Chef Dean Mitchell
Bored with take-out? Too tired or busy to cook? Want to eat healthy food?
Chef Dean Mitchell, owner of Saffron Catering and Personalized Chef Services in Calgary, Alberta, has the perfect solution for stressed, hectic family lifestyles.
“I’m seeing more of our seniors at the present time wanting to have a personal chef to help with meals due to health, diet, or being by themselves and not eating properly.”
In addition to his catering services, he works as a personal chef. He’ll provide healthful meals, usually about 2 weeks’ worth at a time, to suit your personal preferences and dietary requirements. Hungry for Aunt Tilley’s crab bisque? Grandpa’s apple crepes? No problem. He’ll even make favourites from your own recipe file.
He describes a typical scenario. The kids are home from school; they grab one of his low-cal apple muffins for a snack. Mom or Dad comes home, tired from a busy day at work, throws on sweatpants and running shoes, pops dinner in the oven or microwave. Within a very short space of time, everyone enjoys a full, wholesome meal before their evening activities.
It’s not just families who hire personal chefs, says Dean. “I’m seeing more of our seniors at the present time wanting to have a personal chef to help with meals due to health, diet, or being by themselves and not eating properly.”
Dietary restrictions such as lowering cholesterol, or dealing with diabetes, don’t create any difficulties. “You can play games with most recipes,” he says. “It’s a nice feeling being able to help out with special diets, giving someone something good to eat.”
A few of Dean’s tips and suggestions for healthy food:
- briefly place cut fruit in a 30/70 bath of lemon juice/water to retain its fresh colour
- keep foods simple, with lots of nutrients
- use natural fats or virgin oils when possible
- to cut fats, increase yogurt to compensate for fat
- thicken sauces with heavy cream instead of adding roux or cornstarch
- natural juices and puréed fruit make excellent fruit sauces
Dean likes to use spices and herbs to enhance his culinary creations. Not surprising… he did name his company after a spice! Here are some of his favourites:
- combine fresh basil with sautéed apples
- try the many variations of cinnamon flavour—ground cinnamon, maple cinnamon sugar, and cinnamon-enhanced liqueurs—with apples and other fruits
- Dean likes to use cracked black peppercorns with flambéed apples; for a real treat, add ice cream, brown sugar, and star anise. He suggests using a tart apple, like B.C. Brand Granny Smith, to offset and contrast with the sweetness of the ingredients.
For desserts from his personal chef service, he likes to concoct what he calls “goof proof” items such as apple crisps and cobblers. Easy to thaw, heat, and serve. And when it comes to apples, Dean doesn’t have just one favourite: he likes Golden Delicious, Spartan, and McIntosh for baking breads and muffins; they all cook up soft and sweet. For sautéed dishes or salads, he’ll choose Granny Smith or Gala which keep their firm, fine texture.
Recipe
Apple Cranberry Pecan Bread
