YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Serves 4 1lb/450g pasta, cooked according to package directions al dente (to the tooth) 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil 5 cloves garlic, chopped ⅛ tsp/.5ml red pepper flakes 1 cup/225ml onion, diced 1 bulb, 2 cups/450ml fresh fennel, cut into bite sized pieces 2 cans anchovies, drained and chopped 2 cups/794g crushed tomatoes 2 tbsp/30ml tomato paste 1 tbsp/15ml basil, chopped Heat oil in large pot, and saute in it the garlic and pepper flakes (30 seconds), add the fennel, onion and anchovies, saute until fennel is soft and onion is becoming translucent and anchovies “melt”(3-4 minutes).  Stir in tomato paste and coat all vegetables (1-2 minutes).  Add tomatoes and basil. Simmer 30 minutes. “Sawdust” 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil 1 tsp/15ml garlic, thinly sliced 2 tbsp/30ml pine nuts, chopped 2 tbsp/30ml basil, chopped 1 cup/225ml fine homemade breadcrumbs , toasted Pour oil and garlic in pan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, add crumbs a

Recently we found ourselves with a glut of field greens.  Lovely, green and deep purple, and eggplant with no one to eat them. We believe in using and eating food, not throwing it away.  So what could be done to preserve the goodness at hand?  Soup came to mind, but you can eat only so much soup and it has a tendency to get “grainy” when frozen.  Juicing was another option, but our illustrious leader (Chef Ya) decided to go a different route.  PESTO.   The sauce pesto originated in the northern region of Italy, Liguria, Genoa.  According to Wikipedia, the name is the contracted past participle of the Genoese word pestâ (Italian: pestare), which means to pound, to crush, in reference to the original method of preparation, with marble  mortar and wooden pestle . The ingredients in a traditionally made pesto are ground with a circular motion of the pestle in the mortar. This same Latin root through Old French also gave rise to the English word  pestle . Traditionally the sauce is ma

1 cup raisins 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips 1-2 tsp virgin coconut oil (more for thinner chocolate, less for thicker) 1/8-1/4 tsp cloves or cinnamon (optional) In a medium sized pot on low heat, place the chocolate chips, coconut oil and spices. Stir occasionally as they chips melt to mix  together.  Add in raisins and mix until all are coated evenly. Spread out mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.   Place into fridge to harden.  Once hardened, break up pieces and eat!!  Super simple and delicious. Store the rest (if there are any left!) in the fridge.

Baked or fried this are sure to please even the carnivores.  Freekeh gives the mouth feel of meat and mushrooms the meaty taste. Makes 8-10 burgers or about 20 “meatballs” 4 ounces/116g uncooked freekah 3 shallots, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed into a paste 4 ounces/116g mixed mushrooms (we used baby bella, white, and shiitake) small bunch parsley, chopped 1 15 ounces/425 can of chickpeas drained 1 teaspoon/5ml olive oil 1 tablespoon flax with 3 tablespoons  water  OR 1 egg 1/4 cup/59ml/43g potato flour (sub rice or almond flour or 1/2 cup/118ml/60g dried bread crumbs) 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml ground black pepper In a medium sauce pan on medium high heat add the freekah and spritz with oil.  Toast for 30-45 seconds.  Add enough water to come the width of 2 fingers above the  freekeh.  Turn the  heat up to high and cook until the water reaches  the top of the freekeh.  Stir, cover and turn the heat down to low.  Cook for 16 mi

Rich flavours and a hearty sauce will make everyone think you have been cooking for hours. Bone in chicken has more flavor and is the classic way to make this dish, but feel free to use a boneless piece. Serves 4 2 pounds/900g chicken leg quarters 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml black pepper 1/3 cup/90ml olive oil 1/2 cup/125 dry white wine 2 medium onions chopped 1 clove garlic minced 8 ounces/225g baby bella mushrooms sliced 1/2 cup/125ml pureed tomatoes 2 tablespoons/30ml chopped parsley Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Thoroughly wash and pat dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper liberally on all sides. Brown chicken 4-5 minutes on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of the wine. Cook chicken for 10-12 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and 1/2 of the parsley cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and add r

Here is a re-do of my Polish Babci’s Galumpki.  These can be done with or without meat, so they can be pareve. These are also rice free, so they can be eaten by both Sephardic and Ashkenazi sects, and goodness knows there are PLENTY of potatoes around during Pesach. Serves 4-6 Meat 1 medium head cabbage, cored 1 small onion, diced 1 pound/450 ground turkey 3 cups/450g shredded raw potato ½ teaspoon/2ml salt ¼ teaspoon/1ml black pepper 1 teaspoon/5ml dried dill 28 ounce/794g tomato puree or sauce (if you have leftover spaghetti sauce use that) Preheat oven to 350F/176C/GasMark 4 Using a sharp knife cut the core out of the cabbage bottom. Heat a large stock pot with salted water to a simmer.  Place the cabbage in the water. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes until you can pull off individual leaves. You should end up with 15-20 leaves that are big enough to use. Chop remaining cabbage. Place on a plate or kitchen towel to drain. Mix the onion, turkey, potatoes, sal

With the beach season quickly approaching, could this HEALTHY dessert be ice cream?  Frozen yogurt? NO, NO, NO! You guessed it, it is a blended banana! That's right. Eat a heaping bowl of frozen, blended banana. It tastes like the freshest, creamiest ice cream you have ever had in your life. This is a great idea for those overripe bananas which many will not eat.  Or, there are times your local grocery store will have a sale on over ripe bananas at a fraction of the cost of the just ripe ones. So, the how-to. Slice up a bunch of bananas. Place them in the freezer. When they are frozen and you have a need for a sweet frozen treat.  Pull them out. Let them sit a few minutes. Blend/Food Process/Puree.  Need a little protein too?  Add a little bit of peanut butter when blending or mix in when the banana mixture is in the bowl. Add some fresh (or frozen) fruit.  Be creative and make this healthy dessert your own! NOW EAT! private chefs and event cat

Read ingredients on the peas. Many of these fiery snacks are made with wheat flour rather than corn starch. serves 4 4 fresh tuna fillets (sushi grade) 2 teaspoons/10ml sesame oil 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml ground clove 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml allspice 5 ounces/145g wasabi peas  ¼ cup/60ml coconut aminos 1 teaspoon/5ml minced ginger ¼ teaspoon/2ml oyster sauce 3 drops fish sauce Place wasabi peas in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour peas on a platter. Brush tuna with 1 teaspoon/5ml sesame oil. Sprinkle tuna with cloves and allspice rubbing to spread evenly. Press tuna in the crushed peas on one side only. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle in remaining oil. Place tuna in pan and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Combine aminos, ginger, oyster and fish sauce to serve on the side for dipping. Serve with sauteed mustard greens.

The Italians love to celebrate holidays with food and Easter is one of those special holidays.  The breads come in every shape and size. Many are sweet, braided  and wrapped around eggs. The Neapolitans have a delicious savory one stuffed with ricotta and sausage or ham. This recipe is more along the lines of a Calabrian bread. Easter is preceded by Lent, a time of fasting for many Christians. Come Easter Sunday, it is time to come together... 3 cups/375g all purpose flour 1/4 cup/48g sugar 1 package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup/158ml warm milk (120F/49C) 2 tablespoons butter/29g, softened 2 large eggs  grated orange zest 1/4 cup/43g chopped blanched almonds 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds 5 hard boiled eggs neutral oil Glaze 1 cup/130g confectioner's sugar, sifted 2 to 3 tablespoons/30-45ml orange juice sprinkles or nonpareils, for decorating In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup/125g flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add milk and butter; beat 2 minutes on

We have been working on a deconstructed "skinny" version of Banoffee pie.  Next is to make it dairy free. Banoffee is an uniquely English dessert pie made from bananas, cream and toffee from boiled condensed milk and is what I believe the American version of Banana Cream Pie is based on.  Both can have either a pastry crust or one made from crumbled biscuits and butter. The name Banoffee is a combination of the words "banana" and "toffee.  Serve 4-6 1 sheet of store bought pie dough, cut into strips or triangles 1 ounce/30 ml/30 g/2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 ounce/30 ml/30 g/2 tablespoons brown sugar lightly packed 5 large bananas, peeled (over ripe works best) 12 ounces/375 g of dairy free sweetened condensed “milk” see recipe below. 1 15 ounce/425 g coconut milk, place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour Dairy Free Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe 1/2 cup/125 ml cold water 1 1/3 cups/304 ml/90 g carnation nonfat dry milk powde