Jawed cooked us up a custom recipe using two of our secret menu sauces Put Da Lime in Da Coconut and Dragons Chili. But before we get to that we had a few questions for him!

DBE: The NBA season is pretty grueling! How's it work for you? Are you on the road with JB and Marcus or do you just handle their meals in Boston?

JH: The Celtics do a great job of taking care of JB and Marcus while on the road. I handle their meals in Boston.

DBE: I'm a vegetarian so one of the first things I noticed when I stumbled onto your Instagram was your use of vegan meats like Beyond Meat. It's great to start to see fine dining plates prepared with these proteins, you don't see it often. Why did you start incorporating them into your meals?

JH: Beyond Meat is a great product. JB likes to eat vegetarian during the season and Beyond Meat products do the nest job of not necessarily imitating meat but instead providing a taste, texture and umami flavor that allows you to not miss meat.

DBE: Hot sauces. Chefs are usually making their own, right? When you're going off-the-shelf though do you have a go-to?

JH: We definitely try to make everything that goes on the plate but of course Frank’s RedHot is what I grew up eating and holds a special nostalgic place with my palate. Especially with Mac & Cheese or Fried Catfish.

DBE: Are you a 'super-spicy-heat guy' or do you kinda just appreciate a good kick with the right flavor?

JH: Growing up eating Pakistani/Indian food conditioned me to really appreciate different levels spiciness so I do love the heat. However, heat can only be justified if it adds flavor to a dish. Some people just try killing you with heat which I find to be pointless.

DBE: What's next for you and Baller Food? Are you looking to get more chefs involved? More athletes?

JH: I appreciate you asking about Baller Food. Yes, the plan is to connect experienced chefs with more pro athletes. The mutually beneficial relationship between the pro athlete and the personal chef is something I take pride in fostering through Baller Food.

DBE: We sent you secret menu sauces Put Da Lime In Da Coconut, Wicked Wasabi, Dragons Chili, Rosy Red Apple and Pink Label. Have a favorite? Which did you pick for the recipe and why?

JH: They’re all tasty and interesting but I went with Put Da Lime in Da Coconut and Dragons Chili because they just really fit the profile of what I wanted to accomplish with the leveled up Fish Tacos.

So that was our talk with Jawed! We want to thank him so much for being the first one in this series, and for him being so nice. Check out his site at ballerfood.com and definitely go follow him on instagram.

One last thing before we get into his recipe: help spread the word and retweet this tweet below. We'll send a random follower who retweets some free sauce.

Announcing the start of a new installment: Fire Recipes. First up is Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart's personal chef, Jawed Halepota of Baller Food.

Followers who RT this tweet will be entered to win free sauce!#DragonsXBallerFoodhttps://t.co/mEBemL1o73 pic.twitter.com/UE4clOUqZ5

— Dragons Blood Elixir (@Dragons_Blood) August 1, 2019

Leveled Up Tacos

by Jawed Halepota

Pair this Leveled Up Fish Taco with your favorite tortillas. I prefer half corn/half flour tortillas.

Coconut-Lime Halibut

• Wild Halibut or Tilapia (1lb)
• Lime (1-2)
• Coconut Hot Sauce

1. Marinate Halibut with Lime Zest and Coconut Hot Sauce for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Grill or sear marinated Halibut for 6-7 minutes on each side.
3. Remove from grill, drizzle Olive oil then squeeze lime on Halibut for brightness.

Bright Slaw

• Napa Cabbage (1/2 head)
• Red Onion (1/2)
• Jalapeno (1)
• Cilantro (3/4 bunch)
• Lime (4)
• Mixing Bowl
• Freezer/Gallon Bag

1. Julienne the Cabbage, Red Onion and Cilantro leaves then add to mixing bowl. Reserve a quarter of the cilantro for your yogurt.
2. Mince Jalapeño, add to mixing bowl. Remove seeds to reduce the heat level.
3. Halve limes and squeeze juice into bowl.
4. Massage all ingredients together for two or three minutes then add to Freezer/Gallon bag.
5. Close bag then slightly open the bag. Squeeze out as much air from the bag as possible then close.
6. Let marinate for an hour to overnight.

Chili-Agave Yogurt

• Chili Hot Sauce (2-3 Tablespoons)
• Cilantro (1/4 bunch)
• Agave Syrup (Tablespoon)
• Greek Yogurt (6oz.)

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl then let flavors percolate for at least an hour.