Cooking like a chef

On busy days it can feel rushed and repetitive. I recently was reminded, that doesn't need to be the case. In diving behind-the-scenes of the work our chefs do in research & development to bring our food innovations to life, I discovered how easy, delicious dishes can be a balanced and creative meal.

Our Nestlé chefs are integral to the entire research and development product innovation process. I had the pleasure of meeting two of the over 35 chefs around the world working in research and development. Their job is to help translate scientific knowledge, culinary trends, and their own expertise into tasty, nutritious, safe, sustainable, and affordable food options. After just a day together, it was clear to me what's most unique about our chefs: their involvement from the very beginning of the product creation journey.

Chefs like Sheldon Fernandes and Rodrigo Parracho aren't just brought in at the end to make the products look appealing. They play a crucial role in ensuring that our food is created to bring amazing quality, taste, and nutrition. In addition to their culinary skills, our chefs bring their knowledge of traditional cooking processes into the scaling up process. Their deep knowledge of cooking techniques such get applied around the world. This allows our teams to create food products that maintain flavor and quality when you're preparing dishes at home.

Their passion, creativity, and kindness were perhaps some of the most important ingredients in the recipes I got taste. I can't wait to try these at home with my family. Check out a few of our favorite cooking sessions together.

Buen provecho!

Plant-based fish fillet sandwich with Chef Sheldon

Recipe: Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich with a Coconut, Coriander - Mint Sauce and a Mango, Red Onion & Chili Salsa

Air-fried fish fillet

1. Pre-heat air fryer to 200C
2. Place crispy fillet and bake for 9 minutes 

Sandwich filling

1. Mix together one finely diced red onion, a few sprigs of finely chopped fresh coriander, chopped jalapeño, a spoonful of capers, 2 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise (normal mayo works well too), a teaspoon of your choice of chili sauce and a bit of salt to taste. 
2. Add a squeeze of lime to bring it all together. 

Crusty bread

1. Drizzle olive oil on bread and rub well with a clove of garlic. 

Coconut, coriander and mint sauce

1. Prepare 200 ml coconut milk with Maggi coconut powder or a coconut milk of your choice.
2. Add handful of coriander leaves (around 50 gms), a few mint leaves, a slice of ginger, a clove of garlic, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and juice of half a lime.
3. Optional Step for smokey aromatic sauce: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small pan and fry a few mustard seeds and curry leaves for a 1 minute.
4.  Blend all the above together until smooth and creamy.
5.  Serve warm.

The melt

1. Heat a non-stick pan. 
2. Drizzle some oil.
3. Spread the filling onto the bread. 
4. Cover with a slice of cheddar. 
5. Grill each side on low heat until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
6. Serve with a salad of your choice. 

Mango, red onion and chili salsa

1. Dice half a fresh ripe mango.
2. Smash with a fork or blend the other half of the mango.
3. Add finely diced red onion, finely chopped fresh coriander and chopped jalapeno (adjust to taste). 
4. Squeeze half a lime. 
5. Add salt to taste. 

Plating

1. Pour a few spoonfuls of the sauce on a plate and spread well.
2.  Add a dollop of the salsa in the center.
3. Place the crispy fillet on the salsa.
4. Garnish with your choice of microgreens or herbs.

Empanadas and more using Maggi base para pino with Chef Rodrigo

Recipe: Empanadas Portuguese Grandma Style

Dough

1. Mix 350g flour and 3g salt in a food processor. 
2. Add 170g of melted butter, 1 egg, and 60g milk (gradually). Pulse and mix until small, soft dough balls start to form.
3. Remove the dough from the food processor and shape it into a ball. Divide the dough into two large balls and flatten them into disk shapes.
4. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you get a thin layer and cut out rounds for the empanadas in the desired size (you can use round molds, a small plate, or a cup). 

Filling

1. Heat 60g oil in a large skillet.
2. Add 100g of diced onion and 10g minced garlic. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add 50g 'massa de pimentao.' After following the packaging instructions add 2x sachets Maggi Veg base para pino. Stir and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust salt/seasonings according to your personal preference. Allow the meat filling to cool completely before using it to fill the empanadas. 

Assembly

1. Place a generous tablespoon of the meat filling in the center of each empanada round or disc.
2. Fold the empanada discs and use your fingers to seal the edges, use a fork to press and seal the edges of each empanada.
3. Preheat the airfryer 200C for medium-sized empanadas.
4. Place the empanadas on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the empanadas with the beaten egg mixture.
5. Bake the empanadas at 400F for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden on top. 

Recipe: Chili 'Sin' Carne Enchilada Style

Chili sin carne

1. Heat 30g oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 15 minced garlic and150g chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
2. After following the instructions from the packaging, turn heat up to high and add 2 sachets MAGGI VEG base para pino. Cook for around 5minutes, breaking it up as you go.
3. Add red chili powder, cumin powder and oregano to your taste. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients and slow cook for 30minutes to 1 hour, covered, on low heat so it's bubbling very gently.
5. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Salsa verde

1. Coat the bottom of a skillet with a little vegetable oil. Heat on high heat. Place 12 tomatillos in the pan and sear on one side (3 – 5 minutes). Flip over and golden brown on the other side. Remove from heat.
2. Combine the cooked tomatillos with 100g onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 jalapenos, 1 avocado, salt to taste.
3. Pulse in a blender. 

Assembly

Warm up a tortilla and place 2 spoons of chili sin carne mix in the middle, roll it up like a flute and cover with the salsa verde and do some lines of sour cream on top. Serve. 

Recipe: Moussaka

Eggplant

1. Slice 1 kg eggplants in thin slices and sprinkle with some salt. Leave to sweat for 30 minutes. 
2. Pat eggplant dry - make sure to do this well, otherwise it's too salty.
3. Bake the eggplant slices for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.

Eggplant bechamel sauce

1. Melt 6g butter in a pan over medium heat. Add 60g flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Stirring constantly, slowly add 600ml milk. Then stir regularly for 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens so that it thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Remove from the stove and whisk 50g parmesan cheese, 3g nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk the eggs in. Reserve. 

Assemble

1. Warm-up oven at 180C. Place half the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish then top with all the filling.
2. Top with remaining eggplant, then pour over the Béchamel Sauce. 
3. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with tomato sauce and herbs oil.