One of the most exciting parts of our work is helping school staff turn their own ideas into meals students love. They know their students best, drawing on their creativity, what they’ve learned about the foods and flavors students enjoy, and often their own personal and cultural backgrounds to bring new ideas to the menu.
Project Bread Chef Educator Ryan Eckles experienced that collaborative process while working with Horace Mann Laboratory School in Salem.
Eckles worked primarily with Ghada, the school’s head cook. Ghada is from Lebanon and regularly talked about bringing flavors from home into school meals. Those conversations became the starting point for the school’s shawarma recipe.
“I aim to be their friend, ask about their day, learn about them. We develop recipes with them because they have invaluable insight into what their kids like to eat,” Eckles said.
The Horace Mann team also contributed ideas throughout recipe development. One of the biggest challenges school nutrition staff face is turning their creative ideas into meals that work in a school setting. They balance the flavors and ingredients that make a dish delicious and familiar with the USDA’s nutrition requirements, finding the sweet spot where a meal is both nutritious and something students will actually want to eat.
Eckles brought several shawarma recipes to the team so they could compare the ingredients. Ghada shared which ingredients she liked and which she wanted to leave out. She preferred a red tint to her shawarma, so the team omitted turmeric.
The team then tested the seasoning with meat and worked through the other ingredients. They had run out of honey and did not carry raw sugar, so they chose between grape jelly and maple syrup. The staff selected maple syrup and paired it with cider vinegar.
“And the rest is history,” Eckles said. The final spice blend included chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, clove, and nutmeg. The blend became a flexible ingredient for the Horace Mann menu. The school used it for chicken wraps, salads, rice bowls, the salad bar, nachos, and flatbread.
“It can be used on any protein or vegetable that benefits from a quick roast or char. The vinegar and sugars caramelize with the toasted spices to leave a deliciously deep, sweet, and savory flavor,” Eckles said.
The recipe also showed how a single seasoning can adapt across different school meals. Rather than limiting the shawarma seasoning to one entrée, the team found ways to use it in different formats throughout the menu. Other districts have begun using the seasoning, putting their own take and creative spin on dishes. Eckles said Chicopee had a local spice maker produce the blend in bulk so the district could distribute it to schools. Students are eating it up!
