Miso Pasta e Fagioli
Chef Jake White share’s his signature Miso Pasta e Fagioli recipe inspired by his Italian Great grandmother. Get the Cane Bay Kitchen Italian themed produce box to get started making the recipe!
Miso Pasta e Fagioli
Yield: 6-8 servings
I dedicate this recipe to Great Grandma Annie. For so many years, she made sure our big, crazy, Italian family made time for each other. We bonded over an inherited love of food and embellished storytelling, but most importantly - our love for one another. This is my version of a dish that is at the core of those memories, created by Grandma Annie. Mangia! Mangia!
Ingredients:
1.5 cups Ditalini pasta
2-3 cans (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained
3 medium tomatoes, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup white wine
2 cups kale, chopped
32 oz. (1 box) vegetable broth
2 cups water
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon white miso
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ fresh lemon, juiced
Red pepper flakes to taste
Optional: Italian parsley and parmesan for garnish
Directions:
Heat oil in a deep pot.
Sauté onion until translucent. Add carrot and celery.
Once your vegetables begin to soften add garlic, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
When spices are fragrant, add white wine and let reduce by HALF.
Add vegetable stock and diced tomato. Bring to a gentle boil.
Add ditalini pasta, return to simmer, and cook to HALF the manufacturer suggested cooking time.
PRO TIP: Instead of cooking the pasta in the stock, cook the pasta separately and add it to the dish when needed. This will ensure the pasta lasts longer and won’t absorb all the broth in your fridge.
Add kale and let wilt.
Add 2-3 cans of cannellini beans (based on preference) and let reduce to desired consistency.
Remove from heat. Garnish with lemon juice, parsley, and parmesan.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
For a limited time, Cane Bay Kitchen is teaming up with Rainbow Packaging to bring you an Italian themed produce box inspired by this recipe. Visit their website here to order the Cane Bay Kitchen box or other boxes like it.
5 Winter Food Hacks to Spice up the Season
Hey guys,
Chef JP gathered his top 5 favorite winter food hacks that help him get through the cold season. Do you have any of your own?
Save your leftover Red Wine
Don’t throw it out! First of all, it’s a darn tragedy to waste good wine. Second, if you don’t want to down the bottle just make sure to save it for the next time your braising some tough meats or feel like adding an extra acidic “zing” to your dish.
Lean into Oven Roasting and stews
If grilling is meant for the summer months than surely oven roasting is meant for the winter. Theres just something about cranking up the oven, throwing in a roast, and sitting back to enjoy the season that really conjures up some great memories of my mom making delicious balsamic glazed roasted brussel sprouts or airline chicken with a tangy cranberry orange relish.
Warm Spices & Greens with a bite
Reach for those warm spices in your cabinet. Cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon to name a few. They aren’t just great metabolism boosters. They also provide the body with nutrients while adding flavor to your seasonal dishes.
Additionally, Mustard greens, radish, kale, and other greens with a bit of a spicy bite to them are great for the winter. Start opening your mind when you enter the grocery store. What can you add to your cart that’ll bring variety to your dinner plate?
Freeze your herbs
Yup. Seems weird, but do it! Freezing herbs at their peak freshness does a great job at retaining those flavors when you need them. Don’t abandon your herb garden just because the weather is changing! Just switch up your approach.
Utilize leftovers
Let’s face it - when that cold weather swoops in sometimes you just don’t want to cook. The winter time is best for recharging the batteries anyway and you’ve been working so hard at being more conscious of what’s going in to your body. UTILIZE LEFTOVERS! you’re saving time and money AND treating yourself to delicious food. I call that a triple play.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Classic Pesto Recipe
Well…. look who we have here. You were having a good day and volunteered to host a party for your friends. But you don’t know how to cook! How are you going to feed a crowd without leading them on to your culinary faux pas?
You’ll be well on your way to “Wowing” your guests if you just follow these few simple steps and trust your instincts!
Mise En Place
Us Culinarians have a term in the kitchen. It’s called “Mise En Place” and it is very important for any chef to be successful in the kitchen. First, lets go over what ingredients you need (which is a delightfully small quantity) and which substitutes might be acceptable to make your own pesto creations.
The Base
The base of a pesto is typically the following:
Basil
Pine Nuts
Parmesean
Olive Oil
A pro-move would be breaking this down a step further. So a “pesto” is essentially just a combination of herbs, nuts, cheese, and fat. If you wanted to get a little crazy you could substitute some of the basil for carrot stems and use almonds or even bread crumbs in place of the pine nuts. BOOM! you have a dish that is now uniquely YOU!
BUT, as much as you love your friends, their connoisseurship doesn’t involve food, so it’s best to start with the classics to keep things moving nicely.
The Process
Simple blend together your basil and pine nuts while slowly adding an olive oil drizzle. Once the sauce begins to thin out and looking like a pesto, begin to add the cheese, and black pepper to taste.
ENJOY!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Grinding your own Coffee Beans
Is your at-home coffee experience falling short? You’re morning Coffee should be YOU time!
Here are FOUR good reasons why you should start grinding your own coffee beans at home.
1) Better Finished Product
When you grind your own coffee beans, you aren’t just satisfying your inner Culinarian. You’re also keeping the beans in their natural state for longer, meaning when it’s time to grind, your coffee is at maximum freshness for your enjoyment.
2) Better Shelf Life
Believe it or not, coffee is capable of going stale. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to combat this. First and foremost, DO NOT PRE-GRIND YOUR BEANS! The reason why your coffee (or grounds, not judging) goes stale in the first place is due to oxygen and moisture exposure. Grinding your beans ahead of time increases the surface area of the bean that can be exposed to oxygen. This means your coffee will stale more quickly, and bacteria has a higher chance of growing on your beloved, “pick me up”. So only grind the amount you nee to use fresh each morning.
Additionally, storing your beans in the freezer is a good way to reduce moisture exposure.
3) Grind/Brew Only What You Need
By grinding only the amount of beans you intent to use per sitting guarantees that you’re getting the freshest cup each morning. Keeping the whole bean intact until ready to use is essential for preserving freshness.
4) Maximizing Health Benefits
One thing many people don’t think about is making sure to consume food at peak ripeness. Besides the obvious impact freshness has on quality and flavor, it also has a HUGE impact on the amount of nutrients present in the food being consumed.
To reap the full antioxidant benefits of coffee, you just have to follow these few steps and you’ll be off to the races!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
D.B.
Crispy Buffalo Wings
Today i’m going to tell you the secret to Crispy, Crunchy, and Tangy Buffalo Wings that are perfect for the big game.
Hey Football Fans,
Have you ever tried making buffalo wings at home for game day? I’m sure most of you have before…. BUT have you made really delicious restaurant quality ones? Probably not. Today i’m going to tell you the secret to Crispy, Crunchy, and Tangy Buffalo Wings that are perfect for the big game.
The Wings
Alright - so the main thing we want to do with the wings is give them a nice crunchy outer skin layer without adding any breading. In order to do that, we’re going to want to reduce the moisture from the inside of the wings. So first, we’re going to PAR bake the wings on a wire rack so the fat and extra water that’s inside the wings can drip out below. (par bake means that we aren’t going to fully cook the wings. We don’t want them to dry out on us.) Once the wings are par baked, we’re going to pull them out of the oven and let them rest. Then, we’ll give them a quick seasoning, toss them in baking powder, and bake with whatever method you prefer. Air fry, fry, or bake these up for a crispy golden delicious exterior and a tender juicy interior.
The Sauce
Use about 6-8 oz. of your favorite hot sauce and mix with 2-4 Tbsp of melted butter, depending on your heat preference. Toss the crispy cooked wings in the sauce and serve with chopped parsley or green onion, bleu cheese, and some carrot and celery sticks!
The Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pat your wings dry with paper towel, then salt.
Place wings on a wire rack into preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
Salt & Pepper the wings and lightly coat them in baking powder
Cook the wings using preferred method (Bake, fry, or air fry) until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Toss your wings in the sauce you made
Plate and serve with blue cheese, carrots and celery sticks, and garnish with parsley or green onions.
Enjoy!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Tips for Pretty Plating
The Holiday season is fast approaching. That means lots of family gatherings, playing host, and entertaining people. You’ve gone the catering route already. Now you wan’t to make something homemade for your dinner guests and show them what you’ve got!
Hi Friends,
The Holiday season is fast approaching. That means lots of family gatherings, playing host, and entertaining people. You’ve gone the catering route already. Now you wan’t to make something homemade for your dinner guests and show them what you’ve got! Wether you’re a good cook or not, the final presentation of the plated food is very important in how the taste of the dish is perceived, believe it or not. Here are some tips and tricks to “wow” your guests with beautifully designed plates…….and hopefully the food is good too. heh
Build on your Starches
A typical balanced dinner meal will include a starch of some sort. “Build on your starches” means add it to the plate first. I usually will put it right in the center of the plate. For example, a big spoonful of rice or potatoes neatly mounded in the center of the plate.
Add a variety of Color
Be mindful of the different colors that will be in your dish. For this example plate, We’re building off a base of roasted diced potatoes and our main entree is roasted airline chicken. Those are two ingredients with very minimal color. If we presented these items on the plate by themselves, no one would be excited to eat it. So, We’re going to add a bright vegetable to the mix. It could be something green like broccoli. Red like beets. White like cauliflower. It really could be anything. For the example dish we’re building, we’re going to add broccoli and keep a fresh lemon, as well as some fresh chopped parsley handy for later.
Build “Up” on the Plate
Alright, so we’ve got our mound of diced potatoes in the middle of the plate and our steamed broccoli on the top right side of the potatoes in a nice neatly presented mound. Now we’re going to take our nicely caramelized airline chicken and lay it over the potatoes on an angle. Making sure we build the plate up high and not letting the potatoes flatten under the chicken. Building “up” on a plate with the focal point at the center is more of a southern style of plating. It creates for an interesting contrast of depth that catches the eye.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Garnishes
Alright, lets review this again. So now we have our neat mound of potatoes in the center of the plate stacked nice and high. Our bright green steamed broccoli in a neat mound to the top right of that. And we just added the chicken atop the potatoes in a visually interesting way. This plate is already quite pretty by itself but it is missing a little something. Take the fresh parsley you chopped earlier and sprinkle it on the plate - dusting the chicken, potatoes, broccoli, and exposed part of the plate. Now take your lemon and zest some of the lemon rind over the chicken and the broccoli. Once satisfied, slice the lemon in half and drizzle some of the juice over the food on the plate.
Finishing Touches
Alright, now my mouth is watering. The only thing left to do is get a damp paper towel and gently wipe around the edges of the plate where juices may have dripped or unwanted parsley or zest may have fallen. Finish with a little salt and pepper, take a step back, and be proud of the edible piece of art that lays before you.
pro tip: You could even take the presentation up a notch further by adding a quartered wedge of salted tomato or a very light sprinkling of some smoked paprika to give it an extra pop.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
D.B.
Perseverance Street
No matter what you’re going through with your business, in your personal life, navigating COVID - it’s important to have a steady hand on your back nudging you to keep pushing forward, even when you’re too tired. Preserve.
Are you afraid of being judged for the way you live your life?
I’ve got good news for you: The “what’s your plan’s?” or “get it together’s” wear off eventually. They get old. You stop hearing them…and when that day finally comes, you’ll officially be able to begin your life. YOUR life. The one you kinda sorta knew you wanted to have but got too bogged down by the opinions of others to actually pursue. So you let it sit to percolate in the back of your mind. Every once in a while thoughts resurface again only to be drowned by your doubts.
Listen, I’m not here to give you the hoorah speech that’s ultimately going to get you off your ass and stop making excuses. If i’ve learned anything on my journey, it’s that I don’t have that power, nor wizardry of “word craft” to convince someone to do something or believe in something I believe in. Life has us all on our own journeys, being experienced only through the eyes of the individual. We all get served lessons from life differently, at different times, and we conceptualize our learned experiences differently. I think wether this venture you’ve been dreaming up works out in the end or not, living with the failure and taking the lessons along the way is far more valuable than living with the regret of not knowing….
BUT I DIGRESS
I’m actually here to talk to the people that finally did build up the courage to make a pivot in their life and change direction. First of all, Congratulations. The leap you took is terrifying. Being a company that is still a very small start-up, and i hate to tell you this, but it’s STILL terrifying at times. There are absolutely moments of self doubt, doubts of self worth, and complete lapses in confidence. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely and it’s not just a “career path”. Being an entrepreneur is also a lifestyle choice. But life is all about balance and with the lack of security being an entrepreneur brings also comes an immense amount of freedom. That freedom is a gift, of course, but it’s also a responsibility. So, you’re a little shell shocked after the first few months. I GET IT! Let me tell ya, I was too. Stumble through this at the beginning. Allow yourself the grace of failing and making mistakes. Write down all the things you're experiencing and learn from them. Be Transparent when you fail and admit it. When you admit it to yourself, its freeing and when you admit it to a customer, although the initial ROI might not look good, that moment will make a lasting impression on them and they’ll be more willing to accept the mistake, forgive, and proceed to give you their business.
Just Don’t Stop.
No matter what you’re going through with your business, in your personal life, navigating COVID - it’s important to have a steady hand on your back nudging you to keep pushing forward, even when you’re too tired. Preserve. Keep climbing that mountain and developing your self awareness along the way. Identify the things that help motivate and drive you forward and let yourself take it in. After all, you didn’t chose this path for the destination, you chose it because you love the process. Keep Grinding. Keep Hustling. You’re building muscles that you’ll one day be able to proudly flex…..after your winding journey down perseverance street.
Never Give Up! Failure and rejections are only the first steps to succeeding. [Everyday] ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.” -Jimmy Valvano
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Food for Thought: Deploying Kindness Pt. 2 Positivity
Positivity is such an undervalued mental tool. Shifting from a glass half empty to a glass half full mindset is the difference between giving yourself a chance to win and not. As an entrepreneur, most days aren’t quite a walk in the park.
Positivity
is such an undervalued mental tool. Shifting from a glass half empty to a glass half full mindset is the difference between giving yourself a chance to win and not. As an entrepreneur, most days aren’t quite a walk in the park. Think about it, C-Suite level employees are often the last level of decision making for many businesses. That means all the success, all the failures, all the good times, and all the bad times land on those folks. That’s a lot of stress, and since company culture trickles from the top out to the spokes of the umbrella, the way you handle that stress affects the way you talk to employees, and ultimately, how your employees will engage with the customer.
It all starts with Awareness.
Observe yourself. Are you able to adjust quickly when things don’t turn out as expected or do your negative emotions overpower you? Dwelling about the “what if’s” and “if only’s” instead of just solving the problem. Someone who commits to making positivity a practice in their life, in general, are able to adapt and handle those road blocks much better. Navigate the twist and turns and unpredictability of life and be grateful for the things that are going well. Here are a few things that help me adapt positivity as a lifestyle:
Routine:
Establishing a steady routine is important for me. Things that I can count on will happen almost every day gives me a sense of control in my life. Also, the discipline in establishing a routine helps me practice discipline in other areas of my life as well. If I commit to eating healthy during the weeks and indulge a little more on the weekends, i’m also more likely to get all the things finished that I need to for the week and still have time for the things I want to do when my free time finally does come.
Exercise:
Exercise slowly releases Serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the “feel good” chemicals the brain naturally produces to help fight off things like depression and anxiety. Getting in a daily exercise routine that I can count on gives me a sense of control, again, over my life. It gives me more energy and makes it easier to adjust to the inevitable ebbs and flows of life that remind us we are not always in control and that’s ok!
Meditation:
Meditation has a stigma surrounding it that only women, hippies, or folks following certain religions practice it. We need to get over that now. Meditation is a very useful tool to help relax the mind and the body and bring a more full sense of awareness to our lives. It allows time for the mind to reflect and for you to connect yourself with your body. We tend to abuse our bodies just by living our daily lives and doing day to day tasks. The stress adds up quickly and can really do a number on us. Meditation is an incredibly helpful tool to ground yourself and allows you flow with the tides of life instead of against them.
Know Yourself.
Like I said, It’s important to observe yourself. Ask yourself why you’re experiencing certain things as they happen and find ways that help you cope with those emotions and stresses. Everyone is different and has different techniques for managing these things but being mindful, giving yourself grace as you learn, and instilling good habits in your life will go a long way towards adopting a positive mindset for life.
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.””
Get the Facts on Green Tea
Coming at ya with another infographic on a healthy green superfood. It can come in the form of loose leaf tea, tea bags, or in a powder ground up form. Turns out, this stuff packs a lot of nutritional power!
Hey guys,
Coming at ya with another infographic on a healthy green superfood. If you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re talking about Green Tea. Green tea can come in the form of loose leaf tea, tea bags, or in a powder ground up form called matcha. Turns out, this stuff packs a lot of nutritional power! Research shows that adding green tea to your diet helps with a wide range of heart related issues and has also been shown to decrease cancerous tumor growth! Read below about more benefits of drinking green tea!
PRO TIP: Brew some green tea at home using hot water. Sweeten with honey or agave, to taste and allow the beverage to cool. Once it comes to room temperature or lower, fill a tall glass with ice cubes, pour in your sweet green tea, garnish with lemon, and enjoy!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
A Plea for Compassion
It is Election Day and Joe Biden is looking to push Donald Trump out of office. I’m not about to preach my political beliefs. I guess this is more of just a plea for compassion.
Today is November 3rd, 2020.
It is Election Day and Joe Biden is looking to push Donald Trump out of office. I’m not about to preach my political beliefs, though I do have strong opinions on this stuff. I’m not asking for your opinion and i’m not going to spew about the importance of voting either. I guess this is more of a plea for compassion. Like I said, I have my beliefs about who I think is better suited to represent our country and i’m even willing to respectfully debate my beliefs in a face to face setting for the sake of broadening my own perspective on the matter. When a winner is inevitably announced, I beg that we simply treat each other with respect and lead our lives with compassion and empathy. Let’s not turn to finger pointing or name calling. Accept our new reality and move on with our lives. Losers make excuses for their shortcomings. Winners turn their shortcomings into strengths and build with the limited tools they have. Truth is: there really is no 100% right answer coming from either major party and an entire nation of people are shouting their “personal truths” out into the world, a little louder each time in order to drown out all the folks around them trying to do the same. See the problem?
Take a deep breath. We all have something we can learn from one another. A CEO of a major business has something to learn from the janitor and vice versa, so. just . listen….
Let’s come together. Let’s lead with compassion.Let's embrace diversity.
Let’s practice empathy.
Let’s remember what it means to be proud to be an American.
Stay Young with this SUPERFOOD!
Slow Down your aging skin by adding more of THIS to your diet!
What did the peanut say when an almond tried to pick a fight?
Cashew Outside! heh…….heheheh…..ok, fine. It’s still funny to me.
Corny food puns aside, your kids just brought home loads of candy on Saturday night. Yes, you want them to indulge but the incessant snacking of tasty ghoul-themed confectionaries has your kids bouncing off the walls almost as fast as your head is ping-ponging trying to keep up with them! While your unconditional love may have you spread thin, have some peace of mind knowing that those Almond Joys little Joey is munching on might actually contain some nutritional value. ALRIGHT FINE - I’m stretching this one a little bit but let’s talk about another quality superfood. You probably have it in your pantry, and if not you’ve almost definitely tried them before (sorry to you nut allergen folk out there). I’m talking about almonds. Almonds are a delectably tasty tree nut that is packed with essential nutrients. Enjoy this infographic below to learn about the nutritional power of almonds. At the very least, it’ll help you keep up with those crazy kids!
Food for Thought: Deploying kindness Pt 1. Patience
Before we dive too here I need to confess something - I have very little patience, myself. Some might say zero. Haters shall hate, but anyways, I share this because I want to preface this conversation by saying being eternally patient is a lifelong practice and takes lots of time and self awareness.
Hi there,
Before we dive too deep I need to confess something - I have very little patience, myself. Some might say zero patience. Haters shall hate, but anyways….I share this to preface our conversation by saying being eternally patient is a lifelong practice and takes lots of time and self awareness. Self awareness comes with experiencing life so take it easy on yourself through this personal journey. If our “perfect self” is always a day ahead of us then we’ll never stop growing and that’s a beautiful thing.
Congrats on being a business owner. If your juggling that with being a mother, father, husband, or wife Mazel-freakin- tov to you. You are truly a miracle worker and might even have more to offer here than i do. For me, being an entrepreneur and owning your own business is truly a balancing act. You have a vision for your company. You know how you want to execute it. You hire a team of fine folks to help you execute it. And they’re doing a great job, by all means….BUT, they aren’t doing as good of a job as you could do, or as you envisioned it in your head. First of all Charlie, hold your bloody horses. You’re the head honcho. You’re the reason everyone is there. It’s YOUR visions and YOUR ideas. Of course no one is going to execute your ideas with the same level of passion as you would. The business isn’t their baby like it is yours. That leads us to our first tip in practicing patience.
Setting the Proper Expectations…
..or better yet, don’t set any at all. Human beings are not robots. They make mistakes and where there is margin for error, of any degree, ultimately and inevitably error will follow. You have two choices: to live in the reality being experienced and “react” instead of “predict”, or live in the altruistic place in your mind that rarely ever comes to fruition in real life. Either way, the burden of those thoughts will weigh only on your shoulders and responding poorly to employee error will only negatively affect how that employee interacts with customers throughout the day.
Accepting the “blame”
Wether you like it or not, everything that happens in your business is your fault. All of it. The employee that rang out a customer incorrectly. The customer that wrongfully yelled at one of your employees. It’s all your fault. Being comfortable in the present means being able to take ownership over every single thing that happens in your business, navigating tough decisions in real time, and being able to live with those decisions. If you made the right decision, great. If you made the wrong decision, adjust your plan and move forward. Once you’re able to accept blame you’ll be able to make decisions for your company much more efficiently and to the benefit of you and your employees.
The umbrella method
I’m quite honestly not sure if this concept has it’s own terminology attached to it, but what I call, “the umbrella method”, is a different way of conceptualizing your relationship with your employees. Instead of looking at a business job model as a hierarchy with the owner at the top, think of it as an umbrella. The owner is the little focal point at the top of the umbrella that supports the larger awning, which is ultimately the part that protects you from rain. Without your employees taking ownership of the brand and fully buying into the company, your umbrella has nothing holding it together and is ultimately useless. If a business owner can accept his/her role as a servant to the greater identity of the company - living to serve the employees that make the company operate - they’ll be much more gracious and selfless leaders and be able to respond and pivot with change more easily.
Hop you picked up some tidbits here! Thanks for tuning in. More to come soon!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
D.B.
Learn about this HISTORICALLY CHEAP Breakfast Superfood: The Egg
I wanted to share a little graphic with you about the nutritional benefits of one the cheapest and most versatile breakfast food items money can buy.
Hey Foodies,
I wanted to share a little graphic with you about the nutritional benefits of one the cheapest and most versatile breakfast food items money can buy. I’m talking about the egg. I know, it sounds boring but try again. The egg is actually an extremely adaptable ingredient that can be used in so many kitchen applications like aioli’s, gribiche, or hollandaise. It’s used in sauces, cookies, and so many things in between. Soooo you might as well learn a little bit about what your putting in your body. Happy Munching!
Relax your Mind and Body with this Green Tea Margherita Recipe
Here’s a drink idea that’ll make you feel good about having an extra night cap, in honor of your boss. heh.
Congrats!
You made it through the week. I know it’s only Friday morning, but I also know that your mind is already on your Friday night plans….and i get it, with COVID here, you might even be feeling like all bets are off, anyways. Well partner, that’s why you need to take it upon yourself to make sure you have a night to remember. After all, you owe it to YOU after the week you’ve had at work. Here’s a drink idea that’ll make you feel good about having an extra night cap, in honor of your boss. heh.
Green Tea Margherita
First of all, if you smell what the rock is cooking, make sure you grab some of his tequila too. I don’t claim to be any sort of expert, but Teremana is some pretty freakin’ good stuff. For this Margherita you’ll need:
Silver Tequila (preferably Teremana)
Triple Sec
1 Orange
Brewed Green Tea
I made my green tea at home, sweetened it with honey, and then chilled it before using. You can also use your favorite store bought green tea.
Fill a glass & cocktail shaker with ice. Set the glass aside
Add 2 parts tequila, 2 parts green tea, 1 part triple sec to cocktail shaker. Put top on and shake vigorously.
Serve contents in prepared glass. Top with more green tea, if needed.
Add a fresh squeeze of orange juice and piece of the reserved peel for garnish.
You can “WOW” your friends with this one, or just enjoy in the peace of your own company. Either way, cheers to relaxing and responsible imbibing.
You must be 21+ to drink alcohol. Darla’s Bagel’s does not condone or consent to underage drinking or aiding a minor in the solicitation for such.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
How to be the Best Home Cook on the Block
…..Sorry Karen, but i’m about to ruin your secret.
Hear that?
Thats the fluttered chattering of neighbors and passerby’s who caught wind of those restaurant quality lamb chops you whipped up the night before. A seemingly impossible feat it is to manifest such a delicate meat to medium rare perfection from a measly old home kitchen, yet you pulled it off. Sorry Karen, but i’m about to ruin your secret. That’s because, it’s actually very easy and affordable to be a great at-home chef these days. Commercial grade kitchen tools are advancing and becoming more readily available for the aspiring at-home chef. I want to tell you about one of my favorite products on the market. Don’t even worry about making room next to the slow cooker. You won’t notice a dent in your pocket either. That’s because the Sous Vide, also known as an immersion circulator, is here and it’s one of the cheapest and easiest kitchen tools that will take you from a “B- Chef” to an “A+ Chef instantly”…..i’m so serious….
Sous Vide, French for “Under Vacuum”, is a method of cooking food at a very precise temperature by, you guessed it, vacuum sealing the food and letting it cook in a water bath. Don’t let the sound of that intimidate you, though. Sous Vide is a very simple method that allows you to cook food, usually in its own fats/juices, at a very controlled temperature, yielding perfect results every time! …and you don’t need a professional grade vacuum sealer either…
The Sous Vide I use at home is the Anova Nano Precision Cooker . It’s only $129 and can be paired from bluetooth to operate with your phone, or manually. Just fill a soup pot up with water, stick your sous vide in, let the water preheat, and you’re off! Anova also offers a mobile app with tons of great recipes to try. Use it as a launching pad, and the opportunities are truly endless!
Go pick up yours now! Let me know about all of your creations or questions you have in the comments or at darlasbagels@gmail.com.
PRO TIP: If cooking a protein, once you finish the sous vide method, pull out your cast iron and crank up the heat. Lightly oil the pan. Wipe the flattest surface of your protein dry to avoid the oil from splashing. Place the protein in the pan with the most even/flat surface down on the pan. Allow the protein the get a nice caramelized skin (this is called the maillard reaction!). Remove from the heat and let rest before serving.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Spaghetti Squash & Turkey Meatball Recipe
This versatile root vegetable is known for its uniquely stringy texture and traditional squash flavor. Follow along for a healthy spin on spaghetti & meatballs.
Hey friends,
Fall is here! That means squash of all varieties can be found in grocery stores across America. Today, we’re going to talk about a type of squash you’ve probably already heard of before. Spaghetti Squash. This versatile root vegetable is known for its uniquely stringy texture and traditional squash flavor.
For our recipe, we took an Italian staple, “Spaghetti & Meatballs”, and lightened it up a bit for a feel good alternative to a carb heavy classic. Just follow these easy steps below to make this delicious dish!
Yields: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Package of Ground Turkey
1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 Sweet Onion
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Honey
3 Tbsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Bonus: 2 Tbsp. Calabrian Chili Pepper Powder, if you have it
For the sauce:
Dice half of the onion. Reserve other half for turkey meatballs
Place onions in lightly oiled pot on medium high heat. Sweat onion
Add the can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, honey, half the salt and pepper, and Calabrian chili powder, if you have it. Mix together and taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Once sauce begins to bubble, adjust the heat and bring sauce to a very gentle simmer. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally so sauce doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot.
When ready to eat, add lemon juice and mix in.
For the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Grate other 1/2 onion into a bowl.
Mix ground turkey with 1/2 the salt, pepper, and grated onion. Add any additional seasonings to taste.
Make approximately 3 oz. meatballs. Rolling in your hand, then placing on a sprayed cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Once the meatballs have browned, remove from the oven and add to the sauce to finish cooking.
Turn pot up to medium and cook while spaghetti squash finishes cooking
For the squash:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut Spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and season with EVOO, pinch of salt & pepper.
Place squash in a baking dish cut side up. Wrap the dish in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and cook for additional 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
Once cooled, grab a fork and scrap the spaghetti-like inside of the squash into a bowl.
Assemble all of your ingredients, top with parmesan and/or red chili flakes and enjoy!
Working with Yeast Doughs - What to Look For
As someone that bakes bagels for a living, I’ve learned a thing or two about what you need to look for in a healthy yeast dough. Here are a few pointers and things to look out for when working with a yeast dough.
Hey Friends,
As someone that bakes bagels for a living, I’ve learned a thing or two about what you need to look for in a healthy yeast dough. After all, yeast is a living organism and you need to treat it as such! Here are a few pointers and things to look out for when working with a yeast dough.
#1) Use Instant Yeast, for your baking endeavors. It’s easy to work with, has a relatively long shelf life, and you don’t need to worry about keeping it alive. Besides, even most professional kitchens and bakeries use instant yeast for their dough.
#2) When hydrating the flour with water remember that cold water will slow down yeast activity ultimately giving the dough more time to develop its flavors. This also means it will take longer for your dough to rise and be ready to work with, however. Warm water will speed up the yeast activity meaning that it will rise much faster, but at the compromise of flavor.
#3) Oil is often called a “Shortener”. This is because when added to a flour that contains gluten, the oil will cause the gluten strands to shorten, making the dough less stretchy, which could ultimately affect the oven spring of your finished product. This could also be a desirable characteristic, depending on what type of final product you’re trying to make.
#4) Besides sweetening the dough, the presence of added sugar speeds up yeast activity and allows the dough to proof more quickly. Be careful of adding too much sugar, however. If the dough rises too quickly the gluten strands won’t have time to strengthen. This means as soon as you try to pick up the dough or work with it at all, it’ll deflate very quickly and most likely be sticky and hard to work with. Also be mindful of the affects of white vs. brown sugar. Brown sugar causes the end product to have a more firm and darker crumb.
#5) Salt is necessary in order to give the dough flavor. Be weary when mixing the salt with your other dry ingredients, though. Salt prohibits the development of yeast in the dough. To be safe, add salt to one side of your bowl and yeast to the other side of your bowl before adding your wet ingredients. This allows the yeast a chance to get hydrated by the dough before the salt comes into contact with it.
#6) Mixing the dough allows the gluten strains to strengthen and develop. In most dough applications, the dough is properly mixed when you can poke it with your finger and the exterior of the dough bounces back from the indentation left by your finger. Dough is slightly tacky but easily comes off fingers.
#7) A little baking soda when dissolved in water, can be brushed on to most dough products just before they are about to be baked to give your dough a “pretzel effect”.
#8) Baking with dough can be very challenging for cooks of any level. The moisture in the air can affect the way flour fills your measuring cups. When baking, it’s important to measure ingredients by weight. Using a scale will ensure consistent results and a better finished product!
I hope these tips helped you overcome whatever baking challenges your facing! If this blog didn’t answer your baking questions, reach out to us on chefjpexperience.com and we’d be happy to do our best to steer you right.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake