Experience Nutrition

Tag: Cooking Classes

  • Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Cooking Class Experience at The Farm at South Mountain

    Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Cooking Class Experience at The Farm at South Mountain

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    Let’s take a look at the beautiful intuitive Farm-to-Table Winter Harvest Cooking Class with Farmer Billy Anthony and myself at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    We’ve all heard the terms: farm-to-table, eat local, eat with the season, and plant-based.

    This class was truly an authentic farm-to-table plant-based cooking class, right in the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm.

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    The week before the cooking class experience, Billy and I walked through the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm and begin to strategize on food to harvest for the class, including all kinds of roots, greens, herbs, edible flowers, and other surprises.

    Taking into account what would be growing the day of the class, we created the draft menu direction for the class. Since there are quite a few different roots growing we decided the participants would create a few appetizers to enjoy with the roots, along with an intuitive green pesto with the greens of the day! Plus, since one of my very favorite desserts is a raw carrot cake, and carrots are “in season” we decided to add it to the menu.

    Our Arizona Winter Menu Direction

    • Appetizers
      • Green Pesto
      • Hummus
      • Olive Tapenade
    • Roots for “Dipping” : Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Radishes
    • Dessert: Raw Carrot Cake

    The morning of the class, Billy harvested the beautiful fresh produce, including:

    Greens

    • “Hail storm Arugula”
    • Shungiku (Chrysanthemum Greens)
    • Pea Tendrils

    Roots

    • Tropical Black Carrots
    • Mixed Beets: Detroit, Cylindra, Golden
    • Purple Top Turnips
    • Purple Daikon Radishes
    • French Breakfast Radishes
    • Black Spanish Radishes

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    Herbs

    • Micro-cilantro
    • Rosemary
    • Mint

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    Citrus

    • Lemons
    • Grapefruit

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    It was a little dreary in Phoenix the morning of the class, so we decided to hold the class right in the Soil & Seed Garden, where we could stay dry under the roof, in the event of rain. Take a look at how we created our “farm-to-table kitchen set” right in the garden!

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    Billy started the class with a Farm Tour to see where the roots and greens for the culinary creations are growing in the Soil & Seed Garden. And, the “lucky” participants harvested beautiful edible flowers.

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    The Soil & Seed Garden Tour with Lead Grower Billy Anthony
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    Melanie’s view during the Farm Tour, with the just-harvested Shungiku and Arugula.
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    “Lucky” class participants harvesting edible flowers to garnish their culinary creations.

     

    During the hands-on class, Melanie guided our guests to prepare the dishes and to plate them beautifully.

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    In awe, the Tropical Black Carrot Cake. Appetizers: Green Pesto, Tapenade, Hummus. Veggies.
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    Still in awe…the beauty of the Tropical Black Carrot Cake.

    So much creative joy…

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    We then enjoyed the beautiful culinary creations in the beauty of The Farm with our foodie community!

    Raw Carrot Cake Recipe

    Adapted from “A New View of Healthy Eating” by Melanie Albert

    Carrot cake has been a favorite of mine for decades. As much as I love the aromatherapy of cooking raisins with cinnamon and nutmeg for a baked carrot cake, I love the simplicity and freshness of a raw version of carrot cake.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour in water, then rough chopped
      • Do not soak if dates are soft and moist
    • 2 cups carrots, shredded (Tropical Black / Purple Yellow, Orange)
    • 1 ½ cups apple, minced
    • 1 ½ cups raw cashews or pecans, ground into a fine meal
    • ½ tsp cinnamon, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp cardamom, freshly ground
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Raspberries, blueberries, mint, edible flowers, and dehydrated grapefruit, oranges, and apples.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Gather mise en place.
    • Soak dates.
    • Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and combine gently with hands until the mixture forms a ball.
    • Press dough into springform pan.
    • Garnish with berries, mint, dehydrated grapefruit, edible flowers.
    • Refrigerate for an hour.

    Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Pesto

    Simple pesto with local Arizona greens and herbs, enjoyed with Winter root veggies.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup Shungiku (Chrysanthemum Greens)
    • 1 cup “hail storm arugula”
    • ½ cup fresh micro-cilantro
    • 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 tsp lemon zest
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¼ cup Arizona pecans, fresh cracked
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place all ingredients except organic extra virgin olive oil into food processor.
    • Pulse to desired level of thickness.
    • Stream in olive oil little by little until smooth.
    • Taste and add extra garlic, lemon juice, or herbs to create a taste that’s right for you.
    • Enjoy with Arizona Roots

    Enjoy Arizona Herb Pesto.

    Arizona Root Veggies & Edible Flowers

    • Purple Daikon Radishes
    • French Breakfast Radishes
    • Purple Top Turnips
    • Beets: Detroit, Cylindra, Golden
    • Tropical Black Carrots

    2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats

    2020 Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Experiences at The Farm with Lead Grower Billy Anthony and award-winning cookbook author, Melanie Albert.

    Classes held at The Farm at South Mountain, 6101 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona

    To Purchase, click below on the class dates:

    Special One-Time Event

    Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Full Moon Ceremony at the Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert and Patricia Federico

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Fall Radish & Purslane Chopped Salad

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Fall Radish & Purslane Chopped Salad

    by Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, Award-winning Cookbook Author, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    After our long hot summer, our local Arizona farmers are harvesting the early Fall crops. Billy Anthony, Lead Grower at the Soil & Seed Garden, located at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, harvested fresh veggies, herbs, and hibiscus roselle for the first week of the Fall 2019 CSA.

    Soil & Seed Garden, Fall Week 1 CSA. October 19, 2019

    Late beauty at The Farm at South Mountain picking up the first week of the CSA…

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    The Farm at South Mountain. Fall 2019 CSA. Week 1: October 19, 2019.
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    What a beautiful Fall Salad Box. Love the edible flowers.
    • 1 salad box
    • 4 oz lemon basil
    • 1 bunch Sora radish
    • 1 bunch French breakfast radish
    • ½ quart rosemary
    • ¼ quart hibiscus roselle
    • 2-3 eggplant
    • 1 bunch rainbow chard
    • 1 lime
    • 6 pullet eggs

    Radish. Purslane. Swiss Chard Stem Chopped Salad.

    I intuitively created a simple, quick salad inspired by the Soil & Seed Garden early harvest of radishes & Swiss Chard,  with the juicy fresh lime.

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    Simple Ingredients

    • Salad
      • 5-6 radishes, Sora and French breakfast, minced
      • 3-4 Swiss Chard stems, thinly sliced
      • 5-6 stems Purslane, chopped
    • Dressing
      • ½ lime juiced, about ¼ cup
      • 1 tbsp lime zest
      • ½ cup olive oil, twice as much oil as lime
      • 10-12 lemon basil leaves, chopped
      • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Edible flower, sliced radishes, lemon basil leaves
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    Swiss Chard. Lemon Basil. Purslane. Radishes. Lime. Salt. Olive Oil.

    Simple Steps

    Salad Dressing

    • Squeeze lime juice into a small Mason jar.
    • Add twice as much olive oil.
    • Shake.
    • Taste and adjust lime and oil, for balance of acid and fat.
    • Add lemon basil and pinch of sea salt.
    • Shake and use in salad.
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    Simple “Acid Fat Salt” Salad Dressing

    Salad

    • Chop all ingredients.
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    Mise en place…All ingredients in place…for the Radish Purslane Salad.
    • Place radishes, Swiss chard, and purslane into bowl.
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    Mindfully place chopped ingredients into small bowl.
    • Gently toss.
    • Add dressing over the veggies and toss.
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    Gently toss the veggies with the salad dressing.
    • Garnish with edible flowers, radishes, lemon basil leaves.
    • Enjoy!
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    Yum. The simple Chopped Salad.
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    Mindfully enjoying the visual brightness of the salad.
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    The Radish inspired salad with the radishes at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.
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    Thanks so much to Farmer Michael for all the passion and hard working in growing the beautiful food at the Soil & Seed Garden.

    FARM-TO-TABLE PLANT-BASED COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM with Melanie Albert and Farm Operations Manager Billy Anthony

    I am so honored to be leading hands-on intuitive cooking classes at The Farm at South Mountain for the 4th year. For the classes this season, Lead Grower Billy and I will be walking the Soil & Seed Garden the week prior to each class to develop the food strategy for the classes. Billy will harvest the morning of the classes, and you’ll have the opportunity to intuitively prepare dishes, guided by Melanie.

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    The beauty and food art during our Plant-Based Cooking Events at The Farm at South Mountain.

    SEDONA PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT: November 15-18, 2019

    In September 2019, I hosted the first Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreat. Based on the life-changing retreat with incredible cooking, hiking in Sedona, and friendships, I decided to host the next retreat in November. Learn more on www.ExperienceNutrition.com/sedona-retreats/ 

    Or, to answer your questions about the retreats, please feel free to contact me (Melanie Albert): 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com

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    Permelia and Melanie enjoying our Avocado Tartare!
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    Getting started with our mindful chopping for our fresh Tomato Gazpacho and Avocado Tartare.

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    WOW! Yoga at Cathedral Rock. Dreams come true!

  • A New View of Healthy Eating by Melanie Albert: Celebrating National Farmers’ Market Week!

    A New View of Healthy Eating by Melanie Albert: Celebrating National Farmers’ Market Week!

    by Melanie Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Award-winning Author of  cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Eating with Real Whole Foods”, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, in Phoenix, Arizona

    Get inspired at your local farmers market.

    It’s National Farmers Market Week in the USA, and today, as almost always on Saturday, I visited one of my favorite farmers’ markets, the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. This market opened in 2005, just after I moved back to Phoenix and I have to say I’m so glad it did.

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    A few reasons why I love this farmers’ market:

    • Organic Farmers. Three local organic certified small farmers sell their produce at this market. For me, this is key, as I focus on eating organic (no pesticides and no herbicides) and I personally know the farmers and have visited their farms around our Valley of the Sun.
    Hydrate All Day. Every Day.
    • Community. There’s such a sense of friendly community with the vendors and people who visit the market. People who attend the market are true friends with the farmers and are happy to catchup on life and food. Plus, it’s fun to see how much people who attend the market have so much fun meeting other like-minded people at the market. Personal note, today, I met 3 people who work with American Airlines, a pilot and two flight attendants, which was interesting as my Mom was an Airline Stewardess in the 1950’s with American. Small world.

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    • Fun. Going to the farmers’ market is fun. A great place to be on Saturday morning. Once a month, I teach the Taste of the Market Cooking Demo, where I shop the market and then show our Phoenix community how to intuitively prepare fresh, healthy dishes. Plus, the market offers demos including gardening, composting, and today they hosted a Watermelon Eating Contest.

    For my Arizona friends, I’ll be leading the Taste of the Market on August 25, 2018, 10am. Hope to see you!

     

    Interested in learning simple culinary skills and intuitive cooking, purchase my cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods.” I’ll gift wrap and mail a copy to you.

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    Join my Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips FB Group and get daily food and cooking tips.

    Interested in a cooking workshop, team building or corporate wellness event, would love to chat…

     

     

     

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Arizona Winter Harvest Farm-to-Table Intuitive Cooking Class

    by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    I am so honored to do the work I love with such beautiful food grown by our local Arizona Farmers in natural, beautiful places in the Phoenix area.  Last weekend I had the honor to lead a Winter Harvest Farm-to-Table Intuitive Cooking class at The Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix, less than a mile from my home.

    For this class, our culinary focus was an Asian Salad, Veggie Stir-fry, and Hummus. I shopped at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market the day before event (while also leading a Taste of the Market Cooking Demo) and the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm also provided a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share for the class.

    I was so incredibly excited getting set up for the class on our sunny Arizona winter day, immersed in the variety and colors and textures of the food for the class.

    A look at the Farmers’ Market food…

    A look at The Farm at South Mountain CSA, which included all kinds of greens, black radishes, edible flowers, oranges, and pecans.

    I’m also sharing the beautiful “salad in a bowl” from The Farm, fresh and crisp and ready to enjoy with a simple flower.

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    Asian Salad

    We used the Asian Salad Dressing from my book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” as a guide for the dressings. (Scroll down for the recipe guide.) While I often teach how to make a basic salad dressing with an acid (lemon), fat (organic extra virgin olive oil), and sea salt, I have only taught the use of fresh ginger root in a salad a few times. The natural aromatherapy of the ginger really made this dressing fresh and unique.

    A look at two different Asian Salads intuitively created during the class.

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    Winter Harvest Saute

    Our stir-fry (really veggie saute) featured, in order of cooking:

    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Spring green garlic
    • Green onions
    • Red and orange tomatoes
    • Sea salt
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Orange and purple carrots
    • Broccoli
    • Romanesco
    • Sweet lime and orange juices

    Click to get the recipe blog with simple steps for your veggie saute.

    Our final dishes…Asian Salads…Winter Harvest Saute…Garlic Hummus…

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    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”

    Asian Salad with Vibrant Purple Cabbage and Tangy Citrus Ginger Root Dressing

    Make your own gourmet Asian salad with a rainbow of raw organic veggies, your favorite toasted nuts, and intuitively created ginger root dressing.

    Asian Salad: Ginger Salad Dressing: 3 Key Ingredients

    The essential ingredients for a perfect Asian dressing every time are ginger root, a soy flavoring (wheat-free tamari soy sauce or Bragg’s amino acids), and fresh citrus.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1” fresh ginger root
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • ½ cup soy tamari or Bragg’s amino acids
    • ½ orange, juiced
    • ½ fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
    • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
    • 1 tsp local honey
    • ⅓ cup organic extra virgin olive oil

    Simple Steps

    • Finely mince ginger root and garlic.
    • Place in pint-size Mason jar.
    • Add all other ingredients (except olive oil) to jar and shake.
    • Taste and intuitively add ingredients to create your desired flavor.
      • Too much acid: add olive oil
      • Not sweet enough: add honey
      • Too oily: add lemon or lime juice

    The Power of Ginger

    Ginger is a tropical plant whose roots have been used medicinally in Asia for centuries. Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory; it reduces nausea, helps digestion, and is good for colds and flu. A simple way to add fresh ginger to your food is to use it in a salad dressing.

    “The key to a delicious ginger root salad dressing, taste the dressing while you are making it for just the right balance of ginger, citrus, and soy flavor.”

     Asian Rainbow Salad

    Along with a tangy ginger root dressing, a colorful rainbow of raw organic veggies creates a beautiful Asian salad.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 purple cabbage, shredded
    • 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
    • 1 cup carrots, shredded
    • 1 cucumber, julienned (long, thin slices)
    • 1 cup snap peas or snow peas, cut on bias
    • 6 green onions, cut on bias
    • 1 cup red or purple radishes, shredded
    • 1 cup almonds, sliced and dry toasted

    Simple Steps

    • Dry toast (no oil) sliced almonds in small sauté pan on low heat for 5 minutes.
    • Toss all vegetables in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
    • Drizzle the Asian salad dressing on the vegetables and gently toss.
    • Top with dry toasted almonds.
    • Enjoy!

    Finally, we created a very simple basic Hummus, just like the Hummus served at the VIP Tailgate Party at the Superbowl XLIV in Miami. Today’s hummus intuitively featured lots of fresh garlic. Click for Hummus recipe.

    Hope you enjoy your local farmers’ produce with simple culinary skills and intuitive cooking. For additional ideas, Melanie Albert’s cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating” is available.’’

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Arizona Winter Harvest Bowl The Beauty of Local Farmers’ Food

    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

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    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.

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    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.

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    • 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

    PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Add Intuitive Cooking to your Life

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Add Intuitive Cooking to your Life

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    For the last several years  I‘ve had the honor to lead cooking classes with intuitive cooking with many different venues and organizations,  including The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Gregory’s Fresh Market, and private cooking classes and events.

    In light of my passion about food and intuitive cooking, I am thrilled to be featured in the Fall 2017 issue of Edible Phoenix, in the fun article by Sharon Salomon “Try Your Hand at Intuitive Cooking: Step Away from the Recipe!”

     

    Sharon and I are in-sync with our cooking styles. I especially enjoy her thoughts on looking into the refrigerator:

    “When it comes time to prepare dinner, I open the fridge, stand in front of it (yes, with the door open) thinking. Then I start taking out this and that. I’ve been doing this long enough that I know what goes together…” Sharon Salomon

    My take on intuitive cooking from “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”

    Cook with Intuition. With intuitive cooking, we use recipes as guides. We first learn simple, basic culinary methods and techniques (such as raw, steaming, or roasting) to prepare real whole foods with recipes as our guide. Naturally, over time, we learn to trust our own intuition to cook foods we desire using cooking techniques we’ve learned. Over time, you will not need to rely on recipes; you’ll trust yourself and your culinary skills to create your own healthy dishes with local, seasonal food.

    For instance, we learn the culinary technique to steam carrots in a bamboo steamer and use our recipe to finish the carrots with walnut oil, toasted cumin seeds, fresh lemon juice, parsley, and a pinch of sea salt. After learning the bamboo steamer technique to quickly steam veggies, we cook other steamed vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and peapods) and finish them with different oils, spices, and fresh herbs.

    “With intuitive cooking we also naturally cook more mindfully, meditatively enjoying the rhythm of chopping veggies or the mindfulness of massaging kale or grating fresh spices.”

    Hope you can join our community at the next intuitive Cooking Class, Winter Harvest Farm-to-Table, at The Farm at South Mountain on December 3, 2017, 11am-1:30pm. We’ll tour the beautiful Garden at The Farm and intuitively prepare Winter Veggie Stir-fry, Bamboo Steamer Carrots, and Winter Root Soup.  It will be a fun class to attend with a group of friends! Also, one lucky participate will receive a copy of my book, “A New View of Healthy Eating.”

    Click here to register for the class.

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Reader’s Digest: How to Get Started on a Raw Diet this Summer

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Reader’s Digest: How to Get Started on a Raw Diet this Summer

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    A few months ago, The Farm at South Mountain and I had the honor to host a fun hands-on Intuitive Cooking Class for Visit Phoenix, Visit Mesa, travel and food bloggers, and the media.

    As a result of this memorable cooking class, blogger and writer, Fiona Tapp featured our class and my thoughts on Raw Food in the Reader’s Digest article: 9 Things to Know If You’re Thinking About Starting a Raw Food Diet This Summer.

    Get tips to Go Raw this Summer in the article.

    Reader’s Digest: Raw Food this Summer

    Enjoy a few photos from our fun cooking class at The Farm.

     

     

     

    Purchase Today!    “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods.”

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Bamboo Steamer Veggies

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Bamboo Steamer Veggies

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    During the last few weeks, we’ve been steaming quite a few veggies with a bamboo steamer at cooking classes and demos in the Phoenix area. Some of the venues include The Farm at South Mountain, the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (tomorrow, April 19), and with my 12-year old niece Meredith, while working on our Kids Cookbook.

    To me, steaming veggies in a bamboo steamer has become part of my everyday life over the last few years, but I’ve learned that so many people have never used a bamboo steamer. Thus, this blog focuses on the process of a cooking with a bamboo steamer and some of the different creations people have had fun making during recent classes.

    Take a look at the bamboo steamer veggies from recent cooking classes and events. We have 2 more hands-on Intuitive Cooking Experience classes at The Farm this season: April 23. 11am-1pm and May 21, 10am-noon. You can call me at 602.615.2486 to register for the May class.

    Spring Farm-to-Table Intuitive Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

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    For the upcoming Kids Cookbook: Created by Meredith, my 12-year old niece.Will post a separate blog on her creating and finishing process. By the way, the next Kids Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain (the last class of the season) is May 6, 2017, 11:30am-12:30pm. Not yet on the calendar, so you can register by calling me directly: 602.615.2486 

    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”

    Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing

    Bamboo Steamer Carrots

    A bamboo steamer is key to the new view of the year-round healthy eating kitchen. First, learn to steam carrots with the mindful process of steaming. Once you learn how to steam carrots, use your bamboo steamer to steam all kinds of veggies. Try a rustic medley of roots such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and golden beets. Or quickly cook butternut squash and pumpkin as the base for a warm fall soup. Also, experiment with steaming a mix of spring veggies like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kale.

    Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing

    Finishing carrots with a simple herb and citrus dressing adds richness to the simple carrot. Enjoy creating a cumin seed lemon dressing by toasting cumin seeds for added flavor and aromatherapy, lightly tossing the carrots by hand with the dressing and mindfully plating your carrots. Enjoy!

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 6-8 large carrots, rainbow if available, sliced
    • ½ tsp cumin seeds
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
    • ½ fresh lemon
    • 2-3 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

    SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Steam Carrots
    • To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
    • Place sliced carrots into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the carrots so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook the carrots. Sprinkle carrots with a pinch of sea salt.
    • Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
    • Test the carrots for doneness. When carrots easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
    • Once the carrots have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.
    1. Cumin Seed Lemon Finishing Dressing
    • While the carrots are steaming, prepare the finishing dressing.
    • To toast the cumin seeds, heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the seeds to the pan and cook lightly until fragrant. Once done, remove the seeds from the pan.
    • To make the dressing, gather the lemon and oil, and roughly chop the parsley.
    • Squeeze the lemon juice on the carrots and drizzle with the oil. Gently toss with your hands to coat. Add the toasted cumin seeds and sprinkle with a little salt. Add the parsley and toss again.
    • Mindfully plate and enjoy.

    Learn more about simple intuitive cooking in my new book, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Kids Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain: Recipes! Part 1: Spring Cold Soup

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Kids Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain: Recipes! Part 1: Spring Cold Soup

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    What a fun kids cooking class at The Farm at South Mountain. First, it is such an honor and so much fun to guide the kids how to prepare amazing, simple dishes with simple local, organic, farmers’ market goodies. Second, thanks so much to The Farm for the honor to teach hands-on intuitive cooking classes in your beautiful venue.

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    In this 1-hour class, the girls and boys aged 9-14, prepared a cold soup with local Arizona tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, fresh lemons, garlic, and salt. Then they prepared their own version of hummus with lots of fresh, locally grown herbs, and made it into a wrap with bamboo steamed collard greens. Finally, the kids had so much fun beautifully, creativity plating their creations.

    Enjoy the fun photos from the class and then have fun creating your own cold soup and hummus with your own seasonal produce.

    The calm…our set for the Kids Cooking at The Farm…all ready for the kids with local, organic goodies from the Old Town Scottsdale Market, Singh Farms, Abby Lee Farms, and fresh herbs from Daddy’s Gourmet.

    I think the kids in the cooking class had the most fun massaging the tomatoes for the cold soup and beautifully plating their culinary creations. They also enjoyed munching on fresh strawberries and refreshing cucumbers.

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    Take a look at these amazing culinary creations and notice the joy of the kids!

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    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods,” by Melanie A. Albert

    Summertime Tomato Gazpacho Cold Soup

    A fresh, cold tomato gazpacho is refreshing, especially on warm days. Make this quick cold tomato soup with red, orange, and yellow tomatoes and red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers for a bright summer side dish. Be sure to try the beautiful (some may think ugly) heirloom tomatoes. If you are fortunate enough to purchase a whole flat of really ripe organic tomatoes, make a big batch of tomato gazpacho for a summertime picnic.

    Simple Ingredients: Soup

    • 10 medium tomatoes, cut into eighths
    • 4 red, orange, yellow, and/or green bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped
    • 3 cucumbers, rough chopped
    • 2 jalapeno or Anaheim peppers, seeded and rough chopped
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    • ½ cup fresh lime juice
    • 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
    • Up to 2 cups water, if needed
    • Sea salt and pepper, to taste

    Simple Ingredients: Topping

    • 4 tbsp cucumber, small diced
    • 4 tbsp tomato, small diced
    • 4 tsp cilantro leaves

    Simple Steps

    • Place all soup ingredients in a large bowl.
    • Mix well.
    • Puree half of the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. In the kids class, the kids massaged the tomatoes rather than blending them.
    • Combine pureed soup with chopped veggies.
    • Taste and season with sea salt and/or pepper.
    • Top with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro.
    • Enjoy!
    • Refrigerate leftover gazpacho soup and enjoy the next day for an even more flavorful soup.

    If you are interested in learning simple culinary skills, whole foods recipes, and ultimately cooking intuitively, my book, “A New View of Healthy Eating,” is available.

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Cooking Class Video

    A New View of Healthy Eating: A look at an Intuitive Cooking Experience Cooking Class.

    Thanks to Maya’s Farm, Phoenix Public Market, and The Farm at South Mountain.

    Interested in having Melanie A. Albert speak at your next event?

    Melanie has been speaking to groups and organizations for over a decade. She is an expert in intuitive cooking and nutrition and has spoken to thousands of people in Arizona and across the US.

    Author of A New View of Healthy Eating, Melanie believes that healthy eating begins with the food we choose to eat and extends to our shopping cooking, and eating experiences. The key philosophies are:

    • Eat real whole foods.
    • Shop local and in season.
    • Enjoy intuitive shopping.
    • Cook with intuition.
    • Eat mindfully.
    • Enjoy food and life.

    Clients & Partners

    Melanie has served as a speaker, workshop, cooking classes, and retreat leader for many organizations including the City of Phoenix, Maricopa Library District, NFL Alumni Association, NFL Hall of Fame Players Classic, The First Tee of Phoenix, Future for Kids, Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Kids Camp, Phoenix Youth Sports Day, Gregory’s Fresh Market, Marquette General Hospital, Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery, Sedona Women’s Retreat, Flores Wealth Management, Whole Foods Market, Chandler, AZ, Earth Day Phoenix, Food Day Phoenix, The Farm at South Mountain, Valley Permaculture Alliance, Phoenix Public Market, Harmony Hotel in Nosara, Costa Rica, Spirt of Yoga, and the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

    Speaking Topics

    Melanie’s workshops and cooking classes are fun, interactive and always delicious. In the workshops enjoy interactive cooking experiences, simple culinary techniques, nutrition tips, and mindfully enjoy the organic whole food creations.

    Speaking topics, with intuitive cooking class or demo include:

    • A New View of Healthy Eating
    • Intuitive Cooking with the Season
    • Unique Simple Ways to Enjoy Veggies
    • Avocado Veggie Salsa
    • Organic Raw Kale Salad
    • Roots & Greens Stir-fry
    • Raw Salads, Cold Soup & Hummus
    • Healthy Vegan Desserts
    • Hydration & Smoothies

    For more information, or to hire Melanie for your next event, call 602.615.2486 or e-mail Mel@MelanieAlbert.com

    Visit Melanie online at:

    www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    @nutritionauthor.com

    www.EXPNutrition.com

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    A New View of Healthy Eating Book Available NOW!

     

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Veggie Stir-fry with Roots & In-season Produce

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    I decided to blog about a stir-fry as I will be teaching the simple steps to prepare a stir-fry (really a saute). this weekend, Sunday, December 11, 2016, in a Holiday Intuitive Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain.

    Stir-fries are so simple and can be cooked year-round with different veggies, creating a variety of seasonal textures, colors, and flavors. This week I created a simple saute of local Arizona tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and added olives and capers, to create a sauce for my flatbread.

    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Veggie Stir-Fry with Roots and In-Season Produce

    One of my favorite ways to cook all kinds of vegetables, including roots, is a simple stir-fry (really a simple sauté) with what’s seasonally available from local farmers. The beautiful veggies available during the first week of my winter 2016 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Maya’s Farm at the Farm at South Mountain, only a mile from my Phoenix home, inspired this intuitive stir-fry.

    To create a simple veggie stir-fry, chose a few local in-season veggies, some roots and some greens. This stir-fry was inspired by the baby bok choy and fresh green garlic in my CSA. Added to the stir-fry were other veggies from local farmers, along with sun-dried tomatoes and capers. During the middle of the stir-fry, I decided to de-glaze the pan with fresh lemon and to add local Arizona citrus to the dish.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • Organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Green garlic
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Carrots
    • Cauliflower
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Capers
    • Asparagus
    • Baby bok choy
    • Sea salt
    • Fresh lemon

    SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Gather your mise en place.
    2. Pre-heat sauté pan on medium-high.
    3. Pour organic extra virgin olive oil into the pan.
    4. Add the aromatics (green garlic) and cook a few minutes.
    5. Toss in veggies you’d like to brown a little (Brussels sprouts).
    6. Add dense vegetables that need to cook a bit longer (carrots, cauliflower).
    7. Toss in extras (sun-dried tomatoes, capers).
    8. Add vegetables that do not need to cook very long (asparagus, bok choy).
    9. Enjoy!

    What’s the Difference: Sauté vs. Stir-fry

    Sautéing and stir-frying are similar dry-heat cooking methods to cook food quickly. Small, bite-size pieces of food are stirred or tossed and quickly cooked over high heat. With sautéing, usually a pan or skillet is used; with a stir-fry, traditionally a wok is used.  With stir-frying, the heat is higher and the action is faster with the food continuously tossed and stirred.

    “Have fun preparing quick, delicious veggie stir-fries with a few simple steps. The key is to be organized. Pre-chop all your ingredients and set up your mise en place (all ingredients in place) for your cooking before you start stir-frying.”

    SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT:  Purchase from November 25, 2016 – January 1, 2017

    $75 Healthy Cooking Gift Certificate: Local First Arizona

    A New View of Healthy Eating new cookbook, by Intuitive Cooking Expert, Melanie A. Albert, and one 2-hour Intuitive Cooking Experience Cooking Class.

    • Book gift-wrapped and mailed (free shipping) to your family or friends.
    • Unique hands-on interactive plant-based cooking class features local Arizona farmers’ organic produce. Learn natural culinary skills and enjoy mindfully eating your creations with community.
    • Your choice of 5 monthly cooking classes held in the South Mountain area January through May 2017.
    • Gift Certificate expires May 31, 2017.

    Purchase $75 Holiday Gift Certificate Today!

     Gift Certificate Details

    3 Steps to Redeem Healthy Cooking Gift Certificate

    Step 1: Healthy Cooking Gift Certificate

    • Gift Certificate will be mailed to purchaser address in PayPal receipt.

    Step 2: Fill out the following information for A New View of Healthy Eating book, to be shipped to your family or friend.

    Step 3: Gift Certificate Recipient makes their reservation for the Intuitive Experience Cooking Class.

    • Choose your date for one of the 5 monthly classes (January – May 2017) in the South Mountain, Arizona area.
    • Classes will be held at The Farm at South Mountain, 11am-1pm on January 22, February 19 and March 19. (6106 South 32nd Street, Phoenix; Between Southern and Baseline)
    • Stay up-to-date on class dates and locations for April and May here at www.EXPNutrition.com
    • Confirm your class selection by e-mailing Mel@MelanieAlbert.com. Thanks so much!

    Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you at the Intuitive Cooking Experience class!  Melanie Albert

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Fall 2016 Intuitive Cooking Classes & Book Signings

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Fall is such a beautiful time in Arizona, with our “cooler” weather (less than 100 degrees!), beautiful fresh air, and Fall farmers’ markets opening for the season.

    To keep you up-to-date, I’ll be teaching a few intuitive cooking classes (at The Farm at South Mountain and the Downtown Phoenix Public Market), and will be at Food Day Phoenix and several yoga (Yoga Rocks the Park) and holistic (Southwest Institute of Healing Arts) events, featuring culinary demos and book signings of A New View of Healthy Eating. Look forward to seeing you soon!

    Fall 2016 Events (Scroll down for more details and to register)

    Intuitive Cooking Experience Classes

    • Sunday, October 9, 2016, 11am-1pm, Intuitive Cooking Experience at The Farm at South Mountain
    • Saturday, October 15, 2016, 9-11am, A New Look at Shopping & Cooking at the Phoenix Public Market, Fall 2016

    Farmers’ Market Fresh Culinary Demos & Book Signings

    • Sunday, October 16 & 30, 2106, 9am-noon, Yoga Rocks the Park, Indiana School Park, Phoenix 2016
    • Sunday, October 23, 2016, noon-6pm, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, 20th Annual Holistic Health Gathering: A Celebration of Mind, Body & Spirit
    • Saturday, October 29, 2016, 9am-2pm,  5th Annual Food Day Phoenix 2016
    • Sunday, November 6, 2016, Yoga Rocks the Park, A New View of Healthy Eating Book Signing, Spirit of Yoga

    Sunday, October 9, 2016, 11am-1pm, Intuitive Cooking Experience at The Farm at South Mountain

    Want to learn how to cook with different farmer-fresh organic ingredients? Do you receive your produce from your CSA or the farmers’ market and are puzzled on how to cook with them?

    Learn how to cook with any kind of local, seasonal veggies with the skill of intuitive cooking. During the experience you will learn culinary skills such as making simple lentil veggie soup, unique salad with what’s in season, a perfect herbal salad dressing, and a quick hummus to enjoy with farm fresh organic veggies. Once you intuitively create your dishes, you’ll enjoy mindfully eating your beautiful creations with community in the beauty of The Farm.

    After your intuitive cooking experience, head to Maya’s Farm Stand to buy your own organic produce to create your own meals.

    6106 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ

    Click Here to Purchas your Ticket Price $45 per person

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    Saturday, October 15, 2016, 9-11am, A New Look at Shopping & Cooking at the Phoenix Public Market, Fall 2016

    Enjoy hands-on interactive cooking demonstrations with farmers’ market fresh produce. Learn what to look for while shopping at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Learn simple culinary skills, the intuitive cooking method, and enjoy dining on the food you prepared with friends and community.

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    721 N. Central Ave, Phoenix (Central and McKinley)

    $10 fee to cover the cost of materials for each class.  CLICK TO REGISTER

    Sunday, October 16 & 30, 2106, 9am-noon, Yoga Rocks the Park, Indiana School Park, Phoenix

    A New View of Healthy Eating book signing and farmers’ market cooking demo with culinary tips.

    • 300 E Indian School Road, Donation-based event.
    • 9:00am Registration and Vendor Village Opens
    • 9:20am: AcroBody Demo
    • 10:00am Yoga Practice

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    Sunday, October 23, 2016, noon-6pm, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, 20th Annual Holistic Health Gathering: A Celebration of Mind, Body & Spirit

    1100 East Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ, Free event!

    Culinary Demos with farmer’s market fresh produce. Book signing with my new book, “A New View of Healthy Eating.”

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    Saturday, October 29, 2016, 9am-2pm,  5th Annual Food Day Phoenix 2016

    Eastlake Park and Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 15th Street and Jefferson Street

    Free event!

    Honored to be participating in the 5th Annual Food Day Phoenix celebrating healthy, natural and sustainable food. Enjoy food, fun and live music in a family-oriented atmosphere. I’ll be showcasing local, organic food with simple culinary techniques. Plus, book signing.

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    Sunday, November 6, 2016, Yoga Rocks the Park, A New View of Healthy Eating Book Signing

    Spirit of Yoga, Tempe City Center, 1420 E. Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ

    Donation-based event.

    • 9:00am Registration and Vendor Village Opens
    • 9:20am: AcroBody Demo
    • 10:00am Yoga Practicea-yogarockspark-soy-en-img_2184

    If you’d like to pre-order A New View of Healthy Eating prior to attending the events, you can purchase right here.

    Please join our e-mail list to stay up-to-date with culinary tips, recipes, cooking classes and events.