Chef David Rodriguez
David Rodriguez is the executive chef at Costa d’Este,the luxury resort owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan in Vero Beach, Florida. The resort’s signature restaurant – Oriente – named for the Oriente region of Cuba, features a menu that pairs gourmet Cuban specialties with influences from Spanish, Latin, and Creole traditions.
In preparation for his post, Rodriguez, a Cuban-American, fine-tuned his Cuban culinary repertoire at both Larios and Oriente, popular Cuban restaurants in Miami owned by the Estefans.
Previously, Chef Rodriguez held a number of culinary posts in New Jersey, including as executive chef for Doubletree Hotel in Somerset, executive chef for the Palace at Somerset Park, and as chef at The Old Mill Inn in Bernardsville. He has also been chef for the acclaimed Dining Room at The Hilton Short Hills, and was chef at the Parsippany Hilton. Rodriguez launched his culinary career at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Manhattan.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Chef Rodriguez is a member of the American Culinary Federation and the renowned Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisse.
Below, Chef David shares some of his favorite recipes using Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company products.
Breakfast
- 1.5+ cup of pancake mix
- 1/2 cup no-fat milk or water
- 1/2 cup Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon of orange extract
- orange grind if you like
- Pam spray
I like Arrowhead Mills pancake mixes. They have a variety of them – buckwheat, whole-wheat, multigrain, etc.
Just mix up all the above to the consistency you like for thickness by adding more of the pancake mix – I like a really crepe style pancake so I can roll them and fill them with All Fruit and lemon juice or low salt fat-free pie fillings (Pet Cherry) and top them with the low or no-fat version of Cool Whip – This makes an awesome desert. The orange flavor combined with the spongy quality of the cakes due to the egg whites is really a wonderful treat.
You can adapt this recipe to French toast too. Just mix together the egg whites and the orange juice and orange extract, plus add some cinnamon. It is especially good when using a heavy whole grain breads, heavy breads or fruit bread that’s gone stale.
Soup
Treasure Coast Citrus Soup
- 1 onion
- 1 cup of red lentils
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
- 1 butternut squash (or one can pumpkin puree)
- 1 cup Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2 Tbsp Natalie’s Lemon Juice (optional)
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)
- veggie broth (1 1/2 cups or so)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp powdered mustard
- cayenne to taste
- salt to taste
Roast the squash by cutting in half, removing seeds and stringy membrane, place cut side down on baking sheet, pierce skin with a fork a few times, cook at 350 for 40 minutes or until soft.
Chop onions and caramelize in a soup pot. Add broth as needed. (When onions are done put in mushrooms and sauté until liquid is released and cooked down.)
Rinse lentils. For quicker soup soak them in the broth.
Scoop squash flesh away from skin and puree with orange juice.
After onions are caramelized (and mushrooms are done) dump all ingredients into the onion cooking pot. Simmer gently until lentils are cooked. If using the squash you may wish to add onion juice to cut the sweetness, if using canned pumpkin you may wish to add sugar to add to the sweetness.
Salad Dressing
- 2 Tbsp fresh Orange Zest
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)
- 1/2 cup Natalie’s Orchid Island Orange Juice
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
This dressing lends zesty flavor with no fat. Serve it on a salad of spinach leaves, mandarin orange segments, sliced celery and croutons.
Combine all ingredients in small jar with tight- fitting lid; shake to blend well.
Makes 2/3 cup, 1 Tbsp per serving (8 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g chol, 50 mg sodium)
Recipe is from the July/August 1994 issue of Pillsbury Fast & Healthy.
Salad
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup peeled, Julienne-cut Jicama
- 5 cups loosely packed torn romaine or red-tip lettuce leaves
- 2 cups peeled, sliced navel oranges
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 TB Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
- 1 1/2 TB honey
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp red Chile powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TB finely mined cilantro
Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Drizzle half the dressing over the onions & Jicama, refrigerate for at least an hour.
Just before serving, remove onions & Jicama from marinade & toss with the lettuce. Arrange oranges on top and drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad.
Entrees
Costa d’Este Duck ala Orange
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (5- to 6-lb) Long Island duck (also called Pekin)
- 1 juice orange, halved
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 fresh marjoram sprigs
- 2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup duck stock, duck and veal stock*, chicken stock, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/2 celery rib
For sauce
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 to 4 tablespoons duck or chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fine julienne of fresh orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
- Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer; a 13- by 9-inch flameproof roasting pan
Preparation:
Roast duck:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 475°F.
Stir together salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Pat duck dry and sprinkle inside and out with spice mixture. Cut 1 half of orange into quarters and put in duck cavity with thyme, marjoram, parsley, and 4 onion wedges.
Squeeze juice from remaining half of orange and stir together with wine and stock. Set aside.
Spread remaining 4 onion wedges in roasting pan with carrot and celery, then place duck on top of vegetables and roast 30 minutes.
Pour wine mixture into roasting pan and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast duck until thermometer inserted into a thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more. Turn on broiler and broil duck 3 to 4 inches from heat until top is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Tilt duck to drain juices from cavity into pan and transfer duck to a cutting board, reserving juices in pan. Let duck stand 15 minutes.
Make sauce:
While duck roasts, cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Add orange juice, vinegar, and salt (use caution; mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved. Remove syrup from heat.
Discard vegetables from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to pan juices to total 1 cup liquid.
Stir together butter and flour to form a beurre manié. Bring pan juices to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add beurre manié, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add orange syrup and zest and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and zest is tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with duck.
Orange Marinated Salmon
- 2 oranges, sliced into rounds
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 cup Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl or cup, stir together the lemon pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Place the slices from one of the oranges in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Place a layer of onion slices over the orange. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with half of the herb mixture.
3. Place the dish in the preheated oven, and roast for about 25 minutes, or until the onions are browned and tender. Remove the dish from the oven, and increase the temperature to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
4. Push the onion and orange slices to the outer edge of the baking dish, and place the salmon fillets in the center. Season with the remaining half of the herb mixture. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl. Pour evenly over the salmon.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the salmon is opaque in the center. Remove fillets to a serving dish, and discard the roasted orange. Garnish fillets with roasted onions and fresh orange slices.
Chicken Cooked with Orange
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
- 2 cups Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread mustard evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped onion. Coat lightly with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and pour in enough orange juice to cover chicken. Add butter on top.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, then remove leftover sauce from baking dish and pour into a saucepan. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and return to oven.
4. Whisk flour into sauce in saucepan. Add any leftover orange juice and heat on high until the sauce thickens. Remove chicken from oven and place on a serving dish; pour sauce over the chicken or into a gravy boat, and serve.
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