By: Pamela Stern
In the latest cooking and nutrition lessons with Coach Legros, viewers are learning how to make Stir Fry Chayote.
The ingredients for this simple recipe are:
- Chayote
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Mushroom
- Carrot
- Pistachio
- Parsley
- Avocado and
- Legrospices
Chef Dana showed everyone how to cut, dice, and slice the ingredients for this lesson. First she explained that you must wash all of the vegetables and the cayote. Chef Dana used a mandolin to slice the chayote. She explained that this will make the slices thin and uniform. She then proceeds to use the choo choo method to slice them further. Next she explains how to peel the skin off of the red onion.
She then explains that you can cut a little bit of the roots off. Next she shows how to cut the red onion right down the center to cut it in half. Then she says that you can slice it or dice it, whichever is your preference.
Then she shows everybody how you can pop the stem off of the mushroom, which is a matter of preference, and then she illustrates how to do the claw and then slice it. Next to cut up is the carrot. After she shows everyone how to cut up the carrot, then Coach Legros takes over.
Legros tells everyone that you can use any type of mushroom but he particularly likes the crimini mushroom. He explains that each of the ingredients have different health benefits.
Legros explains that pistachios and beans will give you your protein when you mix them together. The parsley will be included as part of the garnish in this particular lesson. The avocado will give you your fats.
“Proteins and fats are two important things that are going to power your system. This will give you great neurotransmitters which send messages,” said Legros.
“Chayote lowers your cholesterol. High cholesterol is not genetic, it is controlled by your lifestyle. Your lifestyle is what gives us most of the conditions that we suffer from,” said Legros. Chayote improves your blood pressure (a good blood pressure is 120/80). Chayote also has a lot of fiber, which allows you to move your bowels. Fiber will allow you to not feel hungry. Legros explained that when you eat a lot of fiber it brings inalot of water, which allows you to feel full so you don’t need to eat as much.
Legros takes out his stainless steel pan with glass cover (He likes that so he can see his food cooking). He takes out his vegetables that are cut up and explains that he will sauté them. So first he instructs everyone to wash and dry his or her hands.
Then he takes the red onions and places them into the pan and then puts one small cup of water into the pan, covers it while his rice is cooking. His rice is cooked so, he turns off the heat and places the pot with the rice on another burner on his stove so it will not interfere with his vegetables.
He puts a small cup of water into the rice. While his red onion is sautéing he places it on high heat, then he takes a spoon and stirs the red onion, then he places the mushroom into the pan to cook and stirs it and pours some Celtic salt into the pan and stirs it, next he puts cayenne pepper into the pan and stirs it and then puts another cup of water into the pan and then he pours some black pepper into the pan and stirs it and puts another cup of water into the pan, and then he puts some cumin into the pan and stirs it, and then he pours garlic into the pan and stirs it and pours turmeric into the pan and stirs it and tells everyone to wash their hands and dry them. Then he puts the carrots and cayote into the pan and puts another cup of water into the pan and stirs it in the pan.
Legros then rinses and dries the plate that held the different vegetables on it. He then lowers the heat. He places it on a plate and garnishes it with the avocado and parsley. Now as Legros had instructed the class earlier that they can eat this as it is or they can eat it with rice.
Bon Appetite!
Screenshot by: Pamela Stern
