My Favorite Recipes: Meet Troy Henderson

Troy Henderson is an avid fisherman, as evidenced by this June 2007 photo of the trophy marlin he caught on an offshore fishing adventure.

Troy Henderson is the director of the Whitman County Department of Health.

The department has offices in Pullman and Colfax.

In this position, Troy oversees the environmental health program which sees that we have clean and healthy water wells, septic and solid waste systems, safe swimming pools and restaurants.

The department is also responsible for vital public records such as birth and death certificates.

In Whitman County, the health department also oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

This program provides vouchers for healthy food to pregnant women and children ages five and younger.

Almost 40 percent of the children born in Whitman County participate in the program.

Troy emphasizes the importance of community partnerships in the success of the county health department implementing its goals. One of the most important has been the successful recruitment of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic to Pullman to establish a dental clinic that will serve individuals of all income levels. This organization has more than 30 medical clinics in Washington and Oregon.

A slight drawl is a reminder that Troy grew up in Tennessee. He enlisted in the Navy right after high school and served as a nuclear electrician onboard the submarine USS Los Angeles and Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. In 2000, he was commissioned into the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps as an environmental health officer, performing public health duties for the Navy and Marines. He retired in 2012 as a Lieutenant Commander. During his Navy years, Troy lived in seven different states as well as Japan and South Korea. Along the way he earned a bachelors degree in ecology and masters in science in both physics and environmental health from East Tennessee State University.

Following retirement from the military, he relocated to Whitman County with his wife Mary and daughters Amanda and Pamela. Both girls became Cougars with Amanda graduating in 2016 and Pamela currently a junior at WSU. The whole family appreciates the rural lifestyle coupled with activities the university brings to the community.

When not working, Troy enjoys remodeling his house and spending time outdoors fishing and canoeing. His love of the outdoors was part of the inspiration for a 500-mile walk across northern Spain with daughter Amanda last spring.

The favorite recipes he shares below are favored from a consumer perspective, as Mary is the cook and baker in the family.

Recipes:

Chicken Adobo

3 pounds chicken thighs cut into serving pieces

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup Sprite or 7UP

2 TBSP crushed peppercorn

1 TBSP brown sugar

5 garlic cloves, crushed

3 bay leaves

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in pan, cover and allow to marinate one to three hours. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover pan and allow to simmer for an additional 15 minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated. Serve with white rice.

Serves 4 to 6

Cheese Grits

7 cups water

2 cups grits

2 tsp salt

Cook grits according to directions on the box. Use Quick Grits – Do NOT use Instant Grits, they do not work.

Into hot grits, stir:

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp garlic salt

1 small jar Cheese Whiz

Dash red pepper

1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese

1 small can diced green chilies

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 stick butter

1 tsp Accent

Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Serves about 15 people.

Peaches and

Cream Pie

Mix together:

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Quickly stir in the following ingredients. It will be like thick cake batter.

3 TBSP melted butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

Spread onto a greased pie plate. Reserve three TBSP of peach liquid of 1 large (16 oz) can of sliced peaches. Drain peaches and arrange peaches over batter in pie plate.

Beat together:

1 (8oz) package softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP reserved peach juice

Spoon mixture over peaches in center of pie. Leave about a 1 inch border around edge of pie plate. Combine 1-1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over cream cheese filling. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Chill leftovers.