Teaching kids to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and, by extension, their families; while focusing on the common denominator of food to bridge cultural, social and economic divides among young people.
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Elite Jr. Chef
John P.
Week 4 Menu
Braised Fish Steaks w/Olives & Lemons
With Couscous
Carrot Sandwich Cookies
Braising
Week 1
Braised Chicken w/Green Peppers & Tomatoes
Egg Noodles
Pineapple, Kiwi & Oranges in Mint Syrup
Week 2
Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Braised Greens
Spicy Oven Fried Chicken
Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake
Week 3 Menu
Winter Salad w/Walnut Mustard Dressing
Braised Shrimp & Cream Endive
Chocolate Cookies
Sauces
Week 4 Menu
Bacon & Avocado Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Fries
Brownies w/White Chocolate Chunks
Ice Cream & Crème Anglaise
Week 1 Menu
Eggs Benedict w/Canadian Bacon & Spinach
Oven Fried Potatoes
Crepes Stuffed with Fresh Fruit, Maple Syrup, and Crème Anglaise
Week 2
Baked Rigatoni
Green Salad w/Vinaigrette
Caramelized Pineapple w/Ginger
Week 3 Menu
Salmon w/Horseradish Green Goddess Sauce
Roasted Asparagus w/Hollandaise
Baked Apples with Almond Butter and Crème Anglaise
I thought that the olives, lemons, and couscous complimented the fish nicely. My family really enjoyed the Carrot Sandwich cookies. My mom said that they reminded her of mini carrot cakes.
The Eggs Benedict was very good. I had never had it before. It was actually easier to make the poached eggs that I thought it would be. My family just raved about this dish. I would use parchment paper next time I made the potatoes, as they did tend to stick to the pan even though they were tossed in olive oil. The crepes were very good. I liked the custard sauce with the fruit. I thought it added a lot of flavor.
I thought the Baked Rigatoni was a little bland and not that popular with my family. For the green salad, I used Butter Leaf lettuce. I added sliced shallots and Parmesan cheese with a simple vinaigrette made from red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. It was simple, but good. I found the Caramelized Pineapple with Ginger to be very sweet. The infused orange and ginger sauce tasted very good on it.
I really liked the flavor of the salad dressing. It was my first time trying radicchio. I would add less radicchio the next time I make this recipe, however, as I found radicchio to be a little bitter and it overpowered the Bibb lettuce too much. The Braised Shrimp and Cream Endive was very silky and rich. It was one of my favorite dishes. I really liked the Chocolate Cookies. They were moist inside and very chocolaty. I decided to make them smaller than the recipe called for, and I also omitted the coconut, as not everyone in my family likes coconut.
The braised chicken was very tender and juicy. My family really enjoyed this dish. I would not change anything about it. I wouldn't put kiwi in the fruit dish if I were to make it again, only because I am not a huge fan of kiwi. I would probably try strawberries instead. I really liked the simple syrup. It added a lot of flavor to the fruit.
I liked the sweet potatoes and greens, but I was a not big fan of the braised apples. I think they could have been left out of the dish. In regards to the Spicy Oven Fried Chicken, I liked the overall flavor of the chicken, but I was not a big fan of the texture of the crust. The Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake was very good, but I had a hard time getting the very center of the cake cooked through. I continued cooking the cake beyond the hour and 10 minute recommend time. I probably left it in the oven and additional 20 minutes. This resulted in the sides getting a little too done, but overall the cake had a good flavor.
Grains
Week 1 Menu
Quinoa w/Moroccan Squash Stew
Bruschetta w/Sautéed Greens
Lemon Pudding
Grains
Week 1 Menu
Quinoa w/Moroccan Squash Stew
Bruschetta w/Sautéed Greens
Lemon Pudding
Week 4 Menu
Millet Patties
Nutty Brown Rice Pilaf
Couscous Cake OR Chocolate Cookies
Week 2 Menu
Mixed Grain & Wild Rice Cereal
Vegetarian Sausage
Orange Scented Hot Chocolate
Week 3 Menu
Greek Burgers w/Arugula, Tomatoes & Feta
Tabbouleh
Coconut Brown Rice Pudding
The fresh mint brought out a lot of flavor in the quinoa dish. I really liked the Bruschetta. The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The greens were very flavorful. We got them from our garden. The Lemon Pudding was OK.
I really liked the Mixed Grain & Wild Rice Cereal. I especially enjoyed the pearl barley. The dish tasted really good and had a nice texture. The Vegetarian Sausage was a bit dry and flavorless. I used dry bread crumbs in the recipe, and probably should have used fresh breadcrumbs. The Orange Scented Hot Chocolate was very goo. You could taste the hint of orange. It tasted really good with the chocolate. It was smooth and rich.
My family really enjoyed the Greek Burgers with Arugula, Tomatoes & Feta. The lamb added a lot of flavor. I'm a big fan of Tabbouleh. I thought this Tabbouleh had a nice flavor and good texture. The Coconut Brown Rice Pudding reminded my family of Tapioca Pudding because of the rice in it. The coconut milk added a nice coconut flavor.
The Millet Patties were OK. The soy sauce and ginger added a nice flavor. The Nutty Brown Rice Pilaf was really good. It had a lot of flavor. I especially liked the Chocolate Cookies. I like them so much that I decided to make them again. They are really chocolaty and one of the best chocolate cookies I have ever had. They have a really nice texture and my family loves them!
Grains
Pastry
Menu 1
Smoked Chorizo & Cheese Empanadas
Black Eye Pea & Tomato Salsa
Mint & Apple Granita
Menu 4
Simple Green Salad
Chicken Pot Pies w/Cream Cheese
Stuffed Baked Apples
Menu 3
Winter White Salad
Chicken w/Tomatoes & Feta Cheese Sauce
Lemon Tart
Menu 2
Ricotta, Orange & Currant Fritters
Corn & Bacon Pie
Fruit Smoothies
Grains
Fish
Menu 1
Orange Spicy Salad
Shrimp & Vegetables in Coriander Ginger Broth
Pina Colada Cups
Menu 4
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Slow Roasted Salmon w/Braised Lentils
Jam Crumb Cake
Menu 3
Gingered Vegetable Stir-Fry
Thai Fish Cakes
Pineapple w/Basil
Menu 2
Root Vegetable Mash
Braised Fish w/Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives
Crepes w/Brown Sugar Pears & Chocolate Fudge Sauce
The only problem I had with the Smoked Chorizo & Cheese Empanadas was when I put the filling in the pastry. I put a little too much filling in, so it was hard to close the pastry around it. The sauce kept running out. It had a great flavor and tasted really good with Tabasco Sauce. The Black Eye Pea & Tomato Salsa also tasted really good. I really enjoyed the black eyed peas. I hadn't had them in a salsa before, and I thought they worked perfect. The Mint & Apple Granita was OK, but personally I thought it had a little too much sugar. The mint definitely made it taste better.
The Ricotta, Orange & Currant Fritters were very tasty. They were like sweet pancakes with raisins inside. My whole family enjoyed these. One problem I had with the Corn & Bacon Pie, was not being able to find the fine grind cornmeal. I used medium grind and processed it in a food processor, but it still had small, hard pieces of corn in it. The finished product was very good, however, the crust was almost inedible due to the pieces of hard corn in it. The Fruit Smoothies were very good. They were creamy, smooth, refreshing, and had a good flavor.
I enjoyed the Winter White Salad, although I did put a little too much onion in it. I thought the cauliflower was the best part. The Chicken with Tomatoes & Feta Cheese Sauce was good. I especially liked the flavors that the olives added to it. The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was tender and juicy. The consistency of the Lemon Tart was velvety. The taste was lemony and good. My family really enjoyed this dish.
The simple Green Salad consisted of spinach, sliced shallots, shaved Parmesan cheese and a homemade Italian dressing. The Chicken Pot Pie with Cream cheese was delicious. I really liked the pearl onions and vegetables in it. It was the largest pot pie my family had ever seen. The Stuffed Baked Apples turned out to be delicious. I really liked the crumble of the filling and the yogurt added a lot to the overall dish.
The Orange Spicy Salad was cool and refreshing. The spicy dressing added a lot to the sweet orange. I slightly overcooked the shrimp in the "Shrimp & Vegetables in Coriander Ginger Broth" recipe. The broth tasted really good. I was surprised how good the avocado tasted in it. The Pina Colada Cups tasted really good. I thought the mixture of the coconut and citrus juices worked well. I really liked the presentation of it, although it did take some time to hollow out the oranges.
The Root Vegetable Mash was unique. I had never had parsnips before. I really liked the flavors in the dish; they all blended together really well. The fish was perfectly cooked in the "Braised Fish with Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives. I especially liked the pairing of the vegetables with the fish. My mom really liked this dish. The Crepes with Brown Sugar, Pears & Chocolate Fudge Sauce were filled with flavor and the pears were really tender, yet crisp. The chocolate sauce that went over the crepe was outstanding. My whole family, especially my sister, thoroughly enjoyed this dish. I think this is my favorite dish of all the dessert dishes that we made.
This is probably my favorite side dish that we made in the program. It tasted really, really good! The cabbage and ginger added a lot of flavor to this dish. It was my first time trying a daikon (Asian radish). It tasted a lot like a regular radish, but was much larger and longer in size. I didn't really like the Thai Fish Cakes. My whole family didn't think they were the best either. I thought they had a strange texture. I loved the basil with the pineapple in the "Pineapple with Basil". It was really sweet and good.
The Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes were very creamy and smooth in texture. There was a different flavor with the addition of the mustard. It gave the dish a tanginess. My family enjoyed this "different" way of making mashed potatoes. The Slow Roasted Salmon with Braised Lentils was really, really good. The entire dish had a fantastic flavor. It was one of the best salmon dishes I have ever had. I am a big fan of salmon. The lentils were cooked perfectly. I'm surprised how much flavor the chicken stock and thyme added to the lentils versus cooking them in water. I also really liked the butter mixture that was added on top of the salmon after it was cooked. The jam Crumb Cake tasted really good. I had never had a crumb cake before. It was nice and moist. The jam added a lot of flavor.
