Family Chef Reno

How lucky am I that I get to share my passion with my friends. I got to make a grazing table to help out a new coworker. The colors were red and white. Those cherry tomatoes on the vine make my heart happy.

Current obsession = Wasa Crackers and microgreens. It is one thousand degrees outside and too hot to turn on a stove. Instant pot zero minute poached chicken and curried chicken salad recipe FTW. Modified, obviously.

In case you were wondering, it takes 30 minutes to prep 100 caprese skewers

Summer Salads
I saw a version of this salad on the interwebs and was wondering how I could make it work for meal prep for my clients. Fresh basil turned into a basil oil with a garlicky bite. Lemon zest/juice into a tart lemon vinaigrette. Fresh prosciutto into crispy prosciutto.
Cast of characters - arugula, crispy prosciutto, Tuscan cantaloupe, fresh mozzarella pearls, lemon vinaigrette, basil oil.
1. For the basil oil- 1 C fresh basil leaves, 1/2 C olive oil, 1 garlic clove 1/2tsp kosher salt. Blanch the basil first. This helps the oil keep its bright green color for days. So while the water in the saucepan is heating to a boil, fill a medium sized bowl with ice and cold water, for an ice bath, and set to the side. Once the water has come to a boil, blanch the basil leaves for about 30 seconds. Immediately, strain out basil leaves and plunge into the ice bath. Stir around to ensure cooking process stops for all the basil. Once basil has cooled, wrap basil leaves in paper towels to squeeze out extra moisture. Add garlic, basil, oil and salt to blender. Blend for a minute. Store in the fridge.
2. Lemon Vinaigrette- juice/zest of 1 lemon, 1/4 C citrus champagne vinaigrette, 1/4 C olive oil, 1/2 tsp each Dijon/kosher salt/honey. Whisk together
3. Crispy Prosciutto- bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes

He didn’t want to allow his sister to help him do the teeth so now it looks like a beaver instead of a nerd emoji.

If one is on the fence about the frozen chocolate croissants from one should just buy them

My friend sent me a TikTok about a few Fall cheese selections to try at . The Red Leicester is AMAZING

The other day on The TikTok posted a restock of her freezer wontons. I’m always looking for new recipes for my clients. I’m thinking this would make a good deconstructed wonton soup with rice noodles for my GF clients. I left out the mushrooms and cut the garlic. Go check out her post on how to fold them. They cook from fresh in just a few minutes in boiling water. I boiled the frozen ones for 9 minutes. Lucie and I feasted on wontons yesterday. Ingredients -
Ground Sausage( or ground chicken or finely minced shrimp), 1lb
Tamari (soy sauce), 2T
Rice Wine Vinegar, 1T
Green Onion, 2 finely diced
Oyster Sauce, 1T
Chicken Bouillon Powder, 1tsp
Sugar, 1tsp
Garlic, 2 cloves grated
Fresh Ginger, 1T grated
Sesame Oil, 1tsp
Cornstarch, 1.5tsp
White Pepper, 1tsp

It’s definitely soup season in Reno this week. I had a client request for tomato soup. We’ve got a creamy roasted heirloom tomato soup with cheesy puff pastry pinwheels. I’m going to have to make this for my crew

Thai Inspired Coconut Peanut Soup ( )
A friend messaged me the other day asking for this recipe and that message sent me directly from summer into soup season. This is definitely a clean out the fridge veggie drawer kind of soup. What’s listed is probably what was in my fridge the first time I made it. This soup can easily be made . We serve this over steamed rice, rice noodles or ramen.
Ingredients-
Coconut Oil, 1T
Shallots, 2
Garlic Cloves, 3
Ginger, 1T grated fresh ginger
Red Bell Pepper, 1
Zucchini, 2 small
Cauliflower, 1 small or 1/2 of a large cauliflower
Tamari (Soy Sauce), 1/4C
Lime, zest and juice of one lime separated
Cumin, 1tsp
Chili Garlic Sauce, 2tsp (start with 1tsp if you are sensitive to heat)
Chicken Broth (or veggie), 4C
Peanut Butter, 1/4C
Coconut Milk, 1 can
Brown Sugar, 1T
Cilantro, half full of fresh cilantro
Fish Sauce (optional), 1T
Toppings - chopped peanuts, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro,)

Directly-
1. Rough chop all veg.
2. Turn IP to sauté function. When IP is hot, add coconut oil and shallots. Sauté for a minute or two. Add garlic and ginger. Stir for 1 minute . Stir in broth, scraping up any bits from bottom of pot. Add in cumin, tamari, bell pepper, zucchini. Cauliflower, peanut butter, lime zest, chili garlic sauce. HP for 10 minutes, NPR for 10 minutes.
3. Add in coconut milk, lime juice, brown sugar, cilantro and fish sauce (if using) blend continuously with immersion blender until fully puréed.

I may be obsessed with this dressing

Snacks and drinks with forever friends