By Pamela Stern
Since the onset of the pandemic, Starrett Judo Club’s Coach Legros has been instructing his students on Zoom how to prepare healthy simple meals. He also explains to them the nutritional content of the meals and the benefits of the ingredients and why these are foods that will keep them healthy.
Coach Legros is now joined with Chef Dana and Chef Marvin of Fork Flavor. Chef Dana and Chef Marvin explain to the class how important safety is in the kitchen and the proper way to cut the vegetables and fruits. The two Chefs have taught the students how to “choo choo” cut the vegetables, which allows the children and their parents to have fun and also be safe while they are preparing meals in the kitchen.
In this week’s lesson, Coach Legros sent out the ingredients list to make Curried Chayote:
Chayote
Red onion
Garlic
Mushroom
Carrot
Bay Leaves
Ginger
Parsley
Avocado
Legrospices
Tamari Sauce
Curry powder
Almond Milk (thick)
Bell Pepper
Vegan Parmesan cheese
Baby Spinach
Chef Marvin and Chef Dana show the class how to cut the vegetables up in different ways like the “cho cho” method, how to Julianne the vegetables and how to cut them using the “claw” method. The two chefs cut up the red onion, the bell peppers, Chef Marvin and Chef Dana explained the importance of cleaning the cutting board between each vegetable so that you do not have cross contamination.
They also explained that when cutting the chayote that it is easier to cut it in half and then in half again to take the pit out. Next they cut the carrot and peeled the garlic and the ginger with a peeler and then smashed it with a knife and used the claw method when mincing it.
Coach Legros explained that the chayote lowers your blood pressure\spinach-you can use a lot of it when you cook it because it has no calories
Mushrooms-have a meaty taste and you must cook your mushrooms. He explained that there are lots of ways for ginger to enhance the performance of the other vegetables. In this recipe, parsley will just be used for garnish. Avocado has fat, Tamari Sauce has a curry tarter flavor, Almond Milk provides saturated fat, the bell pepper that is used is the red one because it stays on the vine longer, and the vegan Parmesan allows you the taste of cheese. Legros demonstrates that these vegetables can be eaten raw if they are being eaten in a salad.
Now lets get cooking!
Legros puts the skillet on the stove and puts the fire on and take a little cup of water and pours it into the skillet, now he is ready to sauté the onion. He places the red onion into the pan and pours another little cup of water into the skillet and covers it. Next he adds the mushrooms into the skillet and stirs it. He gives it a minute or so and then he checks on the onion and mushroom.
Now he adds one teaspoon of Tamari Sauce and stirs it, and adds another cup of water into the skillet and stirs it. Now he adds the chayote, carrots, bay leaves, and ginger and an additional cup of water and he stirs it. Next he is going to add the Legrosspices but in a different order. So he adds cumin and stirs it, then curry powder and stirs it, then turmeric and stirs it, then black pepper and stirs it and then adds another cup of water and adds garlic and stirs it and lastly he puts the cayenne pepper into the skillet.
Then he rinses his hands and dries his hands. Then he stirs the items in the skillet and adds another cup of water and ssome more curry powder and stirs it and adds another cup of water and covers the skillet. This time he will be adding two tablespoons of Almond Milk and then he will be adding a little more garlic and then he adds in the spinach. By adding in the spinach it will wilt into the mixture and then he stirs it.
He then adds in the red peppers and stirs it and covers it. Now he turns the heat off and he proceeds to slice his avocado. He encourages everyone to take as much parsley as they want to garnish it and to take your vegan Parmesan cheese and to sprinkle some on it.
Bon Appetite!
Screenshots by: Pamela Stern
