To Eat At Someone Else's Table: Megan's Trio of Carrot
My sixth guest of To Eat at Someone Else’s Table is Megan Segarra of Meganda Kitchen! Megan comes from a strong background in the hospitality & events space & has built a reputation as a go-to operations director & event curator within the DC food scene. She is currently bridging her love for plant based food & beverage with her passion for production by creating Meganda Kitchen, “Where plant-based is beautiful”. As the food industry has taken a drastic pivot due to the pandemic, Megan is continuing to “share love with food” through her plant-based recipes that feature simple no waste cooking & fun Quarantine Cocktails. She is also currently working on her first cookbook, which is set to launch pre-orders on November first, cleverly on World Vegan Day.
Learn more about Megan, her connection to food, & her Trio of Carrot dish!
Interview with Marissa
Tell us about yourself!
“I’m Megan Segarra, a Filipino- Puerto Rican native New Yorker, & a true modern day renaissance woman. At a young age, my family moved to California leading me to spend the majority of my life bi-coastal. Falling in love with performing at 2 years old, I have performed all over the U.S & Europe. As I expanded my performance & production resume, I also worked my way up in the hospitality industry & have built a reputation as a go-to operations director & event curator. I’m currently bridging my love for plant-based food & beverage with my passion for production by creating Meganda Kitchen, “Where plant based is beautiful”. As our industry has taken a drastic pivot due to the pandemic & #SIP, I’m continuing to “share love with food” through my plant-based recipes that feature simple no waste cooking & fun Quarantine Cocktails via the Meganda Kitchen social media & I’m currently working on my first cookbook.”
Tell us about this dish. What is it & where do its origins lay?
“This is one of my favorite dishes & one of the first vegan dishes I ever made! I was out having dinner with my friend Sarah & the Chef of the restaurant sent out a special dish he called “trio of carrot”. It was interesting- Sarah & I both agreed it could have been a “little better”. As a crazy fan of Top Chef I love the idea of a Duo and a Trio as those dishes were always the kiss of death or the shining moment for someone in the competition, so eating this dish sparked an interest in me wanting to create my own version. Being able to create this dish was very much like creating a painting or choreographed piece for me.”
What inspires you to cook and/or bake?
“Being Filipino- Puerto Rican so much of our culture is centered around the dining table-the food we share the laughter the stories most of them take place in the kitchen or at the dinner table. I cooked my first 'dish' at 5 years old. When my little brother was born I wanted to 'help' with everything so I started to learn to cook- the first thing I ever cooked were scrambled eggs. Overtime, I started to cook as a chore; my mom used to give me instructions to make dinner over the phone while she was at work. Little by little we would cook more & more together & I started to put my own 'flare' on her dishes. I grew to love seeing the reaction on the faces of my friends & family when they would try my food & I just continued to Share Love with Food.”
What’s your favorite spice to cook with and why?
“Outside of S&P I think it would be a tie between Smoked Paprika & Dried Onion or Garlic powder or Turmeric!”
Do you have anyone you look up to in the culinary world?
“This is also hard! But after thinking long & hard about it, I think I would have to say I am the most inspired by the women in all the household kitchens all over the world. They are the women that have inspired the Chefs of yesterday, today & are inspiring the Chefs of tomorrow. In their kitchens we learn the power of 'breaking bread', to love food & to understand the joy of sharing food with one another. The women that don't do it for fame or for a paycheck but to feed their families & to help grow a love for food within their family & their communities. Have you ever been out to eat at a small town anywhere in the world~ in Italy or Spain or The Philippines, as you sat & ate you could taste the culture you can taste the love in the food- that love comes from the women- their love their traditions, their spirit is in the food.”
Why are you passionate about cooking?
“For me it's simple. I love creating, & I love Sharing Love with Food. My soul & my spirit feel so much joy when I get to create a culinary experience for a guest in the restaurant or for a guest having dinner at my home at my dining table.”
Megan’s Trio of Carrot
Ingredients:
3 large carrots
2 cups of tri-color baby carrots
1 handful of brussels sprouts or kale
1 tablespoon ancho pepper spice
1/4 red onion
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Directions:
Roasted Carrots
Pre-heat your oven to 400 [F] degrees. Cut up carrots. They don’t have to be perfect - about 1-inch. I put the carrots on a sheet tray with olive oil, salt & pepper. They roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
“Fried” Carrot Strings & Brussels Spouts
Use a potato peeler & make carrot strings & thinly slice brussels sprouts.
Pan-fry the carrots & brussels sprouts in some olive oil on medium-high heat & add a dash of salt & pepper.
The Puree
Use the pieces of carrot left from the carrot “strings” & a couple of extra pieces of cut carrots to equal about 2 handfuls of cut carrots. Combine with 1/4 red onion. Boil together with 1 tablespoon of ancho pepper spice & a dash of red pepper flakes. Let the ingredients come to a rolling boil & then cover & simmer on low heat.
Once carrots are soft [when you can easily put a fork through the carrots], separate from the water but save the water.
Puree them in a blender, slowly adding the boiling liquid to the blender. The thickness of the puree shouldn’t be too watery - it should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
The Plate Up:
First pour the puree on the plate, then place the roasted carrots & top with the fried carrots.