Beef Vegetable Stew In Red Wine Sauce.

This is a plain beef stew from the chuck. It has been slowly braised for about 2 hours and vegetables have been added to it. . In the background there is another failed Pommes Anna. I will get it right soon. This is not an easy potato to make.

Sesame Chicken

3 whole boneless chicken breasts



MARINADE:

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry

a few drops of Chee Seng Sesame oil

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vegetable oil



SAUCE:

1/2 cup water

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 cup vinegar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons Chee Seng Sesame oil

1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired

1 clove garlic (minced)



OTHERS:

2 tablespoons Double Pagoda Roasted Black Sesame seeds

3 1/2 - 4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying



Method:



1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

2. To prepare the sauce: mix together all of the sauce ingredients.

3. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.

4. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken:

1. Add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown.

2. Drain on paper towels.

3. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.

4. Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.

5. Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over.

6. Sprinkle with Double Pagoda Roasted Black Sesame Seeds.

7. Serve the Sesame Chicken s

Eggplant Lasagna.

Moqueqa De Peixe / The Queen Of Brazilian Cuisine.

Chinese Shrimp On Stir Fried Rice

Jumbo Shrimp marinated in ginger, garlic and chinese pepper paste. Deep fried in a cornstarch and flour batter and serves on fried rice and vegetable with sesame oil .

Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup

3 lbs beef soup bones

3 lbs short ribs with bones.

3 star anise.

12 crushed cloves of garlic.

3 crushed slices of fresh garlic.

1 bunch scallions.

2 tablespoons szechuan peppercorns.

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce.

1/3 cup light soy sauce.

2 tablespoons sugar.

4 dried szechuan chili peppers, torn into pieces, with seeds.

About 8 tablespoons of sambal olek or sriracha.

Sesame oil.

Fine chinese wheat noodles (often labelled as "wonton noodles").

Baby chinese broccoli, baby

Put a wok or large saucepan onto high heat. Add some canola oil and brown the soup bones. Then transfer the bones to either a large stockpot or 5 quart slow cooker.

In small batches, put the short ribs into the saucepan. Add enough chili paste (either sambal or sriracha) to get the meat well coated. After they're well-browned, transfer them to another pot.

Add just barely enough water to cover the shortribs, and then simmer them until they're cooked through. Drain the liquid, and add it to the slow-cooker.

Add more chili paste to the cooked ribs, and put them into the fridge overnight.

In a fresh pan with a bit of oil, add the garlic, shredded chilis, anise, and ginger, until they just start to brown. Then add them to the slow-cooker.

Add the two soy sauces, the peppercorns, and the whites of the scallions to the slow cooker. Then add enough water to fill the cooker.

Turn the cooker on to simmer, and let it cook for at least 12 hours.

Xinxim De Galinha, One Of Brazil's Great Dishes

This is a delicious dish and very popular in Brazil. It is one of the signature dishes of the country. You would have to buy the Palm Oil from a specialty store.


800g Chicken thighs
3 Limes, juiced (+ 1 more if needed)
4 Cloves garlic, crushed with a knife and finely chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
250g Raw jumbo shrimps, shelled
Sunflower/peanut oil, for frying
1 Big onion, finely sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and cut in tiny cubes
2 Big tomatoes, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
250ml Chicken broth
30g Dried shrimps (see remarks)
30g Brazil/cashew nuts
30g Toasted peanuts, without the skin
A 1cm (2.50 inches) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 palm oil
400ml thickish coconut milk
Some fresh coriander

1. Put the chicken thighs in a bowl and add 1/3 of the lime juice and 1/3 of the garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and set aside for 1 hour.
3. In another bowl, mix together half of the jumbo shrimps, the leftover lime juice and half of the leftover garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let marinade for about 15 minutes.
5. Heat a frying pan over high heat, then add 1 tablespoon sunflower/peanut oil.
6. Remove the shrimps from the marinade and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
7. Set aside.
8. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade.
9. Add a little more sunflower/peanut oil in the frying pan and fry the thighs until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
10. Set aside.
11. In a clean frying pan, add some Sunflower/peanut oil and fry the onion, until translucid.
12. Add the bell pepper, then the leftover garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
13. Add the tomatoes and the chicken. Heat well.
14. Pour the chicken broth into the pan and bring to the boil.
15. Then, over low heat, simmer, covered for about 30 minutes.
16. Grind the Brazil nuts and peanuts into a very fine meal.
17. Incorporate this fine meal, the leftover marinade juices as well as the grated ginger to the chicken and sauce in the pan.
18. Let the contents of the pan simmer for another 5 minutes.
19. Check the seasoning and correct if desired.
20. Now, add the fresh/raw shrimps, the extra lime juice (if needed/desired), the palm oil and the coconut milk. Mix well.
21. Let it all simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
22. Serve hot sprinkled with chopped coriander.



Lamb Chasseur, Anna Potatoes.

This should be your finished dish. Always add a generous portion of chopped parsley at the last minute for color but only at the last minute. If you add it too soon and leave it standing it will lose it's bright green color.

Add some chopped garlic, some chopped tarragon and chicken stock. season and allow to cook. When the main ingredient is cooked remove it and keep it warm. reduce the liquid to a sauce like consistency. Correct seasoning, add a little freshly chopped tarragon .

.

Return meat to the reduction and add thickly sliced mushrooms and chopped tomatoes. Allow to cook on a medium heat to extract all the flavors.

Remove meat and add white wine. Reduce until almost dry.

Add finely chopped shallots and allow to cook slowly until translucent.

Saute the lamb ( or chicken ) on a medium heat until well browned on both sides.

Mmmmm. Anna potatoes. One of my absolute favorites but not easy to make. This is a very old potato rarely made these day. I learned how to make it in the Savoy in London. You need a special mould. I used a little Le Creuset mini casserole here but it was a little too deep. You brush the inside of the dish with butter and you place it on a warm surface. Then you line the bottom and the sides with overlapping thin potato slices, then fill in the middle with same. You bake it in a medium to hot oven ( you usually have to jiggle the oven temperatures to get the outside crispy and the inside just cooked) until the potatoes are cooked and then you turn the mould out. It should look like a potato gateau, golden brown and brilliant under the kitchen lights. Only Problem is, the first ten times you do it , it doesn't. It takes a lot of practice to get the temperatures of the oven right and you need a dedicated cooking utensil that doesn't stick. You can do many variations on this dish by adding truffles and the like in the center. It looks just great when it is done properly. Ah, the old slave days when everything had to be perfect.

Vegetable And Sausage Casserole

Winter is on the way in so it is time for stews soups and casseroles. I made this with all the leftover vegetables in the fridge and it was very good.

Black Bean And Chorizo Stew, Spicy Rice and Collard.

Slow Roasted Chicken Breast, Gnocchi A La Romana And Spinach Tomatoes.

Gnocchi A La Romana

6 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons for sheet pan and baking dish

3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus 1/2 cup
Salt and Pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Butter 1 sheetpan or a pyrex dish  with 3/4-inch sides and a baking dish.
 a 3 to 4-quart saucepan, heat to scald the milk, salt. Pour in the semolina in a thin stream, whisking vigorously, and cook for about 1 minute, switching to a wooden spoon as it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese. Mix well to combine. Pour the semolina onto the buttered  sheetpan  and, using a spatula, spread to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Allow to cool.

Using a pastry cutter or water glass, cut 3-inch quarter moons or square out of semolina. Arrange the cut pieces so that they are leaning up against one another (overlapping) in a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Place in oven and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is deep golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.
You can add butter and egg yolks to this but I find that it is rich enough as it is. A great accompaniement for almost anything and so easy to make. This can also be used as an appetizer in smaller portions and can be made a couple of days in advence.

Chicken Baked In A Potato Crust. Green Beans With Bacon.

This is a very simple dish. Bone and tie a leg of chicken. Sear it in a hot pan and allow to cool in the fridge. Peel a russet potato and cut thinnish slices lengthwise. Soak them in a water with plenty of salt and a little lemon juice. They will become pliable after a few minutes. Take the chicken out of the fridge and season it well. Cover it with whatever you wish, in this case I used zucchini and tomatoes. You can also use spinach and bacon etc. etc. Season again and wrap the whole thing in the potato slices. In the meantime you have melted a little butter. You brush the butter on to the potatoes and bake in a medium oven. Finish the last 5-10 minutes with the broiler on to give the potatoes a final color.

You can use just about any sauce. Here I used a little butter and shallot cream sauce.

Linguinne, Fresh Tomato Sauce,Mushroom And Sweet Pepper Ragout.

This was delish. A plain pasta with some good home made tomato sauce and the add ition of sauteed peppers, onions and sausage to top it all. You can't beat simplicity can you? A little song, a little dance. Batman's head on a lance.