While I would never say don’t go out on Valentine’s Day, I hesitate to recommend it because
1) It’s requires reservations
2) The price can be downright prohibitive
3) The environment is often off-putting and makes the romance of the situation to be more regimented than spontaneous.
If there is anything that kills romance fast, it’s a lack of spontaneity! Turn to doing something more personal– like cooking dinner at your place or your partner, date or friends. What might be more fun is to partner up with a couple or two and give them the basic menu and ask them what they would like to cook. If you are in charge of the main course, you can’t go wrong with Chef Eric’s menus and recipes!
There are a choice of three recipes here: ahi, chicken, and steak. None is really very hard to make. Chef Eric has broken each recipe down into steps that almost anyone can accomplish. He’s that great and nothing is impossible (unless you don’t know how to boil water and don’t have the tools necessary to make any of these things)
Seared Spiced Tuna Filet with Sesame Dressing over Julienned Lettuce with Brown Rice and Edamame
Yield: 1 Serving
Tuna filet, sushi grade and trimmed 4 ounces
Mustard seeds, crushed 1 Tablespoon
Coriander seeds, crushed 1 Tablespoon
Cumin seeds, crushed 1 Tablespoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
Method:
1. Heat a heavy sauté or cast iron pan until very hot.
2. Coat filet with spices, salt and pepper.
Sear for one minute on each side for very rare. Serve with sesame dressing and brown rice and edamame.
Sesame Dressing with Julienned Lettuce
Yield: 3/4 Cup
Oil, vegetable 3/4 cup
Sesame seeds, toasted 2 Tablespoons
Scallions, sliced 1 each
Ginger, peeled and minced 1 Tablespoon
Garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil 2 teaspoons
Soy sauce 2 teaspoons
Pepper 1 teaspoon
Romaine Lettuce, Julienne 4 large leaves
Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients except the oils and lettuce in a processor or bowl.
Slowly add the vegetable oil while processing or whipping.
Add the sesame oil. Season to taste with pepper and more soy sauce, if needed.
2. Place the lettuce in a medium bowl and add enough dressing to coat the lettuce. Set aside.
Brown Rice and Edamame
Yield: 2 Servings
Brown rice 1 cup
Chicken or vegetable stock or broth 2 ½ cups
Garlic clove, peeled and split 1 each
Salt and pepper to taste
Edamame, frozen and shelled 1 pkg
Soy sauce to taste
Method:
1. For the rice, bring the stock to a boil in a one quart pot with a tight fitting lid. Once the liquid is boiling, add the rice and garlic clove. Stir rice once or twice and wait for the stock to begin boiling.
2. Place the rice on the lowest possible heat and cover for 45 minutes.
3. Fluff rice with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For the edamame, bring 1 quart of salted water to a boil.
Add the frozen edamame and boil for 5 minutes. ”
Drain through a colander.
Place drained beans in a bowl and season with soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos.
To Serve:
Mound a spoonful of rice on a plate.
Top with a small handful of lettuce.
Lay 3-4 slices of tuna around the rice and drizzle with additional dressing.
Serve.
Looks so yummy! WAIT!! There’s a lot more to come!
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Prosciutto, Spinach and Boursin Cheese
Yield: 4 Servings
Baby Spinach 5 ounces
Boneless Chicken Breasts, pounded thin 4 breasts
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Dill, chopped 1 teaspoon
Proscuitto 3-4 ounces
Boursin Cheese, cut into 5 pieces 5 ounces
Flour 1/4 cup
Olive oil 2 Tablespoons
White wine 1/2 cup
Chicken Stock or Broth 1/2 cup
Cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon
Water 1 Tablespoon
Method:
1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large skillet until hot to the touch. Add the spinach and cook over high heat until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a paper towel lined tray and let cool slightly. Press out as much liquid as possible.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with dill. Place 2 slices of proscuitto on each breast. Top the proscuitto with the spinach and 1 piece of Boursin cheese. Roll the cutlets up lengthwise and secure the cutlets with 3 toothpicks. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off the excess flour.
3. Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the chicken and cook over high heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the wine and stock to the skillet. Cover the skillet and place in the oven.
4. Bake the cutlets for about 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter and remove the toothpicks.
5. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and whip over high heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and whip until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Crunchy Citrus Strip Loin Steak with Garlic, Soy Sauce and Sake
Yield: 4 Servings
Strip loin steak, cut into thin slices 1 ½ pounds
Soy Sauce 2 teaspoons
Fish Sauce 2 teaspoons
Garlic clove, crushed 1 clove
Vegetable Oil 2 cups
Cornstarch 3 Tablespoons
Brown sugar 6 Tablespoons
Cornstarch 1 teaspoon
Soy Sauce 1/3 cup
Sake 1/3 cup
Zest from one orange/ Juice from one orange
Method:
1. Slice the steak and place in a medium bowl. In the same bowl, add 1 teaspoon each soy sauce and fish sauce. Add the crushed garlic and stir to coat the meat. Refrigerate for 15 – 30 minutes.
2. While the steak is marinating, make the sauce by combining 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup sake and orange juice in a small bowl. Blend well and pour into a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Once the sauce has reached a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Take the sauce off of the heat and set aside.
4. When ready to cook the beef, drain the meat on paper towels. Heat the 2 cups of oil in a wok or skillet. Place the 2 Tablespoons of the cornstarch in a bowl and add the meat. Stir to coat the meat slices in the cornstarch. Shake off the excess cornstarch and fry the meat in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain the meat on paper towels.
5. When ready to serve, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet. When hot, add the beef and orange zest, stirring to combine. Remove the beef to a serving dish and pour the hot sauce over the beef. Serve with rice pilaf and stir-fried broccoli.
I think these are all yummy dishes and won’t be terribly complicated if you take your time to do them slowly. Break it down and do your prep first and then putting the elements together for a dish is so fast and easy! Thanks to Chef Eric for such awesome recipes!
Want to take cooking classes from Chef Eric at the Culinary Classroom? Here’s all the 411 you need to have!
About Chef Eric
Chef Eric Crowley graduated with honors from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After traveling abroad to master European cooking techniques, Chef Eric returned to the US and landed a prominent position at Patina Catering, of the renowned Patina Restaurant Group. With his experience and training, and his innate passion for cooking, Chef Eric seeks to help others develop their cooking skills and gain confidence through the culinary arts.
Chef Eric and the Culinary Classroom have been featured in, and on, major media outlets that include E! Entertainment, KCAL 9, NBC Channel 4 Los Angeles, Good Day LA, BET, Los Angeles Business Journal and many others.
For more information on Chef Eric, visit culinaryclassroom.com.
For more about cooking classes: http://culinaryclassroom.com/
www.facebook.com/chefericsculinaryclassroom –
www.twitter.com/chefericcrowley
cheferic@culinaryclassroom.com
2366 Pelham Avenue – Los Angeles, CA 90064 – Phone: 310-470-2640 – Fax: 310-470-2642
CherEric@CulinaryClassroom.com
2366 Pelham Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90064
2366 PELHAM AVENUE – LOS ANGELES, CA 90064
PHONE: 310-470-2640 – FAX: 310-470-2642
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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omg, i love how PRETTY all these dishes look! if mine turned out that lovely i would cook at home every night, promise!:-)
happy valentine’s day, stevie! xoxo!
Hey Jess I love what Chef Eric has accomplished here. He has amazing videos on youtube as well as has classes to teach people how to do this. LOVE that!