Chefie’s World

Doing a demo is really hard work from recipe conceptualization, preparation and the actual appearance itself. I limited the recipes to healthy dishes since this was what my column in Yummy was all about. It had to be simple for mall goers to understand and ingredients were kept to a minimum. This was essential so that I wouldn’t have a hard time in the buying, measuring and packing them. I also had to showcase the cookware I was using which were non stick pans and stainless pots. I decided on three dishes for the Lenten season and one that was fast to do with pork tenderloin, my meat of choice after the ever reliable chicken.
Well prepared and all, we rushed to Trinoma on one of the busiest days of the year, Valentine’s. Got there just in time to have a quick bite for lunch and to fix everything. I was using an electric range which I had to be accustomed to just before the actual presentation. Greetings and pleasantries were a must for our sponsors and all the people that were part of this. Never a dull moment is my goal, you have to keep the audience or whatever you are doing at the peak of hyperactivity to keep everyones attention. Quiet periods are not allowed because they become a time for your audience to chat or leave.
I always have fun doing demos because of the tons of people I meet as well as the questions they toss which me make me think and make me fully understand that I really love my work. People come to this type of presentation for a number of reasons; to learn a new technique or skill, to eat the food that was just cooked or get freebies, these we were ready for. For an hour and half, I got connected with people from all walks of life who were passionate on cooking food for their family and to ask the most common question on what to substitute what for what….hehehe. I have learned to keep my composure, become more patient and to relax with questions like these. It’s part of the game.
Enjoy the recipes this Lenten season as we sacrifice which should be done….and the ingredients that are now in season…..

Mushroom Crepe Lasagne

Ingredients:

Crepe Batter:

½ cup all purpose flour
1 pcs eggs
2/3 cups fresh milk
1 tbsps melted butter

Procedure:

Mix fresh milk and eggs. Pour into flour.
Stir well until combined. Add in melted butter.
Rest for 30 minutes.
Cook in a non stick pan. Set aside.

Filling:

1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsps minced garlic
¾ cups chopped onions
2 – 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
⅓ cup all purpose flour
2 cups skim or non fat milk
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated low fat cheese

Procedure:
Saute garlic in canola oil, add in onions and cook until translucent.
Add in sliced mushroom and cook until juices are released.
Add in all purpose flour and stir well. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
Pour in milk and allow mixture to thicken. Season with salt and
pepper. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Set aside to assemble.

Assembly. Lay crepe in a glass rectangular dish. Spread some mushroom
filling. Add some grated cheese. Continue until all the mixture
has been used. Cover with more grated cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Chinese Pork Tenderloin Delite

Ingredients:

1-2 pcs pork tenderloin, around 700 gms

Marinade:

1 ½ tbsps canola oil
1 tbsp Chinese wine
½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp soy sauce

Procedure:
Let stand in marinade for 15 – 20 minutes.

Sauce:

½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
½ tbsp Chinese wine
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp cornstarch in a slurry ( 1 tbsp water )
Procedure:
Mix all ingredients except cornstarch slurry.

Fry tenderloin in some canola oil. Set aside.
In the same pan, add sauce mixture. Let boil.
Add in cornstarch slurry, then the fried tenderloin.
Glaze with the sauce. Serve while hot.
Maybe served with stir fried vegetables.

Pan Fried Tuna Steak with Strawberry Tarragon Relish
(recipe from Yummy Magazine Jan-Feb 2008)

Ingredients:

2 pcs tuna steak, about 1 – 1 ½ inch thick
1 pc lemon, juiced
¼ cup chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbsps chopped Italian parsley leaves
½ tbsp minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Procedure:

Pat dry the tuna steak with paper towels.
In a bowl, mix lemon juice with tarragon, parsley leaves and garlic.
Add a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Pour this into the
tuna steak and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat pan for 1 minute, pour in olive oil and continue heating pan
for 2 more minutes.
Pan fry tuna steak for 3 minutes. Then transfer to a plate and serve
with strawberry tarragon relish.

Strawberry Tarragon Relish:

Ingredients:

1 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
12- 15 pcs strawberries, quartered

Procedure:
Mix balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and tarragon.
Toss in quartered strawberries. Serve with tuna steaks.

Lemon and Capers Fish Fillet

Ingredients:

2 – 3 pcs lapu lapu fillet or any white soft fish
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pcs lemon, halved
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup capers, rinsed

Procedure:

Pat dry fish fillet.
Season with salt and ground pepper.
In a pan, add in olive oil and heat.
Pan fry fish fillet and squeeze lemon while cooking.
Remove and drain fat by laying in a paper towel lined plate.
When all the fillets have been cooked, saute capers in some olive
oil and scatter over fish fillet.
Serve while warm.

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 6:59 pm and is filed under Food, personal, recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.