Experience Nutrition

Tag: avocados

Experience Nutrition: Your Recipe Guide for a Quick & Simple Avocado Salsa With What’s in Your Refrigerator
During our coronavirus stay-at-home, a simple to prepare lunch, breakfast or snack, is an “avocado tartare.” You might call it avocado salsa with a few extra veggies. I hope this avocado recipe guide inspires you to create your own beautiful, delicious avocado tartare with whatever vegetables are in your kitchen. – Melanie Albert

Avocado Tartare Key Ingredients

The 5 base ingredients for avocado tartare are:
1. A ripe avocado
2. Citrus: lemon, lime, grapefruit, Meyer lemon
3. Sea salt
4. Aromatic: onion, garlic, shallot
5. Fresh herb: parsley, basil, cilantro, marjoram, lemon balm
Avocado Tartare: The Add-in Veggies

To these base ingredients, add in a few veggies – any kind – available at your local farmers’ markets, local farmers, or grocery stores. Some ideas: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives.

The plant-based cooking video guides you through the simple step-by-step process to prepare the avocado salsa. And, for reference, you can printout the recipe.

Avocado Salsa Recipe Guide

Use this recipe as a guide for Avocado Salsa with whatever veggies are in your refrigerator. This is a great recipe to experiment with intuitive cooking, where we choose a few vegetables, herbs, and aromatics we are attracted to and enjoy our creation.

Serves 1

Simple Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbsp green onions
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tsp Meyer lemon juice
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 3-4 cauliflower florets
- Optional garnish: few broccoli stems
Avocado Tartare: Simple Ingredients

Simple Steps
- Chop all ingredients
- Toss all ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix avocado with a fork.
- Add Meyer lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado.
- Mix all ingredients with a fork.
- Mindfully plate.
- Enjoy
Aocado Tartare: Plating Mise en Place

Since I love Avocado Tartare’s so much, I’ll continue to share some of my intuitively created dishes with you, to give you more ideas on how you an mix-and-match veggies, herbs, aromatics, and citrus.

Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.

By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Cooking Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.

www.ExperienceNutrition.com
April 21, 2020
Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Spring Avocado Tartare
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I love avocados, and often when I buy several at a time I love making Avocado Tartare with the avocados and local Arizona farmers’ produce and fresh herbs. As part of my mindfulness in cooking, I love having fun creativity plating the dishes differently every time I make Avocado Tartare.

I invite you to use the ingredients in the recipe as a guide and then have fun creating your own Avocado Tartare with your local farmers produce.

A few key base ingredients include: a ripe avocado, citrus such as lemon or lime, a few fresh herbs like basil or oregano, a pinch of sea salt to balance the acid of the citrus and fat of the avocado.

Avocado Tartare Recipe

Serves 1

Simple Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 6-8 Romanesco florets (Blue Sky Organic Farm)
- 6-8 Purple cauliflower florets (Blue Sky Organic Farm)
- 3-4 Carrots, rough chopped (Blue Sky Organic Farm, Steadfast Farm)
- 3 orange lunchbox sweet peppers, rough chopped
- 5-6 chrysanthemum leaves (Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain)
- 3-5 stems fresh oregano (Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain)
- 1 fresh lime, juiced
- ¼ tsp capers
- 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
- Pinch sea salt
- Day 2: 6-8 Purple Snap Peas (Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain)
- Garnish: 1 small bunch baby spinach, edible flowers, fresh oregano, dehydrated tomatoes (Day 2)
Avocado Tartare: Farm-to-Table Ingredients

Simple Steps
- Chop all veggies.
Avocado Tartare: Veggies Chopped
- Place all ingredients, except garnish, in a bowl.
Avocado Tartare: Ready to Gently Mix all the Veggies
- Gently mix with a fork.
- Add additional sea salt or lime, to suit your taste.
- Plate, using a ring mold, if desired.
- Garnish with edible flowers, fresh herbs, dehydrated tomatoes, fresh baby spinach.
Avocado Tartare: Plating Mise en Place

Let’s take a look a the plating video…

Now, the final Spring Avocado Tartare, featuring baby spinach.

Simple Beauty: Arizona Spring Avocado Tartare

Another look at the Spring Avocado Tartare…in my 1-week old Elevated Edible Garden.

Farm-to-Table Avocado Tartare, enjoying the Edible Garden.

Spring Avocado Tartare Day 2: Simple Farm-to-Table Ingredients

Avocado Tartare Day 2: Farm-to-Table Fresh Ingredients.

Simple Steps
- Chop all veggies.
Mindfully chop all veggies.
- Place all ingredients, except garnish, in a bowl.
For Avocado Tartare, place veggies in bowl to gently mix.
- Gently mix with a fork.
- Add additional sea salt or lime, to suit your taste.
- Plate and garnish.
All set: Plating Mise en Place

Avocado Tartare Day 2: Plating Mise en Place. Always mindful.

Enjoy the Day 2 plating…different every time.

Food Art: A look at the Day 2 Avocado Tartare elegant plate…

Food Art. Avocado Tartare.

Pause and enjoy your plating. Another beautiful view of the Day 2 Avocado Tartare.

Farm-to-Table Avocado Tartare Day 2: Pause and enjoy the beauty.

Fun. Taking the Avocado Tartare to the tropics…

Avocado Tartare Tropics, for my friends in Barbados.

Interested in learning simple, easy plant-based cooking techniques and enjoy self-care in Fall 2019 (September 13-16, 2019) in the beauty of Sedona? Click to learn more.

To learn more, feel free to call 602.615.2486 or e-mail Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
April 3, 2019
A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Chocolate Avocado Pudding. Arizona Navel Orange.
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
I’m so honored to be presenting monthly cooking classes at the Humana Community Center in Mesa, Arizona. Today’s theme was superfoods. One of my very favorite superfoods is raw cacao, so we prepared the very simple Avocado Chocolate Pudding. We topped the pudding with hydrated goji berries, raw cacao nibs, and hemp seeds. Everyone in the class loved the simplicity of making the pudding, it’s smooth texture and how healthy it is.

A few fun photos from today’s class:

Today I was very fortunate to have a few left-over perfectly ripe avocados. When I returned home from the cooking class, I made a small batch of the Chocolate Avocado Pudding. I had fun mindfully plating it with some of my favorite superfoods and a sweet Arizona navel orange. After the recipe from “A New View of Healthy Eating,” scroll down for today’s dessert creation.

Simple Recipe from “A New View of Healthy Eating”

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Incredible, rich, and creamy vegan chocolate pudding will delight everyone. Make it for dessert or an after-work or after-school snack. Once you’ve made this avocado pudding, experiment by adding some extras, such as bananas, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, homemade nut milk, and freshly ground spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- 4 ripe avocados
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or 2 vanilla beans, scraped
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- 2 cups water
SIMPLE STEPS
1. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender.
2. Blend on high for about 2 minutes.
3. Stop and scrape down sides of blender, if needed.
4. Blend for another 2 minutes or until completely pureed and smooth.
5. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
6. Enjoy topped with fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Avocado Pudding Mise en Place

Blend All Ingredients in Food Processor

Prepare your Plating Mise en Place

Fun Chocolate Pudding Plating

Another look at the final Chocolate Pudding Plate…

Having fun with the raw cacao…maybe a little too much…but tasty!

If you’re interested in learning more simple culinary skills and healthy recipes, Melanie’s book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” is available.

If you’re interested in a Workshop, Cooking Class, Team Building Event, or Retreat, contact Melanie: Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
January 31, 2018
A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Hummus & Avocado Salsa Combo
by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
I love hummus and have been making home-made hummus for years. I always come back to a basic hummus recipe that my company served at the VIP Tailgate Party at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Today, I paired the hummus with a quick avocado salsa prepared with a tomato, celery, lemon, and sea salt.

Make Your Own Hummus: EXPERIENCE NUTRITION^TM Super Simple Organic Hummus

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- ⅓ cup chickpea water
- 3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste or sesame seeds)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp cumin seeds, ground
- ⅛ tsp coriander seeds, ground (seeds from cilantro)
- 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
SIMPLE STEPS
1. Place all ingredients into high-speed blender (such as Vitamix) or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Stream in organic extra virgin olive oil, to taste.
4. After the hummus has been blended, taste and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.
New Culinary with Matthew Kenney Culinary & Plantlab Culinary

In 2017 I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in several culinary courses with Matthew Kenney Culinary and Plantlab Culinary and learned how to plate food more beautifully. One way to take a simple dish to the next level is to use a ring mold. In the hummus and avocado salsa dish, I layered the avocado salsa with hummus in the ring mold to create this simple lunchtime meal.

If you’re interested in purchasing my latest book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” I’m happy to mail a copy to you.

Email

What is your top nutrition or cooking issue?
Thanks!

If your organization is intereested in a cooking workshop, event, or retreat, please let us know your interests. Thanks!

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January 1, 2018
A New View of Healthy Eating: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
About 5 years ago I did not eat avocados; I just didn’t care for them. I think it was because I never tasted a well-prepared avocado. Early this morning I was craving an avocado for breakfast. I’m sure this was a first-time avocado craving. I decided to listen to my body’s cravings and prepared a smoothie. So here it is…

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Mise en Place: Avocado, coconut water, raw cacao powder, goji berries, raw cacao nibs, local Arizona dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Two of my favorite superfoods, that I enjoy every week: organic goji berries & raw cacao nibs.

The creamy, “good-fat” avocado, delicious smoothie. Totally satisfied all my cravings.

The next time you create an intuitive smoothie, paying attention to your cravings, come on over to our Facebook page and post your photo: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

September 28, 2016
A New View of Healthy Eating: Experience Nutrition Organic Avocado Salsa
By Melanie A. Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Author and Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
Today was one of the most exciting days for me, as the first printing of my new book, A New View of Healthy Eating arrived.

The book has been a labor of love and I am so honored to share my philosophies, simple culinary techniques, and recipe guides to encourage you to enjoy shopping for, cooking and eating beautiful healthy food.

Today, I committed to create one of the recipes in the book every day and to post a blog for you. My goal is to inspire you to create a simple, healthy dish and share your creation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

First, I am honored to share a few images of the book with you.

Now, my recipe today was a simple Avocado Salsa, inspired by a huge organic Reed avocado. Reed avocados only grow a few months out of the year and have more of the healthy monounsaturated fat in them, so they are really rich and creamy.

Today’s Avocado Salsa was intuitively created with:
- 1 organic Reed avocado
- Peppers from Maya’s Farm in Phoenix
- A few tomatoes from Abby’s Farm, about 4 miles from my home
- Fresh lemon basil from Maya’s Farm, just a mile from my home
- Garlic from the Community Exchange
- Fresh lemon and sea salt
- Ezekiel wrap
The intuitive Avocado Salsa, as salad and then as a wrap.

I’ll be placing the second order for A New View of Healthy Eating in about a week, after we review for any minor edits. Pre-order today if you’d like to order a copy and be one of the first to experiment with the culinary skills and recipes in the book. You’ll also receive my Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips.

Step 1: Buy the Book

Step 2: Join our list to receive the Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips

First & Last Name

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August 22, 2016
A New View of Healthy Eating: Avocado Salsa Day!
by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
Today my 89 year old Dad chose our card from “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck.”

Avocado Salsa Day

Fortunately, we have a few organic avocados, fresh garlic, dehydrated local Arizona tomatoes in our home as a base for our avocado salsa.

With intuitive cooking, making avocado salsa is so simple:

Intuitive Recipe Guide
- Squeeze ripe avocado into bowl.
- Squeeze ¼ fresh lemon and dash of sea salt on avocado and massage the avocado.
- Add an herb: chopped cilantro or basil.
- Add-in your favorite veggies, such as rainbow carrots, cucumbers, green onions.
- Mix in extras: Olives, sprouted mung beans.
I’ll being going to the Sunseed Coop in Cape Canaveral, FL, to see what extras are available and will make my batch of avocado salsa this evening.

Look forward to seeing photos of your creative avocado salsas on Facebook.

Available Now: “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck.”
December 12, 2015
9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author and Speaker, Certified Health Coach

Kale is the rage with raw salads, kale chips and smoothies. But, what about collard greens? I’m taking a Professional Plant-based Culinary Certification Course with Rouxbe, where we experimented with different ways to prepare kale. As an option, I decided to use some of the same techniques with collard greens.

On top of that, Reed avocados were available at Whole Foods Market this week, so I decided to try one. About 90% of the avocados are grown in California and about 90% of those are Hass avocados. The Reed avocado variety generally grows later in the season, are larger and rounder than Hass avocados, have a thick skin, and contain more monounsaturated fat and thus are creamier than Hass avocados.

Scroll down for the 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens, Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers Recipe
This recipe was inspired by the lemon cucumbers from this week’s farmers market in Ahwatukee Arizona, the Reed avocado and collard greens.

Ingredients
• 3-4 large collard greens leaves, chopped
• 1 Reed avocado
• 1 lemon cucumber
• 4 small heirloom tomatoes
• ½ red pepper
• 3-4 green onions
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• Fresh lemon basil, to taste
• Fresh lemon thyme, to taste
• Sea salt

Simple Steps
• Chop all the vegetables
• Squeeze the avocado into a bowl
• Add collard greens, lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado
• Massage the collard greens for about 3 minutes
• Add the fresh garlic, lemon cucumber, red pepper, green onions and gently toss
• Add the fresh lemon basil and lemon thyme and gently toss
• Enjoy this delicious & refreshing salad

Come on over to our Facebook page, and post your avocado & collard greens creations: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days

August 19, 2014
9 Ways 90 Days: Fats Are Essential

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

Excerpt from “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days step-by-step action plan for healthy eating and living.”

Fats Are Essential

While the media has made us afraid of fats, they are actually required in order for our bodies to function properly. For years during the low fat, no fat craze I thought fats were bad and I stopped eating some of my favorite foods, nuts and olives. Now I’ve learned that fats are good for us and that our bodies require about 30% fats in our diet each and every day, for each and every meal.

9 Ways 90 Days: Fats are Essential

Eating the right fats helps to:

•      Reduce inflammation

•      Reduce risk of heart health

•      Decrease your risk of diabetes

•      Boost brain health

•      Reduce joint pain

Plant based fats like nuts, seeds, avocados and olives are a healthy fat source.

Visit us on Facebook and describe the fats you’ve been eating the last few months.

January 7, 2014