Vancouver Personal Chef Drew Cooks! Seared Ahi Tuna Salad from Drew Munro on Vimeo.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

- one 8oz sashimi grade ahi tuna filet
- 2 medium yams, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1/4 cup sauce
- lemon juice
- balsamic reduction
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper
- 2 large belgian endive
- 1 cup organic pea greens

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat and add in chopped yams. Season and saute for 5-6 minutes or until slightly browned. Transfer to the oven and finish baking for 10-12 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, add in the quarter cup soy sauce and juice from one lemon. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce to about 1.5 tbsp, about 7-9 minutes.

Season Ahi with salt and pepper. In a large very hot saute pan, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp of butter. Place ahi in the pan and saute for 1 minute per side, until just seared and slightly browned. Transfer to a plate and let rest.

To plate:

Take a basting brush, and paint a stripe of the soy lemon reduction across the plate. Using a ring mold, layer in some of the roasted yams, then the peppers, then the avocado. Remove the ring mold. Slice the endive in half, then slice into small half rounds. Toss with pea greens, lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt, and then place a portion on top of your salad.

Slice the ahi into small triangles and arrange 2-3 small pieces on the strip of soy lemon reduction. To finish, drizzle around the salad with balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil!

This is a beautiful and unique dish that isn’t too hard to pull together and will be sure to impress your guests! Enjoy!

Vancouver Personal Chef Drew Cooks! Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Orzo from Drew Munro on Vimeo.

Recipe:

Ingredients: (serves 4)

For roasted tomato rosé:

- 3 medium vine ripened tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- salt, pepper , e.v. olive oil

Method:
Set oven to broil. Arrange tomatoes in a thin layer on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Broil for approximately 12 minutes or until slightly charred. In a medium sauce pan, combine butter and flour until evenly incorporated, and then whisk in milk, stirring until thickened, about 2-3 mins. Reduce heat to simmer, add in tomatoes and puree with an immersion blender or regular blender for a smooth sauce. Set aside.

For the Wild Mushroom Orzo

Ingredients:
– 2.5 cups uncooked orzo
– 4 shallots, sliced thinly
– 1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
– 2 tbsp marscapone cheese
– salt and pepper

Method:

Boil water in a medium sauce pan, season liberally with salt and add in orzo.
While orzo is cooking, in a sauté pan heated with olive oil, cook the shallots and oyster mushrooms until browned, and set aside. Drain orzo and return to pan off the heat. Stir in the marscapone cheese, and the oyster mushroom mix, reserving 1 tsp to garnish each plate. Stir until evenly mixed.

For pork tenderloin:
– 1 small pork tenderloin, cut in half
– 1 tsp butter
– 1 tsp olive oil
– salt and pepper

Remove any silverskin or excess fat from the tenderloin and season liberally with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat a large sauté pan over med-high heat and add in the olive oil and butter. When pan is hot, add in the pork tenderloin, searing both sides until caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Finish in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your tenderloin, until cooked through.

To plate:

Using a ring mold, spoon 3-4 tbsp of the orzo mixture into the center of each plate and using a squeeze bottle or a small spoon, drizzle sauce around the edge of the mold. Remove mold and you should have a lovely little puck holding its shape.

Slice 3 small medallions of pork and arrange on top of the orzo. Top with the reserved caramelized shallot and mushroom mixture and garnish with fresh chives or flatleaf parsley, serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Last time we wrote about the immersion blender, the ever-handy blending, pureeing, and food processing tool. Did you try any of the recipes we recommended? If you missed the action, check that post out here.

Today’s must-have kitchen tool is…

SILPAT Silicone Baking Sheets

Made in France (which is boldly stamped across the entire product; only the French), SILPAT has the distinction of being the most popular non-stick baking item ever invented. Made from a combination of food grade silicone and fiberglass, it is the ultimate non-stick surface for baking, pastries and even sugar-work.

Countless chefs list this product as a must-have tool for their recipes, including Thomas Keller’s “The French Laundry Cookbook”.

They are built to last even after being used thousands of times with regular care, and not only will they work better than parchment or wax paper, it’s easier on the environment as well. Think of how many rolls you’d save over the course of owning one.

They aren’t cheap, expect to pay $25-$30 for a regular sized baking tray SILPAT, but investing in high quality cookware and accessories is always a good idea.

Here is my favorite quick recipe that I use my SILPAT for regularily.

Parmiggiano Reggiano “Chips”

Ingredients:

1 cup finely grated parmiggiano reggiano cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 F
Line baking sheet with SILPAT. Using a ring mold or any other shape (I have a star shape that looks cool) Spoon about 1 tbsp of the grated cheese into the mold to create a thin layer over the bottom. Repeat this until the cheese is gone. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. You will have about a dozen crispy “chips”, use to garnish pastas, salads or meat dishes.