Jalapeño in the eye!? Ouch! That’s exactly what The ADHD Chef does to himself in the Succotash video. Teddy’s succotash was the best I’d ever tasted. It was also the prettiest. The dark green poblano pepper contrasts nicely with the light green lima beans and white feta to add a visual depth to the dish. It’s an easy recipe and no self-inflicted pain is actually required.

Most cooks learn about the sensitivity of their eyes to hot peppers the hard way. It’s a lesson they usually don’t forget. Forgetfulness is one of the main problems of ADHD. As the succotash and quinoa videos show, Teddy was very forgetful that night. Forgetfulness coupled with distractibility and extreme impulsiveness can spell disaster. Fortunately for Teddy it was just some jalapeño residue in his eye. Very unpleasant, but quite harmless.

Laughter. ADHD does not go away. The right meds, nutritional support and physical exercise all help, but it does not go away. If you or someone in your life has ADHD you just have to learn to deal with it. One of the best ways to cope with ADHD is to laugh at it. You’re not laughing at the person but at the ADHD itself. It really can be quite funny sometimes.

Cilantro

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Cook Quinoa according to the directions on the package
Add the Cardamon, Paprika and Garlic to the cooked Quinoa
Add the Sun Dried Tomatoes and the Pomegranate Juice
Continue to cook over med-high heat until almost dry
Melt the Butter in a large frying pan over high heat
Add the Quinoa when the Butter is very hot but not smoking
Cook, stirring constantly, over high heat until it just begins to clump
Immediately remove from heat
Boil or Steam the Zucchini until tender-crisp
Drain and stir into to the Quinoa
Transfer the Quinoa to a plate, top with the sliced Havarti
Microwave to melt the cheese
Top with chopped Hazel Nuts
Garnish with Cilantro

Have we got a surprise for you! Not only do you get to see my kitchen for a change, you also get to see Teddy cook in it for the first time. He has a lot of fun too, as you’ll be able to tell from the somewhat noisy video. The brains of people with ADD or ADHD need stimulation. It helps them focus.

Noise must be stimulating to Teddy because he makes a lot of noise playing with a couple of my knives. One of them is a cross between a knife and a cleaver. It’s great. I use it a lot. The other one, a huge chef’s knife, came as part of a set. The thing looks like a prop from a horror movie. Both of them require a focused user. I think the loud chopping helps provide focus. Or, it could just be fun. Either way, Teddy was having a ball and it cracked me up.

But, focus isn’t enough. ADHD also causes memory and organizational problems, as you can see in the video. Even before he knew he had ADHD, Teddy described himself as living very much in the present. These are two sides of the same coin. Is the glass half empty or half full? Well, it’s both.

This dish has a mild yet exotic flavor. It’s low carb, high protein and moderate fat. Perfect if you’re on the Atkins diet. Or just add bread, rice and a salad for a well rounded meal.

3 Oz. Organic Balsamic Vinegar
3 Oz. Apple Juice
3 Oz. Chenin Blanc White Wine

2 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Ghee
1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 tsp. Cayenne
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Sage
3 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s Soyaki (or 1/2 Soya Sauce and 1/2 Teriyaki Sauce)
1 1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cream Style Horseradish

* * * * * * * * *

Heat 2 Tbsp. Butter and 4 Tbsp. Ghee in a wok or very large frying pan
Add 1/4 tsp. Cayenne and continue to heat until the oil is hot
Add the Eggplant and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the Balsamic Vinegar and continue to cook
Add 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
Cook until the Eggplant is very soft
Set aside 1/2 of the cooked Eggplant

Put the other half of the cooked Eggplant into a blender
Add 1 Tbsp. chopped Fresh Garlic and 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
Add 2 Oz. Apple Juice
Puree and set aside

Heat 2 Tbsp. Ghee in a wok
Add the remaining Fresh Garlic plus the tops
Saute until lightly browned
Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil and cook for several more minutes
Add the Celery and the White Wine and cook for several minutes
Add the Marjoram, Sage and cooked Chicken
Add the Soyaki
Add the pureed Eggplant and Fresh Garlic
Add 1 Oz. Apple Juice
Add the non-pureed Eggplant
Saute the Mushrooms in 3 Tbsp. Ghee
Add the Mushrooms
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
Fold in the mature Bok Choy leaves
Add the Cayenne, Salt and Sugar
Add the baby Bok Choy
Cover and simmer until tender
Stir in the Horseradish and cook for about 5 minutes

Garnish with Orange slices and Apple wedges

Tonight Teddy takes a ready-to-cook frozen meal and transforms it into something truly special. It’s also the simplest thing I’ve ever seen him make. If you’ve been curious about trying some of Teddy’s recipes but thought there were too many steps or the ingredients seemed too exotic here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. It’s fast and simple and incredibly good.

Now that I’m learning a little more about ADHD, I realized about a week ago my best friend in high school probably had ADHD. As you may or may not know, I don’t. But, I do enjoy people who do. They can be wonderfully spontaneous and creative individuals. And they’re full of surprises.

In this recipe Teddy uses cranberry juice cocktail. Not only have I never seen him cook with it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him drink it. So, that surprised me. I was also surprised by his use of cranberry sauce as an ingredient. How brilliant! And, the raspberry syrup made the sauce somewhat reminiscent of plum or a light hoisin sauce. It was really excellent!

BTW, Gestalt is a German word meaning “essence or shape of an entity’s complete form.” I didn’t know that.

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 package Trader Joe’s Gestalt Shrimp Stir Fry (1 bag shrimp, 1 bag vegetables, 1 bag noodles, 1 bag sauce)
1 Oz. Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1/2 tsp. Raspberry Syrup
3 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s Organic Orange Cranberry Sauce
1 Tbsp. Sugar

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Prepare the Shrimp Stir Fry dinner as per instruction on the package
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes

For a vegan version, substitute firm tofu for the shrimp. For vegetarian, use paneer instead.

You’d never believe there was turkey in this dish. There’s a lot of meat, for sure. But, to different people, it tasted like lamb, mutton or beef. I can speculate as to why – the burned spices, red wine – but the real answer is that Teddy is an artist. Watch him cook and you can see he’s led by his senses.

But, if you look closely, you can see something else going on. He’s constantly doing a dance with his ADHD. He plans to do one thing but the ADHD causes something else to happen. Then, he has to respond to a new situation. Again, his intention may not manifest itself and he’ll be forced to make another adjustment. It’s these constant adjustments that allow Teddy to cook the way he does. The way Teddy cooks is an extension of the way he lives his life.

We had a lot of fun making this. I hope you have fun watching it. There are some interesting ADHD moments. About 3 minutes into Part 1 Teddy is about to tell us something he read when he sees a jar of dry garlic chutney. We’ll never know what he was going to tell us.

Here’s the kind of thing that causes social problems for ADHD sufferers. Teddy had made plans with his pal Pascal to do something or other. He forgot and impulsively decided to cook. He calls me up and says, “Come right over, if you can. I’m going to cook!” So, I did. Well, here I am taping the chef when Pascal unexpectedly shows up. Neither one of us was pleased and Pascal ended up leaving. The next day, Teddy realized what he had done and apologized to us both.

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Deep Dry Garlic Chutney
1 tsp. Garam Masala (coriander, black pepper, cardamon, bay leaves, mace, cumin, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon)
1/2 tsp. Taste Master Vegetable Wonder (salt, sugar, copra(?), Bengal Gram Dal, Citric Acid and Spices)
1 tsp. A-1 Sauce, unshaken bottle
Salt

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Heat one Tbsp. Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Add 1 Tbsp. Deep Dry Garlic Chutney and 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
Cook for a few moments until the spices smoke but are not scorched
Add the turkey and 1/2 tsp Salt cook
Add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil during cooking to prevent burning
Continue to cook until Turkey is fully browned
Add 3 Oz. Red Wine and continue to cook

Heat one Tbsp. Olive Oil and 1 Tbsp. Butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Add 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
Cook for a few moments until the spices smoke but are not scorched
Add the Red Peppers and cook, stirring frequently
Add the Red Onion and another Tbsp. Olive Oil
Cook until brown spots appear on the Red Peppers and Onions
Add to the browned Turkey

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. Butter in a large skillet over medium heat
Add the Mushrooms
Add Taste Master Vegetable Wonder and A-1 Sauce
Add the remaining 1 Oz. Red Wine and continue to cook to evaporate the alcohol

While the mushrooms are cooking, Turn the heat to high and continue to cook the Turkey, Peppers and Onions to evaporate the alcohol
Add the frozen Corn and cook for several minutes
Add the Apple Juice
Add the cooked Mushrooms

Garnish with fresh Mint and Nasturtium blossoms

Today, Teddy makes a wonderful Chicken Vegetable Soup. You’ll notice he wasn’t quite as prepared as he was the last time. When you’re only making soup, a menu hardly seems necessary. But, a shopping list would have been a great idea. We end up going to the store twice after the cooking begins. Oh, well. It was worth it. His soup was incredible. It even looked perfect with a beautiful, golden broth. Wait ’til you see what he puts in it for flavor.

Now, here’s an ADHD experience for you. While looking for the salt Teddy spies an old box of tapioca. So, we’re suddenly having Tapioca for dessert. Cool, huh? That’s one of the great things about ADHD. I got dessert. He also made one heck of a Chicken Vegetable Soup! And just look at the ingredients and seasonings. Completely original. Yet, it wasn’t easy for him to make. I left some of the slower moving parts in the video so you can see how the ADHD affects his memory.

Personally, I want to learn more about this. What I’ve observed makes me believe it isn’t so much a problem with re-call, per se. I think it’s more a problem of tuning in and getting a clear signal on the right channel. It would be sort of like making a call with your cell phone where the signal is weak. You might be able to dial someone just fine. But once they answer, you become aware of the static and dropped syllables and you can’t comprehend the message even though you’re connected. And, it isn’t because you aren’t trying hard enough. Regardless of the underlying mechanics, memory problems would have to be very frustrating. Yet, I’ve never seen Teddy get frustrated. He just does his best and comes out smelling like a rose. Or, in this case, Orange Blossom.

Here’s the soup recipe. The rest of the videos will be posted as I finish them. Enjoy!

10 Star Anise
2 2/3 Tbsp. Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Paprika
2 Tbsp. Greek Oregano
1/2 tsp. Dried Minced Garlic
Several shakes of liquid Maggi Seasoning
3.5 Tbsp. Pomegranate Vinegar
1 tsp. A-1 Steak Sauce, unshaken bottle
1.5 Oz. Orange Blossom Water
2.5 Tbsp. Sugar

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Fill a large stock pot 1/2 full of water
Add the Carrot Tops, Tops of 3 Leeks, 1 bunch of Celery with the Leaves from both bunches and 1/2 the Bok Choy
Heat uncovered over a high heat
Add the Star Anise, Salt and 1 tsp. Pepper
Slice and add the rest of the Leeks
Slice and add the Carrots
Add the Portobello Mushroom
Add the Beer
Add the Chicken Stock
Add the Fried Chicken
Add the remaining Salt and Pepper, the Paprika, Oregano, Garlic, Maggi Seasoning, Pomegranate Vinegar, A-1 Sauce and Orange Blossom Water
Add the chopped Celery
Add the Baby Bock Choy
Slice and add the remaining Bock Choy
Add the Sugar
Continue to boil lightly for another 45 minutes
Add the remaining 2 tsp. Salt or to taste

Tapioca

The Chef made Tapioca according to the instructions on the box, with the following modifications:
25% more Tapioca
instead of milk, 25% Rice Drink and 75% Half and Half
2 tsp. Vanilla (instead of 1)
Top with plenty of Fresh Nutmeg

Teddy was having a really good day. He was organized and all ready to tape when I arrived. He’d planned out this wild version of Chicken Vegetable Stew which I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching him make as much as I did. He even wrote out a cooking plan and did a darn good job keeping up with it. In case you don’t know, organization is a tough thing for people with ADHD. And, it isn’t some character flaw. It’s an issue with the way their brains are wired. I’ve read that people with ADHD can have a hard time remembering the steps involved in doing some process. That’s why they have a hard time organizing things. Organization is, at a deep level, a series of steps. Think about it. The steps take place over a period of time. When you’re wired to live in the present, as people with ADHD are, the “steps over time” thing is not going to be your strong point. Yet, Teddy was organized and pulled it off beautifully.

You’ll notice when Teddy cooks, he often transfers the food from a smaller pot into a larger one. I don’t know what that’s about. It seems like it would be a poor organizational choice, but he has it planned. He had both pots out. Maybe it’s habit. He recently told me that when he was a kid he used to sometimes cook for his family. Maybe he does it so the food get hotter faster. He does like to use a lot of fire. When he cooks, he doesn’t pre-cut the food – usually. He uses the cutting time as cooking time. For example, he wants the carrots in this dish to cook 5 minutes longer than the parsnips. So, he cuts the parsnips while the carrots are cooking. I think that’s one of the secrets to his flavors and textures. To provide an idea of the timings involved, I’ve left in a little more of the chef’s prep time, and our chit chat, than usual. The whole video is still under 30 minutes.

In this Chicken Vegetable Stew, on one extreme the carrots are medium-soft and on the other the baby bok choy is tender-crunchy. The flavor of the broth is out of this world. I’d never tasted anything like it. Clearly, the chef was in the mood for fancy ingredients. If you want to make this dish, but can’t get the ingredients in your area, please let us know. We’ll get them to you. Thanks and enjoy!

Fresh Ginger (unpeeled), 3/4 inch, sliced into 1/8 inch thick pieces
Schinken Speck German Ham
3 small Parsnip, sliced
6 thin Carrots, sliced
1 medium Kohlrabi, sliced
Roast Chicken, 1 lb. cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Orange Bell Peppers, sliced
Anise (AKA Sweet Anise or Fennel), sliced into chunks
1 medium Red Onion
Trader Joe’s Free Range Chicken Broth, 16 Oz.
Zucchini Caviar, 1 534 gram Jar
6 Ribs of Celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
Baby Bok Choy

1 tsp. Turneric
Fresh Nutmeg 1/8 tsp.
Cinnamon 2/3 tsp.
Chili Powder 1/8 tsp.

Any non-everyday Bread
Beppino Occelli Butter

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Add 2 qt. of water to a 4 qt. saucepan along with the Fresh Ginger and Schinken Speck
Bring to a boil over high heat
Add the carrots
After 2 minutes, add the Parsnips
After 10 minutes add the Kholrabi
Transfer to a larger, 10 qt. pot
Add the Cooked Chicken
Add the Sliced Peppers
Add the Zucchini Caviar
Add the Red Onion
Add the Turmeric, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Chili Powder,
Turn the heat to low and cover, cooking for 20 minutes
Add the Celery
Add the Bok Choy

Assembly:
Ladel into bowls
Garnish with Celantro
Serve with Buttered Toast, if you have any left.
Enjoy!

IDEA: For a vegetarian or vegan version, use Salt instead of the ham and substitute Vegetable Stock for the chicken broth. Zucchini Caviar is vegan. There are no fish eggs involved.

This is such a great recipe! Unfortunately, the video was awful. It was 80° out that day, February 14, so we had the fan on in the chef’s kitchen. Not a good idea for sound quality. So, I’m just posting the recipe.

Cooking as an Art     When Teddy shops or cooks, he tends to be very impulsive – choosing ingredients seemingly at random. But, that’s where the art comes in. He’s like a painter choosing colors from a palette. He has a sixth sense for the way flavors and textures can be blended perfectly, sometimes in very unusual ways.

He often creates a dish as he goes along. This is one of those dishes. You probably won’t be able to duplicate it exactly because one of the ingredients was a Vegetable Curry with Tofu he picked up at the Melrose Place farmer’s market that morning. Being an Indian cooking purist, I never would have purchased such a thing myself. If I had, I doubt I’d have considered using it as an ingredient. A big part of why I enjoy watching Teddy cook so much is the freshness and newness he brings to cooking. The man is an artist and he wants to bring out the child and inspire the artist in all cooks. Please use this recipe as a starting point for your own creations and leave a comment telling us about it. That would put a huge smile on Teddy’s face. Thanks.

ADHD Cooking Tip:   Set multiple timers. Set the timer near your stove and set the alarm on your cell phone. That way, if you answer the door or leave the kitchen for some other reason, you’ll still hear a timer.

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Pan fry the Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix in the olive oil and butter for 3 minutes
Transfer it to a large 10 qt. pot and add water and the tomatoes and cook over high heat
Coarsely chop and add the red onion
Add the leftover Turkey, Zucchini Spaghetti
Add the Vegetable Curry with Tofu
Add the Imitation Crab
Cover and cook until the rice is done, adding chicken broth as needed

Assembly:
Serve with Steamed Broccoli & Asparagus with a Cream Sauce

Teddy was having a bad ADHD night as you’ll be able to tell from the videos. Nevertheless, he cooked up a wonderful, original, gourmet meal as he always does. If you have ADHD or ADD, Teddy wants you to know you can do wonderful things, too. Develop your natural gifts! If you don’t have ADHD, see if you recognize his symptoms in you or someone else. Just knowing what’s going on is a huge relief for everyone and the first step to getting treatment. If you doubt ADHD exists or don’t know how it affects people please watch some of our videos. They show the distraction, forgetfulness, disorganization and impulsiveness ADHD and ADD inflict on people. Now, I don’t mean to sound all serious ‘n’ stuff. Feel free to laugh at the ADHD. We do. It’s the best way of dealing with it. Thank you.

Our recipe begins with Teddy wanting to cook something in marinara sauce. The salmon was more of an after thought. And the pita bread? Well, that was just an impulse. Unfortunately, when he got home from his favorite grocery store, Trader Joe’s, Teddy realized he didn’t buy any vegetables. So, today’s show, Salmon Marinara, begins with Teddy going through his frozen vegetable collection. It’s always good to keep a variety of things in your freezer for minor emergencies like this.

In the first video, Teddy gets distracted giving tips about being organized. Yet, he doesn’t get frustrated and remains cheerful.

He’s an example for all of us.

Olive Oil 1 Tbsp.
Butter 2 Tbsp.
Salmon 1 lb.
Marinara Sauce 1 16 Oz. Jar
Pita Bread

Turmeric ½ tsp.
Cayenne ¼ tsp.
Garam Masala ¾ tsp.
Tarragon 1 tsp.
Greek Oregano ¾ tsp.
Salt 1/3 tsp.

Quattro Formaggio Cheese, Shredded 1 small handful

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Brush a loose fitting bamboo steamer with oil
Add Green Beans and Peppers and steam for 7 minutes
Add the carrots and corn and steam 10 more minutes

Add the spices and salt to the Marinara Sauce and heat

Pan fry the salmon in 2 Tbsp. butter on high heat in a very heavy pan for 5 minutes, turning once
Reduce heat to medium and cover for 5 more minutes.

Split the pita bread into two thin halves and toast.
Butter the pita toast.

Assembly:
Put the salmon on a bed of steamed vegetables and cover with marinara sauce.
Sprinkle on some shredded cheese and microwave for 1 minute.
Garnish with pita toast and enjoy.

IDEA: For a vegetarian version, simply substitute a bed of pasta for the salmon! This can also be made vegan and it will still taste great!

This is our second taping session. We were both kind of tired, but, as I reminded Teddy, “Most of the work of the world is done by people who aren’t feeling their best.” So, we went ahead and taped anyway. You’ll notice that being tired makes Teddy’s ADHD worse. I don’t have ADHD and being tired ain’t that great for my speaking or thinking abilities, either. Remember, life is not a bowl of cherries for anybody. It’s cherries and lemons for all of us. Time for Cherry Lemonade! Yeah, baby!

Please enjoy the videos. I DO apologize for getting the first one out of sync, but this whole digital video thing is completely new to me. When I tried to fix it I only made it worse. But, at least I tried. Thank you.

Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Basil Marinara 1 16 Oz. Jar
1 Medium Red Onion, coarsely chopped
4 medium zucchini, cliced into 1/4 inch rounds
Spaghetti Noodles
Apple Juice 2 Oz.
8 Medium Sized Button Mushrooms, sliced
Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Stock 2 Oz.
Ground Turkey 1 lb.
Gelson’s Rustic French Bread

Olive Oil
Salt 1 tsp.
Paprika 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric 1/2 tsp.
Nomu Morrocan Spice 3/4 tsp.
Methi (Fenugreek) 1 tsp.
Thyme 1/2 tsp.
Minced Garlic 1/4 tsp.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Boil a big pot of water and add the spaghetti needles and 1 tsp. olive oil

Heat 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil along with 1 tsp. Salt, Paprika, Turmeric, Morrocan Spice
Add the chopped onions and sautee lightly over a med-high flame
Add the zucchini and 1/2 the marinara sauce, cover and continue to heat
After a couple minutes, add the Apple Juice
After a couple more minutes, add the mushrooms
Add the chicken stock and methi
Add the thyme, minced garlic and lower the heat to a simmer
Add the remainder of the marinara sauce and continue to heat

Brown the ground turkey in 1 tsp. olive oil over medium heat
Add it to the marinara sauce and heat thoroughly

Assembly:
Serve the sauce over the spaghetti noodles. Garnish with slices of toasted, buttered French bread.

IDEA: For a vegetarian dish, simply leave out the turkey!