Iron Chef & Culinary Expert Beau MacMillan is Welcomed by GoGreenfields

03/27/22 • 32 min

You may recall that on the last episode of GoGreenfields, we featured the first ever GoGreenfields’ Iron Chef at Home Competition, with the amazing US Wellness Meats providing our secret ingredient - pork butt. That was such an amazing episode, and we enjoyed filming it so much that we simply couldn’t resist reaching out to someone with a great deal more experience with the heat of battle in the kitchen.

Meet the Real Iron Chef

Beau MacMillan was certainly able to tell us a thing or two about what it means to win an Iron Chef competition. This real life Iron Chef received his crown in 2006, he took down none other than Bobby Flay in a Kobe Beef showdown. Chef Beau, commonly referred to as BeauMac, is nearly as familiar with television sets as he is with kitchen utensils. While his first love was always the craft of cuisine, he found fame on the small screen, appearing on shows such as Guy’s Grocery Games, Worst Cooks in America (fortunately not competing for the title, but rather as a coach and advisor), and Beat the Chefs.

The Iron Chef in His Own Kitchen

Chef MacMillan has won multiple awards for his menus. He was co-founder of Elements, a restaurant in Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort in Arizona, where he now serves as Culinary Advisor. He is also the acting Culinary Director for Cala in the Senna House.

Needless to say, we were very impressed with his resume and even more thrilled with his decision to sit down for an interview with us, here on GoGreenfields.

Cooking Like an Iron Chef

This is a recipe from Chef Beau's Cookbook, The Alzheimer's Prevention Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Boost Brain Health. We gave it a try ourselves and the outcome was delicious!

Cannellini Bean Dip with Roasted Red Peppers

This spread fits right in with the Mediterranean diet. Cannellini beans, a staple of Tuscany, Italy, are a great legume. Their benefit is further enhanced by the polyphenol-rich peppers and onions as well as the Brain-Boosting Broth. Try this dip on a piece of grilled artisan bread, with a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

Ingredients

2 bacon slices, diced
2 tablespoons diced celery
2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons peeled, diced parsnip
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained
5 cups Bone Broth (he had his own broth recipe in the cookbook, so this is a substitution)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red bell peppers

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the celery, onion, parsnip, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the beans, broth, and thyme.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, until the beans are tender, 1 to 11⁄2 hours.
With an immersion blender and using a pulsing action, puree the bean mixture in the pan, stopping when the dip has a nice, chunky texture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool.
Roast the red bell peppers in the oven at 375°F on a baking sheet, on the grill, or held over a flame on a gas oven with tongs.
Char the skin, rotating it for even charring, for 5 to 8 minutes.
Once the skin starts cracking, place the peppers in a small bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 5 minutes.
The skin will steep and separate from the peppers so that you can peel it off easily. Once the peppers are cool, peel and seed them, then cut into thin strips.
Arrange the red pepper strips on the dip and serve

Share your attempt of this recipe with Chef Beau:

Instagram: @chefbeaumac

Who is your favorite Iron Chef? Let us know!

Facebook: @gogreenfieldspodcast
Twitter: @GoGreenfields
Instagram: @gogreenfieldsshow
Snapchat: GoGreenfields
TikTok: GoGreenfields

Previous Episode

GoGreenfields’ First Iron Chef at Home Competition

When Ben Greenfield shows up in the kitchen, and there is a table of three judges staring back at you, you know that things are about to get crazy! River and Terran were challenged with a head-to-head competition in the first ever GoGreenfields’ Iron Chef at Home.

THE RULES:

One mystery ingredient to be revealed just seconds before the clock starts ticking
Three hours to prepare, cook, and plate THREE dishes
Meal to include: one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert
All kitchen tools and utensils are at the disposal of the chefs
Transportation to and from the grocery store is available (each chef has been assigned a driver)
Grocery shopping is included in the three hour timeline. Time spent in the store means less time in the kitchen
Three judges will be present to judge each dish in five categories
Dishes will be judged for:

Creativity & Inventiveness
Taste
Texture
Smell & Aroma
Appearance & Plating

Dishes will be judged in each category on a 1-5 scale
The winner receives a $100 gift card to the restaurant of his choice in either Spokane, Washington or Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

This episode was sponsored by US Wellness Meats. US Wellness Meats specializes in all-natural, whole foods raised the way nature intended, on sustainable family farms. You can get your own flavorful, grass-fed meat at gogreenfields.com/uswellnessmeats.

Let’s meet the brilliant minds behind the first GoGreenfields’ Iron Chef at Home:

Your host, Ben Greefield - He needs no introduction, but for those who are new to the Greenfield name, Ben is a human performance consultant, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of 17 books. He is an advisor, investor, and board member of multiple corporations in the health and fitness industry, and is also the founder of KION. Ben hosts the highly popular fitness, nutrition, and wellness website BenGreenfieldFitness.com, a site with over a million monthly visitors. He has contributed to- or been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, WebMD, Prevention magazine, Shape magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, NBC, Fox, CBS Sports, and more.
Your judges:

Adriano Eva - Recreation supervisor focused on wellness, enrichment, and youth sports for the City of Spokane, Adriano has 25 years of supervisory and training experience and has worked cross-culturally in 35 countries. To the table, Adriano brings a commitment to balanced meals, as well as a well-versed Latino palate!
Uncle Zach Greenfield - Zach is the Director of Operations at Greenfield Water Solutions, and former firefighter and flight paramedic. He has a strong foundation in business development and sales. He’ll expect a good pitch for the meals as they are presented, and would prefer not to reenact his paramedic days. Good luck!
Grandpa Gary Greenfield - A science and nature enthusiast, and winner of the original Greenfield Family Iron Chef Competition, Gary founded Greenfield Naturals in 2009 where he aims to aid agriculturists with water delivery systems that abide by the principle: “comprehend nature and copy it”. He brings to the table ultimate impartiality - after all, he is judging two young men he adores in equal measure!

Your videographers and transportation specialists:

Steve Van Zeveren - Former Owner and Executive Chef at the trendy Uva Italian, Chef Steve has appeared on GoGreenfields in the past to showcase his skill with the Italian-American favorite, pizza! He has 20+ years of experience in the restaurant industry.
Jessa Greenfield - Also known as “mom”, Jessa has been on GoGreenfields many times, demonstrating her many skills related to food preparation and sustainable living. Among other things, Jessa is an athlete, an artist, a gardener, and the inspiration behind River & Terran’s love of cooking.

Who would you have picked as the winner of this competition? Let us know!

Facebook: @gogreenfieldspodcast
Twitter: @GoGreenfields
Instagram: @gogreenfieldsshow
Snapchat: GoGreenfields
TikTok: GoGreenfields

Next Episode

Easter 2021: Healthier Easter Treats Karrot Krispies with Vegan Marshmallows, Carrot Cake, and Hot Cross Buns

Can you believe that it’s already Easter?! We were surprised how fast time is moving, too, but that didn’t mean we forgot to prep for fantastic healthier Easter treats. River decided on a carrot cake with Karrot Krispie toppers and Terran opted for traditional Easter treats—glazed hot cross buns

Healthier Easter Treats:

Karrot Krispies with Vegan Marshmallows & All Natural Food Color

Ingredients

8T butter
5 ounces vegan marshmallows
Approximately 3-5 cups of krispie cereal
Food color (optional)
Fennel greens or other leafy herb to act as carrot tops

Directions

Melt the butter over low-medium heat
Add marshmallows (use vegan marshmallows for healthier Easter treats) to the butter, reduce heat to low and stir consistently until marshmallows are fully melted.
Remove from heat, and begin adding krispies, a little at a time, while folding them into the marshmallow mixture.
Add a few drops of food color at a time and combine until you reach the desired color. This step is optional.
Once krispie mixture is cool enough to handle, form small amounts into carrot shapes around pieces of fennel (or herb of your choosing)

We opted to use these as cake toppers, but you could just serve as individual snacks!

Healthier Easter Treats:

Carrot Cake with Almond Flour, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Organic Pecans

Cake Ingredients:

2 Cups almond flour
2 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 1⁄2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 1⁄4 C melted coconut oil, cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C pure brown sugar
1 C sugar
4 large eggs
1⁄2 C raisins
1 C pecans, coarsely chopped (or mortared)
3 1⁄2 cups shredded carrots

Cake Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat two round baking pans with oil and flour
Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (we used almond flour and ceylon cinnamon for healthier Easter treats) with a fork until fully combined
In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs.
Slowly add 1⁄3 of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and stir until smooth, repeat with the second third, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Adding in stages prevents lumps.
Add in raisins, pecans, and carrots and stir until spread evenly throughout the dough.
Pour dough into cake pans, so it is evenly split between the two.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 1⁄4 C powdered sugar
1⁄3 C whipping cream

Place cream cheese into a tall mixing bowl and use hand mixer to blend until smooth
Add sugar slowly and continue blending
Add whipping cream and whip for another 1-2 minutes
Cover the bowl and place in the fridge
When cakes are cooked and cooled, gently apply small amounts until the top of the first cake is covered. Place the second cake atop the first, and gently frost the top of it
Decorate as you choose
Serve and enjoy!

Healthier Easter Treats:

Glazed Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

4 1⁄2 tsp yeast
2 C room-temperature milk
2 eggs
1⁄4 allspice (or make your own*)
1⁄3 C butter, softened
1⁄4 C sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
3 cups + 3 cups flour, separated
1 cup raisins (or dried currants)
1 egg yolk
2 T water

*to make allspice, combine 1 part cloves and 1 part nutmeg to two parts cinnamon (i.e. 1⁄4 tsp cloves, 1⁄4 tsp nutmeg, 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon). Be sure to mark your jar, so you can enjoy your allspice in other recipes!

Glaze Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 C powdered sugar
4-6 T milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Combine yeast and milk, gently, with a fork and allow to sit for two minutes
Add two eggs, butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon and allspice to the bowl and whisk thoroughly
Place flour into the bowl of a stand mixer with bread hook, and slowly add liquid ingredients
Mix until fully combined
Add in raisins and mix until spread evenly throughout
Slowly add the additional flour until you’ve reached a consistency that is kneadable but still sticky
Remove from mixer onto a floured surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes.