Notes from
Chef Briellen

To remove water from cooked pasta faster, try using a salad spinner.

To measure sticky foods such as honey, molasses or corn syrup, coat your measuring spoon lightly with cooking oil.

Chop herbs by rolling a pizza cutter back and forth a few times. Don’t use a knife, as it could bruise and darken the herbs.

To remove scales from a fish, wash it well in cold water and then place in a large plastic bag. Working inside the bag, scrape the skin of the fish with a knife as if you were shaving. The scales will fly off and remain in the bag.

Serve vegetables as soon as possible after harvest. Store in the refrigerator, with the exception of tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, garlic, onions and winter squash.

To beat egg whites, let the eggs sit at room temperature for about half an hour first. They’ll have more volume.

To keep fruit from turning brown, drop it in cold, lightly salted water immediately after peeling.

To remove capers or other foods from a narrow jar, use a melon baller or a pointed vegetable peeler.

When baking tomatoes, either whole or stuffed, use a muffin tin that’s been well coated with cooking oil spray. The tomatoes will retain their shape.

Complete menu  Vegetarian menu  
Low fat menu   Weekly Menu

SAMPLE MENU

Poultry:

Roast Cornish Game Hens With Fresh Vegetables
A Japanese style roasted Cornish game hen basted with a lemon juice soy sauce mixture. Accompanied by sautéed fresh green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, and shredded carrots. Goes great with rice or Asian noodles.

Baked Parmesan Chicken Served with White Beans with Tomatoes and Spinach
A Parmesan and breadcrumb encrusted moist chicken breast baked in the oven. Served with a mixture of cannelloni beans, grape tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and fresh baby spinach all sautéed with shallots in olive oil.

Seafood:

Baked Flounder and Vegetables Served over Rice
A flounder fillet baked with sliced onions, zucchini, green bell pepper, and chopped tomatoes with a mixture of sherry and lemon juice topped with Parmesan cheese.

Cashew Fish Fillets with Home Made Tartar Sauce.
(Served with buttered steamed new potatoes and a fresh garden salad)
A Sole fillet dipped in Romano cheese and topped with chopped cashew nuts and baked in the oven

Pasta:

Marinara Sicilia Served with a Caesar Salad
An olive oil, pancetta and tomato sauce with fresh oregano and basil, tossed with penne pasta. Served with my homemade Caesar salad and croutons.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna with Garlic Bread and Sautéed Garlic Broccolini
A wild mushroom tomato sauce layered between lasagna noodles and a béchamel sauce topped with Parmesan cheese.

Pork:

Rosemary Pork Roast Served with Garlic Mashed Potato and Steamed Broccoli
A pork roast braised in milk with fresh rosemary and topped with a reduction of the milk.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Warm Cornbread and Creamed Spinach
Thinly sliced pork tenderloin braised in a tangy BBQ sauce eaten alone or on a crusty bun.

Complete menu   Vegetarian menu  
Low fat menu   Weekly Menu