Author: EASY RECIPES

Author :Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

Food Menu Pricing

Food menu pricing is an important aspect of restaurant management. can signcanificantly impact the profitability of a business. In order to set the right prices, several factors need to be taken into consideration including food costs, labor costs, overhead costs, and competition in the market.

Food costs refer to the actual ingredients used to prepare each menu item. This cost can vary depending on the quality of ingredients used, seasonality, and availability. In order to maintain profitability, most restaurants aim for a food cost percentage of between 25% and 35% of the menu price.

Labor costs refer to the cost associated with hiring and paying employees to prepare and serve the food. This includes wages, taxes, and benefits. In order to determine labor costs, a restaurant must first determine how many employees are needed and at what wage rate.

Overhead costs refer to all other expenses associated with running a restaurant including rent, utilities, marketing, and insurance. These costs can vary depending on the location and size of the establishment.

Finally, competition in the market must also be taken into consideration when setting menu prices. If a restaurant is located in an area with many competitors, it may need to price items lower in order to attract customers.

Once all of these factors have been considered, a restaurant can set its menu prices. It is important to strike a balance between profitability and affordability for customers. Pricing a menu too high can deter potential customers, while pricing it too low can make it difficult to maintain profitability.

In conclusion, food menu pricing is an essential aspect of restaurant management. By carefully considering food costs, labor costs, overhead costs, and competition in the market, a restaurant can set the right prices to ensure profitability without sacrificing customer satisfaction.

Author : Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

How D Restaurants Fail

running a restaurant is not easy task . add to that the fear of having a dying restaurant on  your hand , and you might lose your losemind trying  to juggle all of these responsibilities .below, we teach you how to read the signs a restaurant is failling.

We want to help you reach restaurant success by presenting the most common causes and symptoms of the failing restaurant syndrome.

1 .Bad Location

2 .Lack of Experience

3 .Hiring the Wrong People

Below , we tell you more about each of them, as well as other causes of failing restaurants.

1 . Bad Location

Location is serything when it comes to opening a restaurant you need to make sure it aligns with your restaurant concept.

2 . Lack of Experience

This goes for everybody but is particularly relevant for the owner who might work hard but doesn’t have the expertise required to own and manage a restaurant.not everybody can be a restaurant owner.

3 . Hiring the Wrong People

From a lack of skills to a bad attitude, your staffs behavior will reflect poorly on your restaurant when you hire people, look at soft skills too and offer them something more than just money. Employers nowadays appreciate filexibility.

4 . Bad staff management

The best managers are the people who have been in their employees shoes at some point in their lives. If you plan on managing the restaurant yourself, you need to be aware of the fact that you will be managing people with different skills ,which requires extensive experience. A lot of restaurant failure stories start with bad management.

5 . Subpar food quality

This is an apparent reason since food is the heart of your restaurant. There are many reasons why the food might not be the best, from not hiring the right cooks to cooking a dish so often that you’re just going through the motions and not paying attention to all the steps that made the recipe great in the first place. Always keep track of the quality of your dishes and taste them often to make sure they’re still good.

6 . Not Enough Capital

Your capital and how you choose to use it can make ir break a business .a lot of restaurant owners make the mistake of spending all their money on a fancy location.remember that you’ll have other costs as well when your running a restaurant.

7 . Lack of a Clear Vision

Having a fancy menu and an overall restaurant idea is not enough. restaurants shouldn’t lack a written mission statement to be at center of the business and to inspire both the staff and customer service.

Why do you want to open a restaurant ?

Because you want to get rich is not enough. Your mission statement should rely on emotions, sensations, and memories to create a story that will attract customers.

How to Save a Failing Restaurant

Now that you know what to look for in a Failing Restaurant , you might say, my restaurant is failing.

What do I do ? Here’s how to save a restaurant from closing by using these restaurant turnaround strategies.

1. Spruce up your menu

Striking a perfect balance with a menu is not easy. You don’t want to be too niche because you’re going to alienate people, but you don’t want to sell a little bit of everything either.

2 . Consider adjusting your opening hours

Have you ever wondered how to get more customers in your restaurant? One of the easiest to implement tips on how to save a Failing Restaurant is to tinker with your opening hours. You want to be open when customers are most likely to visit your restaurant .

3 . Use a table booking system

Table reservation systems that allow customers to book a table and order in advance can help you serve more clients every day and increase profits.

4 . Considesor refinancing

If you aren’t making enough money and you restaurant is struggling , you can go to a funding institution or a bank to ask for more fund.

5 . Decide whether the concept is worth the effort

sometimes, it’s better just to call it quits, cut your losses, and learn how to start a restaurant from scratch. start with a brand new idea rather than investing money into something that simply won’t work no matter how hard you try.

7 . Go through Customer Reviews

If your restaurant has a bad reputation, it’s probably due to online reviews, so staying on top of them is crucial. If you get a lot of bad customer service stories about your restaurant, find out what the issue is and tackle it. Don’t forget to reply to customer reviews and try to solve their problem to make it clear to them and other customers that you take their experience seriously.

8 . Rightsize Your Staff

You shouldn’t pay people for waiting around for a customer to enter the restaurant. If you have more servers than customers, cut costs by hiring just the right number.

Conclusion

Even though the success rate of restaurants can be discouraging, if owning a restaurant is your dream, don’t give up and implement these tips on how to save a Failing restaurant.

Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

Is an experienced in food and restaurant business ideas with a knack for tips for running a restaurant.

Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Dynamic Menu Pricing for Restaurants

Menu Pricing is one of the most underestimated aspects of restaurant management. If your customers don’t think the prices on your menu are reasonable, how great your concept or your food is won’t matter much. Therefore, restaurants must keep the menu at the heart of all restaurant operations and business plans.

Furthermore, while it is natural to want your prices to be on the higher end, being overly aggressive with your pricing structure can drive customers away. Whereas being too meek can cost you valuable profits.

What Is Dynamic Menu Pricing?

Dynamic pricing, also known as real-time pricing. Is a strategy where a product or services price fluctuates based on market demand, which means that when market prices alter, so does the product price. It is one of the most effective strategies for increasing market share, as it adjusts prices based on the customers Willingness to purchase the product.

The pricing strategy fundamental in sectors where demand fluctuates frequently and affects product availability and prices, such as hotels, restaurant’s, and travel agencies.

Similarly, ingredient prices vary not only from season to season but also from supplier. That is why you should keep an eye on the market and adjust your prices accordingly.

Here’s another example, if you have a popular item on your menu that your customers enjoy, you should try to make it profitable. That is, you should gradually raise the products price because it is valuable to consumers.

What Are The Advantages Of Using Dynamic Pricing?

Using Dynamic Pricing, restaurants can make changes in real-time, which can help them gain the upper hand over their competitors. Here are some more advantages of using a dynamic Menu Pricing strategy :

* Increases Sales: Generally, dynamic pricing models always look for the highest price the customer is willing to pay. However, you can also use the practice to reduce prices.

*  Maximize profits : Dynamic pricing is a tactic that one can use to increase profits when rivals are charging significantly more for the same goods or services.

* Better Inventory Management : Dynamic pricing provides indirect inventory control by providing discounted rates for overstocked products to reduce their quantities. The Strategy also let’s restaurant change higher prices for higher prices for highI-in-demand items and balance the supply chain while maximising revenue.

* Provides Insight Customer Behaviours : pricing makes calculating the demand curve for each consumer easier and more efficient. This curve shows the lowest and highest price a customer is willing to pay for a particular product or service.

Should you Consider Dynamic Menu Pricing For your Restaurant?

So yes, dynamic Menu Pricing is advantageous if your market is dynamic and price fluctuations are frequent. Here are some reasons why you should consider dynamic Menu Pricing for your restaurant :

* Enhance Flexibility : Restaurant’s experience peaks and off-peak periods at particular hours, days of the week, or even during particular seasons. A majority of restaurants are naturally able to adjust their menu Prices depending on these periods.

* Maximize Profits : As restaurants are limited, they aim to keep tables, occupied. Therefore, when it comes to pricing menu items during peak hours or better understand consumer demand and price accordingly.

* Increases Sales : Data-driven technological advancements may enable operators to pridict foot traffic and demand more efficiently.

Menu Pricing At Your Restaurant?

One of the many ways to implement dynamic pricing is by integrating it with sophisticated Pos software.

Here are some more tips on how to successfully implement dynamic Menu Pricing :

* Define Business Objective: Business objective includes more than just your restaurant’s pricing and marketing strategies.

* Determine Pricing Strategy : your pricing strategy transforms your business goal into a plan for how your team will market and sell products.

* State Pricing Rules : while the prices of your dishes may change, your pricing rules should remain consistent.

* Implement and Monitor : once you have everything on track, the last thing to do is important your pricing strategy. Once you market your menu’s pricing, monitor its impact properly. Then evaluate the monitored results, and make changes accordingly!

CONCLUSION

Dynamic pricing capitalizes on the markets natural ups and downs to help restaurants stabilize their price levels and maintain healthy margins.

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Author : Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

How to Cook With Fresh Herbs

Brighten up your meals with our helpful guide for cooking with fresh herbs

when summer arrives, it’s time to fire up the grill and load up on Picnic-basket favorites. But a good cook will tell you it’s also the best time to shelve that old jar of dried seasoning. Why? Fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro and thyme are at their peak freshness.

Herbs are an easy way to add life to dull dishes. As such ,they’re the secret weapon for many professional cooks. These tasty little plants add vitality to every bite. Toss some basil into a Caprese Salad or garnish tacos with fresh cilantro and your family might just start calling you chef.

Herbs came in a variety of forms and flavors, but deciding which to use can be tricky. Follow this helpful guide to learn the best uses for some of summer’s freshest ingredients :

BASIL

One of the more pepular herbs in the world ,basil has many varieties. Perhaps the most common are sweet basil ( italian) and Thai purple basil. Both are floral and clove-like, with powerful sweetness and a hint of pepper. Although most commonly associated with Mediterranean Cooking, basil is a fragrant companion to Asian and Indian foods.

CILANTRO

CILANTRO it’s known as the coriander leaf, cilantro is bright and refreshing with a zesty lemon flavor. Some find it ” soapy”, ( there’s a scientific reason why! ) The herb is a staple in Latin American and Asian cooking. Like most herbs, cilantro can be eaten raw or cooked, and it has the ability to bring the dullest sauces to life with its invigorating flavor profile.

PARSLEY

Parsley is perhaps the most versatile and popular herb in the world. It has a subtle flavor that adds freshness and bite. although the leaves hold the most flavor , the terms can be equally potent. use it to garnish a soup or toss with summer greens for a crisp salad.it also makes easy seasoning for stocks.

MINT

This cool, bright herb has a similar flavor profile to basil.though it’s most commonly associated with desserts, mint is a key player in savory dishes, such as this flavor-boosted shrimp and feta skillet. For a more traditional approach, use mint to garnish a fresh fruit or toss it into fresh lemonade.

ROSEMARY

Tough and woody, rosemary is a pungent herbal stalk that pairs best with full-flavored and robust meats. The leaves can be used fresh or dried.

THYME

A staple in French cooking and a key ingredient in herbs de provence, thyme is a pungent herb with a thin woody stem and tiny leaves are a romantic and floral with a strong but understated taste. for best results , strip the leaves from the stems and chop before use. Thyme is a classic addition to roast chicken but can also be used in breads, desserts, cocktails and so much more.

DILL

A bouquet of wispy, fragrant fronds, Dill weed is a tangy herb most commonly associated with Scandinavian and German cooking. it’s delicate strands boast a strong flavor of clean, fresh earthiness. it’s ideal for poultry and a complement to lemon, yogurt and seafood.

CHIVES

Often confused for green grass, chives are a garlicky relative of the onion. they have a bold yet refined flavor, making them one of the most versatile ingredients in a cooks arsenal.

H ow to Store Fresh Herbs

After purchasing a Burch of fresh herbs, wash and dry them thoroughly to remove any sand or dirt. Wrap the stems in a damp paper towel and place in a ziploc bag. The moisture from the paper towel will preserve the freshness and lifespan of these finicky little leaves for an extra few days.

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Author: Chef Ssentongo Geoffrey

How to Make a Marinade

Learn how to master the basic building blocks of a successful marinade.

A fantastic grilled dish, like grilled marinated Ribeyes, starts with a fantastic marinade but too many people begin with bottled sauces and dressings. The result: Every steak tastes the same. Why follow the crowd when it’s so easy to make your own marinade? There are three basic elements that go into a great marinade; once you know how they work together, you can create your own delicious blends for your own signature dishes.

The Secret to a Homemade Marinade

So , what are the basic elements ? Simple:

* Fat

* Acid

* Flavor

There’s also a fourth — sweetness — that gets it’s own separate honorable mention, but let’s start with those three.

FAT

For fat, read oil . You want your marinade to get on all the surfaces of your meat . Oil holds everything together, clings to the meat and ensures even coverage. Oil also becomes infused with the flavors that you add, so the flavors cover the entire cut of meat, even if the individual flavor elements clump.

When it comes to your oil, don’t be tempted to overspend. The appeal of most of the expensive oils is the delicacy of their flavor and that won’t stand up to the heat of the grill. Go with basic extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil or any of your choice.learn which oil is best for your next recipe.

ACID

Acid is One of the flavors the test experts use to take a dish from good to great.you can use vinegar, citrus juice, wine or dairy. Dairy is actually One of the only acids that will tenderize meat; otherwise, keep in mind that marinade is about flavor.

An acid —whether it’s lemon juice, balsamic vinegar,beer or sour cream, adds a bright , tangy note to your marinade. When mixing up the base, you’ll need about 3 parts oil to one part whatever acid you’re using, pretty much the same ratio as for a homemade vinaigrette.

FLAVOR

Seasonings and spices come next. It’s tempting to throw everything into a marinade, but too much spice can kill your dish. Choose a few central ingredients that will complement each other and enhance the flavor of whatever it is you’re marinating.

There are some food and spice pairings every cook should know.

When adding your seasonings, remember to go light on the salt.salt pulls out moisture from meat and poultry,and the longer it sits in a too-salty marinade,the more likely to have a dry piece of meat when you’re done.

SWEETNESS

You can also play around with sweetness, adding ingredients like honey, molasses or sugar. Sweet marinades can make a lovely crunchy, caramelized crust. Just remember that sweet will burn more quickly than not sweet, so keep an eye on your grill.

Directions

Making a marinade is simple.in a bowl, whisk your fat and acidic ingredients together. Add your choice of seasonings. Then, place your meat in a zip- top bag or airtight container, pour in the marinade and seal it up . Shake to coat all sides of the meat.place in the fridge until ready to grill.

How long to Marinate Different Meats?

Just like how the techniques for cooking different meats vary , so does the marinating time.

Chicken: For best flavor and texture, it’s recommended to marinate chicken for 5 to 6 hours.

Beef: Beef needs a bit longer. It’s recommended to marinate beef for 12 to 24 hours.

Lamb: marinate lamb for at least 6 hours and no more than that.

Pork: For best flavor and texture, marinate pork for 1 hour.

Tips on How to Make a Marinade

Once you’ve built your marinade, it’s pretty clear sailing. But there are also a few rules that you should remember.

Add Herbs

As with so many other cooking processes, fresh herbs are great for this, basil, mint, rosemary, sage. Choose an herb or herb mix that goes well with the meat you’re flavoring. Use a full handful, and chop it up to release the flavors.

Don’t Overdo it

Leaving a piece of meat in a marinade too long does not make it tender, it makes it mushy . Keep in mind the more acidic the marinade,the less time it should soak . vegetables shouldn’t be left to marinate for more than 30 minutes, and just 10 minutes will do it for fish and soft veggies like zucchini and summer squash.

Keep it cool

If you cooked your marinade ( not necessary,but sometimes it can help to blend the flavors) , let it cool before pouring it over your meat.

Do not keep your used marinade

This is important. once your meat is done soaking in a marinade, throw that marinade away it is not safe to use. When you first make the marinade, divide it in half and save half to use for basting or making a pan sauce.

Also, Try These Marinated Recipes to Get Started

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Discaver the important distinctions between these two kitchen roles and the skills necessary for success in each. Keep reading to explore the main differences between a professional cook and chef!

What Is a Professional Cook?

Professional Cooks are skilled technicians who prepare and make food. Most of their work is hands on, transforming ingredients from their whole states into finished dishes.

There are many different types of cooks, each with varying responsibilities. A prep cook, for example, does supporting work like chopping vegetables, prep-portioning cuts of protein, and concocting sources or dressings. Line cooks, on the other hand, are responsible for the cooking, Plating, and completing dishes for service.

Professional Cooks are also sometimes defined by their work stations. A fry cook runs the fryer for a steady supply of hot, fresh French Fries and other crispy snacks. A grill cook is in charge of grilled items like burgers, chicken, steaks, and some vegetables.

What Is a Professional chef?

A professional chef is a trained, experienced culinarian who has worked in a professional kitchen setting and usually occupies a more managerial role, either running a single-person department or leading a team of cooks. Chefs have a higher degree of responsibility than cooks and must be leaders as well as culinary experts. This means that they also must possess a high skill level of problem solving solving while under high pressure — being able to assess situations and create solutions quickly is imperative.

A chef often spends a great deal of their time supervising and managing the rest of the crew, rather than cooking. They must be able to jump into any position when needed and mentor other team members. But they may also get to create their own recipes and menus, influencing the restaurant’s reputation and helping shape its concepts.

What’s the Difference Between a Professional Cook and a Chef?

The ultimate difference between a cook and a chef is their level of responsibility. A cook completes the tasks assigned to them in order to deliver a chef’s recipe. To do so, they should have the basic skills needed to execute the menu. This can include simple tasks like chopping or mixing, but it can also require more advanced technical skills necessary for complex, multipart recipes.

A chef, on the other hand, is a manager, ultimately responsible for the food that comes out of the kitchen. This title includes the Executive chef, who is the top leader of the kitchen and has control over the menu and overall direction of the restaurant’s culinary program. It can also include additional chef roles. Some kitchens have a chef De cuisine who manages the day-to-day operations. Most have a sous chef who serves as the executive chef or chef De cuisines “ right hand”. There could also be a Pastry chef who creates the desserts and may run a small team of pastry cook.

A professional chefs usually start out as cooks and earn the title of chef later in their careers. They are often the people in the kitchen with the most culinary education and experience. Chefs may have attended a formal culinary school, or they may have worked in the industry for many years to grasp the necessary skill set.

“ We always say in this profession that you need to grow into the position that you aspire to have. So if you want to become a sous chef, as a lead line cook, you need to begin doing sous chef jobs already.”

What Skills Do Professional Cooks Need?

A professional Cooks skill level can vary quite a bit, from entry-level to the most expert cooks at high end restaurants. Cooks should know the Basic Cooking Functions, like baking, roasting, steaming, broiling, and poaching, and when each is appropriate. They should also know the different kinds of cuts, so that when the chef asks them to Chiffonade some basil or julienne a carrot, they’ll know what is being asked of them.

What Is Your Career Goal?

Not everyone’s goal is to become an executive chef — and that’s just fine! Every person in the Brigade de cuisine is important, and some people may be happier as a sous chef or head pastry chef. So if you’ve got different aims in mind, that’s fantastic.

Regardless of where you want to ultimately land in the kitchen, the road ahead can start with a quality education. Learn more.

What Makes A Good Sous Chef?

So you’ve got your heart set on being an executive chef. But you know there will be several stops along the way to prepare you for the role of head chef in a foodservice establishment. One of those landmark roles in the Brigade de cuisine is the Sous Chef.

Understanding what it takes to become a great sous chef can help you build a solid career in the culinary arts. If you hope to be an executive chef commanding a team in your own kitchen, this knowledge is crucial.

What Does “Sous Chef” Mean?

The word “ Sous” is French for “under” originally translates as “Chief” —so a sous chef is second-in-command to the executive chef or chef de cuisine.

What Does a Sous Chef Do?

Sous chefs are called upon to support executive chefs and represent them in their absence. The Sous Chef often is the one responsible for training new staff members and managing the team. They must be able to think on their feet, make sound snap decisions, and come up with creative concepts for the restaurant.

Further, they must track and order inventory, oversee the successful completion of sanitation practices, and ensure that the kitchen staff have what they need in terms of tools and supplies to seamlessly deliver a finished product.

A good sous chef will straddle the line between a chef and a cook, accordingly.

This role requires a range of skills as well as a specific mindset. Here’s a rundown of the competencies you may need to develop.

* Cooking Skills

* Organisational Skills

* Leadership and Communication Skills

* Reliability

Embarking on the Journey to Sous Chef

With the level of responsibility and ongoing personal growth required from a sous chef, you can certainly benefit from ongoing passion for the work. Many sous chef positions may require some sort of formal culinary education. Learning how to become a good sous chef takes dedication and perseverance, but is a very rewarding career if you have the personality and drive to pursue it.

Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Restaurant Menu Recipe Guide

The restaurant menu recipe guide prints as a-page document, the first page can be saved, updated and printed for each recipe. The second page is the instructions. This is a great resource for your restaurant kitchen and bar. You can input items from your entire menu by saving each recipe in this form.

What’s the Use of a Restaurant Menu Recipe Guide?

Consistency in your recipes is critical to customer satisfaction. If every cook is preparing the same dish differently, repeat customers will not be happy because they will expect a certain standard.

However, if each cook knows the recipe for the items, it will maintain consistent quality. Simply complete this restaurant menu recipe guide when you add new items to your menu. If a cook or chef recommends a change, then putting that new version into the recipe guide and teaching the other cook is important.

It is a useful way to display menu recipes quickly with each step needed to prepare menu items. If there are things that can be done in advance, make sure your prep cooks know how to prep that cooking temperatures, times in how long to cook the menu item, plate presentation and more. If used properly, the staff will consistently cook food correctly according to the recipe. You can also attach pictures of each item on the menu template as a precaution tool for cooks to know the plate presentation. Maybe even your service staff can use it.

Recipes for Servers?

Also, use the menu template as a training tool for your servers, they need to know the menu inside and out by memory. This process for your servers is necessary for better customer service. Servers who know the menu and it’s ingredients produce better check averages and more revenue for the restaurant because they can give the customer a clear picture of what the menu item is along with the ingredient.

This helps the customer know they are getting consistent quality food, no matter who is preparing the food for that shift.

Allergens

It even allows you to know if there are potential allergens in the recipe. When all the team knows the ingredients, they can quickly react if a customer alerts them to an allergy.

Make sure you save the first page of the restaurant menu recipe guide as a template master copy. Create the recipe guide from the template master copy for each of your restaurant recipes.

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Your Section on “Execution “

I am by no means a professional chef, and I don’t even know one, but I think the same rules apply.

I do the cooking at home as I totally love that. My children’s and Girlfriends always say that I missed my calling. I almost never work from a recipe. Creating good food, and great tasting food for that matter depens on your knowledge of your investments and how adventurous you are.

Firstly, you must have a basic idea of what you want to achieve. What flavor profile are you looking for, what combination of herbs and spices will best suite my needs. Also, decide who is going to be the main star and work around that.

Secondly, start out very simple. Don’t over-complicate. With proper salt, pepper and garlic, you are in most cases 50% there. The use of other herbs and spices and /or ingredient should compliment and enhance the flavor of your main ingredient, and not alter it’s taste.

Thirdly, use fresh products if available. Fresh produce just have a beter taste.

Be creative, sit and write down a basic idea /recipe of what you think might work. Test it out in a small batch, and always taste while you go along. If you need to change an ingredient or the amount of that specific ingredient, write it down. Work methodically, according to what you have written down, and if there is change, I’mmediately write it down.

I have learn as I taste a new soup, dish or anything different on the menu. I would try it, I would even ask the chef how she or the chef how she or he cooks it, and what’s in it. All ingredients are in season, and sometimes they would add an ingredient to enhance the flavors like fresh herbs and put less dried herbs. It is a matter of food sensory experiences like taste, smell and having a “light bulb” moment and the adage that “it if taste great, it goes well together”. Sometimes I discovered a soup is on the menu, and then found out that this recipe is coming from a sandwich. It means that ingredients that came from another form of the original recipe is coming from a sandwich.

I work as a garde manger which gives me the ability to make sauces, dressings, and new forms of salads with vegetables, fruits, and some proteins.

I even follow some guidelines from cooking techniques and some baking too. I follow a 3-5 ingredients recipe then enhance it more using the “The flavor, Bible” by Karen page on which ingredients go well together, but I also talk to customers on what kind of salads they like to appear on their menu, and see if there is a food trend going on, so I can make few composed salads they like to eat during service.

It just really depends but having an open mind, the capability to do it and making a recipe that is easy to make, prepare and cook will expand your culinary knowledge, applying proper techniques and technical know-how, and knowledge of flavors are keys of making recipes and menu development.

I would suggest that it is not that complicated… not easy, but not that complicated. It begins and ends with technique. Chefs and cooks learn and master cooking techniques. The tools and processes of the trade… how to cook things… frequently, from a particular cultural perspective, but I think there is more similarly here, rather than huge differences in how to cook stuff.

Some would say that there is a science of how to pair flavors. See: http://www.chefsideacafe.food.blog

Others, use local ingredients to riff on food concepts from distant places… but I think it all comes back to cooking technique and knowledge of flavor.

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You have been cooking for some time now, but you have always been a sort of recipe follower. Yet you know the basic composition of flavor components (sweet, sour, & umami…) but you have never been able to come up with something new, nor have not really made an effort attempting it.

You wonder what kind of procedure professional chefs follow when trying to cook something new or trying to update a dish.

Is There Really an Established Science About Flavor Out There to Follow?

ANSWERS

I’m basing this mostly on my observations I’ve had with the professional chefs the way they work, and the conversations I’ve had with them. Although I never asked them directly how they came up with dishes, I have sometimes served as a sounding board for their ideas, offered suggestions, and seen menus-in-progress, which I think provides some valuable insight.

Keep in mind that every chef is a bit different. There are many sources of inspiration that a chef can use when creating a dish. They can think back to their childhood, look at trends among their peers and in the industry as a whole, look to many different culinary traditions, and so on. From their style, in general, I know there are some fairly universal processes.

There are really tow distinct things happening when coming up with a dish: Ideation and Execution.

By Ideation

I mean the process of coming up with an initial idea for a dish. This is when the chef has pretty much a blank slate and they’re thinking about possibilities for what they want to do. This can take a lot of different froms, and I’ve heard chefs describe how their ideas first came to them in a lot of different ways. It can be :

* A “Lightbulb Moment”

Where the concept spontaneously and suddenly appears in their mind, oftentimes when they’re working on something else.

* Thinking about multiple dishes and trying to re-match “elements” or components of each dish with one another. For instance, taking the flavors of a Ceasar salad and combining them with the presentation of a deviled egg.

* Being inspired by a single ingredient, and finding a few other flavors that complement or contrast that core flavor. For example, complementing a sweet corn soup with snow crab meat and a melted paprika butter. A much better example.

* Taking a dish (From any number of sources) and deliberately trying to do something different with a single element, component, or flavor.

Notice that one of those approaches is not sitting down with a dictionary of flavors and trying to assemble combinations that “scientifically” go together somehow. Some chefs have an intuitive feel for what flavors go well together, a kid of sensory memory, that is not just informed by flavor pairings but also by culinary traditions.

The list of potential flavor combinations is close to infinite, but people tend to gravitate towards the familiar in their food.

Chefs know this from their training and experience, and they don’t try to draw out flavor combinations from a blank starting point. Instead, they utilize pairings that they just “know” work well, or that they love sometimes they’ll swap out a single component from that pairing for something similar, but in general they’re not trying to invent totally new, never-done-before combinations of flavor.

The reason is not because they’re cooking these dishes as written instead, they’re drawing on them for initial inspiration. They’re reading the recipe as written and thinking about how they want to utilize the particular method, what different components they can swap out, or how they could adapt the same dish to a totally different method of cooking.

Once the initial idea takes shape, it’s time for Execution. This is typically a very iterative process, meaning that it involves cooking the dish, tasting it, and seeking feedback. Then they put everything together, taste the combination, and then try it out on others, but that varies depending on their style and how comfortable they are with what they’re creating.

Good chefs will also typically be thinking about plating at this point, and how the dish should be arranged and presented. “I often hear that we eat with our eyes”, although I think it’s more accurate to say that plating is sort of an introduction to the dish.

Assembling a Menu

Is really an impressive skill that I think goes under appreciated. It involves repeating all of the above, not just for a single dish but for an entire array of them, all of which have to individually sound enticing and balance one another. Creating an entire menu involves balancing a ridiculous number of factors, like:

* The style of the restaurant

* The season (what ingredients are fresh)

* The balance they want to strike between different types of dishes.

* The general price point they need to consider for their target audience

* The veriety of specific ingredients etc

Chefs spend their entire careers leaning how to do this well, and there is always the opportunity to get better.

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Author : chef ssentongo Geoffrey

WHY FAST CASUAL AND FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AREN’T THE SAME?

It’s important to understand the dynamics of the both fast food and fast casual restaurants, whether you’re considering opening a franchise, starting your food business from scratch, or simply trying to decide what kind of restaurant to eat at while on the go.

Fast food and Fast casual restaurants may appear to be the same, but there are some significant differences.

Fast food is fast because it cooks quickly, is easy to order, and requires little to no preparation time. Additionally, it frequently costs less than fast-casual eateries.

On the other hand, Fast-casual eateries provide a more upscale experience, which may include better service, a nicer setting, more expensive meal prices, and a wide selection of their menus.

What Are Fast Casual Restaurants?

Fast casual dining features a more welcoming sit-down atmosphere and frequently allows you to create your meal. The ingredients on the menu are higher quality than those used in most fast-food restaurants. Additionally, the constant need for innovation and menu customization is one of the main factors fueling the fast-casual restaurant industry’s expansion.

What Ate Fast Food Restaurants?

A fast-food restaurant also referred to as a quick service restaurant ( QSR) in the industry, is a specific kind of restaurant that offers fast food fare and little in the way of table service.

Fast food restaurants typically have a small menu, cook their food in bulk in advance and keep it hot, finish and keep it hot, though seating may be available. In addition, they frequently operate a franchise or a restaurant chain that sells food with pre-pared or standardized ingredients.

Difference Between Fast Casual And Fast Food

Customers frequently struggle to tell fast casual from fast food. After all, both varieties of restaurants put a premium on providing quick service at reasonable costs.

To help solve that doubt, here are the major differences between a fast-casual and a fast-food establishment :

Service Style

Generally, Fast-casual and fast-food restaurants have menu boards at counters where customers place their orders. However, at some fast-casual eateries, the customer waits for their food at the counter while a server brings it to the table.

Several fast-food establishments also add a drive-thruoption to the their self-service menus, enabling customers to place their orders and get their food without getting out of their cars. Not all fast-casual restaurants provide this choice of though some do.

Therefore, Fast-casual is a good choice for those who want a better experience than they would get at a fast-food restaurant but don’t have time for a fine dining experience.

Interior Design

Even though it appears simplistic, a fast food restaurants design takes a lot of consideration. The idea is to create a surface that is as appealing as possible while incorporating a few physical components that are also intended to keep dines interested and increase their appetite. Because of this, the seating arrangement, whether in booths or restaurant chairs, is intended to be interactive and private.

On the other hand, fast casual restaurants are emphasizing their interiors more to impress customers who are ready to pay more for high-quality food and effective wait service. Modernism, comfort, and quantity have become defining characteristics of interior design and material selection for fast-casual restaurants nationwide.

Pricing and Food Quality

Regarding price and the caliber of the food served, Fast-casual and fast-food restaurants frequently have healthy menu options and frequently served freshly prepared food made to order. Although the food quality is more on par with what you might find at a sit-down restaurant, the service is still geared toward people constantly on the go. Fast casual restaurants also excel at providing customization options, which leads to higher food costs and therefore, higher menu prices than fast food restaurants.

CONCLUSION

Compared to a standard fast- casual restaurant brand, there are many more fast-food locations in your area. Regardless of your business model, payment processing is critical in all established business.

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Choosing to start a career as a chef is something anyone can do at any time in their life.

With the hospitality industry continuing to grow year on year, there remains a high demand for skilled chefs and the requirements for you to get started may not be as tough as you anticipated.

Nowadays there so many different dining experiences available, from fine dining experiences, high street restaurants, to grab and go eateries, covering all sorts of traditional and fusion cuisines. Becoming a chef opens up many diverse paths, you aren’t limited to one cuisine type or establishment.

This means you can be master of your own career direction, something which appeals to many budding chefs!

What Are the Requirements to Become a Chef?

Anyone can become a chef, but if you are just starting out you must get some Experience of working in a kitchen to put on your cv, or qualification.

The good news is, there are lots of ways you can do this:

* Work —Many establishment’s are willing to take on school leavers. You would start your training path as kitchen assistant or trainee and work your way up the kitchen hierarchy.

* Apprenticeship —you can also work and learn at the same time. An apprenticeship will usually begin at an intermediate or advanced level. You will need to have some GCSEs to gain an apprenticeship.

* Culinary School —There are numerous schools you can attend to gain a qualification. Culinary school will teach cooking techniques from masters, aften whilst using the latest, high-tech equipment and methods.

Having a good understanding of kitchen safety, food hygiene and awareness of allergies and their importance in the kitchen would also be beneficial.

Top 10 Skills Needed to Become a Chef

No doubt, you need to be able to cook, but being a chef is more than putting food on a plate. You also need to develop and master some key skills.

1. Willingness to Learn

Become a chef can be a hands-on learning experience, and like they say, practice does make perfect. You must master flavours and tech of different dishes which can take time and a lot of energy.

2. Genuine Passion

The life of a chef is demanding as the busiest working days are often those when other people are out celebrating – Christmas, valentine’s Day or mothering Sunday to name a few.

3. Organisation

We know that kitchens can be a very busy environment to work it, and so it is essential that you have the ability to always work clean and tidy. Stay organised to stay in control, as you progress in your career.

4. Ability to Skilfully Multitask

There can be many elements of food on one plate to make up a complete dish. Now think, that plate belongs on a table with three other mains, plus sides. If that table had starters as well, that’s possibly four other previous dishes that need factoring in to how and when this one dish comes together.

5. Creativity

Becoming a chef involves more than just following a recipe. A chef will be creative in terms of putting a menu together, how the dish looks on the plate, and how it tastes to the customers. They will also be creative in planning how the kitchen works.

6. Time Management

The sixth skill comes from the chef, who has over fifteen years experience as a classically trained chef before setting up his own business in commercial kitchen design.

7. Teamwork

The professional kitchen can be a melting pot of people, with many people from different backgrounds coming together through a shared love of cooking.

8. Leadership Skills

As well as being a team player, experienced chefs should know how to lead the team, and get the best out of them. The head chef has the responsibility for the kitchen, and so they have to be able to give direction and have it followed immediately.

9. Resilience

Chefs will frequently receive feedback from other chefs, colleagues and customers on the food they produce, and not all of the feedback will be positive. You need to be able to handle criticism, look at it honestly and decide whether or not it is valid.

10. Stamina

This skill might surprise you but chefs need to have an excellent level of physical and mental fitness. Working in a kitchen can be very physically demanding working long shifts on your feet in hot temperatures and without many breaks is tough. On top of that, the mental energy required to cope with the pressure and be on top of your section and your game, your section and your kitchen, can be huge.

Remember skills like these can take a lifetime to perfect so don’t worry if this list doesn’t sound like you… Yet! Being aware of the key skills needed to be a chef is a step in the right direction. This list, and advise from our chef friends, should give you food for thought when considering your own feelings and actions in the kitchen.

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

How to Prepare for an Executive Chef Interview?

While there’s no linear ladder to climb in the culinary world, Becoming an ” Executive Chef” can truly be considered one of the most rewarding roles.

Along with delivering cutting-edge dishes, this is ultimately a management position that usually requires proven leadership skills, plenty of experience, and a prolific vision. If you find yourself in the hot seat for an executive chef interview, here’s how you might begin to prepare!

Executive Chef Interview Tips

Before we drive into some common chef interview questions, let’s explore some helpful tips to consider.

* Do Your Research

Like most job interviews, you’ll want to “do your homework” on the restaurant you’re interviewing for ahead of time. After all, knowledge is power!

What does this entail?

Start with visiting the website, then hunt down any recent press releases that might reveal insight into any news pertaining to that restaurant or hotel. Also, make sure you glance over the current menu to get a feel for the cuisine style and conceptualize and prepare a few dishes that would fit nicely into the theme. The main goal is to gain a strong sense of the restaurant or hotel branding and ethos and the values of the hotel.

* Memorize Your Resume

The hiring manager will likely ask specific questions directly based on your resume. Review the jobs you have listed, reflect back on your experience and think through the fine details of your responsibilities.

* Write Down Strengths That Align with The Job Description

Usually job descriptions can semi pretty lengthy and you might feel inclined to skim over the mountain of bullet points. Take some time in the interview to find out how this job opening occurred and what the business needs are. It may give you insight and allow you to present yourself as a solution.

* Follow Chef Interview Etiquette

Some interview etiquette might seem common sense, but following these guidelines will likely communicate respect toward the hiring manager.

Chef Interview Etiquette Tips :

* – When a hiring manager steps into the room, stand up and shake their hand.

* Do your best to listen when they speak and try to avoid interrupting.

* If you go on a kitchen tour, don’t walk ahead of or behind the hiring manager, but alongside them, if space allows.

* Try your best to use long form, professional kitchen vocabulary versus slang.

* Don’t be late for an interview! Try to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

Prepare Follow-up Questions

Remember that hiring managers are looking to on board passionate chefs who are genuinely interested in the everyday operations of the restaurant or hotel. The best way to end an interview is to come prepared with succinct follow-up questions.

Example Follow-up Questions

* What are some of the major challenges the restaurant faces currently, and how could I help improve them?

* I’d love to know more about the current team. Can you fill me in on their skills, strengths, and weaknesses? What type of leadership style are they more comfortable with?

* What does your decision-making process and timelines look like?

Executive Chef Role Expectations

Ultimately, an executive chef mandates most of the daily kitchen operations and might have a wide range of responsibilities. Although several years of experience are likely needed to step into this role, education and training are essential to refine specific executive chef hard and soft skills.

Anybody can say they are a chef. As far as the management portion, you can run restaurant business.

Hard Skills

* Understand primary cooking methods and techniques I.e knife skills.

* Update restaurant menus and dishes, while staying in line with budget.

* Select cost-effective seasonal ingredients

* Exhibit solid nutrition and product knowledge

* Hire and manage entire kitchen staff

* Collaborated with key vendors and suppliers

* Order necessary kitchen supplies and equipment

* Oversee food preparation and safety procedures

* Understanding and ability to collaborate effectively with service counterparts.

Soft skills

* Unwavering passion for cooking

* Strong physical and emotional stamina

* Detail-oriented and extremely organized

* Natural ability to manage conflict

* Excellent time management skills to Complete daily kitchen tasks

* Customer-service oriented to handle incoming guest requests and complaints

* Strong communication and leadership skills to manage kitchen staff

* Ability to motivate and inspire crew members

Common Executive Chef Interview Questions

* What inspired you to begin your culinary career?

* What cuisine do you specialize in?

* Can you provide an overview of your training and education?

* what steps do you take to control food quality?

* How do you handle conflict with employees?

* what qualities do you look for when hiring a kitchen crew?

* How do you approach menu design?

Remember, a hiring manager will most likely want to examine your culinary technical skills and leadership / management capabilities for an executive chef position. You might want to prepare for several problem-solving, scenario-based questions. To formulate these answers, consider using the START METHOD. This entails clearly outlining the situation, task, action, and result of each situation.

How to Get Ready for an executive chef Tasting Interview?

Executive chefs should prepare for a tasting interview or “stage” request. It’s important for the hiring manager to see your strategy in your element!

You might be asked to create a tasting on the fly, or you’ll have plenty of time in advance to strategize your dishes.

When it comes to your tasting interview strategy, it’s best to stick with your signature dishes and simple ingredients that enable you to shine. You’ll likely be judged on how efficiently you work in the kitchen and your cooking methods.

Take the first step towards your executive chef goal.

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

Start a Food Business

13 Profitable Food Business Ideas To Start Now in 2023

Few industries are more vital than food. Tastes may change from person to person, but one things for certain:everyone needs to eat.

The astronomically high volume of food lovers means there are a lot of potential customers. And a wide variety of product offerings means that no matter how many food retailers enter the market, there’s always room for one more.

If you’ve decided to get into the food business as a first-time merchant, it’s a great choice but you’re probably left wondering what comes next. With so many possibilities, the options are endless, but I’ve put together a few ideas to get you started.

Food Business Ideas

* Ice cream shop

* Cooking classes

* Personal Chef

* Coffee Shop

* Meal Kits

* Baked Goods

* Pre-packaged snacks

* Baby Food

* Homemade Jams & Jellies

* Organic Foods

* Wine, Beer, and Spirits

* Food Truck

Most Frequently asked questions

* Which food business is most profitable?

* What is the best food business to start?

* What’s the best-selling food?

Food Business Ideas :..

Every food business has advantages and disadvantages, so there’s no single best idea for everyone. This could become your full-time job, so you’ll want to consider your own interests and what you’re able to commit to, and choose the food business Idea that’s best for you.

Food Truck

Food trucks have become an especially popular way to get into the food business. Right now, growth in food trucks is outpacing that of traditional restaurants, and it’s not hard to see why.

A food truck business can give a chef the same opportunity that they’d get with a restaurant to develop their own unique menu, but with the added benefits of mobility.

Getting customers through the door can be one of the biggest challenges that comes with owning a restaurant, so why not bring the restaurant to your customers?

Benefits

* Mobility : with a food truck business, startup entrepreneurs can go where their customers are.

* Creative Control: for aspiring chefs, a food truck provides an opportunity to create your own.

Challenges

* Legal learning curve: most cities and towns have unique zoning laws that outline where and when you’ll be sell your product legally, so you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the laws.

# – Ice cream shop

Ice cream can be served alongside just about any other dessert and comes in a wide variety of styles, including frozen yogurt, sorbet, Gelato, and frozen custard.

Benefits

* Creative Control : ice cream lends itself to endless flavour combinations, making it great for especially inventive entrepreneurs.

Challenges

* Seasonal downtime : while it’s hugely popular in summer, sales can slow down in the winter. Luckily, ice-cream is versatile enough that there’s a wide array of seasonal varieties.

# – Cooking Classes

If you’re into a more hands-on personal approach to the food industry, then cooking classes could be just what you’re looking for. Teaching can be an extremely rewarding experience, and there’s no shortage. You could offer online courses or in personal classes. You might pre-record your courses and allow students to watch at their own time.

No matter your skill level, teaching others is a great way to hone your cooking skills.

# – Personal Chef

Personal chefs are trained cooks hired to provide at-home meals for their clients, who often may have special dietary needs or preferences. They can be employed by individuals, families, or caterers or for special events.

Challenges

* High barrier of entry : Being a personal chef typically requires more skill and experience than other food business, since these things will be your primary selling points.

* Unpredictable hours : Your hours may be less flexible than other types of food businesses, as you will need to work around customers’ schedules.

Coffee Shop

There’s also a small business advantage for first-time merchants who decide to sell coffee. Since it’s a widely available product, customers tend to value exclusivity when it comes to coffee, meaning they’re more receptive to new brands.

Benefits

* Small brand advantage : the high volume of customers puts an emphasis on branding, giving the advantage to smaller brands.

* Low barrier of entry : With plenty of drop-shipping options available, startup costs costs can be kept low. And since your product is coming from a third party, you can focus on branding your product rather than developing it.

Challenges

* Harder to Market : Coffee is widely available, which puts more importance on a brand’s ability to carve out a niche and set itself apart from competitors.

# – Baked Goods

Bakeries are one of the oldest types of food businesses. Selling baked goods can open a lot of other doors for your brand.

Benefits

* High-demand for specialty bakeries : finding baked goods that cater to specific dietary needs is still a challenge for a lot of customers, meaning there’s a high demand.

Challenges

* Time-consuming : Baking can take longer than other types of cooking and on a retail scale, is often a jo6for more than one person.

* Higher-costs when scaling: renting commercial banking space and running high-energy ovens can become costly very quickly.

# – Sauces

Sauces can be a great product to sell for first time merchants. On top of this, sauces have a tendency to grow cult followings, like of the popularity of Sriracha sauce or the communities built around extremely hot hot sauces. Sauces are a feature of nearly every cuisine.

Benefits

* Customer loyalty : When food lovers find a taste they like, they tend to stick with it.

* Adventurous Clientele:new customers are more receptive to unfamiliar brands when it comes to sauces.

Challenges

* Getting the right taste : The appeal of sauces is in their uniqueness, but people also tend to be drawn to familiarity when it comes to taste.

Organic Foods

Organic foods are foods produced using natural fertilizers, as opposed to chemical pesticides.

Organic foods have grown incredibly popular in the past decades as the safety of pesticides has become an important concern for a lot of customers. You could sell raw food products.

Benefits

* Fresh Branding : Organic products have become especially popular among customers, so the use of organic ingredients can be a positive highlight in your branding.

Challenges

* Harder to source : Depending on your product, it may be challenging to source some organically grown ingredients.

# – Business Plan : How do I Start a Small Food business?

You may have noticed from the examples above that food businesses thrive on cross promotion. Any product can be a jumping off point for a more involved brand, but it’s best to start with a singular goal in mind.

For example, your food truck could double as a catering business. You might sell baby food, baked goods or organic food products and complimentary beverage.

For now, here’s a quick overview :

1. Decide what kind of food product you will sell

Coming up with your first product can be tricky. There are so many options in the food industry.

But the first question to ask yourself is : Does the idea excite me?

If the answer is no, then scrap it.

2 – Validate your product ideas

Try meeting directly with potential customers, doing tastes, exploring the community around your product, researching customer pain points and market demands – anything to gain a deeper understanding of the potential for your idea.

3 – Develop a business plan

Once you’ve validated your product idea, you’re ready to start crafting your business plan. A business plan is a written document that outlines your businesses products or services, how you’ll earn money and your financing, staffing, logistics and other vital details.

4 – Start building your brand

Branding is crucial to any business, but it’s especially important in the highly competitive food industry. Your branding will be what sets you apart from your competitors.

5 – Find and grow your audience

Few things are more fulfilling than growing a business in an industry that exists you. Foodies and at-home chefs everywhere.

Chefs ideas also keeps a vibrant community alive via Instagram, Facebook and our website

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Author :chef ssentongo Geoffrey

# – Chicken Salad Croissant

This tempting chicken salad that gets its special taste from Swiss cheese and pickle relish, it’s a favorite.

Ingredients

* 2/3 mayonnaise

* 1/2 cup dill pickle relish or substitute with another

* 1tbsp fresh parsley

* 1 tsp lemon juice

* 1 tsp salt and pepper

* 2 chicken breast cooked & cubed

* 1 cup Swiss cheese

* 3-4 croissant, splited

* Lettuce leaves

> mix first 6 ingredients, stir in chicken and cheese. Serve on croissants lined with lettuce.

# – Swiss Cobb Salad

This Cobb salad topped with ham, but you can substitute with anything you want, roast beef, bacon and other fixings, this hearty salad has an excellent blend of flavors.

Ingredients

* 5 cups torn leaf lettuce

* 1/2 pound sliced deli roast beef, cut into strips

* 1/4 pound cubed fully cooked ham, if you don’t eat ham change.

* 1 onion, chopped

* 2 tomatoes, chopped

* 3 boild eggs, quoterd

* 250g stripes of roasted beef or bacon, crumbled

* 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Dressing:

* 1/2 cup olive oil

* 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

* 2 tbsp honey mustard

* 2 tsp sugar

* 3/4 tsp dried oregano

* 1/8 tsp pepper and salt

Directions

> On a serving platter, layer the first 7 ingredients. Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Serve with salad.

# – Beef Caesar Salad

When I cook, the goal is to have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp mayonnaise

* 2 tbsp olive oil

* 1 tbsp lemon juice

* 2 minced garlic

* 1 tsp salt and pepper

Salad:

* 3/4 pound beef tenderloin, cubed

* 1 tbsp blackened seasoning

* 5 cups torn romaine lettuce

* optional: salad bread croutons and shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

> For dressing, in a small bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients until incorporated. Toss beef with blackened seasoning. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add beef, cook and stir until tender.

> To serve, place romaine in a large bowl, add dressing and toss to coat. Top with beef and, if desired, croutons and cheese.

# – BLT Chicken salad

Featuring all the fun fixings for a BLT Chicken sandwich, this salad is so lovable. You can prep the ingredients ahead of time and just throw it together at the last minute.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup mayonnaise

* 3 tbsp Barbecue sauce

* 2 tbsp chopped onion

* 1 tbsp lemon juice

* 1/4 tsp pepper

* 6 cups torn salad greens (lettuce)

* 2 tomatoes, chopped

* 2 cooked chicken breast, boneless and diced

* 3 boild eggs quoterd

Optional : crumbled bacon or anchovies

Directions

> In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients, mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Place salad greens in an large bowl. Sprinkle with eggs. Drizzle with dressing.

# – Slow-cooker spinach & Rice

I started making this dish at home, now I usually serve in restaurants.

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp butter

* 1 onion chopped

* 2 garlic, minced

* 1/4 tsp thyme

* 4 cups chicken broth

* 1kg chopped spinach

* 1 parket cream cheese

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 tsp pepper

* 2 cups uncooked rice

* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

* 1/2 cup bread crumbs

* 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

> In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook and stir until tender. Add garlic and thyme, cook 1 minute,. Add broth or water bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Stir in spinach, ream cheese, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in rice.

> cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring halfway through cooking. Open top with cheddar cheese. Let stand covered 10 minutes. Top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese put in the oven for 2-3 minutes and serve.

# – Slow-cooker Veggie Lasagna

This veggie-licious alternative to traditional lasagna makes use of slow-cooker convenience.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

* 3 tbsp cottage cheese

* 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

* 2 tbsp egg substitute

* 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning

* 3/4 cup tomato sauce

* 1-1/2 cup sliced zucchini

* 1 parket no-cooked lasagna sheets or homemade

* 1kg baby spinach, chopped

* 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Directions

> In a baking pan, coat with butter. In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Spread 1 spoon tomato sauce on the bottom of baking pan. Top with vegetables and cheese mixture, top with lasagna sheet add sauce and cheese mixture repeat by adding layers, at the top finish with sauce and cheese.

Cover and back until lasagna are cooked through. Open and bake for 2 minutes or until cheese are golden brown.

# – Chicken Mandarin Salsa

When I have some leftover veggies, I dress the salsa up a little with some diced green onions and bell peppers.

Ingredients

* 1 cup Mandarin oranges

* 1/2 cup chopped pecans

* 1/4 cup chopped onion

* 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

* 500g boneless chicken breast, cubed

* 1 tsp salt and pepper

* 3 tbsp olive oil

* 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

= 2-2/3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

> Peel Mandarin oranges and cut out sagements with out seeds and reserving it juice. For salsa, in a large bowl, combine oranges, pecans, onion and cilantro.

> Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook and stir 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in reserved orange juice. Bring to a boil until chicken are tender. Top with salsa; serve with rice or any of your choice food. You can also make it into salads. It’s good too…

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