Making Smart Food Choices
Chef Doucet is all too familiar with the pitfalls of a hectic schedule. "You'd think a chef would take time to eat, but it's the opposite," he says. "You can grab a cookie or a brownie-you don't take time to eat [well] because you're running around." Anyone who has compounded their schedule by adding an exercise regimen can sympathize with the challenge of making nutritious food choices within a limited timeframe.
Planning and preparation "are the two most important things," emphasizes Chef Doucet, Director of Operations and Former Executive Chef for Delta Hotels, here in Halifax. In fact, the organizational fundamentals that make world class restaurants succeed are the same principles Sean Doucet encourage the chef-at-home to adopt. "Being able to cook something quickly is all about planning in advance."
Doucet hopes to dispel the myth that good food isn't convenient. By planning in advance and partially preparing in advance even the most daunting recipe can become manageable. Besides, "fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are some of the best things for your body," reminds Doucet; they're also some of the easiest things to prepare.
And it's not just chopped vegetable that can be prepared beforehand. Grains like rice or protein packed quinoa (pronounced, "keen-wah") can be soaked in advance of cooking. "Par-cook, blanch, chop up some vegetables in advance&spend 15 or 20 minutes partially preparing the next day's meal that is going to make it easier for you to cook with really fresh and good ingredients."
Doucet has provided a recipe to try at home. The assembly of this tomato/basil pasta sauce takes minutes, but the flavours are best realized after simmering for an hour. Here's your chance to try something that can be cooked ahead, refrigerated and reheated on top of your favourite pasta. Better yet, make a large batch and freeze it for future use. If you intend on freezing it, leave out the fresh basil and include it when reheating the sauce. Reminds Doucet, " the basil is always nicer added at the end."
Tomato/Basil Pasta Sauce
Preparation time: 1 hour
This is a perfect sauce to use as a base. You can add a variety of other flavours to the finished sauce, just cooking for a few minutes to create a completely different dish.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
¼-½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, chilli flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 45 minutes-1 hour. Stir in the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper. This can be left chunky or blended in a food processor for a smooth sauce. Wait until the sauce is done before adding the basil.
2. Serve spooned over cooked pasta any shape topped with parmesan cheese.
Curry Scented Shrimp
Ingredients:
Shrimp
12 Jumbo shrimp ( 21/25 count )
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Onion Compote
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red onions, peeled, thin sliced
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
Vinaigrette
0.25 (1/4) cup apple juice
.125 (1/8) cup apple cider vinegar
0.5 (1/2) tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1.5 tsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
.5 (1/2) cup vegetable oil
4 oz micro greens
Directions:
Shrimp
In a bowl, combine the garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper, oil. Mix well. Add shrimp and set aside until needed or in the fridge. Sautee over med. - high heat for approx. 30 seconds per side prior to serving.
Onion Compote
Heat a saute pan on med. Heat. Add the sliced onion and sautee for 1 min. Add the sugar and continue cooking until melted. Add the vinegar and continue coooking again until absorbed. Should resemble a jam consistancy.
Vinaigrette
In a blender or bowl with a hand blender, combine all ingredients and blend until emulsified or comes together. Place a small amount (approx. 1 tbsp) of compote on the plate, arrange 3 shrimp on top of this. Toss the greens lightly in the vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning as needed. Place a small amount of greens on plate and drizzle a bit of the dressing around the plate.
Chef Les Stevens, Delta Halifax 2011
Rack of Lamb
Ingredients:
Lamb Rack
2 Lamb racks (full rack)
4 tbsp chestnut puree, unsweetened
2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp vegetable oil
.25 (1/4) cup Cabernet Sauvingon
Barley Risotto
6 oz pearl barley
2 tbsp shallot, minced
3 oz oyster mushroom (or other mushroom)
.25 (1/4) cup white wine (optional)
2 L chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Carrots
8 oz baby carrots, peeled
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Lamb
Pre-heat an oven at 350.F Heat a sautee pan on med high heat. Mean while, cut the lamb rack into 2 pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add oil to heated pan, place the lamb flesh side down and sear until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Crush pumpkin seeds and blend with chestnut puree.
Spread a liberal amount of the mixture onto each piece of lamb. Place in the oven and roast approx. 20 min. for medium rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
In the pan that seared the lamb, add the wine and reduce by 3/4; adjust seasoning.
Risotto
Heat a med sized pot. Add oil and shallots. Add the barley and sautee for a min. (this allows the shell to crack) Tear the oyster mushroom and add to the barley. Sautee onother minute.
Add the wine (optional) and reduce until almost dry. Add the stock a bit at a time until almost dry, continue this step until barley is tender to the bite. Season appropriately and finish with grated parmesan.
Carrots
Steam carrots until tender. Toss in butter and honey mixture. Season to taste.
Chef Les Stevens, Delta Halifax 2011
Mixed Berries
Ingredients:
3 cup mixed berries - blueberry, black berry, raspberry, strawberry, etc.
.75 (3/4) cup sugar
.5 (1/2) cup N.S. Port - produced by Jost Vinyards
1 cup whipping cream 35%
1 tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
In a bowl add the sugar and port. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust port to your liking. Add the selected berries. Let sit in the fridge until needed. This can be made up to 2 hours ahead.
In a separate bowl and a whisk, whip the cream until desired consistency. Drizzle in the maple syrup.
Add berry mixture into Martini glass, top with whipped cream.
Chef Les Stevens, Delta Halifax 2011
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