Today we were only a chef crew of three, as Cristian is currently out of town, but Jasir, Scarlett and Aziya were eager to get going on our next meal. They were excited to discover that we’re fixing Chicken and Quinoa Stir Fry, accompanied by Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Everyone admitted to loving sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, prepared mashed or in a pie, but no one has ever enjoyed them roasted in the oven. Ms. Chris announced that they’re in for a treat!

Today’s meal incorporated lots of chopping, as we added garlic and onion to the green beans and sweet red peppers to the vegetable mix, plus chicken thighs. Jasir and Ms. Chris got to work, slicing the chicken into strips, while Ms. Evette assisted Scarlett and Aziya with the beans and peppers. Aziya steamed the quinoa and set it aside to cool while the chicken was browning. Everyone remembered the rule about preparing fresh meat – thoroughly wash the knives and cutting boards before using them again. Jasir bravely offered to slice the onion, and everyone used a chef knife to cut the garlic into small pieces. The sweet potatoes were chopped into cubes, coated with honey/olive oil, seasoned with spices, salt and pepper, then roasted. Our chefs started to dance at this point to celebrate that the chopping was done!

Ms Evette, our pescatarian, fried the mushroom medley, we added the vegetable mix to that pan, and then added chicken to the remaining vegetables. When our meal was ready, every chef took a taste of the mushroom and well as the chicken stir fry, and Jasir is now a mushroom convert! Given that the sweet potatoes are so easy to prepare, the chefs are considering adding them to their next Thanksgiving menu! When we completed the “Our Plate” form, we counted 7 vegetables in this meal – a record! Our chefs decided that they could make this meal at home and substitute other meats or fish/shrimp for the chicken. Our chefs can’t wait for the next meal– GOOD-BYE!