Scratch Catering Services

From Homeless to The White House

Local caterer accepted to decorate "The People's House" for the holidays

David Bondarchuck owner of Scratch Catering Services has been tapped to Decorate The People’s House this Holiday Season. A 3rd generation native to Colorado, Bondarchuck was Homeless at age 16, and was staying at the youth Gemini Homeless Shelter near Colfax and Simms. Without money or many options Bondarchuck spent hours in the Denver Public Library, where cooking and lifestyle books sparked his interest and passion for entertaining.

Bondarchuck graduated High School in Greeley in 2001, and continued to autodidactically learn the techniques of cooking, baking, and decorating. Bondarchuck developed the skills to begin catering professionally and formed his business in 2007. His love for making things beautiful extends beyond plating foods and writing recipes, and into decorating.

Bondarchuck’s application process to become a Holiday White House decorator began in November of 2009, and this past September he was accepted and confirmed. On Thursday evening Bondarchuck was given the assignment of completing the Red Room along side the White House resident florist.

In 2009, Scratch Catering Services Partnered with Sunflower Farmers Market, and created Everyday Gourmet, a in-store demo of all new recipes written by Bondarchuck, using Seasonal ingredients. "Everyday Gourmet", allowed customers to sample the recipe, and then head home to create a meal which was 1.) Ready in under 40 minutes, 2.) Cost less than $10, 3.) Feed a family of 4-6 people and, 4.) Made from Scratch.

Today, Scratch Catering Services continues to specialize in making customized menus of artisan foods with wholesome ingredients, all from Scratch without the addition of Chemicals, or Preservatives. With event planning Scratch Catering Services takes the ordinary to extraordinary. Including decorating, event coordination, floral arrangements, and more.

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To schedule an interview or photo-shoot, please call 303-437-2302, or send an email to ScratchCatering@hotmail.com. Interviews will be set up at the home of David Bondarchuck, to allow for photos of his home’s interior holiday decorations of what was submitted for review to the White House, prior to acceptance. Photos from the White House project will be available at the discretion of the secret service, and upon completion of this years decorating effort.

Ingredients:

1 package Penne Pasta, regular or wheat

Course Salt

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

3 small italian squashes (Depending on size- yield 2 cups chopped)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered then halved

Make it your own-*Optional:

Add some Fresh Chopped Basil Leaves, Large Diced Onion, or Large Diced Red Bell Pepper

Directions:

Cook your pasta following the directions on the package. Wait for the water to boil prior to adding the pasta to the *SALTED water. For al dente pasta begin checking pasta at the 7 minute mark.

In a skillet saute some garlic, and red pepper flakes and add in the chopped squash, cook just to slightly soften, about 3 minutes but don’t burn the garlic!

When pasta is ready drain and add the skillet, toss with squash, and mix it well, serve on a platter garnished with the tomatoes and topped with the cheese. At this point you would add the fresh basil* also.

Helpful Hints:

* For other some dishes, and sauces, substituting 1/3 of the amount dried basil or dried herb anything will work in a pinch, however I would not do it here. There’s just nothing like fresh chopped strips of fresh Basil to this dish. Its adds color and a burst of flavor complimenting the tomatoes and cheese alike.

Substitute: Queso Fresco for the Parmesan and 2 minced chipotles in adobo for the tomatoes, add some large diced red onion, leave out the red pepper flakes; and for the optional Fresh Basil switch in some fresh chopped Cilantro.

That’s Everyday Gourmet!

Quesadillas are perfect, slightly crispy, filled with various cheeses, and any and all additional topping you desire. For a fun evening prep a few cheeses and toppings and build these favorites with your children for fun family time together.

Fill your Quesadillas with Slices of grilled chicken breast, slices of tender cooked steak, Diced jalapenos, Scallions, sauteed red onions and Bell peppers, Roasted plum tomatoes, thin slices of mangos, chopped cilantro, thick cut smoked bacon, diced black forest ham, roasted corn, the options are endless

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium heat, lightly spray the pan with vegetable oil and add your loaded Quesadilla to the pan, watching carefully, allow the tortilla to become crispy and brown in color. then simply turn the quesadilla and wait until the opposite side of the  tortilla is browned, and the inside is melted and melded together.

Serve these Quesadillas with your choice of sides, like Homemade salsa, sour cream  garnished with chopped scallions, and or homemade guacamole, or plan to serve a mexican rice laced with fresh chopped tomatoes and roasted corn. The side items are as endless as the toppings you can pile inside. Have fun and bring back family fun for dinner time.

Please see other posts From Scratch Catering Services presents Everyday Gourmet for great salsa recipes and other ideas to give you something creative, unique, and simple...

Thats Everyday Gourmet!

Ingredients

2 pounds Chicken Breasts or Chicken Breast Tenders

1-2 pounds broccoli crowns

1 pint mini sweet peppers

Preparation

Sear Chicken Breast, and set aside to cool. Once cooled cube the chicken breast into bite sized pieces.

Chop the cleaned mini sweet peppers

Clean and chop broccoli into mini crowns

The Sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

1 clove minced garlic

Directions

In a hot skillet, add garlic clove, and then add the remaining sauce ingredients, once sauce is combined, toss in the broccoli crowns, then chicken and the sweet peppers. Continually tossing and stirring to combine the sauce and ingredients and keep it from scorching. 

Once combined, serve with either brown or white rice, or with asian noodles. 

Enjoy

This Everyday Gourmet dinner idea comes from Scratch Catering Services

Make it simple, Make it from Scratch!

Ingredients:

2 cups Grilled and Diced Cantaloupe

1 medium Red Pepper Diced

1 medium Cucumber Seeded and Diced

1/3 cup Diced Red Onion

1 Jalapeno finely Diced (Remove seeds to relieve some heat if you so desire)

1/3 cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Juice of 1 Lime

1 Tablespoon Honey

Course Salt

Directions:

Halve, skin, and seed the Cantaloupe. Cut the flesh into even thickness strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick and lay on a hot grill (350 degrees) until grill marks form on both large flat sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Dice Cantaloupe into small pieces to match your diced Red Pepper, Cucumber, and Red Onion.

Toss together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding honey last.

Sprinkle in Course Salt to taste.

Serve this Salsa:

1.) Atop a Grilled Chicken Breast

2.) Over a Fresh Green Salad

or

3.) As a Condiment to your Corn Chips!

Simple, Fast, Affordable, and Different... Thats Everyday Gourmet!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Approximately 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 whole peaches, skinned, and pitted

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/3 cup Cider Vinegar

1 cup fresh or thawed Blueberries

1&1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

Zest of 1 Lemon

Course Salt

Directions:

Drop whole Peaches in roaring boiling water for 1 minute; remove and blanch in an ice bath to shock and stop cooking and easily remove the outer fuzzy skin. Continue to boil, now halved and pitted peaches until soft (tender, and easily pierced with a paring knife) about 15 minutes, depending on ripeness. 

Add to a blender the softened peaches, mustard, vinegar, lemon zest, thyme, and 2/3 cup of the blueberries, blend until pureed, taste, and adjust flavor. Fold in remaining 1/3 cup blueberries, and set aside.

Grill Chicken Breasts on a lightly oiled, hot grill-450 degrees. Lightly salting the cut-side of the breasts and grill uncut side down first (the pretty side), to properly sear and mark the top side of the breast. 

Allow the chicken to grill for 6 minutes prior to checking and turning the breast to ensure the grill mark is perfect and properly set.

Allow the chicken to cook until it registers 165 degrees internal temp. on a meat thermometer About 5-6 minutes possibly more, per-side depending on size and thickness of each breast.

*Hint: To oil a open flame grill without any flare up: Wearing a mitt, oil a paper towel and wipe the grill grate to lightly coat the grill with the oil.

Spoon Sauce over Grilled Chicken and serve with Steamed Rice, or additional grilled vegetables as a side dish, for a quick, and easy Summer Dinner... From Scratch Catering Services.

*BONUS IDEA: Peach-Blueberry Shortcake

Give an exciting twist to an old classic! Purchase extra Peaches, Blueberries, and an additional Lemon.

Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice over sliced peaches and fresh blueberries and toss with sugar to taste, Serve over homemade Shortcake, with Fresh whip-cream!

Ingredients:

Salad:

Mixed Salad Greens: Green Leaf, Romaine, Watercress, Mache, Arugula,  and or Frizze 

4 Chicken Breasts *Cutlets can be substituted, grilled and diced

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 pound of thick-cut Bacon, cooked, cooled, and cut into pieces

1 Cucumber peeled and diced

2 ears of Fresh Corn, corn cut off cob

1 fresh bunch of Green Onions/Scallions, chopped in thin circles

*Crumbled Blue Cheese, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Goat Cheese optional

Dressing:

1/2 cup plus Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup Buttermilk

1 &1/2 teaspoon fresh Chives

1 &1/2 teaspoon fresh Parsley

1 &1/2 teaspoon fresh Dill

1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

Course Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste

1 Small Avocado

Directions:

1.) Make the Dressing. Remove skin and pit from avocado, and smash until creamy and smooth in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients for the dressing to the bowl and whisk until all incorporated and smooth, allow to sit covered in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2.) Season the Chicken with Salt and Pepper. Grill and Cook the Chicken throughly until it has reached an internal temp of 165 degrees.

Remove Chicken from the grill and allow to cool.

3.) line a large platter with the mixed greens you have selected

4.) Line the top of the greens with the raw prepped ingredients in strips. 

5.) Once cooled dice the chicken, add it to the platter and drizzle with the Avocado Ranch Dressing.

Tips for Grilling Chicken: Heat your grill to 450 degrees. Lightly absorb some olive oil on a paper towel and wipe the clean grill grate to coat the grate with oil. This will reduce the possibility the fire will flare up, yet still lubricate your grill so the chicken doesn’t stick. Begin with the “Pretty Side” of the chicken breast down. Allow the cooking process to sear the chicken breast leaving a beautiful uniform grill mark and trapping in the natural juices and flavor. Salt and Seasoning applied to the underside of the Chicken Breast will flavor the meat throughout.

Make it Simple, Make it from “Scratch”!

Ingredients:

1 Small head of Romaine Lettuce, Cleaned and Spun dry, and cut into 1 inch sized pieces

2 cups fresh corn kernels, about 3 ears worth of fresh cut corn kernels

1 cup diced Roma Tomatoes, about three ripe tomatoes

3 medium sized Avocados cut into a 1/2 inch dice

1 Jalapeno Pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro, plus more chopped cilantro to mix into diced mixture-to taste

1/4 cup rough chopped white onion

Course Salt

Fresh Lime

Directions:

Bring a cup and a half of water to a boil and add the jalapeno pepper. Boil until soft, about 8 minutes. Jalapeno will be a bit discolored and not as vibrant in color as a fresh pepper.

Lay the Romaine Lettuce in a bottom layer on a platter.

Cut Avocado, and Tomatoes into a dice and set aside.

Cut fresh corn kernels off the cob and add to diced tomatoes and avocado

Add boiled jalapeno, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and a 1/3 to a 1/2 of a Avocado, with onion to a blender, Add a little bit of the hot water from the first step and blend, you want the consistency to be the same as salad dressing, not too thin, and not glob-by.

*Hint: if the blended mixture tastes a bit bitter try adding more avocado to the blender.

*Hint: you can always add more hot water if the mixture is too thick, but you can’t very well add less!

Add course salt to taste in the blended mixture and toss mixture with fresh diced tomatoes, corn, and diced avocado.

Add additional chopped cilantro to the chunky salad mixture to taste and squeeze 3/4 up to a whole fresh lime over mixture and toss to combine, at this point taste and add additional course salt to taste to the final dish.

Serve salad over the romaine lettuce on a platter, with fresh lime wedges as a garnish for additional table side sprit-zing.

*Note: the blended mixture will be concentrated in flavor, mainly from the jalapeno. Not too worry once mixed with chunky ingredients the flavor aka heat will be  dramatically, "toned down"!

Also Try....

1.) This dish can easily be accompanied by adding black beans, to the diced mixture. I begin with dried and then slow simmered but, canned black beans which have been rinsed and drained will work in a fix.

2.) Also try adding some poached, then diced chicken breast.

3.) Fresh diced mangos can also be substituted for the diced Roma tomatoes.

Serve as a side dish or main course!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

3 Tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 cucumber cut julienne

4 carrots cut julienne

1/2 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh Mixed Greens

1 package rice noodles prepared to brands instructions

Sauteed Chicken Breast (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare rice noodles and set aside

In a frying pan heat vegetable oil, and add minced garlic. Cook until tender and translucent but not browned. Reduce heat to low and add in soy sauce, ginger, sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes, stir to combine.

Once combined add in peanut butter, the peanut butter will “melt” in the sauce and thicken the mixture. Add in sesame seeds and unsalted roasted peanuts at the end.

Add the cooked rice noodles to the pan and toss to fully coat, in sauce.

Serve noodles and sauce mixture over Fresh mixed greens and topped with the cucumbers and carrots julienne with the fresh, cleaned and patted dried, cilantro sprigs. 

Tonight’s Everyday Gourmet from Scratch Catering Services can be served with strips of sauteed chicken breast or is complete as a vegetarian dish option.

Serve with a warm rustic roll, or stone ground wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!