Single Handed Chef
My goal is to share my knowledge of cooking with everyone!
22/11/2023
I am back! Mac n cheese!
Single Handed Chef: Mac N’ Chz I # pasta1 qt cream1 block cream chz 8oz16 oz cheese2 t Garlic powderPinch chili powder 1t smoke paprika Salt and pepper to taste
My speech from the Believe Bash last month.
19/10/2023
The heartbeat of 3Wheel Therapy is the stories of the person in the front seat of the trike.
And every time our volunteers ask. And we leave with the joy of sharing those stories with others.
This is Aaron. He rode with us this week. Aaron is a trained chef, has a fun & positive energy, is passionate and funny. As a result of a brain injury, Aaron has learned to do things in life differently. He now creates videos teaching others how to cook with one hand. He is the Single Handed Chef ! He wants to show people they can still do the things they love if they learn to do them differently.
(Personally, I think he is a Recreation Therapist in disguise!)
So, go check out his content. Like, comment and share from his Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. Share his story.
Can't wait to ride again with you Aaron!
Chapter 7
This year has been great. It’s not over yet, but I did what I wanted to do. I started off going to the Berkeley with a friend and they got me out of the house more. And I wanted to do more so I told myself I was going to go on a bunch of trips. I was going to go visit my cousin in Florida, visit my old Chef in vieques, go to Seattle visit a good friend and go to Saint Kitts for a friends 50th. I did all those things showed me what I can and can’t do and I can do a lot. From where I was to where I am is light years I’m not 100% but I’m well enough to go to all those places. Enjoy myself, catch up with friends and family and have an amazing time. I still have a long way to go, but I’m not done yet. Next year I have a couple places I wanna go to. I won’t travel like I did this year, but I’m gonna try to go a little bit more every year in certain ways. I want to thank all the friends and family that help me get through the past two years. Words can’t express how I feel where I’m at what I’ve gone through to where I’ve been. I feel so lucky to be here and be a part of everyone’s lives. This has been a journey and it’s not over yet but I’m very lucky and happy to be where I’m at. Thank you everyone I’ll see you soon if I haven’t already seen ya! Love to all. 🩵
27/09/2023
Chilling here for a few days for some research!😜
22/09/2023
My London shoes with laces. Small victories with one arm!🤓
Chapter 6
My dad just passed away. We moved to North Carolina and for the first year it was weird. My grandparents were here and friends of my parents were here, a few kids that I knew from the past. But it was hard. My mom had it the hardest. She went from being a secretary to a teacher for a big whopping pay raise. I think it was 25,000 a year, but then she became the swim coach for some extra cash. She met this girl name Heather who told us of a place that her grandfather owned called Lake Park. We went there for a week free and then someways I’ve never left. I still to this day have 4 of my best friends are from Lake Park. That’s where I had my second job. I had a job doing the Raleigh times newspaper when I was like 13. But then at 15 I became a lifeguard. Lake park is like a time warp. I’ve met so many people from there that are still involved in my life during the hardest times of my life Lake Park was there for me. A few years ago, I had one of my friends from lake park pass away and brought us back together and reminded us of what Lake Park was, and is. For me, it’s like my hometown, Raleigh has become my hometown. I’ve been here for almost 40 years. I have tried to move away a few times but I always end up back here. Now I’m on my next adventure getting ready to go to my friends 50th birthday party from Lake Park. What is next? I don’t know but I know I won’t do it without my friends from Lake Park. Thank you.
Chapter 5
30 years ago I was 19 I just started work at café Georgio’s. I moved out, was struggling to survive financially, and I got this job and it was because a friend of mine was there and I got a job as a Buser. I was leaving and they told me where do I get a shirt and this guy said I’ll just go to the gap. It’s like 30 bucks and the man turned out to be Kenneth, I just learned that he passed away and for some reason I’m taking back to that moment he was setting up for dinner and so nonchalantly like he always does and always did told me where to get the shirt. I ended up busing tables for one day the Chef needed someone to food run. I did such a good job. He wanted to keep me on as a food runner, and that meant a lot because I made more money and then that led to me becoming a cook same chef, so everything changed there at Georgio‘s for me. After a few days working with Kenneth and other people, they invited me out. I was under age and they acted like no worries and this was back in the mid 90s so early 90s. And we just went out and had a good time and Kenneth was always up for a good time and I remember going to legends for the first time with him and I looked up to my friend Lisa and I was like I need to go to the bathroom and he was like I gotcha, took me into the bathroom that you could see the other side and it freaked me out I was 19 years old. It’s just I wasn’t used to it but it freaked me out a little. We went to the 50, the comet, a brewery, so many places. I saw a side of Raleigh. I could only imagine I mean it’s just change my perspective on Raleigh. It’s why I’m still here. And that formed a friendship. That was my first real restaurant friendship group at Georgio’s. Kenneth was a big part of that. It really showed me that the bond of the restaurant business and meeting people that I was able to meet and still able to meet and Kenneth was such a big part of that. Sadly, we’ve lost touch in the past few years and then Covid and then I had my brain abscess And I was trying to figure out where he was at and someone told me he left Raleigh and then come to find out he had passed away. And that was tough for me. I’ve lost a lot of friends over the past few years, almost lost myself to be honest. I’ve always respected and admired him and loved him as a friend, so I’m gonna miss him. I wish I could’ve had one more Jager with him , but I’ll have one in his memory. Here’s to you, Kenneth. 🩵
06/09/2023
New video for everyone !
Single Handed Chef: Dill Pickles 1 English cucumber sliced1 onion sliced8 cloves of garlic 2 small cucumbers 1/4 bag baby carrots 1/4 cup sugar4 T salt kosher2T pickling spice 1 1/2 cup whit...
30/08/2023
New video.
Single Handed Chef: Hummus 2 cans garbanzo beans 3 lemons 6 cloves garlic 3 tablespoons tahini 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon smoke paprika 2 teaspoons cumin 4-6 tablespoons olive ...
Chapter 4
So I quit drinking oh when I was 39 I went through a bad break up with a girl and was wondering why I still had anger. So I went to my therapist and she was like let’s take everything off the table and I tried to quit drinking and I made it about 23 days and I was like I’m a grown person I can I can drink a beer, and then I went on for another couple months and then I just woke up one day and I was like I’m not getting anywhere. So on that day, I went into therapy and I stopped drinking and decided to work on myself and I was greatly rewarded it took a while. I weighed 255 and just lost. I was 15 pounds just for not drinking but then I started doing Beachbody with my friend Jessica and that got me really to where I needed to be. I tried AA it didn’t work for me. But I gave it a shot and it just didn’t work but Beachbody did the support they gave me was huge. It’s what I needed and I got the strongest I’ve ever been I got down to 193 and everyone’s like too skinny. But I remember going through this and and and and I just was so happy I realize that I didn’t like what I was doing so I went to work for Rise that didn’t work either and I kept trying to find something but it trying to find my own personal happiness Was huge for me. I eventually found it in myself within no longer at my job and it’s really helped me get through what I’ve been through for the past two years.
I drink occasionally now I have a beer or cocktail nothing like I used to. But I mean once I got control of my anger once I understood my emotions I realize I didn’t have a problem with drinking. I had a problem with Livin. I wasn’t doing it right . I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan regardless of what he did I like his songs and there was one in particular about the man in the mirror, and I finally like the man in the mirror, and that I was happy I was content Life throws lotta things at you but to wake up every day be resilient and keep going is hard and I think being 49 helps. Experience definitely helps. But I have the passion the drive to go on living you have to have your own reasons whether it’s somebody else whether it’s a kid but you have to come to that yourself like it can’t just being sometimes you can and then you then you figure it out I took me a minute , but I’m glad I did is made the past two years a lot easier for me to deal with because life is very simple now for me. I just want to spend time with friends family and help out as many people like me, or in the disabled world people that I’ve had accidents this is a whole new world for me and I love it I mean, it’s not like I want to wanted to love it, but I’ve met some extraordinary people and I’m very I don’t like what happened to me, but if it had to happen to me, I’m glad for the people that help me the doctor that save my life the therapist, the nurses, my family, my friends, the many people I’ve met along my journey so far it’s been really amazing people. like Michael and Believe and Karen and Nextstep and all the trainers there that have help me so I’m very privileged to be here and I’m very thankful to have all y’all in my life. I’ll see y’all soon. Take care.
Chapter 3
I guess it was my turn. I got Covid over a week ago. Boy I was in Seattle for my birthday seeing an old friend and I got a few days in and then I just felt like yeah but man Seattle was really beautiful. My friends actually live on Mercer Island and it was just amazing. We we were there during Seafair and it was absolutely amazing. The blue angels flew right above the house I mean I I could I could believe it it was so cool. It was really good to catch up with an old friend. You know I’m not in there I just turned 49 and been lucky to have some of the friends that I grew up with still around still some of my bestest friends in the world. A lot of them help me out during my time of need it just made me feel very good. Remember watching stand by me the movie and thinking about a wish. I had friends like that and still be able to be 49 and have I don’t know if you’ve never seen the dead body but damn you know I like that, but I am, but I’m very glad that I have friends like I have, that’s one thing that made this experience a lot easier for me and life a lot easier even before this happened to me it was amazing to be where I was that I’m very thankful and very appreciative even more so after Covid Covid took me back that time yeah right after my event and it was a little scary but now I’m negative tested and feeling good and ready to get back at it so I will be back and tell y’all some more stories. Love y’all don’t know how I could do anything without the family that I have in the family that I chose so thank you and I will see you soon.
01/08/2023
Chapter 2
So two years ago I had an event happened to me that changed my life. I had a brain abscess. It took away a lot for me. It was a hard journey to get through. I don’t know if I’m thankful but I’m happy that I’m here. I went in with a headache and I came out with brain surgery and I was in the hospital for two months, it was probably one of the most if not the most difficult time of my life I went through so many things I couldn’t really wrap my head around everything for a while. I don’t remember the first month except bits and pieces. It was tough. Oh my mom was here. My sister was here my friends That I grew up with and the doctors and the therapist and I know for the most part I had OK spirits and I was trying to to move forward but when I first started come through, it was really hard I was peeing on myself I mean go to therapy, and it was just very very tough and then I had the speech therapist. They called me out And she said this is how you want to be and I was like what do you mean and she was like you’re going to get better do you want to be mopey or do you wanna attacked this. So I decided to attack it like I’ve done every time i’ve had adversity. It was that one therapist make me see that I could be better. It’s not that the other side therapist were not good. She just knew how to speak to me and that’s what I needed to hear. She started me on this journey that I’ve been on and I owe her a lot. I still see her every once in a while and she’s always in my thoughts. Thank you, Michelle.
Hola everyone! Going to start writing about my life and food. Want to share my journey in life and recovery. Hope y’all enjoy it. Here is the first little bit.
My first day cooking was when I was 20 years old. I had a chef believe in me and wanted to see where I could go, and so did I. I fell in love with it right away the camaraderie, the people, the speed, etc. I grew up playing sports and a Kitchen felt like that to me. It felt like a competition. It felt like training every day. You want to get better every day do you want to be better than the next guy or girl. But it wasn’t a fierce competition. It was a loving competition. It was tough I know that it was hard work so you either sink or swam. I was lucky enough to swim and really good for Chef and a really good supporting cast that really helped me get to where I wanted to go. It was a fun journey in the beginning because you know in the beginning that I really didn’t know that much about food it was about managing your time it was about learning techniques you know so I was just trying to learn how to sauté learn how to make a dressing learn how to Bake cook grill fry. It was a big learning curve but it was fun. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t until later a few years later that I realized I could turn it into a career and and that was a big journey for me because being a high school dropout, I got my GED but I still felt like it. But cooking made me feel like I wasn’t a loser anymore. I found my people I I found a place for me to thrive. I found a place that I wanted to excel at this as an adult which I hadn’t done yet and I felt like it was a good place for me to be and so it was really nice. I was a nice place so that’s first for years but I didn’t know too much about food. I was learning, but I was learning, but I learn more was professionalism. I learn techniques, my learn how to be a good line, cook, fast and efficient and then then later, I started learning my love of my passion for food.
28/07/2023
New video with an amazing person who makes delicious bread with one arm! Thank you Peter!🩵
Single Handed Chef:Bread with Peter Yeast 1T 1/4 tWater 110 degrees 1 cupSalt 1tSugar 1THoney 2 TFlour 3 cupsOil 1T
12/07/2023
I love chicken wings and this one is good and easy!
Single Handed Chef: Chicken Wings 1-1 1/2 # chicken wingsMontreal steak seasoning Chipotle dry spice 1 t2 t paprika smoke2t oreganoSalt PepperOil
09/07/2023
I love dressings, vinaigrettes and sauces in general. I don’t see why people do t make their own. Some are complicated, but most are very easy and don’t take long. Take the time to make your own. The taste is so much better. 🤓
Single Handed Chef: Blue Cheese Dressing 1 cup mayo1 cup sour cream 6-8 oz blue cheese1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 T vinegar(cider,white or red)SaltPepper
17/06/2023
Should be a good time!!!
08/06/2023
New video!! Couscous!!!
Single Handed Chef: Chicken Skewers and couscous 1-1.5 # chicken breast or thighs (I used breast)Zay tar spice Smoke paprika OilSalt Pepper1 cup couscous 1 1/4 cup water Cucumber Tomatoes Almonds FetaApricot...
01/06/2023
Come out for a good time!
10/05/2023
New video s**t by an amazing person, Jacob Phipps. Thank you! And to Lutie Cain for her help. The Produce Project, Keli Kelli Pfitzner. Believe Believe - Stroke Recovery Foundation and Michael and Jennifer Erwin. There will be more to come!
SHC FINAL The debut of the Single Handed chef as a recipient of Believe Stroke Recovery Foundation. Thank you Northern Wake Senior Center for hosting the event! In thi...
28/04/2023
Went long, but it was worth it.
Single Handed Chef: Chicken Niçoise Salad w/ special Guests Chicken Romaine Green beansPotatoes Onion Tomatoes FetaKalamata olives LemonRed wine vinegar OilGarlic DijonSaltPepper RosemaryEgg(optional)
24/04/2023
Come and check out event live!! Click the link.
Cooking With the Single Handed Chef! A livestream event featuring Single-Handed Chef, Aaron Vaughen!
23/04/2023
We had audio difficulties so if you want to tune in live please click new link below. We will also share a recorded version. Thank you!
https://youtube.com/live/vpaUe90xvjI?feature=share
Join us this Wednesday, April 26th for a fun cooking event hosted by Northern Wake Senior Center and our incredible stroke warrior, Single Handed Chef!
Event Details👇🏼
When: Wednesday, April 26th from 6-8pm EST
Where: 235 E Holding Ave. Wake Forest, NC 27587
06/04/2023
Been busy and haven’t been able to do a video, but this is a little bit of what I am doin!
Ran into a therapist from when I was in the hospital and was sent some videos of me walking. Here is one with the exoskeleton.
01/04/2023
Stickers now available!!!
Videos (show all)
