HorseRadish

I dipped my spoon into the sauce of a friend’s plate recently to taste the honey horseradish sauce. A few moments later, my mouth tingled and my chest opened up a bit. Yes!! I know the excitement may seem strange, not if you truly enjoy this item. I was very pleased with the twist to the normal boring sauce that is accompanied with a dish.

I ‘ve restocked the kitchen with raw and bottle versions of horseradish. Put a twist to your next aioli or fold it into a filling for a sandwich.

Horseradish Aioli
Olive Oil, as needed
Large Whole Egg, 1
Horseradish, raw and grated 2 Tbsp
Lemon Zest and Juice, 1
Garlic, 2 grated
Sea Salt, to taste
Chili Pepper Flakes, to taste

Combine in small mixing bowl and whisk together. Enjoy with a cheese sandwich or a kicked up chicken salad sandwich.

Spicy Aloo

I really enjoy diverse cuisines and to my surprise I located a food truck serving Indian cuisine in NYC. Food trucks are serving coffee, ice creams to region specific cuisines all over the country these days. I ordered the aloo paratha and it was delicious, the spicy filling and bread was a great and light for a much needed late afternoon snack.

Aloo Paratha is a potato bread dish made with whole wheat flour and stuffed with the potato filling. Instead of regular whipped potatoes try out my recipe below:

Spicy Aloo

Serves 6

Idaho Potatoes, 2 pieces
Coriander, 2 Tbsp ground
Cumin, 2 Tbsp ground
Turmeric, 1 Tbsp ground
Tamarind Paste, 2 Tbsp
Ginger, 2 Tbsp puree
Cayenne Pepper, to taste
Chilli Powder, 2 Tbsp ground
Olive Oil or Ghee, to taste
Kosher Salt to taste

Boil, drain and mash the potatoes with ghee and kosher salt. Mix remaining items with olive oil and fold into mashed potatoes. Serve alone or with a paratha or a lean piece of protein.

Enjoy!

Crusty, Ice Cream, Chocolate

Recently I asked people which type of dessert selections they must have before ending a meal. Some mentioned that they rather start with dessert, hysterical! Answers ranged from cakes, cookies to crusty pies and most demanded ice cream with them. Ice cream?, hmmm. Dark Chocolate Cake and Crusty Piled High Fruit Pie are my favorites. This holiday season, I will pair a simple homemade vanilla and dark chocolate chunk ice cream drizzled with dark chocolate sauce and a spiced ice cream with a crusty fruit pie.

Quick tip: Sprinkle oats with the fruit to give it extra texture for the crusty pie.

Happy Holidays!!!

Rice Me!

A few weeks ago, I attended a great seminar at the Local Development Corporation of East New York in Brooklyn, NY. The best part of the seminar was to have my new recipe for brown rice sampled while we networked. The rice was part of a Caribbean themed menu, most attendees did not believe it was brown rice. I paired the brown rice with my signature homemade jerk rub on skinless thighs and peas with caramelized onions. I will share this great brown rice recipe with the schools I am adopting for Chefs Move To Schools, PS 89 in East New York and MS 534/PS 25 in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

During the holiday season, keep it nutritious and delicious!

COCONUT GINGER RICE

Serves 6

Brown Rice, 1 cup
Coconut Milk, 2 cups
Vegetable Stock, 1 cup
Ginger Extract, 1 Tbsp
Ginger, Fresh 4 Tbsp minced
Cumin, 2 tsp
Garlic, 4 cloves pureed
Thyme, 10 sprigs
Parsley, 4 Tbsp minced
Cayenne Pepper, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste

1. Combine all items except the rice and bring to a boil in a pot.
2. Add rice and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
3. Serve with a spicy marinated wild caught fish or lean meat and of course a delicious vegetable such as asparagus, string beans or mushrooms.

Remixing Fried Foods

I am asked if I eat fried foods? Yes, I limit it to once every few months. I am a chef that enjoys cooking and eating great food. I feel best when I use great oils like Grapeseed or Olive, that are light and have a wonderful taste.

I’ve been remixing fried foods into delicious mouthwatering foods. Instead of frying foods try a saute. For instance, saute fish that is wild caught then finish in the oven and serve with a wilted spinach and barley. If you are a vegetarian try roasting or grilling vegetables that are firm such as eggplants, peppers, onions, asparagus and fold it into a seasoned brown rice or quinoa (keen-wah).

October is Vegetarian Awareness month…for the meat-lovers, try to add a different unfried vegetable eat week. I’ll share a new recipe next time!

Rooftop Summer Potluck

Let’s start with the wonderful evening at the City Harvest rooftop summer potluck. It’s always amazing to meet, eat and work with great people who share my passions. Thank you Aliyah, Danielle, Sarah, Rosanna, Laura and Raquel!! I made Sweet Potato Croquettes which were unfried. During this time, I continue to look for a public school to adopt for Chefs Move To Schools.

Until next time!

Chefs Move To Schools

I arrived into Washington, DC to attend a breakfast meeting at the JW Marriott with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass and Share of Strength founder Billy Shore. The meeting was inspiring and the audience of over 700 chefs shared a wonderful energy.

After the breakfast meeting, we walked over to the South Lawn of the White House to tour the vegetable garden, network with distinguished chefs and listen to The First Lady of The United States of America, Michelle Obama speak about Chefs Move to Schools.

The goal of the program is to pair chefs with interested schools to help solve childhood obesity by working with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals.I am honored to have been selected to join the program and is looking forward to working closely with a school in Brooklyn, New York.

Now…..Let’s Move!!!