Delicious And Nutritious

We do our best at the Wednesday Community Meal to serve food that is delicious and nutritious because we know that that's what our guests want and what their bodies need.

A plate of oven-baked chicken, roasted carrots and rice pilaf.

When you are poor and struggling, free food more often than not, consists of day-old bread and pastries which do ease hunger but don't offer much nutrition-wise.  With the help of generous donors and the support of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, we aim to please every Wednesday by serving a well-rounded meal consisting of lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Today we served 355 meals of oven-baked chicken, vegetables and a side of rice, quinoa pilaf or roasted potatoes. Guests were also offered bowls of hot soup, salad and dessert.

A tray of green salads ready to be served.

Longtime volunteer Mary is always one of the first to arrive on Wednesdays and helps with all the busy prep-work. Here she's chopping fresh parsley to add to roasted potatoes.

Potatoes ready for the oven.

Dessert today was orange cream shortcake that was donated by Good Samaritan Hospital.

Mario, a regular guest, stopped by the kitchen window on his way out today just to say, "thank you" and that he loved the chicken.

"The chicken was so good and better than any restaurant," he said.

To make the chicken we set all the pieces on foil-lined sheetpans and seasoned them well with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sage and Italian seasoning. Then, we added a generous sprinkling of cornflake crumbs for a crispy crust. We basically made a homemade "Shake 'n' Bake."

Seasoned chicken ready for the hot oven.

We baked the chicken in a 375-degree oven until it reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees and was a dark golden brown.

Our guests were so happy with the meal today - and that makes me happy.