Thinking out loud... Maybe I should open my own test kitchen? I just love to experiment and keep it moving. I would DIE if I had to make the same thing over and over, yet that is how someone becomes a master of something. Any-who, tonight's dinner request was lamb chops and a soup. I decided on a butternut soup and couscous on the side item for the lamb chops.
We had a bottle of Chardonnay and Shiraz left over from the weekend, I used the white wine for the butternut squash and the red for the lamb chops. They came out pretty good and the plates were empty.
Lamb Chops Marinated in Red Wine
Serves 4
Courtesy of Country Living
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine (I used an 06 Shiraz)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 lemon, peel only, cut into strips
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh mint
3/4 teaspoons fresh-ground pepper
8 (about 2 pounds) lamb rib chops
Procedure:
1. Make the marinade: Combine red wine, olive oil vinegar, lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, mint, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a baking dish. Add lamb chops to the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning meat over halfway through to be sure it is thoroughly marinated.
2. Grill the chops: Heat grill or grill pan over high heat until very hot. Remove chops from the marinade, pat dry, and set aside. Grill or place under the broiler the chops -- about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
Simple Fruity Couscous Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups dry couscous
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup packed dried apricots, chopped,
2/3 cup sweetened, dried cranberries or raisins, microwaved in 1 cup water for 1 minute
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scallions, thinly sliced with greens
1 pinch Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Procedure:
Prepare couscous according to package directions. (Ratio is one cup of couscous , 1 cup water) Combine all ingredients; toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
*Note - I cooked my couscous in freshly squeezed orange juice to give it some extra flavor
 Chickpea and Olive Salad - Lunch Time My clients' husband comes rushing in to the kitchen "Dr. Oz was speaking about foods that are commonly overlooked - Chickpeas and red pepper were two of them", He confused the statement, chickpeas and red peppers is great food combination to increase energy. Once Dr. Oz says something we all take it a the WORD. Time to load up on chickpeas. Great thing I made them a Chickpea Salad the other day!
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dynamic-food-duos
Chickpea and Olive Salad
Cooking Time: 25 minutes + overnight soaking
Serves: 6 1 cup servings
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas
1 small cucumber
2 médium tomatoes
1 small red (Spanish) onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon honey
Directions:
1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak overnight. Drain the chickpeas, place in a pan, cover with fresh water and cook for 25 minutes or just tender. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Cut the cucumber in half length ways, scoop out seeds and cut into 1/2 in slices. Cut the tomatoes into cubes about the same size as the chickpeas, and chop onion finely. Combine the chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley, and olives in a serving bowl.
3. Place the lemon juice, oil, garlic, and honey in a small screw top jar and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine. Serve at room temperature.
Yikes, my last blog on my site was in August. A lot has happened between Jerk Tofu and Cucumber Sauce. I completed my course work at the Natural Gourmet Institute and also moved to Florida. A new venture as a private chef for a client that is recuperating from breast and lung cancer. Literally they packed up the Diva in a suitcase. I made some chickpea burgers for dinner last week and it needed something, so I texted by Chef friend for some advice. He suggested a cucumber sauce. With the ingredients that I had on hand I concocted a cucumber sauce. Tzatziki – Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce Yield: 3 1/2 cups Ingredients: 3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained as described above) juice of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons) 1 garlic clove, chopped 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced about 1 tablespoon sea salt for salting cucumbers 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Procedure: - Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds.
- Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.
- In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)
Note: Quick and Dirty way – Don't have enough time to drain water and rest the yogurt. You can cut the cucumbers into small cubes (about 1/4th inch), use some garlic powder (or minces garlic) and blend into the yogurt.
A common question people ask me is "How long does it take to do your hair?" On average It takes about 3 hrs. every 6 weeks. During that time I get to catch up on Law and Order, news and of course the topic of food ALWAYS comes up between my loctican and I. This time around we started swapping tofu recipes.
Don't turn your nose up at the mention to tofu. I wouldn't share these recipes if it wasn't good. And for those who may be yelling at me "Don't you know soy is linked to cancer!?", for every bad thing that is said about soy there is another doctor saying to total opposite. For me, moderation.
To get rid of excess water 'press' your tofu - Place tofu on paper towles and putting a plate on top. Then place a heavy object or bowl on top. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes.
Jerk Tofu (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 Tbs of Jerk Seasoning
2 Tbs peanut or olive oil
1 lb FIRM tofu, cubed
1 onion quartered
2 cloves garlic, chopped,
Vegetables, 2 lbs of any mixture of carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, green cabbage, bok choy, sweet peppers and broccoli.
oil to fry
Instructions
1. Mix jerk and oil add tofu and marinate for about 30 mins
2. Heat oil and fry tofu for 5 minutes and put aside
3. Saute onion and garlic and add vegetables tossing until just tender.
4. Add tofu and stir in gently and serve with brown rice or noodles
Tofu Burgers
(Recipe courtesy of Natural Gourmet Institute)
Ingredients
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shoyu
1 cup cooked millet OR rice OR bread crumbs
1 lbs SOFT tofu
2 tablespoons arame (its a sea vegetable)
1 cup filtered water
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder OR other spice blend
1/4 cup carrot, finely minced
1 stalk celery, finely minced
1 1/2 tablespoon umeboshi paste
2 Tbs tahini
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt
Instructions:
1. Mix seeds and shoyu together. Roast on parchment paper until dried
2. Cook rice or millet
3. Press tofu to release excess water
4. Soak arame in water 10 - 15 minutes. Drain and chop finely
5. Grind sunflower seeds halfway. Mash tofu, add sauteed vegetables, grain, seeds, arame, umeboshi paste, tahini, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust salt if needed. Mix well.
6. Form 1/2" thick burgers with about 1/2 cup mixture
 Thermostat in class room 95 degrees Today is the offical one month mark in the Natural Gourmet Institutes Chefs Training Program. This morning I decided to get to class early to beat the morning locker room rush and sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee (yes in the 100 degree weather). As I entered the classroom I felt a gush of hot air, "OMG its hotter in here than outside". I no longer had the desire to drink my coffee.
Our instructor for the day was filling up pitcher with water and lemon to keep us cool. I joking said " I see today is a simulation on working in a hot kitchen". According to the thermo stat is was a schorhing 95 degrees! Later to find out that the AC broke last night.
We hung in there, we learned more about sauces and infusions. Lucky were weren't on the stoves too much. I'm even luckier that I chose ot make an Almond Sauce that did not require me to be on the stove for too long.
Almond Sauce
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 small shallots, minced (about 6 tablespoons)
1 head of garlic, roasted*
1/4 cup vegetable stock (if you can make your own BOUNUS YUMMY)
1/3 cup blanched almonds, soaked 10 minutes in warm water and strained
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt to taste
Instructions:
1. In a small saute pan, reduce white wine with shallots until almost dry.
2. In blender combine shallots, roasted garlic paste, almonds and vegetable stock. Blend until creamy. Slowly add in the oils. Season to taste.
Try putting it over rice or a mild white fish, tilapia, flounder ect, with a glass of white wine.
To roast garlic: Peel off outer layers, cutt of top horizontally, rub with olive oil, cover with tin
foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.
Blanch Almonds: Boil water place almonds in for about 1 minute, remove and place in a bowl with cold water and ice. AKA Blanch and shock
Reduce: Simmer liquid until it reaches a smaller volume
Don't let the sauce sit for too long, it will start to thicken, if it does thin out with some water.
If you need help send an email, but I may have to charge for personal visits :)
1st month check in - summary
It's going by so fast! It's a great experience, and overall 'good food' can taste good.
I still eat meat, but making the switch to organic/farm rasied, eating poorly treated animals doesn't appeal to me.
I don't think I'm cut out to work in a restaurant still, I think I'm at the point I can ask my instructors for some feedback on how I'm doing.
How does one mix, learning about good food, travel,and fun together? And also making our communites a better place to be!
We will see what happens.
I used to love the idea of Restaurant Week. Who wouldn't enjoy
dining out at great restaurants for a fraction of the price. After a while I stopped participating in the Boston
restaurant weeks, the food and service was lack luster. I would rather pay full price and get treated to better food
and service.
In class our instructor mentioned that NYC restaurant week is coming up and it would
be a great experience for us culinary students to seek inspiration for our own dishes (and also for a fraction of the price). I was glad he noted that these particular restaurants below keep to the true tradition of Restaurant and
give you the best they have both in food and service. If anyone needs a partner in crime to try out the suggestions below, please let me know :)
P.S Another tip to eat at 5 star restaurants is to sit at the bar and order a drink and an appitizer. Ambiance for $20.
1) Aquavit aquavit.org
2) Barbetta (Italian) barbettarestaurant.com
3) Benoit Restaurant and Bar (French) benoitny.com
4) Cafe Fiorello cafefiorello.com
5) Chin Chin - Chinese
6) China Grill (Chinese) chinagrillmgt.com
7)Firebird - (Russian) firebirdrestaurant.com
8) Gotham Gar and Grill - gothambarandgrill.com
Our instructor made us Za'atar and flatbread last week while we were learning about herbs and spices. Za'atar is traditionally used in the Middle Eastern cooking. Its very verestile and can be used on meats, veggies, and bread. Try this mix (add olive oil) at your next party. Move over olive oil and garlic! Zaatar Ingredients: - 1/4 cup sumac
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons marjoram
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Preparation: Grind the sesame seeds in food processor or with mortar and pestle. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Store za'atar in a cool, dark place in a plastic zip bag or in an airtight container. When stored properly, za'atar can be used from 3-6 months.
“There are still a few of us out there”, the older gentlemen said as he get me go in front of him to get on the 6 train. “Thank You! Have a good day, I'm happy there are a few of you left.” was my response. No, this is not your typical NYC scenario. I'm starting off to a good day.
I started the full time Chef's Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in NYC yesterday. I hope by blogging about my experience will a) keep my friends and family in the loop on whats going on b) share what I'm learning in school c) help shape the direction of Gourmet Diva
I wanted to attend this program due to its focus on health and wellness, and to be able to create a 'something' in Boston. The goal is as always make the experience of food fun and enjoyable. I'm keeping my mind open about what it is. You go in thinking you want X and an experience happens and Y happens. I'm open to feedback feel free to drop a line.
Something inside me resonated during my journey of building Gourmet Diva. I was constantly was bombarded with the statistics of obesity and other health conditions of people in urban areas and people of color. ( We can go into a conversation about why this is, maybe a facebook discussion?) Also learning about health conditions of others that are close to me and others that had opened up to me along the way. Hearing comments such as “Oh hellz no I would never become vegetarian because I don't want to eat salads all day”, had me thinking a little bit more about how we perceive food. There is sooo much to eat, try to focus on what you can eat instead of what you can't eat.
Summary of Day1 and 2
“Its like drinking water through a water hose”, you just take in a little and sit back. Eventually it will all sink in. We learned about the ins and out of the school and about our classmates. We are a small group of 11, most from out of state and out the country!!
If your into kitchen gadgets you would have loved today. We went over common items like a sautee pot and learned what a 'china cap' is. (Don't go running out to get one). I finally got to see a 'Vitamix' that Raw foodist keep talking about.
The big part of the day was getting our knife kits and learning how to use them. It was a humbling experience, it was learning how to write as a child. I have to keep practicing and eventually Ill look like the folks on tv. Ill write a blog dedicated to the knife with some tips. Pracitce makes perfect, and accuracy and precision is key. I had to keep telling myself “Be patience grasshopper, speed will come eventually”
Common Questions
Are you excited on being back home?
I felt like a fish out of water the first day. Even though I vist NYC often, its now making it become home again and becoming immersed in all thing NY – food trucks and all! Give me a few days and Ill get my groove back! Not excited about all the train delays.
What are your days like?
We are in class from Monday – Thursday 9:15 – 4:15 ish and Friday from 9:15am – 1:15pm. And we dare not to be late! We have to wear our uniform everyday (and some ugly clogs). At this point we have lectures and we do have to stand a lot. We also have outside class requirements that we need to fulfill either after class or on weekends. Sorry, were not allowed to text, tweet, or use Facebook in class :( Its very tiring and exhausting, I noticed I need about a ½ hr of quite time before I head on the train.
Do you get exams and homework?
Yes we do. Some are take home and the rest are evaluations.
Can I be a taste tester?
Sure! The great thing is that we have opportunities to cook for the public. We have a brunch, buffet and a “Friday Night Dinner” ( a three course vegetarian meal) requirement. If we have left overs we get to take them home.
Random: We can receive mail LOL. I love mail, I don't know why its just something personal about it. I can be a stationary junkie, pretty paper and pens. Feel free to drop me a line send a care package. Nothing crazy please.
Keesha O'Galdez CTP#188
c/o Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts
48 West 21st Street 2nd Flr
New York, NY 10010
Its almost 11pm.. time t
Have you ever been to the supermarket and saw a fresh coconut and wondered what the hell to do with it? Look at the article below, it shows how to crack open a coconut (looks simple - I have a nail and hammer). Perfect summer time cake. Lets see how it goes.
I watch Rachel Ray, but most of her meals are not "30 minutes'. I wish I had a prep person, so when I come into the kitchen all I had to do was cook. I read in my twitter feed (feel free to follow @thegourmetdiva) that majority of folks dont use recipes when cooking dinner. Do you?
I had all the ingredients on hand, instead of kale I used spinach. This recipe is great because you don't have to worry about measuring and being perfect, its also great to feed a big family. I cut this in 1/2 and had enough for 2 and some leftovers for lunch. Now its time to make dessert.
Pasta with Kale and White Beans (Whole Foods Market)
Ingredients
6 strips of turkey bacon (optional)
1 bag 365 Organic Value Whole Wheat pasta
1 container of shallots or 1 yellow onion
1 15 oz 365 Everyday value Cannellini beans
1 Bunch Kale
Directions:
1) Cut the bacon into pieces and saute them seperately from the main dish.
2) Cook the pasta according to the package directions. (Remember you want you pasta al dente - firm to the bite)
3) Meanwhile, finely chop the shallots or onion.
4) Drain the beans and saute them with the shallots or onion, and season with a little crushed rosemary or oregano.
5) Chop the kale and put on top of the bean mixture, then turn off the heat and let it steam while youwait for the pasta to cook.
6) Mix all together with a dab of butter and serve with a generos sprinkling of grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese. (I prefer 4C cheese homestyle)
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