Chef Sky Barker was born and raised in the Wood River Valley. He developed a love of food and cooking at an early age and honed his cooking skills at Zou 75 sushi restaurant where he worked for 15 years, as well as CK's and the Valley Club restaurant.

Now the head chef at The Senior Connection, he showed Marie Gallo of Marie's Kitchen how to make a quick easy Beef Teriyaki dish to promote The Senior Connection's annual March for Meals--an effort to raise $50,000 for its Meals on Wheels program.

The Connection is now serving 27,000 meals a year, including its Meals on Wheels, takeout and dining room program, up from 24,000 the year before. Meals on Wheels now serves 16,000 meals to seniors who cannot cook for themselves or get out, up from 13,000 meals last year.

Want to donate? Mail checks to P.O. Box 28, Hailey, ID 83333. Or, donate online at https://seniorconnectionidaho.org/donate/

BEEF TERIYAKI WITH YAKISOBA NOODLES

Yakisoba Noodles, or rice or other noodles

TERIYAKI SAUCE

2 or 3 fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 garlic, diced

2 shallots, diced

Tamari Soy Sauce, or other soy sauce

Toasted Sesame Oil

brown sugar, two or more tablespoons

Cornstarch

Coat small pan with a couple teaspoons of the sesame oil to give your dish a nutty flavor and add half of the diced ginger, garlic and shallots. Simmer for 15 minutes to an hour to release the flavors. About halfway into it, add a little over half of the 10.2-oz. soy sauce and give it a stir. Add brown sugar to taste and continue to simmer while you prepare the beef and remainder of the vegetables. Just before you add to the rest of the dish, thicken with a cornstarch slurry.

BEEF AND VEGETABLES

10 Shitake mushrooms, or other mushrooms, sliced

1 carrot, sliced in strips

handful of broccoli or broccolini, the tops only (can use bell peppers, bok choy, zucchini or cabbage, instead)

Shishito chili peppers, diced (can use jalpeno or other peppers, instead)

3/4 pound flat iron steak, sliced into inch-long pieces

green onions, the bottoms sliced

Prepare vegetables, discarding the stems of the broccoli or broccolini and the onion heads on the green onions.

Preheat skillet with a couple teaspoons of the sesame oil. Add meat and carrot strips and brown meat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add mushroom caps, then the remainder of the garlic, ginger, shallots, green onion greens and peppers. Add broccoli or broccolini heads last. Add cooked noodles or rice, then pour teriyaki sauce into the mix. Stir until blended an