Happy to share with you this week’s recipe video for the Winter 2020 CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, right in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.
The recipe was inspired by the beautiful beets, scarlet queen turnips, and rosemary. And, of course, the pecans that grow right at The Farm.
Enjoy this video of the Roasted Beet & Turnip Bowl, and use it as a guide to create your own Roots Bowl with beets, turnips, tossed salad greens, and a few of your favorite salad extras, such as cashew cream, figs, and blackberries for a fresh Winter dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Roast the beets and turnips with the quick roast method.
Prepare the Simple Cashew Cream.
Crack the pecans.
Make the simple acid, fat, salt salad dressing and toss with the greens.
Mindfully plate the roasted roots, salad greens, pecans, Cashew Cream, and your favorite extras.
Enjoy Cooking!!!!
Recipe intuitively created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition, Award-winning cookbook author, creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement. Leader in wellness, integrative nutrition, and culinary for 15 years.
I am so honored to intuitively create recipes for The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members, And, I’m happy to share this week’s Winter Arizona recipe with you.
As many of you are aware, I live in a wonderful area of Phoenix, Arizona with incredible urban farms right in my neighborhood, including The Farm at South Mountain. For four years I’ve been teaching hands-on plant-based farm-to-table cooking experiences at The Farm and have been intuitively creating recipes with the weekly CSA box. This week is actually Recipe #55!
Excited to meet the new farmers at The Farm…Olive, DJ, Nicole, Meredith, with Melanie Albert.
The Farm at South Mountain…Olive, DJ, Melanie, Nicole, Meredith
The Winter CSA for November 21, 2020 includes:
Detroit Red Beets
Purple Daikon Radishes
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Curly Leaf Lettuce
Lemon Basil
Eggs
The Farm at South Mountain CSA: 11.21.20
BEETS & DAIKON RADISH BOWL
This week’s recipe was inspired by the beautiful beets and purple daikon radishes. Create your Veggie Bowl with the beet roots and greens, daikon radishes, Lemon Basil Cashew Cream, quinoa and walnuts for a beautiful Winter dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Roast the beets, daikon radishes, and green onions.
Prepare the Lemon Basil Cashew Cream
Sauté the Beet Greens.
Plate the roasted roots, sautéed greens, Lemon Basil Cashew Cream, and walnuts.
Enjoy the Beets Bowl video for step-by-step visuals of the cooking process. Scroll down for the recipes.
All Recipes Serve 2
ROASTED BEETS, DAIKON RADISHES & GREEN ONIONS
Roasted Beets & Daikon Radishes
Roast the Winter roots for your simple-to-prepare, tasty farm-to-table veggie bowl.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 beet roots
2 daikon radishes
3-4 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp dried herbs, such as Herbs de Provence
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut beet roots, daikon radishes into unique shapes and sizes.
Place roots (beets and radishes separately) and onions into a small bowl. Coat with olive oil, dried herbs, and sea salt.
Place roots, not touching, on parchment-lined sheet pan.
Layer onions on parchment-lined sheet pan.
Roast for 12 minutes.
Flip the veggies.
Roast another 12-15 minutes.
SIMPLE LEMON BASIL CASHEW CREAM
Create this simple plant-based cream with the lemon basil to enjoy with roasted roots.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked in water for 2-4 hours
¼ cup lemon basil leaves
2 green onions
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into food processor.
Process until chunky.
Stream in olive oil while processing.
Process to desired level of creaminess.
SAUTEED BEET GREENS
Create this quick sauteed beet green side to enjoy with the Roasted Beets and Radishes Bowl.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Tops of 2 beets, sliced (greens and stems sliced separately)
2 green onions sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
Pour olive oil into pan.
Add onions.
Sauté for 3 minutes.
Add beets stems.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Add beet greens.
Add pinch sea salt.
Sauté for 3 minutes.
NEW Online Plant-Based Food Art Program
Interested in learning more about plant-based cooking and creating beautiful dishes, I invite you to register for our new 3-Day Food Art course. Learn how to prepare the recipes and create beautiful dishes: Avocado Tartare, Roasted Veggie Bowl, and Raw Carrot Cake. CLICK TO REGISTER.
During our Coronavirsus social distancing, stay-at-home, this 5 minute braising greens cooking method is a simple way to cook the greens your local farmers are growing. Choose any mix of dark, leafy greens such as kale, chard, collards, mustard, bok choy, dandelion, turnip, broccoli, or cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts greens.
This recipe was inspired by farmer Billy Anthony of the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, less than a mile from my home in Phoenix, Arizona. As part of this week’s Spring 2020 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), Billy harvested beautiful white and red Swiss chard leaves that are perfect for cooking with quick stove-top braising. Add flavor to the greens with green onions and fresh dill.
A look at The Farm at South Mountain…April 2020
Beautiful White Chard at The Farm at South Mountain
Nutrition Tip: Dark leafy greens are fiber-rich and good sources of vitamins (such as A, C, and K and folate) and minerals (including iron and calcium). Our body needs a little fat to absorb some of the vitamins in leafy greens.
Braised Leafy Greens Recipe
Use this simple method to cook Spring braising greens while we are at home with our families and loved ones. Mix and match whatever greens your local farmers are growing to create a simple veggie side dish.
Since October 2018, I have had the honor to create weekly recipes for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at The Farm at South Mountain, an urban farm less than a mile from my home. To date, I’ve intuitively created 47 recipes for the members of the CSA. Each Friday, I pick up the incredible just-harvested CSA produce and herbs at The Farm from lead farmer Billy Anthony, and then come home and create a recipe for the Saturday morning CSA bags.
Cooking at Home. Right now, while more and more people are cooking at home with the Coronavirus “stay-at-home” I’m finding it even more important to share my recipes to more and more people, beyond the CSA members.
For those of you who are cooking at home, I invite you to use this recipe as a guide to sauté a simple, tasty roots and greens dish. Use whatever roots (radishes, turnips, beets, carrots) and greens (kale, collards, dandelion greens) your local farmers are growing. And, for citrus, feel free to use a lemon, orange, or grapefruit.
For the CSA members, I hope you enjoy creating this recipe with the beautiful local Arizona produce in your CSA.
Citrus: Grapefruit, lemons
Roots: Beets, Turnips, Mixed Radishes
Greens: Sugar Snap Peas, Braising Greens, Gem Head Lettuce
Farm Salad Bag with Glacier Lettuce
Mint
Eggs
Please share your culinary creations with us on Instagram @nutritionauthor @thefarmatsouthmountain.
Honestly, it was a little emotional picking up my CSA at The Farm on Friday, March 27, 2020. Here’s a glimpse.
Roots & Greens Sauté Recipe
Thanks to Lead Farmer Billy Anthony of the Soil & Seed Garden for growing such beautiful, tasty produce for our community. We appreciate your dedication, especially while we are Coronavirus social distancing.
Make this simple sauté with roots, greens, and the lemon from your CSA, along with an onion.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 medium purple daikon or another radish
1 medium turnip
3-4 stems kale
½ cup sugar snap peas
5-7 stems dandelion greens (from Farm Salad Bag)
½ white or red onion, or 2 green onions, sliced (not in CSA)
1 lemon, ½ juiced and zested
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Garnish: Few mint leaves
SIMPLE STEPS
Mise en Place (Everything into place)
Thinly slice radish and turnip with mandoline or knife.
Pull center stems out of kale and tear leaves into bite-size pieces.
Slice onions into moon-shapes.
Zest the lemon.
Cook
Pre-heat sauté pan on medium heat on stovetop.
Once the pan is warm, place onions in pan, sauté until soft, for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add sliced radish and turnip to the pan.
Drizzle sea salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest onto the radish and turnip.
Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Move radishes and turnips to the middle of the pan.
Add snap peas, kale, and dandelion greens to the edges of the pan to cook with the olive oil.
Drizzle a pinch of sea salt onto the green veggies.
Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Plate
Plate the roots, greens, and sugar snap peas onto the plate.
Garnish with mint.
More Plant-Based Cooking Recipes. I look forward to sharing additional recipes and ideas with you, while we area all “at home” during the Coronavirus. Please check back, as I’m also shooting some simple cooking videos for my Experience Nutrition YouTube Channel.
Sedona Cooking Retreats. A few people have been asking about the 2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreats. We have not yet cancelled the June 12-15, 2020 retreat, and at this point I’m pretty sure we will hold the September 18-21, 2020 retreat. Let me know (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) if you are interested in either retreat, and I will keep in touch with you. Just fyi, link to the retreat information.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, LLC in Phoenix, Arizona. Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Leader, award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building and retreat leader.
While more of us are now baking bread and pizza at home during the Coronavirus social distancing and staying at home, I wanted to share with you a recipe we cooked during our Fall 2019 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreat. This recipe will give you an option if you live in an area where you are not able to purchase yeast at this point, or if you don’t normally keep yeast in your pantry.
For the flatbread, roast some vegetables, create a simple nut sauce, and enjoy a nice meal with your family. During our retreat we enjoyed cooking with beautiful local food grown by Whipstone Farm in Paulden, Arizona and The Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix.
Enjoy your flatbread with roasted veggies, hummus, tomatoes, salsa, or even a drizzle of olive oil. And, please share your creations with us on Instagram @plantbasedexperiences #plantbasedexperiences
EXPERIENCE NUTRITIONTM Yeast-Free Quick Flatbread
Simple Ingredients
1 ¼ cups sprouted spelt flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 ½ tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (dough)
½ cup water
1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (spread on dough prior to baking)
Simple Steps
Place pizza stone into oven. Pre-heat oven to 390 degrees F. Pre-bake stone for about 5 minutes.
In large glass bowl, with a fork mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt.
Add 3/8 cup water and oil until dough forms a ball. Add additional water, as needed
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes.
Flatten out the dough on floured parchment-paper.
With parchment paper on top of the dough, roll thinly with a rolling pin.
Carefully move flatbread to pre-heated pizza stone.
Spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the flatbread.
Bake flatbread for 5 minutes.
Remove stone from oven.
Spread hemp seed cream (recipe below) on the top of the flatbread.
Add roasted veggies to the top of the flatbread. (See two ways to roast veggies below.)
Cook flatbread for about 8 minutes.
Garnish with edible flowers.
Enjoy!
Look at the beautiful, delicious plant-based farm-to-table flatbread intuitively created at our 2019 Sedona Retreat, and a glimpse of beautiful self care meditation at Cathedral Rock to inspire you to pause and take time for you these days.
The Sedona Retreat flatbread features beautiful veggies grown by Whipstone Farm in Paulden, Arizona and flowers grown at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix.
Amazing nourishing dinner, with the Farm-to-Table Flatbread at our Fall 2019 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreat.Mediation. Breathwork. Awe….Omm…at Cathedral Rock. With Patricia Fonseca of Back to Earth Sedona Tours.
ROASTED VEGGIES TWO WAYS
Choose a few of your favorite veggies and one of the following two culinary techniques to roast veggies for your flatbread. For the Sedona Retreat flatbread we roasted beautiful local veggies grown by Whipstone Farm including kohlrabi, cauliflower, radishes, leeks, potatoes, and peppers.
Simple Ingredients
5-7 of your favorite veggies, sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
Original Roasted Veggies Culinary Technique
With this technique, we use a flat parchment-paper lined sheet pan. Space the veggies out, not touching. This way, the veggies are cooked from the heat of the bottom of the pan which caramelizes them a little, along with the heat in the oven circulating around them.
Hope you enjoy making flatbread in a new way, without yeast, and enjoy it with your family these days. Feel free to share your creations with us on Instagram @plantbasedexperiences #plantbasedexperiences
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, team building, and retreat leader.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I was so excited to intuitively create this farm-to-table recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
This recipe is inspired by the range of roots and the fennel in the POM Rhibafarms Box. Veggie Bowls are popular and we can prepare a really quick veggie bowl with a simple roasting technique where we cook all veggies in a pan or two. Cook a whole grain and make your own tasty Veggie Bowl.
Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…
The beauty of the POM Rhibafarms Box
Closer look at the POM Rhibafarms Box
POM Rhibafarms Quick Roasted Veggie Bowl
INGREDIENTS from the POM RHIBAFARMS BOX
Rhibafarms: Carrots, rainbow radishes, broccoli, fennel, green onions, red beets
Pomegranate Café: Flaxseed Crackers
QUICK ROASTED VEGGIES
Simple Ingredients
2 red beets
1 fennel bulb
5-7 yellow carrots
3-5 green onions
5-7 broccoli florets
5-7 mini-peppers
1 purple sweet potato
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp dried spices: Your choice: Mediterranean Blend, Southwest Blend
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice all veggies into bite-sized pieces.
Place veggies into baking pan.
Place purple veggies (sweet potato, beet) into baking pan.
Place all other veggies into separate pan.
Drizzle both pans of veggies with olive oil, spices, and sea salt.
Roast for 15 minutes.
Mix veggies.
Roast for another 12 minutes.
Use veggies in veggie bowl.
Fennel Almond Brown Rice
Simple Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
2-3 fennel bulb slices
1/3 cup almonds, sliced
2 cups water
Fennel Almond Brown Rice
Simple Steps
Pour all ingredients into medium pot.
Bring to a boil.
Lower to simmer.
Cook covered for 15-20 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed.
Fennel Almond Brown Rice ready for the Veggie Bowl.
Plating: Create your Veggie Bowl
One-by-one place brown rice and veggies into bowl.
Garnish with the Pomegranate Café Flaxseed Crackers.
POM Rhibafarms Veggie Bowl
A fun video of the creation of the POM Rhibafarms Box Veggie Bowl.
A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
SPRING COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
HUMANA:March 27, 2019, April 24, 2019, May 29, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. March topic: Plant-Protein.
PHOENIX MARKET:April 13, May 11, 2019, 10:00-11:00am: Kids Cook at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Melanie shops the market and then shares beautiful ways to enjoy food with the kids.
GRANDFAMILIES PLACE: March 18, April 29, May 30, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm, Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn how to prepare simple healthy dishes, then plate and serve to their grandparents.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
POM Rhibafarms Make Your Own Veggie Tacos
I was so excited to intuitively create this week’s recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…
This week’s recipe is inspired by the Pomegrante Café’s Guacamole, Enchilada Sauce, and Corn Tortilla. Of course, tacos, with the beautiful Rhibafarms grown broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, and radishes. Mix and match tacos with flavorful roasted and crunchy raw veggies.
INGREDIENTS from the POM RHIBAFARMS BOX
Pomegranate Café: Guacamole, Enchilada Red Sauce, Corn Tortillas
Rhibafarms: Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Mookum Carrots, Icicle Radishes.
ROASTED VEGGIES with Chili Spices
Simple Ingredients
3-4 broccoli stems, sliced
5 carrots, sliced
5 radishes, sliced
¼ red cabbage, 1” slices
7 mini-sweet peppers, sliced
2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp chili spices: Your choice: Ancho chili, Smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, ground Rhibafarms’chilis, oregano
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice broccoli, carrots, and radishes into bite-sized pieces.
Grind and mix your choice of chili spices in a small bowl.
In a bowl, gently coat each veggie with olive oil, mixed spices, & a pinch of sea salt.
Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
Roast for 8 minutes.
Flip veggies.
Roast for another 8 minutes.
Use veggies as taco toppings.
PUMPKIN SEED CREAM
Simple Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds soaked in water overnight
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup water, adjust for desired creaminess.
Simple Steps
Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
One by one, heat corn tortilla in pan, turning to cook and crisp on both sides.
Plating: Create your Tacos
Plate with corn tortilla on flat surface.
Spoon sauce and pumpkin seed cream onto the top of the taco.
Add roasted veggies, guacamole, and pumpkin seed cream.
Garnish with the raw veggies.
Building the Tacos…
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The Amazing Tacos!
Seriously, I think these are my favorite tacos ever. Made with so much love and passion. Passionate Farmer Mark Rhine, Healthy Restaurant Pioneer Cassie Tolman, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author Melanie Albert. What a fun collaboration!
A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
So honored and excited to create quick, simple, delicious, farm-to-table dishes from the weekly Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with the healthy-eating, vegetarian, vegan Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and the incredible Rhibafarms and Mark Rhine in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at my favorite beauties in the POM Box…
POM Rhibafarms Box. Arizona Winter 2019
Mark Rhine, owner of Rhibafarms dried last Fall’s beautiful chili peppers for us over the last year. What a variety. Big Jim’s, Jalapeno, Habanero, Cayenne, Sweet Bell.
This week’s recipe is based on intuitively cooking almost all of my favorites in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. It started with being excited with my first fresh thyme of the year, plus the beauty of the dried peppers. You’ll see that I first created a pilaf and extended the meal to a fresh simple salad.
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019: Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!
During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
In awe of another week of beautiful, vibrant veggies in the Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and grown by Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona. I am so honored to create beautiful, tasty dishes with the food from the CSA each week. It’s fun to receive seasonal food grown by our local farmers, and to intuitively create dishes with food we have not previously cooked, while also experimenting with various culinary techniques.
For those of you who are supporting your local farms CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), I invite you to have fun experimenting with the different foods your farmers are growing. Try the new veggies and new culinary methods.
In this week’s Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad we focus on the simple culinary technique of steaming veggies in a bamboo steamer and making a simple 3-ingredient salad dressing.
Love and heart…at the Pomegrante Cafe, this Valentine’s Week…so much love and heart at this amazing vegetarian/vegan healthy restaurant.
Rhibafarms Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad Recipe
The beauty of Rhibafarms broccoli and cauliflower inspired this very simple refreshing, beautiful salad. Steamed broccoli and cauliflower, dressed with a simple lemon dressing with parsley, almonds, and dried figs.
INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX
Broccoli
Purple Cauliflower
Purple Cabbage Leaf
STEAM BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER
Simple Ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets, sliced
2 cups cauliflower florets, sliced
Simple Steps
Slice broccoli and cauliflower.
Place broccoli and cauliflower in bamboo steamer.
Bring several inches of water to boil in large soup pot.
Once the water is boiling, place bamboo steamer on top of the pot.
Steam for about 8-10 minutes.
Check broccoli and cauliflower with fork to desired tenderness.
Lemon Finishing Dressing
Simple Ingredients
1 lemon, juiced (approximately 1/4 cup)
Twice as much olive oil as lemon, approximately ½ cup
Pinch sea salt
Simple Steps
Squeeze lemon juice into small Mason jar.
Pour in twice as much olive oil.
Shake.
Taste to test for desired oil / lemon ratio.
Add additional oil or lemon, as needed.
Add pinch of salt to jar.
Shake.
Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad
Simple Ingredients
Mise en Place: Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad
2 cups steamed broccoli florets
2 cups steamed cauliflower florets
½ cup Lemon Finishing Dressing
1 cup fresh parsley, rough chopped
¼ cup raw almonds, rough chopped
5 dried Mission figs, sliced
1 purple cabbage leaf
3-5 edible flowers
Simple Steps
Place broccoli into a small bowl, drizzle dressing onto broccoli, and lightly toss.
Place cauliflower into a small bowl, drizzle dressing onto cauliflower, and lightly toss.
Lightly coat broccoli with Lemon Finishing Dressing
Place parsley, figs, and almonds into a bowl. Drizzle dressing onto the ingredients. Lightly toss.
Place all ingredients into a bowl and lightly toss.
Plate all ingredients on purple cabbage leaf.
Garnish with edible flowers.
Enjoy.
Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad
Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019: Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!
During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I absolutely love beautiful local Arizona farmers’ food and feel so humbled and honored to cook with it. I am so honored to intuitively prepare one of my favorite meals – flatbread – inspired by the POM Rhibafarms Box, with produce grown by farmer Mark Rhine at Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona and in collaboration with the Pomegranate Café, in Ahwatukee, Arizona owned by Cassie and Marlene Tolman.
This week (2.8.19) with the POM Rhibafarms Box I am especially in awe of the fresh broccoli and cauliflower. Since the beginning of January 2019, I’ve been creating a new seasonal flatbread each week. Naturally, the plant-based flatbread features these beautiful veggies.
Made a quick stop at Pomegranate Cafe to pick up this week’s POM Rhibafarms Box…
The healthy, welcoming Pomegranate Cafe, Ahwatukee, Arizona.The POM Rhibafarm Box 2.8.19…”Especially grown for Pome/Rhiba Family”…I feel special. Thanks so much to Mark Rhine.The POM Box 2.8.19 Winter Arizona goodness.
The beautiful ingredients in this week’s POMBox.
Mark, thanks so much for your dedication in growing the beautiful food for our community. And, Cassie, thanks so much for sharing your yummy walnut taco and pico with us this week. My mouth is watering.
The beauty of Rhibafarms broccoli and cauliflower were the inspiration for my weekly flatbread. Since these veggies were so fresh, I roasted them lightly and simply with olive oil and sea salt.
INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
Rhibafarms Cauliflower. Simple Beauty.Rhibafarms Broccoli. So fresh.Rhibafarms Cauliflower & Broccoli
ROASTED BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER
Simple Ingredients
1 head broccoli, sliced and leaves
1 head cauliflower, sliced and leaves
2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Mise en Place. All set.
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
In a bowl, gently coat broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
Gently toss cauliflower and broccoli with olive oil and sea salt.
Place broccoli and cauliflower on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
Cauliflower and broccoli on parchment-lined sheet pan.
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
FREE PUBLIC KIDS COOK CLASS AT THE DOWNTOWN PHOENIX PUBLIC MARKET
Saturday, February 9, 2019, 10-11am: Kids Cook at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market (14 E Pierce Street, Phoenix)
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I’m excited to share recipes each week for the POM Farm Box. The weekly box features just harvested produce from Rhibafarms and farmer Mark Rhine in the San Tan Valley along with tasty specialty items from healthy-eating cafe Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona, founded in 2010 by Cassie and Marlene Tolman.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorites from this week’s Winter 2019 POM Farm Box. Thanks so much Mark for growing your beautiful food for our community.
POM Rhibafarms Box 2.01.19 My favorites: Green Cabbage. Galaxy Cauliflower. Broccoli. Dino Kale. Swiss Chard
Made a quick stop at Pomegranate Cafe to pick up this week’s POM Rhibafarms Box…
Winter Arizona POM Rhibafarms Box, February 1, 2019
This week, I am absolutely in awe of the fresh, just-harvested beautiful green cabbage. When I first saw the cabbage, I knew I wanted to make quick pickled cabbage. Afterwards, since that dish was so quick to prepare, I also made another quick dish with a simple cabbage saute.
POM Rhibafarms Green Cabbage
Rhibafarms Green Cabbage: Two Ways
Two simple ways to quickly prepare and enjoy cabbage. One raw. One cooked.
Raw Quick Pickled Cabbage
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
From the POM BOX
1 large green cabbage (1/2 for each recipe)
Other Ingredients
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp agave
2 bay leaves
2-3 garlic cloves, smashed with side of knife.
2 tsp caraway seeds
Optional: 2-3 radishes, sliced
1 12-ounce wide-mouth glass Mason Jar
SIMPLE STEPS
Cabbage
Slice cabbage in half.
Cut out the core.
Slice one-half of the cabbage into ¼” strips.
Place cabbage in a large glass bowl.
Sprinkle sea salt onto the cabbage.
Gently massage the cabbage for 2-3 minutes.
Add caraway seeds, garlic, and bay leaves, and radishes to the cabbage and toss.
Liquid
Pour water, vinegar, and agave into a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the agave.
Jar
Place the cabbage mixture into a Mason jar.
Press down to fill the jar.
Pour the liquid into the jar to fully cover the cabbage.
Cover the jar with a lid.
Allow the jar to sit on the counter 3-4 hours.
Place jar into refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Enjoy for 3-4 days as a condiment.
Quick Sautéed Cabbage
Tasty cabbage side dish in 5 minutes! Chop your cabbage. Quick saute. And, that’s it.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1/2 cabbage
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Slice cabbage in half.
Cut out the core.
Slice one-half of the cabbage into ¼” strips.
Pre-heat sauté pan on medium for 3-4 minutes.
Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Once the olive oil is warm, about 1 minute, add the cabbage and a pinch of salt to the pan.
Increase the heat to medium high.
Gently toss with tongs for about 3 minutes.
Plate with a few fresh greens and enjoy as a side dish.
Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Thursday, February 7, 2019, 10:00-11:30am: El Mirage Branch Library
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I’m so excited and honored to prepare simple to cook recipes for the new POM Farm Box CSA Program. The beautiful weekly box features just harvested produce and mushrooms from Rhibafarms and farmer Mark Rhine in the San Tan Valley along with tasty specialty items from healthy-eating cafe Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona, owned by Cassie and Marlene Tolman since 2010.
Behind the scenes. To get ready to create the recipe, farmer Josh Sundberg personally delivered my POM BOX and I made a quick stop at Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee to pick up goodies from Cassie Tolman.
Let’s take a look at the POM Box produce. So beautiful! Thanks Rhibafarms.
POM Rhibafarms BOX: 1.25.19
Let’s see…what is all that beautiful local Arizona produce…
One simple way to enjoy the bounty of greens is a very quick sauté. Choose a few of your favorite greens, broccoli stalks, and delicate Japanese Hakurei turnips from your POM Box and create this quick and easy spicy sauté.
Veggie Saute: Getting set with the food.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
From the POM BOX
3-4 leaves of 3 different greens, sliced
Red Cabbage, Red Mizuna, Collards
3-4 broccoli stalks
1 large Hakurei turnip, sliced
3 I’itoi onions, sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
¼ cup POM Sweet Chile Tamari Sauce
Other Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
SIMPLE STEPS
Slice all produce.
Mindfully chop all the veggies.
Pre-heat sauté pan to medium.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to coat bottom of pan.
Place onions in pan and gently sauté for 3 minutes.
Add garlic to pan. Gently sauté for 30 seconds.
Add turnips to pan, drizzle with about 3 tbsp tamari sauce and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add broccoli stalks to pan, drizzle with 1 tbsp tamari sauce. Sauté for 4 minutes.
Add greens to pan, drizzle with sauce, and sauté for 3 minutes.
Take a quick look at the sauté sizzle video…one of my favorite cooking sounds…
Plate with greens, fresh cilantro, white sesame seeds, and enjoy with Turmeric Quinoa.
Winter Greens Saute. Take time to mindfully plate.
Quick Turmeric Quinoa
Make a batch of quinoa as a side for your sautéed greens. Be sure to add black pepper with the turmeric to enhance the bio-availability of the nutrients in the turmeric.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tbsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups water
Quinoa. Turmeric Powder. Black pepper. Plus, water.
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into a small pot
Bring to a boil.
Lower to simmer.
Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
Rest the quinoa for 10 minutes.
Fluff the edges of the quinoa. Rest for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy the quinoa with sautéed greens.
Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook,“A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
Thursday, February 7, 2019, 10:00-11:30am: El Mirage Branch Library
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Brand Library
by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition, Intutive Cooking Expert, Cookbook Author, Speaker and Retreat Leader
Tonight’s quick meal was so beautiful I decided to share it with you right now. While I was working this afternoon, I roasted veggies with a quick roasting method and with the veggies in my refrigerator from our local Arizona farmers. At the same time I cooked a quick batch of Turmeric Quinoa. Have fun roasting all kinds of veggies with this simple culinary technique.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Golden and chioggia beets
Red and yellow peppers
Daikon radish
Orange carrots
Romanesco
Sunchoke roots (Jerusalem artichoke)
Leek
Green onions
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Penzeys Spices Fox Point Seasoning, or your favorite dried herbs
SIMPLE STEPS
Preheat oven at 400 degrees F
Rough chop all veggies in various shapes
Place veggies in roasting pan
Drizzle with olive oil and Penzeys Spices Fox Point Seasoning
Roast for about an hour, stirring occasionally
Enjoy with quinoa (1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, about 2 TBSP turmeric powder)
Take a look at tonight’s step-by-step plating…
Enjoy the final dish…
Plate and drizzle with blood orange olive oil, for extra flavor
The Roasted Veggies…
Just for fun, sharing tonight’s Arizona sunset…
Interested in learning more simple culinary techniques, with real whole foods. purchase Melanie Albert’s Book “A New View of Healthy Eating” right here.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
Within my home-cooking, cooking classes, cookbook, and recipe blogs, one of my key philosophies is learning some simple culinary techniques and then using the techniques to cook all kinds of veggies. For those of you who know me from classes, Facebook, and my blog, you are aware that I love roasting veggies.
Roasting is simple and the cooking process caramelizes the veggies keeping them crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. The flavor is always delicious and roasting can be used in any season with basically any veggies our farmers grow.
Today I roasted veggies that I purchased on Saturday at this week’s Gilbert Farmers Market from a few of our amazing local organic farmers: Steadfast Farms, Blue Sky Farms, Abby Lee Farms, and Crooked Sky Farms. Plus, I still had a few turnips from The Farm at South Mountain. I was especially happy to also cook beans from Crooked Sky Farms for the first time.
And, I had fun experimenting with roasting a few roots – carrots and radishes – with the whole veggie. I roasted the roots and the greens and they were so beautiful. Definitely food art!
Simple Ingredients
Sweet potatoes (Crooked Sky Farm)
Carrots (Blue Sky Organic Farm)
Radishes (Steadfast Farm)
Tomatoes (Abby Lee Farms)
Broccoli (Blue Sky Farm)
Turnips & Breakfast Radish (The Farm at South Mountain)
Black Beans (Crooked Sky Farm)
Quinoa
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Dry seasoning (Today Penzeys Fox Point (salt, shallots, chives, garlic, onion, green peppercorns)
Simple Steps
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice veggies into equal-sized pieces.
Coat veggies with olive oil and seasonings.
Place veggies flat side down on parchment-lined flat sheet pan.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
This week while cooking my local Arizona farmers’ produce I realized I was cooking the same foods different ways every day. One of my philosophies of healthy eating is to learn simple culinary skills and then when we shop at our farmers’ markets we can cook intuitively with what’s available seasonally.
Four of my favorite ways (or culinary methods) to cook veggies intuitively are roasting, sautéing, bamboo steamer, and raw. This week, I roasted twice, sauteed once, ate raw a few times, and, so far I have not used my bamboo steamer.
My veggie saute featured many of the same veggies that I roasted earlier in the week. With the saute, I very intuitively added 2 Arizona navel oranges for sweet flavor and moisture.
Romanesco
Yellow cauliflower
Purple carrots
Sweet potatoes
White beets
Turnip
Yellow tomato
Greens
Mindfully Chop Veggies and Organize your Mise en Place
Chop veggies in about equal-sized pieces and mindfully organize them for cooking. Also, gather other ingredients for your dish. I added extra virgin olive oil, navel orange, and sea salt.
Saute Veggies One-by-One
Start with saute pan on medium heat. Warm the olive oil then add the tomato, root veggies, then cauliflower, and finally the greens.
Mindfully Plate Veggies with Quinoa
Again, be very mindful with your plating, placing veggies on the plate one-by-one. Add a few extras for extra flavor and interest, such as olives, capers, and dehydrated tomatoes.
Melanie’s cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Eating with Real Whole Foods” includes 84 simple culinary technique with simple steps and photos of the process.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLCs
I am so in awe of our beautiful Arizona farmers’ Winter bounty. Today’s intuitive recipe was inspired by many of the incredible veggies I purchased at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market this weekend. Thanks so much to so many of my local farmer friends for all the passion, dedication, and hard work to grow the beautiful produce for all of us to enjoy.
Thanks, Farmers!
Blue Sky Organic Farm: beautiful Romanesco
Maya’s Farm:unique purple and white cauliflower, edible flowers
Steadfast Farm: fresh sunflower sprouts, Iitois onions and amazing rainbow of purple, yellow, and white carrots
Rhiba Farms:wild arugula
Golo Family Farms: sweet lime
In addition to showcasing the beautiful Arizona Winter veggies, I also wanted to share a simple way to cook the veggies in a bamboo steamer to keep them vibrant and colorful. Once we’ve gently steamed the veggies, we can finish them with a simple dressing.
I invite you to Intuitively create your dish using these recipe steps as a guide. When you choose your vegetables consider their different colors, different textures, and different flavors. Also, use your intuition to determine how much of the veggies you’d like to cook. For me, I like to cook a small batch so I can enjoy a meal one day and then eat the left-overs for lunch the next day.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Bamboo Steamer
Romanesco
Purple cauliflower
Yellow and purple carrots
Wild arugula
Iitoi onions, cut on bias
Sunflower sprouts
Dressing
Sweet lime
Extra virgin olive oil
Coriander seeds
Sea salt
Extras
Rose brown rice
Edible flowers
SIMPLE STEPS: Arugula Saute
Pre-heat saute pan on low-medium heat.
Add olive oil to pan.
Sweat onions for a few minutes.
Add arugula and cook for a few minutes.
Add Sunflower sprout and cook for about a minute.
SIMPLE STEPS: Dry Toast Coriander
Pre-heat small sauce pan or pot on low heat.
Add coriander to pan and toast for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and save for the dressing.
SIMPLE STEPS: Bamboo Steamer
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large stock pot.
Cut all vegetables into bite-sizes pieces.
Place vegetables on steamer, with space between each, to allow steam to rise and cook the veggies.
Sprinkle a few pinches of sea salt on the veggies.
Cover the steamer.
Steam for 5-7 minutes until the veggies easily fall off the fork.
Drizzle lemon, olive oil, and sea salt, and coriander seeds on the veggies to create a dressing.
Gently hand toss the veggies in the dressing.
Adjust flavors. Add more olive oil, lemon, or salt to suit your personal taste.
Gather your plating mise en place.
Plate the veggies with brown rice.
Garnish with edible flowers.
Two Cooking Events this Weekend in Phoenix, February 17 and 18, 2018
Taste of the Market, Downtown Phoenix Market, Saturday, February 17, 2018, 10am. If you’re in the Phoenix area, I’ll be hosting the Taste of the Market Cooking demo at the Downtown Phoenix Market on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 10am. I’ll be shopping the market and then will create a bamboo steamer and sautéed greens dish. Stop by to learn these culinary techniques and taste the amazing food from our local farmers. Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, Central & McKinley, 14 E Pierce Street, Phoenix, AZ (Central Ave & McKinley)
Intuitive Cooking Experience: Winter Farm-to-Table Cooking Class at the Farm at South Mountain, Sunday, February 18, 2018, 11am-1pm. Full hands-on intuitive cooking class at The Farm at South Mountain. Cost $45 per person + tax.
I’ll intuitively shop the Saturday farmers’ markets for local, Phoenix fresh, justharvested produce the day before the class. During the hands-on cooking experience you’ll learn culinary skills and dishes from my book, “A New View of Healthy Eating.” You will create:
A beautiful, unique Asian-inspired salad with ginger dressing
Seasonal chickpea hummus with fresh herbs
Colorful veggie stir-fry with lots of greens
You’ll learn a few simple key culinary skills:
3-Ingredient salad dressing, as the foundation for the perfect dressing
A basic hummus that you can adapt with all kinds of herbs and spices
The proper steps and process to make a veggie stir-fry
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLCs
This morning, listening to my body, I noticed that I was quite hungry way before my typical lunch time, was prepping for a meeting, and wanted to make something really quick, healthy and delicious.
During the Christmas holidays in Cocoa Beach, I showed my 91-year old Dad how to roast sweet potatoes with a really easy method, and I had a beautiful Romanesco broccoli from one of our local Arizona farmers, Steadfast Farm. Since I knew I was hungry, I decided to also cook a batch of quinoa.
I only have a few photos from today, as I was not intending to blog about this dish. However, the final plating is so beautiful and delicious, I’m sharing today.
2 Veggie Lunch: Romanesco & Sweet Potatoes
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2-3 sweet potatoes
1 small Romanesco
Pinch sea salt or a blend of spices. Today, I used Penzeys Spices Fox Point blend: salt, shallots, chives, garlic, onion, and green pepper corns
2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp basil olive oil
1 cup quinoa
SIMPLE STEPS
Quinoa
Rinse quinoa in a strainer.
Pour quinoa into a small pot.
Add 2 cups liquid, water or veggie stock.
Cover pot, bring to a boil.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, with lid tight.
Sit for about 10 minutes.
With a fork, fluff around the edges of the quinoa.
Simple Steps to Roast Veggies, Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”
Sweet & Rich Roasted Roots
Roasted roots are beautiful, flavorful, and sweet, as well as a rich, colorful complement to any meal. The roasting culinary technique is a dry heat cooking method that intensifies and concentrates the flavor of vegetables. When roasted properly, the natural sugars in the vegetables brown or caramelize to create a deep, rich flavor. When visiting your farmers’ market, buy a few roots even if you don’t recognize them, and roast them with this simple, quick culinary technique. Enjoy roasted roots as a side dish, to create soup, with hummus, or in a raw kale salad or veggie wrap.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
10-12 of your favorite roots: carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, golden beets, red beets, and radishes
Approximately ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp dry herbs (Choose a few: basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme)
½ tsp sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F.
Scrub roots under running water to clean the outside.
Let sit for about 10 minutes to dry.
Slice roots into even, bite-size pieces.
Mix olive oil, herbs, and sea salt in a bowl to make the dressing.
Add root vegetables to the bowl and toss to evenly coat with the dressing.
Carefully lay the roots on parchment paper in a heavy-duty flat baking sheet pan. Place roots flat side down in a single layer, making sure the vegetables do not touch.
Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
Roast roots in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn vegetables.
Cook another 15 minutes, until fork tender.
Plate vegetables. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!
Have Fun Plating your Veggies and Quinoa
Spoon quinoa, then sweet potatoes, then Romanesco on the plate.
Add a few of your favorite extras. Today, I added rough chopped pistachio nuts and capers.
Drizzle with oil. Today, I drizzled with Hutun Basil Extra Virgin Olive oil.
ACTION: Roast a few veggies, cook a whole grain, plate, and enjoy. Share your creations with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating or tag #NewViewHealthyEating
Melanie’s book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” is available to ship to you, or see you at an upcoming event in the Phoenix area.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
Today I very intuitively created a very simple farm-to-table veggie saute with beautiful veggies in my refrigerator from local Phoenix farmers and gardeners. When I first pulled out the veggies from my refrigerator my intention was to create a cold avocado tartar with the tomatoes and carrots. While chopping the veggies I was imagining the beautiful aromatic veggie saute from last night’s “Living an Edible Landscape Life” and decided to prepare a saute.
When cooking a quick stove-top saute, first gather your veggies. Today’s veggies are from many of our local Arizona farmers.
Green onions
Green Spring garlic, McClendon Select
Mini red tomatoes, Phoenix Community Exchange
Orange carrots, Steadfast Farms
Arizona lemon, Phoenix Community Exchange
Kale, The Farm at South Mountain, Seed & Soil Garden
Chrysanthemum greens, The Farm at South Mountain, Soil & Seed Garden
Fresh dill, Joan Baron Food in the Alley, Scottsdale
Avocado
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
As always, mindfully pre-chop your veggies and get your mise en place set for cooking.
Once our mise en place is set, we mindfully cook the veggies, one-by-one. With this process, we can really taste the flavor layers. Start with a little olive oil, sweat the onions, add the garlic. Then add the veggies one-by-one. Intuitively, I usually add a little sea salt right after the tomatoes go into the pan, to bring out their sweetness. And, this time of year in Arizona, I love to squeeze in a little citrus to add a bright taste to the saute.
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While this dish was cooking, the natural aromatherapy of the lemons and fresh dill really made the dish a more beautiful mindful experience.
Once you’ve sauteed the veggies, mindfully plate and enjoy your farm-to-table veggies. You’ll see that I added a few dehydrated tomatoes for extra beauty and flavor.
ACTION:Have fun shopping at your local farmers’ market this weekend, and please share your veggie sautes with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating
For some additional veggie saute ideas, a spread from Melanie’s book, “A New View of Healthy Eating.”
If you’re in the Phoenix area, my next hands-on intuitive cooking class, Winter Farm-to-Table Harvest is at The Farm at South Mountain, Sunday, February 18, 2018, 11am-1pm. Learn more and register here.
You can order “A New View of Healthy Eating” book and I’m happy to gift wrap for you.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
This week I’ve been enjoying chrysanthemum greens, a sweet floral green, typically cooked in Asian cuisine. One of our local farms, The Farm at South Mountain, about a half mile from my home is growing chrysanthemum greens this season. We had the great opportunity to enjoy it massaged in a raw kale salad in our Team Building Cooking Challenge with Visit Phoenix. After enjoying chrysantemum greens in the salads, I decided to experiment with them in a quick saute. Check out the recipe in today’s blog. It’s incredible!
After enjoying the chrysanthemum greens so much in the kale salads, I very intuitively sauted the greens with campari tomatoes from McClendon Select and beautiful sweet carrots grown by Steadfast Farm in our area. The saute is so sweet with floral aromatic I’m loving it so much I’ve cooked it three times in the last two days.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Chrysanthemum Greens Saute
Simple Ingredients
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
Handful tomatoes
Handful chrysanthemum greens
Handful mini-carrots, sliced
Avocado, sliced.
Dash sea salt
Simple Steps
Heat saute pan on medium.
Add olive oil to pan.
Once heated add tomatoes, stir, and saute for a few minutes.
Add dash of sea salt.
Add carrots, and saute until slightly soft.
Add chrysanthemum greens and saute about a minute.
by Melanie A. Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
A few of my friends have been asking for some of the culinary techniques and recipes in my new book, A New View of Healthy Eating. I’m excited to share one of my very favorite simple techniques to enjoy all kinds of root vegetables. With these simple steps, you can create delicious roasted roots every time you cook them. Have fun with the roots that are in season at farmers’ markets in your area.
Roasted roots are beautiful, flavorful, and sweet, as well as a rich, colorful complement to any meal. The roasting culinary technique is a dry heat cooking method that intensifies and concentrates the flavor of vegetables. When roasted properly, the natural sugars in the vegetables brown or caramelize to create a deep, rich flavor. When visiting your farmers’ market, buy a few roots even if you don’t recognize them, and roast them with this simple, quick culinary technique. Enjoy roasted roots as a side dish, to create soup, with hummus, or in a raw kale salad or veggie wrap.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
10-12 of your favorite roots: carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, golden beets, red beets, and radishes
Approximately ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp dry herbs (Choose a few: basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme)
½ tsp sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F.
Scrub roots under running water to clean the outside.
Let sit for about 10 minutes to dry.
Slice roots into even, bite-size pieces.
Mix olive oil, herbs, and sea salt in a bowl to make the dressing.
Add root vegetables to the bowl and toss to evenly coat with the dressing.
Carefully lay the roots on parchment paper in a heavy-duty flat baking sheet pan. Place roots flat side down in a single layer, making sure the vegetables do not touch.
Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
Roast roots in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn vegetables.
Cook another 15 minutes, until fork tender.
Plate vegetables. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!
“In my public and private hands-on cooking classes, I encourage participants to experiment with different herbs and spices for roasted roots. A fun way to intuitively choose herbs is to close your eyes, smell different herbs, and intuitively decide which to use when flavoring the root vegetables. Have fun and be creative.”
Roots are Good for Us! Roots are nutrient-dense, grounding, and sweet. Enjoy experimenting with the many different types of roots, such as carrots, celery root, golden beets, red beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, and radishes. Root vegetables are:
Nutrient-dense with calcium, iron, beta carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E.
Energetically grounding, as roots grow in the earth.
Naturally sweet when cooked, thus helping reduce sugar cravings.
Roast a Radish. If you’ve never roasted a radish, try a few and notice the difference between a spicy raw radish and a sweet roasted radish.
Simple Veggie Stir-fry….from A New View of Healthy Eating
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Share your roasted roots photos with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating
Join us on Facebook with your favorite greens creations. 
