Author Interview with Diana Keuilian

Chef Morrow

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Diana Keuilian. Mr. Morrow reviewed her cookbook The Recipe Hacker, and it was fun whipping up one of the recipes. We're excited to learn more about the deliciousness. So, without further ado... take it away, Diana!

Mr. Morrow: Now, I’m known for my wizardry in the kitchen, and I enjoy being creative. One of Fairday’s favorite snacks is skinned pickles, which I call “mouse fillets”. What would you recommend for an easy treat, that’s healthy and will peak a kid’s interest?

Diana: A couple of years ago my son (at age 7) challenged the idea that I could take any food and create it with healthier ingredients. He said, "Oh, yeah? What about Fun Dip?" Fun Dip is a packaged candy that’s basically pure sugar with artificial colors and flavors. It has a candy stick that is dipped into colorful sugar, licked off and then dipped again. You know, the atrocious kind of thing that kids end up with after a birthday party or Halloween.

Well, I took Andrew’s challenge and ended up with this fun, wholesome snack that’s quick to make and entertaining to eat!

Here's what you need for Andrew's Fun Dip:

* 1 oz bag freeze dried strawberries

* ½ a jicama, peeled and sliced

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Throw the freeze dried fruit into a food processor and blend until it becomes a fine powder. (Make sure you remove that little stay-fresh packet before blending!)

2. Serve the powdered fruit in a small bowl or ziplock bag with a handful of jicama sticks.

Sarah Gr. 5- Middlebury Elementary School

Mr. Morrow: My kids are picky eaters, and I try my best to get them to eat healthy. Fairday’s favorite breakfast is blueberry pancakes. I found your recipe for Swedish Pancakes intriguing, noting that it was one of your favorites as well. I especially enjoyed the part about the fruit-spiked butter melting on top. Is it possible to use any type of fruit? What is the consistency and texture, and are kids okay with it? It seems like something you could get really creative with.

Diana: Yes, fruit-spiked coconut butter is a delicious way to top warm, homemade pancakes! I’ve found that mashed berries work best, or a spoonful of fruit-only jam. For half a cup of coconut butter I would use 1 Tablespoon of fruit, but feel free to eyeball it and add as much or little as you please. Once you beat the fruit and butter together place it in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. The resulting butter should be soft, creamy and filled with delicious fruit flavor.

Mr. Morrow: One of my signature dishes is cheesy-baked macaroni, which my whole family loves- I make it super cheesy. What would be a fun twist on this classic recipe? What ingredients would you recommend?

Diana: A fun way to make any pasta dish healthier (macaroni included) is to swap out the traditional noodles for noodles made with zucchini. To make zucchini noodles you can either use a simple veggie peeler to create long strips, or you could use a spiral slicer to turn out noodles that have a traditional spaghetti noodle sized strand. A fun twist on your cheesy baked macaroni would be to make the recipe exactly as is, except swap out the macaroni noodles for zucchini noodles.

Mr. Morrow: My youngest, Margo, is a trickster. She’ll like something one day, and then throw it off her plate the next? What healthy recipe would you serve to a finicky two-year old?

Diana: Two year olds certainly can be tricky! My kids are 9 and 7 now, but I remember those food throwing days clearly. I’ll bet Margo, and any picky two year old, would love this simple recipe for Baked Parsnip Fries. It’s easy for them to grab and dip into some ketchup, and mom is happy because her youngster is eating vegetables with a smile on her face!

In the past I have baked sweet potato fries, which are amazing, and I’ve even baked carrot fries, which are also quite good. But NOTHING even comes close to touching these amazing fries. These are THE BEST EVER! Please, please, please try this recipe (if you are a fry lover) and let me know what you think.

Click here to read my review of this fun recipe! 

Mr. Morrow: My wife, Pru, is the always on the go. She works in interior design, and she’s currently renovating an old Victorian house we recently purchased, which will be a bed and breakfast. I will be head chef, and I want to make sure I have some unique ideas for busy people who want to order something good and healthy, but fast. What would be a tasty recipe for me to include on my menu?

Diana: How lovely! My favorite fast, healthy breakfast would have to be muffins. Now most muffin recipes wouldn’t pass as “healthy” but with a little hacking, I’ve been able to create a muffin recipe that is free of grains, gluten and cane sugar. It’s packed with protein, beets and, best of all, it’s filled with CHOCOLATE! Your guests would love to wake up to a warm basket of these nutritious and delicious Chocolate Muffins…

Here’s what you need for Chocolate Muffins:

· 1 cup dark chocolate

·      ¼ cup coconut oil

·      1/3 cup raw honey

·      2 eggs

·      2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·      ¼ teaspoon almond extract

·      1 (15oz) can beets, drained

·      1 cup blanched almond flour

·      2 Tablespoons coconut flour

·      ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·      2 teaspoons baking soda

·      ¼ teaspoon sea salt

·      ½ cup dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

2.     Combine the dark chocolate, coconut oil, and honey in a small pot, and place in a medium skillet in an inch of water. Place over medium heat. Stir often until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth.

3.     Combine the melted chocolate mixture, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract and beets in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

4.     In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add to the wet ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until smooth. Mix the chocolate chips into the batter with a large spoon.

5.     Fill each muffin tin with batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until baked through. Serve with a sprinkle of unsweetened, shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Mr. Morrow: Fairday loves books, and she always wants to know what people like to read. As she’s letting me host her book blog this week, I have to ask, what is your favorite book? If you could be-friend a character from any story, who would you befriend? Why?

Diana: Being asked to name a single book as my favorite is like being asked to name one of my children as my favorite – just can’t do it! I have a deep appreciate and love of many, many books. I recently re-read Angela Hunt’s The Immortal, and think that 2,000 year old Asher would be a very interesting friend to have. Would love to have a personal tour of Rome from the guy who saw history unfold.

Mr. Morrow: Finally, what is a special entree that you like to serve to your family? Do you have a tradition that accompanies the dish?

Diana: My kids love Make-Your-Own Taco night, and our tradition is to put all the fixing in the middle of the table so we can assemble our own tacos as we eat, laugh and enjoy! My favorite Taco recipe is on page 80 of The Recipe Hacker. Thanks for having me and enjoy the recipes. :)

Pick up this cookbook for more great recipes! 

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