By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

When I was offered the chance to lead a vegan cooking class, I didn’t feel an ounce of hesitation to accept the offer.

It sounded like a lot of fun, a way to crawl out of my introverted shell that formed during the pandemic, and an opportunity to experiment with vegan cuisine. As someone who was vegetarian for four and a half years, and only recently became vegan, I have been slowly re-learning how to cook after living in the university dorms for a year. Most importantly, I’ve been trying new recipes and expanding my palate. So anytime I can cook, it brings a smile to my face.

I would be teaching a group of men at Christopher Place, a residential program providing education, training, and recovery support to formerly homeless men of the Baltimore area. Hearing this, I really wanted to know more about these committed men and their stories. I truly wanted to have a chance to not only cook delicious food, but also have the chance to be a part of the experience these men take away from their time at Christopher Place.

So, I took a leap of faith and decided to teach a vegan cooking class, having prior teaching experience, but sub-par cooking skills.

I chose a recipe titled “Korean-Mexican Styled Bulgogi Tacos”, which was entirely an experimental recipe that I made once from leftovers the previous week and really enjoyed. I had recently learned to cook vegan Bulgogi, which is traditionally Korean BBQ grilled steak. As someone who loves altering recipes to feel more individualistic and unique, I grabbed some flour tortillas, as they’re something I grew up eating in my Mexican household, and added a couple more ingredients to create the final dish.

All I can say is that there’s nothing more fulfilling than a group of people taking a bite into your recipe and collectively giving you a thumbs up, signaling how delicious it is. I was genuinely surprised at all the positive feedback and teaching this class definitely boosted my confidence in the kitchen.

Speaking to all the men present that day inspired me as well. A few of them were vegetarian and vegan, which was something I wasn’t expecting. It made me very happy to know that cooking and nutritional classes were proving to be very useful, according to the lives of these men.

Throughout the class, they kept reassuring me that I was doing a good job and that in itself meant a lot. I learned that it’s okay to experiment, to not know what you’re doing, and to essentially not know the outcome. Through all the laughs and smiles, I realized that we’re all just trying to survive and it’s important to not let everything get to your head. No matter the setbacks, or particular circumstance that one is in, it’s important to acknowledge the situation. But also realize that nothing can limit the things one does in life as these men showed me when making delicious tacos.

Most importantly, I learned food is best when it’s shared with others.

Here is the highly acclaimed recipe that the men of Christopher Place deemed their favorite so far:

Bulgogi (serving size: 4 tacos)

• 2 cups (around 10 pieces) of plant-based chicken tenders (recommend Gardein)
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 12 ounces Korean BBQ sauce (recommend Ocean’s Halo)
• 1 scallion
• 1/2 cup of red onion
• 1 cup of green bell pepper
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Tacos

• Flour tortillas (1 per taco)
• Vegan provolone cheese (1 per taco) – (recommend Daiya slices)
• Jalapeño hummus

Steps

• Plant based chicken tenders
  • Microwave method
    • Place 10 tenders (around 2 cups) in a microwave-safe plate, evenly spaced apart > 1 minute > Then, flip tenders to the other side > 1 minute > Flip one more time to other side > 1 minute

• Once tenders are warm and soft, place them on the cutting board and slice each tender vertically (fajita sliced)
• You should have chicken strips > place on plate for now

• Pan method
  • Add 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan over medium heat
  • Add the 10 tenders (around 2 cups) into the pan; begin moving the tenders as they begin to break apart from being frozen
  • Cook for 10-15 minutes, make sure both sides of the tenders have been turned
  • Once tenders are warm and soft, place them on the cutting board and slice each tender vertically (fajita sliced)
  • You should have chicken strips > place on plate for now
• Cutting Vegetables
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms > rinse, cut off the stems, then place the caps facing down and cut into thin slices (fajita sliced) > place on plate separately from chicken strips (on veggies side)
  • 1 scallion > rinse, then cut off 1 inch of white stem (side with roots), cut the rest into 1 inch pieces > place on plate separately from chicken strips (on veggies side)
  • 1/2 cup of red onion > rinse, then cut red onion in half (put the extra to the side), then julienne the remaining red onion > place on plate separately from chicken strips (on veggies side)
  • 1 cup of green bell pepper > rinse, cut of top half of stem, then julienne the remaining green bell pepper > place on plate separately from chicken strips (on veggies side)
• Making Bulgogi
  • Preheat pan over medium heat > slightly oil it
  • Once hot, place the mushrooms, scallions, red onion, and bell pepper into pan
    • Cook until veggies are slightly charred and soft
  • Then, add 12 ounces Korean BBQ sauce
  • Once veggies are mixed with sauce, then add the sliced chicken tenders and mix together > you now have bulgogi, proceed to season with sesame seeds (place on plate)
• Making Tacos
  • Making quesadillas: on a pan, cook one side of the tortilla, then flip, and add a slice of cheese to the cooked tortilla side. Proceed to fold in half and cook the uncooked side of the tortilla by flipping it every 30 seconds or so. Repeat with each taco.
  • After each quesadilla is made, open it, and add the jalapeño hummus and bulgogi
  • You now have “Korean-Mexican Styled Bulgogi Tacos” !!!

For more information on VRG internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

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