Chef Robert Irvine to share flavorful recipes at McCandless event

Transformations are a big part of celebrity chef Robert Irvine's life.

His Food Network show, “Restaurant: Impossible,” ended its 13th season last week with an “ambush” of a North Versailles business, Broad Street Bistro, that was failing. With just two days and a budget of $10,000, he managed to rehab the interior and put the strained family-owned restaurant on a more stable path to success.

The 50-year-old British-born chef has prepared meals on the Royal Yacht Britannia as part of his Royal Navy service and has planned the menu for high-profile events, including an Academy Awards after-party. He also charts the course for transforming everyday people's lifestyles by promoting healthy eating and exercise, which has earned him recognition as one of the top “25 Fittest Guys in America” by Men's Fitness magazine.

The fitness guru and chef will be in the Pittsburgh area May 19 and will meet with fans and sign copies of his book at a Comcast Cable Xfinity store in McCandless. Irvine partners with Comcast to help educate the hospitality industry about the importance of technology in the restaurant sector, according to a company spokeswoman.

He recently launched an online publication, Robert Irvine Magazine, which delivers the same message as his latest book, “Fit Fuel: A Chef's Guide to Eating Well, Getting Fit and Living Your Best Life” (Irvine Products, LLC, $29.99), which he co-wrote with fitness writer Matt Tuthill. The book, like the magazine, includes workouts and fitness strategies as well as his favorite healthy recipes. The first issue of the magazine is available as a free download at chefirvine.com/magazine.

He also is working on expanding his line of Robert Irvine Foods, which includes his Fit Crunch protein bars that he says are manufactured in a Pittsburgh-based bakery facility. A portion of sales from his food products benefits his Robert Irvine Foundation, which helps military men and women and their families.

In all areas of his work, the chef says he is driven by his desire to help people.

“My whole goal in life is to help others, on or off TV,” he says.

He is passionate about helping people reach personal health and fitness goals. His recommended regimen for good health is based on his own military training, which focused on three essentials — exercise, eating and sleeping.

“If you deprive yourself of one of those, it all goes haywire,” he says.

And being too busy is no excuse, according to Irvine. He believes the key to having a successful week begins with being prepared on the weekend. That means shopping on Sunday to make some meals ahead of time and taking time to de-stress.

Exercise isn't necessarily visiting the gym, he says, but rather “walking the dog, shooting hoops, running — that's all party of enjoying life. Take time to slow down.”

As for a food plan, he favors smaller, more frequent meals “that include protein the size of a deck of cards instead of the 24-ounce steak we eat straightaway.”

His cookbook “Fit Fuel, is designed to motivate others to reach their personal fitness and health goals. The recipes in the book are healthy but not lacking in flavor.

“My entire philosophy is based around making what you need to eat exactly what you'd want to eat,” he says. “If you're a chef, the food you make isn't judged on whether or not it's healthy. Flavor always has and always will trump any other factor.”

His recipes show home cooks how to prepare dishes that don't rely on sugar, fat and salt to improve their flavor. His lunch recipe for Summer Gazpacho With Chilled Shrimp, Lime Crème and Corn Nuts features herbs and vegetables without a lot of fat and tangy flavors created from Tabasco, red vinegar, tomato juice and cumin. A featured dessert, Roasted Pears With Granola and Cranberries, relies on caramelized natural sugars for a sweet treat.

Irvine admits he sometimes “cheats” on his good nutrition plan — but he's OK with that. His cookbook even includes recipes that are labeled “Ideal for a Cheat Day.” He credits his wife, Gail Kim, a professional wrestler, for making sure he doesn't stray from his healthy lifestyle.

“I'm blessed with a wife who keeps me on track,” he says.

One of his favorite projects is as an ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation, which the actor established to create and support programs to benefit first responders, veterans and others in need. Irvine recently prepared meals for 650 guests, serving as head chef at a Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation awards dinner in Washington, D.C., honoring Medal of Honor recipients from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Taking care of our military is a personal cause to Irvine.

“I truly believe that we forget about our servicemen and women until there is a crisis,” he says. “It's my job to make sure we don't forget.”'

Irvine's last public appearance in Western Pennsylvania was in 2012, when he brought his “Robert Irvine Live” theatrical tour to Greensburg's Palace Theatre. His past local “Restaurant: Impossible” makeovers were in 2015 at Stella's Restaurant in New Kensington, and in 2012 at Del's Bar & Ristorante in Bloomfield, which has since closed.

Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.

Sesame Shrimp Chop Salad

1 cup medium shrimp, cooked, tails removed

½ cup shredded carrot

½ cup cucumber, diced small

1 small head napa cabbage, julienned

1 bunch watercress

½ cup canned mandarin oranges

½ cup canned water chestnuts

½ bunch cilantro sprigs

1 cup diced celery

1 bunch green onions, chopped

¾ cup Asian sesame-ginger dressing

½ cup roasted, chopped cashews

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Place all the ingredients except the cashews and the sesame seeds in a large mixing bowl and toss. Place in a large serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with cashews and sesame seeds and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Moroccan Lamb With Saffron Couscous and Honey-Roasted Carrots

For the lamb and marinade:

1 rack (four bones) of grass-fed lamb, french cut so that the bone is exposed

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

½ cup grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon paprika powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the lamb in a roasting pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour the marinade over the lamb, covering the lamb as much as possible. Marinate for at least 30 minutes prior to roasting.

For the saffron couscous:

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon saffron

3 ounces butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup couscous, uncooked

½ cup golden raisins

In a saucepot, bring the chicken broth to a boil, then add the saffron, butter and salt. Stir in the couscous and raisins. Remove the saucepot from the heat and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Couscous should be light and puffy.

For the honey-roasted carrots:

2 cups carrots, peeled and diced into medium pieces

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 dash cumin powder

2 tablespoons honey

Salt, to taste

Heat an oven to 350 degrees. Toss all the carrot ingredients in a mixing bowl, then spread the carrots over a sheet pan. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized.

For the harissa:

1 clove garlic

½ cup grapeseed oil

1½ teaspoons coriander powder

1½ teaspoons cumin powder

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground

1½ teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red-wine vinegar

Puree the garlic and oil in a blender. Pour the puree into a mixing bowl, add the rest of the harissa ingredients, and whisk.

For the finished dish:

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup chicken stock

1 cup green peas

1 cup chickpeas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a hot saute pan, sear the marinated rack of lamb on all sides and place on a sheet pan with a roasting rack. Roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until medium-rare. Let the lamb rest for 5 minutes before carving.

In another warm saute pan, add the butter and chicken stock. When the butter is melted into the stock, add the honey-roasted carrots, green peas and chickpeas. When the veggies are warm, season with salt and pepper, and add the parsley.

Arrange the saffron couscous, vegetables and sliced lamb on a plate. Drizzle the harissa around the plate.

Peanut Butter Crunch Protein Pancakes

1 ¹⁄₂ cups low-fat milk

1 whole egg

6 tablespoons brown flax-seed meal

¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons honey

1 ¹⁄₂ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 Robert Irvine peanut butter crunch protein bar, chopped

12 strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons stevia

In a mixing bowl, stir the milk and egg together and add the flax-seed meal, salt, baking powder, honey and whole-wheat pastry flour until smooth.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a pan over medium heat, then ladle ¹⁄₂ cup of the mixture into the pan. As the bubbles form on the top of the cake, sprinkle with pieces of the chopped protein bar. Flip the cake and cook until golden brown. Repeat the process 3 more times to make 4 medium-large pancakes.

Toss the sliced strawberries with stevia and pile on top of the pancakes.