GoRedChef: Journey Of A Foodie Fool

Ideas for healthy lunch boxes?

2012-02-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm on the search for healthy lunch box ideas. My 6 year old son has a hard time eating meat textures and raw "things" lol...so what can I do instead? I want to slowly introduce him to eating more different types of vegetables and eating meat: like chicken, fish, etc. I'm tired of just sending pasta and rice dishes....do you guys have any ideas? With all the things in the world I know how to cook, to satisfy a child isn't easy! What have been your experiences and advice? Thank you so much for your help. Hopefully with this, I can come up with some healthy lunch box ideas to post and share :) Oh and if your ideas include rice or pasta dishes...those are absolutely fine...new idea are always welcomed!

Moroccan Butternut, Chickpea & Chicken Stew

2012-01-25T08:13:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited about getting the chance to cook these international meals and to share it with my family, this dish was very new to us and delicious!

This meal was inspired by the recipe: Morroccan Tagine by JRJACKSON on Allrecipes.com. Unfortunately I don't own a tagine, which is something I would love to put on my list, since I do have a North African cookbook tucked on my bookshelf filled with dust. But a regular pot that you like to cook stew in will do just fine. I served the stew with easy making couscous. You can find it at your local store in the rice section. And of course there are some things I added to the recipe for more flavor such as the raisins, ginger and spices. And I also switched out the chicken breast for chicken thighs, it just all depends on what your family likes best. I saw some reviewers who added bell peppers, apricots or almonds. You see...this is the thing that I love about cooking! It is your time in the kitchen where you are the creator. Ohhhh...such a therapy it is :)

Moroccan Butternut, Chickpea & Chicken Stew

Yield: 6

1 tbsp olive oil
6 ea chicken thighs, halved
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 ea butternut squash, medium diced
1 can (15.5oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14oz) chicken broth
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cumin powder
3 tsp curry powder
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 oz (approx over 1/4 cup or two small boxes of individual serving) raisins
2 boxes of couscous or enough for 6 servings

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sweat. [At this point if you wish you can season the chicken with salt and pepper]. Add the remaining ingredients (except the couscous) and bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes uncovered. In the mean time prepare the couscous.

Morning View

2012-01-20T07:43:00.000-05:00

At work watching Miami rise while sipping on my steamy wake-up brew...

Shrimp & Chicken Red Thai Curry

2012-01-19T19:24:00.002-05:00

I'm in love with Thai Food!

This is my version of Shrimp Red Thai Curry with the addition of chicken. I got my ideas from two great recipes, (1) MITCHNSTEVE's Shrimp Red Thai Curry on Allrecipes.com and (2) Food Network's Emeril Lagasse's Thai Shrimp Curry.

Shrimp and Chicken Red Thai Curry

Yield: 8 Servings

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 tbsp minced/grated ginger
1 tbsp minced/grated garlic
2 tbsp red thai curry paste
1 lb chicken ternderloins, cut into 1/3
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 can (14oz) Coconut Milk
1 can (14oz) Chicken Broth
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 Thai chili pepper (halved)
1 ea carrot, sliced
2 cups snow peas
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 red bell pepper sliced
24 ea medium shrimp or 12 ea large shrimp, De-veined and shelled
5 basil leaves large chopped
5 mint leaves large chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
Cooked Jasmine Rice

Heat up the oil and saute the onion, ginger and garlic and cook until translucent and not browned. Add the curry paste, chicken, salt and pepper. When the chicken is cooked half way add the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, brown sugar and Thai chili peppers and bring to a boil. Add the carrot, snow peas, broccoli, bell peppers and shrimp. Once the broccoli, shrimp and chicken are cooked add the basil, mint and cilantro. Simmer for 1 minute and taste to adjust seasoning. This is a very spicy dish. Serve with hot Jasmine Rice.

Pico de Gallo

2012-01-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

Pico de gallo can be so useful in a variety of way. You can add it to a burger with melted provolone or queso fresco. You can serve as a condiment with an addition over other great ingredients: you can make mango salsa with this simple recipe by just adding mangoes. Or turn it around and make a black bean salsa just by adding black beans. You can even be more creative and add all the last ingredients together and then add grilled diced chicken. Hey I'm not done, you can even add grilled corn to the mix....how flavorful and healthy is this?!

Or you can just take the original pico de gallo recipe and smash avocados into it...guess what you have? Yup, guacamole!This guacamole will be yummy on a toasted bread with melted cheese and grilled chicken as a sandwich.

Once I've even added chopped shrimp into the pico de gallo and served it on olive oil grilled toasted banquette as a bruschetta.

Another thing that I like to do is to alter the pico de gallo recipe and turn it into a side salad for a Caribbean style meal with roasted chicken, fried plantain or yellow rice by taking the tomatoes and cut them into wedges instead of dicing them. Then, add sliced avocados and julienne the onions instead.

Pico De Gallo
Yields: 1 Quart

5 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 ea jalapeno, seeded and small diced
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 ea limes, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
optional spices and ingredients

2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup beer

Haitian Beef & Okra

2012-01-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Today's lunch is my grandmother's food. It's very nice to get a chance to relax and eat comforting food in place outside of the home, especially in a stressful environment such as school or work. Right now I'm at school and this will be my lunch today :)

My grandmother's food is usually spicy and it always contain five parts...rice, sauce, meat, plantain and lettuce with tomato (interestingly in my family we don't eat the lettuce and tomato with a vinaigrette, we eat it along with the main entree for texture). She almost always serves her white rice with some type of bean sauce. Today's it's black brans, last time was lentils. Bascially you take half of the cooked beens and puree it with spices and add the other half of the whole beans back into the puree. Also, when she cooks beans into the rice or peas, to eat we take the tomato spiced based sauce from the meat she prepared and mix it into the rice.

When I moved away from Miami about 10 years ago, I missed both my mom and grandmother's food. And as a kid I used to watch her cook but I wasn't really paying any attention, I was more busy with riding my bike which to me when I was young felt more exciting to me. And I regret that now.

During my search a few years later, I noticed that published Haitian recipes were very hard for me to find, and this was 5 years ago when I began to really search for them. I was only able to find one book: A Taste of Haiti by Mirta Yumet-Thomas. It helped alot in remembering old recipes and preparing simple ones, but as always different regions cook different ways with different twist so it's wasn't really quite like Grandma's.

I don't particulaly have this recipe of my grandma's but you can try Mrs Yumet-Thomas recipe version by clicking below:

Haitian Beef & Okra / Viand Bef Ak Kalalou / Beouf Avec Gombo

(In translation the second title is in Creole and third in French)

Take a peek into the Haitian culture and explore. If you ever have any questions, feel free to comment.

Smoked Salmon Platter

2012-01-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

Special for the day at work...I can smell brunch coming :)

Veggie-Pork Bolognese

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

The idea for this recipe came from an awesome sous chef that I got to work with for a couple of weeks at the W Hotel in South Beach at The Dutch Restaurant. He was only there for a limited amount of time but it was great to learn some more about Italian cuisine from their point of view. Let me tell you, I thought I learned what I needed to know about Italian food. I never would have thought that certain philosophies of the cuisine would be reinforced over and over again...which is...K.I.S.S (Keep it simple stupid). Always use fresh ingredients and use a minimum of ingredients. Keeping things simple is something I would love to do...but I'm so addicted to spices...help me! lol. Well, I don't have his exact recipe. But from the basics I remember, I came up with my own version. And the thing I would never forget about this recipe is the use of chickpeas in the sauce...who knew?!

Veggie-Pork Bolognese
Yield 4

1 lb of your favorite pasta
8 oz of chickpeas with liquid
1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced
2 tbsp grated garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 lbs pork sausage (removed from casing) or ground pork
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 lb 12 oz crushed tomatoes with basil
2 sprigs of basil picked
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp kosher salt

Boil 1 lb of your favorite pasta. I chose Garden Rotini Pasta.
In a blender or food processor combine and blend: chickpeas with liquid content. If you used a 16oz container only use half of the amount of liquid.
In a medium/large pot saute: the onion and bell pepper for two minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for another minute.
Deglaze the pot with white wine. Once alcohol content (the smell) cooks oof add the pork sausage.
Add the carrots and saute for another minute.
Add the tomatoes sauce, basil leaves, ground black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, red chili flakes, italian sesoning and kosher salt.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
You can mix in the pasta and serve or plate the pasta and serve the bolognese on top.

Today's Lunch: Coconut Peanut Chicken Satay

2012-01-11T07:37:00.003-05:00

Well school started back up for me again. This means that routines are back in gear and heavy. Which of course means less free time for me and more time in juggling my son's school, my school, work and family responsibilities. I'm pretty excited about getting back to school and to finally be introduced to more advanced psychology courses. If you seen some previous post of mine. You would have notice my interest in bento boxes. I thought this would be a great way to have creative meals for lunch when I'm at school instead of eating every time at the many school restaurants (trying to save money here!!). However, the bentos were taking to much time, since some of them were quite complex. So I decide to just come up with some more condensed bento box versions, that are quick and easy and can be prepared the night before....so...enjoy :)

I got this recipe idea from Marty's Thai Chicken Satay on Allrecipes.com. But like always...I put my own twist to the recipe...below is my version.

Coconut Peanut Chicken Satay

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 lime juiced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
5 cilantro sprigs
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 1/4 lb skinless chicken tenderloin
wooden skewers (soaked 15 mins)
2 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 tbsp peanut butter
5-6 oz coconut milk
2 tsp red thai curry paste
1 tbsp fish sauce infused with chili and garlic
1 tsp ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar

Marinade: In a blender or food processor combine and blend the : vegetable oil, soy sauce, kosher salt, tamarind paste, lime juice, garlic cloves, ground cumin, cilantro, brown sugar and chili powder.

In a zip-loc bag: combine the marinade, chicken and coconut flakes. Let it sit in the refridgerator for an hour.

Dipping Sauce: In a blender or food processor combine and blend the: roasted peanuts, peanut butter, coconut milk, red thai curry paste, fish sauce, ketchup and brown sugar.

Cooking: you can either grill them or broil them in the oven.

Skewers: Skew each chicken on each skewer. Make sure you past on the marinade on the chicken if it falls off.

Grill or Broil...your choice. And serve with peanut sauce. You can garnish with sliced fresh red chilis, sliced cilantro leaves or green scallions.

Some variations I would like to try next time: you can cut the tenderloins into two and skew with large diced red bell peppers. You an even add fresh grated ginger to the marinade or sauce.

Cheesy Vegetables and Chicken Pasta

2011-12-29T19:44:00.001-05:00

Had to make dinner fast as always...never enough time in the day!! And of course, it has to be tasty or my son will not touch it. Would you believe this was made with Green Giants Valley Fresh Steamers. Their products are made for the microwave. But what I found out sometimes you can over cook the vegetable in the microwave, causing the fresh vegetables to become soggy. So I had to change it up...

Cheesy Vegetables and Chicken Pasta

Yield: 4 servings

1 lb spaghetti (or you favorite pasta)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large chicken breast (1/4-inch sliced)
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp white wine
1 small can sliced mushroom (or fresh mushrooms-sliced)
1 package of Green Giants' Valley Fresh Steamers: Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower & Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped and used for garnish)

First bring a large tall pot of water with salt to boil to cook the pasta. (During the next cooking instructions, when the water begin to boil cook the past). In a medium bowl combine the sliced chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, dried oregano and ground cayenne pepper. In a large saute pan heat up the olive oil. Sear the meat on both sides, remove and hold to the side. In the saute pan still heated throw in the sliced onion and bell pepper, saute until almost tender and add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Next, deglaze the hot saute pan with the white wine to remove the caramelized juices for the bottom of the pan. The white wine will evaporate quick, pay close attention to the smell of the white wine. Once the alcohol smell is gone (which happens quick) add the chicken back to the pot. Then, add the sliced mushrooms and the package of Green Giant vegetables with the milk. Lower the heat and stir a couple of times and quickly put the lid to allow to steam. The meal will be ready when the vegetables are defrosted and heated. Be careful not to over cook or burn the bottom of the pan since this dish does have cheese. Mix in the chopped fresh parsley. Bon appetite!!

Spicy Shrimp Noodle Soup

2011-12-27T10:16:00.002-05:00

This is a very easy soup to make if you have all the ingredients on stock at home. At home, I don't usually have alot of time to cook, so when I do, the dishes are usually quick and easy. If you love spicy food you would love the flavor of this soup and if you are congested..this will open your nostrils right away! lol. The flavors are very comforting to me...of course because of the eastern flavors. I've been playing around with Japanese buckwheat noodles at home and I really love the way they compliment in soups due to their texture. Now, some people may be against the fact that I used chicken broth in a seafood type dish, but the flavor was exactly where I wanted it to be and was quite satisfied. If you try this at home, I hope you enjoy it and replace your "instant" soups with a quick home made soups like this :)

Spicy Shrimp Noodle Soup
yield:1

1 can (14oz) Chicken Broth
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 ea thai chili slit in half
salt and pepper to taste
buck wheat pasta (enough for one)
5 ea medium shrimp without tail and cut in half
2 stalks of green onion sliced

In a small pot combine the chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and chili and bring to a boil. Add the buck wheat noodle and shrimp and cook noodle to al dente (which should reach the same cooking time as the shrimp). Garnish with green scallions.

Honey-Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers

2011-12-20T17:06:00.002-05:00

Was in the mood for something like a kicking spicy dish that involved chicken and hot coconut rice to serve on the side. So I made my own Honey-Chipotle Barbeque. At home I prefer quick and easy but delicious and fun recipes. This is a great kicker to serve on chicken, shrimp and beef. I was even thinking of how great this would be with bacon wrap barbeque shrimp. Enjoy!

Quick No-Cook Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1 can (7.5 oz) chipotle in adobo
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp ginger (grated)
1/4 cup honey

Combine all ingredients.

Lamb Burger Flatbread Sandwiches

2011-12-14T19:44:00.001-05:00

This was so good I even surprised myself! lol It was awesome to taste the combination of heat and cool. The lamb burgers had a spicy kick that was cooled later on by the tzatziki avocado sauce.

Lamb Burgers:

1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb fresh ground sausage pork
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp grated ginger
1tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tbsp adobo seasoning mix
1 lemon zested

Combine all ingredients and seperate them into 5 equal shaped balls.

The original recipe was taken from allrecipes.com (Mediterranean Lamb Burgers) which I tweaked to my liking.

Tzatziki Avocado Sauce:

1 avocado, diced
10 mint leaves (chiffonade)
1 lemon zest
1/2 lemon juiced
1 individual cup of plain greek yogurt
1/2 European cucumber grated
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients.

The original recipe was taken from allrecipes.com (avocado tzatziki). I tweaked it of course to my liking. i kept the avocado in chunks instead of puree, I think it's best to taste the avocado for great texture and evolving taste from mint yogurt to fresh avocado.

To assemble the Lamb Burger Flatbread Sandwich in order:

5 ea flatbread
tzatziki avocado sauce
lamb burgers
bibb lettuce
1 tomato sliced
1/2 european cucumber thinly sliced
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
4oz crumbled feta cheese

Fishermen's Frittata

2011-12-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

Well this was my breakfast today. Some might not like it for the main ingredient...Sardines. This is a secret love that I have. If I had to confess this face to face with people, they would literally give me the "nasty" look and puck...on me. Sigh. I'm a huge fan of them...so they will be around in my kitchen for a very long time. I eat them in so many ways: on the side with grits, boiled plantains, boiled potatoes, plain to smoked and kept in soy bean oil, tomato sauce or cayenne pepper sauce or fried with tomatoes, green peppers and onions.

Fishermen's Frittata

1 tbsp green bell peppers diced
1 tbsp white onions diced
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2 ea mushrooms sliced
1 tbsp tomato dice
1 bag (3.35 oz) smoked sardine in soy bean oil
2-3 ea whole eggs
1/2 tbsp chopped parsley

In a medium saute pan, sweat the green bell peppers, onions and garlic. Add the mushroom and sweat for a couple of minutes (1-2 mins). Add the tomatoes and smoked sardines and heat up. Pour the eggs and complete cooking in oven. Plate frittata and garnish with parsley.

Sushi Time!

2011-12-11T08:49:00.001-05:00

This is Chef Micheal Gilligan's scallop carpaccio with red chilies and passion fruit vinaigrette.

I'm a huge fan of sushi and seafood. My co-worker Ricky Alvarez is my go to guy for great sushi!

Ricky just "winging-it" . Sweet plantain, cilantro, chicken and avocado sushi with eel sauce. This was just for fun and it was so good! Hahaha. Ricky can get anybody to eat sushi, especially those who fear raw meat.

He called this the "Spider Roll". Soft Shell Crab with avocado, scallions and cucumber with tobiko..

Getting Ready..

2011-12-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

Look how gorgeous outside looks. I took this from the terrace at work this morning.

Testing our the new menu. This is the beet salad with goat cheese, red beet gelee, roasted golden beets stacked and accompanied with fresh arugula dressed in passion fruit vinaigrette :)

Seared Eel, Froie Gras and Tostones Stacked! Chef Micheal Gilligan is an artist in mixing Caribbean and Asian flavors.

Ginger Beef & Vegetables

2011-12-08T16:45:00.001-05:00

If you didn't know by now, I'm a big fan of Asian cuisine. So for dinner today I made ginger beef and vegetables my way with jasmine rice.

Before I cook the dish, I usually like to take some extra steps to simplify the assembly of preparation that will take place. So I steamed by bok choy that amazingly took less than 10 minutes to be done.

Another great idea is to have all of your ingredients cut and ready ahead of time. I used to the top of a huge food storage container to hold my ingredients. This is also an awesome idea for stir-fry. Also, if you look closely, I left the cilantro whole. I try to keep ingredients in their natural state as much as I can for flavor and presentation purposes.

The jasmine rice is done! The ratio for non-smushy jasmine rice is 1:1 1/2 (rice:water) instead of 1:2 that you would normally do for long grain white rice.

Plus it's always a great help to mix your sauce contents ahead of time that you can pour it into the pot when the ingredients are a couple minutes away from being completely cooked.

I like to use a fine grater when it comes to using ginger.

Ginger Beef and Vegetables

Vegetables

1/2 medium white onion (julienned)
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 each Thai peppers (slit in half )- use only if you like your food extra hot!!
1 stalk sliced celery
1 cup quartered shitake or button mushrooms (or even a mixture if you are a huge mushroom fan)
1 lb thinly sliced beef
2 each steamed bok choy
2 each green scallions (white separated from the green. Slit the white part & steam and slice the green for garnish. Do not mix together)
1/2 bunch of fresh spinach with the stem on
10 sprigs of cilantro (bottom stem cut off)

Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup mushroom soy sauce (optional)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp sarachi sauce (optional)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup water
3 tsp cornstarch
1 cup water

In a wok or large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil (of your choice) and saute the onions, ginger, garlic and pepper. When the onions are tender add the celery, mushrooms, sliced beef. Cook and heat up the ingredients. Once the beef looks cooked, add the bok choy, green scallions (only the white part), spinach and cilantro. Stir all ingredients together until the spinach is slightly wilted. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with sliced green scallions.

Lotus Root

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have dealt with the lotus root in the past but never took it into consideration of how I can prepare it at home myself. Today at work I had to prep these to make lotus chips. They are pretty tasty fried with a sprinkle of salt. But I love the way you can prepare them in many ways. They can be boiled, steamed, fried and probably stir-fried. Hmmm...I'm wondering what dish I can come up with at home with these little bad boys?

Yellow Beets

2011-12-04T10:39:00.001-05:00

I had to roast these for prep today. I love the variety of beets available these days. Golden beets are a classic alternative to red beets. They are such a fun vegetable to play with. And they are so simple to prepare. To roast off your favorite beets, wrap them in aluminum foil with your favorite fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.) with whole spices (cloves, whole peppercorns, fennel, etc.) and drizzled with oil. Roast in the oven until it's tender with a toothpick.

Rusty Pelican Miami

2011-12-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

This is the awesome view from my new restaurant in Miami on Key Biscayne...The Rusty Pelican Restaurant in Miami. So this means that I'm not working in a Hotel atmosphere anymore (10 years I've been mainly working in hotels only...wow), but it was worth the move. The view is incredible and so refreshing. The restaurant is practically on the waters facing the rest of Miami over the other side of the bridge. You can also see a small island where boats were anchored and people enjoying a wonder day in the sun. It's just a great feeling filled with freedom in paradise.

My Bento #2

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I was really interested in making these stuff bread balls. I got the idea from Bentolicious's Blog.

I decided to make tuna salad stuffed whole wheat grains bread balls.

Red Chef Tuna Salad:

1 individual pouch of Tuna
1 ea red Thai chili (sliced)
1 tbsp chpped celery
1 tbsp chopped green bell pepper
5 ea cilantro sprigs (shredded)
1/2 lime juiced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mayonaise

(If you want to substitute the mayonnaise, you have the option of using plain yogurt.)
Combine all ingredients.

If you read Bentolicious's blog you would see how she cut the corners of the beat to make it easier to form the balls. Plus in making the balls Seran wrap is used.

When squeeze the end of the thick whole wheat bread with the Seran Wrap, I ended up with good sized chucks of left over bread. A good idea to do with these is to save them to make croutons for salad.

For the veggies, I decided to make stuffed mushrooms, served with green beans dressed in peanut and dried cherry dressing.

P.S. I was so in love with the taste of the stuffed mushrooms with the peanut flavor mixed and the sweetness of the dried cherries. However, I wouldn't compliment the mushroom and greens beans veggies with the tuna salad bread balls as a bento combination. This is what experimenting is all about! Next time, when I do these stuffed mushrooms and green beans mix it's going to be with a stir-fry bento :)

My First Bento...

2011-11-30T11:02:00.001-05:00

People that know me, know it is very hard for me to eat "healthy". I'm a lover of food and all types of food so I can never say no. But lately for the fact that I am getting older it's time to become more responsible with this neglected area in my life. But how will I go about doing this? I don't want a boring strict meal and it never catch on with me. Then i came across the Bento. I knew about this for years since Asian cuisine is my top favorite. And looking at some blogs and the advantages of eating a Bento Lunch I realized that this can probably help me make healthy food fun. In addition, it solved my on university campus lunch time problems (spending to much money, heating up food issues and eating too much fast food).

I'm calling this the American Bento...lol. Because, it was very hard for me to find an authentic Bento Box down here in Florida on the road shopping (Went to the oriental markets as well...no luck). And plus if anybody else wanted to do the same thing, these will be things that they can find as well. So to make it interesting and fun, I bought pretty lunch tote bag (gurly stuff!! I love it!! lol) that is big enough to fit a travel mug (this oxo cup has an awesome feature), two shallow rectangle food containers, very small sauce containers and utensils.

I did some research on some bento dishes. I am not really posting recipes for this first bento blog just for the fact it was an experiment. What you see here is fresh spinach cooked lightly with minced garlic, chili, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Then I "tried"(lol) to lightly cook whisked eggs in a saute pan. Now, originally, the egg is cooked in a very flat square omelet pan (I don't have one!...so this will do for now). I seasoned the egg lightly with sesame oil, salt and black pepper (basically to my liking). then I rolled the wilted spinach in the egg.

I also prepared some buckwheat noodles for this bento. It didn't take long to boil at all!

This is the finish product. To me it's very amateur...but it's my first! And I'm proud of myself. (lol). So what you see is four areas: Protein- Egg roll with spinach, Carbs- Sesame buckwheat noodles, Fruits- tangerine segments with grapes and Veggies-cucumber and tomatoes salad in a sweet honey and nutty ginger dressing and two veggie dumplings. Plus sauce: Ponzu with sesame seeds and chilis. (Because I prefer things spicy). I am going to use this sauce to dip my veggie dumplings and egg roll in it. Plus I can use it to season my buckwheat noodles or salad.

Curry Turkey Soup

2011-11-27T13:38:00.001-05:00

I wanted to make sure this soup came out rich and flavorful. So, I heated olive oil and garlic butter together to sweat the onion and bell pepper. For a hearty feel I added carrot, celery and minced garlic

I large diced sweet potato and added it to the pot along with some aromatic spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, cayenne, curry powder, ground black pepper and kosher salt.

Now this is the whole reason why I decided to make the soup, to be able to use up the left over roasted turkey from Thanksgiving.

For full body I added chicken stock. Brought the whole stew to boil to allow the sweet potato to cook and for all the flavors to fuse. Right before shutting the stove off, I added the collard greens and cooked pasta. I adjust the seasoning and squeezed a little bit of fresh lime juice.

I loved the combination of the sweet potato and spicy turkey broth.

Curry Turkey Soup
Yield 4 servings

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp garlic butter
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1/2 green bell pepper (diced)
1 stalk celery (sliced)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 large sweet potato (medium diced)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
chilies of your choice
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
6 cups chicken/turkey broth
2-3 parts of your favor turkey quarters
1 cup cooked collard greens
1 cup of cooked pasta of choice

Thanksgiving is here...

2011-11-24T11:08:00.001-05:00

Live Post: Will be updating this post every minute...
11AM

Tasting the collard greens with smoked turkey...

Smelling more like Thanksgiving every minute, the turkey is officially done!

1AM

Finally Sweet Potato Pie!

Sweet Potato Pie The Red Chef Family Way: (Yield 3 Pies)

8 baked sweet potatoes (peeled)
1 1/2 stick real butter
3 ea whole eggs
4 cups white granulated sugar
1 1/2 can of 14 oz condensed milk
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp almond extract
3 ea pre-baked pie shells (about 3-5 minutes light golden brown)

Combine all ingredients. Even out in pie shells and back at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Making the stuffing a la carte...

2AM

Sweating onion, garlic, green bell pepper, (if I had chilies it would have been in this pot!!), carrots, celery). Seasoned with garlic powder, no salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and red chili flakes. Then added chopped fresh parsley.

Visiting The Past: Born into the Business!

2011-11-23T20:33:00.001-05:00

9 Months Prego in the Ritz Carlton kitchen in Palm Beach!

Saying Farewell with Memories...

2011-11-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Another hotel, another family that is being left behind. Some I may see again. But these are great times remembered.

Best team ever!!!

Prawns a la Plancha!!

Now it's time to say goodbye...

2011-11-21T22:27:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow will be my last day at the W Hotel in South Beach after two years...time to move on to the next venture! Are you ready?

Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill, Oakland, FL

2011-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

First thing first, this place was packed. We went Friday night. It was very casual with live music.

He ordered a strawberry & banana frozen margarita and I ordered black raspberry made with their house tequila Camerena. It wasn't too bad. It was a good size for around 7-8 bucks. However, they are famous for their over sized margaritas. Plus if I do go back I definetly want to order their famous Prickly Pear Margarita.

For an appetizer we order a half-order of Chicken Nachos. We didn't expect it to come out this way. It's basically tortilla chips seperately layered with fresh shredded chicken, cheese and sour cream I find the salsa and green chilie sauce that they serve with they tortilla chip basket goes well with this dish. It looks quiet homemade which goes with the atmosphere, no stuffyness here.

This is one of the main entrees. Shrimp Chilaquiles aka Mexican Lasagna. Which was layered with soft corn tortilla,sour cream, shrimp, cheese and homemade sauce. Served with rice and re-fried beans. Don't expect a lot of shrimp, but the flavor was what you expect and it's not spicy. $15.95

This was my dish. I went for the combination of beef enchilada and chicken taco. One thing I do notice is that there food is very fresh. The chicken taco included shredded juicy chicken (mildly seasoned) with fresh shredded romaine and tomatoes in a fried corn tortilla shell. Honestly I'm not a big fan of re-fried beans, and I guess that was my issue for the night. Expect the food to be well smothered in sauce and cheese. $9.95

For more information to our their website: http://www.tequilasunrise.us/index.php

Already thinking of Thanksgiving..

2011-11-18T18:44:00.001-05:00

This was last years meal. Let's see what do we have here... potato salad, Djon Djon rice, honey bake ham, cornbread stuffing, macaroni gratin, roasted turkey leg and collard greens. This is what happens when your family is a mixture of Haitian Americans and Southern African American Culture!

Shrimp & Grits

2011-10-17T19:01:00.000-04:00

Was in the mood for shrimp and grits...made with a hint of port wine...mmm good!

4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded mild sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 ea green bell pepper (chopped)
2 tbsp port wine
1 cup dice tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 cup onions (chopped)
2 ea garlic cloves (chopped fine)
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tbsp cajun shrimp

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp olive oil

(Grits)
In a medium pot bring the vegetable broth and salt to a boil. Stir in the grits. Reduce heat to medium. When thicken reduce heat to low. When grits are at proper consistency remove heat and add butter and cheddar cheese.

(Shrimp)

Season the shrimp with Cajun shrimp season mix. This will be quick stir-fry cooking on high heat (be sure to have all your ingredient ready on hand): Sear shrimp on high heat. Before the shrimp is completely cooked add the green bell pepper, onion and garlic. When the bell pepper, onion and garlic have sweated (not browned) add the port wine. Allow quick reduction. Then add the tomato sauce and again allow quick reduction to a rich sauce consistency. Plate up the Grits and Shrimp and garnish with the fresh tomatoes. Season to taste and your done!

Nuts About Red Velvet...

2011-10-03T18:29:00.000-04:00

hmmm...looking for a nice red velvet pancake recipe...

@Moms...Yum!

2011-06-24T18:36:00.000-04:00

One of the great reasons why I love being Haitian. Seared Tilapia with onions and bell peppers served with plantain, yam and spinach flavored with a spicy fish infused sauce.

Octopus Invasion!

2010-11-19T06:21:00.000-05:00

Walking to work...and looked...up!

Squiggly wiggly...anybody in the mood for octopus?

It's coming at yah!!

Voila! Octopus and Fingerling Potatoes in a Tangy Shallot and Tri-Color Pepper Vinaigrette. This is one of my favorites.

On the Pastry Line!

2010-09-25T08:08:00.000-04:00

Just a sneak peek out side...again...lol. I love the outdoors where I work. Great place to escape :)

Yay! lol...I made this one...looks...almost..perfect!

Of course Chef Antonio Bachour's baby. Turron Panna Cotta with Pistachio Ice Cream.

Chef's delicate donuts with rich dark chocolate sauce :)

This was a great pastry dish. Napoleon made with caramelized phyllo pastry and banana mousse. Dulce de leche that painted the plate with banana sorbet and sugar torched banana slices.

Solea on the Hot line

2010-03-19T09:35:00.000-04:00

Chef Marc Vidal culinary specialty is Spanish Cuisine...it's quite interesting. And fun to learn some tradition and contemporary Spanish Foods.

Today was a busy night.

Chef Marc expediting (in white coat). A server(tan uniform) on his right waiting for his dishes.

Chef Marc plating his creation. Crisp Puff Pastry topped with fresh Mango and Foie Gras dressed with Pedro Ximenez Vinegar Reduction.

Sneak peek outside of work. they are Para-Surf Sailing. How awesome! Man I wanted to try this so bad. One day....one day!

Valentine Love

2010-02-23T10:54:00.002-05:00

Very simple, but to the point. Soft, crunchy, chewy and cold!!!! Chef Antonio Bachour's favorite part of this dish was the Soft Chocolate Ribbon Ganache. It's served with dark chocolate cookie crumble and freshly made raspberry sorbet.

Banana? Oreos? Oh My!

2010-02-20T14:21:00.001-05:00

This definitely was fun. I really love making cream pies. Yes, they are sooo traditional, but the flavors can explode. My fave was making the Banana Cream Pie. It had a flavorful impact that would really make you go.... Bananas! And liquerr always did the trick :)

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tbsp butter (melted)

Combine ingredients and mold into sprayed tart pans.

Caramel Banana Cream Pie

2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks (beaten)
2 tbsp butter
1 1/4 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp banana liqueur
4 bananas (sliced)
1 banana (diced) for garnish
1/2 cup caramel sauce
cramael sauce for garnish
whipped cream with sugar

Lightly toss the sliced bananas and diced banana with the caramel sauce (keep the sliced and diced banana in separate bowls). In the tart pan, layer half of the sliced bananas into the tart pan.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and milk in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Pour hot milk mixture over egg yolks slowly and stir. Add the egg mixture back into the pot and place on a low-medium heat. Using a whisk, stir til slightly thicken[between solid and liquid state] (Be aware of quick burning). And whisk in the butter, vanilla extract and banana liqueur. pour half of mixture over bananas in the pie tart. Layer the pie with the remaining sliced bananas. Pour remaining custard. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Top off with whipped cream, diced banana and caramel sauce.

Chocolate and Basil

2010-02-08T10:41:00.002-05:00

Chef Antonio Bachour came up with an awesome dessert. It's our famous Valrhona Chocolate Molten Cake, paired with Basil Ice Cream. Served with a refreshing Basil Syrup, Micro Basil Leaves and a crispy Chocolate Sugar Tuile.

Special Cake for a Special Day

2010-01-09T18:24:00.002-05:00

Chef Antonio Bachour is a natural at cake decorating. Such a beautiful traditional wedding cake. Decorated in the most simple matter. But made with love. To me this cake look so romantic with the fresh flowers and the little details on the side...little stars kissed with gold dust :)

Ciabatta In the Making

2009-12-31T07:11:00.001-05:00

These are chef Antonio Bachour's little babies....oh my gosh! They have to be perfect!

They are soooo soft and dusted in flour to help give that rustic crust.

You have to cut them all the same size.

She's adjusting it on the flour dusted sheet pan.

The beginning, if you didn't notice...i went backwards...not look up all the way to the top to see the step b step photos the right way...lol...enjoy :)

Frutas Tropicales

2009-12-30T07:01:00.000-05:00

Deconstruction! Imagine taking a plain old traditional keylime pie and taking it apart as if they were mechanical parts...and rearranging them on a plate in a way unrecognizable. That's how this dessert is. Something Chef Antonio Bachour is excellent at doing. When you are eating it, it taste like keylime pie served with fresh mangoes and lychees. Once you take your spoon through this tongue pleasing dessert, you will be introduced to a crunchy coconut meringue, frozen blast of passion fruit and coconut sorbet...awesome.

Bakalava Destiny

2009-12-29T09:03:00.000-05:00

This was a special a couple of months ago. honey pistachio baklava, a creamy custard sandwiched between crisp phyllo pastry and a warm walnut cake topped with vanilla bean whipped cream. The plate is dusted with pistachio powder made with some pistachio butter and Chef Antonio Bachour's gastronomic science.

Manchego Cheesecake

2009-12-29T07:04:00.000-05:00

Chef Antonio Bachour has done it again. Instead of the Goat Cheese Cheesecake that was on the menu last season. Now it's Manchego. Chef wanted vivid colors with more fun on the menu. We are big fans of chocolate at the W's Bakeshop, sooo we need to get a little fruity. The geometric rectangle cheesecake is creamy in texture with it's added bonus of the genus idea of sour cream. It's wrapped in a Raspberry Gelee sheet. I have noticed how chef's dessert are very deconstructed. Meaning...you take a simple traditional dessert, take it apart, tweak it and put it back together again, but more like Picasso...not in the same position as before. Look at my other pastry W Hotel posts and you'll get to see what I'm talking about. The awesome and most incredible thing on this plate to my liking is the background addition...the Sweet Basil Syrup. Oh gosh, I could sample this syrup all day! It's so sweet and herby that it reminds me of my grandma's homemade teas...it's not mint. It's basil!

Apple Delight!!

2009-12-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

This dish is all about celebrating the simplest common fruit... the Apple. And twisting it with with the taste of fall.

Another great Chef Antonio Bachour creation! It is pain in the butt to make the Apple Brioche. The break down: you have the warm rich brioche bread which is turned into a dessert when it is stuffed with cinnamon infused apples, a ginger bread flavored doughnut served hot and dropped into sugar, and apple sorbet topped with a crispy homemade apple chip. The whole thing comes together with caramel sauce and a bed of caramelized apples for the sorbet . So mmmmm good!

Say Happy Birthday

2009-12-27T12:30:00.005-05:00

Executive Pastry Chef Antonio Bachour
This was a very fun cake to see Chef Antonio Bachour make. If I haven't introduced him in the past, he is the Executive Pastry Chef at the W Hotel on South Beach.

Chef is "No Mickey Mouse" his favorite saying. Basically meeting, this isn't kid play. A professional who takes his job seriously. The inspiration for this cake was taken from the pastry world, and from the little sesame street game pieces you see placed all over the cake.

Plus I'm loving the star candles...totally wasn't originally part of the plan. but it worked out.

Pan Chocolate

2009-12-24T07:01:00.000-05:00

Did somebody say Brownie Sundae? Well, not exactly, but in the creative world of Chef Antonio Bachour this can come close. The fun part is painting the plates with rich dark chocolate. Then the base is a moist chewy chocolate cake, topped with Chocolate Cremoso (a rich velvety chocolate mousse) and Olive Oil ice cream...and topped with a crisped toasted french bread. Why bread? I used to have a friend whooooo loved eating bread and chocolate together...it's seems to be a craving in good ol'Europe. So I can see why he added these two to compliment each other.

My very own Red Velvet

2009-12-23T07:52:00.000-05:00

lol...still workin' on my "ugly" cake. However! The cake is the most moist cake you'll ever taste. I tweaked this baby so much, now it's perfect! Now...I just gotta...you know...learn to freakin' decorate a cake! Still learning...one day...I'll get it :)

Ravioli in the making

2009-12-19T07:51:00.000-05:00

Chef Micheal Gilligan's Raviolis...is what I call them. They were at the Conrad and now at the W Hotel. Ground wild mushrooms honored with slices of whole truffles mushrooms on top. Cooked in a Sage Demi Sauce. Such a classic!

VIP Baby Shower...

2009-12-16T07:49:00.001-05:00

A special lady's Brunch Baby Shower :)

These are our famous Chef Antonio Bachour Cheesecake Lollipops! The background is the bar, I love the hotel for it's modern art displays, they are actually Aby Rosen's (W owner) personal collection.

Yum! Yum!

Of course this had to come out late, you will never know when a "certain" guests stay at our hotel that same month...sorry...I respect their privacy. This was the preparation for Alonzo Mourning's Wife's (Tracy Mourning's) Baby Shower. Yeah...and I got to see Alonzo himself. It was fun...lots and lots of desserts.

Peek into Solea

2009-12-13T06:07:00.000-05:00

I just realized...that every place I've worked at has been on the beach. Could the beach be calling me? Such tranquility in the waters...it's always been one of my favorite places to be to just relax and unwind. And what could be better then the beach after or even before another stressful day at work! lol

Chef Marc Vidal in the building!

Sepia y Plata. Seared Cuttlefish, Potatoes, Idiazabal Cheese and Hazelnut Oil.

Almejas a la Planch. Manilla Clams and Garlic Parsley Oil.

Carrot is good for you...

2009-12-12T07:47:00.000-05:00

It's awesome how Chef Antonio Bachour was able to deconstruct the original Carrot Cake. Here it is served with candied Carrot slices, sweeten carrot syrup, cream cheese sorbet, raisins soaked in rum and a molten carrot cake.

Chocolate for the queen...

2009-12-05T07:48:00.000-05:00

So simple, so sweet, perfect for a queen. Chocolate tarts, white chocolate mousse, fresh raspberries, chocolate mousse quenells and real gold :) Chef Antonio Bachour creation :)

Yogurt Here?

2009-11-24T07:46:00.000-05:00

This dessert special was pretty good, but it closely reminds me of a breakfast dish..I guess because of the blueberries and the fact it looks close to a muffin. But can you believe Chef Antonio Bachour made this cake with yogurt? Greek yogurt to be exact...I would love to do more research on alternative ingredients in baking goods.

Starting To love Cake Decorating...

2009-11-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I hope one day, with all this training that my cakes come out looking as cool as this one! Still have alot to learn!

Pretty In Pink!

2009-11-18T07:44:00.000-05:00

Another Chef Antonio creation. These cute macaroons. Hey, these little babies are sooooo tough to make. Umph! Look how innocent they look..ughhh! Don't let looks deceive you!

Mediterranean Mezza w/ Love

2009-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

This was taken off the menu. But this was the Mezza Dish on Chef Arthur Artiles's menu. It consisted of course the three traditional dips...babaganoush, hummus and cumber yogurt sauce called tzatziki. And served with crisp pita bread and fresh lavash crackers. That we in the bakery make our selves. This is a pain, but I love the end result.

Feta Cheese & Olive Bread

2009-11-16T07:05:00.001-05:00

I decided to take step by step pictures of Chef Antonio Bachour at work!

This is my favorite bread to munch on almost everyday I work. Guilty! I don't stop there, I tuck a little bit of fresh sliced prosciutto in the bread that I still from the pizza guy :)

Simple Salmon....Sooooo Sweet :)

2009-11-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

On top, you will see a dish we have at Solea. It's soooo simple...a great idea to do at home...basic seared Salmon with roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

If I were to make this at home, I would exclude the salmon skin...try using
the baking method. Sear the salmon with olive oil on the stove top, and finish in the oven.

Hey integrate with your own spices and use sea salt instead of that nasty table salt. As chefs, we find that it's much better to use Kosher salt & sea salt flakes...because you can actually FEEL how much you use, since the salt is less processed and are in bigger crystals.

Lobster Crudo

2009-11-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

To me, Chef Arthur Artiles made this dish to be a very refreshing appetizer...something very light and fresh. It's drizzled with a light citrus vinaigrette over the thinly sliced cucumbers and a poached lobster topped with a simple salad of roasted tomatoes that were slowly roasted for many hours at the lowest temperature in the oven and then mixed with micro greens...which are miniature green salad leaves.

So Original, but So Delicious: The Greek Salad

2009-11-04T07:49:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite salad. Fresh ingredients with a simple dressing made of red wine vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Seasoned with Salt and Pepper...that's it! Especially with me trying' to be health conscious now, this is a great start. Of course, I don't get to eat it at the restaurant...lol. But making this for guest, is a great thing, to know you are doing' something right. Plus, since we are a Fresh Mediterranean restaurant it makes sense :)

Beef Tartare

2009-11-01T07:48:00.000-05:00

This is already a dinner classic at the W Hotel on South beach. Beef TarTare with a fresh quail egg that we crack open and place on top. Then we serve it with five condiments, capers, piquillo peppers, fresh minced garlic, chives and diced shallots.

Tuna Tacos

2009-10-31T10:48:00.000-04:00

These are so simple, yet Delicious! Because I do love Asian ingredients, the soy sesame sauce infused with a hint of yuzu juice is so comforting to me. Plus I love the simplicity and how it's so light. It's always a great rule to stick to basic ingredients.

Tuna Tartare

2009-09-22T10:46:00.000-04:00

Tuna Tartare, yup, can't get enough of it. I would say, this has to be the first restaurant in all that I worked at, that I've been so excited of the food. I guess, cuz it's traditional food, but more on the healthy side, and they all have a unique twist. And of course my co-workers make it awesome to be there.

Fresh & Crisp Flatbread at W Hotel South Beach.

2009-09-20T10:40:00.000-04:00

Cooked before your eyes, and a huge 500 degree dome stone oven.

It was awesome I told them to put everything on mine. I had a chorizo, serrano ham, black Spanish olives, bell pepper and roasted tomato flatbread. Later one of the chefs made another for himself, this time it was with goat cheese and bell peppers.

It doesn't matter which way you have it, the food is so fresh, it's just amazing to your palette.

You can't miss out on something like this. Plus making the pizza dough itself was a great learning experience. I've done pizza dough before, but this was a totally different recipe, and much easier as well, but gives an amazing texture after cooked. It's so crispy!

I really am loving working the the W Hotel in South Beach, I've learned so much in the past few weeks, as if I was in a fast track class. Hey, experience is where you learn, really learn!

Wanna make your own flatbread? Check out my old blog "Flatbread in the Making!"

Salmon Carpaccio: W Hotel South Beach

2009-09-18T10:37:00.000-04:00

I love sushi, but this is a twist. Mediterranean style! Chef Arther Artiles's thinly sliced salmon drizzled with a sesame soy type dressing...I'm not gonna lie. When i tasted the dressing, as simple as it can be, it was very well balanced. The mache really matches the delicate fish.

Where Am I?

2009-09-16T10:32:00.000-04:00

Can you guess?
Are you getting warmer?

Beautiful huh? This is right outside of the W Hotel South Beach, their patio area. It's so relaxing just by looking at it. But you would have to be there to feel the warmth of the scenery all around you. This is a great place to relax, with secluded spots. No one can bug you. Plus the beach is walking distance and of course, the great restaurants, like Solea...hint hint, is a couple of feets away. Sigh...I just had a major spa moment. lol.

Petite Five, with an Amazing Lollipop :)

2009-09-14T10:31:00.000-04:00

On this dish, Chef Antonio Bachour loves to combine different elements of a theme. Here you will indulge in little treats from cookies, to cakes to cheesecake and chocolate.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake? Oh Yeah!

2009-09-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

Another Chef Antonio Bachour creation. I was surprised to taste this, but it wasn't bad at all! The goat cheese distinct flavor was definitely there, but it was calmed down by the sweetness of the combination of the traditional cream cheese, sugar and vanilla of course! It was served with White Peach Sorbet, macerated bing cherries and sliced sweeten peaches. The quenelle is a goat cheese mousse, we've recently changed it, now it includes the creaminess of marscapone.

Comforting Flan

2009-09-10T10:27:00.000-04:00

A Chef Antonion Bachour creation. This has to be my number one item on the dessert menu at Solea. The traditional flan. So rich, creamy, but not over powering. Plus it's a pleasure to have Cava Sparkling Wine to go along for the palate ride. The little Gelee cubes are filled with real vanilla beans specs.

Cake Please

2009-09-08T09:26:00.002-04:00

Chef Antonio Bachour, decorated this cake. I'm still in the learning process. He does it like there is nothing to it...lol. My many attempts show me I definitely need more practice, maybe I'm just a perfectionist...who knows!

Raspberry & Lemon Mousse Napoleon

2009-08-21T07:20:00.001-04:00

A great classic.

Chef matches the flavor of lemon and raspberry. To refreshing flavors in this little bite.

Now, instead of the one layer you see above, it is in two layer now...lol.. you should see me trying to plate this napoleon. But I just love how simple it is.

Coconut & Guava Love

2009-08-19T07:18:00.004-04:00

More tropical love. This is a Coconut PannaCotta dessert. Layered with fresh cold guava soup. Topped with caramelized pineapples, coconut sorbet and a coconut crunchy tuile.

Purees make desserts so much better. It's pretty easy to do. Buy some fresh or frozen fruit. Puree in your blender with some sugar and liquid, sometimes water or juice... depending how the flavors will clash. I like to use pineapple juice, apple juice or orange juice.

For example, you can take mixed frozen berries, a little bit of sugar and some fresh apple juice. For some reason apple juice and berries go very well together.

enjoy.

Vegan Any One? Bunnies Cakes

2009-08-18T20:46:00.005-04:00

[Photo Source: bunniescakes.com]

It was awesome to find her site, it's definitely on my wish list to check her out.

Mari has a business that is dedicated to providing vegan, gluten-free, diary-free, etc baked goods. The pictures look awesome. She is already distributing her products at two locations in Miami and South Beach. Visit her website: http://www.bunniecakes.com/

Learning to take constructive criticism

2009-08-14T13:29:00.002-04:00

One thing in working in this field, I had to learn and still work on my listening skills. Some may say it's an easy task, but beware! Its easy to look someone in the face and hear what they have to say. But taking that information in, to learn and gain knowledge and apply it in your skills takes patience and awareness. Sometimes the chef will yell. Some ppl will automatically take that yelling as an offensive way of communication. But really, you have to get pass the tone and listen to the words. Usually if the chef is in this emotional state, its should send off a red light in your head saying...alert alert..important information coming ahead. Its just like if a lil kid who doesn't know, suddenly runs into the street, your first reaction would be to yell out of shock and say, "don't you ever do that again!", because you were in panic mode. Same thing here, some chefs are really dedicated to their work, and the passion will show. Now, the NO NOs in my book would be usually the offensive name calling, but some kitchens have no prob with this, as long as both parties are on the same level on what's appropriate or not. Work in the kitchen, is very intensive and filled with all personalities, its a great place to learn how to deal with all kind of ppl. How ironic, but its funny when you hear a lot of cooks say,"I work in the kitchen because I don't want to interact with the guest outside.

Pistachio Semifreddo

2009-08-12T07:17:00.002-04:00

This is another dessert on the Solea Dinner Dessert Menu. Pistachio Semifreddo...Semifreddo? It's Italian for half cold. It is served with my favorite Almond Cake...secret..I can't stop licking the cake batter. Served with citrus fruits slices that are soaked in a vanilla syrup. Now you gotta remember everything we make is from scratch. I love this place! and next to the cake is a quenelle of whipped marscapone and a florentine triangle cookie. And also garnished with orange sauce and basil syrup. Just heaven :)

Banana Beignets!!

2009-08-05T07:06:00.003-04:00

Did i say the chef is awesome? well, he is awesome! Who doesn't love chocolate. And personally I always loved desserts with banana.

From left to right: Gianduja Chocolate Frozen Mousse, Warm Banana Beignets, Roasted Banana Sorbet.

Chocolate Sabotage

2009-07-29T07:01:00.001-04:00

Working at the W Hotel has been a wonderful experience. I've never learned so much in new pastry skills so artistic and appreciated. The Pastry Chef is awesome. Everything is made from scratch. The first time i tasted this dessert I was in total awe. Can you believe? White Chocolate Sorbet? Yup. Still in awe.

This dessert consist of (from left to right): Warm chocolate cake with whipped cream, chocolate panna cotta, white and gianduja chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate sorbet.

Crema Cantalana

2009-07-23T06:34:00.001-04:00

Pastry Chef Antonio Bachour has done it again. This weeks special dessert is a great treat. Crema Cantalana, I never heard of that word before, always learning something new. Anyways, this version of the famous creme brulee was a custard made from Greek Yogurt and burned with sugar like the creme brulee. It was thick, rich but lightly sweeten. Served with Watermelon Soup, Cantaloupe Confit and Honeydew Sorbet. So refreshing and light. plus, it reminds you of fruit yogurt. Very interesting way to have something so common in a rare way.

Heavy Cream to Butter?

2009-07-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yes indeed. In the kitchen this is a waste!!!!!! I was whipping up some heavy cream to make chocolate mousse. I ended up over-mixing the heavy cream!!! I ended up with a broken mixture of skimmed milk and butter in the mixer's bowl. Of course I hate to waste food, so I decided to strain the mixture into a china cap. And I saved the butter for future use.voila!

Papaya Cannolis with Passion Fruit Sorbet

2009-07-17T10:52:00.003-04:00

This weeks special. Chef Antonio is so passionate with his desserts, you can see it shine when you take a bite. This dessert held sweet memories for me. Especially with the cannoli themselves. The papaya mousse, tastes just like the way my grandma made papaya shake as a kid. So comforting. I just took a huge sigh just thinking of it. Plus, do you see those little beads of fruit on the sorbet? Would you believe that is fruit caviar? Yup it's all science, one day...maybe I'll let on you to it more :) The caviar is a mixture of melon fruits, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. The juice have been turned it to chewy melt in your mouth fruity beads. The plate was also decorated with diced mango and papaya soaked in spiced rum and passionfruit pudding drops. Such a great treat in this torturing hot sun.

Farewell to Conrad Hotel in Miami...

2009-07-16T19:25:00.000-04:00

The time has come to explore another fabulous place...where Next?! W Hotel on South Beach. Come and join me :)

MMMMM...Warm Bananas.

2009-07-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

I was inspired with this dish, when I was thinkin' of Tarte Tatin. I wanted something different. And I found, Banana Tarte Tatin. So I tried making something, similar in the Tarte Tatin family and came up with this. It's Basically Puff Pastry sprinkled with Cinnamon and Sugar and Baked til crispy and puffed all the way. Topped with fresh thick sliced bananas. And topped with good ole' traditional Caramel sauce. Heat it up in the oven all together for about 5 minutes and top with ice cream. ohhhh soo good and comforting.

Purple Potatoes

2009-07-08T07:00:00.005-04:00

look how deep and vivid these purple potatoes are. Just amazing the many different types of one vegetable you can find all over the world. Well, so far from my research I found out these bad boys originally came from the Andes of Peru. Peru has soooooooo many different kind of potatoes, even pink ones...incredible. You can cook these potatoes like Idaho potatoes. They don't have to much liquid, so they are great for roasting and baking. Warning, if you fry or sear them, they will develop a brownish-purplish skin. They taste awesome in potato salad. Whatever you wish ;)

Spicy Lychee & Passion Fruit Broth

2009-07-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

This was pretty interesting to make. It takes the flavor of lychee and passionfruit but on the savory side. I served it with shrimp. It has enough acid to use for ceviche. Or you can use it as a sauce for fish. You can even dice up some pineapples or mango and make a salsa with it, for a pork dish or fish dish. Hey marinate chicken in it. Hmmmmm... the possiblities are endless.

The Broth is made up of vegetable stock, lychee syrup, passion fruit puree, diced lychees, chopped cilantro, red pepper flakes and scallions.

Tuna Sashimi Topped with Tropical Corn Salsa on a Lotus Chip

2009-06-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the poor picture quality. I miss my camera...waiting for it to get fix...so of course I'm stuck with my phone camera.

Anyways...This here was really fun to do. I love tropical flavors. So to make this nice salsa was great and go so well with fish...cook or raw!

Mix up your fave fleshy tropical fruits, this one had kiwi and mango, add some spices and pepper and grill corn ;) I even put a lil touch of passion fruit puree.

Raw Beef & Sweet Beet Tartare On Paprika Puff Pastry

2009-06-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey I'm still exploring my boundries on what can go with what. And this came out kinda good..actually the taste was really good. The raw cubed beef and yellow and red cubed beets tasted so well together mixed in a ginger and garlic aioli that had jalepenos. The all around taste was very sweet (from the beets), robust (from the beef and aioli) and the puff pastry gave it a nice savory finish. Always make sure you season the puff pastry it self... great trick to finish off smooth.

Of course i'm still learing... we never stop... my chef told me the beet was a little undercooked...it had a little crisp to it. I recommend always to check every item before you mix. :) There is always something new to learn and perfect!

Beautiful View After The Rain

2009-06-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

You can see this lovely rainbow right outside of "The Room" at the Conrad Hotel. My camera doesn't do it justice, but it was so gorgeous. ;)

Strawberry Delight

2009-06-11T23:07:00.004-04:00

I loved doing this. It was simple dish...and clean. You can do it yourself as well. Buy some semi-dark chocolate. Melt it down. Dip your cold strawberries in and lay on a non stick surface and place in the cooler to harden.

Take some Italian bread sticks and dip in the same chocolate, lay on the non stick surface and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I used some raspberry puree sauce and chocolate sauce to decorate the plate, with a couple of raspberries, cookie crumbs and lovely chocolate truffles.

Purple Mushrooms?

2009-06-01T13:52:00.002-04:00

I wish I asked chef what these are...darn it... if you know what is, let me know :)

Grilled Flatbread in the Making!

2009-04-17T17:08:00.001-04:00

There is nothing cooler than working with dough. Just knowing that you are creating, sculpting, working and transforming something with your own hands is exciting.

To make this dough wasn't really hard. It just calls for patience.
But when you put your ingredients on it to make the complete product of a homemade pizza dough? You can go wrong with this.

Now, you can use this dough in two ways. You can roll out out just a little to make one pizza pan or you can divide the dough into smaller pieces to create flatbread. If you wish to make flatbread, I would suggest you change the ratio of flour to semolina for a crispier effect. Play around and have fun.

Here is the RECIPE:

Ingredients List:
1 packet active dry yeast or 1 oz of dry active yeast
3 ½ cups bread flour ( if you don't have all-purpose will be fine)
1 cup semolina flour
1 ¾ cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
In a small bowl: Mix your warm water (not luke warm, just a little bit much hotter, about 80degrees) and add yeast, with your two finger, mix the yeast well into the water. Then allow to sit for a couple of minutes to foam (it will almost look like whipped milk foam)this indicates that the yeast has been activated. Now at this point I use my Kitchen Aid mixer, using the hook. In your mixer, combine all ingredients and mix well. The way i do it is, add all your liquid items first. Then combine your dry ingredients separately in a bowl, then with a scooper while the mixer is on, add one scoop at a time till the the dough is formed. On a floured surface remove the dough from the mixing bowl. shape your dough into a big ball, cover with saran wrap and allow to rest for a couple of minutes (about 5). Sometimes at this point you will see the dough grow. At this point you will divide your dough. You can divide into four smaller balls, for regular pizza dough or six smaller dough balls for flatbread. Place the balls about three inch apart on a oil sprayed sheet pan, and lightly cover with saran wrap and place in a warm place. This will allow the yeast to continue to form gas to allow the dough to expand. About 10 to 20 minutes later, when the dough has doubled in size, lay a piece on a floured surface. ( I like to mix flour with semolina flour to roll the dough out making a crispy crust for the pizza). And roll your dough out to about a foot to 14 inch wide. Of course flatbread will be a bit wider.

There you go... add what ever you want on top, etc. Back at 350. Till golden brown. For flatbread, before you add ingredients you will grill the dough on a spray grilled. Any Questions? I"m here, just ask.

Easter Love

2009-04-12T16:30:00.002-04:00

Pretty butterflies, jumping rabbits, the Easter eggs and quacking ducks... do you see them?

In my mixer (using the paddle) I creamed together 1 1/2 cup of butter and 2 cups of granulated white sugar until it was smooth and fluffy. Then I added four whole eggs, one at a time. Then the vanilla (about 1 tsp). Next, I slowly added the 5 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, and 1 tsp salt (For a better result, you should mix the flour, baking soda and salt together and sift). Make sure the batter is mixed well, but don't beat to much. I laid out a large piece of Saran wrap, placed the cookie dough in the center and covered and I chilled it in my cooler for 1 hour. You want to make sure the dough is cool, because it contains butter. When the dough is being heated, the butter gives off steam and allows the dough to rise a little. if the butter is melted it's not goin' to work to well and you may have flat cookies. With the butter thing, same thing goes for pie doughs and biscuits...mmmm. Oh yeah, and most importantly puff pastry dough.

After my cookie dough cooled off, I placed it on a sugared flat surface and rolled out to between a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Take your lovely cookie cutter and cute your shapes out. I really wouldn't suggest reforming the dough into a ball to roll out again, the dough is very fragile because it has butter which melts face compared to it being made with shortening (which in my book doesn't really taste as good as real butter).

Then place the cookies on a nonstick cookie sheet pan or or use a silpat and sprinkle greatly with course sugar, if you can find different colors would be great.

Now you have to make sure your oven is preheated to 400 degrees. These cookies don't take at all a long time to cook. Plus keep a close eye, i would give these cookies an average of 6 minutes.

Let the kids have fun in decorating the cookies with at least two different colored icing.

Toasted Coconut Cake

2009-04-05T18:40:00.001-04:00

Yum Yum! Be diverse with the coconut...half toasted and raw.

Fresh Fruit Tarts

2009-04-03T19:39:00.004-04:00

I really had fun in making this, especially the pastry cream it self. Soft and creamy, with the essence of vanilla. I put on top, fresh slices of strawberries and mango (keeping it tropical here in florida) with some blackberries and blueberries. Then topped off with freshly made apricot honey glaze.

When you make these tarts, never store them for more than a day. The crust will get soggy.

Pastry Cream: Yields 3 cups

2 c Milk
1 vanilla Bean (1 tsp vanilla extract)
6 ea egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c cornstarch
1 3/4 oz butter (about 2 tbsp)

In a medium sauce pan simmer the milk and whole vanilla bean (slit and scrap the inside and add to the pot as well). In a separate medium bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar and all the cornstarch and mix well. When the milk has come to a simmer pour the milk mixture over the eggs mixture and mix slowly. (Beware of scorching on the next step). Pour the pastry creme base back into the pot on low heat and stir constantaly until thicken. Once thicken remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

For a fluffy and light texture, you can fold in 1 cup of whipped cream. Great to use in stuffing doughnuts and eclairs. Enjoy!

Raw Crimini Mushroom Tartare

2009-03-28T19:44:00.001-04:00

I just couldn't believe how good this came out. I diced up little crimini mushrooms, mixed in diced jalepeno, bell peppers, chopped fresh hazelnuts, chops dried fig, chipotle in adobo & garlic aioli. It had a wonderful sweet, spicy mix to it. Very delicious and those that don't like to eat mushroom raw, won't even notice!

Herb Marinated Artichokes with Balsamic Marinated Shallots.

2008-11-04T12:34:00.005-05:00

Atrio's Amuse Bouche of the Day. This was very simple, but yet very powerful in taste.

The title says it all :)

Lobster Anyone?

2008-11-04T12:04:00.004-05:00

Sweat Potatoe & Marscapone

2008-10-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

This was a great experiment in the kitchen...that I believe went right!

Layered Sweet Potato and Vanilla Marscapone Mousse, Covered in Chocolate Ganache & Topped with Candied Pecans.

Final product with the addition or Oreo cookie crumb base...

Ropa Vieja Roll

2008-07-19T07:16:00.000-04:00

Ropa Vieja Sushi Style Roll with Manduros and Avocado. Drizzled with Chimichurri. Simply amazing!

Now this is what I call East meet the Caribbean. One of the chefs came up with this great treat. I definitely would love to create this one day.

I love making sauces and of course love to twist things. I made the chimichurri but this is going to be a little bit different. Chimichurri is usually made with parsley, lemon juice, etc. But with my love of bold flavors and exotic ingredients...I changed it up...enjoy!

GoRedChef Chimichurri: (Yields 2 Cups)

4 bunches of fresh Cilantro (picked, using leaves only, chopped)
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 cup Olive Oil
2 limes juiced and zested
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp of aji amarillo paste
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

In a blender or food processor (your choice, perferabbly a good blender) combine all ingredients except olive oil. Start blender on low, add the oil slowly. Once the oil is added, increase speed and allow to puree to a smooth paste. (make sure the blender doesn't get too hot). Serve immediately or keep chilled.

This is what I created for the hot summer days!

What could be more refreshing than tropical fresh fruit salad with juicy black berries and chilled raspberry sorbet?

This is Chef Michael Gilligans's baby! His creation that is a total hit!
Warm Cafe Con Leche Molten Cake served with Cookies and Cream Ice cream.

Chocolate filled Donuts & a Banana Shake

2008-07-09T08:42:00.000-04:00

Ohhh man. Me and Chef Michael Gilligan had fun with this dessert. We made doughnut dough from scratch. Filled it with Vhalrhona chocolate...like always!!! And served it with the usually creme anglaise and raspberry coulis and served with a cool down...creamy banana shake.

Quick view of the Atrio Menu...

2008-07-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

Chef Michael Gilligan is a genius!!

Roasted Chicken with Tomato Salad and Coconut Rice

This tomato salad can be made at home. It's a mixture of tomato wedges, julienne onions, chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can get creative by adding avocado, corn or jalepenos. Imagine this on the side of a grilled steak. This would make a healthy choice for a side dish.

Roasted Pork with Sage and Caramelized Apple & Pressed Pork Belly

Seared Snapper served with Tri-Color Tubers

Seared Salm w/ Arugula Salad

Grilled Filt Mignon with Purple Potato & Chorizo Medley with a Peppercorn Demi Glaze

Seared Seabass with Scented Jasmine Rice and Miso Demi Glaze

Don't mind the fool in the background...lol. Hey if you thought this blog was all stuffy...think agaain....lol

Can you guess what this is? Caesar Salad! Parmesan Crisp Served with a sweet Balsamic Glaze and of course Caesar Salad.