From previous Press Release
In mid-March, three Culinary Arts students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center participated in the national NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge. According to the judges’ feedback, Isaiah Merrell, Alexa Wolcott, and Sara Logsdon hit a homerun with their creation called Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie! Isaiah is a senior from Byron-Bergen CS, and Alexa and Sara are both juniors from Pavilion CS.
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Today, the Batavia CTE Center Culinary Team placed in the top 10 in the national rankings for the NASA Culinary Challenge.
The Top 10 Finalists are (These are not in any particular order):
1. Warren Tech, CO – BBQ Chicken with Coleslaw and Roasted Corn
2. PCTI, NJ– Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
3. Milton Hershey School, PA- Healthy Turkey Chili
4. Windsor HS, CT – Granola Bars
5. Charles Henderson, AL – Grilled Steak w/Asparagus
6. Hewitt Trussville HS, AL – Stout Beer Braised Short
Ribs w/Cauliflower mash and Roasted Broccoli
7. Old Colony Regional, MA –Taco Saute
8. GVBOCES, NY – Sweet Potato Shepard’s Pie
9. Fleming Day School, GA- Mango Madness Vegetarian Hot Dog
10. Burnet HS, TX – Creamy Chicken Francese
——Previously/from press release——
The teams with the top 10 scores move onto the final round of the competition which will be held in the spring at NASA in Houston. If chosen, their recipe could be sent to the International Space Station for astronauts to enjoy.
Chef Tracy Burgio is the Culinary Arts Instructor at the GV BOCES Batavia Campus. She shared how this team of students collaborated and were persistent in creating their recipe.
“This was a process of trial, error, reformulating and much tasting! Isaiah, Alexa, and Sara were determined to make this recipe the absolute best it could be. They did an amazing job preparing, cooking and presenting their recipe. I’m so very proud of all their efforts,” Burgio said.
The panel of judges asked many questions of the team, which the students answered confidently. Isaiah shared how the team arrived at their recipe.
“We were given the food category and guidelines from NASA HUNCH. We brainstormed and came up with the idea of Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie,” Isaiah said.
The recipe process took weeks to perfect. “I can’t even count how many times we made this recipe and changed ingredients. Even the day before this judging, we added two other ingredients to boost the flavor,” Isaiah added.
When asked about why some of the ingredients were used, Culinary Challenge team member Sara explained.
“The theme this year is comfort foods and we interpreted this recipe to have subtle flavors. But we did add garlic!” Sara said. She also noted that only certain ingredients could be used in the recipe due to the recipe’s need to be processed and packaged for space travel and for astronaut consumption onboard the International Space Station.
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Yield: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
1/2 Lbs Sweet Potato
1/4 Tsp Ground Pepper
1/2 Tsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Onion
1/4 Lbs Ground Turkey Meat
1 1/2 Tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 Tsp Garlic
1/2 Tsp Fresh Oregano
1/8 Cup Frozen Peas
1/4 Cup Frozen Corn
1/4 Cup Carrots
3/4 Tsp Fresh Basil
3/4 Tsp Rosemary
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Turkey Broth
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Tsp Thyme
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 Tsp Butter
Calories: 329
Total Fat: 10.1 Grams Saturated Fat: 0.6 Grams Sodium: 163 Grams
-more-
Dietary Fibers: 7.1 Grams Sugar: 6.1 Grams
Procedure:
Step 1- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot with boiling water. Cook the potatoes until tender.
Step 3- Drain the potatoes and mash. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 4- Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Mix in the onions and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Then add garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
Step 5- Add ground turkey and water, crumbling the turkey into small pieces. Cook until all meat is brown.
Step 6- Stir in tomato paste, carrots, peas, corn, chicken broth, fresh basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes to allow liquid to reduce.
Step 7- Spread mixture into cast-iron skillets. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Put in the oven.
Step 8- Bake for 10-15 Minutes.
Step 9- Place in a broiler to crisp up the sweet potatoes for 1-2 minutes.
Step 10- Garnish with thyme and serve.