Ask A DFW Expert: Best Fall Family Dishes

You can't be a chef without the desire to share your knowledge and good taste with others. Driven to push the creative limits of what it means to be a chef, Kevin Martinez regularly contributes to Fort Worth Foodie magazine. He also sponsored the Trimble Tech High School's ProStart culinary arts competition team. In 2011, Chef Martinez founded Chefs Underground Texas to encourage local chefs to expand their skill set and experience new flavors through cooperation and cooking in a group setting. Here are Kevin Martinez's family-pleasing dish recommendations for fall.

Kevin Martinez
Yatai Fort Worth
Fort Worth, TX
(682) 433-9685
www.facebook.com/yataifwA native of Denton, Texas, Kevin Martinez grew up in a large, loving family and spent a good portion of his childhood captivated by the allure of the kitchen. After attending culinary school, Chef Martinez honed his skills and developed his palate in a variety of arenas from Four Diamond-rated hotels to the Colonial Country Club. Kevin currently serves as the Chef at the Tokyo Cafe, an award-winning, local favorite, casual Japanese cuisine destination in west Fort Worth. He also runs the Yatai Food Kart in Fort Worth, taking his love for good food to the streets for all of Fort Worth to enjoy.

Slow Roasted Duck For the fall, diners want something flavorful and light like the breeze. Slow-roasted whole duck with crispy skin is a great way to go when roasted in the same kind of marinade as Chinese Peking duck with a side of scallion pancakes.

• Oranges
• Soy Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Ginger dipping sauce

Directions:

1. Mix sauces together and marinate duck. Allow to sit for 2 hours.
2. Roast in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 4 hours
3. Allow to rest before cutting.

Stacked EnchiladasFamilies these days have little time left for the kitchen. Traditional enchiladas are rolled out and take more time. Stacked enchiladas have the same flavor, flair and filling qualities, and are faster to make. Martinez says, "Braised chicken is one of our favorite ingredients." This dish has evolved into one of the house favorites.

• Braised chicken
• Corn tortillas
• Cheese
• Tomatoes, chiles, onions
• Enchilada sauce of your choice

Directions:

1. Add a layer of tortilla strips to the bottom of the pan.
2. Layer chunks of chicken over the tortillas.
3. Add sauce and a layer of chopped vegetables.
4. Add layers until you reach the top of the pan.
5. Add shredded cheese to the top.
6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 2 ½ hours, then 45 min. for cheese to get crispy.

YakisobaYakisoba, Japanese for fried noodles, can be served year round, but fall is an especially good time for this dish as markets have plenty of fresh vegetables in the fall. Even picky kids will try yakisoba. Add spinach or mushrooms for more flavor.

• Wheat noodles or udon noodles
• Soy sauce
• Fresh vegetables (local recommended)
• Oil
• Rice Wine
• Ginger

Directions:

1. Add a light layer of oil to the pan and heat up.
2. Add in noodles and vegetables, stirring frequently.
3. Add soy sauce and rice wine.
4. Continue to stir until well cooked.
5. Add ginger as a garnish to the final dish.

Related: Best Pumpkin Dishes in DFW

Chicken And DumplingsMartinez chose this dish because of the nostalgia of his childhood. He says, "I remember being young and having my first bowl of chicken and dumplings. My mind just about blew." His favorite part of this dish is the juice absorbed in the dumplings from the chicken as it cooks.

• Chicken
• Water
• Flour
• Bouillon base
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Boil chicken until well cooked, adding spices and bouillon.
2. Combine flour and water by hand to make thick dumplings.
3. For flat dumplings, roll the dough out over flour.
4. Drop dumplings in the boiling water with the chicken until cooked all the way through.
5. Let simmer for flavor.

Shepard's PieSherpard's Pie is an ideal dish that covers most food groups for families that have to multitask even their nutrition. Warm, filling and flavorful, this meal will satisfy meat lovers as well as those lacking in veggie intake. If you have never tried it, challenge your family to try something new this fall!

• Ground meat (beef)
• Potatoes
• Tomato sauce or paste.
• Peas and carrots.

Directions:

1. Peel and boil potatoes for mashed potatoes, which will be the topping for the meat and vegetables later in the oven
2. Saute beef and onions together, strain off fat.
3. Cook in tomato sauce or paste.
4. Mix in peas and carrots and put in the bottom of the pan.
5. Top with mashed potatoes and bake at 325 degrees for at least 2 hours.

Related: Top Five Reasons to Visit DFW in the Fall

Kena Sosa is a freelance writer in Dallas. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.