Cooking Day - Episode 2

By Lisa VanWilliams

The cool thing about being a Personal Chef is all the different dishes I get to make. My clients pick out what they want based on their dietary needs and I take it from there. It makes more time for them, and allows me to be creative in the kitchen and enjoy my passion for cooking.

It's great finding new recipes that taste great and can be added into my own home cooking repertoire. To be honest, some of these things I would never consider personally making, but after making some of them, I have definitely reconsidered.

You never know what you might like if you don't try anything new. So don't miss out on your next favorite thing! I will post new dishes we make so you can get ideas for your own families.

Today's client was gluten-free and here's what we made:

First Dish = Chicken Enchiladas with Black Beans and Green Salsa

Green Tomatillos Salsa before baking

Chicken Enchiladas with Corn Tortillas & Black Beans

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa

Second Dish = Chicken Piccata with Capers

Half done with almond flour half with rice flour

Third Dish =  Japanese Beef Curry

Rutabaga, Fuji apple, carrots, beef, lots of seasonings/flavorings

Sides

Garlic Green Beans

Mixed Veggies In Butter Sauce

Dessert

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Two weeks of meals and sides ready to store....

Macaroni and Cheese With Black Truffle Oil

By Lisa VanWilliams

Here's a fancy schmancy version of mac-n-cheese. Places like Panera can get expensive for a basic pasta at $4.99 each for two kids, you can make it even better at home for the same $10 but you can feed the whole block. It's fast and easy to throw together and they wont get enough of this rich and creamy macaroni. The black truffle oil adds a little hint of something you cant quite make out but it takes it from basic to decadent with just a couple of drops.  You can find white and black truffle oil in the olive oil section and if not, specialty shops will carry it. A little goes a long way and it's great to use on veggies and potato dishes as well. If you want to kick it up a little add some Pepper Jack cheese into the mix.

Ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni cooked

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

3 cups milk

4 cups mixed cheeses (sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, pepper jack, 4 cheese blend, etc)

½ cup Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top

drizzle with truffle oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in pan then add in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper until smooth. Add in milk slowly and mix it well as you add it in. Medium heat, simmer, but do not boil. It will take 10 mins or so to thicken. Turn off heat. Boil milk mixture over cooked pasta. Add in 3 cups of cheese (save 1 cup for topping). Drizzle with truffle oil. Mix well and pour into casserole dish. Top with rest of cheese and then Parmesan. Put in oven and bake for 25 mins until browned on top. Broil a few minutes if needed. Serve hot. Enjoy! 

Blueberry Scones

By Lisa VanWilliams

This weekend was the first weekend for blueberry picking in Southern Connecticut! We got out early in the morning on Saturday to beat the crowds and got first picks from one of our local farms.  These little scones are great for your morning coffee or afternoon tea and a great way to use up some of our berries.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup packed from sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chilled butter
1 cup blueberries
¾ cup half & half
1 egg
½ teaspoon grated orange rind


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Cut cold butter into mixture of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl beat together half&half, egg, orange rind. Pour in blueberries. One mixed, slowly pour into dry ingredients. Stir until dough forms but do not over mix and fold gently so the berries don't get mashed. Pat into 6 inch round ball (on floured board) and flatten down. Cut into 6 wedges.

Bake in oven for 20 mins. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Sausage Rotini

By Lisa VanWilliams

Bring some heat to the table with this tasty Rotini dish packed with fresh flavors. Trader Joe's has a few varieties of different chicken sausage to pick from (spicy jalapeno, sweet apple, garlic herb, smoked andouille, sun-dried tomato, sweet basil pesto, etc) and today we picked the spicy chicken sausage version. Add your favorite veggies like squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, or you can just stick to the basics because that's enough right there.

Ingredients:

1 pack Trader Joe's Spicy Chicken Sausage (4 links)
1 cup chopped spinach
olive oil
2 garlic cloves finely minced
3 pieces prosciutto diced
½ jar tomato sauce
1 roasted pepper diced
shaved or grated Parmesan cheese or both
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 basil leaves diced
¾ box cooked Rotini
pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop the chicken links into bite sized pieces into a tablespoon of olive oil and cook them for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Add the garlic into the chicken pieces about half way and continue to stir (you can also add in the prosciutto now if you want it crisped). After the pieces are crispy and done, add in the spinach, roasted pepper, tomato sauce, basil, crushed red pepper, and cheese. Put the prosciutto in now if you prefer soft. Pour in the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve while hot. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Apple & Carrot Spice Muffins

By Lisa VanWilliams

A tisket a tasket a gluten-free basket!  A one bowl quick mix muffin recipe. These muffins are a great snack for before or after the gym. They are packed with flavor from the sweet apples & carrots, yet they have a crunchy nut punch, plus they are good source of fiber and low in carbs. Almond flour is a great alternative additionally because it provides a moist rich buttery flavor without leaving that guilty feeling afterwards.

Ingredients:

1½ cups almond meal/flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup total mashed/grated carrots and apples
handful of raisins
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
dash of vanilla
dash of cloves
dash of allpsice
½ cup chopped almonds and walnuts

Directions:

Get your bowl and starting adding everything into it and mix! Add then to muffin pans and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for ½ hour. Enjoy!

Cooking Day

By Lisa VanWilliams

24 dinners, 16 sides, and 1 dessert. Sounds like a new Foodie song - right? That's what I made for one of my clients yesterday. If you have ever considered getting a Personal Chef, The Salted Chef is a great company to work with and they will find you a Chef no matter what State you live in. It's affordable (no more than you would pay going out for food/dinner) and you can customize your menu to your preferences. They do all the shopping for you and cook it right in YOUR kitchen. Vegan, Gluten-free, Low Carb, Paleo, or Traditional, they can handle all your families meal needs.

You can request a weeks worth of meals or a few weeks and freeze some if you'd like. Make life a little easier for yourself, eat the things you enjoy, and maybe find a new dish or two along the way by trying some new recipes.

Yesterday we made Honey Glazed Carrots, Scalloped Potato Gratin, Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa, Marinated London Broil, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, and a Spanish Flan.

For more info about the company, you can view their website here:
http://saltedchef.com/

Honey Glazed Carrots

Mango Avocado Salsa

Marinated Grilled London Broil

Marinated Grilled Jerk Chicken

Enchilada Stuffing - black beans, roasted chicken

Spanish Flan

Hang Ten In Your Den

By Lisa VanWilliams

Surfboards are a great way to bring the ocean vibe into your home, and you can totally do it in a subtle way or you can make it the main focus. Sites like Etsy are filled with homemade artisan crafts like tables, wall art, and towel racks. There are soooo many great ideas out there on what you can do what these, but here are just a few.

If your lucky you  might be able to find one on Craigslist or at a tagsale for a cheap price.

(chalk board - how cool?!)

Some Artisan picks, cost, and where you can get them:

$28.58 Surfboard Rack

https://www.etsy.com/listing/203454195/surfboard-rack-single-board-wall-display?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=surfboard&ref=sr_gallery_37

$79.99 4 Foot Wood Hawaiian Surfboard Wall art

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112717935/4-foot-wood-hawaiian-surfboard-wall-art

$94.00 Towel Hook Shark Bite

https://www.etsy.com/listing/156855918/surfboard-towel-hook-shark-bite-wooden?ref=market

$115 Coffee Table

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222336748/surfboard-coffee-table?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=surfboard%20coffee%20tables&ref=sr_gallery_3

$129 Surfboard Shelf

http://www.pbteen.com/products/3166568/?catalogId=42&sku=3166568&bnrid=3780801&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=Feed&cm_ite=Google%20Base&kwid=productads-plaid^132890001448-sku^3166568-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^81738823888