Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Takin' what their giving, cuz I'm cooking for a living (again!)

Hello All,
Well it looks like Mommy Chef has fallen booty backward into a new and very rewarding career. I recently took over preparing a partial weeks worth of meals for a friend. I'll admit, I've toyed with this idea before but was always stumped with how to get started. Then, like a gift from the Gods, this gig was handed to me with all the parameters in place already.
So, what does this mean for you? Well, for starters, lots more blog posts. I'll be cooking up something different each week and will document these recipes here. Right now, my only client is vegetarian and trying to lose weight, so the blog will be heavily leaning in that direction for a while.
Next, I'm ready for more clients. So, if you or someone you know are interested in such a service, please contact me at Oliviacooksforyou@gmail.com . I can cook in any style, from Vegan to Southern Soul, Classic French to New American, and everything in between. Whenever possible I try to work with locally sourced ingredients. I'm also available for small parties and can help you with arrangements for larger parties.
You can feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions regarding the content of the blog or any other food related questions.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Mommy Chef (Olivia)

Roasted Vegetables and Herbed Tofu


Low Fat, Low Calorie Quiche? No way! WAY!



I was recently hired to provide low fat, low calorie meals for someone (more on this later). Now, I'm not a big soy person. I'm a lactose lover from way back. More cream? Yes, please. My little acorn didn't fall far from her tree either. She knows what side her bread is buttered on, and that's the side she eats first, but I digress. I cannibalized this recipe from another source and I was nervous about all the soy ingredients but I have to admit, it was quite delicious. I'm usually wary of recipes that try to replace "real" ingredients with processed, or "fake" versions but these replacements are wholesome. The basic mix makes a base into which you could put any favorite vegetable combination.


Mix together a cup of soy milk, 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, and 1/2 cup shredded soy mozzarella, a large pinch of salt and a good amount of freshly ground pepper.

Saute over medium heat in a non-stick pan in 1tsp of olive oil 1 medium onion, red or yellow, sliced thinly until soft.

Add in 1 large can of artichoke hearts, chopped roughly, with the liquid squeezed out, to the pan with a tsp of chopped tarragon

or

Sauteed sliced zucchini with 1tbsp of chopped fresh basil

or

1 cup of sauteed mushroom with 1tsp of chopped fresh thyme, drained of extra liquid.

or

Any combination you can dream up, as long as it doesn't give off too much liquid or can be drained.


After the vegetable and herb has been added into the pan continue to cook for a couple minutes, then pull the pan off the heat and let the contents cool for a bit. If there's any extra liquid, drain that off.

Pour the egg mixture into a 9" pie dish that is either non-stick or lightly coated in oil (you can use a spray for this) Add in the vegetable mixture and sprinkle another 1/4 cup of the shredded soy mozzarella over the top.


Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven. Pour some hot water on the baking sheet to create a water bath around the pie dish. Bake for around 45 minutes. If when finished cooking the top is not as brown as you would like, place the quiche briefly under the broiler.

Allow quiche to cool and then slice into 8 servings.

Believe it or not, each serving is only around 100-150 calories and makes a great breakfast or, with a salad, a yummy lunch.