Aaron Clayton is a performance chef: a chef who prepares nutritionally focused meals for athletes.
“We’re there to make sure that they’re able to perform on the field, the court, wherever it may be,” Clayton told the Journal.
As most of Clayton’s athletes are not Jewish – they come from different backgrounds and cultures – he takes a lot of pride in introducing them to Jewish food traditions, whenever the opportunity arises.
“For Rosh Hashanah, for example, I love to bring in apples and honey, and explain that tradition,” he said. “I’ve had clients the next year [say], ‘Hey, isn’t it that apple and honey holiday? … I had a good year last year; I want to try that again.’”
He also talked about serving someone matzah ball soup for the first time; he explains it’s like Jewish chicken and dumplings. Food conversations always lead to making a deeper connection.
Clayton, who grew up in Los Angeles and was exposed to a ton of Latin foods and culture, understands that he’s not just a reflection of himself; he’s a reflection of his community and history. His recipe for Mexican-inspired shakshuka is below.
“I love roasting my bell peppers, onions and tomatoes,” he said. “I do a deep roasted salsa; I start using that as my base, work in some amazing dried chili powders that come from Mexico, build those flavors and off of that.”
Clayton is on the board of directors for a new nonprofit, called Athletes Meal Plan. They take food waste from restaurants, hotels and grocery stores and create these performance-focused meals for food insecure athletes at the amateur levels: high school, collegiate, junior college.
“I work with other amazing, established chefs in the area [and] we bring in younger chefs … or culinary students looking to get a better understanding of what options are available to them,” he said. “It’s such an amazing project.”
When asked what regular people can do to eat healthier, Clayton said the easiest thing is to drink more water and cut out as much sugar from your diet as possible.
“It could be as simple as removing [sugar] from your morning coffee or reducing or choosing the less sugary option here or there,” he said. “We don’t need to be perfect, but if we’re a little bit better tomorrow than we were today, it makes that transition all that much easier.”
Just as you can train your body, you can also train your taste buds.
“Your tongue is the same as any other muscle in the body,” Clayton said. “I’ve seen my client’s flavor profiles change dramatically over the course of a year, two years … and by year three, they’re eating things that I never would’ve served them two years earlier.”
For example, chef Clayton had a client with a Southern background, who was not exposed to the same kinds of fruits and vegetables as people are in California aka “the salad bowl” of the country.
“Before, the only way they’d eat tomatoes was ketchup,” he said. “They gradually made that transition from the processed version to the fresh version, which can look dramatically different, not just on the plate, but in terms of flavor and the way it’s put together.”
When seeking out vegetables, Clayton explained that fresh and in season produce offers the best representation of that fruit or vegetable.
“Your fruits are gonna be way sweeter in season versus out of season, your flavor concentration is gonna be so much higher [as is] your enjoyment of the product,” he said. “If you’re getting something out of the season, the texture might be off, the flavor certainly will be [and] the price will be as well.”
Other things people can do is eat at consistent times – “it really helps the body regulate digestion” – and eat earlier; do not wait to have dinner until right before you go to bed; and try to block off time to cook.
The more connected you are to what you are cooking, the better the food’s going to taste.
“If you’re smelling the food throughout the process, if you’re hearing the noises that it makes when you put it in the pan; these things are important,” Clayton said. “Pay attention to these details; do not be distracted by your phone or [anything else]; try to make that time and space in the kitchen protected and sacred.”
Check out PerformanceChefs.org and AthleteMealPlan.org. Follow @chefaaronius @PerformanceChefs and @AthleteMealPlan on Instagram.
Serves: 4
Time: 45–60 minutes
Style: Smoky, rustic, bold
Ingredients
Fire-Roasted Veggies:
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 jalapeño or serrano (optional, for extra heat)
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon guajillo chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional, for body)
- 1/2 cup water, broth, or reserved tomato juices
- Salt and pepper to taste
Eggs and Garnish:
- 4 to 6 large eggs
- Crumbled queso fresco or cotija (optional)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges (optional)
- Tortillas or crusty bread
Instructions
Fire-Roast the Vegetables:
Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion quarters, garlic cloves (in skins) and optional chile directly over an open flame (gas burner or grill). Use tongs to rotate until blistered and charred all over — tomatoes should be soft and collapsing. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate or wrap in foil to steam for 10 minutes. Peel garlic and tomatoes. Remove most of the charred skin from the peppers, leaving some for flavor, and discard seeds and stems.
Make the Sauce:
Roughly chop the fire-roasted tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic. In a wide skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped veggies and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chili powders, cumin, paprika, and tomato paste if using. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup water or broth to loosen the sauce. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Poach the Eggs:
Use the back of a spoon to make wells in the sauce. Crack eggs directly into the wells. Cover with a lid and let simmer gently until whites are set and yolks are runny, about 6 to 9 minutes.
Finish and Serve:
Sprinkle with queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread.
Optional Additions:
Add black beans for extra body. Garnish with avocado slices or a drizzle of crema. A pinch of Mexican oregano with the spices adds deeper flavor.
Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: [email protected].
