Upcoming cooking demo, and 3x6 menu on Wednesday

I am working with Healthy Connections to include a healthy cooking demo and tasting in their health and wellness fairs. It is a great way to promote both healthy lifestyle and my personal chef business, show off my fancy pots and pans, meet new people, and make some money in the process.

Next week I will be doing my demo for a Silicon Valley company of 100 employees. The menu includes my Quinoa and Mushrooms Pilaf, and Daikon and Zucchini Salad with Lemon Dressing from USPCA recipe forum. To perfect the recipes and timing, I include one or both of these in all my clients menus these days. They don't mind.

My Wednesday clients already had the quinoa pilaf a while ago, loved it, and learned to cook it, so they were happy when I offered to repeat it this week. Most other recipes for this menu come from the last issue of Fine Cooking magazine and from their website.

Salad:

Zucchini and daikon with lemon dressing

Soup:
Cream of broccoli soup with almonds
Entrees:
Beef braciola with mozzarella and basil
Coriander-crusted pork tenderloin
Five-spice glazed salmon

Sides:
Quinoa pilaf with mushrooms
Roasted Brussels sprouts with lemon and parmigano
Seasame green beans

I was too busy to photograph everything, and the lighting was not the best, but here here is the beef brasiola, without the sauce.

Here it is covered with a sauce of onion, tomato, mushrooms, and red wine.

Now is the short season when you don't have to choose between using tomatoes of any kind available, but fresh, or real San Marzano variety, but canned. Fresh San Marzanos were $2 a pound at San Mateo Farmers Market, and the overripe "softies" (perfect for the sauce) $1 a pound. I wish this season never ended...

Party appetizers for 20

Shrimp cocktail with basil-mango sauce
Sun dried tomato and goat cheese tarts
Mushroom empanadas
Summer fruits salad with arugula and almonds
Cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls, marinated eggplant, garlic lemon mushrooms on skewers
Aioli

3x6 service on Monday for a new client

Salad:
Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes

Entrees:

Roasted Cornish hens with rosemary and thyme

Pork chops with ginger peach sauce

Beef carbonnade

Sides:

Garlic “smashed” potatoes

Quinoa pilaf with mushrooms

Roasted tomatoes

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I found out why my cookdates has been so long. I blame the soups.  I always try to make the soups interesting and unique; as a result, I add almost two hours to each work day! The new client didn't care for a soup. I was done by 2:30, free to explore kitchen and grocery stores the rest of the day.

These clients live in a couple of block from County Restaurant Supply store. If they decide to hire me on a regular basis, I should be careful not to spend all my earnings right away!

Todays 3x6 service menu

Salad:

Summer fruit salad with arugula and almonds

Soup:

Tomato and fresh basil

Entrees:

Lamb with pears
Roasted Cornish hens with rosemary and thyme
Garlic shrimp

Sides:

Green bean ragout
Steamed cauliflower
Saffron rice

4x6 service menu for tomorrow

Salad:
- Summer fruit salad with arugula and almonds

Soup:
- Pepper and tomato soup

Main:
- Pan fried halibut in white wine sauce
- Free range chicken saltimbocca
- Goulash
- Roasted leg of lamb with Mediterranean herbs

Sides:
- Rosemary fingerling potatoes
- Ratatouille
- Saffron rice
- Carrots and beans

3x6 service 8/18/2010

Salad:
Classic Greek Salad

Soup:
Summer Minestrone

Entrees:
Mediterranean sole with tomatoes, olives and green beans
Goulash
Pork chops with ginger peach sauce

Sides:
Roasted summer squashes
Polenta
Glazed carrots

Extra:
Mixed vegetable salad with lemon vinaegrette dressing - crew lunch for the housecleaners

3x6 service 1/8/2010

Salad:
Wild arugula and mizuna with roast beets, blue lake beans and zucchini ribbons

Soup:
Cream of peppers

Main:
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
Braised lamb shanks
Halibut with lemon-herb salsa

Sides:
Rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes
Marinated eggplant and peppers
Wild mushroom red quinoa pilaf

I got to use my client's new Tec Infrared grill! It's fantastic.