Off The Menu
Welcome to a collection of happenings from over the years, published recipes, some interviews, great press and much more! Please enjoy perusing Menu For You‘s past and present.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
Excited to announce that MENU FOR YOU ℠ Personal Chef Service will be one of the local venues to participate for the first time in this years Taste of Wilmette! Thursday September 27th at 5;30pm at the Wilmette Golf Club.
A portion of the proceeds to benefit D39 Educational Foudation.
Hope to see you there!
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AUGUST 14, 2018
Let MENU FOR YOU ℠ Personal Chef Service bring our personalized art to your home leaving you with lasting treasured memories and none of the hassle. We have some available dinner party/special event bookings for September, October, November and December.
Contact Chef Vahé for all inquiries.
Personal Chef Services
Dinner Parties
Special Occasions & Events
Weekly Home Meals
Cooking Lessons
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Ketogenic Mint Chocolate NIB Shake – May 2018
Here is a morning shake sure to put a Spring into your step. This recipe is adapted from a ketogenic recipe website. I added some ingredients, still keeping within the ketogenic guidelines. Happy May!
Spanish Mackerel en Papillote with Spring Vegetables – April 2018
Spring is here which preparing means lighter meals with some of its early bounty!
Mackerel is a delicious, often underappreciated fish that is tasty and easy on the coin purse. It is an oily fish with many health benefits and vitamins that are high in B12 and Selenium.
Super Easy Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Cake with Raspberries – February 2018
Here is a fun and romantic Valentines dessert to make for that someone special. This would also be wonderful for an anniversary dinner. Enjoy!
~ Chef Vahé Mekhitarian
Meet Vahé Mekhitarian of MENU FOR YOU ℠ Personal Chef Service
Paleo Carrot Banana Muffins – November 2017
This recipe is inspired by Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com. and elanaspantry.com. It is a wonderful, not too sweet treat and its gluten and grain free with a lower amount of fruit sweetener. I hope you enjoy it with your family and guests. These are great anytime of the year, but they are magnificent during the Fall and Winter months! Make a double batch and freeze one of them for a snowed in weekend or for unexpected company.
Chilled Pasta with Basil-Mint Pesto, Peas and Arugula – August 2017
You will love this flavorful recipe for pasta salad, perfect for summer cookouts, workplace lunches, and weekend picnics. Taste the bright flavors of the Mediterranean in every bite of this light, wonderful green summer salad. Pair this with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or your favorite Rosé.
– Chef Vahé
Strip Steak Nicoise Salad – July 2017
Salads are wonderful year round but especially during the summer. Based on a French bistro staple, this take on a Provençal salad combines steak, olives, potatoes, green beans, eggs and tomatoes for a filling and protein-rich meal. — Chef Vahé
Shrimp Saganaki – May 2017Shrimp appetizers or entrees are usually crowd pleasers. Here is a favorite dish (Shrimp Saganaki, Garides Saganaki ) from Greece that incorporates shrimp, tomato, feta and mint in a wonderful weeknight dinner or an appetizer at your next cocktail party. More
Brussels Sprout Salad with Tomatoes, Pine nuts, and Meyer Lemon – March 2017
The spring season has been with us for some time this mild winter. Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a favorite during the Fall and Winter Holidays. Here is a recipe that utilizes our little green friends from Brussels in a raw, light and bright preparation that is just as delicious as roasting them. More
Park Ridge Patch – February 2017
Meet Menu For You, Inc.’s Vahé Mekhitarian!
Roasted Chicken Thighs With White Beans, Lemon, And Green Olives – February 2017
Winter woes have nestled in all of our homes. A great way to brighten our plates, palates, and homes are with easy one dish meals that offer hints of Spring, are delicious, healthy, and most importantly, crowd-pleasers. I love one pot/dish meals –MORE
Organic Chocolate Zucchini Bread – September 2016
Zucchini Bread… What’s better than zucchini bread? Chocolate zucchini bread! This is a rich, moist, quick bread with a tender crumb. More
Chill and Grill -August 2016
Chill – Spinach-Basil-Lemon Avocado Stuffed Heirloom Tomato AND
Grill –Grilled Hawaiian Ahi with Spinach Basil Lemon Gremolata
August. It’s the month for heat and vacation before the school year starts. Easy, simple and light meals are the way to go. So the theme of August dining for Wilmette at the Lake is chill or grill. Here are recipes for both. Chilling and Grilling. Enjoy!
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August 2016
I just got back from Providence, RI, last month, as I was presenting at the (USPCA) United States Personal Chef Association Conference 2016. It is the largest gathering of Personal Chefs in the Country. My presentation was A Roadmap to Gluten Free/Celiac Savory Cooking and Baking. It was met with much fanfare and excitement, especially because I ended the presentation with one of my Gluten Free Almond Lemon Cookies! It was a wonderful experience and I am energized and looking forward to the future of MENU FOR YOU℠ and continuing to serve the community. Check out the photos from the event below.
Also, since its inception I have been a regular recipe contributor to the local magazine Wilmette At The Lake. Soon I will be a featured columnist to answer your food and cooking questions!
Teaching fellow chefs about gluten free baking.
Taking a picture break with chef friends from MD,NC, PA and NY.
Chef Shirlé Hale Koslowski, Chef Lynn Warlick Wells, Chef Vahé Mekhitarian, Chef Kimberly Fowler Smith and Chef Stacey Taylor
Fellow presenter Retro Rad Food Network Chef Emily Ellyn.
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Grilled Branzino With Chimichurri, Charred Lemon, Asparagus, Cauliflower and Tomato – June 2016
Grilling vegetables is the way I love to start any cookout. Start out by making your chimichurri sauce. While the grill is getting warmed up, prep your vegetables and lightly season with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. MORE
Organic Green Lentils with Leeks and Chives (Gluten Free – Vegetarian)-March 2016
This dish was inspired by Shelly Wiseman. I was asked to create a healthy lentil dish that was gluten free, dairy free and vegan/vegetarian. I played with the flavors from the base recipe and added some additional boosts of flavor and technique to the dish.
Zucchni Feta Patties – October 2015
As a picky eater as a child, this was the introduction recipe to zucchini that my mother made for us. It was the only form of zucchini that I ate for quite some time. Later I learned to love zucchini in all its forms. Hope you enjoy this dish.
by Chef Vahé Mekhitarian ( Menu For You, Inc.)
Chipotle Chicken Taouk – July 2015
My friend Bill Garcia told me at a Northbrook Chamber Meeting that he was bored with chicken breast. He wanted some inspiration and a recipe to overcome this food fatigue. I put together this dish on a whim, wrote down the ingredients and method on a piece of parchment. The rest is history. Enjoy!
June 2015 BUSINESSbeat
Profile of Menu for You
and Vahé Mekhitarian
Pamela Matiosian, owner of Wilmette’s Persimmon knows that when you combine food and art, you’re sure to fuel an appetite and inspire creativity. So, she reached out to her friend, Chef Vahe and created a food and wine series, mixing the senses of sight and taste, much to her customer’s delight. The first class in this monthly series was held on Thursday, May 7, where Matiosian welcomed seasoned and budding artists to join her in an evening of painting, while enjoying tasty samplings of Vahe’s food. Read more here.
-May 7, 2015
“As a personal chef and owner of Menu for You, Mekhitarian works with families to create customized meals that are healthy, nutritious and enjoyable for the whole family.”- January 2014 Read the full Article Here
– February 26, 2015
Wilmette Chef Vahe Cooks in Your Home – Personalized Meals –
November 25, 2014
