Our March Chef of the Month has shared another delicious treat – her Vegetarian Pancit Carbonara recipe. This popular Filipino noodle dish is healthy and full of flavor. You can also enjoy it for lunch or dinner, find the recipe below!
It’s been a difficult time in the Chef community, but we’re excited to share our March 2020 Chef of the Month‘s recipe for you to try at home! Chef Kryssie’s Ube Crepe Salad is the perfect twist to keep your chef mind busy and your stomachs satisfied. Get cookin’ below!
A note from the chef: “You can use any market vegetables available or to your liking. In my case, I used watermelon radish, shredded red and green cabbage, carrots and baby pea shoots”.
Ingredients
Savory Ube Crepe Ingredients
1 Cup all-purpose flour
3 Eggs
1 TSP Ube extract (you can find at any Asian grocery store. Preferred brand is Butterfly)
1 1/2 Cups whole milk, divided use
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
1/8 Teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus whole butter for cooking crepes
Sambal Peanut Crumbs Ingredients
1 Cup chopped dry-roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sambal
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 Teaspoon salt
Soy-Peanut Dressing Ingredients
1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Lime, juiced
1 Teaspoon minced ginger
1 Teaspoon Garlic
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Directions
Savory Ube Crepe Directions
Whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup milk, ube extract, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter.
Add the remaining cup of milk and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or several hours.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just before you are ready to make the crepes, whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it is too thick, add milk slowly while whisking constantly until it is the right texture.
Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan or spray with vegetable spray and heat the pan until a drop of water “dances” across the surface.
Using a ladle or a measuring cup with a lip, pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Hold the pan with 1 hand and pour the batter in with the other.
Swirl the pan while pouring, so that the batter covers the pan thinly and evenly for each crepe. Pour off any excess batter. Try not to leave any holes. After the first few crepes you will know exactly how much batter your pan will hold.
Cook the crepe over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, about 15 seconds.
Flip the crepe using a small spatula and your fingers. Cook on the second side for another 10 to 15 seconds. The second side will not be as evenly browned as the first side.
Remove the pan from the heat and invert it over a warm plate to stack the crepes. Keep warm until ready to use. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed.
Sambal Peanut Crumbs Directions
Preheat oven to 350F
Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until brown.
Crumble into small pieces.
Soy-Peanut Dressing Directions
Place all ingredients into a blender and whirl until smooth
Chef Kryssie’s delicious Chicken Adobo recipe consists of a savory blend of fresh ingredients and a delectable aroma. Channel our March Chef of the month by following her impressive recipe below!
Ingredients
Chicken Ingredients
1 Chicken thigh, boneless, skin/on
¼ Cup white vinegar
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1 TBSP ground black pepper
Adobo Sauce Ingredients
1 Cup white vinegar
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1 Whole garlic bulb, smashed and peeled
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 Teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 Cup water
Cornstarch slurry (2 parts water, 1 part cornstarch)
Coconut Carrot Puree Ingredients
1 Peeled carrot, medium diced
1 Small onion, chopped
3 Cups Coconut milk
Salt to taste
Fish sauce – to taste
Braised Collard Greens Ingredients
2 Strips bacon, cut into small lardons
1/8 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Cloves garlic, sliced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 Large bunch collard greens, stemmed and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/2 Cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Chicken Directions
Preheat oven to 350F
Marinade chicken for 1-2 hours
Using a large muffin pan, form the chicken with the skin side up into the muffin pan. It should look like a ball.
Roast chicken for 10-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Adobo Sauce Directions
Mix all ingredients in a sauce pot. Simmer until reduced and thick. Set aside.
Strain sauce
Add cornstarch slurry to desired thickness.
Coconut Carrot Puree Directions
Simmer carrots, onion and coconut milk until tender.
Drain and reserve cooking liquid.
Blend in Vitamix until smooth – you can pour reserved cooking liquid as needed.
Season with fish sauce and salt to taste.
Braised Collard Greens Directions
Cook the bacon in a deep saute pan on medium-high heat until crisp, then set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon zest, and saute until fragrant.
Add the collard greens and cook until they begin to wilt.
Add the chicken stock and 1/2 c water and cover, lowering the heat to a simmer.
Let cook until the greens are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover, add back the bacon, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce the liquid by one-quarter, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Final Directions
Place coconut carrot puree on bottom of plate
Lay braised collard greens and place chicken on top.
Chef Ben‘s Yakisoba & Udon Broth recipes are perfect for the month of November! Stay warm with the Udon Broth, and the Yakisoba noodles will add some stir-fry perfection that you never knew you needed in your life! This recipe is very quick & simple to make. Find it below!
Ingredients for Udon Broth
1 Gallon chicken stock
1 Gallon veal stock
2 Cups miso paste
2 Ounces sriracha sauce
Directions for Udon Broth
Place all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil.
Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat, place into a plastic container label and store until needed.
Ingredients for Yakisoba Bowl
2 Cups Udon Broth
1 Packet Yakisoba noodles
1 Each light poached egg
2 Ounces wild mushrooms
1 Ounce pea sprouts
2 Teaspoons canola oil
3 Teaspoons Teriyaki sauce
Directions for Yakisoba Bowl
In a hot wok, saute the mushroom, pea sprouts, soba noodles and Teriyaki sauce for 2 minutes.
Place into bowl and ladle 2 cups of hot Udon, serve with half an egg.
When in doubt, go for the Tostada! Chef Abyssinia, our talented September Chef of the Month has shared with us her Lobster Tostada Recipe. Tangy, sweet & fresh, this dish is ideal for any occasion. Get it below!
Poached Lobster w/ chipotle aioli & mango salsa served on a crispy tostada shell w/ guacamole
Yield: 4 servings Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Poached Lobster
4 Small lobster tails
Salt & Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
Guacamole
2 Small ripe avocados
1 Plum tomato, small diced
½ Bunch cilantro, chopped
½ Jalapeño, seeded & minced
½ Small red onion, small diced
1 Lime for juice
Mango Salsa
1 Ripe mango, peeled & small diced
1 Red bell pepper, small diced
½ Small red onion, small diced
½ Lemon for juice
1 Pinch salt & pepper
¼ Bunch cilantro, chopped
½ Jalapeño, seeded & minced
Chipotle Aioli
¼ c mayonnaise
1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, diced
½ Lemon for juice
1 Pinch salt & pepper
Tostada Shell
1 Bag of tortilla tostada shells-store brand tortilla chip cups
OR 4 corn tortillas to deep-fry
2 tbsp Honey
Directions
Poached Lobster
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add bay leave, salt & pepper to flavor water.
Poach lobster tail 3-5 min until cooked, when done place in ice bath or cold water to cool.
Remove lobster tail from shell & small dice, set aside in cooler.
In a small bowl, mix chipotle, mayo, lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.
Add diced lobster tail to the chipotle aioli mixture & place back into cooler.
Mango Salsa
In a small bowl mix diced mango, diced red onion, diced red pepper, chopped cilantro, honey, lemon juice & salt & pepper to taste, set aside.
Guacamole
In a small bowl mash avocado using clean hands or fork, add in chopped cilantro, diced tomato, minced jalapeño, juice of 1 lime, salt & pepper to taste.
Tostada
Store brand tortilla shells, open bag & relax.
To make your own tostada, heat a medium size frying pan w/ about 1 cup of oil. When oil is hot place corn tortilla in oil, frying one tortilla at a time for about 30 sec – 1 min. When tortilla is crispy, place on a tray with paper towel & sprinkle with salt.
Assembly
To assemble add 1 scoop of guacamole to the tortilla chip, top with lobster mixture & then garnish with mango salsa. Enjoy!
Treat yourself to a delicious & fruity dessert with Chef Abyssinia‘s Red Wine Poached Pear Recipe! This dish can be served either hot or cold & is guaranteed to satisfy your taste buds! Get the recipe below.
Combine all ingredients to a medium pot & let simmer on med-low heat for 1 hour.
Continue to turn your pears every 15 minutes to ensure your pears are poaching evenly.
Turn off heat after 1 hour, keep covered and allow pears to sit for 30 minutes until warm.
When pears have cooled down, place them in the fridge & allow them to chill in poaching liquid for 2 hours or more. It is not necessary, but you may let them sit overnight.
Before you serve your pears, remove 1 ½ cups of poaching liquid from your pears & add it to a small sauce pan, add ½ cup of sugar & cook on med-low heat for 5-7 minutes, allow poaching liquid to reduce down into a syrup, this is your reduction.
To serve, scoop vanilla ice-cream into a bowl, top with a poached pear, drizzle with spiced reduction & garnish with mint.
Enjoy!
Note:
Serve poached pears as you’d prefer; warm or cold. I prefer them warm over the cold vanilla ice-cream. To re-heat pears, place the pot back on the stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
We’re happy to introduce our September 2019 Chef of the Month- Abyssinia Campbell! Chef Abyssinia was born in New York, grew up in Florida and now works and resides in New York. She is the proud owner of Chef Abyssinia LLC , a Personal Chef & Catering company that provides services to New York, New Jersey, Hamptons and parts of Connecticut! As a child, Chef Abyssinia has always enjoyed cooking and she now views it as her own form of art. Read her story below and shop her look!
1. Where were you born? I was born in New Rochelle and partly raised in Mount Vernon, New York until I moved to Florida where I attended middle school, high school & college.
2. Where do you work and where are you based? I am the owner of Chef Abyssinia LLC a Personal Chef & Catering company business based in New York. My team & I provide services to New York, New Jersey, Hamptons & parts of Connecticut. We also travel, most frequently to Florida. The services that we offer are catered events of all sizes, private dining experiences, meal prep & cooking classes!
3. What is your favorite kitchen tool in creating your masterpieces/dishes? My favorite kitchen tool has got to be my taste buds, without them I wouldn’t be able to create these amazingly tasty dishes. Following my taste buds, I would say my hands, they do all the work.
4. What is your sharpest sense out of all the 5 senses? I would say that my sharpest sense out of all five senses would be my taste, I can taste a dish and name most of the ingredients that it consists of.
5. What advice would you offer for aspiring chefs? My advice to aspiring chefs is to remain humble and don’t stop learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t give up because anything is possible.
6. What is one culinary tip every chef should know and perfect? This is a tough question. One thing every chef should perfect is presentation- you want your dishes to look just as good as they taste.
7. What does good food mean to you? Good food to me consists of quality ingredients & great flavor. It doesn’t matter how much it costs really, you can overpay for a crappy meal & underpay for a crappy meal, but when it’s good it’s good and that shows that value of the dish, not the $ signs in front of it.
8. What features are important to you when selecting your chef outfit? When selecting a chef outfit, I like to look sleek, professional & most importantly feel comfortable. Safety is also another factor, something that will protect me from a burn but will not make me burn up in a hot kitchen.
9. Favorite ingredient to work with? My favorite ingredient to work with are vegetables. You can do so much with them. From vegetables to herbs to fruit, all things that come from the earth. They add flavor, texture, color, aromatics, health benefits, you name it! That’s why you will always find them in my pantry. I had a client recently who hired me for a dinner party. One of the guests was an older gentleman. The first course was a full-on vegetable course. Everyone enjoyed it, the wife of the older gentleman came to me and said “Wow, that was good. My husband hates cauliflower, but he loved it!” One thing for sure, that’s an amazing feeling, but that goes to show how you can manipulate & master the fruit of the earth. I’m strongly considering becoming a vegan chef.
10. Favorite City to dine out in? My favorite city to dine out in would have to be Manhattan, New York because there is a large diverse culture in the city. You can find a wide range of cuisines here in New York, no matter your budget, you will find a gem in the city if you look for it.
11. Best Dish you have ever made? This is really hard to say because I am always making new dishes and I don’t always write them down, sometimes I just go with the flow of things and work with whatever ingredients I have on hand. As I am writing this, I am thinking of about 3 different dishes I made several months a part that I thought were extremely good. I’m going to go with one of the more recent dishes, Mediterranean roasted chicken with tri-color lentils & spiced butternut squash.
12. What you like to eat most often on your days off? On my days off sometimes, I don’t even like to cook for myself, after being in the kitchen all week I don’t cook lavish meals for myself that often. I eat loads of fruits & vegetables. My favorite food is Caribbean food, I love Ackee & salt fish with sweet plantains & fried dumplings. I also love corn meal porridge for breakfast which is also Caribbean. I have a huge sweet tooth that I didn’t have growing up, now I crave pastries & fresh baked cookies all the time lol, it’s hard but I try to stay away from too many sweets.
14. What made you decide to become a chef? I have been cooking since I was very young, I always liked it. I liked the idea of creating things in the kitchen. One of my favorite subjects in elementary school was art. I really enjoy being able to create & I feel like when I am cooking, that is when my creativity comes out. The plate is my canvas and with the ingredients I like to paint stories. In middle school & high school I was in a Culinary Arts program and that really paved the way for me and helped me to realize that I had a true passion in food & cooking. From there I went to Johnson & wales to study culinary arts & food service management, the rest is history!
