This is a great article written by my Friend Andrea Ferguson from Life Designs Fitness and Nutrition. My wife just finished doing a webinar with Andrea and found it very informative and practical. We are now on a great nutritional path weekly and the family loves the variety.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to prepare a simple healthy meal where all members of the family come willingly to the table, sit still, eat, enjoy the meal and then appreciate your effort?   This can be your reality more easily than you think! The issue at hand is that many parents give children the wrong kind of decision making power around food and eating which leads to mealtime battles, a small list of “acceptable” foods and ultimately a disdain for cooking and feeding.  If you want to be able to put together healthy meals that all members of the family will eat then you need to get organized and possibly adjust your way of thinking.  Here’s what to do:

1. Put together a weekly healthy meal plan. (or at least a week’s worth of the meal you find most challenging to prepare)

2. Be considerate but don’t cater

3. Create an appropriate division of responsibility between parents and children
Parents are responsible for

4. Create an alliance with your partner

The New Smoker

Well i thought this long weekend was the perfect opportunity to light up my new smoker ( Napoleon Apollo) for a test run. As it turned out it is not as easy as i thought it would be. I felt like i was watching over a sick child ( which i had 2 of this weekend)

Getting Started

I was constantly worried about internal temperatures and making sure there was enough fuel and that it would last through the night. First off i started by rubbing the pork with a special spice rub i created 2 days in advance. Then on Friday afternoon i took the pork out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Next up was prepping the smoker, i lined the bottom coal area in tinfoil and wrapped the water pan in tinfoil as well. I filled the starter chimney with fuel and got it going. While the chimney was heating up i filled the basket with extra fuel and was set to go. Once the coals were hot and glowing i added them to the basket, put the pork on the wire rack with a thermometer and closed up the smoker to get to temperature.

Overnight

I was amazed at how quickly it reached 225 degrees but then magically it just stayed there for several hours. Once the smoker had reached its proper temperature i added a few chances of hard smoking wood to add a little bit smoke flavour to the pork. Now it was just a matter of monitoring the temperature and fuel, except it was 11.30pm and time for bed so with lots of fuel off to bed i went.

The Finished Pork

Well my nervous unconscious woke me up to go check and sure enough the fuel was almost out and the temp. was dropping . At 4.30 in the A.M. i decided not to wake the neighbours with a bonfire of coals and hung on till 7am. The smoker was cooling quite a bit and so was the pork. Once the fuel was fired up again everything went back to normal and 5 hours later the pork was done. I removed the pork wrapped it in tin foil and placed them in a small cooler to rest until dinner. Well man oh man was it amazing, true BBQ pulled pork! Now just need to learn how to manage the fuel better and on to the new smoke. Maybe do up some ribs and whole chicken.

Grilled Sockeye Salmon with BBQ Sauce

Grilled Sockeye with BBQ Sauce

4 – 6oz portions fresh boneless, skinless Sockeye Salmon
Sea Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Vegetable oil
BBQ Sauce
Chiliwack corn on the cob
Dan Close Food Concepts Wild Rice Salad
Heirloom Tomatoes sliced ¼ inch thick

Preheat BBQ to 500 degrees

1. Brush salmon portions with oil and season with salt and pepper

2. Once BBQ is pre-heated season the grill with oil to prevent sticking

3. Just before placing the salmon on the BBQ turn down the heat to medium on one side of the BBQ to help prevent flair ups.

4. Place salmon portions on the BBQ with the lower heat, skin side up (I know it is skinless)

5. Cook salmon approximately 2.5-3mins

6. Turn salmon over and grill another 2.5-3 mins

7. Turn salmon over again, now across original grill marks for 2.5-3mins

8. Do the same thing as above and brush salmon with the BBQ Sauce

9. Remove salmon when preferred doneness is achieved

10. Brush salmon another time with BBQ sauce just before serving

11. Serve salmon with fresh boiled or grilled corn on the cob, wild rice salad and tomato slices.

This is what Baby Vibe had to say about us!

Moroccan Tagine

Dan Close Food Concepts

Dan Close, a dad, chef and former product development chef for Cactus Restaurants, started Dan Close Food Concepts, an innovative and convenient line of boil-in the bag, ready-in-half-an-hour meals. All meals are made with local, fresh and sustainable ingredients.

Why we like it

Recently, this babyvibe mom was fortunate to receive a large sample of dinners from Dan Close. At first, I didn’t want to cook any of the meals as I wanted to save it for a ‘real emergency’ – when it’s meltdown central and there’s nothing to cook for supper. However, that seems to be a regular occurrence at this household so waiting was not necessary. Needless to say, the meals from Dan Close came in handy multiple times.

Each meal is individually packaged and frozen in BPA-free bags, and all you need to do is pop the package in a pot of boiling water. Wait a few minutes. Serve and eat. It’s that simple.

As someone with many food intolerances, including gluten and dairy, Dan Close was able to offer many options. Hands down, my favourite was the turkey chili accompanied by the organic roasted root vegetables.

The best thing about these meals is the quality. You feel as though you are eating a meal that would be served in a fine dining restaurant yet you don’t have to leave home. As a mom, it’s a true treat to be able to enjoy a scrumptious meal that’s ready in minutes and requires very little effort on your part.

Convenient, healthy and remarkably delicious, meals from Dan Close Food Concepts make for an excellent gift for new parents, who don’t have time to cook, a newly married couple, for grandparents, and more.

Where to find it

Dan Close Food Concepts delivers throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Check it out at www.danclose.com.

Special offer: just for you, receive 20 per cent off your first order. Simply use coupon code vibe20.

Not Quite South Surrey

Dan’s food is preservative-free and locally sourced. His products are sustainable, using the highest quality ingredients and the skill of a Certified Red Seal Chef to create delicious and convenient meals for you to enjoy.

The meals are reasonably priced compared to take-out food and other ready-to-eat products. We wouldn’t eat this way every night, but it’s certainly worth having some meals on hand for busy evenings when you just don’t have time to cook.

To view to entire article click Here.

Another great article about DCFC this time from Yoyomama.

You know when a friend has a baby and your plan is to make her some meals to freeze and pull out when needed? But you’ve got kids too. Somehow, you can never quite pull it off. Well, now you can get the glory of providing the food without having to actually, you know, cook it — or even deliver it. All thanks to Dan Close Food Concepts.

This line of frozen, boil-in-the-BPA-free-bag (stay with us here…), ready in half-an-hour, gourmet entrees and sides are made from sustainable, healthy, locally sourced, and organic ingredients. And they’re delivered right to your door all around Greater Vancouver.

The creation of local chef, dad, golfer and triathlete, Dan Close, the menu includes everything from Yellow Thai Chicken Curry, to Braised Short Ribs, to Roasted Root Veggies, to Ratatouille. We’ve tried a handful of the dishes and they’ve all been delicious and satisfying. Each meat dish (about $13) serves one, but the sides (about $8) serve two. So if you like beef, your significant other prefers salmon, and you both like Wild Rice Salad, you’re all set. Plus, you can find a full ingredient list for each item online, which is handy for those with allergies or sensitivities.

And because cooking is simply boil-in-the-bag, you gain 30 minutes to knock something off your never-ending to-do list. While we wish plastic wasn’t involved, the bags are BPA-free and CFIA approved. And because the packaging is light, Dan can keep his food prices lower. Admittedly, we have yet to master getting the food out the bag without burning our fingers, but we’re avidly practicing.

We think a freezer full of Dan’s creations would make a great Mothers’ Day present, a thoughtful gift for new families, or a pick-me-up for someone who’s under the weather. And while you’re stocking others’ freezers, don’t forget to snag a few for yourself — your to-do list will thank you.

Well it seems i have recovered from my crazy month of catering and the subsequent cold i got. Here are some pictures from the two 8 course dinners i did.

The Room Is Ready!

1st Course

The Soup

Oysters

Pheasant Breast

Lobster Fondue

The Main Course

OMG Chocolate!!

The Finish

As a chef for over 5 years now, I’ve moved from one supplier to another in search of something that would fulfill my criteria for “quality” food. “Quality” for me means having a flavorful taste, good nutritional value, visually appealing, affordable, all natural, and locally sourced.

New Supplier

Very recently, I’ve been on the lookout for a beef supplier. I have come across a couple of them but eventually found one that I believe is the perfect match for Dan Close Food Concepts’ philosophy, Spring Creek Ranch.One of my suppliers suggested them to me, and a local higher-end grocery store carries their product so I knew there must be something special about what they offer.So why is their product so special? What particularly piqued my interest for Spring Creek Ranch beef is the guarantee that their cows are given all natural feed and no antibiotics, hormones or steroids ever.To ensure that all our meat products are of the same standard, I also switched to a new supplier for our chicken. More to come from them on a future blog entry!

The Price for Quality

I always believe that if you want quality, you have to pay for it. You simply cannot expect premium service at a small price. Although I pay about 20% more than the previous – or should I say “conventional” – beef, the quality of SCR beef undeniably outweighs its price tag.
With this new change, there will be a very slight increase with my beef-based menu. My braised short ribs will increase from $13 to $14 but you can be assured that the beef we offer is top of the line.

Going for the Natural Ingredient!

A lot of our meats today are loaded with hormones, additives that dilute the original taste or flavor of the food we eat. Spring Creek Ranch’s beef seems to taste cleaner and more natural, if that makes sense. But the real importance is, there are no additives. Their beef products are natural:

• Naturally raised
• Antibiotic and hormone free
• Pure grain fed
• Based on superior genetics
• Graded for quality
• Produced with environmentally sustainable best practices
• Award winning and recognized nationally for product excellence
These characteristics make SCR beef even more compelling for DCFC to use in our menu.

Frozen Ingredients

Other than DCFC meals in our freezer, you will find:
• Bread
• Bulk protein:
Salmon, prawns, chicken, pork (shoulder)

• Soup, stocks:
Vegetable, chicken, demi-glace (preferably from The Stock Market in Granville Island)

• Frozen fruit:
Cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. This summer, we froze over 100lbs of fruit from the Okanagan and some local blueberries of course. These come in very handy for our ritual Sunday morning pancakes and smoothies.

• Ice cream:
A good quality vanilla ice cream goes with everything!

Fresh Ingredients

• Garlic
• Onions
• Shallots
• Fresh herbs:
Thyme, rosemary, chives, Italian parsley, basil
*Note: I never mentioned dried herbs because I very rarely use them. I much prefer the fresh variety.

• Produce:
Peppers, lettuce/mesclun greens, kale, Swiss chard, mushrooms, carrots, celery

• Butter:
Yes, butter. A little won’t kill ya!

• Fresh fruit:
Depending on the season of course. I am currently eating pears, apples, bananas, oranges with the occasional, “100 mile diet”-breaking mango, papaya, and pineapple.

Canned / Jarred Ingredients

• Tuna
• Tomatoes, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes
• Almond butter:
Or peanut butter if you prefer. I always have a jar of Marantha Almond Butter on hand.

• Pesto
• Olives
• Artichokes
• Beans:
Garbanzo, black, mixed, white navy, lentils, etc. These are great for when you just don’t have time for fresh.

Dry Ingredients

• Whole peppercorns
Try and find Telicherry or Malabar. These peppercorns are premium and full of robust flavour. They originate from the top portions of a peppercorn tree. If at all possible, freshly grind your peppercorns for maximum flavour.

• Nuts:
Almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, soy nuts, pecans, macadamias, etc. Any of these are fantastic for added flavour and crunch in a dinner time salad. Just remember to roast or toast the nuts first to bring out their best flavour.

• Seeds:
Pumpkin, sunflower and sesame.

• Spices:
Madras curry; garam masala; Cajun; pork, seafood & lamb rubs; cinnamon; nutmeg).

• Dried beans:
Black, pinto, red and garbanzo beans.

• Rice:
Basmati, jasmine, short grain brown, and Japanese.

• Dried fruit:
Apricots, raisins, cranberries, figs.

• Dried Mushrooms:
Porcini, shiitake, morel

• 2-3 Sugars:
Berry sugar,, Turbinado and a homemade vanilla sugar.