Feb 20, 2009 6:30 am US/Mountain
Chef Shares Recipes To Beat The Recession With
Written by Brooke Wagner
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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Chef Keith D. Jones cooks with CBS4's Brooke Wagner.
CBS
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Breakfast With Brooke is a weekly interview series with CBS4 Morning News anchor Brooke Wagner that airs on Friday mornings on CBS4. Read about or watch more reports in the Breakfast With Brooke section.
Chef Keith D. Jones is known around the world for his "EATertainment" demonstrations.
His philosophy is: The kitchen is the heart of the home, so meals should be a time for families and loved ones to create memories, not just food. Best of all, as we all work on beating the recession, cooking is free family entertainment!
"Think about the times before we had TV, before we had computers. Dinner was it!," said Keith. "Most people are going to lean toward the creative side now, because, hey, (they) don't have the diposable income to go out to eat three, four times a week."
Now that many of us are beating the recession by eating out less, Chef Keith offers healthy recipes to bring the dining out experience to us -- without the big bill.
His three-course meal would sell for about $80 for two servings in a restaurant, according to Keith. He made it for CBS4's Brooke Wagner in about 30 minutes at a cost of around $20 for two servings!
The recipes work for a romantic dinner for two or for a family get-together.
Please see the recipes below, and check out Keith's book, Cooking up Your Dreams, for more on how good food can be a secret to success.
Visit Keith's Web site for more on his creative ideas for feeding kids well on a budget -- including serving dessert first, in some cases!
Chef Keith D. Jones' "Beating the Recession" Recipes for Success:
Asian Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Serves 6
6 each dried black Chinese mushrooms
1 medium carrot (small diced)
1 red bell pepper (small diced)
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup cashews (medium chopped)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined and medium chopped
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil
3 heads iceberg lettuce
2 oz. rice sticks
SAUCE:
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
Soak mushrooms in hot water until soft. Dice caps and discard stems. Combine with carrots, red pepper and green onions. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Add sherry, soy sauce, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil to shrimp, mix well and refrigerate until ready to cook. Cut top 1/3 off each head lettuce and separate into round cups and refrigerate. Cook rice sticks by placing 3 cups oil in wok over medium high heat. When oil is ready the rice stick should puff immediately. Add in small amounts and after it puffs, turn over and do the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Combine remaining cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Just before serving, place wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and roll it around until it smokes. Add shrimp and cook until done (2-3 minutes). Add vegetables and cook about 2 minutes. Add nuts and sauce. When sauce boils, add cornstarch mixture and toss to glaze. Pour mixture out onto rice sticks and serve with lettuce cups.
Roasted Chicken with Noodle Cakes, Spinach and Apple
Serves 4
1/2 cup carrots, rough chopped
1/2 cup celery, rough chopped
1/2 cup red onion, rough chopped
1 core and scraps granny smith apple
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 quarts water
8 ounces capellini
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mushrooms, shiitake or cremini
1 shallot minced
12 ounces baby spinach, cleaned
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, minced (see note)
4 each 4 ounce chicken breast, boned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 granny smith apple, julienned
To prepare the noodle cakes: Cook the capellini in boiling salted water for 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Line an 8X8 inch pan with plastic wrap and spread the warm capellini evenly in the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, place another 8X8 inch pan on top and weight it down with a heavy object. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove the weighted pan and plastic wrap from the noodles. Using a ring cutter, cut 4 discs and set aside until ready to assemble.
To make the broth: Place the carrots, celery, onion, apple, peppercorns and bay leaves in a medium saucepan, cover with the water, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain, season with salt and pepper and return to a simmer until ready to assemble.
To make chicken, mushrooms, spinach and apples: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a nonstick sauté pan, add olive oil and sear chicken breasts (skin side down) over medium high heat, until golden brown about 5 minutes. Place in another pan and roast in oven until just done (about another 7 minutes). Wipe out that same nonstick pan with paper towels and place back on medium high heat. Add the butter and noodle cakes. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and bolt on paper towels. Then add shallots and mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add the spinach and cook for another 3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Remove from pan and keep warm. While pan is still hot, add apples and toss over heat until just tender, no more than 2 minutes.
To assemble: In an entrée bowl, place noodle cake in center. Arrange the spinach and mushroom mixture all around the cake. Remove chicken from oven, discard skin, slice on an angle and place it decoratively off center of the cake. Add broth, apples and fresh herbs and serve immediately.
NOTE: Fresh rosemary, chives, sage, and parsley would be great with this dish. Either alone or in combination. Just be careful not to add too much and make it overpowering.
Chocolate Panna Cotta
Makes 10 3-oz. servings
2 teaspoons (one envelope) unflavored gelatin
3 cups heavy cream
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup crème fraiche or mascarpone cheese
Pinch of salt
In a small bowl, sprinkle the powered gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and set aside to bloom. In an adequate sized pot, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt. Heat until the cream starts to let off steam. DO NOT BOIL! Add gelatin and chocolate, whisking constantly until chocolate is melted and gelatin is dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Have the crème fraiche or mascarpone in a bowl and slowly whisk in 1 cup of hot chocolate mixture. Whisk until incorporated and then slowly add the rest of the hot chocolate mixture. Pour mix into ungreased ramekins and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover with film wrap and place in the refrigerator to fully chill overnight. When you are ready to serve the Panna Cotta, run a knife along the edge of the ramekin to loosen the sides, dip the bottom of the ramekin in hot water to loosen the bottom and invert onto plates. The Panna Cotta can be served with a multitude of fruit sauces, caramel, or fresh fruit marinated in liquor.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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