Hello to my dedicated readers. This month I am going to introduce to you one of my top chefs that help creates the magic in our kitchen. When I started this business, it was very important to find quality chefs that shared my passion and vision for the edible industry. I was fortunate to find not one, but two, great chefs that shared my vision.
Katelyn Keck is one of them and you will find out more about her in coming Kush issues, where she too will share her favorite recipes, but today I want to put the spotlight on Chris Carmel. I asked Chris to write a few words about himself and to share a few of his favorite recipes with you this month. I hope you enjoy reading about the great chefs at Simply Pure and their passion for the industry. Without them, I would be like Willy Wonka without his Umpalloompas (I hope I spelled it right)!
-Chef Scott Durrah
Chef Chris Carmel
My name is Chris Carmel and I’m one of Simply Pure’s MMJ Chefs. I graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Denver with my Bachelors of Science in Culinary Nutrition. I worked at Panzano, a fine dining Italian restaurant in the Hotel Monaco here in Denver before becoming one of two chefs who do all the cooking and creations for Simply Pure.
I realized as a young adult that marijuana helped me a lot with my abdominal pain and appetite caused by IBS. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a common disorder that affects your large intestine. It commonly causes cramping, bloating, abdominal pain and more. Things like high fat, caffeine, carbonated beverages, and even stress can trigger symptoms. Everyone’s triggers are different, so people must get tested to find out which foods affect them.
The recipes I chose to share with you reflect my French heritage and love for this type of food. French food can be very rich, famous for their heavy sauces loaded with butter and cream. These are things I have to stay away from with IBS. The following recipes are also classical French, but I can enjoy them without having uncomfortable symptoms.
The first recipe Salmon En Papillote is a healthy recipe that steams the fish with citrus and herbs in your own personal pouch. The next recipe is Ratatouille, a classical French stew with a variety of fresh vegetables. The last recipe I chose was Crepes Suzette, one of my all time favorite desserts. I love working for Simply Pure and, more importantly, making people lives better through cannabis. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoy my selection of recipes.
Salmon En Papillote with Herb Sauce
Serves: 4
4x 7oz Salmon Filets
¼ oz Infused oil
1 each Lemon (sliced)
Herb Sauce:
1 ¼ cup Fish Stock
1/3 cup White wine
2 each Shallots (finely chopped)
1 cup Heavy cream
4 Tblspn Marijuana, chives, parsley, tarragon (finely chopped)
Directions:
Salmon:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Cut four 12 inch parchment circles
Fold each in half and brush with infused oil
Place the salmon with two slices of lemon on top
Fold over and seal by folding the edges over
Bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven
Herb Sauce:
Put stock, white wine and shallots in a pan and simmer until reduced to 5 T
Add cream and bubble for a few minutes, then season and throw in the herbs
Serve each salmon with a side of herb sauce
Ratatouille
Serves: 4
4 Tomatoes
2 Tblspn Infused olive oil
1 large (diced) Onion
1 (diced) Red pepper
1 (diced) Yellow pepper
1 (diced) Eggplant
2 (diced) Zucchini
1 tspn Tomato paste
½ tspn Sugar
1 each Bay leaf
3 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Basil
1 clove (minced) Garlic
1 Tblspn (chopped) Parsley
Directions:
Score the top of the tomatoes and drop into boiling water for 20 seconds
Peel the skin and chop roughly
Heat oil in a pan and add onions and cook for 5 minutes
Then add the peppers and cook for another 4 minutes, remove and set aside
Fry the eggplant until lightly browned, then remove from the pan
Fry the zucchini until browned then return everything.
Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes
Then add tomato, sugar, and herbs
Cook for an additional 15 minutes
Mix the garlic and parsley in at the last minute then serve
Crepe Suzette
Serves: 6
Crepe Batter:
2 cups All Purpose flour
1 tspn Salt
1 tspn Sugar
2 each Eggs (lightly beaten)
1 2/3 cup Milk
1 Tblspn Butter
Infused oil for frying
Directions:
Place flour salt and sugar into a bowl
Mix the eggs and milk with ½ c water and pour slowly into flour
Stir in melted butter, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes
Heat a non-stick pan to a medium-high heat and coat with oil
Pour in enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan
Cook for about a minute then flip, and cook for an additional minute
Crepe Suzettes:
2 Tblspn Orange zest
1 Tblspn Lemon zest
1 serving Crepe batter (from above)
½ cup Sugar
1 cup Orange juice
1 Tblspn Orange zest
2 Tblspn Brandy
2 Tblspn Grand Marnier
2 oz Infused butter/oil
Directions:
Stir the orange and lemon zest into the crepe batter
Follow the procedure above
Stack in a pile under foil
Sauce:
Melt the sugar over a low heat until it browns evenly
Pour in the orange juice and zest and boil for 2 minutes
Put the crepes in the pan and spoon the sauce over them
Add the liquor and flambé by tilting towards the flame
Add the butter and shake the pan until it melts, then serve
