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Meet the PERSONAL CHEF for Pacers star Myles Turner

She is the one behind all of the meals for Indy’s hometown hero #33. Meet Chef Vertima Dumas, aka Chef V, as she serves up some of Myles’ favorite dishes!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
What You Will Need:
1 loaf Challah or brioche bread
8-ounce pkg. cream cheese softened
1 cup strawberry jam, divided into 1/2 cups
2/3 cup each of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 cup whole milk or any variety of nut milk
4 eggs
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided into 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons brown sugar or date sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons plant-based butter
1 freezer bag

Yummy Toppings:
1 can of your favorite non-dairy whip cream
Fresh mint for garnish
Editable flowers for garnish

WHAT’S NEXT:

  1. In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup jam, 2 teaspoon vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in fresh strawberries. Spoon mixture into a freeze bag and shape into a 2×2 square. Place in the freezer for 30 min or until firm.
  2. Cut bread into 4′ thick slices. Cut a slit across the top of the bread. Slide the slightly frozen cream cheese blend into the top of the opening of the bread.
  3. In a shallow dish, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, salt and brown sugar.
  4. Heat skillet on medium low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter per french toast.
  5. Working in batches, dip each piece of french toast into custard batter. Let each side soak for about 10 seconds. Add the soaked slices to the sizzling butter in the skillet.
  6. Cook until golden brown — about 4 minutes per side.
  7. Garnish with fresh berries, powdered sugar, whipped cream and strawberry jam or your favorite real maple syrup.

CINCO DE MAYO
Shrimp Tacos w/ Mango Salsa
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined & cut into bite size pieces
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of cilantro lime spice blend
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon non-dairy unsalted butter (or use additional olive oil)
1-2 fresh limes
2 cups shredded rainbow cabbage
Corn (or wheat) tortillas

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SHRIMP TACOS:

  1. Pat both sides of the shrimp dry and then gently toss in a large bowl with the garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, cilantro lime blend, arrowroot and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover and place in the fridge while preparing the rest of this dish (at least 15 minutes and up to overnight).
  2. In a large skillet (if you don’t have a big enough skillet to cook all the shrimp in a single layer, separate this process into 2 parts, including the butter + olive oil ), melt butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  3. Add the shrimp in a single layer and saute until they just turn pink, flipping shrimp over halfway through, 2 to 4 minutes, depending upon their size. Remove from heat and set aside. If desired, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the shrimp.

Mango Salsa
3 ripe mangos, small diced
1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
½ cup red onion, small diced
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 large lime, juiced (about ¼ cup lime juice)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave or honey
salt & pepper, to taste

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE MANGO SALSA:

  1. In a small bowl whisk together agave, lime juice, rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
  2. Fold in the remaining ingredients, chill or serve immediately

ASSEMBLE TACOS:

  1. Remove 1/4 a cup of the mango sauce only and toss it with the shredded green cabbage to combine.
  2. OPTIONAL: Spray the tortillas (both sides) with olive oil cooking spray and “grill” tortillas until slightly charred.
  3. Fill tortillas with shrimp, a generous serving of the slaw, and mango salsa, and cheese. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Chef V
Vertima Dumas believes we are meant to make a difference in the area we’re called to work and her passion is food – sharing food knowledge and creating unique food experiences is truly her calling. After dropping her briefcase and picking up a whisk, she earned a degree in Food Science and Nutrition from LeCordon Bleu. While working in various aspects of the food industry globally, Chef V began her career into teaching as a lead Culinary Instructor for Suf La Table.

“I am dedicated to empowering the culinary community. As a woman who’s obsessed with food, fashion and even science, I’m excited to continue to share my knowledge of food as I continue to evolve.”

Instagram Secondary Page
@ChefVertima

FACEBOOK:
Vertima Dumas

TikTok:
@ChefVertima