Reel Chow Blog

Culinary Postings from the Original Gourmet Craft Service Industry Insider

Tag Archives: virgin coconut oil

Quinoa Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Red Onion

February 15th, 2013
   
Jenn Egatz
         
2 comments

Reel Chow Original Recipe!While recovering from my recent surgery, I had a stronger than usual desire for healthy dishes. This is because I’ve been unable to get to the gym every day, as I usually do. Here’s something of mine I’m sure you’ll enjoy if you feel like eating in a healthy way, no matter how you’re feeling. One of my favorite pasta dishes, Quinoa Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Red Onion is light, healthy, and takes very little time to make.

I sautéed the red onion, baby bok choy, and garlic in red wine (I used Malbec). Once the wine reduced and the vegetables soaked up the flavor, I added a dollop of unsalted butter and then tossed the cooked quinoa into the pan to coat the noodles with the savory sauce. This dish is topped with fresh sliced cherry tomatoes Yum!

Quinoa Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Red Onion.

Quinoa Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Red Onion. ©Reel Chow

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Pea and Green Apple Soup

November 2nd, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
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Reel Chow Original Recipe!In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I’m finally able to cook and share this post with you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past week, it’s that family really matters, and everything family-related is better when you’ve got the ones you love in your kitchen, sharing warm food made with care and good feelings.

My pea soup is made with mostly fresh ingredients, minus the choice of bacon. I used bacon to cook my onions with to give this soup some extra flavor. The green apple was used to give it a bite of fruitiness without making it terribly sweet. The combination may sound crazy, but as we watched the cleanup of the hurricane, the people I care about most were enjoying this wonderful original recipe with me. I hope you like this unique flavor combination, too.

Pea and Green Apple Soup with fresh tarragon.

Pea and Green Apple Soup with fresh tarragon. ©Reel Chow

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Potatoes and Eggs

October 15th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
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Reel Chow Original Recipe!Since I have a plethora of potatoes in our kitchen, I made my version of good ol’ home fries for breakfast this past weekend. It was hearty and just what I needed.

As I was slicing my potatoes, I recalled my college boyfriend making his version of home fries. He used a can of sliced potatoes plus sausage or bacon and sliced onions. I had little interest in cooking back then, and thought he was making a tasty treat. Not skilled in or gifted in the culinary arts, this was not his signature dish. That honor would go to his pigs-in-a-blanket: sliced hot dogs filled with mashed potatoes straight from the box and then topped with cheddar cheese, baked until the mashed potatoes where golden and the cheese melted. Oh, how I do not miss those college days!

Here is my healthier take on those home fries, minus the meat.

Home fries with fresh thyme.

Home fries with fresh thyme. ©Reel Chow

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Whole Wheat Pasta with Shiitake and Arugula

August 13th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
2 comments

Reel Chow Original Recipe!This dish is a favorite of mine. Whole Wheat Pasta with Shiitake and Arugula is easy to make and perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. The balance of the ingredients makes it seem light, but not insubstantial.

I love using shiitake as a meat replacement. It’s a hearty mushroom and has a formidable texture. You can find it in vegetarian burgers, quite often, such as the ones Ron often samples.

The arugula in this dish adds in some spice. It isn’t overpowering, but it doesn’t hide itself. You can try my recipe below for starters. The next time you make it, you can always alter the amount of arugula in either direction if you feel strongly about it.

The whole wheat pasta can be replaced with gluten-free pasta if desired. I add no butter, just some virgin coconut oil to give it the savory flavor we all enjoy. Organic feta cheese is included for some extra creaminess!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Shitake and Arugula.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Shitake and Arugula. ©Reel Chow

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Turkey Tostada with Peach Ginger Salsa

July 27th, 2012
   
Ron Egatz
         
1 comment

Reel Chow Original Recipe!I love when Jenn lets loose and gets as creative as she wants to. Witness her turkey tostada with peach ginger salsa. There’s a familiarity about it, but it’s wholly original.

There’s nothing insanely exotic about this recipe, so even fussy eaters could give it a thumbs-up, and food lovers of all things new and delicious won’t be disappointed. As with the ongoing trend of covering many bases of the palate, Jenn doesn’t disappoint with this favorite of our gourmet craft service table. The turkey is slightly robust, but not overpoweringly taco-like or spicy. The peach ginger salsa itself has a lot going on between the peach, ginger, and shallot, but the balance was there, and nothing overpowered. It was the perfect cooling compliment to the turkey.

Turkey Tostada with Peach Ginger Salsa.

Turkey Tostada with Peach Ginger Salsa. ©Reel Chow

I’ve eaten this dish both with and without the feta. It works either way, so lactose intolerant readers have nothing to fear. If you’re looking to go ultra-healthy, you can skip pan frying the corn tortillas. Steam or bake them, if you wish instead. If you don’t want to have to do anything with the tortillas, you can buy wheat or whole wheat ones, but it won’t be as healthy as corn tortillas.

Here’s how to make one of Jenn’s most original and most delicious dishes. I hope you like it as much as I do.

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Japanese Plum Chutney

July 11th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
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Reel Chow Original Recipe!I have been obsessed with buying fresh produce at the Farmer’s Market in our small city. I look forward to the summer produce all winter long. Most Saturday mornings I wake up early to take a walk with Ron and Bijou. We grab a latte or soy chai at the indie coffee house on the corner before making our way to the market.

This past Saturday vendors were selling sugar plums and Japanese Plums, which are now in season! We bought one carton of Japanese Plums. If you have never tasted a Japanese plum, they are slightly similar in flavor to the plums from the grocery store. Smaller and reddish, the sweet, juicy inside and the sour skin are a fabulous palate combination.

Last night I was cooking up some organic chicken with dill for dinner. Ron was keeping Bijou busy in the loft, and with that moment of respite, I decided to take things up a notch and make a new, special sauce for the chicken. The Japanese plums were employed with a little butter, virgin coconut oil, rice vinegar and agave. It was sweet and sour and turned out more like a chutney, which was fine with me. Ron had no complaints, either!

Japanese Plums.

Japanese Plums. ©Reel Chow

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Yellow Snap Beans with Ginger and Shallots

July 9th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
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Reel Chow Original Recipe!I have been craving only vegetables and fruit lately, probably because we are in the middle of a humid heatwave. I saw these beautiful yellow snap beans at the Farmer’s Market so I decided to buy some. It inspired me to create Yellow Snap Beans with Ginger and Shallots.

Yellow Snap Beans with Ginger and Shallots has a bit of Asian flair, mostly because I love fresh ginger. It’s also because the beans were steamed in low-sodium soy sauce. The dish is topped with fresh basil. This helps make the dish beautiful to look at and yummy to eat!

Yellow Snap Beans with fresh ginger and shallots.

Yellow Snap Beans with fresh ginger and shallots. ©Reel Chow

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Failure and Southeast Asian Chicken, Twisted

June 22nd, 2012
   
Ron Egatz
         
1 comment

Jenn’s been spending a lot of time with our new puppy, on top of her busy work schedule, and it’s been harder and harder for her to get to the Reel Chow kitchen for extended periods in order to create her original recipes. I wanted to do something to show my thanks for all her hard work, so I started looking at old and new recipes I’d done over the years.

Nothing was grabbing me. None of the old standards got me excited. Eventually, while going through The Essential New York Times Cookbook, I found “Southeast Asian Chicken, Two Ways,” on page 489. This particular recipe is attributed to Mark Bittman. I knew it was a great jumping-off point.

As we often encourage on this blog, the way to learn is to be bold and experiment in order to create your own. A way to help get this process started, especially if you’re new to the kitchen, is to deconstruct what others have done, and add your own twist to them.

Southeast Asian Chicken with cilantro sauce and fresh greens.

Southeast Asian Chicken with cilantro sauce and fresh greens. ©Reel Chow

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California Broccoli Frittata

June 6th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
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On our anniversary this year, Ron woke up, juiced some organic fruits and vegetables, and brought me a huge glass in bed. He was all set to make me breakfast, but I stopped him. We had an appointment and time was running short.

We were home in time for a nice brunch, and I shooed him out of the kitchen. I knew what I wanted to make for our special day. We recently picked up some amazing organic broccoli at the farmers’ market and I had been toying with the idea of a broccoli frittata for some time, just had to wait for it to be in season. Doesn’t that just sound like my home state? A California Broccoli Frittata!

California Broccoli Frittata.

California Broccoli Frittata. ©Reel Chow

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Bella and Peas

May 29th, 2012
   
Jenn Egatz
         
2 comments

Reel Chow Original Recipe!No matter how great you prepare the main course, if one of the side dishes is out of place, the whole meal collapses. This is not unlike a band with one musician who just doesn’t cut it. Here’s a side dish which is a medley of vegetables which sing together in sweet harmony.

Bella and peas can compliment chicken, pork, lamb and steak. I was craving a side dish not having starch as the base, so this combination came to mind. Peas have a subtle bulk to them, and a delicious spring flavor, making them the perfect key ingredient for this dish.

Slice up baby bella mushrooms, red onion and garlic. Sauté these ingredients with sweet baby peas in virgin coconut oil, chardonnay and unsalted butter with a pinch of dried oregano. The mushroom, red onion and garlic are light, making the perfect accompaniment to the peas. These four create a wonderful bed for almost any main course.

Bella and Peas.

Bella and Peas. ©Reel Chow

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