Chef with Benefits

Cooking Parties in Ahwatukee and Phoenix, Arizona

...the benefits come later!

Chef with Benefits™ offers the perfect party: engaging entertainment, fun interaction, and of course, great food! The best part is that your guests are involved every step of the way.

Here's how it works:

You plan an event (your place or ours) in Phoenix / Ahwatukee, Arizona and choose one of our delicious Chef with Benefits menus. Professional Chef Owen May does all the work: he'll shop for the perfect ingredients and come an hour early to set up the class. When your guests arrive, serve them a drink and bring them into the kitchen for their first culinary demonstration.

Then the real fun begins! Everyone puts on an apron and practices their new skills as they prepare tasty appetizers under Chef Owen's guidance. You'll all take a break to socialize and sample your creations. Chef Owen will then teach another set of culinary skills then oversee the preparation of dinner and dessert. When the delicious meal is ready, everyone gets to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor!

All this for less than a dinner and a movie! Cooking lessons and a four course dinner for just $40 per person. (The rest of the benefits are up to you!)

Instead of catering your next special event, make your next event special!

Preparing and sharing food is a meaningful and universal way to connect with people you care about.

Imagine your guests creating delicious food while laughing and learning together. The possibilities are endless...

• Dinner parties
• Birthdays
• Anniversaries
• Engagement parties 
• Bachelor or Bachelorette parties
• Wedding or baby showers for couples
• Retirement parties
• Date night with friends
• Tailgate or game day parties
• Father's or Mother's Day gifts
• Neighborhood Get-Togethers
• Housewarming parties
• Going Away parties
• College student send-offs
• BonVoyage or Welcome Home parties
• Team Building
• Fundraisers
• Singles group events
• Church socials
• Men's cooking classes
• Girls Night Out (leave the guys at home!)
• Who-needs-an-excuse-to-party parties

Order a gift certificate: Private Cooking Lesson and Dinner for Two

See our upcoming events and cooking classes or contact us to discuss your event

Catering also available contact us.

Follow @ChefwBenefits

Cinco de Mayo Fajitas and Fixings

This simple, delicious fajita recipe was developed by Michelle's grandmother, Rita, and Pepe, the executive chef at Valle Luna Mexican Food Restaurants. "Tia Rita" was the matriarch of Valle Luna, owned by Michelle's parents. I used to be a general manager there and Rita had an important influence on all of our lives, as Michelle shares in this personal story, Food and Family. 

The Valle Luna Cinco de Mayo parties are the best in Phoenix, Glendale, and Chandler, Arizona! But if you prefer to celebrate at home - or all year round - this fajita recipe is a customer favorite at Valle Luna. (This recipe also appears in Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat by Michelle May, M.D. along with many of our other family favorites!)

Fiesta Night is one of my Chef with Benefits Party menus. Invite your friends and family over and I'll do all the shopping, prep, and cooking class instruction!

Chef's Tips

• Before you get started, review my tips for cutting peppers and for sautéing chicken.
• Be sure to allow the peppers and onions to brown; this carmelizes the vegetables and brings out their natural sweetness.
• Since we have a vegetarian in our family, we cook and serve the vegetables and chicken separately. In that case, reserve a small amount of marinade to drizzle a over the vegetables too.
• Drain the chicken to remove the excess marinade before cooking so you don't "steam" it instead of sautéing it!

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
½ onion
2 tablespoons of canola oil, divided

Directions

1.  Prepare the marinade by mixing the first four ingredients in a non-metallic bowl.
2.  Cut chicken into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise.
3.  Place the chicken in the marinade (the longer the better, up to overnight in the refrigerator).
4.  Cut peppers and onion into 1/4 inch slices.
5.  Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil then sauté the peppers and onion until soft and browned. Set aside.
6.  Heat one tablespoon of canola oil and sauté the chicken until cooked through, approximately 8 minutes.
8.  Serve with all the fixings (see below). 

Variations: This recipe is also great with lean beef, pork, or shrimp. Michelle's favorite at Valle Luna is "Verduras" - all vegetables, including peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and whatever else is in season!

Fixings

Serve the fajitas family style with all the fixings!

• Tortillas (regular, whole wheat or corn)
• Fresh homemade salsa (or jarred)
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Beans (whole, refried, or black)
• Shredded cheese
• Guacamole*
• Sour cream
• Jalapenos

* We just tried a new healthy version of guacamole, pictured here. It was delicious! I'll share the recipe in a future post.

Roasted Italian Pepper Boats

When you learn how to cook, you can recreate a great restaurant dish, or in this case, a delicious dish made by friends. These delicious roasted Italian pepper boats are a perfect side dish or hearty enough to serve as a light main course. The credit for these colorful, nutritious peppers goes to a wonderful couple that invited Michelle to their home for dinner when she was speaking in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Chef's Secrets:

Usually when I cut peppers, I look for the flat sides since they are easier to grill or slice. In this case, I needed the "corners" to fill with the sauce. After cutting the peppers, remove the seeds and white pith using a sharp knife.

Roasted Italian Pepper Boats

Ingredients
3 red, yellow, orange, or green peppers
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup olives, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregeno
1/4 cup panko (breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut peppers to create boats; discard seeds and white pith.   
3. Coat peppers with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. While peppers are roasting, place medium-sized pot on medium high. When pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil; when oil is hot add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add tomatoes, basil, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregeno.
6. Cook for about 15 minutes or longer on low if desired.
7. Spoon some of the tomato mixture into each of the pepper boats and top with panko mixture.
8. Place the peppers back into the oven and roast for approximetly 10 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

 

Corn Chowder

My wife Michelle and I made an overnight trip to Sedona to hike and get away. Before heading home, we had lunch at a lovely little restaurant in Tlaquepaque called The Secret Garden. We each had a fabulous salad and shared a perfect bowl of corn chowder. This simple but delicious meal inspired me to create a home made corn chowder. It was different but delicious!

Corn Chowder recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, diced
2 15-ounce cans of corn
1 onion, diced
2 15-ounce cans of vegatable broth
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place diced potatoes in a pot with the vegetable broth and the liquid from the cans of corn; bring to a boil and cook until potatoes al dente (cooked but still firm).
2. While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onion in a sauté pan until soft and translucent.
3. Remove half of the cooked potatoes from the liquid and set aside (you can put them in with the onions).
4. Add one can of corn to the remaining potatoes and the vegetable broth and puree using a hand blender. Alternatively, you can place in a blender to puree; be careful to allow steam to escape.
5. Turn the heat down to medium and add the other can of corn, diced tomatoes, sautéed onion, and diced potatoes.
6. Season to taste.
7. Add milk and cream. Stir and heat through.
8. Serve in decorative bowls with crusty bread or corn tortilla chips.

Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé

This is the most frequently requested dessert for a Chef with Benefits party. It's a challenging recipe and the techniques are fun to learn. Soufflés are perfect for making with a partner so Michelle and I made them for Valentine's Day.

Chef's Secrets

There are several important techniques you need to know for these soufflés to turn out right.

• Tempering - Prevent the egg yolks from scrambling when you add them to the warm chocolate by stirring a small amount of the warm chocolate into the eggs to bring the temperature of the eggs up gradually.
• To whip egg whites to the proper consistency, be sure to use a very clean bowl; any fat or oil (for example, egg yolk) will prevent the egg whites from peaking. The egg whites will go through various stages: foamy > fluffy > stiff glossy peaks. Stop there or they will break down again.
• Keep the mixture fluffy by first gently stirring 1/4 of the whipped egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining egg white mixture into the chocolate: carefully turn a spatula-full over gently to "fold" the ingredients together without losing the whipped air.

Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

Cooking spray
½ cup sugar, divided (1 tablespoon, 4 tablespoons, 3 tablespoons)
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
¼ cup skim milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Optional garnish: Fresh berries, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, créme fraiche

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat 4 (4-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
3. Combine 4 tablespoons sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt in a small saucepan.
4. Gradually add milk to the saucepan while whisking until blended.
5. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thick, stirring constantly (about 3 minutes).
6. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes.
7. Temper the egg yolks by adding a small amount of the warm chocolate and stirring (this helps prevent the eggs from scrambling when added to the chocolate).
8. Gradually stir egg yolks into the chocolate mixture.
9. Add vanilla.
10. Spoon chocolate mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool.
11. Place egg whites in a large, very clean bowl. Beat with a mixer on high until foamy.
12. Gradually add remaining sugar (3 tablespoons) and cream of tartar, beating mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form.
13. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture.
14. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.
15. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
16.  Spoon into prepared ramekins and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until puffy and set.
17. Sprinkle soufflé with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Roasted Bok Choy

I love bok choy but Michelle thinks it's slimy and bland when it's steamed. We love other roasted vegetables so we decided to experiment with roasting bok choy too. We agreed that this preparation really works! See what you think.

Chef's Secrets:

Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness. Try it with just about any vegetable by chopping or slicing into even pieces (for even cooking), tossing in your favorite oil, and adding seasonings. Keep it simple with salt and pepper or experiment with fresh or dried herbs, spices, or citrus zest.

Roasted Bok Choy Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients
3 small heads of bok choy
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. Cut bok choy in four to six slices (depending on the size) lengthwise. Rinse and pat dry.
3. Mix together garlic, oil, chili paste, ginger, salt and pepper to form a paste.
4. Coat bok choy with mixture by tossing gently in a large bowl.
5. Place on a baking sheet.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes. Leaves will turn brown. 
7. Serve warm as a side dish.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

This wholesome, delicious soup will warm your soul!

Chef's Secrets:

The emulsion blender (also known as a hand blender) is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. The small size makes it easy to blend soups, dressings, and sauces right in the pan, bowl, or jar. It gives your soups a creamy texture without adding a lot of cream and it turns plain vinaigrette into a creamy vinaigrette. It is also much easier to clean than a blender!

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
Vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
½ cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into quarters by cutting them lengthwise then crosswise.
2.  Place in a medium pot and cover with broth or water to 1 inch above potatoes.
3.  Bring to a boil; turn heat down to medium and cook until fork tender.
4.  Remove from heat (do not drain) and blend with a emultion (hand) blender in the pot. Alternatively, transferpotatoes and liquid to a blender and blend until smooth; be sure to leave a vent to allow steam to escape.
5.  Add coconut milk and blend. Add more broth if it is to thick.
6.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
7.  Serve in bowls with warm crusty bread.

Dinner with Friends: Arizona Restaurant Week

By Owen and Michelle May

As foodies, we were excited to read the line-up for Arizona Restaurant Week. And what's better than great restaurants with great deals? Great restaurants with great deals with great friends!

So we sent an email and blind copied all of our closest friends asking them if they wanted to join us for dinner during Restaurant Week. We are all busy people and don't see each other nearly often enough so we were surprised when we booked four dinner "dates"!

We had fabulous meals at four restaurants, three of which were new to us, and all four were new to our dinner companions:

Beckett's Table (we've already booked a birthday dinner for 14 there!)

Seasons 52 (LOVE this fresh food, right-sized portion concept)

Eddie's House (Funny, but none of us ordered from the Restaurant Week menu that time!)

Olive and Ivy (Can't wait to go back and sit on the patio now that it is cooler out)

We all agreed that we would go back to most of these restaurants again. We also discovered several restaurants on the list that we couldn't squeeze in but can't wait to try; Posh is at the top of that list with their "improvisational menu" - foodie heaven!

Based on our experience, Arizona Restaurant Week was a big marketing success for the participating restaurants. More importantly, Arizona Restaurant Week was a huge success for us too because it gave us an excuse to have four great dinners with dear friends that we wish we could see more of.

Doing it all within nine days was a little tough on the wallet, schedule, and appetite, so I'd like to suggest another approach:

Arizona Restaurant-A-Week

What do you think?

Sautéed Chicken Breast with White Wine Sauce, Baked Sweet Potato, and Broccoli

by Chef Owen May and Dr. Michelle May

This simple recipe elevates an ordinary chicken breast to a gourmet, nutrient-rich meal. 

Chef's Secrets:

• The secret to this flavorful, moist chicken breast is locking in the juices by sautéing the seasoned chicken breast first then finishing the cooking in white wine in a hot oven.
• This is also a great technique when entertaining or cooking for a crowd. Brown your chicken first then put it in the oven while you finish other tasks.
• Adding a modest amount of butter to the cooking liquid makes a simple, but rich, sauce. It doesn't take much sauce to add tons of flavor.
• You can use this same technique for pork or beef using red wine.

Sautéed Chicken Breast with White Wine Sauce, Baked Sweet Potato, and Broccoli recipe

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 teaspoons of poultry  seasoning
1 pound of broccoli crowns
4 small sweet potatoes (or 2 large)
Cold butter

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes depending on size.
3. Heat sauté pan on high.
4. Coat chicken breast with poultry (or other) seasoning.
5. Add canola oil to pan. When the oil starts to smoke, add chicken breast with the thickest side down.
6. Brown chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes; turn over and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.
7. Add wine to the sauté pan and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until  chicken is cooked  but not dry (the juices will run clear).
8. While the chicken is cooking, wash broccoli crowns and steam for 4 minutes.
9. Once chicken is done , remove chicken from pan and add cold butter one  tablespoon at a time to pan juices, stirring after each addition, until sauce is thickened. (The amount of butter required will depend on how much liquid is left in the pan.)
10. Spoon white wine sauce over chicken and serve with baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli crowns.

Rainbow Swiss Chard with Spring Garlic and White Beans

by Chef Owen May and Dr. Michelle May

We've gotten beautiful rainbow swiss chard and spring garlic twice in the last couple of weeks in our Chow Share box from Chow Locally. We've made this recipe twice - once with white beans and once with black beans - both times GREAT!

Rainbow Swiss Chard with Spring Garlic and White Beans recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard (ok to substitute swiss chard)
1 bulb spring garlic (ok to substitute 2 cloves garlic)
1 shallot
1 15 ounce can white beans
1/2 - 1 cup white wine or vegetable broth

Directions

1. Remove stems from swiss chard  and slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick.
2. Coarsely chop the swiss chard leaves.
3. Thinly slice bulbs of the spring garlic.
4. Thinly slice shallot.
5.  Drain and rinse white beans.
6. Heat a straight-sided sauté pan on medium high until hot.
7. Add oil and allow to heat for a few seconds; add swiss chard stems. Sauté 30 seconds.
8. Add shallot and spring garlic; sauté 30 secands.
9. Add the swiss chard leaves and white wine. Cover and braise for approximately 5 minutes.
10. Add the beans and cook until heated through.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arugula Kale Salad with Fennel, Oranges, and Shaved Parmesan

by Chef Owen May and Dr. Michelle May

This salad is a party for your mouth! You'll experience myriad flavors and textures: sweet (oranges and agave), bitter (arugula, olive oil), salty (dressing, cheese), usual (fennel), crisp (lettuces), moist (dressing, oranges, fennel), smooth (cheese), and crunchy (almonds). The oranges, fennel, and Tuscano kale were from our Chow Share box. Let us know what you think!

Chef's Secrets:

Why does it seem that chef-prepared dishes are often more flavorful and attractive than the ones you usually make at home? The secrets are in the details!

• Combine multiple elements for interest and depth. Think about how you can add various flavors such as sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (savory) and different textures like creamy, crunchy, crisp, and smooth.
• Rather than just peeling and separating the orange segments using your fingers, using a knife gives the oranges a bright, glossy, geometric appearance.
• Because fennel has a very strong and unusual flavor (anise or licorice), use it sparingly so you don't overwhelm the other flavors.

Arugula Kale Salad with Fennel, Oranges, and Shaved Parmesan recipe

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave sweetner
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1/2 bag arugula (4 ounces)
1/2 bunch Tuscano kale (or regular kale)
2 oranges
3 bulbs baby fennel (or 1/4-1/2 bulb regular fennel)
1/4 cup of toasted sliced almonds
1-2 ounces of shaved parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender.
2. Slice fennel as thinly as possible using a mandoline, food processor, or sharp knife.
3. Remove stems from kale and roughly chop the leaves.
4. Cut the ends off the oranges, then use a knife to peel the skin away. Segment the orange using a knife (or separate segments with your fingers).
5. Put arugula, kale, fennel, and orange segments into a bowl and toss with dressing.
6. Place salad in individual serving bowls or plates and top with almonds and parmesan.