Cooking Show Review: Selena and Chef

This cooking show is unique because it started during Covid by Selena Gomez because she wanted to learn to cook. This show epitomizes quarantine. The chefs are all on video teaching Selena how to cook. Selena Gomez is the star of Only Murders in the Building on Hulu and is a former Disney channel star and also a music super star. 

She is a very new cook, so the chefs teach her things like how to hold her knife and etc. She makes mistakes and even catches her kitchen on fire. Through the seasons you really see how her cooking skills have improved.

The chefs have the ingredients delivered to her door and she makes the meals with the help of family and friends who are quarentining with her. 

Well known Chefs featured among others are Gordon Ramsey, Rachel Ray, Jose Andres, and Jamie Oliver. 

A cool aspect of this show is that all of the recipes are available online so you can cook the same meals at home. 

I liked this show because it really broke down cooking for someone who is not skilled at cooking. Everyone makes mistakes in the kitchen but not many of us have probably set our kitchens on fire. I like cooking shows where it's real. Mistakes aren't edited out they are embraced. 

The show can be watched on HBO Max. There are 4 seasons available.

The Global Kitchen: Coq Au Vin from France

 I have loved the look and idea of this dish for years. I tried it once, but it was a bit heavy on the wine. I wanted to try it again and I found a recipe that is yummy. 

A bit of history first. Coq Au Vin means chicken with wine. It is a French dish with chicken braised with wine, bacon, mushrooms, and garlic. It is typically used with a red Burgandy wine. The dish can be traced to ancient Gaul and Julius Ceasar but was not documented until the early 20th century. It is thought to have been a rustic dish long before that. It has become a popular dish since Julia Child made it and added it to her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It has become one of her signature dishes and increased the popularity of the dish in the United States. 

Usual seasonings used in Coq Au Vin are salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. 

I used a recipe from my new cookbook Half Baked Harvest and made a few adjustments for my taste. 

The Ingredients:

3-4 slices of bacon, chopped

4 TBSP olive oil

1 sweet onion diced

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

1 small russet potato, cut into 1/2 in pieces

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 in pieces

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 1/2 lbs of chicken

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 C sliced cremini mushrooms

2 C red wine

2 C chicken broth

2 bay leaves

4 springs of fresh thyme

The Recipe:

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over med hi heat until crisp. 

Add 2 TBSP olive oil, the onion, garlic, potato, and carrots and cook until softened. 

Stir in the tomato paste.

Push the veggies to the edges and add remaining olive oil to middle and add chicken seasoned with

    salt and pepper and sear until browned on each side. 

Stir in the mushrooms and cook another 1-2 minutes until softened. 

Slowly pour in the red wine and the chicken stock.

Add the bay leaves, thyme, and season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. 

Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by 1/3.

To serve, remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme.

My alterations:

I used garlic powder instead of garlic gloves. 

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and seasoned them also with Herbes de Provence seasoning.

I used mushroom based better than bouillon instead of mushrooms (I am not a fan of the texture).

I used dried thyme and ground bay leaves instead of fresh (these did not need to be removed).

I also cooked this in my slow cooker, I braised everything together until the chicken was seared then I

    slow cooked for 4 hours, for the last 30 minutes I took the lid off to thicken the sauce.

For a side, I made some wild rice in my rice cooker and added some of the mushroom-based bouillon with chicken stock.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are a great way to get a range of health benefits in and they are so easy to put together. Overnight oats are my normal weekday breakfast. I throw it together the night before and, in the morning, I just pop it into the microwave to warm up. Some prefer them cold, but I like mine warm. They offer a range of health benefits like fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals including iron.   There are so many different ways you can make them they really are up to each individual taste.   

Things you will need:

A container- I use a mason jar (glass would be best)

measuring spoons and cups

Base ingredients:

1/2-3/4 C old fashioned oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1/2 C- 1 C unsweetened almond milk. (You can use whatever milk you prefer)

1-2 tsp of sweetener of choice (I use coconut sugar and sugar free maple syrup or honey)

sprinkle of cinnamon

My absolute favorite if I am not watching my sugar would be Nutella. I add Nutella to the ingredients above and it is so good. But I have to watch my sugar so now I am on a hunt for a low sugar alternative. 

Ingredients I like to use in overnight oats as options:

Berries like blueberries and raspberries

Cherries

Peaches or mangoes

Apples

Nuts: Pecans and almonds are my favorite

Granola

Extracts: I use either vanilla or almond

Dried fruits: raisins or cranberries

Chocolate chips: I prefer dark chocolate for the health benefits.

Peanut butter: I do not personally like regular peanut butter (I don't like the texture) but I have                 discovered PB2 powder. You get the taste of peanut butter without the gummy texture. Plus, its low      

  carb.  They have all kinds, even chocolate peanut butter and peanut butter with added probiotics.

Seasonings: hibiscus powder, cardamom, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, etc.

                     

Some of my favorite combinations:

Apple and PB2 powder

Blueberry and pecans

Cherries, almonds, and almond extract

Raisins and PB2 powder

Raspberries, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract with couple dark chocolate chips

Chocolate PB2 powder and everything brownie seasoning. 

Not only are overnight oats healthy but they are quick and can make a great grab and go breakfast. I work from home so I can literally wake up, heat them up, and start work in minutes. It took a long time for me to try them. The idea was just weird to me for some reason. Once I tried them, I never looked back. I have had them almost every weekday and since I can change up the ingredients, I don't get bored with them. I encourage you to try them if you haven't or try some new flavor combinations. 

The Guest Kitchen: Beef and Zucchini Bake

Years ago, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner and had a recipe I have never forgotten. It's the only way other than zucchini bread that I remember liking zucchini. On my new food journey I was looking for some new recipes and thought this would be a good one.

My friend got the recipe for me so a big shout out to Ann Storey and Kathy Daum for this recipe featured on the 1st edition of The Guest Kitchen.

AS usual i made some slight adjustments for what I had on hand. I used 1 lb of beef, no onion, instead of canned tomatoes I used cherry tomatoes, instead of Italian bread crumbs I used pork rind panko, and I used brown rice. I also added 1 c of beef broth since I did not use canned tomatoes and I was using brown rice. Lastly, I omitted the cheese.

It was very good. My one take away I would change up has to do with the rice. Next time I would cook the rice in my rice cooker first so it cooks better and is more tender. If you use regular white rice that may not be necessary.

The Healthy Kitchen: Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers with Chimichurri Sauce

 

On my current health journey, I am trying to find recipes that are high in iron and limit dairy. For anyone who is unaware, I have recently been diagnosed with serious anemia and had to have a blood transfusion to get my hemoglobin up to a safe level. I am now on a journey to find out the cause. In the meantime, even though my hemoglobin is at a safer level it is still low, so I am having to take iron and be more conscious of what I am eating. 

Tonight, I planned on making turkey burgers but since I am limiting dairy, I had to find some flavor alternatives other than cheese. After some research, I decided to make a turkey burger with a variation of a couple recipes. First though I needed to find a sauce to go with it. I had cilantro on hand, so I decided to make a chimichurri sauce without parsley. 

Recipe for Chimichurri sauce:

1 bunch of cilantro chopped

1 TBSP of chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic minced

1.5 TBSP of red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp of paprika

1/4 tsp of salt

3 TBSP olive oil

Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until everything is incorporated. Place in a covered dish and refrigerate for minimum of 3 hours. I made some slight adjustments for what I had on hand. I used shallot powder and garlic powder instead of onions and garlic. I used my new KitchenAid food processor, and it was so easy!

Now for the turkey burgers.  I decided to make a cilantro lime turkey burger with diced green chiles made with black lime seasoning. Turkey burgers are notorious for being on the dry side so to make sure they were moist enough I added an egg and some pork rind panko (a keto alternative to breadcrumbs). I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix up the meat mixture. 

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey

1 tsp onion powder or shallot powder

1 can diced green chiles

lime juice

bunch of cilantro chopped

1 tsp black lime seasoning

1/4 C pork rind panko

1 egg

salt to taste

I added all the ingredients to my stand mixer and mixed until all incorporated. Be careful not to over mix. I then used my large cookie scoop to make patties with my hands and placed in a pan with oil to cook. Make sure you cook to a temperature of 165 degrees. Note: the mixture is very soft and gooey but once it cooks it binds really well. Make sure you flatten the patties; I just used my spatula. 

This recipe yielded 6 larger patties, or you can make sliders and get more out of it. Some things that make this recipe healthier: Avocado oil to cook the burgers in, turkey is a leaner option instead of beef, and I avoided the dairy but still got healthy fats from the olive oil in the chimichurri sauce. The pork rind panko is gluten free, Keto and paleo friendly, and has 0 carbs. Making this recipe great for those who are trying to eat gluten free or keto friendly and is a great option for diabetics if you eat without a bun. All the seasonings and herbs and chiles add a load of flavor into these burgers. 

The Italian Kitchen: Pesto Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes

This is a pasta dish I threw together that is light and refreshing. No heavy sauce or cheese to weigh this dish down. I feel stuffed pastas are a great way to get your pasta craving, but you get the protein as well. I never thought to use lemon in pasta but I never make pasta without it anymore. Its a great way to get your Vitamin C and gives the dish some depth.

Ingredients:

Beef Ravioli or Ravioli of your choice

1/4 C pesto

Handful of cherry tomatoes

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Parmesan cheese

Basil

Recipe:

Cook Ravioli according to package and drain reserving 1 C starch water.

Zest and juice 1 lemon.

In pot, combine Ravioli, pesto, tomatoes, juice, and Zest and cook until tomatoes break down. Add starch water a bit at a time to desired consistency. 

Garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.

The Family Kitchen: Grandma Dru's Ham Balls

My Grandma made these ham balls and they were so good. My mom also made them. They are featured at every family reunion. Needless to say this is an iconic family dish. This was the first time I made them and they taste just as good as I remember and smell amazing!

The recipe:

Some slight adjustments I made are swapping pork rind panko for the bread (I used 1 C), using pinneapple chunks instead of rings, and using white wine vinegar. I also made this into balls instead of a loaf. This yielded apprx 16 large ham balls.