What Are the Best Recipes for Spring Cooking Demonstrations?

[kcjodih]

in April? I've been doing the chicken caesar salad pizza and the profiterole puffs. Cook the pizza crust when I get there, while puffs are cooking assemble pizza and filling for puffs. Lovin' the puffs for showing cookware and the pizza for stoneware!

But now I've got two bookings for the 23rd and 30th from early April shows - lucky me!! I have NO idea what to offer and have to call them both tomorrow.

Anyone?

 

[Chef Kearns]

I love the Chicken Risotto. It is an easy demo and oh so yummy! You show alot of products including the expensive 12" skillet.

 

[ChefLeslie]

I've been struggling with this, too. I want to show cookware but also have something simple and shows lots of other products as well. I'm tired of making the turtle fudge skillet cake, as much as people love it...I need inspiration!

I did the profiterole puffs at a show 2 weeks ago and they loved them, but the batter is so hard to mix to smoothness I don't want to make them routinely. I took the puffs baked and ready to fill, but making the batter proves how easy the whole thing is. I need to think about that one a bit more, I guess.

 

[ChefLeslie]

I love the Chicken Risotto. It is an easy demo and oh so yummy! You show alot of products including the expensive 12" skillet.

I made this at home and it's a good recipe, but it uses a lot of ingredients and it took a while to put together. I'm not sure I can see making it at a show, and absolutely not for one where I'm not in the kitchen and able to face the audience over the stove, which isn't very often. How do you make it work for you?

 

[Chef Kearns]

I bought an electric burner at Walmart $8.88 that I use for these types of recipes. This is how I did the fritatta last season. I also made it at home a few times until I worked out how to make it without it taking forever and incorporating my message.

The guests (and hosts) love this recipe. Sometimes I also make an easy focaccia bread. I take the Rustic focaccia recipe, but only do the drizzle and cheese. I don't put all the veggies on it. It makes a good and easy second recipe. When the lemon and chicken go in the skillet I add the drizzle and stuff to the already rolled out dough.

 

[soonerchef]

For spring shows I usually do the Mandarin Pasta Salad...it's my most requested recipe. By doing this recipe I have sold 8 sets of the SA Large Bowl and corresponding server...that's almost $80 right there!

 

[pcjulie]

Focaccia and puffsI think I've done these two recipes at every show since Feb. I do the Rustic Focaccia as my main recipe and the Profiterole Puffs as my second (I do the puffs before the guests arrive and the filling at the end). I have found it to be a very easy set up and I don't have to arrive as early. For a couple of shows I have made the puffs at home, but they get to soft for my taste if I cover them and bring them along. So, I stick them in the pan and put them in the oven for afew minutes while it's preheating for the focaccia. They're good as new!

 

[ChefLeslie]

For spring shows I usually do the Mandarin Pasta Salad...it's my most requested recipe. By doing this recipe I have sold 8 sets of the SA Large Bowl and corresponding server...that's almost $80 right there!

Andrea, where do I find the Mandarin Pasta Salad? I just got the SA Large Bowl with kit enhancement, so that would be awesome!

Leslie

 

[soonerchef]

Here you go...

Mandarin Pasta Salad

Dressing
Small piece of ginger root
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix
2 teaspoons sugar

Salad
8 oz uncooked bow ties pasta
1 cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion
6 oz baby spinach
1 can, 11 oz, mandarin orange segments
2 cups diced cooked chicken (you can use either a rotisserie chicken and cut into diced squares or you can buy frozen chicken that is already diced)
½ cup sliced almonds (you can find the almonds in the baking aisle)

Press ginger root and garlic cloves into the measure mix ‘n pour using the garlic press. Measure the rest of the dressing ingredients and combine with the garlic and ginger. Mix well, refrigerate until ready to use.

Toast almonds in small oval baker in microwave, no more than five minutes (keep a close eye on the almonds as they toast quickly). Coarsely chop with food chopper.

Cook pasta to al dente. Cut cucumber in half length wise and de-seed using cook’s corer. Slice cucumber using the ultimate slice & grate. Dice red bell pepper using chef’s knife. Chop red onion using food chopper. Combine pasta, cucumber, bell pepper, spinach, mandarin oranges (with juice drained), chicken and almonds with salad dressing. Toss lightly and serve in simple additions large bowl.

With everything I end up using for this recipe it has a price point with over $500 in products!!! (I use a lot more than what is listed in the recipe)

 

[ChefLeslie]

THANK YOU~ that sounds awesome!

How do you make this flow? Start the pasta before your demo? How much prep do you do beforehand? It's another one of those that I wonder about if I'm not in a kitchen. I might need to think about investing in one of those burners mentioned above...I wonder how long it takes to boil water on one of them?! I just spend so much time in people's living rooms as opposed to their kitchens, I feel like it hinders me with recipe selection.

But I'm absolutely going to try this one at home...it sounds fabulous!

 

[soonerchef]

I always have the host boil the pasta before I get there, I prep the bell pepper, half of the onion, cut the chicken into cubes, I have the almonds in the small oval baker ready for the microwave and I have the liquids already measured and in the measure mix 'n pour.

During the show I open the spinach and put it in the bowl directly from the bag, dump in the pasta, chicken, and bell pepper. I get the host or a guest to do the almonds in the microwave (someone has to watch it or the almonds will burn) I then chop the onion, do the cucumber, open the mandarin oranges with the can opener...by this time the almonds are done and I make sure all of the salad ingredients are in the bowl. Now, I finish the dressing by putting in the onion soup mix and finish with the garlic press. Mix up the dressing in the measure mix 'n pour and pour over the salad and toss and serve.

I for one am not a fan of bell pepper or onions and my hubby doesn't like mandarin oranges, I also have had other guests not like some of the ingredients but everyone who has said that they don't like XX has always loved the recipe the way it is, including myself.

 

[ChefLeslie]

Thanks for the insight, Andrea. I'm looking forward to trying this one!

Has anyone tried theThai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad?

 

[Chef Kearns]

Oh YES!! I LOVE the Thai Chicken Stir-fry!! I did it alot last s/s. It is awesome over rice as well. I'll even eat it cold over rice it is so good. I make extra dressing when I serve it at home.

 

[its_me_susan]

For spring shows I usually do the Mandarin Pasta Salad...it's my most requested recipe. By doing this recipe I have sold 8 sets of the SA Large Bowl and corresponding server...that's almost $80 right there!

Oh yum! Going to try this one!