Left over pizza for breakfast? Not for these students.

Ethan Osterloh and Audrey Harshman made it look easy with the assistance of chef Lynne Curry of Joseph at a recent Cooking for College class held at Ruby Peak Naturals in Enterprise.

The cooking classes, designed for students headed for university and their first year of having to cook for themselves, feature easy-to-prepare dishes.

Harshman is headed for Lane Community College next year and Osterloh is headed for COCC in Bend. Both are undeclared, but Osterloh does know he wants to take some culinary arts classes.

The two 17-year-olds tried their hand at fresh stir-fry – two vegetarian stir-fries and one with meat.

“The cool thing about stir fry is you can use the leftovers in the fridge,” said Curry.

For the class the students paired their stir-fries with jasmine rice, the fastest cooking rice, according to Curry. No purchased sauces were used; the students learned to make simple fresh ginger/garlic and thickened soy sauces for each dish.

They also worked on their chopping and mincing techniques and got tips on proper cooking methods. There are some secrets to know involving the order in which ingredients are added, how to use the least amount of oil, if and when to add water to steam vegetables, proper stirring technique, and the proper oils and heat for stir-fry.

The second best thing about a stir-fry is it “comes together fast,” according to Curry, who whipped up the meat version in just five minutes. “It’s like a cooking show,” she said. “Once the prep work of chopping is done, it’s fast.”

Her students followed her example with a vegetarian stir-fry each and declared themselves confident in their skills.

What’s next?

“I want to have one signature dish for each meal,” said Harshman.

Adult classes also are planned. If Wallowa County residents have a recommendation/request,Jane Harshman at Ruby Peak Naturals welcomes suggestions.