Tomato Noodles with Manchego and Crispy Quinoa

Edgar Steele (Cafe Atlantico)
Lindsey Ellerson (ABC News)
Michele Abalos (American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists)

Tomato Noodles:

• 5 # Ripe Roma Tomatoes
• 3.4 g Agar Agar
• .5 Sheet Leaf Gelatin, Bloomed and Dried

Roughly chop the tomatoes in a food processor or with a knife. Squeeze the chopped tomatoes with your hands to a pulp, reserving all the juices. Place a large colander over a deep container and line the colander with 8 layers of cheesecloth. Place the tomatoes with their juices in the cheesecloth lined colander and put a plate directly on top of them to weigh them down. Cover the entire container with plastic wrap and allow it to sit, undisturbed, in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The clear liquid found in the container after 24 hours is tomato water. Place 200 g of the tomato water into a small saucepan. Gently mix the agar agar into the tomato water with a spoon. Place the water over high heat and allow it to reach a boil, stirring it constantly. Add the gelatin to the tomato water. Remove any bubbles floating at the surface of the liquid. Pour this hot liquid onto a flat, 10"x 16" pan or tray, making sure the surface is level and not bent. Disperse the liquid on the surface so there are no dry spaces. The tomato water will become firm very quickly. Allow this to cool and refrigerate it for at least a half hour. Using a pickle slicer, cut the tomato gelatin lengthwise into strips to make the shape of noodles.

Manchego Water:

• 2.5 Qts. Water
• 1 # Manchego Cheese, Roughly Chopped
• Salt

In a saucepan, bring 1.5 quarts of the water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately put the chopped cheese into the water. Stir the water for about ten minutes, until the cheese is completely melted. Allow the pan to cool for another ten minutes in the refrigerator. Strain the liquid from the cheese with a chinois and reserve the liquid in a refrigerator. Put the remaining quart of water in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the strained cheese to the water to melt. Stir the water with the cheese for ten minutes until the cheese begins to set up and harden. Strain the liquid from the cheese and add to the reserved Manchego water. Store this Manchego water in a refrigerator, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Using a spoon, thoroughly skim the fat off of the surface of the Manchego liquid. Strain the liquid through at least four layers of cheesecloth to remove any residual fat particles. Season the Manchego water to taste with salt.

Manchego Air:

• 2.5 Qts. Manchego Water
• 20 g Lecithin

Place the Manchego water and the lecithin into a deep container or cylinder. Cover half of the container with plastic wrap. Blend the liquid with the lecithin using a hand blender. Tilt the container slightly and place the hand blender at the bottom so that half of the blade is submerged in the liquid and half is above the liquid. Blend the liquid until a large mass of bubbles rises to the top of the container. Allow the bubbles to rest for a couple of minutes. This is Manchego air.

Manchego Cream:

• 260 g Manchego Cheese
• 50 g Heavy Cream
• 1 g Xantham Gum

Heat the cream and cheese over medium heat until the cheese melts. Whisk the xantham gum into the cheese mixture.

Crispy Quinoa:

• 1 # Quinoa Grains
• 4 G Water
• 4 Qts. Corn Oil, To Fry
• Salt

Bring the water to a rapid boil in a large pot. Add four oz. of salt to the water. Add the quinoa to the water and let it boil until it is very soft, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.Strain the quinoa from the water and sparsely sprinkle it on several sheet pans. Make sure there are no clumps of quinoa when you sprinkle it. Allow the sheet pans to sit out in a well ventilated area at room temperature for four or five days, or until the quinoa grains are completely dried. Heat the corn oil until almost smoking and fry the quinoa, one handful at a time. Remove the quinoa with a fine mesh skimmer immediately once it rises to the surface of the oil. Place the fried quinoa on a dry towel to absorb the excess oil and allow it to cool. Season the fried quinoa grains with salt.

Basil Oil:

• 4 oz. Basil Leaves
• 4 oz. Corn Oil
• Salt

Bring one gallon of water to a boil. Add the basil leaves to the water and allow them to boil for 10 seconds. Drain the basil leaves from the water and put directly into a prepared ice bath. Remove the basil leaves form the ice bath and dry them well with a towel. Place the basil and oil into a blender and blend on high speed just until smooth. Season the oil with salt to taste. Strain the basil oil through a chinois or cheesecloth and hold it, covered with plastic wrap, in a refrigerator.

Corriander Spiced Fish with chili shitake, Chive Biscuits and cucumber cumin raita

Jehangir Mehta (Graffiti)
Beth Triner (Spectrum Healthcare Resources)

Corriander Spiced Fish

• 1 tsp crushed Corriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 4 fillets of fish

Mix all the spices with the oil and marinate the fish for at least 20 minutes. In a hot non stick pan, pour 1/2 tsp olive oil and saute fish on both sides.

Chili Shitake

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 green chili sliced
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms sliced
• 2 tblsp Coconut flour

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, followed by chili add the mushrooms, saute season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Take 1/3 cup of cold water and mix coconut flour. Pour in a hot pan and whisk for 2 -3 minutes, add the mushrooms and heat for 30 seconds.

Chive Biscuits (9 Biscuits)

• 1/2 pound bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 sticks butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 325º F. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and butter to a standing mixer and run with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed. Once the ingredients are well mixed, add the cream, eggs, chives, and baking powder. Let the mixer run for about 15 more seconds until the mixture has a dough-like consistency. Roll out the dough until it is about 1 inch thick, and then cut it into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake until light golden, about 7 minutes.

Cucumber Cumin Raita

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbslp grapeseed oil
• 1 tblsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup grated cucumber

Whisk yogurt with salt. Heat oil, add the cumin seeds, switch off after 15 seconds. Add this to the yogurt and whisk. Add the grated cucumber and chill.

Ginger Chicken with Broccoli

Jim McCurley (PF Chang's China Bistro)
Pam Brown (USA Weekend)
Benny Kerzner (Children's National Medical Center)

Marinade for chicken slices

• 16 oz chicken breast sliced
• 2 eggs
• 2 TB cornstarch
• 2 TB vegetable oil
• 1/4 Tspn white pepper
• 1/4 Tspn salt
• Combine ingredients and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Sauce

• 1/2 cup wheat free soy sauce
• 2 TB rice vinegar
• 2 TB sugar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• combine ingredients and set aside

Vegetables and Aromatics

• 2 TB minced Ginger
• 2 TB minced Scallions
• 1 Tspn minced Garlic
• 1/2 pound Broccoli trimmed to 2"-3" floweret’s

Finishing Touches

• 4 TB dry cornstarch dissolved in 8 TB cold water.
• Pure Sesame Oil.

Procedure:
In a seasoned wok place 1 1/2 pints of chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil then down to a simmer. Carefully place marinated chicken slices into the simmering liquid. Carefully separate with a pair of chop stick to cook evenly about 2/3 of the way (app. 2-3 minutes) Remove chicken from liquid and drain. At this point you can either cook the broccoli until “tender crisp" in the liquid you cooked the chicken in or steam the broccoli until “tender crisp" in a bamboo or metal steamer. Assemble cooked broccoli in a ring pattern onto your serving plate. Keep warm. Drain liquid from wok, clean thoroughly and heat 3 TB. Of vegetable oil in the bottom. Stir-fry the ginger scallions and garlic on medium heat until the flavors and aromas are released, about 5 to 8 seconds. Add sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked chicken back in while stirring and cooking until tender and cooked through about 2-3 minutes. *Always use an internal thermometer to attain a temperature of 165 F° and higher for poultry. While sauce is simmering add in half of the cornstarch mixture to thicken cook briefly and check consistency sauce should coat the back of a spoon. You can add more cornstarch mixture is needed.Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if needed.Drizzle with 1 Tsp. of sesame oil and pour chicken with sauce into the center of the broccoli ring. Serve with Steamed White or Brown Rice or Noodles.

BAKE PECAN CRUSTED SEA BASS & CITRUS PEACH CREAM SAUCE WITH BROWN AND SUNDRIED FIGS

Ingredients (for peach sauce)

• 3 ea whole fresh peaches
• 1 qt heavy cream
• Tsp fresh chopped ginger
• Tsp fresh chopped basil
• Sea salt
• 3 whole fresh lemons
• 1 whole medium white onion
• Olive oil
• Dry sherry
• White pepper

Preparation:
Wash peaches cut in half and remove seed, dice peaches in half inches pieces and place in bowl. Cut 1 whole lemon and squeeze juice over peaches and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Add fresh chopped ginger, basil, dice onions and 3oz dry sherry. Mix ingredients and let marinate for about 20 minutes.

Put 2tbsp of olive oil in skillet or small pot on medium heat until oil is hot. Add all ingredients from bowl to pot and let simmer for about 5minutes before adding 1 quart of heavy cream. Let sauce simmer slowly until lightly thicken, remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a fine sieve and keep warm until ready to serve.

Brown rice with dried fig

• 1# Brown rice
• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1/2 # dice dried fig
• I whole dice onions
• Sea salt
• Chicken broth
• Fresh basil
• Parsleys
• Olive oil
• Chopped ginger
• 1 Medium whole red bell pepper

Preparation:
Dice onions ½ inch and sauté in small pot with chopped ginger, basil and fresh garlic. When onions are brown add chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Add brown rice and let cook until I rice is done. Add chopped fig and stir in with chopped parsley and finely diced red bell peppers. Keep warm until ready to serve.

SEARED PECAN CRUSTED SEABASS

• 6ea Sea bass 5oz boneless, skinless
• 6 oz crushed roasted pecan
• 4oz Almond meal flour
• 3 ea fresh limes
• Sea salt
• Olive oil
• Fresh ginger
• White pepper
• 2ea fresh whole garlic

Preparation:
Marinate sea bass in a bowl with, chopped ginger, garlic, basil, salt & pepper, olive oil and 2 fresh squeezed limes. Let marinate for about 30 minutes, dust fish lightly with almond meal flour and place on non-stick baking pan. Put crushed pecan in a bowl and add 1 tsp of olive oil and mix together until nut is completely moist. Press nut on top of the fish and place fish in oven at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes.

When fish is completed serve with brown rice and peach sauce with vegetables of your liking.