All in a Days Work

I planned to post something for you on Friday but I was so busy with an event on Thursday evening and conference on Friday I'm just now getting to it. Thursday evening, I sponsored a reception for A Connected Affair,  Women in PR BootCamp Summit. The reception was held at the Terrell Moore Art Gallery in Downtown, Los Angeles. The event was planned by YES Productions & Concierge and The Kartel Company. The evening was was intimate, full of electricity and the perfect place to connect with women putting action behind their words when it comes to building a business that thrives in this economy. The BootCamp Summit was geared towards PR and Event planners with the purpose of going over all the details of planning special events and obtaining sponsorship. I was able to attend a portion of the Bootcamp which focused on event sponsorship. I am so happy to have found the Women in PR organization. they are an amazing resource from PR professionals as well as entrepreneurs who handle their own PR. The organization fosters growth and encourages it's member's to give back in the rapidly changing world of public relations. Although I could only attend for 2 hours, I picked up so much information to use for many of my upcoming LA Girls Do Cook events. This year is all about growth and taking calculated risks to get my business to the next level. I was able to meet some amazing Publicists who work are responsible for a host of Celebrity hosted red carpet events. I even met someone from the Food Network. I often have Chefs and other entrepreneurs asking me the steps on how to work with celebrities or get press. It's by knowing the right people, building lasting relationships, strategy and a lot of prayer. Out of this event, I met a dozen publicists who work with celebrities and some of the most sought after brands. Did I mention I have a tasting scheduled Thursday for one of the publicists clients who will be having a major party in Vegas?!!!! I can't wait to blow the client away with my food and presentation. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to get paid to do what I love and to be able to make others feel special. I've gotta run but I want to leave you with a few pics from past events. Next week I'll post the albums so you can view the complete gallery. When I receive my pictures from A Connected Affair event from my Photographer, I'll post them.

Much Love & Light,

Chef Ameera

Belly Fat Busters

Can you believe there is only one week left in January? That's right, the month is almost over and before you know it summer will be here. You know I'm right. For those of you who have made the resolution to work out and get in the best shape of your life, don't forget that nutrition is more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss. If you want results fast, there are certain foods you should eat that help melt belly fat. If you want it keep it little in the middle, incorporate the following foods in your daily diet.

• Protein Powders - These amino acids can be found in many forms. Try thinkThin meal replacement bars which contain 20grams of protein per serving, are gluten-free and have 0 grams of sugar! The best think of all is that they taste amazing.

• Apples- They are packed with fiber and have the ability to fill you up and alleviate hunger pangs.

• Avocado - excellent source of fiber as well as mono-saturated fats. Your heart will love the healthy fats and it does wonders for the skin.

• Green Veggies - Packed with vitamins and minerals, these superfoods are also loaded with fiber to fill you up with fewer calories!

• Green Tea -  Rich in antioxidants, which speeds up metabolism. Drink plain for the best results. It raises the rate of burning calories about 6 percent.

• Fish - Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids is one of my favorite choices. They help regulate stress chemicals that lead to fat abs.

Just remember, balance is everything. Never deny yourself something, just eat it in moderation. If you have to lose weight in a short amount of time, I would suggest you eliminate some items to get the weight off faster. Until next time, stay focused on your goals.

**Giveaway**

Please join be as I guest blog on Sandra's Easy Cooking, Friday, January 27th. We're talking getting healthy and I'm giving away 2 cookbooks to help you on your mission.

xoxo,

Chef Ameera

Dragons and Egg Rolls

Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, otherwise known as Chinese New Year. According to an old chinese proverb, all creations are reborn and renewed so today marks a day of change. I have always been fascinated with the Chinese culture, especially the food. I have been making egg rolls since I was 9 years old and decided to share my recipe in honor of this lunar occasion. The sweet chili sauce became a staple in my house about 6 years ago, there's nothing like some sweet heat. Enjoy the holiday and recipes.

xoxo,

Chef Ameera

Ingredients:

25 Spring Roll Wrappers ,defrosted at room temperature for 30 minutes

1 tablespoon cornstarch  mixed with ¼ cup of cool water

Oil, for frying

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic, chopped

½ head of cabbage

1 carrot, shredded

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded

1 tablespoon peanut oil

½  tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

For the filling, in a bowl combine the ground beef, garlic, cornstarch, and pepper together. While it develops flavors, grab another bowl and shred the cabbage and carrots. Slice the mushrooms into a fine dice.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat. Toss in the beef and stir-fry until no longer red, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, push the meat to one side of the pan. Add the cabbage, carrots, ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry about 2 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper.Mix together ingredients in the wok  stir-fry for another minute. Remove and transfer filing to a baking/cookie sheet and spread out to cool. To help remove some of the extra juices, place a folded dish towel under one end of the baking sheet. Let cool for 10 minutes.

After eliminating all of the extra juices, use paper towels to blot the filling to rid of extra oil or juice. It’s time to wrap your rolls. Add no more than 1 ½ tablespoons of filling (click here to see an example from a trusted source) and roll tightly. You must make sure there are no open gaps or you will have greasy rolls!

As you roll, keep them in a neat stack covered with parchment paper. I like to stack as I roll and use parchment in between the layers. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use wax paper.

Fill a wok 3 inches of high temperature cooking oil. Heat the oil to 350°F. Place the egg rolls gently in the oil to prevent hot grease from splashing (I’ve been burnt plenty of times!), frying no more than 4 at a time. Cook just under 2 minutes and drain on wire rack.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp. fish sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tablespoon red chili paste

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Over medium-high heat, Place all ingredients, except the cornstarch mixture in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and let mixture reduce by half. Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and enjoy. 

Happy 2012! New Year, New Beginnings

I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year!  May this year be filled with tons of positive energy and many blessings. 2011 was a year of growth and i'm ready to put action behind all my goals I have set for 2012. Trying to find the balance with work and blogging is a major one. When I'm cooking back to back for weeks at a time, it's a struggle to come home and take pretty pics of food! my kids don't even care what the plate looks like, they just want to be fed. If you haven't written down your goals, I suggest you do so. Once you write it down, it sends a message out to the universe saying you are ready for your dreams to manifest themselves. Over the next week and beyond, I'll be sharing pictures from my past events that I have catered and have attended. Until next time, be inspired...

xoxo,

Chef Ameera