Tag: Experience Nutrition

  • Experience Nutrition Recipe: Arizona Cucumber Summer Salad

    Experience Nutrition Recipe: Arizona Cucumber Summer Salad

    This fresh summer salad was inspired by the pickling cucumbers purchased at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. When I purchased the cucumbers I was planning on making some quick pickles. Instead, I ended up enjoying them as a raw snack and this fresh salad.

    Enjoy the video of the salad…from farmers market to table…

    Chopped Cucumber Salad

    Inspired by the beauty of the cucumber…

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 small cucumber (Crooked Sky Farm)
    • 1 tomato (Crooked Sky Farm)
    • 1green pepper (Crooked Sky Farm)
    • 1 green onion
    • 1 cup yellow beans (Steadfast Farm)

    Simple Steps

    • Slice all veggies in unique shapes and sizes.

    Basil Garlic Lime Dressing

    Simple Ingredients

    • ½ lime, juiced
    • 2 tbsp organic extra olive oil
    • 3-4 basil stems (Melanie’s garden)
    • 1 garlic clove, minced (Blue Sky Organic Farm)
    • Pinch sea salt

    Simple Steps

    • Place all ingredients into small blender.
    • Blend until desired level of smoothness.

    Dress the Salad

    • Place all chopped ingredients into a medium bowl.
    • Pour dressing over the veggies.
    • Gently toss to coat all veggies with the dressing.

    Salad Food Art

    • Plating Mise en Place: Mindfully gather the salad, garnish, and bowl for plating

    • Mindfully plate the chopped cucumber salad with extra slices of cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
    • Enjoy!

    Another view…the beauty of the Cucumber Salad

    As you may be aware I am getting ready to announce “The 5-Day Beautiful Food Art Challenge”.

    If you’d like to be included in our e-mail to learn more about the Challenge, please fill in your Name and E-Mail below. Thanks!

  • Experience Nutrition Recipe: Asian Salad & Ginger Citrus Dressing.

    Experience Nutrition Recipe: Asian Salad & Ginger Citrus Dressing.

    I’m so honored to share simple, beautiful cooking classes with Humana in Mesa, Arizona, for the last few years. This week, our focus was on “High Fiber Foods” with a tasty, simple-to-prepare Asian Salad with Citrus Ginger Root Dressing.

    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.

    A quick peek at the set at Humana, with my short Facebook Live.

    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, minced
    • 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 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

    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 or sliced
    • 2 cups Bok Choy, sliced
    • 1 cup carrots, shredded
    • 1 cucumber, julienned (long, thin slices)
    • 1 cup snap peas or snow peas, cut on bias (Note: not have snap or snow peas)
    • 6 green onions, cut on bias
    • 1 cup red, purple, or watermelon radishes, sliced
    • 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!

    Happy to share with you the beautiful, colorful, simple-to-prepare Asian Salad. At Humana, we all really enjoyed the freshness of the dish and the ginger-rich dressing.

    And, I was so fortunate to enjoy left-overs with my sunset…

    Hope you enjoy creating your version of an Awesome Asian Salad.

    Please share your creations with us on our new Instagram @plantbasedfoodart and Facebook www.facebook.com/plantbasedfoodart

    I’m excited to announce that Experience Nutrition is now offering exciting Beautiful Food Art Challenges…

    If you’d like to hear about the next Challenge, please fill in your Name and Email.

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: NEW Recipe! Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce CSA Recipe #66

    Experience Nutrition: NEW Recipe! Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce CSA Recipe #66

    Happy to share with you this week’s (01.30.2021) recipe intuitively created with the CSA from The Farm at South Mountain, right here in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.

    WOW Recipe 66!

    Every week when I pick up the CSA at The Farm, I pause and enjoy the calm, grounded beauty.

    Beautiful Kale at The Farm at South Mountain.

    GRAFFITI CAULIFLOWER ROASTED & SAUCE

    I am in awe of the beauty of the beautiful purple Graffiti Cauliflower and also love carrots! Hope you enjoy this recipe to enjoy the cauliflower two ways: Roasted and the new Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce.

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Roast the veggies.
    2. Make the sauce.
    3. Mindfully plate.

    ROAST CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS & GARLIC

    Roast the veggies and garlic for the sauce. Save some of the cauliflower and the carrots to enjoy with the sauce.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 3 cups cauliflower: graffiti and cheddar
    • 7-8 carrots, sliced lengthwise
    • 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    Carrots. Graffiti & Cheddar Cauliflower. Meyer Lemon. Garlic.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice veggies.
    Slice all veggies and get set to cook.
    • One type of food at a time, place carrots and cauliflower into small bowl. Toss with olive oil and sea salt.
    • Place carrots and cauliflower (not touching) onto parchment-lined sheet pan.
    Cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt. On parchment-lined sheet pan.
    Carrots ready to roast.
    • Place garlic on pan (touching to stay moist).
    • Roast 12 minutes.
    • Flip the veggies.
    • Roast another 12-15 minutes.

    GRAFFITI CAULIFLOWER SAUCE.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 cups roasted graffiti cauliflower
    • 4-5 roasted garlic cloves
    • 3 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce Mise en Place.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place all ingredients, except olive oil into food processor.
    Cauliflower Sauce: All ingredients into the food processor.
    • Process for about 2-3 minutes.
    • Scrape sides, as needed.
    • Stream in olive oil and process for another minute.
    Cauliflower Sauce. Process. Then stream in olive oil. Process again.
    Food Art: The beauty of roasted carrots and cauliflower. Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce.

    MINDFUL PLATING

    • Place Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce on the plate.
    • Top with the roasted carrots, extra cauliflower.
    • Garnish with the sesame seeds and calendula edible flowers.
    Graffiti Cauliflower Plating Mise en Place

    ENJOY

    Enjoy the simple beauty of the Cauliflower Carrot Food Art.

    One more look at the Graffiti Cauliflower Food Art Dish.

    Pause. Enjoy.

    To stay in touch, join us on our our new Plant-Based Food Art Facebook page for daily inspiration, food art, and please feel free to ask any plant-based farm-to-table questions. CLICK HERE FOR THE FACEBOOK PAGE

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain Recipe 62: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain Recipe 62: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta

    Happy to share with you Recipe 62 for The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I’m so honored to create recipes with the beautiful produce, herbs, and edible flowers our local Arizona farmers grow.

    This week’s recipe was inspired by The Farm’s cauliflower and cauliflower greens and peppers. Make a simple, delicious sauté to enjoy with pasta or even brown rice or quinoa. For this dish, I enjoyed the saute with a local Arizona chickpea pasta.

    The beauty of edible calendulas growing at The Farm at South Mountain.

    Cauliflower Saute Recipe

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Sauté the veggies.
    2. Cook the pasta.
    3. Mindfully plate your dish.

    Recipe Serves 2

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup cauliflower
    • 2-3 cauliflower leaves
    • 3 peppers
    • 3 small tomatoes
    • ½ white onion
    • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
    • ¼ cup Kalamata olives
    • 1 tsp capers
    • 5 spring fresh dill
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    Veggie Saute Ingredients
    Chop the Veggies. Mise en Place.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Slice all veggies.
    • Pre-heat saute pan on medium.
    • Add olive oil to coat bottom of saute pan.
    • Add onions to pan. Saute 4-5 minutes.
    • Add garlic. Saute 1 minute.
    • Add peppers. Saute 2 minutes.
    • Add tomatoes. Saute 2 minutes.
    • Add pinch sea salt.
    • Add cauliflower, olives, and capers. Cover pan. Saute 5-6 minutes.
    • Add dill. Saute 1 minute.
    • Add cauliflower greens. Saute 2 minutes.

    Mindful Plating

    Mise en Place: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta.

    Enjoy plating the veggie saute with pasta.

    • Toss pasta with a drizzle of olive oil.
    • Plate the sautéed veggies with the pasta.
    • Garnish with fresh dill and calendula flowers.

    Enjoy your Cauliflower Saute. Pasta dish!

    The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipoe 62: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta.

    Hope you are enjoying the recipes intuitively created for the CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Please fill in the form if you are interested in a Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Experience for your organization. Right now we are offering fun, virtual “cook-along” experiences.

     

     

     

     

  • Natural Awakenings Magazine: “Create Food Art with Winter Veggie Flatbread”

    Natural Awakenings Magazine: “Create Food Art with Winter Veggie Flatbread”

    Experience Nutrition In the Media!

    So humbled and honored to be featured in the media over the years. And, really excited to start 2021 with two beautiful, very appreciated highlights in our Arizona publications. And, thrilled to shoot a farm-to-table cooking tv segment with the nationally syndicated tv show The List and with the City of Peoria in 2020.

    Natural Awakenings, January 2021: “Create Food Art with Sprouted Spelt Arizona Winter Veggie Flatbread.”

    I’ve been writing plant-based farm-to-table recipe articles for the Natural Awakenings Magazine for a few years, and am happy to share with you the January 2021 article: “Create Food Art with Sprouted Spelt Arizona Winter Veggie Flatbread.”

    This article highlights the philosophy of the new Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Movement and features one of my favorite, fun-to-prepare, delicious meals: Farm-to-Table Veggie Flatbread. Thanks so much to editor Tracy Patterson for the opportunities to showcase beautiful food ideas on your publication.

    Click to read the January 2021 Natural Awakenings and the full article (page 28).

    Click to enjoy the video on the Experience Nutrition You Tube Channel.

    Please fill our the form if you’d like to interview Melanie Albert or include a recipe article for your media or organization.

     

  • FrontDoors Magazine: Kitchen Doors: Local First: Experience Nutrition

    FrontDoors Magazine: Kitchen Doors: Local First: Experience Nutrition

    Totally honored to be featured in the January 2021 issue of FrontDoors “Kitchen Doors” with Local First Arizona, who I’m humbled to work along side in sharing healthy plant-based farm-to-table meals and education with our community.

    Humbled to be featured along side incredible foodie leaders in Arizona: Sasha Raj or 24 Carrots, New Restaurant Cielo at Adero, and Chef Charleen Badman of FnB and the Blue Watermelon Project.

    Thanks so much to writer Shoshana Leon for reaching out to me to be included in this special article.

    Click to see the entire FrontDoors magazine and the article on page 40.

    FrontDoors, January 2021; Local First: Experience Nutrition.
    Thanks FrontDoors! What an honor to see my beautiful “Food Art” photo in the Table of Contents.

     

     

    Please fill out the form if you’d like to discuss interviewing Melanie Albert, the Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition for your media.

  • The List TV Show: Cook with Banana Peels. Yes, Really!

    The List TV Show: Cook with Banana Peels. Yes, Really!

    The List TV Show: 3 Ways to Cook with Banana Peels. Yes, Really! January, 21, 2020

    So honored to prepare fun “healthy dishes” on the nationally syndicated tv show, The List, with incredible co-host Segun Oduolowu. So much fun to cook together and create fun, beautiful, tasty dishes.

    Thanks so much to producer Jacqui Denker for the opportunities to work together. Also, so much fun and I love your creative ideas for the segments.

    Enjoy this segment with Banana Peel Beet Burgers and Banana Bread.

    Click to watch the segment!

    Please fill out the form if you’d like to collaborate together with plant-based farm-to-table food art tv segments, recipes, or articles.

  • TV Segment: Farm-toTable Cooking: SustainableU City of Peoria,

    TV Segment: Farm-toTable Cooking: SustainableU City of Peoria,

    Farm-toTable Cooking TV Segment: SustainableU City of Peoria, October 7, 2020.

    For several years I’ve been hosting farm-to-table cooking demos and experiences with the Sustainable U Program with the City of Peoria.

    With the Covid-19 Pandemic, rather than in-person cooking experiences, I’m honor to share plant-based cooking with our community via the tv cooking segment.

    Click to get some ideas from the TV Segment to learn about the foods for your immune system and how to create 3 beautiful plant-based farm-to-table salads.

    Oh my…I think it was around 112 degrees when I arrived at the Peoria Channel 11 studio.
    All set for the TV Shoot. Beautiful food, thanks to our local Arizona farmers.
    The sign of the times…Coronavirus Pandemic 2020.
    Eat local!

    Please fill out the form if you’d like to collaborate on plant-based farm-to-table media opportunities.

  • Experience Nutrition: Beautiful Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes by Melanie Albert, as seen in Natural Awakening’s Arizona Magazine

    Experience Nutrition: Beautiful Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes by Melanie Albert, as seen in Natural Awakening’s Arizona Magazine

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

    I am so honored to create recipes for the November 2018 issue of Natural Awakening’s Arizona magazine. It has been a dream of mine to cook “my” recipes in a magazine in a cooking class. I’m excited that we will be creating the Fall Thanksgiving recipes in a fun, interactive hands-on cooking class on November 18, 2018, 11am-1pm,  at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix.

    A-NaturalAwakenings_Nov-18-IMG_8420

    Four Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes

    The recipes in the article and cooking class are inspired by our local Arizona farmers Fall produce, especially, the Squash Soup, and one of my very favorite desserts, the Sweet Potato Brownie.

    1. Appetizer: Kalamata Olive Tapenade
    2. Side Dish: Winter Squash Ginger Soup
    3. Side Dish: Sweet Potato Brussels Sprouts Fall Veggie Saute
    4. Dessert: Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownie and Goji Berries (PHOTO CREDIT: Cassie Hepler)

    In today’s blog, I’m sharing the step-by-step process to prepare the Tapenade, which has been a favorite at several cooking classes this month. Plus, you’ll see the process to create the soup and a fun plating video. Enjoy!

    Kalamata Olive Tapenade

    Enjoy refreshing tapenade with local Arizona veggies. This rich appetizer is an update to the olive trays that our family enjoyed with holiday meals when I was a kid. When you make your tapenade, have fun experimenting with a variety of olives and mindfully plate with favorite veggies from your farmers’ market.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rough chopped
    • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and rough chopped
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley
    • 1/4 cup capers
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley
    • ¼ – 1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

    Extras for Plating

    • 1 cucumber, sliced
    • 9-10 dehydrated tomato slices
    • 2-3 red or purple radishes, thinly sliced
    • 2 green onions, sliced on the bias
    • 2 Tbsp goji berries, re-hydrated in water for 10 minutes

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Gather your mise en place
    • Mince garlic
    • Rough chop the sun-dried tomatoes, soak in water to re-hydrate 5-10 minutes
    • In a food processor, pulse garlic and olives until fine, not paste-like
    • Remove the olive and garlic mixture from the food processor.
    • Place sun-dried tomatoes in food processor and process until fine.
    • Add capers and parsley and pulse a few times.
    • Place olive/garlic mixture and sun-dried tomatoes/capers/parsley mixture into a bowl and mix with a fork.
    • Add olive oil until you reach desired consistency.
    • Enjoy the tapenade on cucumbers with a few extra veggies from your local farmers.

    A-EN-NA-Nov-Photo-02-Tapenade-2-AA-thisone-top-IMG_5145


    Winter Squash Ginger Soup

    Yields: 4 servings

    Create your Thanksgiving soup with local Winter Squash such as red kabocha or butternut, delicata, or even pumpkins. I especially love the sweetness of red kabocha, which contrasts to the green kabocha with has a more savory flavor. While cooking your soup enjoy the mindfulness and aromatherapy of grating warming ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Have fun plating the soup with a few sliced fresh veggies to add color and a crisp texture to the soup. Enjoy the soup warm or cold.

    A-EN-NA-Nov-Photo-04-Soup2-AA-squash-IMG_4303.JPG

    The components of the soup include: Veggie Stock, Roasted Squash, The Squash Ginger Soup, and the Plating Toppings.

    Winter Squash Ginger Soup

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup shallots, minced
    • 1 TBSP ginger, grated
    • ½ TBSP coriander seeds
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 3 cups roasted Winter squash (see recipe below)
    • 4 cups veggie stock (see recipe below)

     

    Plating Toppings (per serving)

    • 2 small tomatoes, sliced
    • 1 radish, sliced
    • 5 raw cashews, soaked in water
    • 5 slices dehydrated tomatoes
    • 1 tsp green onions, cut on diagonal
    • 1 tsp micro-greens
    • Pinch ground cinnamon
    • Pinch ground nutmeg
    • Optional: Cashew cream

    Cook the Soup

    • Pour olive oil into the soup pot and warm for 1 minute.
    • Add shallot and ginger and gently cook for about 5 minutes to release flavors.
    • Add roasted squash and veggie stock to the pot.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Lower to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
    • Pour soup into food processor and pulse a few times for desired smoothness.

    Plate the Soup

    • Pour soup into a serving bowl.
    • Top with local, seasonal veggies, such as tomatoes, radishes, green onions, and micro-greens.

    CLICK LINK TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL SOUP PLATING VIDEO:

    https://experiencenutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/D-Soup-plating-video-IMG_4922.mov

    Simple Home-Made Veggie Stock

    To enhance the flavor of your soup, make this quick and easy veggie stock, with mirepoix base of carrots, onions, and celery. An option is a box of store-bought organic veggie stock.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    Stock Base

    • 1 medium white onion, rough chopped
    • 4 carrots, rough chopped
    • 2 celery stalks, rough chopped
    • 6 cups water

    Aromatics

    • 10 parsley stems
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns

    A-stock-IMG_4429

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Rough chop the carrots, onions, and celery into 2” pieces.
    • Place carrots, onions, celery, garlic, black peppercorns, and water into the soup pot.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Reduce to simmer and cook with lid covered for 30 minutes.
    • Strain the veggies from the liquid.
    • Use the stock in the Winter squash soup.

    Roasted Winter Squash

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 3 cups Winter squash, cubed
    • 3 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 3 tsp ground nutmeg

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Toss squash in olive oil, nutmeg and cinnamon.
    • Place squash on a parchment-lined sheet tray, making sure the squash does not touch.
    • Roast for 15 minutes, flip.
    • Roast for another 12 minutes.

    Another look at the Winter Squash Ginger Soup

    A-EN-NA-Nov-Photo-03-Soup1-Aa-soup-IMG_4942copy-brighterE-soup-plating-IMG_E4962


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


    Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”


    Purchase Tickets for the Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, November 18, 2018, 11am-1pm

    Purchase Tickets for Holiday Plant-Based Desserts Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, December 9, 2018, 11am-1pm

     

    A final look at the Thanksgiving Plant-Based Cooking article in the November 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.

     

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 60: Winter Veggie Flatbread

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 60: Winter Veggie Flatbread

    It is my pleasure to share with you Recipe 60 created with The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for December 26, 2020. Enjoy the Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Winter Arizona Flatbread.

    One of our key philosophies with Experience Nutrition and Plant-Based Food Art is to start with local farmers beautiful produce, herbs, and edible flowers. When we cook with our local farmers’ just harvested produce it is fresher, more nutritious, and it has not traveled thousands to arrive at our local grocery stores.

    Supporting our local farmers by purchasing a CSA is an easy way to enjoy fresh local produce, while supporting our local farmers.

    Let’s take a look at quiet December 2020 beauty of The Farm.

     Winter CSA Week 6: 12.26.20

    • Turnips: Root & Greens
    • Kale
    • Swiss Chard
    • Grapefruit
    • Lemon Basil
    • Eggs
    The Farm at South Mountain CSA: December 26, 2020
    The sign of the times…the Coronavirus Pandemic, 2020.

    Roasted Roots & Greens Flatbread.

    One of my very favorite meals is a beautiful seasonal flatbread with the veggies our local farmers are growing. This flatbread was inspired by the turnips and kale that have been growing at The Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm, along other local root veggies: carrots and sweet potatoes. Hope you enjoy creating a simple no-yeast flatbread along with the roasted roots with turmeric, and hemp seed cream.

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Make the flatbread.
    2. Roast root veggies and kale.
    3. Make the hemp seed cream.
    4. Mindfully plate your flatbread and enjoy.

    SIMPLE SPROUTED SPELT YEAST-FREE FLATBREAD CRUST

    Enjoy creating this simple flatbread when you don’t have time to wait for yeast to rise.

    Click here to see the step-by-step visuals to create the no-yeast, 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

    • Pre-heat Pizza Stone
      • Place pizza stone into the oven.
      • Pre-heat oven at 390 degrees F.
      • Pre-heat the stone for about 5 minutes.
    • Make the Crust
      • Pour the flour, baking powder, and sea salt into a large glass bowl.
      • Mix the dry ingredients with a fork to combine.
      • To the bowl, add 3/8 cup water and oil.
      • Gently knead with hands for 3-4 minutes until the dough forms a ball. Add additional water or flour, as needed.
      • With hands, flatten out the dough on floured parchment paper.
      • With parchment paper on top of the dough, roll thinly (about ¼ inch) with a rolling pin.
    • Pre-Bake the Flatbread Crust
      • With fingers, gently spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the flatbread.
      • Carefully move flatbread crust to the pre-heated pizza stone.
      • Bake flatbread crust for 5 minutes.
      • Remove pizza stone from oven.
    • Top the Flatbread Crust
      • Spread cashew cream on the top of the flatbread.
      • Add roasted veggies.
    • Bake the Flatbread
      • Place flatbread back onto the pizza stone and place it into the oven.
      • Bake for about 8 minutes.
      • Remove flatbread from the oven.
      • Top with kale.

    QUICK ROAST ROOTS

    Recipe Serves 2

    We’ve previously shared this simple roasted roots culinary technique. It’s a great method to pre-cook veggies for flatbread.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 turnips
    • 4-5 carrots
    • 1 large sweet potato
    • 1 large white onion
    • 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
    • ¼ ground black pepper
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    Simple Roots for Roasting

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice all veggies into small pieces.
    • Place veggies into roasting pan.
    • Drizzle veggies with turmeric, pepper, sea salt and olive oil.
    • Roast 12 minutes.
    • Toss the veggies.
    • Roast another 12-15 minutes.
    Roasting Roots Mise En Place.
    Roots in the pan, with turmeric, black pepper, sea salt, and olive oil.
    Roasted roots. 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

    QUICK ROASTED KALE

    Toss kale with drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. Roast on parchment paper for about 6-8 minutes. Toss at about 3 minutes.

    HEMP SEED CREAM

    Quick seed cream to use for a cheesy-tasting sauce for the flatbread.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • ¼ cup hemp seeds
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp water
    • Pinch sea salt
    Hemp Seed Cream Mise En Place.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place all ingredients into a small blender.
    • Blend for about a minute or two, until creamy.
    • Add more water, as needed.
    • Add additional lemon juice or sea salt to suite your preferred taste.
    Hemp Seed Cream: All ingredients into blender. Blend about a minute or two.
    Simple Hemp Seed Cream.

    Mindfully plate your flatbread and enjoy.

    First, set you plating Mise en Place: Flatbread, Roasted Roots, Roasted Kale, Hemp Seed Cream.

    Flatbread: Mindful Mise En Place. All set to “plate” the flatbread.

    Pause and enjoy plating your Flatbread.

    Bake for another 8 minutes after plating the flatbread.

    Enjoy!

    Recipe and article created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona; Speaker; Award-winning Cookbook Author; Creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement.

    If you are interested in a virtual (or future in-person) Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Cooking Food Art Experience for your organization, please fill out the form and Melanie Albert will be in touch with you.

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 59: Winter Scarlet Turnip. Corn. Bok Choy Saute.

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 59: Winter Scarlet Turnip. Corn. Bok Choy Saute.

    It’s such an honor to create recipes for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at The Farm at South Mountain. The Farm is a beautiful organic farm right in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Let’s take a look at the beauty of The Farm and the incredible veggies growing right now in mid-December 2020.

    Winter Broccoli at The Farm at South Mountain.
    The simple beauty of Broccoli.

    Enjoy the Kale at The Farm

     For the CSA members, Winter Week 5: 12.17.20

    The Farm at South Mountain: Winter CSA 12.19.2020
    • Scarlet Turnips: Root & Greens
    • Corn-on-the cob
    • Broccoli
    • Bok Choy
    • Meyer lemon
    • Lemon basil
    • Romaine lettuce
    • Meyer lemon
    • Peppers
    • Eggs

     

    Winter Scarlet Turnip. Corn. Bok Choy Saute Recipe

    This week’s recipe was inspired by the incredible scarlet turnip, corn-on-cob, and the lemon basil!

    Hope you enjoy creating a simple veggie sauté to enjoy with chickpea pasta for a great gluten-free veggie dish. Add the Meyer lemon while sautéing to caramelize the veggies.

    I was so excited to create this recipe, that I actually prepared it within 2 hours of bringing the veggies into my kitchen.

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Sauté the veggies
    2. Cook pasta.
    3. Mindfully plate your sautéed veggies with pasta, seeds, herbs, and edible flowers.

    Enjoy the video for this beautiful, tasty recipe.

    VEGGIE SAUTE TIPS

    Use the simple veggie sauté culinary method to easily cook all kinds of veggies.

    • Pre-heat the saute pan before cooking.
    • Cook the veggies step-by-step to layer the flavors.
    • Start with onions for the flavor base.
    • At the end of cooking, add the greens (bok choy) and herbs (lemon basil) to gently cook.

    WINTER VEGGIE SAUTE

    Recipe Serves 2

    Use this simple veggie sauté method to cook the fresh CSA from  the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    Winter Veggie Saute: Beautiful Veggies from The Farm CSA
    • 3-4 green onions (not in the CSA)
    • 2-3 small peppers
    • 1 corn-on-cob
    • ½ broccoli stem
    • 1 cup turnip, sliced
    • 1 cup bok choy
    • 1 stem lemon basil
    • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ Meyer lemon, juiced
    • Pinch sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Slice all veggies and corn off the cob.
    • Pre-heat sauté pan on stove top on medium.
    • Add olive oil to coat bottom of the pan.
    • Add the onions. Sauté a few minutes.
    • Add peppers. Sauté a few minutes.
    • Drizzle pinch of sea salt onto the veggies.
    • Add corn on cob. Sauté a few minutes.
    • Add broccoli. Sauté a few minutes.
    • Squeeze Meyer lemon and stir to de-glaze the pan.
    • Add turnip. Sauté a few minutes.
    • Add bok choy and lemon basil. Sauté a minute.
    Veggie Saute: Ingredients

     

    FOOD ART: PLATE THE DISH

    • Enjoy plating the veggies with layers of veggies and pasta.
    • Garnish with pine nuts (or other nuts), a green onion, sliced raw turnip, and lemon basil leaves, and edible calendula flowers.
    Veggie Saute: Plating Mise en Place

     

    ENJOY YOUR WINTER VEGGIE SAUTE DISH

    Arizona Winter Veggie Saute

    ENJOY OUR PHOTO SHOOT BEHIND-THE-SCENES

    Interested in creating a Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Program (Virtual and in Person when the time is right), fill out our Form. Look forward to talking with you.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 57: Roasted Beet Hummus. Keffir Lime Leaves Pesto

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 57: Roasted Beet Hummus. Keffir Lime Leaves Pesto

    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, which was inspired by the beautiful beets and the incredible herbs: Thai Basil & Kaffir Lime Leaves.

    Winter CSA Week 3: 12.05.20

    • Red Beets
    • Purple Top Turnips
    • Rainbow Swiss Chard
    • Mixed Sweet & Hot Peppers
    • Calendula edible flowers
    • Thai Basil
    • Kaffir Lime Leaves

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ROASTED BEET HUMMUS. THAI BASIL & KAFFIR LIME LEAF PESTO RECIPE

    Hope you enjoy roasting the beets and using them in my, now favorite hummus. Make a small batch of the pesto for contrast to the hummus.

    The plant-based cooking video shows you step-by-step to prepare this incredible, tasty, healthy dish.

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Soak the garbanzo beans the night before you plan to create the beet hummus.
    2. Cook the garbanzo beans for the hummus.
    3. While the beans are cooking, roast the beets.
    4. Next, toast the pine nuts.
    5. Make the pesto.
    6. Make the hummus.
    7. Mindfully plate the beet hummus and pesto with the CSA Swiss chard and sweet peppers.

    All Recipes Serve 2

    THAI BASIL & KAFFIR LEAVES PESTO

    Create a simple, delicious pesto with this week’s Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup Thai basil leaves
    • 1 tbsp Kaffir leaves, minced
    • ¼ cup pine nuts, dry toasted
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Toast pine nuts in dry pan on stove for about 2 minutes.
    • Place all ingredients, except olive oil, into a small blender.
    • Blend for about a minute.
    • Add the olive oil to the blender and blend another minute.

    ROASTED BEETS

    Use this Quick Roasted Veggie method to easily cook roots.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 beet roots, sliced
    • 2 tbsp fresh Kaffir lime leaves, minced
    • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Cut beet roots into slices.
    • Mince Kaffir lime leaves, taking out the stem.
    • Place beets into roasting pan.
    • Drizzle with olive oil, Kaffir lime leaves, and sea salt.
    • Roast for 10 minutes.
    • Toss the beets.
    • Roast another 10-12 minutes.

    ROASTED BEET HUMMUS

    Create this simple, delicious, beautiful hummus with The Farm’s beets.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 beets, roasted
    • 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
    • ¼ cup tahini
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp minced garlic
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place beets into food processor and process for about a minute.
    • Add all other ingredients, except olive oil.
    • Process for 2-3 minutes.
    • Stream in olive oil and process another 1-2 minutes.
    • Enjoy with CSA sweet peppers.

    Plant-based farm-to-table recipe intuitively created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Award-winning cookbook author, Creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement.

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA: Beets Roots & Greens Bowl Recipe

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA: Beets Roots & Greens Bowl Recipe

    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

    1. Roast the beets, daikon radishes, and green onions.
    2. Prepare the Lemon Basil Cashew Cream
    3. Sauté the Beet Greens.
    4. 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.

     

  • Experience Nutrition: 7 Minute Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce

    Experience Nutrition: 7 Minute Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce

    This week I was excited to purchase a great Chickpea Pasta from Sonoran Pasta at the Downtown Phoenix Market and wanted to enjoy it with a quick tomato sauce.

    From start-to-finish with photos and videos this took less than 30 minutes to prepare and the sauce itself cooked in 7 minutes.

    Hope you enjoy this delicious simple tomato sauce! Please tag us on Social Media: #plantbasedfoodart

    7 Minute Tomato Sauce Recipe

    Serves 1

    • 1 heirloom tomato, sliced
    • 1 elephant garlic, minced
    • ¼ cup Kalamata olives
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Green onion, sliced

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
    • Add olive oil to bottom of pan.
    • Add tomatoes and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
    • Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
    • Add olives and sauté for 4-5 minutes.

    The Chickpea Pasta

    Use this recipe as a guide to cook refrigerated (not boxed) chickpea pasta. Cook the pasta while the tomato sauce is cooking.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 3 ounces pasta
    • ½ tsp sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pour about 4 cups of water and sea salt into a medium size pot.
    • Bring water to boil.
    • Add pasta to the boiling water.
    • Lower to simmer.
    • Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
    • Drain the pasta.

    PLATING

    • Toss some of the pasta with the sauce.
    • Plate with the tossed pasta, extra sauce, and green onion.
    • Enjoy!

    Enjoy!

    Click to register for our new Plant-Based Food Art Mastermind! Learn 3 healthy, plant-based recipes and how to plate them beautifully.

  • Experience Nutrition: Feed Phoenix with Local First Arizona & the City of Phoenix

    Experience Nutrition: Feed Phoenix with Local First Arizona & the City of Phoenix

    I am excited to share the incredible Feed Phoenix project with Local First Arizona as part of the City of Phoenix COVID-19 Emergency Food Assistance Funding. The project is designed to provide nutritious lunches incorporating locally grown produce to organizations in the City of Phoenix from August to October 2020.

    It was an exciting program to participate in Feed Phoenix as the program created beautiful community collaboration with our local farmers, entrepreneur chefs, and organizations.

    Serving: Native Health & Harvest Compassion Center

    Experience Nutrition had the honor to create and deliver 200 grab-and-go meals in the Phoenix community. We created 50 delicious, healthy meals for Native Health, which serves the Phoenix Native American population with holistic patient-centered care, and 75 adult and 75 kids meals to the Harvest Compassion Center, a food and clothing bank for families in the Phoenix / Maryvale area. Huge thanks to Waste Not AZ for your commitment to feed the Valley’s hungry with food that would go to waste…and for delivering the meals in your refrigerated truck.

    Plant-Based Farm-to-Table

    As soon as Experience Nutrition was approved to serve our community, I reached out to plant-based Nadira Jenkins-El, to assist with the project. We brainstormed the lunch menu and decided to create a roasted veggie wrap, hummus, quinoa salad, and fruit.


    Behind the Scenes with our Farmers

    Since Experience Nutrition always focuses on plant-based farm-to-table and creates beautiful food with what our local farmers are growing, we determined the ingredients for the recipes based on what our local farmers were growing.

    For the Roasted Veggie Wrap, I reached out to Cindy Gentry, who Sun Produce Cooperative. We purchased ten pounds each of sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, and red onions from Crooked Sky Farms, ten pounds of butternut squash grown by Mark Rhine at Rhiba Farms, and a beautiful Long Island Cheese (Cinderella) Pumpkin from the Orchard Community Learning Service.

    For the Quinoa Salad, we received 25 pounds of incredible, just harvested (while I waited) Persian cucumbers from Abby Lee Farms, 15 pounds of green beans, 10 pounds of summer squash, and 15 bunches of cilantro from Green on Purpose.

    For our fruit dessert, since watermelons are in-season, we ordered 80 pounds from Crooked Sky Farms.

    Now let’s take a look at the beautiful food as the foundation for our intuitive culinary creations for the lunches.

    Thanks so much to our local Arizona farmers.

    Pause and enjoy the beauty.

    Fresh last summer Arizona bounty.

    Subscribe to our Experience Nutrition Blog.

    The next Experience Nutrition Blogs will feature the recipes and behind-the-scenes fun cooking for the Feed Phoenix Program. Look forward to sharing with you.

    • Roasted Veggie & Hummus Wrap
    • Cold Quinoa Cucumber Salad
    • Kids Red Wrap

    Be sure to fill in your e-mail address to receive the Experience Nutrition Blog posts.




    By Melanie Albert, plant-based farm-to-table culinary leader. Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona, Award-winning cookbook author, cooking event and retreat host, plant-based artisan caterer. Creator of the new Plant-Based Food Art Movement.

  • Experience Nutrition: How to Stock a Healthy Plant-Based Kitchen

    Experience Nutrition: How to Stock a Healthy Plant-Based Kitchen

    To eat well, cook simple meals, and be healthy it is important to stock your kitchen with a few basic food staples, along with fresh veggies and fruit.

    The plant-based shopping list is inspired by the anti-inflammatory way of eating, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Blue Zones where people around the world live the longest healthiest lives.

    Learn to Cook. This whole food shopping list is based on staples to cook, simple, delicious meals.

    Go Slow. I do recognize that we are all at different levels of cooking knowledge and skill levels. If you are new with cooking, buy what you can and feel comfortable from the shopping list. Do not overwhelm yourself. Go slow to gradually learn some new cooking skills into your life that may last the rest of your life.

    Shopping List Guide. I personally use this shopping list as a guide and invite you to shop for what you can in your own area and based on your personal level of cooking.

    For a visual of my personal pantry, visit the Experience Nutrition You Tube Channel, and subscribe for other cooking videos.


    Key Shopping Categories

    Use the Shopping List as a guide for the ingredients to stock your pantry in the following food categories.

    • Fresh Produce: Veggies & Fruit
    • Whole Grains
    • Beans & Legumes
    • Whole Grains
    • Nuts & Seeds
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Fresh Herbs
    • Seasonings / Sea Salt
    • Dry Goods

    Fresh Produce

    Roots

    Enjoy root veggies a few simple ways: Roast, Steam, Sauté, and even Raw.

    • Carrots
    • Beets
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Radishes

    Greens & Veggies

    We can enjoy nutrient-rich greens in side dishes, soups, and veggie bowls.

    • Dark leafy greens: Kale, collards, arugula, spinach
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Celery
    • Lettuce
    • Tomatoes
    • Bell peppers
    • Your favorites

    AP-IMG_1206-veg


    Fruit

    • Bananas (freeze some for smoothies)
    • Apples
    • Lemons, limes (important for salad dressings)
    • Avocados
    • Dates
    • Your favorite fruits, for snacking
    • Frozen fruit: Mixed or separate berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries

    AP-IMG_1205-fruit


    Whole Grains

    Choose a few different types of whole grains and enjoy them for for breakfast, as side dishes, or in a Veggie Bowl.

    • Brown rice
    • Quinoa
    • Steel cut oats
    • Rolled oats

    AP-IMG_1244-grains


    Dried Beans & Legumes

    I totally recommend dried beans as they are much more affordable than canned beans and taste better, as well. Buy a few pounds of dried beans and lentils to be used to make hummus, tossed in a salad, soup.

    Experiment with a few different beans and legumes, such as:

    • Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
    • Green lentils
    • Red lentils
    • Black beans
    • Pinto
    • Kidney
    • Tepary Beans (especially if you’re in Arizona)

    AP-IMG_1234-beans


    Nuts & Seeds

    Nuts and seeds are rich in protein and healthy fats and can be eaten as snacks, made into nut milk, used in smoothies, toppings in salads, and delicious raw desserts.

    Buy a variety of raw organic nuts and seeds, such as:

    • Almonds
    • Cashews (great for desserts!)
    • Pecans
    • Walnuts
    • Pumpkin seeds
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Hemp seeds
    • Chia seeds (for smoothies)

    AP-IMG_1239-nutsseeds


    Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    Buy a high-quality olive oil. Organic, First-pressed, Cold Pressed. Less than .8 percent acid. Use olive oil in salad dressings and cooking to add flavor to your dishes. Personally, I use olive oil almost every day and believe it is a must in our kitchen all the time.

    AP-IMG_1214-oil-salt-vine-dates


    Fresh Herbs

    Purchase a few herbs, available at your local farmers markets, or garden, or grocery stores. Use the herbs to add flavor to all kinds of veggie dishes.

    • Parsley
    • Basil, dill, oregano, marjoram

    I-basil-IMG_7709


    Seasonings

    The top seasoning is sea salt or Himalayan salt. Salt brings out or enhances the flavor of whatever we cook. I use coarse Celtic sea salt and hand-grind it in a mortar and pestle for cooking.

    A few basic seasonings you can use now while we are “at home” and continue to cook with in the future.

    • Dried Mediterranean herbs: Combination or separate herbs, such as basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme
    • Seeds: Cumin (for hummus and soups)
    • Dried Mexican spices: Any kind of peppers, such as chili, ancho, chipotle
    • Dried spices: Cinnamon (key); Extras: nutmeg, cardamom

    AP-IMG_1209-herbs


    Dry Goods

    Other extra foods to stock your pantry.

    • Coconut water (for smoothies)
    • Vinegar: Any kind for salad dressings, such as balsamic, red wine, rice, apple cider
    • Stone-ground mustard (for salad dressings)
    • Coconut oil. Virgin, unrefined (for desserts)
    • Extras: Olives and goji berries (my favorite extras)

    Shopping List Guide. I invite you to use this shopping list as a guide to shop for what you can in your own area and based on your personal level of cooking.

    Cooking Videos. I’ll keep you posted on new, whole foods, plant-based cooking videos on my Experience Nutrition You Tube Channel, so you can actually see how to prepare dishes with the basic foods in the shopping list.

    Share on Facebook. Finally, please reach out to me with any questions on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ 

    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.


    Interested in enjoying a weekend of healthy plant-based cooking in beautiful Sedona, Arizona?

    We have just, with careful consideration in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic, confirmed the Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat on November 13-16, 2020.

    Click to learn more about the retreat and to enjoy photos of our Fall 2019 Retreat

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Lemon Cucumber Tomato Tower Salad

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Lemon Cucumber Tomato Tower Salad

    Eat What Grows!

    A simple way to think about eating locally and eating with the season, is to eat what your local farmers are growing, or what’s growing in your garden.

    What Grows Together Goes Together

    A simple way to think about how to create a dish with your local farmers produce, is to create with the vegetables, fruit, and herbs that are growing together. Intuitively, have fun mixing and matching different colors, textures, shapes, and sizes.

    Right now in Arizona, in late August, it’s still hot, with temperatures above 105 degrees. With the heat, hydrating foods, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelons are still growing.

    Thank  You Farmers & Farmers Markets!

    As always, thanks to our Arizona farmers markets and farmers for continuing to serve our community with incredible food throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic and our extra hot summer.

    Special thanks to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market and the following farmers for the produce in the Lemon Cucumber Tomato Tower. Crooked Sky Farms (cucumbers, tomatoes), Blue Sky Organic Farm (parsley).

    A-IMG_9833
    Arizona Summer Veggies


    Lemon Cucumber Tower Salad Recipe

    This quick salad, inspired by the beautiful, unique crisp lemon cucumber, is paired with an heirloom tomato, along with a fresh parsley gremolata.

    Use this recipe as a guide to create your own fresh summer salad with your favorite cucumbers and tomatoes. Add flavor with a simple parsley gremolata as a dressing.

    Have fun plating your own version of Food Art with this dish. Post it on Instagram and Tag #ExperienceNutrition

     Serves 1

     Simple Ingredients

     Cucumber Tower

    • 1 lemon cucumber, sliced in rounds
    • 1 heirloom tomato, sliced in rounds

    Gremolata

    • ¼ cup fresh parsley
    • ¼ cup fresh basil
    • ¼ cup raw almonds, rough chopped
    • ¼ lemon, juiced
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt

    Garnish

    • Few basil leaves
    • Few parsley leaves
    • Few olives
    • Optional: Dehydrated tomato (previously dehydrated)
    • Optional: Dolmas: Stuffed Grape Leaves (Not use in plating)

    A-lemoncucumber-IMG_3792
    Lemon Cucumber Tomato Tower Mise En Place

    A-lemoncucumber-IMG_3801

    Simple Steps

    Gremolata

    • Rough chop the basil, parsley, and almonds.
    • Place all ingredients (basil, parsley, almonds, lemon juice, olive oil) into a small bowl.
    • Toss gently.
    • Add more lemon, olive oil, or sea salt to suit your taste.

    A-gremolota-IMG_3804
    Gremolata Ingredients: Basil, Almonds, Parsley

     Plating

    Enjoy mindfully plating your salad to create your own Food Art.

    • Place a cucumber round on the bottom of plate.
    • Add a tablespoon of the gremolata and a few capers.
    • Place a tomato slice onto the gremolata.
    • Add a tablespoon of the gremolata and a few capers.
    • Continue with a few more layers of cucumbers and tomatoes.
    • Garnish with fresh basil, parsley, olives, capers, and dehydrated tomato.

    A-cucumber-lemon-IMG_3811
    Plating Mise en Place: Lemon Cucumber Tomato Tower

    Watch the plating video and then have fun plating your own Cucumber Tomato Tower.


    Enjoy your Cucumber Tomato Tower

    My tower tipped over….but…still delicious, so wanted to share it with you.

    A-lemoncucumber-IMG_3833
    Lemon Cucumber Heirloom Tomato

    A-lemoncucumber-IMG_3824

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


    We have now, with careful consideration of the Coronavirus Pandemic, postponed our Sedona Plant-Based Culinary and Self-Care Retreat to November 13-16, 2020.

    Click hear to learn more about the retreat and see the wonderful time during our September 2019 Retreat.

    If you’re interested in a once-in-a-lifetime memorable weekend, please reach out to me. Would love to chat and get to know you and answer any questions.  Also, please let me know if you’d like to create a custom retreat for a group of friends or your business.

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

    A few memories from our September 2019 Sedona Plant-Based Culinary & Self-Care Retreat.

  • Experience Nutrition: Tomatoes 3 Ways: Salsa. Pasta Tomato Saute. Dehydrated.

    Experience Nutrition: Tomatoes 3 Ways: Salsa. Pasta Tomato Saute. Dehydrated.

    It’s tomato season in Arizona! And I love it. Over the years I’ve noticed that at the beginning of the season, our farmers are growing a few handfuls, then a few pounds, then a few hundred pounds of tomatoes each week. It’s actually quite amazing that our local farmers have each figured out their own process to grow tomatoes in 100+ degree days.

    Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for your commitment to our local Arizona farmers and bringing beautiful food to our community. This week, thanks to Crooked Sky Farms for the heirloom tomatoes and corn on the cob. And, thanks to Blue Sky Organic Farms for the green onions, parsley. – Melanie Albert

    I hope you are inspired by these three very different ways to prepare and enjoy tomatoes.

    Raw. Cooked. Dehydrated.

    • Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Peppers.
    • Quick Tomato Sauté. Olives. Capers.
    • Dehydrated Tomatoes.

    Enjoy the video with all these tomato recipes…


    Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Green Peppers.

    For a simple, refreshing salsa, choose a few tomatoes and peppers, aromatics such as garlic and onions, along with citrus, a fresh herb and sea salt.  If your local farmers are growing corn, add corn to the salsa.  Use this recipe as a guide for your own intuitive tomato salsa.

    Mix and match with what your local farmers are growing to create your salsa. For sweet salsa, use bell peppers in any color: green, yellow, orange, or red. For a mild pepper taste, try Anaheim, or a more spicy pepper go for the jalapeno. Use lime or lemon as citrus to sharpen the flavor of the salsa. Experiment with different fresh herbs such as dill, basil, cilantro, or even mint.

    Enjoy the salsa as a side salad, taco topping or with a baked sweet potato. And, remember the flavors in the salsa marry together the second and third day.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2-3 tomatoes
    • 2 peppers
    • 5-6 green onions
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 lime, juiced
    • 3-4 sprigs fresh dill
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Optional: 1 corn on the cob

    AP-IMG_8106-salsaingr
    Farm-to-Table Tomato Salsa: Ingredients


    AP-IMG_8139-salsamise

    Tomato. Corn Salsa: Mise en Place.


    Simple Steps

    • Chop all veggies.
    • Place all ingredients into a medium-size bowl.
    • Toss.
    • Taste.
    • Add more salt or lime juice to suit your taste preferences.
    • Plate and enjoy.

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    Tomato Corn Dill Salsa


    Tomato Sauté Recipe

    In a few minutes, create this very simple, tasty, aromatic tomato sauce to enjoy with pasta.  Choose a few local ripe tomatoes. Quickly sauté the tomatoes with onions and garlic to create a sweet aromatic sauce for your pasta. Add in Kalamata olives and capers for added depth of flavor. For a gluten-free pasta, experiment with chickpea pasta.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3-4 green onions, sliced
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
    • 1 tbsp capers
    • 5-6 sprigs parsley
    • Pinch sea salt

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    Tomato Saute: Ingredients


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    Tomato Saute: Mise en Place


    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
    • Place green onions in pan, stir, cook for about 3 minutes.
    • Add garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
    • Add tomatoes and sea salt.
    • Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover for about 2 minutes.
    • Add Kalamata olives and capers. Cook 1 minute.
    • Add parsley. Stir. Cook 1 minute.
    • Toss with pasta.
    • Plate and enjoy.

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    Tomato Saute. Pasta. Plating Mise en Place.

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    Tomato Saute. Chickpea Pasta.


    Dehydrate Tomatoes

    Dehydrating fruit and vegetables concentrates the flavor. With tomatoes, they become very sweet and beautiful. During tomato season, be sure to dehydrate local tomatoes to enjoy later in the year.

    Simple Ingredients and Steps

    • Choose a few beautiful heirloom tomatoes.
    • Thinly slice the tomatoes.
    • Place tomatoes on dehydrator mesh sheet.
    • Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 6-8 hours.
    • Enjoy as a snack or food art.

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    Dehydrate Tomatoes: Place sliced tomatoes on dehydrator sheet.


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    Tomato Food Art


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


    Sedona Retreats. If you are interested in a self-care get-away in Sedona in September 2020, let me know. At this point we are planning on holding our Fall Plant-Based Cooking and Self Care Retreat with private rooms for all guests. Click to take a look at our Fall 2019 retreat. Or, send me a note (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) if you’re interested in attending the 2020 retreat or in creating a retreat for a group of your friends.


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

     


     

  • Experience Nutrition: Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market Summer Salads

    Experience Nutrition: Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market Summer Salads

    Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for the opportunity to share a few beautiful summer salads with our local Arizona farmers early summer produce.  Having shopped the market for 15 years and leading cooking demos at the market for 4 years, I am honored to be part of our local farmers community.

    Thanks to the farmers market and our local farmers for your continued commitment and hard work to provide beautiful, fresh produce and local products to our community during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We all appreciate you and all the farmers and vendors.

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    Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market: Summer Veggies

    Looking forward to the Fall when we can continue our “Shop the Farmers Market” Cooking Demos.

    Meanwhile, I’m honored to share two simple, refreshing salads – Tomato Gazpacho and Chopped Salads. Hope you enjoy the recipes and have fun preparing and enjoying them with your family and kids.  – Melanie Albert

    Enjoy the Summer Salad Cooking Video featuring our local Arizona farmers produce and then create your own Tomato Gazpacho and Chopped Veggie Salad with your family and kids.


    Summertime Tomato Gazpacho Recipe

    A fresh, cold tomato gazpacho is refreshing, especially on warm days. Make this quick cold tomato salad with our local farmers tomatoes and cucumbers for a tasty summer side dish. Be sure to experiment with all kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

     Simple Ingredients

    • 4-5 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
    • 2 green bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped
    • 1 medium Armenian cucumber, rough chopped
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and lime zest
    • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
    • Sea salt, to taste

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    Tomato Gazpacho: Farmers fresh ingredients

    Simple Steps

    • Place tomatoes in a large bowl.
    • Massage with hands to break down tomatoes.
    • Add sea salt, lime juice and zest, and garlic.
    • Mix well.
    • Add all other soup ingredients to the bowl.
    • Mix well.
    • Taste and season with sea salt.
    • Top with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro.
    • Enjoy!
    • Refrigerate leftover gazpacho soup and enjoy the next day for an even more flavorful salad.

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    Tomato Gazpacho: Mise En Place

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    Arizona Summer Tomato Gazpacho


    Summer Chopped Salad Recipe

    Simple Ingredients

    Chopped Salad

    • 1 carrot, cubed
    • 2 cups, green beans, sliced
    • 1 green onion, sliced
    • 1 green pepper, sliced
    • 1 corn on cob

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    Summer Chopped Salad: Mise En Place

    Dill Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

    • ½ fresh lemon juice, approximate ¼ cup
    • ½ cup olive oil, twice as much as the lemon juice
    • 2-3 stems fresh herbs, such as dill
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 1 tsp honey
    • 1 tsp stone ground mustard

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    Dill Honey Mustard Salad Dressing: Mise En Place

     Salad Dressing Simple Steps

    • Pour lemon juice in a small jar.
    • Add olive oil.
    • Shake. Taste.
    • Adjust with more oil, of too much acid; adjust with more lemon, if too much oil.
    • Add sea salt.
    • Add honey and mustard.
    • Shake.
    • Taste and adjust with any ingredients to suit your taste.

     

    Summer Chopped Salad

    • Place all veggies into a bowl.
    • Pour dressing over the veggies.
    • Gently toss.
    • Enjoy your fresh salad.

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    Arizona Summer Chopped Salad


    Have fun plating your Summer Salads…A few ideas to get you started. And, take a look at the video to “see” the plating.

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    Summer Salad: Mise En Place

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    Tomato Gazpacho. Armenian Cucumber

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    Arizona Summer Chopped Salad

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    Chopped Salad: Another View

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    Chopped Salad. Classic Hummus.


    NEW: Corporate Wellness Healthy Eating Programs

    In light of the Coronvirus and safety, rather than in-person cooking experiences, we are now creating custom plant-based cooking videos with “cooking kits.” To learn more contact, Melanie Albert at 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com


    UPDATE: Sedona September Self-Care Plant-Based Cooking Retreat

    At this point, we are planning on holding our Fall 2020 culinary and self-care retreat, keeping in mind safety and limiting the number of participants. If you are interested in the September 18-21, 2020 or a custom retreat for your group of friends, let me know, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com  Click for a glimpse of our beautiful Fall 2019 Retreat


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

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

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe: Summer Peach Apricot Salsa

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe: Summer Peach Apricot Salsa

    What an honor to intuitively create recipes with the beautiful produce grown by hard-working, passionate farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    This is the final CSA recipe of the season, Recipe #54, and I’m so happy to share a Summer recipe with you, inspired by the peaches and apricots growing at The Farm.  At this point, the farmers are focusing on summer crops, including tomatoes, which I’m really looking forward to.

    Self care at The Farm. While picking up the CSA to create this week’s recipe, I was mesmerized by the breath-talking Autumn Beauty Sunflowers.

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    For the CSA Members, the May 16, 2020 Share includes:

    • Roots: Beets, Carrots
    • Greens: Salad Greens, Swiss Chard
    • Veggies: Zucchini
    • Fruit: Grapefruit, Peaches, Apricot
    • Herbs: Lemon Basil, Mint, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary
    • Eggs

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    The Farm at South Mountain CSA: May 16, 2020


    Recipe: Simple Peach Apricot Salsa

    This week’s recipe was inspired by the peaches and apricots. It’s a simple, fresh recipe to enjoy with hummus, or as a topping for fish or chicken.

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    The Farm at South Mountain: Arizona Peaches


    Serves 2

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 5-6 peaches
    • 5-6 apricots
    • ¼ cup grapefruit juice
    • 1 tbsp grapefruit zest
    • 4-5 mint leaves, minced
    • Not from The Farm CSA
      • ¼ cup white onion
      • 2 mini red peppers
    • Pinch sea salt

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    Ingredients: Peach Apricot Salsa


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    Mise En Place: Peach Apricot Salsa


    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Mince all fruit and veggies into small pieces.
    • Gently toss all ingredients.
    • Taste and adjust with additional grapefruit juice and sea salt to suit your taste preferences.

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    Peach Apricot Salsa: Mix Ingredients


     SIMPLE PLATING

    • Enjoy with hummus, or as a side salad.

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    Peach Apricot Salsa. Classic Hummus.


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

    Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreats. At this point, we are planning on hosting the Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Cooking Retreat in Sedona, September 18-21, 2020 and also customizing for small groups “when the time is right” in the next few months. Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more about the retreats. Click for information about the retreats and beautiful photos from our September 2019 retreat.

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