asian sweet-sour sauce

                                    Asian sweet-sour sauce

Ever since I found that recipe, I need to make this. It's sooooooo good and addictive. Also, good to prepare for guests. It's also very, very good on fried fish. I liked the Mangrove Snapper my husband brought home from fishing (we are living on the central eastcoast of Florida). Just fry the fish (salted and peppered and dusted in Flour) and once done, just brush on the sweet and sour sauce. Yum


This is what you need:

- 1/2 cup low sodium Soy Sauce

- 1/2 cup white Vinegar

- 1/2 cup Honey

- 2 cloves of Garlic

- a 2 inch piece of fresh Ginger, sliced

- pack of Chicken wings

- Toasted Sesame seeds and scallions for garnish

This is how you do it:

Peel the Garlic and smash it with a knife a bit. Peel and slice the Ginger. Add all liquids in a sauce pan and add the solids. Let simmer for 30 min and remove the solids. Sauce should be nice and thickened. If not, make a slurry with Corn starch and water and add to the sauce until nice thickened. 

In a 475 degree oven, cook the chicken wings (with nothing on. No seasons needed) for about  35 min and until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and toss the wings one after another in the 
sweet-sour sauce. Garnish with Sesame Seeds and the Scallions. 

Enjoy and Guten Appetit 

Tortellini in Ham Cream Sauce

                               Tortellini in Ham Cream Sauce 

Here is my last italian dish I have forgotten about until we traveled to Italy again. It's been
a while since I have had it and even my picky eater (daughter) liked it.
Also an quick and easy made dish. 


This is what you need:

- 200 gr cooked ham, diced

- 100 gr Laughing cow cheese (regular and garlic herb) It's about 6-7 triangles

- 200 ml heavy whip

- 50-100 ml fat free half&half

- 20 gr unsalted Butter

- Oregano, Salt, Pepper

- You can also add frozen Peas to it

- Tortellini 



This is how you do it:

Prepare the Water for the Tortellini. I usually have the once from the fridge section, they just cook around 2 min..

Melt the Butter and fry the Ham in it until a bit crisp. Now add all the other ingredients and let the Laughing Cow cheese melt. Season with Salt, Pepper and if you like, Oregano. 

Add back the Ham, the peas if you like. When the Tortellini are done, toss them into the sauce. 
Serve. 

Enjoy and Guten Appetit

Spaghetti Carbonara

                     Spaghetti Carbonara

So, here is the first italian influenced dish. Spaghetti Carbonara is a quick and easy dish, made 
all over Italy. We were in Lombardy, Tuscany and Lazio and everywhere we found that dish on 
the menu. 
If you want to do it completely authentic and you are able to find Guangiale, please use that. Unfortunately, I could't find it anywhere here in the states. It's cured pork cheek. You can substitute with Pancetta. 

We also learned that Pasta dishes are "Primi Piatti", means basically a second Appetizer. 
The portions are small and not filling. Also, Pasta is not served with meat like chicken. Chicken or meat dishes are "Secondi Piatti", means main dishes. 


This is what you need:

- 3 Eggs and 2 Egg yolks

- good stuffed 1/3 cup of shredded Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano  

- Pepper

- 3 slices of Guangiale or 4-5 slices thick cut Bacon

-  around 12 ounces Spaghetti


This is how you do it:

Prepare a separate Bowl for the Spaghetti to mix with the eggs.

Set up the water for the Spaghetti like always. Cook Spaghetti 9 -10 min., slightly under "al dente". 

Mix the egg yolks and eggs with pepper and mix with the cheese. Set aside.

While the Water is coming to a boil, cut the Guangiale into small pieces (or use the Bacon) and fry it in a pan until its nice and crisp and the fat has come out. Keep it warm.

When the Spaghetti is done, take some of the Pasta water into a measuring cup (I use a ladle for that). Put the hot Spaghetti in the separate bowl you prepared earlier. Trick is, no more heat. Now add the hot Bacon/Guangiale with the fat and mix well into the Pasta. Add a bit Pasta water and stir well to get already a slightly creamy sauce.  

Now add the yolk-cheese mix and stir quick so you don't get scrambled eggs. The sauce will thicken even more and get a nice yellow color. If you think its still to thick, add a bit more Pasta water. But be careful at this point. You don't want to add too much liquid here. Stir well until the cheese is melted. 

The saltiness of the Pecorino and the Bacon and the Pasta water is enough to season this dish. So no extra salt is needed. The rest heat of the Pasta and the Bacon will let the eggs just cook enough to not be raw no more so no worries. 

If you have left overs in your pan and after a while they start to thicken a lot, just add a bit more Pasta Water. 

Enjoy and Guten Appetit 

Tiramisu

                                      Tiramisu 

Hello everybody. I am back. Thanks for your patience. We were on vacation. 2 weeks "home" in germany, and 2 weeks in Italy. We visited family and friends everywhere. Including Italy. And that's
why my following recipes are italian lol. I forgot about certain "recipes". Now that I got reminded
again, I had to cook them back home. So don't be mad if the following 3 recipes are now italian
dishes. 

Tiramisu is a typical desert. In this case, influenced from Italy, I made them in a pickling jar. Easy      to store, portions perfect for everybody and it looks cute.


This is what you need:

- 4 Egg yolks

- 5 TBSP Sugar

- 500 gr (2 packs) Mascarpone cheese 

- Amaretto Liquor (or Almond flavor for the "kids" version)

- 2 Cups of strong Espresso (or a strong regular coffee like instant coffee)

- 2 Egg whites with a pinch of salt

- Lady fingers

- Baking Cocoa 


This is how you do it:

First, make the strong coffee. When its done, add as much sugar till it's tasting ok for you. You might also add the Amaretto Liquor, around a shot Glass full or your Almond flavor (until its tasty. It should have a hint of Almond but not to strong) Let it cool slightly so you don't burn your fingers ;-)

Separate the Eggs but keep 2 Egg whites. With the 4 Egg yolk and the sugar, wisk it until its thickened and light yellow. Now add the Amaretto (or Almond Flavor) and the Mascarpone cheese. 

Whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt until soft pikes (turn it around. Is it not moving, it's perfect). 

Carefully fold the egg white now into the Mascarpone creme. Do not overwhisk it so it stays nice and light. 

Prepare your glasses or the casserole dish you want to use for the Tiramisu. First, take one Lady Finger and dip it shortly on both sides into your coffee and then place it in the dish. For the glasses, I broke them in sizes first and then dipped it in the coffee. Lay in your glass. Then add 1 layer of the Mascarpone creme. For the glasses, I used 1 Tablespoon full. It should cover the Lady Fingers about 1/2 inch. Then use a small colander and powder some of the Cocoa over it. Repeat the next layer exactly like this. Finish with Mascarpone creme and the Cocoa powder. I had 3 layers of Lady Fingers in those glasses. 

I garnished the Tiramisu Glasses with a chocolate coated Coffee Bean. Cover and let chill in the fridge for about 2 hrs..

Enjoy and Guten Appetit