Laura Whalen Cooks Personal Chef Service

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Serving MetroWest, MA including Ashland, Concord, Dover, Framingham, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Northborough, Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westborough

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Archives for August 2014

Back to school and back to the dinner table…

August 28, 2014 by Chef Laura Whalen Leave a Comment

Back to school and back to the dinner table…

As the beautiful summer melts into an autumn feel, the leaves are just beginning to give way to orange and the yellow of the school buses is evident on the streets ~ it’s back-to-school time! Summer can be relaxing for those of us who are personal chefs, our clients tend to be on the go during the summer and eating is more spur-of-the-moment. But with the cooler temperatures and shopping for notebooks comes the need and desire for dinners to be more structured and healthful.

My personal chef service has always focused on delicious and healthful meals that will appeal to everyone in the family ~ yes, even the ‘picky’ eaters will find something that they love on my menus. I joke and say that ‘no one has ever called me up and told me that they want to get high blood pressure or increase their cholesterol ~ obviously we are all becoming more conscious of the connection between what we eat and good or not-so-good health. That piece of chocolate cake is not so bad for you if you’ve just eaten a healthy dinner rich in colorful vegetables and high-quality protein, moderation is the key.

I’m excited to be cooking for families who want to save time, save money (take-out is expensive!) and enjoy lovingly cooked real food at home, around their dinner table with their family.

Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant

Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant

Crispy Chicken Tenders w/Orange Dipping Sauce ~ very kiddo friendly!

Filed Under: News

Banh Mi Sandwiches w/Pickled Vegetables

August 10, 2014 by Chef Laura Whalen Leave a Comment

Banh Mi Sandwiches w/Pickled Vegetables

My hubby and I love ethnic flavors so this recipe appealed to us right away and has been in the wings waiting to be made for several months.  Yesterday was the day and a perfect one at that!  After a long bike ride on the beautiful river trail near our house, we kicked back to enjoy the sun and a great dinner al fresco, which included these sandwiches along with the pickled daikon radish and carrots ~ don’t leave them out, they are integral to the hot, sour, salty, sweet flavor experience.  And don’t leave out the fish sauce, it adds that umami that our aging tastebuds are searching for, you won’t notice it as fishy in the finished meatballs.

I opted for roasting the meatballs in the oven so they could cook unattended, 350 for approximately 25-30 minutes depending on how large you form the meatballs.

BON APPÉTIT

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrots

Pork Meatball Banh Mi Sandwiches 

Makes 4 sandwiches

 

Hot Chili Mayo:

•2/3 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s)

•2 green onions, finely chopped

•1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*

Meatballs:

•1 pound ground pork

•1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

•4 garlic cloves, minced

•3 green onions, finely chopped

•1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*

•1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)

•1 tablespoon sugar

•2 teaspoons cornstarch

•1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches:

•2 cups coarsely grated carrots

•2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)**

•1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

•1/4 cup sugar

•1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

•1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

•4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)

•Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles

•16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

preparation

Hot Chili Mayo:

Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Meatballs:

Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Sandwiches:

Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette top.

This pickled salad looks gorgeous in a canning jar and allows you to flip it over and marinate all the vegetables in case they are not completely submerged, mine were not.

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrots

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 Thai chile pepper, seeded and chopped (I used Jalapeños since I grow them)

Heat vinegar and sugar in the microwave until sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool slightly.  Place daikon and carrot in a glass jar with the cilantro and chile peppers. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over, submerging the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

 

Filed Under: Blog/Recipes

Summer Salads can be a Meal

August 5, 2014 by Chef Laura Whalen Leave a Comment

The farm stands and produce departments offer a rainbow of gorgeous vegetables and fruits this time of year, just beckoning us to turn them into an amazing meal.  I personally love pacific rim flavors and tend to have those ingredients in my pantry; for a main-dish salad that will delight even the pickiest eaters and appeal to the waistline-conscious crowd, I offer this yummy and quick  Spicy Peanut Noodles w/Shrimp ~ flavorful and filling. The lime wedges read optional but I would not leave them out, a squeeze of fresh citrus heightens the other flavors in the dish.

Asian Noodle Salad wShrimp

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings

Peanut sauce:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 to 1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic OR to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Shrimp:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cooking spray

Pasta:

4 cups cooked thick udon noodles or linguine (8 ounces uncooked)

1 red bell pepper, cut into julienne strips

3/4 cup chopped seeded cucumber

1/4 cup diagonally cut green onions

3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

4 lime wedges (optional)

To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir with a whisk.

To prepare the shrimp, toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare pasta, combine peanut sauce, shrimp, noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

 

Filed Under: News

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Recent Posts

  • Back to school and back to the dinner table…
  • Banh Mi Sandwiches w/Pickled Vegetables
  • Summer Salads can be a Meal
  • Quick and Delicious Picnic Food
  • Martinis anyone…?

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