YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Put some of the unused marinade aside and toss your boiled sweet potatoes with it or cut the potatoes into wedges, toss with marinade and roast. Serves 4 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Marinade 1 tablespoon/15ml ground cumin ¾ cups/185ml olive oil 2 tablespoon/30ml minced seeded jalapeño chilies 6 garlic cloves, minced (substitute 2 teaspoon/10ml garlic powder) ½ teaspoon/2ml salt ½ teaspoon/2ml ground black pepper ¼ cup/60ml fresh lime juice ¼ cup/59ml parsley, chopped 1 ½ tablespoon/20ml Sherry wine vinegar Toast cumin in a dry pan.  Heat olive oil. Remove from heat and stir in all ingredients.  Let sit to cool. Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl or resealable plastic bag.  Pour enough marinade to come ½ way up chicken. Turn to coat. Let sit for at least ½ hour.  Remove from marinade. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan.  Place chicken in the pan and cook 3-4 mi

This particular dish was created using a dry white wine. A rose would work well too.  We wanted to lighten it up for summer time.  Serves 4 2 pounds/900g chicken legs and thighs (substitute 4 boneless breasts-cut into 1” pieces) 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil 4 pieces thick cut bacon cut into ¼ inch/6.35mm “pieces" ½ cup/62g flour ½ teaspoon/2ml salt ½ teaspoon/5ml pepper 1pound/450g carrots, sliced on the diagonal in 1”/2.5cm pieces 2 yellow onions cut into 1”pieces or 8 ounces/225g pearl onions 1 pound/450g button mushrooms or baby bellas 2 cloves garlic minced ½ cup/125ml cognac or brandy 1 ½ cups/375ml dry red wine (we used a dry white) 1 cup/250ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon/15ml tomato paste ½ teaspoon/2ml dry thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh 2-4 tablespoon/28-57g unsalted butter 2-4 tablespoon/15-30g flour Heat olive oil in heavy bottom Dutch oven cook bacon until crisp (8-10 minutes). Mix ½ cup flour salt and pepper together in a large

Wasabi is a natural thickener and the same amount of wasabi powder needed to season the sauce thickens the sauce sufficiently to spoon onto a plate.  Wasabi Sauce Recipe  (makes 1 cup/250ml) 2 Tablespoons/30ml/18g wasabi powder* (see notes) 1/2 teaspoon/2ml kosher salt 1 cup/250ml half and half or light cream** (see notes)  1 teaspoon/5ml freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix the wasabi powder, salt and cream in a pan until dissolved. Over low heat, whisk constantly until the sauce simmers and slightly thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon juice. This sauce is best when made and served immediately. Notes: * Most "wasabi" powder is a combination of powdered horseradish, mustard, and other ingredients. 100% pure wasabi powder is rare, expensive and will not thicken quite as well as the above-mentioned type. **We used almond milk and it worked though a little thin so decrease the amount of milk if using a dairy alternative. personal chefs an

Serves 4 4 oz/115g mushrooms, sliced 2 carrots, sliced 4 shallots, chopped 2 tbsp/30ml butter, divided 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil, divided 4 chicken breast or thigh/leg combination, skinned bone in ½ tsp/2ml sea salt ¼ tsp/ml black pepper 1 cup/250ml tarragon vinegar 2 sprigs fresh tarragon 3 tbsp/45ml heavy cream ( 250ml cream and let reduce by 1/2 for a looser more subtle sauce) Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ½ of the butter and oil. When butter melts  add mushrooms, carrots and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan. Add the remaining butter and olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pan. Cook on both sides for 2 - 3 minutes, browning them. Return the vegetables to the pan. Pour in the vinegar and tarragon. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and vegetables to a serving dish. Raise the heat t

By  Fred Eckhardt If you inquire of the average beer geek about the differences between ale and lager, you will probably be told that ale is brewed with  top -fermenting yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) and lager with  bottom -fermenting yeast ( Saccharomyces uvarum ). End of conversation. But there’s much more to tell. First of all, ale and lager are both beers; that is, they are fermented from grain. The major difference between these two beer families stems from the  temperature  at which fermentation is carried out. And the importance of these differences in temperature is that chemical reactions happen more slowly at lower temperatures. The science of chemical change tells us that for each increase of 18 degrees Fahrenheit/10 degrees Celsius, the speed of chemical change is doubled; a similar decrease, and the speed of change is halved.  But  when the temperature goes above 104 degrees F/40 degrees C, or falls below 58 degrees F/15 degrees C, most yeast w

Summer is upon us and nothing quite beats the heat like a bright, refreshing and effervescent adult beverage. Originally called a Shandygaff, the Shandy has been around in Europe for several centuries. Originating in England, the Shandy is also very popular in Germany and Austria, where it is known as a Radler. The original Shandy recipe is a mixture of beer and lemonade, but the term now represents a category of drinks consisting of beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale or cider. Although a typical Shandy mixes lemonade and beer in a 50/50 proportion, I chose to prepare this particular Shandy more like a cocktail. The base of the recipe is a concentrated blend of lemon juice, agave nectar and muddled blackberries—one of my favorite berries, which are in season right now (yay!). The mix is shaken and double strained over ice to remove any seeds, then topped off with a crisp lager or pilsner, like Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Hot (Spicy) Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe serves 4 10 ounces/285 g Chow Mein Egg Noodles 1 tablespoon/15 ml sesame oil 1 tablespoon/15 ml canola oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons/30 ml grated or minced ginger 1 stalk celery, sliced 1 large carrot, sliced 8 ounces/225 g snow peas 8 ounces/225 g baby bella mushrooms, sliced 1 cup/123 grams mung bean sprouts 3 tablespoons/45 ml braggs liquid aminos 1/4 cup/60 ml rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon/5 ml sugar 1 tablespoon/15 ml sesame oil Juice of one lime 1 teaspoon/5 ml red pepper flakes Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously.  Add noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain the noodles. In a large wok or skillet heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes or the onions start to soften and turn translucent.  Add the celery and carrots. Toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the snow peas