Cooking up [in] a storm
Ingredients might be limited during a storm, but the chefs from this year’s Rising Chef of the Year competition prove meals can still be delicious — even without electricity to make them.
Lifestyle got chefs from the upcoming Bermuda Hospitality Institute event to weigh in on how they would spice up regular household ingredients.
Chef Nilesh Naik at The Reefs, explained how to transform a can of mixed beans into a salsa.
“To make canned beans salsa for this hurricane, I would use a tin of canned mixed beans, add in a diced tomato, chopped onion, fresh cilantro and diced mixed pepper,” he said. “To that mix I would just add salt and olive oil to get it to the desired taste and consistency.
“You could also make a tuna sandwich with the regular ingredients like canned tuna and mayonnaise, but to spice it up a bit I would add green pepper, chopped parsley, salt and crushed pepper. You just simply slice the bread, add the tuna mixture and top it with lettuce and a tomato slice to make a sandwich.”
Chef David Ndungi, also at The Reefs, said his go-to hurricane meal was Cajun-flavoured chicken with Brussels sprouts, mixed beans and chestnuts.
“It’s a food that is protein- and calorie-rich to maintain energy and strength,” he explained. “It’s a nice balanced [meal] and quite healthy but please note to avoid salted chestnuts as this will make you thirsty.”
Chef Janelle Williams, of Docksider Pub and Restaurant, said she’d be making use of a bounty of avocados, courtesy of Tropical Storm Fay.
“I’m thinking avocado soup,” she said. “I have propane and a portable gas stove — even with the bare minimum my friends and myself will be eating [well] during the approaching storm.”
Chef Christopher Totah of Faimont Southampton recommended a homemade tuna salad with cheddar cheese.
Chef Ruban Santhakumar of Grotto Bay Beach Resort shared his recipe for a tuna Gonzalo sandwich.
*Bermuda’s Rising Chef of the Year Competition, hosted by Bermuda Hospitality Institute, is due to start on Monday. For more information on the event visit www.bhi.bm
Cajun-flavoured Chicken with Brussels Sprouts, Mixed Beans and Chestnuts
Ingredients
200g can whole roasted chestnuts, crushed; 50z can Hormel fat-free chicken breast; 100g can mixed beans; 100g can Brussels sprouts, halved; 2 tbs olive oil
Method
Open all cans using a can opener. Drain all excess liquid. Chop up the chicken into desired size and put in a mixing bowl. Using a spoon, add the desired amount of mixed beans into it then serve onto a plate. Place the halved brussels sprouts round the chicken and bean mixture and some on top. Lastly, sprinkle the crushed chestnuts and drizzle the olive oil.
Avocado Soup
Ingredients
3 tbs olive oil; About three or four fresh basil leaves; 1 cup diced white onion; 2 garlic cloves, minced; Salt, for seasoning, plus 1 tsp; 4 firm ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and mashed; 4 cups chicken broth; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (four pinches); 2 cups water; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat 2 tbs of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, basil, and garlic and sauté until soft — about two-three minutes. Season with salt, to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Put the avocados in a large bowl. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cilantro, onion/garlic/herb mixture, and water. Add, to a blender and purée until smooth, straining each batch of purée into a large bowl. Stir in the salt and the pepper, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled — about three hours. The soup can be served cold or at room temperature.
Tuna Gonzalo Sandwich
Ingredients
100g canned tuna; 20g iceberg lettuce; 50g cream cheese; 20g mayonnaise; Pinch of pepper; 1 tomato; 1 bell pepper; 1 red onion; 1/2 tsp grain mustard; 1 wedge of lemon; 1/4 bunch coriander leaves; 1 loaf of white bread
Method
Remove the tuna from brine and strain and squeeze. Take a bowl, add cream cheese and mayonnaise and mix well with pepper and lemon juice. In another bowl, add the tuna, chopped iceberg lettuce, onion, bell peppers, mustard and chopped coriander and then add the mixture of mayonnaise. Incorporate well, then take slice of bread spread the tuna mixture evenly then cover the tuna with another slice of bread. Presto! A ready-made sandwich without electricity or gas.
