Everyday Exotic

Chef Roger Mooking spent much of his childhood in Trinidad eating fresh avocado,--or as he knows it, Zaboca--straight from the tree. An everyday mid-week diner meal favourite becomes a Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado flavour sensation (BLTA). This diner fave is so tasty, and better still, quicker than a waitress on rollerskates.

With his Obedient Ingredient, Blood Orange, Roger takes on all the fast-food junkies with a fresher and healthier alternative to their everyday comfort food. Blood Orange adds vibrant colour and a citrusy flavour to homemade chicken fingers, a fresh Plum dipping sauce, and a crisp Watercress salad. For dessert, Roger makes a fresh-frozen Granita, a homemade snow cone even the kiddies can enjoy.

It’s time for an everyday pizza meal to get really cheesy! Roger’s shuffling off to get his Obedient Ingredient Buffalo Mozzarella to replace that everyday processed shredded cheese pizza. Buffalo Mozzarella not only covers his perfect homemade crust but also tops a fig and arugula salad.

Everyday steak and potatoes get the “Big Easy” treatment as he crusts a blackened root-beer marinated t-bone steak and stews up a hearty pot of gumbo potatoes. When hit with the complex flavours of his Obedient Ingredient, Cajun Spice, the best accompaniment as a side vegetable is something fresh, crisp and simple, blanched sugar snap peas fit the bill. With Roger’s spin on a steak and potatoes meal, the everyday becomes some serious soul food!

To please his kids, and feed his appetite for high quality fresh food, Roger creates a roast beef and potatoes meal featuring local artisan Camembert cheese as his Obedient Ingredient. An everyday prime roast gets bathed in a tangy balsamic marinade, then smothered in a rich and filling herbed Camembert gravy. This is one meal that Roger’s family, and yours, will have yelling for “Cheese Please!”

For dinner, Roger sets out to transform an everyday Pork Roast meal complete with a sauerkraut twist on the side. If you like a little mustard with your Pork, then Roger’s planting a different seed for you to think about — his Obedient Ingredient, Caraway. If you only know Caraway from its leading role in rye bread, Roger uses this powerful and exotic ingredient to play off the sweetness of the pork roast by creating a crust and blending it into a mustard sauce.

A traditional Shepherd’s Pie becomes a not so everyday Fisherman’s Pie when Chef Roger Mooking replaces ground chuck with his Obedient Ingredient, Catfish. In classic French style, a standard mash gets browned off to form the perfect gratin topping while a creamy tarragon sauce and shrimp completes the pie. With Roger’s obedient ingredient, Catfish, comfort food comes fresh from the oven to really tickle your whiskers.

Having just returned from a trip to Mexico, Chef Roger Mooking uses his Obedient Ingredient, Chipotle, to turn a gringo style tortilla and cheese meal, whether veggie or meat lovers, into the real deal. Roger also re-defines refried beans to make them a smash, then creates two unique and fresh salsas. Whether in powder form or canned in adobo sauce, cooking with Chipotle peppers means an authentic Mexican meal!

There’s only so much of that everyday chicken noodle you can take in your thermos!! So Roger wants you to try his Obedient Ingredient Daikon in a peppery flavoured broth, loaded up with shiitake mushrooms in cigar shaped wontons. In North America soup is often relegated to snack status, but with a little Asian inspiration, Roger’s Daikon eats like a whole meal.

Passing by a Chinatown duck counter, Roger picks up his next meal’s Obedient Ingredient, a fresh-cured Peking Duck. With it, Roger turns an everyday soup and sandwich meal into an Asian inspired duck soup with lentils, then loads a baguette up, Vietnamese-style, for a meaty sandwich topped with a flavourful chutney. This Peking Duck meal is hot, flavourful and worth going to the wall for!

Through the magic of his Obedient Ingredient Edamame (Soy Beans) in its many forms, a traditional fish and chip meal becomes anything but everyday. A classic halibut fillet is “soy” good when marinated with soymilk and then lightly dusted, and instead of a tartar sauce for dipping, Roger whips up a creamy aioli and Edamame dip. With Edamame, this everyday meal becomes a whole different kettle of fish.

Chef Roger Mooking dips into his “Special Ingredients Cupboard” for his latest Obedient Ingredient, and lets us in on one of his family’s ancient Chinese secrets, Fermented Black Beans. Surf ‘n Turf may be an everyday “Made In America” steakhouse concept, only with Roger’s exotic twist, Fermented Black Beans make a savoury Chinese-inspired sauce to pour over shrimp and a prime filet steak. The baked potato gets tossed in favour of a delicious Roasted Eggplant, and a never-before-seen Broccoli side dish, born of Roger’s own imagination, finishes off this meal. Surf and Turf’s Up!

As his Obedient Ingredient, Jerusalem Artichoke gets the full-on French treatment transforming an everyday Soup and Nicoise Salad into the best Bistro Style meal you could make at home. Puréed into soup perfection, and seared then tossed into an amazing Salad Nicoise with a fresh roasted chicken breast, Jerusalem Artichoke turns ordinary soup and salad into a complete dining experience. Jerusalem Artichoke is truly at the root of this unique and flavourful meal!

Chef Roger Mooking introduces us to his Obedient Ingredient, Lime Leaves, and a deconstructed chicken salad goes tropical. A whole chicken does double duty when it makes a chicken salad accompanied with a fresh lime aioli, and a Malaysian-inspired broth to cook up a rice pilaf. Last but not least, a crunchy Lime Topping on charred tomatoes makes an everyday chicken salad meal so much more and so subLIME!

With some decadently fresh lobster on sale, East meets West as Roger uses his Obedient Ingredient, Nappa Cabbage, to blend the idea of east coast lobster wraps with western Ukrainian cabbage rolls and Mint Mayonnaise. Ginger and Carrot brighten up the plate as an alternative to the everyday tomato sauce. With Nappa Cabbage, these rolls really are a-head of the pack!

The Obedient Ingredient, Passion Fruit helps Roger to recreate some of the romantic magic of a recent trip to Malaysia, as he grills up some Passion Fruit Pork Satay skewers. A delicate Herbed Couscous, and an Asian inspired Vegetable Stir Fry will hopefully have his wife also feeling the love. And no romantic evening is complete without some sinful indulgence, so Roger uses Passion Fruit to dress up locally baked sponge cakes.

Roger brings everyday chicken wings and his Obedient Ingredient Peanuts together, and suddenly mild, medium or suicide goes Malaysian satay! He also shows how to cook up a simple rice noodle salad and dress it with some “peanuty” crunch and rice wine vinegar. Roger’s not nuts, but these wings sure are!

The standard with a Pork Loin meal is applesauce, only with Roger’s Obedient Ingredient, Persimmon, an equally sweet flavour gets the sautéed treatment and takes dinner from the standard to the sublime! Roger prepares pork loin cutlets and crusts them with toasted fennel seeds and to sweeten the whole meal deal, a sugary mint topping garnishes the meal. This pork dinner is sure to bear fruit!

Roger’s come a long way as a chef, and courtesy of his Obedient Ingredient, Pine Nuts, a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern staple, Roger freaks up some everyday Spaghetti and Meatballs. Tender and buttery pine nuts are tossed into some lamb meatballs and sprinkled over a Tuscan-style bread salad creating a very distinctive taste. For dessert, Roger cuts his teeth on some easy homemade pine nut brittle. This dinner will have you pining for pine nuts!

Presto! By sneaking in his Obedient Ingredient, Pesto, suddenly Angel Hair pasta is a dish that’s entirely different, and oh so buttery and sweet. To add interest to intrigue, Roger then broils a crumbly and cheesy Zucchini Gratin before settling down to an after dinner pot of coffee and homemade Pistachio Macaroons.

Taking on the British concept of a “full breakfast”, Roger replaces fried strips of bacon with rich, marbled and over roasted cubes of his Obedient Ingredient, Pork Belly. The Eggs aren’t ignored though, as they get a French twist when they are baked with cream.

Chef Roger Mooking is a real man, and isn’t afraid to admit that he loves quiche! With the help of his Obedient Ingredient, fresh local Prosciutto, Roger adds an Italian twist to a light and fluffy quiche baked in an easy homemade crust. A green bean and asparagus salad, warmed with a lemon dressing tops it all off until a surprising replacement for bacon bits shows up.

For dinner, Roger is creating a lasagna adventure of his own with his Obedient Ingredient, Rappini. A meatless, but just as hearty tasting, everyday lasagna gets it’s layers upon layers of homemade pasta filled with the bold flavours of Rapini, a jalapeno béchamel, and roasted squash. This is one lasagna that will make any carnivore want to get in touch with their veggie side.

When Roger has a craving for a Trinidadian childhood favourite, Akra, he dehydrates and batters up his Obedient Ingredient, Salt Cod. While the everyday fish meal often includes a tarter sauce, Roger mixes up three different dipping sauces all born of the islands and perfect for every taste. If you’ve never kissed the cod, as they say in Newfoundland, this meal is a good way to start!

Chef Roger Mooking takes an everyday Grilled Salmon with veggies meal as close to the Middle East as a half-hour in your kitchen will get you, by way of his Obedient Ingredient, Tahini. Roger uses Tahini to create a most unusual flavoured marinade for his salmon, and demonstrates how to make several simple sides such as Sautéed Spinach, Beets with a Sesame Seed coating, and a middle-eastern inspired eggplant dip, all drizzled with a sauce featuring his Obedient Ingredient, Tahini. Roger’s salmon is about to be dressed to grill!

One of Chef Roger Mooking’s first kitchen memories was of his father teaching him how to wrap wontons. Hundreds of them later, Roger admits that although they take some work, the results are worth it! Roger uses wonton wrappers as his Obedient Ingredient, and as a great stand-in for everyday pasta when creating an Asian inspired homemade meat and cheese ravioli meal. This fresh ravioli meal is so quick and easy it will leave you “wonton” more!

Chef Roger Mooking has the perfect spice up his sleeve to infuse some maximum flavor to an everyday lamb chop dinner, Cardamom! A little of this “Obedient Ingredient” will go a long way to add some savory kick to Rogers Cardamom Marinated Lamb Chops, Pear Chutney, and to a Roasted Pears with Cardamom Granola dessert. Then to balance the rest of the meal he creates a bright Cilantro Couscous, and a fresh Tomato Yogurt Salad. 

A Roast Chicken dinner is an everyday staple in homes right across the world but in Chef Roger Mooking’s kitchen it is infused with some off the charts flavor. Roger takes a perfectly stuffed chicken and roasts it to perfection with his “Obedient Ingredient” Celeriac, a hardy root vegetable that will be sure to replace the potato sitting in your pantry. And while the oven works its magic with the chicken Roger will put together the perfect complements, a Celeriac Soup with a Sour Cream garnish and a Caramelized Banana Brownie Dessert.

Get the recipes from this episode.

Mid-week meals get the royal treatment buy adding a little exotic flair to your everyday shake and bake style chicken. Chef Roger Mooking replaces the typical store bought crunch with his “obedient ingredient” coconut. Watch how a few simple spices and shredded coconut reinvents a kitchen tradition that will leave your diner’s pallet pleasantly surprised.

It’s burger time in the Mooking home! Roger’s everyday Chinese five-spice powder can be the exotic addition to your next barbeque. With Chinese five-spice as his “Obedient Ingredient” and lamb as his base, the sky’s the limit on the amount of flavor Roger will infuse into his burgers. Finishing off with his cucumber relish, a five spice aioli and sided with crispy fried onions speckled with Chinese five-spice, Roger ensures that you will want to keep Chinese five-spice on hand in your kitchen.

Restaurant quality pasta can be easily achieved in your kitchen with Chef Roger Mooking’s recipe and with his “Obedient Ingredient” King Oyster Mushrooms. This beautiful fettuccini is paired with King Oyster Mushroom Brushcetta and delightful sweet treat some Cinnamon Grilled Apples. Watch how Roger shows you tricks of the trade and takes your everyday pasta dish and makes it extraordinary.

A nice burst of citrus and baked fish is an ideal combination, so the ideal “obedient ingredient” for Chef Roger Mooking’s baked snapper recipe is lemongrass. This meal is the ultimate in freshness, with the bright lemongrass snapper dressed in an eye-catching yellow tomato sauce. The meal is accompanied with gorgeous broccoli with crispy garlic and beautiful mini potatoes dressed with a homemade ginger butter. The mid-week meal should be a real catch with the guests at your table.

Roger, fresh from Chinatown, is inspired to take on the lychee as his “Obedient Ingredient”. This sweet and succulent fruit will take your everyday pork chop meal to the next level. Roger creates a sweet and sour lychee topping for perfectly grilled pork chops, a cucumber lychee salad bursting with flavor, and a delicious potato pancake side dish. This midweek meal is sure to impress.

Chef Roger Mooking has the perfect mid-week meal menu. It is fast, fresh and delicious! In fact it is so quick he will need to start on his dessert first just to stay a head of the game. With his “Obedient Ingredient” Mango, Roger will brighten up a flash fried Seared Steak and Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Orzo by paring it with a Mango Salad, with a kick, a Mango Lassi, for something to sip, and a Mango Rice Pudding with a nutmeg pinch.

We all know how Chef Roger Mooking likes to mix it up in his kitchen and this Spiced Ground Beef mid-week meal is no different. With his “Obedient Ingredient” Maple Syrup watch how Roger takes this typically sweet sauce and make it into something savory. This hamburger is getting it help from beautifully Grilled Japanese Eggplant some Soy Green Beans and a eye catching Plum Compote. This is a true Mooking style solution to your everyday dining experience.

Roger just stopped off at his local Japanese market to pick up his 'obedient ingredient' miso. Miso is most commonly found with a sushi dinner in miso soup, but Chef Roger Mooking is going to use these various shades of flavor to liven up a delicious pork rib dinner. Then with the addition of two scrumptious side dishes, a miso bean salad and some soy smashed potatoes, this everyday exotic is sure to impress even the hardest to please diner.

Nori – more commonly called seaweed – is Chef Roger Mooking’s “Obedient Ingredient”.  Roger takes us to a local Japanese grocer to shop for ingredients and back to his kitchen to show us the simplicity of a nori-crusted salmon served on a soba noodle salad. This gorgeous any-day dinner is both delectable and nutritious!

A family meal staple is given an exotic makeover, and your everyday chili night will never be the same. Chef Roger Mooking takes the silkiness of his “obedient ingredient” okra and incorporates some off the hook flavor to his chili at the same time. Rogers spice mix will soon be a permanent replacement for the everyday grocer spice packages. This mid-week meal is completed with a tempura inspired Crispy Cornmeal Okra and refreshing Chipotle Sour Cream. Delicious!

Chef Roger Mooking knows what it is like to be pressed for time, what with his responsibilities with running restaurants, working in the music industry and trying to squeeze in some time with the family. His time saver, a quick mid-week Shrimp Stir-Fry that cooks so fast your head will spin, and to make sure we do not sacrifice flavor for speed he will be working with his “Obedient Ingredient” Oyster Sauce. Along with his stir-fry Roger will also have a savory Chinese Roast Pork, a stir-fry garnish with an everyday twist and a fresh Tropical Fruit Salad.

Welcome to Chef Roger Mooking’s kitchen. Join him as he unleashes the power of the Papaya! See Roger master this “Obedient Ingredient” and show us his one-of-a-kind twist on simple dining staples like mouth watering chicken breasts with papaya barbeque sauce, savory coconut rice and a elegant watercress salad on a bed of fresh papaya. This is how they do it in the Mooking household!

Chef Roger Mooking gives us a little taste of the Caribbean with his Trinidadian Style Chicken Stew and to help him get that authentic taste he will rely on his “obedient ingredient” plantain. Plantain’s diversity is exemplified both in his “Trini” style chicken and in a sweet plantain gratin with a pickled topping. With a few simple tricks of the trade this meal will have your diners craving the Caribbean every week.

High-end restaurant presentation can be difficult to achieve but with Chef Roger Mooking’s “obedient ingredient” Saffron he will bring out the exotic elegance in your everyday baked fish dinner. Luxurious saffron flavor is infused and steeped in gorgeous halibut packets and flecked in a saffron rice dish. And if that is not enough color for your plate he brightens up the meal with some eye catching sautéed peppers. Fine dining has never been so simple.

When Roger has a steak and potato dinner it is most definitely not your everyday meal, but it is just as simple. Roger’s “Obedient Ingredient” is Sichuan peppercorn, and this is one exotic spice that you will need to make room for in your pantry. Sensual strip-loin gets the once over with an enticing sichuan peppercorn crust then paired with glazed and grilled sweet potatoes and a luscious creamed spinach worth devouring.

Chef Roger Mooking has the perfect solution to your simple kabob mid-week meal, and it all starts with his “obedient ingredient” Tamarind. Roger creates a silky Tamarind Sauce to top some beautifully grilled lamb for wonderfully and exotic tasting skewers. He rounds out the meal with his Black Eyed Peas rice and a sweet treat that only Tamarind can provide. This mouth-watering meal is exactly what your pallet needs.

There just might not be anything more comforting than chicken soup. Then again, there might not be anything like Chef Roger Mooking’s chicken soup with his “Obedient Ingredient”, Thai basil. When this all-seasons soup is matched with a shitake mushroom & asparagus egg crepe and a toasted baguette spread with Thai basil butter, your taste buds will officially move from the everyday to the exotic.

Water Chestnuts are Chef Roger Mooking’s “obedient ingredient” and he has the perfect recipe for their use, Pork and Shrimp Tacos. The sweetness and crunchy texture of the water chestnut is the perfect year round ingredient to shake up your dinning experience. No Taco night could be complete without Rogers take on the condiment classic salsa and Rogers creative twist on guacamole, Creamed Avocado. This mid-week meal is a sure fire hit with the most everyday of diners.