Chef Robin's Tastes to Date: December 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

FamMenu 12.26-1.1 JANUARY ALREADY!

Hey everybody, hope you had a joyous time with your families this weekend! We have all been battling the Phlegm Monster and Hacking cough bug, around here, so we took it easy :0) Watched movies, including "The Help"- what a great one- and an oldie but goodie, "Crocodile Dundee"...

On with the last FamMenu of 2011!

Monday: Spiral Ham, Baked sweet taters, braised red cabbage, sauteed broccoli, Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies :)

Tuesday: Chicken Lasagna, homemade sourdough bread, Roasted Brussels sprouts, waldorf salad

Wednesday: Homemade Baked Mac n' Cheese- (those of you who know me, are going WHAT???) Cavatappi pasta, a cheesysauce made with asiago, sharp cheddar and parmesan, chunks of spiral ham and a crunchy cheesy panko-parm-parsley topping.... sauteed organic spinach with garlic, roma tomatoes and crushed red pepper

Thursday: Chinese beef & green bean stir fry, jasmine rice, fresh pineapple slices

Friday: BBQ chicken pizza, baby!

Saturday: Staying home with the monkeys, too many DDrivers out there for this mom of five to feel safe! So I'll let the munchkins help plan dinner, and hope they won't actually stay up til' midnight (but I'll let em' try! :0)

Sunday: Ring in the new year with a healthy dinner...what shall I prepare??? I'll give you the scoop later this week!

Enjoy the great SUNSHINE out there this week! I don't believe I've ever seen so much sunshine in MI in December!!! I do miss the beautiful blanket of snow, though...so I had all five kids, and one neighbor, successfully sitting at the kitchen table for almost TWO hours making paper snowflakes!

Anywho, have a great week!!!

REGISTER FOR CHEF ROBIN COOKING CLASSES!

Time to sign up for Winter classes! all classes will be demonstration style, @ DreamMaker:

Vegetarian Specialties Friday January 13th

Fresh Salads & Entrees Friday February 17th

Italian Faves Friday March 9th

All classes start at 6:30pm. Register online @ www.rpssignmeup.com , or call the RCE office 616.863.6322 OR you can email me

with Questions! Chefrobinpersonalchef@hotmail.com

All classes include a packet of six + recipes, a food and wine pairing guide, demonstration of recipes, and of course tons of food! Cost is $45 per person....if you choose to do the wine pairing, as well, it is an additional $10 at time of class. Sign up with a friend- it's super dooper fun, I PROMISE!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Creme Brulee Recipe

Check out my Creme Brulee recipe I just added to my blog, it is soooo delicious! A simple recipe that WOWS every time!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Belated FamMenu 12.19-12.25

Holy Helen, it has been crazy around here,so my menu is a wee bit late this week! I am sure you alllll understand! :0) I'll keep it short and sweet, as I know you are all crazy busy, as well....

Monday: We had a Beefy Enchilada Skillet Dish, and a late night!

Tuesday: Hubby and I had Mu-Shu and Sesame Chicken, kiddos had Papa Murphy's with Gigs & Gramps, and got to go to the Holland Aquatic Center! They had a goood time :0)

Wednesday: We were On the road to Plum Market in Ann Arbor to do Hummus sampling, so it was crashing with Despicable Me (sooooo funny!) and Pizza for Hubs and the kids, veggie sub for me- Thanks for saving dinner, Vitales (not the healthiest option, but sometimes....)

Thursday:Mongolian Beef and Broccoli with Jasmine Rice, Navel Orange Wedges

Friday: My Bff's Baby Shower, YAY!!!!! Congrats Lish! (due in April) Tacos with the kiddies

Saturday: Maple Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham, Roasted sweet potatoes, braised red cabbage, green beans with lemon & hazelnuts, FAM TIME!!!

Sunday:Chicken Lasagna,Garlic Bread, Salad

Have a wonderful time with your families this week, enjoy eachother's company!

Monday, December 12, 2011

FamMenu for 12.12-12.18

Recovered yesterday from a crazy busy weekend, was out at a hummus tasting at The Crushed Grape Friday, then had a catering event at the Gantz Chateau Saturday, and a busy family day yesterday- now on to more hummus, a super cool vegetarian and organic class (wines, too!) for a friend Friday, Hummus tasting at Kingma's Saturday-come see me 10-1ish!- and a busy week for the hubster and entire fam, as well! Whew! Hope you all have a marvelous week dahhhlings!

Monday- Hearty Toasted Quinoa & Vegetable Soup au Pistou, with crostini and some apple slices for dessert

Tuesday-Whole grain penne pasta with sundried tomato pesto and parmesan cheese, baby spinach and crimini mushrooms italian bread

Wednesday-Zippy chicken Fajitas with peppers and onions, guacamole and salsa ,some clementines, perhaps?

Thursday- Creamy Tomato Soup with artisan grilled cheese paninis, veggies & dip

Friday- English Muffin Pizzas by Caroline :o)

Saturday- falafel on pitas with garlicky aioli, tomatoes and cukes, shredded romaine, ooooh, I think maybe some quick baklava-yum!

Sunday- swiss steak (one of hubs' faves) mashed potatoes, green beans, maple & brandy glazed carrots, atleast that's the plan, Stan!!!

Monday starts Winter break, woop woop! Gingerbread houses, grandma's golf ball recipe making (YAY!!!) and hopefully some snow for the kiddies to go sledding! Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious week!!! LOVE Mary Poppins!!!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Chef Robin's hummalicious Hummus Store Locations

Where can you find my fresh, delish, gourmet preservative free hummus???

Kingma's Market...on Plainfield

Art of The Table...on Wealthy Street

Grand Central Market...on Monroe Center

The Crushed Grape...on Knapp

Harvest Health Foods...on Eastern in GR & on 32nd in Hudsonville

The Grist Mill...in Cannonsburg

Ninth Bridge Market...in Ada

Monday, December 5, 2011

This Week's FamMenu 12.5-12.11

Whew, we managed a VERY busy week last week, this week should should be somewhat quiet! Could we possibly get some of the white fluffy stuff??? I wouldn't mind- the kids have only worn their snow pants once (and the next day was 60, all the snow had melted!....as well as this cute snowman Tonce made!) AND that would also give me a chance to break out the Penzey's Hot Chocolate (THE best) and my AWESOME Hot Chocolate maker-thanks to Shirley K. :0) ALSO- CANNOT wait to make some of these delish cookies...Thanks to my KitchenAid mixer from Marie and Judi :0)-Believe you me, I am giving it the ultimate workout!!!
Anywho, on to the menu:

Monday: Venison BBQ on Buns with sharp chedda', sweet tater fries, broccoli salad, apple slices with yummy caramel apple dip

Tuesday: Aborio rice with lemon vinaigrette, tomatoes and basil, grilled chicken, spinach salad

Wednesday: Lasagna, homemade Parmesan Peppercorn bread, chopped salad

Thursday: Roasted butternut squash, Whole grain spaghetti tossed with sesame salt, green beans, garlic, ginger and almonds and soy sauce

Friday: PIZZA! yum. LOVE Fridays:0)

Saturday: Mac N' Cheese with Maddie, veggies and dip, cookies- We will be catering a party at the Gantz Chateau!~Sauteed garlicky Shrimp, lobster bisque, oriental express salad, Panko-Asiago crusted Red snapper, Hearts of Fire Chocolate Souffles!~

Sunday: Something easy- just not sure what yet!

Have a marvelous week dah-lings!!!

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Buffalo Chicken Chili

My fam loves to eat buffalo wings, so I decided to make that flavor into chili. I end up topping this spicy bowl of yummy stuff with “da’ Bomb!” dip and kettle style potato or tortilla chips, for a yummy salty crunch.

Chef Robin Gourmet Cooking Classes, 2010.
Serves 8

½ C. butter
2 C. finely chopped onion
1 C. finely chopped celery
1 C. finely chopped carrot
4 cooked chicken breasts cut into small chunks
4 C. chicken broth
1 C. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1-29oz. can tomato puree
1 can light red kidney beans

In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped onion, celery & carrot. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, for 30 minutes. Serve piping hot, topped with the dip n’ chips. Yum, it’s got a nice kick!

"Da Bomb Dip"

Organic Kaleriffic Salad

From Chef Robin

Serves 4-6

½ C thinly sliced red onion

1 T raw apple cider vinegar

2 C boiling water

2 packages organic baby kale

2 C fresh porteenie mushrooms,

cleaned & thinly sliced

¼ C. extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ C wild blueberry balsamic vinegar

For garnish: ¼ C toasted pine nuts &

1 C. fresh or 1/3 C. dried organic

blueberries

Place the sliced red onion in a small

bowl with apple cider vinegar and

boiling water. Allow to soak 10-15

minutes. Rinse & squeeze out excess

moisture. Place kale & criminis in a

large bowl. Drizzle with oil and

sprinkle with salt. Massage the

mixture with your hands until the

kale turns a deep green and wilts

slightly. Add onions and balsamic

vinegar to kale mixture. Toss, adjust

seasoning to your taste and serve

garnished with some toasted pine

nuts & blueberries.

Kale provides you with 868% RDA of Vitamin K, 261% of Vitamin A, 170% of

Vitamin C, 33% of Manganese, as well as 12% of Calcium, Copper & Vitamin B6

HEALTHY SNACKS FOR KIDS

Kids need healthy snacks to fuel their energetic days and growing bodies. Here are some healthy, kid pleasing snacks that will make their engines rev all day long!:

Pretzel rods dipped in melted dark chocolate and rolled in crushed nuts or unsweetened coconut- salty, sweet and full of antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats!

Lowfat cheese cut into squares paired with whole wheat crackers- let them build a tower with this fiber, whole grain & calcium packed snack!

Homemade Veggie Ranch Dip: mix together 1 Cup canola mayonnaise or "Veganaise", 1/2 Cup Greek yogurt, 1 clove fresh garlic, smashed, 1 Tbsp. each fresh parsley, chives & dill (or 1 tsp. each, dried), 2 T buttermilk, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sea salt & pepper to taste. Use yummy carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, fresh green beans and other veggies to dip like crazy!

Fruity sensations-give the kids slices of apples, wedges of oranges, halved grapes and berries, sliced mangoes, you name it, and let them go to town creating edible art!

Green eggs & Ham: put a drop of green food coloring in some Vanilla Greek yogurt, mix together and top with a canned apricot or peach half. Pair with a mini whole wheat tortilla slathered with cream cheese, raspberry preserves and a slice of your fave deli ham- kids love this "Seussical" treat!

Trail mix- who can resist trail mix? Make it healthy with unsalted nuts and seeds, air popped popcorn,whole grain mini crackers (like cheddar fish) and alphabet pretzels- add in some dried cranberries or blueberries for antioxidants and yummy semi-sweet chocolate chips for a little monounsaturated fat too!

Whole Grain Mini Pizzas- whole wheat English muffins or bagels split & topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and veggies-perfect made in a toaster oven!

Bean & Cheese Quesadillas- serve them up with vegetarian re-fried beans and 2% milk cheese. Serve with your fave salsa- and add in some chunks of avocado and corn, YUM!

Creme Brulee

A classic French Bistro dish, this dessert has an amazingly short list of ingredients, and with a bit of careful cooking, you can have this decadent treat at home! Chef Robin Gourmet Cooking Series, 2010. Makes 8- 6 oz servings

1 Qt. heavy cream

1 vanilla bean

½ C. sugar or vanilla sugar

6 egg yolks

Brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300. Place cream in a heavy saucepan. Split vanilla bean down the middle and scrape seeds out. Place beans & pod into cream. Heat until just boiling, then cover & set aside to steep for 15minutes. Meanwhile, Whisk egg yolks & sugar together. Strain cream into egg yolk mixture. Mix well. Pour custard into ramekins, then place them in 9 x 13 pans. Pour boiling hot water into the pan going half way up the ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes, or until custard is set, but quivering when jiggled. Remove from oven and cool to room temp. Cover & refrigerate for up to 2 days. A few hours before serving, sprinkle cold custard with brown sugar and place under a low broiler. Broil for about 2 minutes, or until sugar liquefies…watch like a hawk! Sugar BURNS very quickly! Return to fridge, then serve garnished with fresh berries and a refreshing sprig of mint.

French Onion Soup

A Yummy Bistro fave made from the humble & affordable onion! This delish pot of savory broth is fun to serve to company! Makes 8-10 servings.

Chef Robin Gourmet Cooking Series

4 medium sized sweet onions, peeled & sliced fine

2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped

4 T. butter

1 t. salt

½ t. dried thyme

1 t. sugar

½ C. sherry or brandy

8 C. beef broth

Pepper, to taste

Croutons

Gruyere cheese, grated

Smoked provolone slices

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and allow to S_L_O_W_L_Y caramelize. (hint…leave them be!!!) Don’t stir the onions for a good 10 minutes. This allows them to melt down into velvety sweet strands of yumminess! Stir a few times over a period of 30 minutes, until the onions are nicely browned. (you can add a splash of water if they start to stick to the bottom of the pan) Add garlic, salt, thyme, sugar & pepper, stir to combine. Add sherry and allow to cook for 5 minutes, and then add broth. Bring soup to a boil, then turn down to a simmer & allow to do so for 30 minutes.

Turn broiler to hi heat. Fill 6 to 8 oz. bowls with soup, leaving about a ¼ inch rim on the top. Top with a handful of croutons, a few tablespoons of gruyere and a slice of provolone. Place bowls on a pan and place under broiler for 1 minute, or until golden and bubbly. Serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These yummy lil’ cakes are moist, chocolatey and topped with the cream cheese frosting they are sooo good! Chef Robin Gourmet Cooking Series, 2010.

Makes 24 standard cupcakes

4 eggs

1 C. oil

2 C. sugar

2 t. vanilla

I small can pumpkin

(14.5-15 ounce, or half of a 29 ounce can)

2 C. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3 t. pumpkin pie spice

2 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together eggs, oil , sugar, vanilla & pumpkin n a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients, including chocolate chips, add to wet ingredients. Bake in lined muffin tins for 25- 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack, until cool to the touch. Meanwhile, make frosting:

¾ C. softened butter

8 oz. softened cream cheese

24 oz. powdered sugar

2 t. vanilla

Garnish

½ C. chocolate chips

Cream together butter & cream cheese, add powdered sugar, little by little, then add vanilla, beat until smooth in texture. Grate chocolate chips in a handheld cheese grater, set aside. Frost cool cupcakes, and “dip” the tops of the cupcakes in the grated chocolate as garnish. Keep cupcakes refrigerated, yummy good!

Weller-Black Wine Celebration