: roast chicken at 430F for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, cover loosely with foil if it gets too dark; during the last 15 minutes, baste repeatedly with melted butter

: let chicken rest in a warm place at least 15 minutes before cutting into serving sized pieces; serves 4 – 6

: The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

: The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

: The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

: The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

: The Ultimate (Faux) Tandoori Chicken

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Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

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Gnocchi? Check!
Almonds? Check!
Brown Butter? Check!
Grape Tomatoes? Check!
Brussels Sprouts? Check!
Parmigiano Reggiano? Check!
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Wonderful, Beautiful , Tasty Dish? Check! Check! Check!
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more Gnocchi on ChefsOpinion
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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, Brussel Sprouts And Grape Tpmatoes "Almondine"

Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

Gnocchi, Brussel Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

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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 1/4 cup sliced almonds in 2 tblsp clarified butter until golden brown

: ahhhhh, the aroma……..

: wash, clean and cut in half 1 lb brussels sprouts, blanch in salted water, shock, drain

: heat 4 oz butter until starting to brown (beurre noisette)

: add the brussel sprouts and 1 cup grape tomatoes and 1/2 tblsp garlic paste, saute until heated through

: add 16 oz fresh-cooked gnocchi, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and grated nutmeg to taste

: divide into 4 serving plates, sprinkle with the almonds and fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano

: Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

: Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

: Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

: Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts And Grape Tomatoes “Almondine”

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Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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My old standard smoothie recipe used to be ice, fruit, ice cream and lots of liquor.
I could never get enough of those rum and/or vodka spiked concoctions, which I drank by the bucketful and although they had quite a kick, they always made me feel that I am drinking healthy, what with all that fruit in it…… 🙂
So after I went cold turkey two years ago, I never felt the craving for smoothies, because frankly – no booze? – then what’s the point ?
But then somebody treated me to a smoothie about a week ago and I was hooked again. That particular smoothie was made with just mango and ice, no other ingredients. Although it was pretty good, it was at the same time lacking some more refinement, either in the form of some booze 😦 or some other taste and texture enhancer.
So today I had these slightly over-ripe mangos and nectarines in the cupboard, yogurt in the fridge and thanks to modern appliances, Ice is always just a push of a finger away at the ice-dispenser. I added a bit of organic honey, some 2% milk –
And just like that, Voilà ! My new favorite drink was born 🙂
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À Vôtre Santé ! Life is Good !

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P.S.
Adding a few jiggers of rum to this………ahhhh….
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Click here for more Smoothies on ChefsOpinion
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Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: wash, peel and pit two very ripe mangoes and two ripe nectarines

: really ripe, really sweet….

: add fruits to a blender, add 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tblsp organic honey (optional), 2 cup 2% milk and 10 ea ice cubes, blend until smooth

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

: Mango, Peach And Yogurt Smoothie

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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto And Ricotta

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Question : Who love’s a bright-green, traditional, heavenly aromatic basil pesto?
Answer : Just about everybody does, that’s who. (Including myself)
However, for my very own personal taste, I prefer to pair traditional pesto with light and airy gnocchi, while I love to marry a rustic pasta like penne rigate, rigatoni, farfalle or bucatini with a more complex pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto.
I hope that the Italian purist’s out there will forgive me and maybe even agree with my opinion that a non-traditional pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto can elevate a simple pasta to even greater culinary bliss than a one-note basil/pine pesto nut will ever be able to do. In my humble opinion, anyway……. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Pasta on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Pesto on ChefsOpinion
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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: to 1 cup sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup salted cashew nuts, 2 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: pulse with hand mixer until coarsely chopped

: add 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves and 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, pulse again until basil is coarsely chopped, check/adjust seasoning