MUKILTEO — It looked like the set of a TV cooking show.
Not “MasterChef Junior,” of course, because celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay wasn’t around.
Still, kids in chef hats and white jackets bustled about, running mixers, slicing vegetables, juicing fruit and checking the progress of cookies in the big commercial ovens.
Students from each of Mukilteo’s 11 elementary schools gathered March 27 at Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center at Paine Field for a friendly competition. With help from school cooks and Sno-Isle high school students, the 22 young chefs honed their culinary skills while preparing their favorite after-school snack foods.
Nearly 300 fifth-, fourth- and third-grade students submitted recipes for a chance to participate in the district’s seventh annual “Future Chefs: Healthy Snacks” contest, said Brad Wall, head of nutrition services for Mukilteo schools.
Two students from each school were selected for the district-wide final contest. They were Tatianna Koford, Pierson Chiu, Zakiya Nunez, Sydny Brouhard, Nina Aoude, Star Little, Emily Nelwan, Eva Fall, Hannah Goerg, Brooklyn Doughty, Isaac Aney, Miguel Hernandez, Kyle Simms, Maya Martinez, Tay’von Valentine, Jaelyn Floyd, Alex Parker, Keilly Marin, Lillian Eidbo, Janalyn Munoz, Ryan Mass and Jermaine Wright.
At Sno-Isle Tech, the students presented their food before judges and prepared enough snacks to feed dozens of contestants, parents, teachers and school staff. The cook-off day required weeks of organization, publication of a cookbook of the snack recipes, grocery shopping and kitchen set up, said Mo Wolf, kitchen manager for the school district.
Zakiya, a fourth grader at Horizon Elementary, made a blueberry cream cheese pie with the help of Grace Fujinaka, a Sno-Isle senior. Zakiya spread her berries on a graham cracker crust and deftly operated the big mixer. Grace helped her fold the cream cheese and pudding mix together before laying the mixture on top of the berries.
“Fresh blueberries are healthy and that’s why I chose this recipe,” said Zakiya, 10. “I want to be a chef when I grow up.”
Tay’von, an Odyssey third-grader, made muffin-tin lasagna cups.
“I had never heard of this before,” Tay’von said. “So I thought people might like to try something different.”
Tay’von worked in the kitchen, layering wonton wrappers, spaghetti sauce, cooked ground beef, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, while his mother, Selina Valentine waited in the hallway.
“We’ve been trying to practice healthy eating at home,” she said. “I’ve been adamant that my son keep at it. So it’s cool that he likes to cook.”
The contest produced five winners who each received a new mountain bike and helmet, donated by the Sodexo, the company that runs food service for the Mukilteo School District, and the Mukilteo firefighters.
The judges’ top prize went to Hannah from Fairmount Elementary School for her avocado hummus. The “Most Fun Kid Food” award went to Sydny of Endeavor Elementary for her caramel popcorn. The kid-friendly preparation award was given to Isaac of Challenger Elementary for his “moon balls.” The best table presentation went to Miguel of Odyssey Elementary for his colorful “Jicama Tostada with Pinata Festival” and the most health-conscious recipe award was given to Lillian of Columbia Elementary for her strawberry-mango smoothie.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
Hannah Goerg’s Avocado Hummus
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, with 4 ounces liquid reserved
1 large avocado
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons Sriracha
In a food processor, blend all ingredients until creamy smooth.
Serve with fresh celery and carrot sticks
Miguel Hernandez’ Jicama Tostada with Pinata Festival
1 cup pineapple
2 big jicamas
2 limes
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cucumber
1/2 cup red onions
1/2 cup strawberries
3 oranges
1/2 teaspoon salt
Rinse the produce. Peel the jicama and slice for the “tostada” base. Squeeze orange juice into a 9-by-11-inch dish. Marinate the jicama slices in the juice. Chop up cucumbers, red onions, strawberries, pineapple and cilantro and mix in a large bowl. Squeeze lime and sprinkle salt over the vegetables and fruit. Put jicama slices on a tray and spoon the mixture onto the jicama.
Isaac Aney’s Moon Balls
4 cups powdered milk
2 cups honey
2 cups frosted corn flakes
2 cups peanut butter
Put in bowl, mix and roll portions into balls
Sydny Brouhard’s Caramel Popcorn
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon honey
pinch of salt
12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup nuts and coconut if desired
Melt butter with honey and salt. Mix with popcorn and nuts, Spread on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees, tossing. Let cool before serving.
Lillian Eidbo’s Strawberry Mango Delight
1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup fresh kale
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unsweetened apple cider
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on smoothie speed. Pour into cups. If desired, top with whipped cream and a sliced strawberry.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
