Quick Weeknight Dinners Class at the Plum Center, Session 3; Quick Aioli for Hamburgers; Summer Desserts

Post Date: 25 June 2016

As I mentioned last post, I have begun making summer desserts.  Since last time I first made a Peppermint Stick Ice Cream and a Strawberry Pretzel Terrine, both of which are discussed below.  I also made Dijon Hamburgers and served them topped with a Quick Lemon Cayenne Aioli.  Next on my list is an Apricot Compote.  I hope to report on that next post.

Quick Weeknight Dinners

Pictured above are dishes from last week’s second session, a pan of roasted vegetables ready for the oven, Pork Chops with Apricot Sauce, and Curry Shrimp with rice and zucchini with Teriyaki Sauce.

Session 3 of this class meets this Tuesday at 6:30 at the Plum Center.  We will be preparing 4 dishes – a Panzanella Salad, a Dijon Hamburger with Lemon Cayenne Aioli, Cacio e Pepe (pasta with a cheese and pepper sauce), and Lemon Thyme Carrots.  We will also be going over how to devein shrimp.

Aioli on Hamburgers

For the Hamburgers, I combined 9 ounces of Ground Beef, Salt, Pepper, Dijon Mustard, and Dried Minced Onion, then formed into 2 patties.

For the Aioli, I took a short cut and used Mayonnaise instead of making it from scratch with an egg yolk, etc., in reparation for this week’s Quick Weeknight Dinners class.  I added Lemon Juice, Minced Garlic and liquid from a jar, and Cayenne Pepper.  When I took a quick taste my first impression was that I had been too heavy handed with the Cayenne (1/8 teaspoon).  However, when on the burger and eaten with a bun, it seemed just right.

Summer Desserts

It had been so long since I made ice cream that I had a hard time finding the freezer bowl.  I decided to make Peppermint Stick first as my friends always say how much they like it.  For the peppermint flavor I used both Peppermint Extract and the small round Peppermint Candies, which I crushed with a meat pounder in a Ziplock bag.  One year after the holidays we had a lot of candy canes left, so I used them in a batch and the flavor was not nearly as “pepperminty” as you get with the candies.  Next on the agenda is a Coffee Ice Cream made with coffee beans and not brewed coffee.

I also made a Strawberry Pretzel Terrine, whose recipe I found in the latest Food Network Magazine.  It uses both Marscapone and Cream Cheese and is fairly straightforward to make and delicious to eat.  For the Pretzels, you run small pretzel twists in a food processor.  After assembly it needs about 6 hours to chill, but worth the wait.

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/strawberry-pretzel-terrine.html

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring and the summer term. 

July 9 – Saturday Morning – Farmhouse Dinner in Provence – Plum Center

July 19, 20, 21 – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center – different format, 3 straight evenings.

July 24, 31, August 7 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

 

 

Quick Weeknight Dinners Class at the Plum Center continues; Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Post Date: 19 June 2016

As we head into summer, I am gearing up for desserts.  The Panna Cotta (shown above) is the first.  I also had a chance on a recent train trip to catch up on my cooking magazines and found some nice recipes I am eager to try.  I plan to make a Strawberry Terrine and a Watermelon Granita, among others.  I also got out the ice cream maker, so I’ll be going back to a few of my favorite flavors (flavorites), like Coffee and Strawberry.

Quick Weeknight Dinners

                                                          Avocado Tomato Basil Salad

                                 Orange Tarragon Chicken with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Pictured above are 2 dishes from last week’s opening session, an Avocado, Tomato, and Basil Salad and Orange Tarragon Chicken with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with Panko.

Session 2 of this class meets this Tuesday at 6:30 at the Plum Center.  We will be preparing 4 dishes –a Quick Salad, Mixed Roasted Vegetables (pictured below), Sautéed Pork Chops with an Apricot Sauce, and Curried Shrimp with Vegetable in a Teriyaki Sauce.

Panna Cotta

Pictured at the top of this post is the finished product, relatively easy to make but needs several hours in the fridge to harden.  It is topped with a Strawberry and Blueberry Gazpacho.  I placed the berries in a metal bowl, added sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and a basil sprig.  I covered the bowl with plastic wrap, then placed it over a pot of simmering water for 10 minutes.  After it cooled, I placed the bowl in the fridge.  What’s nice about this is that you get not only the berries but also the juice to pour on the Panna Cotta.

Here is the link to the Panna Cotta recipe I used. I found it on Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/panna-cotta-14224

 
Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring and the summer term. 

July 9 – Saturday Morning – Farmhouse Dinner in Provence – Plum Center

July 19, 20, 21 – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center – different format, 3 straight evenings.

July 24, 31, August 7 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

Quick Weeknight Dinners Class at the Plum Center; Farmhouse Dinner in Provence Class in July

Post Date: 12 June 2016

Quick Weeknight Dinners

This 3 session class begins on Tuesday evening, June 14, at the Plum Center in Springfield.  I am reluctant to name this class “30 Minute Meals” because it is always hard to put a time limit on preparation as cooks work at different paces and some of the recipes, although “quick,” may take more than 30 minutes.  I usually focus on salads, main courses and vegetables in this class, but the last time I gave it the class asked for some desserts as well, so on the first night we will see how the group wants to proceed for the next 2 sessions.

In our first class we will be preparing two salads, one with Tomato and Avocado and one with Spinach and Stilton Cheese.  For our vegetable we will be preparing Roasted Rosemary Panko Potatoes.  For the main courses, we will be doing Orange Tarragon Chicken Breasts and Baked Salmon with Mustard.

Farmhouse Dinner in Provence

This one session course is my next scheduled offering in the summer term, on Saturday morning, July 9a.  We will be doing a 4 course meal.  I am still working out the final menu, but the dessert will most likely be a Peach Clafoutis.

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring and the summer terms. 

June 14, 21, 28 – Tuesday Evening - Quick Weeknight Dinners – Plum Center

July 9 – Saturday Morning – Farmhouse Dinner in Provence – Plum Center

July 19, 20, 21 – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center

July 24, 31, August 7 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

To register for these classes, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

A.C.E. Cooking Basics 101 Class at Herndon High School continues; Quick Weeknight Dinners Class at the Plum Center

Post Date: 31 May 2016

Cooking Basics 101 in Herndon

The third and final session of this session class meets this Thursday evening, June 2, at Herndon High School.  We will be making a lot of use of the oven this week, making Vegetables in Parchment Paper, a Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cake, and Salisbury Steak, which we will start on the stove top and finish in the oven.  Our salad will be a Tuscan White Bean Salad.

Quick Weeknight Dinners

This 3 session class begins on Tuesday evening, June 14, at the Plum Center in Springfield.  I am reluctant to name this class “30 Minute Meals” because it is always hard to put a time limit on preparation as cooks work at different paces and some of the recipes, although “quick,” may take more than 30 minutes.  I usually focus on salads, main courses and vegetables in this class, but the last time I gave it the class asked for some desserts as well, so on the first night we will see how the group wants to proceed for the next 2 sessions.

Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks - Recap

We had a lot of fun in this class last Friday night.  The main course was Chicken Breast and Vegetables cooked in parchment paper.  The recipe serves as a good introduction to cooking with parchment paper for those not familiar with it.   The picture above is one of the student creations, ready for the oven

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring and the summer term. 

June 14, 21, 28 – Tuesday Evening - Quick Weeknight Dinners – Plum Center

July 9 – Saturday Morning – Farmhouse Dinner in Provence – Plum Center

July 19, 20, 21 – Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center

July 24, 31, August 7 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

A.C.E. Cooking Basics 101 Class at Herndon High School continues; Date Night Cooking Class at the Plum Center This Friday Evening; Luncheon Salad for One; A.C.E. 60th Anniversary Celebration

Post Date: 24  May 2016

Cooking Basics 101 in Herndon

The second session of this three session class meets this Thursday evening, May 26, at Herndon High School.  We will be getting a lot of knife skills practice as we make a vegetable soup and hull strawberries for the no bake dessert.  The main course will be a Baked Salmon with Sautéed Broccoli on the side.  We will also be discussing different types of salt.

Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks

This one session class meets this Friday evening, May 27^th, at 6:30 at the Plum Center in Springfield.  Our starter dish will be Strawberry Basil Prosciutto Sandwiches.  For dessert we will have Cannoli; we will make the filling in class; I will provide the shells.  I am still trying to decide between fish or chicken for the main course.

Chef K’s Turkey Lunch Salad for 1

I make this salad for myself most afternoons, so I thought I would share it with you (pictured above).  You can have it at home, or make to bring to work.  The order of the ingredients below is the order in which I add them to the salad.

½ cup Baby Spinach, tightly packed

¼ cup Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 Grape Tomatoes, rinsed and quartered

4 Olives, Green or Black, quartered

Fat Free Feta crumbled on top

1 slice Low Sodium Turkey Breast, chopped finely and sprinkled on top

Unsalted Sunflower Seeds sprinkled on top

Olive Oil

Vinegar – Balsamic or your favorite.

 

A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration

Pictured above are some of the Chocolate Biscotti I made for guests to snack on during my demonstration of Quick Fire Parmesan at the A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration last Sunday afternoon.  The afternoon was a great success, with a lot of interest being shown in the culinary programs.

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring term.  The summer schedule will be out soon.

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

A.C.E. Cooking Basics 101 Class at Herndon High School; Pesto Lasagne; A.C.E. 60th Anniversary Celebration

Post Date: 16 May 2016

Cooking Basics 101 in Herndon

The first session of this three session class meets on Thursday evening, May 19, at Herndon High School.  Dishes to be prepared in class are a Caprese Salad, Pan Fried Chicken Italiano with Blanched Asparagus, and a no bake dessert with blueberries and ricotta cheese.  Each week we will also be covering knife skills and safe food handling techniques.  In week one we will cook on the stove top, week 2 in the oven, and week 3 start on the stove top and finish in the oven, three basic and essential cooking methods.

Pesto Lasagne

I saw a recipe for this dish in an Instagram post from the Food Network.  It looked interesting, so I decided to try it, but with a few additions of my own.  The posted recipe had you just make a pesto, cook the lasagne noodles, then create alternating layers of noodles and pesto, topped with grated Parmesan.  I decided to pump it up a bit, so on a layer of lasagne noodles, I spread out pesto, added slices of yellow squash, then hot Italian Sausage which I had cooked separately.  The photo immediately above shows the assembly process, while the one at the very top shows a serving portion.  I cooked it in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  It was a really nice dish.  This week I plan to make it again, but this time with swell Italian sausage for those who do not like too much heat in their food. 

A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Special Discounts Offered

I hope to see you at this event on Sunday May 22^nd.  I will be performing a demonstration of a Quick Fire Chicken Parmesan, cooked entirely on the stovetop (sorry, no flames are involved).  There will be other cooking demos as well from other A.C.E. chefs.

In addition, A.C.E. will be offering special class discounts on site the day of the event.  Here is the information:

“Attend Our Open House and Save 40% on Tuition, Sunday May 22, 2016, 1 to 4 PM!

 Register for one class and receive 40% off the tuition of a second class (with an equal or lesser tuition amount)* This is a one day promotion that applies only to walk-in enrollments at the Plum Center from 1 to 4 on Sunday May 22, 2016, during the ACE 60^th Celebration

*Certain restriction apply. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or coupons.”

 

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring term.  The summer schedule will be out soon.

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu                                                           

A.C.E. Cooking Class “Holiday in Sicily”; Sicilian Pesto; Baked Tilapia with Asparagus and Citrus; Tofu Dengaku; A.C.E. 60th Anniversary Party on May 22

Post Date: 4 May 2016

Holiday in Sicily Cooking Class

This one session class will meet on Tuesday evening, May 10^th, at 6:30 PM at Woodson High School.  We will be preparing a 4 course meal which will include Sicilian Pesto (see below), Baked Tilapia (also see below) with Asparagus and Citrus, and Cannoli. We will make the cannoli filling; I will provide the shells.  There will also be a salad; I am still deciding which one to do.

Sicilian Pesto

This pesto traditionally contains the usual suspects, basil, pine nuts, etc., but with the addition of tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes.  However, we will be taking a riff on the traditional recipes.  More chefs today are experimenting with different greens and nuts, and I have been making mine with baby spinach and walnuts or hazelnuts.  And this is what we will be doing in class.

Baked Tilapia with Citrus and Asparagus

This dish uses some of the citrus that Sicily is noted for.  What else is appealing about it as that it is a one pan meal, easy to put together after you come home from work.  The tilapia, asparagus, orange and lemon slice, and the thyme are baked at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, giving you adequate time to get your salad ready.

Tofu Dengaku

This is a nice and simple appetizer that I saw on a cooking program, Dining with the Chef, on NHK-TV, the Japanese public television station.  It has just 4 basic ingredients, tofu, miso, sugar and mirin (sweetened sake).  You first microwave the tofu for 3 minutes, which will remove the water.  Allow to cool, then cut into 2” x 2” blocks.  In a bowl you mix 2 tablespoons of miso, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of mirin, then microwave for 30-45 seconds.  If you follow the recipe at the link below, it says to microwave for 2 minutes.  I did that and the sauce burned, so I reduced the time as noted above and it worked fine.

After the sauce is warmed, you spread it on the tofu squares and place them on a pan under the broiler for about 4 minutes, until the sauce begins to brown slightly.  The recipe calls for placing Sansho Leaves on each square before serving, which I did not have, so I used chives.

Here is a link to the recipe:

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dwc/recipes/detail/64.html

 

A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Special Discounts Offered

I hope to see you at this event on Sunday May 22^nd.  I will be performing a demonstration of a Quick Fire Chicken Parmesan, cooked entirely on the stovetop (sorry, no flames are involved).  There will be other cooking demos as well from other A.C.E. chefs.

In addition, A.C.E. will be offering special class discounts on site the day of the event.  Here is the information:

“Attend Our Open House and Save 40% on Tuition, Sunday May 22, 2016, 1 to 4 PM!

Register for one class and receive 40% off the tuition of a second class (with an equal or lesser tuition amount)* This is a one day promotion that applies only to walk-in enrollments at the Plum Center from 1 to 4 on Sunday May 22, 2016, during the ACE 60^th Celebration

*Certain restriction apply. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or coupons.”

 

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here are my classes for the rest spring term.  The summer schedule will be out soon.

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu