CLASSES
Is your teen ready to take their culinary skills to the next level? We now have two different Teen Boot Camps to challenge your young chefs!
Teen Boot Camp 1: Kitchen Concepts
In this week-long Boot Camp, the Chopping Block's seasoned chefs will teach teens, ages 12 to 16, essential cooking techniques and share kitchen wisdom that will stay with them for a lifetime. Students will become proficient at making sauces, knife skills, meat and vegetable cookery, working with seasonal produce, making dough and baking. Additionally, they will understand the hows and whys of cooking, preparing them for a future of confidence in the kitchen.
Day 1: Breakfast and Brunch
- Knife Skills Lesson
- Over Easy Eggs with Oven-Roasted Breakfast Potatoes, Peppers and Onions
- Minty-Melon Fruit Salad
- Eggs Benedict with Homemade English Muffins, Poached Eggs and Hollandaise
- Apple and Fennel Turkey Breakfast Sausage
- Homemade Granola-Yogurt Parfaits with Dried Cherries and Chocolate
- Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry and Vanilla Glaze
Day 2: American Basics
- Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Roasted Garlic Crostini
- Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken and Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Tomato Soup with Garlic-Herb Croutons
- Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Aioli
- Carrot and Parsnip “Fries”
- Raspberry Swirl Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with Graham Crust
- Lemon Cake with Warm Blueberry Sauce
Day 3: Vegetarian Italian
- Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Antipasto
- Fresh Fettuccine Primavera with Pesto
- Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Involtini with Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Risotto with Mushrooms and Wilted Kale
- Ricotta Gnocchi with Parmesan Cream
- Zabaglione with Macerated Stone Fruit
Day 4: Outdoor Grilling
- Quinoa Grain Bowls with Chickpeas, Grilled Summer Vegetables, Grilled Avocados and Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
- Grilled Flatbread with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes and Mozzarella
- Grilled Beef and Veggie Skewers with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and Lime Sour Cream
- Grilled Corn Salad with Charred Jalapeños, Lime and Queso Fresco
- Wood Fired Chocolate-Toffee Brownies with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Day 5: Southern Comfort
- Watermelon, Tomato and Mint Salad
- Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Gumbo with Steamed Rice
- Blackened Fish with Cajun-Creole Spice Blend
- Cheesy Grits
- Buttermilk Biscuits with Honey-Orange Compound Butter
- Nashville Hot Chicken with Skillet Mac-n-Cheese
- Banana Pudding with ‘Nilla Wafers
This class is being held:
Teen Boot Camp 2: International Adventure
In this week-long Boot Camp, the Chopping Block's seasoned chefs will teach teens, ages 12 to 16, essential cooking techniques from around the world and share kitchen wisdom that will stay with them for a lifetime. In this global voyage, students will become proficient at making sauces, knife skills, meat and vegetable cookery, understanding worldly culinary traditions, identifying herbs and spices, making dough and baking. Additionally, they will understand the hows and whys of cooking, preparing them for a future of confidence in the kitchen. Teen Boot Camp 1 is not a prerequisite for Teen Boot Camp 2.
Day 1: Spain
- Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato Sauce
- Tortilla Espanola with Aioli
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates
- Fresh Tomato, Cucumber and Herb Gazpacho
- Shrimp and Chorizo Paella
- Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
Day 2: India
- Red Lentil Dal with Raita
- Samosas with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney
- Chickpea-Sweet Potato Fritters
- Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice
- Saag Paneer (Sautéed Spinach with Fresh Cheese)
- Whole Wheat Chapati
- Mango Lassi
Day 3: Greece
- Spanakopita Pie
- Greek Villagers Salad with Feta Vinaigrette and Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Avgolemono (Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo)
- Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna with Tomato Sauce and Béchamel)
- Gyros-Style Meatballs with Homemade Pita and Tzatziki Sauce
- Roasted Potato Wedges with Lemon and Feta
- Orange Semolina Cake with Whipped Cream
Day 4: Latin
- Chicken Tortilla Soup and Quesadillas with Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Mexican Shrimp Cocktail with Avocados and Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
- Caribbean-Spiced Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves
- Elotes (Mexican Street Corn)
- Tostones (Fried Plantains)
- Rice and Black Beans
- Tropical Fruit Empanadas with Vanilla-Lime Glaze
- Guava Bars with Shortcake Crust
Day 5: Asia
- Shrimp Pot Stickers with Carrot-Ginger Salad
- Steamed Chicken Buns with Hoisin Dipping Sauce
- Homemade Ramen Noodles with Miso-Soy Broth
- Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice
- Thai Drunken Noodles with Ground Beef, Green Peppers and Tomatoes
- Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy, Bamboo Shoots and Mushrooms with Steamed Rice
- Mochi with Strawberry Ice Cream
This camp is being held:
Our Teen Camps are recommended, but not required as prerequisites for this program. Students will work in groups. All Teen Boot Camps will be held at Lincoln Square. 1-week cancellation policy.
