recipe – ChefsGirl

My favorite cookbooks at the moment..

chefsgirlnola@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 06:54:25 +0000

Whoa! It’s been a minute since I last posted anything. Life sure can get crazy…in a good way! During my hiatus, I’ve re-discovered some old cookbooks as well as some new ones. We can’t always dine out and when we eat at home, why not partake in the culinary experience in your own kitchen? Here are some of my faves:

1. Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Tiegen. Not only am I fan of this spunky lady, but I admire her for her passion for food. If you happen to follow her on SnapChat, you’ll see what I mean. One of my favorites in the book have to be her Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon!

2. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller. Thomas Keller is my Chef hubby’s idol. He’s world-renowned and deserves every bit of notoriety. I’ve been to 3 of his restaurants: 1. The French Laundry 2. Ad Hoc 3. Per Se. I remember every bite from each restaurant. Each restaurant has shared their own cookbook, however, we can’t always prepare a Michelin-rated dinner for the family, so this book shares more family-friendly meals very much like Ad Hoc’s menu.

3. Besh Big Easy: 101 Home Cooked New Orleans Recipes. Besides “The Chef” hubby himself, Chef John Besh is my next chef crush! Not only has he created a restaurants empire in New Orleans, but he’s philanthropic and has a great heart. For refined New Orleans’ homestyle recipes, this is your resource:

I’ve attached the links to check them out for yourself. What are your favorite books at the moment?
Stay tuned for some new, up-and-coming restaurant reviews in New Orleans!
Upcoming posts:
Bar Frances
Nomiya
Restaurant Des Familles

Chicken breast and Baby Portabello with Wilted Spinach

chefsgirl — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:20:00 +0000

So I was browsing the local supermarket with nothing in mind to cook and bought a few simple ingredients: chicken breast, baby portabello, and spinach. I wanted something simple, yet delicious and came across this recipe on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_iS5O88ISk

It’s very simple, but so quick and easy to make! It’s definitely a minimalist method of cooking, but the KEY to flavor is in the sauce. I may make some adjustments, but I loved it! A nice, lean, and tasty meal after a weekend of gluttony =)

Lemongrass Chicken

chefsgirl — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:19:00 +0000

I was starting to miss some good ‘ol home cookin’ today after a long weekend of fast food joints and eating out. Some asian flavors came to mind so I figured Lemongrass Chicken would be perfect!

Ingredients

6 bone-in (or boneless) chicken thighs **I prefer bone-in for the flavor.

1 lemongrass stalk finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp of fish sauce

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp sugar

half a lemon

1/2c chicken stock

2 tbsp olive oil

Marinade:

Combine the lemongrass, garlic, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken thighs and incorporate the marinade with the chicken well. Let it marinade in the fridge for 40 minutes remembering to turn midway through the marinade time.

*For tonight, I did 2 hours. Why not? A little extra marinade time doesn’t hurt!

Time to cook!

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil on med-hi heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, add the chicken and let each side brown for about 1-2 minutes. Lower the temp to low heat and add the half lemon juice with the chicken broth. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce, sugar, pepper, if needed.

Broil the thighs in the oven for 5 minutes for a nice golden brown color.

Serve with white/brown rice and a side of veggies! Enjoy!

The flavor profiles of this dish are fantastic…lemongrass bite with a lemony garlic aftertaste. The chicken is moist and tender…Love it!