Cooking Up Health

Brianna Sebasto wasn’t a kid who refused to eat her vegetables. She grew up loving tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, and more—all picked fresh from her father’s and grandparents’ New Jersey backyard gardens. Her childhood was full of garden-to-table cuisine like minestrone soup and pasta e fagioli, which her grandmother, an Italian immigrant, taught Sebasto to cook from scratch. “I really grew up going out to the backyard, picking fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooking them for lunch with my grandmother,” she says.

Her childhood centered on cooking fresh produce was so impactful, Sebasto turned it into her career. Today, she is the owner of Morristown-based Brianna’s Nutrition Kitchen, a personal chef business focused on cooking with whole, fresh foods—like the ones from her grandmother’s garden. “The time I spent with my grandparents was really pivotal for me,” she says.

Her path from her grandmother’s kitchen to becoming a personal chef wasn’t entirely linear, though. She majored in marketing in college and spent a few years after graduation working in an office. “I was really unhappy,” she says. “I just wasn’t passionate about what I was doing.”

Following her heart, she walked away and took a job working for a family in Chester with two teenage boys. She spent her days driving carpool and helping the mom with whatever she needed while continuing to look for a corporate job that was a better fit. Then, one day, the mom asked if Sebasto could cook dinner, and everything changed.

Sebasto realized that the things she enjoys most—menu planning, grocery shopping, food prep, and getting a healthy dinner made with whole foods on the table—were a huge chore for some people. “I love going to local farms and grocery stores and picking up fresh ingredients,” Sebasto says. “I love planning menus and cooking, and I even love the clean-up.”

Finding Her Passion

A lightbulb went off for Sebasto. “I was completely in love with how much of a difference I was making in this family’s life by using the skills my grandmother gave me,” she says. Soon, she began to wonder if other families would pay her to handle the monster task of feeding their families healthy, home-cooked, delicious meals. “I could see how much of a pain point cooking healthy dinners was for this mother, and how stressful it was for her to feed her family each day.” She scribbled down a business plan, started quite literally knocking on doors to drum up business, and Brianna’s Nutrition Kitchen was born.

Today, Sebasto has a staff of 15 professionals, including 10 other chefs, many of whom are also health coaches, she handpicked. Most of her clients, ranging from local families to high-profile New York Jets and Giants players, engage Brianna’s Nutrition Kitchen to do weekly meal-prep service. This includes a chef coming to the home two days a week, armed with groceries purchased fresh that morning.

“We prep and cook everything right in your home, and clean it all up afterward,” Sebasto says. It works like a subscription service, so the same chef comes to your house each week at the same time.

Meal plans are highly personalized. While Sebasto is quick to point out she isn’t a doctor, she is skilled at following low-salt, diabetes-friendly, low-inflammatory and other diets provided by nutritionists and medical professionals. For athletes, who understand that what they put in their body is going to influence their performance, she often creates meals that follow strict macros.

“Everything we do is completely custom,” she says. “If a client only wants us to shop at a certain farm stand or fishmonger, we do that. If they want their meals packaged individually or family style, we’ll do that.”

Sebasto also offers cooking classes for people looking to learn knife skills or how to better season their food. (Her tip: Taste as you go!) She and her team also cater dinner parties, family events like wedding brunches and baby showers, and even romantic dinners at home for couples who don’t want to hire
a sitter.

Her favorite part? “I’m so happy to be helping people,” she says. “There are so many people who find cooking overwhelming or too time-consuming, or just don’t like to do it. I love that we can come into your home and make your life easier.”

For more information, head to www.briannasnutritionkitchen.com.

RECIPE

Brianna’s Zucchini and Carrot Fritters

These gluten-free, nut-free fritters can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for five days or frozen for up to one month. Makes about 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3–4 large eggs

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 cups carrots, coarsely grated

• 2 cups zucchini, coarsely grated

• ¾ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (plus more as needed)

• 2 scallions, finely sliced (plus extra for garnish)

• 1 small chili pepper (jalapeño or serrano), finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)

• Neutral oil for frying (such as avocado)

• Optional: microgreens, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.

2. Prepare the vegetables. In another large bowl, coarsely grate the carrots and zucchini using a box grater. Tip: For crispier fritters, squeeze out excess moisture from the zucchini with a clean kitchen towel.

3. Combine ingredients. Add the whisked eggs, breadcrumbs, scallions, chili pepper, and cilantro to the grated vegetables. Mix thoroughly.
If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs. If too dry, add a little beaten egg or water.

4. Cook the fritters. Heat 2–3 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Working in batches, drop 4 spoonfuls of the mixture into the skillet, flattening slightly with a spatula. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp.

5. Cool and repeat. Transfer cooked fritters to a wire rack to cool slightly. Repeat with the remaining mixture, adding more oil as needed.

6. Garnish and serve. Top with sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, and/or microgreens. Serve warm and enjoy!

Christine Bockelman is the editor of My Mo-Town.

Photograph by Jen Oceana Photography