Personal Chef Here! Ask Me Anything!

Here's a challenge, I have food intolerances-
Fructans onion garlic and mushrooms
Fructose - fruit sugar also in many vegetables like snow peas beetroot sweet potato celery asparagus avocado etc
Gos - beans and legumes except canned lentils
Dairy and wheat pistachios and cashews are also out.
I was (previous to my relatively recent diagnosis) an ethical vegan, and still am
What would you make for me?

Unfortunately fructose can be found in just about any fruit. I’m sorry, that really sucks you have so many intolerances. Are you still able to enjoy the occasional fruit, or is it a serious intolerance in which any amount of fructose at all causes problems?

Anyways, one of my favorite lunches is a spicy quinoa chicken, which can be easily altered by simply removing the chicken to fit within vegan standards. Quinoa is one of the few nonmeats in the world that contains complete protein. It’s pretty easy to make. Cook off some quinoa (or for more flavor, add in some wild rice) and then mix in a salsa that your body will agree with (my suggestion: tomato, jalapeno, fresh cilantro, and then use dried spices to make it taste good). If you have tofu, I would saute it and then toss that in as well for some more added protein.

You might also want to try buckwheat, which isn’t actually related to wheat at all besides “I’m a plant.” Seeds should probably also turn into your best friend (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, the list goes on). Hopefully this helped you out a bit!

I am always looking for high protein-low fat meals and snacks that are delicious. I don't do 'diet foods' and prefer natural ingredients. What are your favorites?

My client actually just had me try quinoa chips when I was at her house on Monday. I was pretty impressed!

The terms “diet food” and “spa food” drive me insane because those are just terms used by people who don’t realize that eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to eat a tiny amount.

The spicy quinoa chicken I make is pretty wholesome and it’s super easy to find organic free-range chicken breast nowadays. Instead of sautéing the chicken like I do, you can also boil it or bake it in the oven then cut it into chunks. If I’m feeling lazy I just buy an organic salsa and throw it in, which saves me some time.

There’s also a series on YouTube called Feast of Fiction that did Lembas Bread from Lord of the Rings, and it was completely vegan.

As for dinners, I absolutely love ahi tuna. It’s super high in protein and gives me the good types of fat. Pop that baby on the grill and sear it on both sides, then serve with arugula tossed in a sesame-ginger vinaigrette and a little homemade spicy mayo on the side and you have yourself a winner!

Last night I was making COd on the grill I put olive oil on the steaks (cod steaks) and they stuck and fell apart. What can I do to avoid this? Also, what can I do to add more "flavor" (marinade?)

I’ll be the first person to tell you that I hate cod. To me it’s just a terrible fish. If you want to make it taste like something, batter it and make fish and chips with it or add a glaze to it. I like making a honey soy glaze, which can easily be made by putting about a ½ cup of soy sauce and a tbsp of honey in a pan and boiling it until it reduces. Bake the fish in the oven, then when the fish is nearly done spoon the glaze (it should still be kind of loose, you don’t want it thickening too much and if you overboil the glaze the sugar in the honey will get hard and caramelize) over the fish, then pop it back in the oven for a couple more minutes. Pull the fish out then spoon the liquid that dripped back on over the fish on top again.

As for your grilling issue, make sure your grill is clean! Turn the grill on and let it get super hot. Scrape the grill with a grill brush until it looks like most of the residue is gone. While you’re doing that, find a towel you never use anymore and soak it in some vegetable oil. Using tongs, brush the grill with the towel. Depending on how dirty the grill is it might flame up, but that’s okay since you’re simply burning off the bad stuff. This oiling of the grill is referred to as “seasoning” the grill and is necessary to prevent things from sticking. Seafood is super finicky on the grill, you need to make sure the grill is clean and seasoned AND you have to make sure the fish is oiled as well.

Is it possible to get the bbq taste and texture without having a bbq? I have a conventional oven with grill function and sometimes I feel like making home made kebobs and I don't own a bbq grill, is it possible for me to do so?

It sure is! They sell cast-iron toppers for your stove that will simulate grilling, and you can also buy ridged pans that will do the trick as well.

If you want to do ribs but don’t have a smoker OR a grill, simply trim the ribs and put on your favorite dry rub combination (add smoked paprika for a nice smoky smell and taste!), then wrap them in both plastic wrap AND aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 2.5-3 hours. When you pull them out they should be falling off the bone. From there you can brush them with barbeque sauce and serve!

I'd like to start preparing my work lunches on Sunday evening, making a batch for the whole week, as you mentioned you do for one of your clients.

I've been looking at a few options and quite like the idea of doing a salad with quinoa and chicken breast as I'm trying to up my protein intake.

What would you recommend that would be easy to prep, last well in the fridge and make enough for 5 meals at about 300 calories?

As long as you keep it there, almost anything should last a week in the refrigerator. This week I just made a Mediterranean antipasto salad for my client, which includes tuna, black beans, red pepper, capers, lemon juice, chopped rosemary, and olive oil. Store that in a separate container and bring some mixed greens with you and you have yourself a great lunch. One serving should be somewhere around 290 calories with 18g of protein.

hello,

Thanks so much for this! I'm currently hooked on a ready-made ranchero chicken soup and would like to make my own lower salt (am assumng that ready-made is packed with the stuff) and cheaper version. No issues with regards to carbs/gluten etc (although low calorie would be a win for me) but I have an "English palette" (i.e. bit pathetic) when it comes to spices!

thanks again,

S

Before you dismiss the ready-made stuff, check the nutrition facts to see if it is indeed packed with salt! If it is, use this recipe as a guideline to make your own: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ranchero-soup

I'm a really good cook but for the life of me I can't make an omelet (even in a non stick pan) without it sticking and/or breaking it. Do you have any tips or tricks?

Ah, omelettes. The bane of many-a-cook’s existence… First off, omelettes cook low and slow! Make sure your burner is at a medium heat. Even if you’re using a nonstick pan, spray it with nonstick spray. Let the egg cook in the pan until it just starts to coagulate (turn solid) on the bottom, then pull it back from the sides using a spatula and tilt it. Make sure you lift the pan off the burner slightly when you do this. Keep doing that until you have a cooked omelette!

Jamie Oliver has a good video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvWLhwSb64 Skip to 6:30 and he shows how to actually cook it. Omelettes are a trial-and-error thing, you won’t really get it until you magically make one correctly.