texture

Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Yes. I’ve said it – The Ultimate ! The Best ! # 1 !
Some of you might not agree with me, but I can tell you, chances are that this is the best beef fried rice you will ever come across. Period 🙂
It will certainly be different from the fried rice you’ll get at your neighborhood joint and most probably will come close to what you will get in the best of Chinese restaurants or maybe even be better than that. Arrogant I am not. 🙂 But honestly, this was by far the tastiest, best textured fried rice I ever prepared or tasted anywhere, including Asia.
To be real, I know there is better out there, but I myself was not able to find it (Yet).
Maybe the fact that I used leftover sushi rice from yesterday’s chirashi sushi dinner made the big difference. It made it possible to add more moisture to the rice as is normally done while keeping its great texture and not get mushy. Using beef tenderloin was also different, as well as using more than usual egg in the rice. Whatever it was, it worked and made for a simple yet spectacular enjoyable lunch.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Fan Recipe
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Click here for Sushi Rice Recipe
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Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: sushi rice, substitute with fan if preferred

: cut beef tenderloin head and tips into dice

: season with soy sauce, granulated garlic, chili paste and cornstarch, let marinade for at least four hours

: soy sauce, chili paste, grated ginger, garlic paste, sugar, sesame oil

: add green peas, kernel corn, sliced scallion and chopped cilantro to sauce

: whisk whole eggs, season with kosher salt

: cook to soft texture, set aside

: saute beef in very hot peanut oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, set aside

: stir fry rice until starting to “pop”

: add beef and sauce to rice, stir fry until fragrant

: check / adjust seasoning

: add scrambled eggs, stir fry another minute

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

: Ultimate Beef Fried Rice

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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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The foundation of this steak salad is a refreshing rice stick salad, which I usually make at least twice a month. I normally make about four to six portions and eat it as part of a meal, as breakfast or as a late night snack. The noodles keep their texture for a few days without getting mushy, so this is ideal to prep in advance and then serve it when a quick bite is needed, especially on a workday as breakfast or as a snack late at night when I get home and just want to rest and more cooking is as far from my mind as possible. If I have it as part of a meal, I usually combine it with seafood, such as teriyaki- glazed salmon or sautéed shrimp. For breakfast, I usually add a couple of hard-boiled eggs and for a midnight snack some canned seafood. When Maria was still with me, she liked to serve it at bbq -parties, when it was a welcome alternative to the usual suspects of coleslaw and potato salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Pasta Salad
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Click here for more Steak Salad
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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Preparation :
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: season new york strip with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute or grill to your desired temperature, set steak aside and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: cook, shock in icewater and drain rice sticks

: make a dressing of peanut oil, sesame oil, kosher salt, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, fish sauce and rice vinegar

: fresh basil

: sliced basil, red peppers, iceberg lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots (if you plan to keep this for more than a few hours, replace the iceberg with cabbage)

: slice the steak

: mix half of the steak, the noodles and the vegetables with the dressing

: tell your dog to be patient 🙂

: almost……….

: spread some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, drizzle with a bit of the dressing

: top lettuce with the noodle salad

: top with the other half of the steak, sprinkle with toasted garlic

: Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Beef And Bean Burrito

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Nowadays, most folks are familiar with burritos. International cuisine with its many variations has come to the farthest corners of the world and that’s a great thing. Not so great is the fact that most of the ethnic food has been bastardized to the point of no return. I am not talking about changing and improving the originals, which is fine as long as you can still figure out the origin behind the dish. No, I am talking about replacing good, simple, honest ingredients with cheap crap, third-rate fillers which have the sole purpose to make a buck. When it comes to burritos, I have come across some incredible bad, tasteless excuses for the real thing lately in a variety of “Mexican” eateries here in South Florida. The filling usually has consisted of mainly rice and shredded lettuce wrapped in a tortilla, then re-heated in an oven and served with the usual condiments for laughable prices. Seems that instead of burritos on the plate, there are burros in the kitchen ? ! 😦
I prepare burritos often at home and the one thing they all have in common is the quality of ingredients I use for the filling and the fact that I cook them on a Comal or cast-iron pan to get that great crispy outside so essential to a great burrito (In my Opinion, anyway :-).
As long as you use a great filling, burritos are easy, quick and they ROCK 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More Beef Burritos Here

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Beef And Bean Burrito

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Preparation :
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: trim a strip stak of all fat and silver skin

: cut into 1/2 inch cubes, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic

: saute in a VERY hot pan, add sliced onions, cook until meat is browned on the outside and still very rare on the inside

: remove meat, spread out, let cool to room-temperature

: beans, grape tomatoes, chopped cilantro

: add mexican four-cheese mix, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste

: add cooled-down meat, mix all ingredients

: fill flour tortillas

: roll into burritos

: griddle on lightly oiled cast iron pan or comal until flat part is crispy and golden and filling is heated through

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: Beef And Bean Burrito

: for a bit of a change of the usual suspects, serve burritos with marinated chilies and a crisp lettuce salad sprinkled with bbq’d korn kernels

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Allgäuer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

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Hörnchen means “Little Horns” in German. They are such a wonderful pastry when properly prepared. Unfortunately, to find good Hörnchen (Croissants, Media Luna’s) is increasingly difficult and in some areas downright impossible.
A good hörnchen is as light as a feather, with dozens of air-seperated layers of buttery pastry. Most of the stuff you can buy these days are mass-produced, previously frozen concoctions which have only a faint visual resemblance to a real hörnchen and none of the flavor and texture qualities of the genuine article. Some are not even made with puff pastry 😦
However, there is a silver lining – in my opinion, that stuff is perfectly suitable for a good sandwich or as an accompaniment to a rustic salad.
For today’s lunch I had these babies from a commercial bakery close-by, to share the honors of being my lunch with a “lecker” allgäuer wurstsalat.
Eaten together with the salad, dunked in the rich dressing, they served their purpose as “side bread” well.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Hörnchen

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P.S.
If you don’t have access to Fleischwurst (German Bologna) and Allgäuer Bergkäse, you can replace them with Swiss Cheese and American style Bologna
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Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

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Preparation :
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: julienned cheese, sausage, onions, sliced cornichons, sliced chives

: for the dressing, add ketchup, dijon, red wine vinegar, fresh ground black pepper, garlic paste, kosher salt, mix well, serve with warm hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

: Allgauer Wurstsalat Mit Hörnchen

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EASY DOES IT # 30 – Cinnamon Roll And Fruit-Pudding

Dear Friend’s,
Although most of the followers of ChefsOpinion are culinary professionals, there is also a large segment of followers who are just starting to enjoy cooking on a slightly higher than basic level. I have therefore decided to publish, under the moniker “Easy Does It“, from time to time some very basic recipe variations of dishes (and even pre-cooked dishes) which otherwise might seem too complicated to some folks. I will break them down to the easiest, most simple instructions, so that those of you who are intimidated by elaborate recipes will be able to prepare these dishes properly, adjusted to your taste and liking, right from the get-go.

After all, just because you are not (yet ?) a professional chef should not prevent you from enjoying great food at home. 🙂
Enjoy !
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If you are still looking for a great, delicious, good-looking and easy to prepare dessert for your upcoming x-mas feast (or any other feast 🙂 ), give this beauty a shot.
It will take all of about 15 minutes of actual prep time, yet the result is extraordinarily delicious.
I have served mine with just a bit of whipped cream, but a fruit coulis or chocolate sauce will add an extra layer of taste, texture and color.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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! Please find an update to this post at the bottom of this page !
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Cinnamon Roll And Fruit-Pudding

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: 6 ea store-bought or home-made cinnamon rolls

: break into large pieces, to 2 cups of whole milk add a few drops of vanilla extract, pour over cinnamon roll pieces, soak for 20 minutes

: meanwhile, dice apples , slice bananas

: saute apples in a bit of butter until lightly caramelized

: lightly squeeze milk from cinnamon rolls into a bowl, add 4 large eggs and 3 tblsp honey, whisk until smooth

: add apples, bananas and a generous handful of dried cranberries

: mix together without breaking-up the roll pieces

: fill into lightly buttered baking dish, sprinkle with 2 tblsp of sugar

: bake at 375F for about 1 hour

: when top of pudding is golden brown and pudding has almost set, remove from oven, loosely cover and let rest for 15 minutes

: serve cinnamon roll pudding with whipped cream

: Cinnamon Roll And Fruit-Pudding

: Cinnamon Roll And Fruit-Pudding

: Cinnamon Roll And Fruit-Pudding

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Following, a few pics of the leftovers I served the next day 🙂 ( With added strawberry coulis )
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: EASY DOES IT # 30 – CINNAMON ROLL AND FRUIT-PUDDING

: EASY DOES IT # 30 – CINNAMON ROLL AND FRUIT-PUDDING

: EASY DOES IT # 30 – CINNAMON ROLL AND FRUIT-PUDDING

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Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber-Potato Salad

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While I am a great fan of traditional breaded fish fillets, this version, without the egg as part of the breading, is more suitable for a thin and delicate fish fillet such as flounder. Adding the finely diced peppers and sliced scallions to the panko-crumbs give the fish added flavor, while adding rice flour to the mix will help the coating to stick to the fish, as well as ensure a crisp crust. As for the potato salad, just add sliced, salted cucumbers to regular swabian potato salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Swabian Potato Salad (Schwäbischer Kartoffel Salat)
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Click here for MORE Swabian Potato Salad (Schwäbischer Kartoffel Salat)
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Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber/Potato Salad

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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 fish and shrimp with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and kosher salt

: mix panko bread crums, finely diced peppers, sliced scallions and rice flour ((substitute with corn starch if rice flour is not available)

: dredge fish and shrimp in the panko mix, saute in olive oil on both sides until almost done, then add shrimp and cook both until cooked through but still juicy, remove to absorbent paper

: serve with swabian potato-cucumber salad and lemon wedges

: Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber/Potato Salad

: Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber/Potato Salad

: Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber/Potato Salad

: Panko Coated Flounder Fillet With Shrimp And Cucumber/Potato Salad

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Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

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Chicken breast has gotten a bad rap for a long time.
However, you can safely say that’s not the chicken breast’s fault, but the fault of the cooks who do not know how to properly prepare it.
(It is the same dilemma with fish, veal, pork and most other protein besides red meat – the taste and texture of properly cooked protein is so wonderful yet so elusive in most restaurants these days).
I remember when I was a teacher and I showed my students how incredibly juicy and tasty a breast of chicken can be when cooked in a professional manner. Before the demo, I always asked “why do we prefer chicken leg over chicken breast” and the answer was always: “because breast are dry and tasteless”. How very surprised they all were when I proved them wrong. 🙂
So, the way to do it is to cook it to 160F to 162 F depending on the type and thickness of the protein, then let the carry-over heat do its magic; after a short rest, the protein should reach between 164F and 165F the moment it reaches the guest, but it must never exceed that temperature or it will be dry !!! During my time and before that, cooks would never think of using a thermometer to check the doneness of food – everything was dictated by the experience we garnered over many years of real cooking. Now imagine, some of our successors are not even able to find the center of the protein to get the temperature right (no kidding). And of course, if cooked too fast, protein will also end up less than stellar.
Having said all that, you might understand that I would never order a chicken breast in a restaurant these days, because the absolute majority of cooks nowadays does not know how to do a chicken breast justice. (Again, the same holds true with pork, fish and other protein which are so wonderful tasty, tender and juicy when handled with expertise).
Unfortunately, because of lack of cooking skills, the new “experts” will make you believe that only protein which is under-cooked or raw will be juicy 😦
Ok, ok, so I vented a bit, I beg your pardon…..
As of today’s dish, I resorted sheepishly to the habit of naming the dish in french, since “Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail” sounds so much better than “Chicken With Lot’s Of Garlic“. ( Or maybe “Pollo Con Un Monton De Ajo” anyone ?) 🙂
And for those of you who do not believe in lots of garlic, just replace the garlic with botton-mushrooms. As for the gnocchi with black beans, lately I have prepared that combination often and in many different variations – gnocchi with butter beans, gnocchi with chick peas, gnocchi with edamame etc, all sautéed in herb butter, pesto, tomato sauce, chili oil, cheese sauce and so forth. The added texture of the beans make the gnocchi even more enjoyable than just plain with butter or sauce.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

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Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

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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 chicken breast with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: dredge chicken in flour, shake of excess

: saute slowly together with garlic cloves in olive oil (replace garlic with botton mushrooms if you prefer)

: the garlic should be golden, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside

: remove chicken and most garlic, reserve

: in the remaining olive oil, saute cooked beans until heated

: add fresh cooked gnocchi, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: chiffonade fresh basil

: add chiffonade to bean/gnocchi mix, check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with finely grated parmigiano reggiano

: top with sliced chicken breast

: top with the remaining olive oil and the garlic cloves, sprinkle with more basil

: Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

: Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

: Poulet Beaucoup D’Ail

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Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans (Teriyaki Feast)

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While the ingredients for this dish (and the cooking methods) are not exactly a traditional combination, for my personal palette they compliment each other perfectly. They are typical for the dishes I prepare for myself at home. On the other hand, would I still cater to guests at a restaurant or at home, I would not hesitate to serve this kind of food as a course in a multi-course menu. (As I have done many times).
Having been trained in and practiced for most of my career classic French cuisine, as well as garnering experience in local cuisines around the globe, this type of “fusion cuisine” has become my personal cooking style. Nowadays, cooking mostly for myself, a few close friends and the occasional high-end private gig, I don’t have to confirm to traditional cuisines anymore; – my food has become truly a fusion of dishes, methods and ingredients from around the world. Mind you, I don’t try to make my food appear haphazardly strange or exotic on purpose, but sometimes that’s the result when mixing without restraint 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
“Teriyaki” in this dish refers to the teriyaki sauce as part of the dish, not the traditional cooking method. Click for Teriyaki
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Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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Standard cup board items in my kitchen:
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: Ginger Paste

: Garlic Confit Paste

: Chile Oil

: Soy Sauce

: Teriyaki Sauce

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: mix soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, ginger paste, garlic paste, and chile oil into sweet and spicy marinade, about 1 cup

: marinade pork butt in the marinade for two days, turning often

: to a non-stick pan, add the 1 cup marinade, 6 cups of water and the pork but

: cover the pan, bring to a boil, turn heat to very low, simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 hours, depending on the size of the butt

: remove pork but, set aside, keep warm

: remove 1/3 of the stock, reduce until thickened, put the pork on a baking rack, brush with the thickened glaze, bake for twenty minutes at 375F, brush with glaze every 5 minutes

: meanwhile, rinse rice cakes for 5 minutes

: cook rice cakes in lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, drain, rinse

: add rice cakes and blanched beans to the remaining teriyaki stock, simmer for 2 minutes, check / adjust seasoning

: plate the rice cakes and beans

: top with sliced pork and pork skin

: nape generously with the teriyaki stock, sprinkle with scallions

: Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans

: Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans

: Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans

: Japanese Pork, Korean Rice Cakes And French Beans

: First Bite 🙂

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Red Lentil Soup With Smoked Turkey Leg

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It’s getting cooler at night lately, so hot soup is again welcome, especially when eaten al fresco. This soup took about two and a half hours to cook from beginning to end, but the actual prep-time was only a few minutes, which makes it a perfect dish when you don’t feel like getting too involved with heavy prep-work, but still want to have a satisfying meal 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you want your lentils with more texture, cook the turkey leg first in lightly salted water, then cook the lentils with the resulting stock until just done.
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Red Lentil Soup With Smoked Turkey Leg

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Preparation :
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: saute garlic paste in butter until fragrant

: add julienned onions, saute until lightly caramelized

: add red lentils, maggi seasoning, bay leave, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, ground cumin and dried oregano

: add chicken or vegetable stock

: add the smoked turkey leg

: simmer until turkey leg is tender, about two hours

: almost……

: remove turkey, dice, check / adjust seasoning of lentils

: Red Lentil Soup With Smoked Turkey Leg

: Red Lentil Soup With Smoked Turkey Leg

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Tortilla Dulce

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When I got out of bed this morning, visions of sweet crepes swirled around my head and after I walked Bella for an hour around the lake, we were ready for our sweet reward. As I gathered the ingredients from the fridge, I came across some leftover tortillas from last nights dinner. Now, as you probably know, flour tortillas are a very versatile ingredient and are perfectly suited for a sweet dish, especially when a lot of sauce and other moist ingredients, such as fruit, are involved. So that settled things, tortillas instead of crepes it was. Turns out that for my personal taste, the tortillas, because of their more sturdy texture, were actually better suited than crepes for this particular dish 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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