Meatless Monday by Chef Tony

On Mondays Chef Tony cooks plant-based. And today he taught us how to make the most delicious vegan nachos. The “meat” was a blend of finely chopped walnuts and soyrizo, and some of Chef Tony’s secret spices. The cheese was made with poached cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, and potato, then puréed with some more secret seasonings to make it taste cheesy. All this was layered with freshly made salsa, pickled onions, and a whole lot more layers of flavor. Enjoyed by all, especially the posse of proudly Venezuelan young sous chefs !

#chefangelssd#chefworks #YACofSD #cheftony

Salmon teriyaki by Chef Alyssa

Gourmet dinner in under an hour? Of course, with Chef Alyssa’s quick teaching skills and our young apt pupil. The sushi rice simmered away, while the veggies for the slaw were sliced, chopped, and dressed. Next came a quick sauce for the salmon that got pan seared and bathed in the marinade. Then dinner was served. Thank you Chef!

#chefangelssd #chefworks #varsityteam #ChefAlyssa

 

Chef Jillian brought the youth dinner!

There was a delicious pasta bar. Out of the kindness of her heart, Chef Jillian brought the youth that night’s dinner service, served by our lovely volunteers Kassandra and Jessie. There was 2 kinds of pasta, garlic bread, salad, and 2 kinds of dressing. Yum! And then we had our Chef Angels class, learning all about trifle, and how to build and layer your own, with lots of fresh chopped fruit, of course.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #YACofSD #chefjillian

Ooey gooey s’mores brownies

We had such fun making from scratch gooey brownies. The ever so knowledgeable pastry Chef Ashley talked to us about food chemistry and its important role in baking versus cooking. And then to end things on a high note she pulled out her kitchen torch and we got to light it up and toast up all those marshmallows!

#chefangelssd #chefworks #varsityteam #ChefAshley

We say yes to sushi!

We were fortunate to be welcomed to Catalina Offshore Products seafood wholesaler along with Promises2Kids former foster youth and their mentors for a comprehensive and tasty warehouse tour, followed by a sushi class  by master chef Aaron Bishop and his sous chef (and  wife!) Antonella. Fishmonger Mario and co-owner Britanny talked about the ins and outs of the local seafood industry, we played with live prawns and abalone, we got a demonstration on how to break down a whole fish, and we tasted some seafood snacks. And then we were given an intro to sushi class by Chef Aaron, and got to practice rolling techniques for California rolls, learning the difference between using real crab meat versus processed krab product. Thank you Chefs and Fishmongers!

#chefangelssd #chefworks #CatalinaOP #ChefAaron #Promises2Kids

Representing

We have immensely enjoyed our collaboration with Promises2Kids thus far, meeting all the amazing former foster youth who make up their Guardian Scholars program. We were invited to attend the Guardian Scholars Resource Fair for the start of their new program year. This gave us the opportunity to speak with countless youth about our program, and we received a lot of valuable insight into what the youth would like to get out of our collaboration. Chef Lena brought along some tasty snacks; home made fig jam paired with cheese and crackers. Board member Sarah assembled a custom Starbucks gift basket to give away at our next class. Can’t wait to see some new faces at our upcoming classes!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #promises2kids

A Dish with Many Names

This week at the Youth Assistance Coalition San Diego, Chef Jos and Chef Kevin brought Tagliarini Picchi Pacchiu, AKA Tag Pic PAC, AKA Sicilian Pasta! The dish included pasta in a sauce made from fresh produce, along with chicken, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and bacon. Many smiles were shared! Thank you Chef Jos and Chef Kevin!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #youthassistancecoalition #ChefJos

Quick and Easy Chili and Cornbread

Chef Violette aimed to teach the boys how to make a delicious batch of both chili and cornbread from scratch in under an hour. It took 55 minutes! There was some dicing and chopping of vegetables, searing of meat, seasoning added, then the chili was busy simmering away. Next up a quick cornbread recipe was followed, and while it was baking in the oven, the boys did the final tasting adjustments on the chili. Dinner was promptly served!

#chefangelssd #chefworks #varsityteam #thehandmadechef