Ambitious Kitchen’s Monique Volz discusses her Home Chef collaboration, interview
A desire to change is sometimes the first step to a more flavorful food lifestyle. For Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen, her Home Chef collaboration can be the push to get more people in front of the stove.
Many cooks have come to appreciate the ease, flavor, and convenience that Home Chef offers. Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen has helped support cooks with recipe ideas that allow them to explore their cooking creativity. In this new partnership, the pair are offering several crowd-pleasing meals that could spark a new enthusiasm for cooking.
Ahead of the collaboration announcement, FoodSided spoke to Monique Volz. While her brand, Ambitious Kitchen, has evolved over the years, one concept has always remained true. She mentioned that she always wants to “encourage curiosity.”
With this Home Chef offering, she believes that cooks will be able to foster that food curiosity in a flavorful and manageable way. From the novice cook to the more proficient chef who wants convenience, the recipes appeal to a wide range of people.
Speaking to this collaboration, Volz shared that her household has changed over the years. As a mom of three little boys, the extravagant dinner for her husband and herself are not as frequent. Now, she prefers something quick and easy.
“It is helpful to have a resource like Home Chef where I can just have the ingredients sent to me. I know what I’m doing, I have the directions, and it is good to go.”
Since Volz and Home Chef can get a meal on the table efficiently, the food conversation can expand beyond “what’s for dinner.” Volz suggested that the time in the kitchen and around the table can be a moment to talk about cooking techniques. For example, Volz commented, “we can talk about caramelized onions, why it takes so long, what happens.” From there, it extends to why caramelized onions are sweeter and why they work in certain recipes.
Understanding the hows, whats, and whys can spark a bigger interest in food and cooking. Opening the door allows that first step to be taken.
What recipes are part of Ambitious Kitchen Home Chef collaboration?
Selected for this collaboration, the Ambitious Kitchen Home Chef collaboration recipes include:
Sheet Pan Spiced Chicken with sweet potatoes and cauliflower
Chicken and Caramelized Onion Pasta Bake with spinach and Parmesan
Greek-Style Turkey Meatballs with lemon orzo & creamy feta yogurt sauce
Spicy Maple-Glazed Salmon with garlic rice and green beans
Southwest-Style Roasted Veggie Quesadilla with Black Beans and Corn
Jalapeño Popper-Stuffed Chicken with crispy smashed potatoes
Salmon Taco Bowls with fajita rice
Shrimp and Vegetable Orzo with brown butter and goat cheese
Although it is always difficult to pick a favorite, Volz shared “my husband is a meat and potatoes type guy and my Greek Turkey meatballs speaks to him. They have that protein and all the Mediterranean flavors. Also, my Spicy Maple-Glazed Salmon would be great for a date night. It could create some conversation over that sweet and spicy combination.”
Since Ambitious Kitchen has always championed balances food choices, Volz and Home Chef made a conscious decision to make these recipes vegetable abundant. Volz believes that choices should be about “what you can add to your meal versus what you take away. You do not have to compromise on flavor with my recipes. I want to inspire people to get into the kitchen and cook a little better. Ordering from Home Chef makes that very attainable.”
The Ambitious Kitchen Home Chef recipes can be ordered now. The limited-time meals are available for four weeks, with two dishes available per week. Ordering closes on February 23 at noon CT.