Editor’s Note: This post is sponsored by Bleu Harvest Personal Chef Services.
Chef Kari Kramer understands some of the difficulties associated with feeding a busy family today. Her business, Bleu Harvest Personal Chef Services, aims to remove some of those stresses — planning, shopping, meal preparation, not to mention satisfying discriminating tastes — and give families back what they need most: time.
After graduating with a degree in biology and working as a research associate, Kramer finally decided to pursue her love of food and cooking. In 2007, she completed training from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.
Kari Kramer of Bleu Harvest Personal Chef Services. Credit: Kari Kramer
Kramer has worked in various restaurants in the Midwest and South, as well as a Michelin two-star restaurant in Switzerland. She enjoys cooking a variety of cuisines, including French, Asian, and Contemporary American, but focuses her cooking style on local, seasonal foods, seeking out great local artisans, farmers, and producers. Her main goal is to create meals that are both healthy and delicious.
When not in the kitchen, Kramer can be found teaching tennis with the Champaign Park District. She is also the chapter leader of Slow Food Champaign-Urbana, and volunteer monthly at the Wesley Food Pantry. In any spare time, Kramer enjoys being outdoors with her two dogs and boyfriend.
Here’s more from the chef:
Why did you decide to start cooking? What do you love about it?
As a child, I spent most weekends with my grandma, who was a fabulous cook. I listened to stories of her childhood growing up in rural Minnesota with 12 brothers and sisters. They of course had a large garden, cow, chickens, etc. I didn’t realize until much later in life that those stories would form the basis of my cooking style. I love cooking with seasonal products, knowing where my food comes from, and sharing that with others. I also really love the simplicity and taste of excellent quality ingredients.
Why should busy families consider a personal chef?
A personal chef gives you the freedom and flexibility at dinner time! Coming home from a long day at work and don’t want to cook, or don’t have the time? Perhaps you don’t like cooking, or maybe you love it, but tonight is just too busy. Whichever the case, you still want to have a healthy meal on the table for you and your family. A personal chef service allows this and more. All you need to do is reheat and serve!
I think one of my clients says it best: “Your meal service is great, and I tell anyone who asks how I’m eating but not cooking all about it! I’m down 15 pounds and my cholesterol is down 40 points due to nutrition and lifestyle changes I’ve been able to make because of your service. My family’s eating better and together at the table, and this working mother can spend more downtime with her son. Needless to say, I’m a fan!”
We’d talked about how sometimes it is actually more cost-effective for you to do the meal planning/shopping/cooking because there is less waste. Can you elaborate on that?
Since I do the menu planning and shopping, I know exactly what to buy and the quantities needed. I know what your staples are, too, so I won’t be buying extra couscous when you have bags of it in the pantry, for example.
Your grocery bill is generally around the same price each time, and often quite less than what you might spend yourself as I won’t be making any impulse purchases for you!
And no need to waste food you already have. I will utilize that lone carrot on its last leg in the refrigerator.
What are some of your favorite meals for families and why?
Most of my meals are perfect for families because they are well rounded, including lots of veggies! The spinach and cheese stuffed chicken breasts with couscous or mashed potatoes are a good way to sneak in the spinach for kids. If you have a household of adventurous eaters, you will be happy. I like to find fun ways to incorporate beans, pulses, fish, and other heart healthy proteins into meals. Popular favorites include Lemon and Horseradish Salmon Cakes with braised greens and caramelized onions, Homemade Mac ’n’ Cheese, Sheppard’s Pie, and the Chicken, Spinach and Broccoli Casserole with brown rice.
Kids can be picky! How do you get around that with your recipes?
I am very adaptable, and happy to customize menus. For example, if two people in the household don’t eat broccoli, and two do, a recipe can be adapted to suit both needs. Substitutions are generally easy. I have experience working with special diets as well including gluten-free, vegetarian, kosher, and vegan.
With a general assessment of what your children like to eat, it is fairly easy to adapt a healthy recipe. For example, homemade pizza has a lot less sodium and processed sugars than a frozen box pizza or Pizza Hut.
Why are family dinners so important? And why do you think so many families struggle with getting a home-cooked meal on the table?
Dinner time is an important bonding time, a time to sit together and share your days’ stories over a nice meal. A time to appreciate each other, and be thankful for what you have; a time to enjoy each other. It’s also a time to nourish yourself and your family with a healthy meal.
I think families struggle with dinner because often both parents are working, kids have after school activities, homework, laundry, feed the dog, chores — everyday life. As a society, we are becoming busier in our everyday lives, leaving less time to take care of one another and enjoy each others’ company.
There are two ways to experience Bleu Harvest and Kari Kramer’s talents. Below, Kramer has shared two recipes to try on your own time. In addition, Kramer is offering Chambanamoms readers a “taste” of the action. Leave a comment below sharing a tip to make mealtime faster or friendly, and you’ll be entered to win one free trial meal. The winner will receive an entrée plus a side item, serving four to six people — including the shopping, cooking and clean-up!
Fish Cakes (serves eight)
Children seem to love the frozen fish sticks, so this is my version of a healthy alternative. You can even form them into “logs” instead of cakes!
Fish Cakes. Credit: Kari Kramer
Note: Copper River Salmon is an excellent choice and in season right now; Tilapia or Cod make great options as well. Don’t think the kids will like the bite from the horseradish, substitute with mustard!
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb fish fillets
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 Cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley or tarragon
- ½ Cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, (from about 2 lemons)
- 3 Tbsp bottled white horseradish (or mustard)
- 1 1/2 Cups coarse cracker crumbs, or other breadcrumbs (panko work nicely, too)
- Tartar sauce, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease with oil. Place fish fillets on sheets; season with salt and pepper. Roast until just cooked, approximately 10 minutes. Let cool completely; pat dry with paper towels (to absorb excess moisture) With a fork or your hands, flake fish into a bowl. The fish should be in small pieces.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, parsley, carrots, lemon juice, and horseradish. Fold in fish and 1/2 cup cracker crumbs; season with salt and pepper. Place remaining 1 cup crumbs on a plate. Form 8 large or 16 small cakes or logs, using about ½ cup for 8 or ¼ cup for 16 of the fish mixture. Gently dredge cakes in crumbs, pressing to help adhere.
Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper or Saran wrap. Freeze until just firm (approximately 10 minutes or so). This will make cooking a lot easier; you can also freeze for storage at this point too.
In a large skillet over medium high, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Sautee the cakes until slightly brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired. Coleslaw or steamed vegetable make a nice side dish.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp (serves six to eight)
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp. Credit: Kari Kramer
This is a perfect late Spring early Summer Dessert! Any seasonal berry can be substituted in or out. The recipe is simple and the family will love it!!
- 4 Cups fresh rhubarb, about 4-5 stalks cut into 1 inch cubes; or substitute blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or just all strawberry!
- 4 Cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
- 1/2 Cup honey or granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Cup quick-cooking oatmeal, or substitute chopped nuts such as walnuts or almonds
- 12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced (1 1/2 sticks)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the fruit, combine the berries, honey or sugar, and the zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the lemon juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan to catch any liquid that falls out.
For the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and oatmeal (or nuts) in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix together with your hands until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 45 min. – 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.
No purchase necessary for giveaway. Only one entry per person. Contest will be wrapped up by 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 27 Winners will be picked at random by random.org. Winners must respond to email notification within 48 hours or another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents 18 and older.
What a great giveaway! We have a very busy family so one thing I do to make mealtime prep go quicker is to precook and freeze our protein. I will poach a big batch of chicken to throw into a casserole or stirfry. I will brown pounds of hamburger that can be used for tacos or on pizza. Saves me time in the end!
Yum! I’d love to win this giveaway! I try to take Sunday afternoon and do lots of cooking, making enough for two or three meals during the week plus leftovers. What we don’t eat within a couple of days gets frozen and pulled out later for a super-speedy meal.
The fish cakes look awesome! I LOVE fish!
I like to prep fresh veggies when I get home from the farmer’s market or store so they are easy to throw into stir fry, salads, casseroles, and soups or freeze. I have lots of diced bell peppers in the fridge right now for use in pasta salad later. I also like to double recipes so that there are plenty of leftovers to stick in the fridge for later in the week or stick in the freezer for later in the month. But the best way to make meal prep “friendly” is to involve your family! Kids love to mix up batter and knead dough. Even if they’re not old enough to use knives or the stove they can still measure out ingredients or gather them out of the pantry, Make meal time a family affair!
I have always thought it would so much easier to lose weight if I had a personal chef like Oprah. I eat healthier if I prep my fresh veggies ahead of time also. i also like to place them in see through containers so that I can see them and remember to use them.
I also like to do meal plans and prep every ingredient I can the day I buy it. I usually get a big glass of wine and enjoy the time to myself.
What a great giveaway! I often do “appetizers” while I cook. I’ll feed my kids raw veggies (which they are far more likely to eat when they’re “starving”) while I prep dinner. I’m also a big fan of crock pot cooking and freezer meals that I can make in bulk when I have some time.
what an awesome giveaway … and what an awesome treat to have a personal chef on a regular basis!
quick meals are easier in the warmer months b/c we can grilll. for example, grilled salmon, roasted sweet potatoes (in the microwave) and a quick summer salad (tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion with a quick vinegraitte) and voila! kid friendly and fast!
I try and either do meal prep or make meals on the weekend to use during the week.
What a great idea — this would be such a treat.
In the summer we like to grill ahead chicken and use it for salads for lunches. Also chopping up veggies to make quick salads at dinner.
When I’m making something that requires a lot of chopped veggies (like a soup), I throw the veggies all at once into the food processor and pulse it a couple times. Saves a lot of time if I don’t have to chop each veggie by hand.
What a fabulous giveaway!
I try to freeze a lot of foods. When bell peppers go on sale 11/$10, I slice them up and freeze them in single servings in Glad Press and Seal. They’re great to pull out for fajitas, stir fries, soups, etc.
Brilliant! I’m letting go… Freezer stocked with frozen meatballs and go-gurt!
So challanging doing everything by myself for the family. we all know how much responsibility it is to feed our family healthy, tasty and economically. could be so nice to get the free trial and experience something new and fresh.
Thanks.
I live and die by my crock pots. I couldn’t do dinnertime without them.
Now that it’s prime farmer’s market season, we take advantage of what’s fresh–for now and later. We make sure that we blanch some fresh veggies (green beans, corn, etc.) and use our vacuum sealer so that we can enjoy those fresh veggies in the colder months. Fast side and it helps us get through the winter!
Wow! What a great opportunity. One timesaver is to precut chicken into chunks for tacos or casseroles later in the week. Get as much of the prep done on the weekend do you are ready during your busy week!
This is a great service! I try to make a meal that will last for 2 nights with slight modifications so it is not like we are eating the same meal 2 nights in a row.
Planning the meals out for the whole week saves us time from standing at the refrigerator after work trying to figure out what to fix!
My weekday time-saver has turned out to be my kitchen garden. I have vegetables and herbs, some perenniel, some annual, nothing tricky to grow. Right now I have tons of basil, arugula and zuccini. Soon I’ll have tomatoes and green beans, and eventually eggplant, squash, beets and broccoli. The garden saves me from both meal-planning and trips to the supermarket, as I can be sure to have a vegetable and/or salad each day. I love Bleu Harvest’s idea and hope it is a success.
I do a huge batch of brown rice and make at least three distinct meals out of them and also I use the crock pot a lot to make beans that will also last for the week.
Once a month or so, I freeze large batches of breakfast foods for my toddler (her favorite is whole wheat pumpkin muffins). Every morning I just pull something out of the freezer, throw it in the microwave for 30 seconds to defrost, and voila! I add fresh or frozen fruit along with milk, and she has a wholesome breakfast in under 2 minutes. It’s perfect for our busy mornings!
Some great tips here! I’m not nearly this organized, but I do try to always have on hand the ingredients for a few easy “pantry/freezer” meals (beans and rice, quesadillas, pasta) that I can soup up with whatever veggies we happen to have on hand.
What a great give away! I would love to win this one
Agree with Kirstin, lots of good tips! Here are a couple of things we do to speed up dinner.
During grilling season, I have the husband toss a couple of extra chicken breasts/sausages/whichever meat on the grill. Then it’s all ready to go for some recipe later in the week.
On the days when I walk in the door with no specific dinner in mind, I start a pan of water to boil on the stove or start chopping an onion. Either of these basic starts can lead to several meals, and give me a couple extra minutes to work out the plans.
These recipes sound delicious.
I save time by pressure cooking my meat in batches ahead of time. So when the local grocery store has chicken pieces, legs or quarters on sale I will buy 10-20 pounds and pressure cook it. Once cooled I will debone it and freeze it into small containers. I have endless quick recipes I can make with my frozen beef and chicken. Some examples are pot pie, chicken tetrazzini, quesadillas, beef and noodles……
Andrea
We try to plan and post the menu for the whole week. That saves the endless questions of “what’s for dinner”. And when the kids help plan the meals (which need to include a protein, veggie, & starch) there’s less whining about what’s offered. This doesn’t always get done, but when it does, it saves time & energy.
I also make sure to clean and cut fruits and veggies when we get home from the store. It also helps me save time to keep my freezer organized so I know exactly what I have and what I will need. I will often double a recipe so that I can freeze leftovers for another time, especially if it is a crockpot recipe! Another easy way to save time is to cook extra chicken breasts, etc., to use for leftovers or other recipes later in the week.
We currently have twin 3-yr olds….the thing that makes our dinner prep go the fastest is ordering a pizza! We need some culinary help—it would be great to see how you do it!
I love cooking ahead too and I try to make sure we have leftovers so we can get two meals out of each cooking experience! We might eat it for lunch or dinner the next day but it saves time!