You won’t hear many kids say their favorite vegetable is a zucchini. You’re probably lucky to hear them say they like vegetables at all!
Yet Food and Nutrition students at Tech High School recently learned from two celebrity speakers the advantages to creating meals that are healthy, quick and delicious.
Ava Nebben is a 9-year-old girl who won the Minnesota’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Her prize was a visit to the White House to attend the Kids’ State Dinner where, she met President Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama.
What struck Nebben most was Michelle Obama urging the young winners to go out and “pay-it-forward” with healthy eating.
Since then, Nebben has done just that, and Tech High School is the current stop on her pay-it-forward tour.
As she preps for the Tech class, in walks local Chef Tommy Lee from the popular White Horse Restaurant in St. Cloud. They pair up to present their healthy recipes.
Lee asks, “Hey Ava, how would you like to come to the White Horse some Saturday, late afternoon, and come cook in the kitchen with me? We can make your recipe together and you can get a feel for what it’s like in the [restaurant] kitchen.”
Excitedly, she asks her mother’s permission and a date is set.
Nebben begins teaching her award-winning “Secret Service Pizza” recipe. She’s prepared the crust and sauce ahead of time for the students, and splits them off into groups as she instructs them on how to prepare the pizza.
Some of the ingredients include zucchini (of course, Nebben’s favorite), spinach and dairy-free cheese. A few students crinkle their noses at the thought of those ingredients on pizza.
“The last ingredient you have to swear to keep a secret,” says Nebben.
All the students agree and add the last ingredient before baking.
The class is turned over to chef Lee while the pizzas bake.
“This is where is it all started, kids!” he tells them. “Right here [at Tech] is where it started for me. I started cooking in this very kitchen. The first things I made were pretzels. I went home and made those pretzels just about every day.”
Lee teaches the students how to make a quick, easy and healthy tossed salad, preparing the dressing with the assistance of Nebben.
He explains the health benefits of olive oil, vinegar and how to zest the peels of the orange and lemon.
“The peels of the orange and other fruits are sweet until you hit the white part. Once you’ve hit that the taste changes and it isn’t so sweet,” states Lee.
Nebben is the first to sample. There’s a bit of hesitation.
“Mmmm,” she says. “This is really good,” she states pleasantly surprised.
The remainder of the salad is tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and goat cheese. Lee explains that goat cheese is lactose-free. Goat cheese is a first for many students in this class.
A healthy tossed salad and healthy gluten-free pizza are served to the class by Nebben, Lee and a surprise visit from Principal Charlie Eisenreich.
Many students go back for seconds and thirds, commenting on how good the pizza and salad taste. Each of them make sure to take Nebben’s “Secret Service Pizza” recipe.
Along with Nebben’s recipe is the hope that she and others can continue to “pay-it-forward”.
Nebben’s recipe in the Kids State Dinner Cookbook.