Tag: farm to table

  • 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: 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 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 Recipe 56: Roasted Beet & Turnip Bowl

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe 56: Roasted Beet & Turnip Bowl

    Happy to share with you this week’s recipe video for the Winter 2020 CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, right in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.

    The recipe was inspired by the beautiful beets, scarlet queen turnips, and rosemary. And, of course, the pecans that grow right at The Farm.

    Enjoy this video of the Roasted Beet & Turnip Bowl, and use it as a guide to create your own Roots Bowl with beets, turnips, tossed salad greens, and a few of your favorite salad extras, such as cashew cream, figs, and blackberries for a fresh Winter dish.

    Steps to Prepare the Dish

    1. Roast the beets and turnips with the quick roast method.
    2. Prepare the Simple Cashew Cream.
    3. Crack the pecans.
    4. Make the simple acid, fat, salt salad dressing and toss with the greens.
    5. Mindfully plate the roasted roots, salad greens, pecans, Cashew Cream, and your favorite extras.

    Enjoy Cooking!!!!

    Recipe intuitively created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition, Award-winning cookbook author, creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement. Leader in wellness, integrative nutrition, and culinary for 15 years.

     

  • 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: 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: Arizona Summer Lemon Cucumber Salad

    Experience Nutrition: Arizona Summer Lemon Cucumber Salad

    During the summer our local Arizona farmers and many across the USA are growing lots of hydrating veggies, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, and all kinds of melons.

    Click to see the Top 10 Hydrating Foods

    As always, thanks so much to our local Arizona farmers for growing such incredible produce for us during our extremely hot Arizona summer and for providing it to us safely at our local farmers markets in such a safe, social distancing way. Our community really appreciates your hard work, passion, and dedication.

    The intuitively created salad, was inspired by the Lemon Cucumber, which looks a little like a tennis ball and are fresh and crispy.

    Summer Lemon Cucumber Salad Recipe

    Create a fresh, simple salad with your favorite cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, green onion, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Add olive and capers, and enjoy your salad.

    Thanks specifically to our Phoenix farmers for the fresh produce for this salad.

    • Crooked Sky Farms
      • Lemon cucumbers. Love and look forward to their beauty and crispness every summer.
      • Bell peppers. Enjoying the green and yellow sweet bell peppers.
    • Pinnacle Farm Phoenix
      • Sungold Tomatoes. Thank you for your honor system farm stand in the South Mountain area.
    • Arizona Micro-Greens
      • Micro Salad Mix. Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Cilantro.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 Lemon cucumber, sliced
    • 1 bell pepper, sliced
    • 1 medium tomato or 1/2 cup mini tomatoes
    • 1 green onion, sliced
    • 1/2 lemon, juiced
    • 2 TBSP organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 TBSP olives
    • 1 tsp capers
    • Few micro-greens



    Simple Steps

    • Rough chop all veggies.
    • Place all veggies in a small bowl.
    • Toss all veggies with olive oil and lemon juice.
    • Plate and garnish with micro-greens.

    Enjoy your salad…


    Top 10 Hydrating Foods

    You don’t have to get all of your liquids from beverages. About 20% of the water we consume comes from food. Eating food high in water content adds fiber, electrolytes, and vitamins to our diets.

    The following veggies and fruit, contain 89% or more water. Enjoy!

    • Cucumbers
    • Watermelon
    • Pineapple
    • Celery
    • Blueberries
    • Lettuce
    • Tomatoes
    • Pears
    • Grapefruit
    • Cantaloupe

    Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat: November 13-16, 2020

    If you are interested in a fun, memorable, one-of-a-kind weekends, experiencing plant-based cooking, along with self-care, hiking, yoga, and special Sedona experiences.

    Click to learn more about the Sedona Retreats.

    I’m happy to share more about the retreat and answer your questions. Call Melanie Albert at 602.615.2486, send a note to Mel@MelanieAlbert.com or fill out the Form and I’m happy to answer any questions.

  • 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.

    AP-IMG_8214-salsa-plate
    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

    BP-IMG_8104-tomsauteingr
    Tomato Saute: Ingredients


    BP-IMG_8147-sautemise
    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.

    CP-IMG_8171-sauteplatemise
    Tomato Saute. Pasta. Plating Mise en Place.

    BP-IMG_8215-sauteplate
    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.

    CP-IMG_8165-dehy
    Dehydrate Tomatoes: Place sliced tomatoes on dehydrator sheet.


    FP-IMG_8310-tomdehy
    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.

    AP-IMG_7716-farmersveg
    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

    AP-IMG_7730-gazveg
    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.

    AP-IMG_7755-gaz-chopped
    Tomato Gazpacho: Mise En Place

    AP-IMG_7835-gaz
    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

    AP-IMG_7806-choppedvegs
    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

    AP-IMG_7777-dressmise
    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.

    AP-IMG_7836-chopsalad
    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.

    AP-IMG_7829-plate
    Summer Salad: Mise En Place

    AP-IMG_7875-gazdish
    Tomato Gazpacho. Armenian Cucumber

    AP-IMG_7849-choppedplate
    Arizona Summer Chopped Salad

    AP-IMG_7886-hummusandchopp
    Chopped Salad: Another View

    AP-IMG_7878-chophum
    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.

    AP-IMG_5642-sunflower


    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

    AP-IMG_5655-csa-2020-0516
    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.

    AP-IMG_5657-peaches
    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

    AP-IMG_5661-peachsalsa
    Ingredients: Peach Apricot Salsa


    AP-IMG_5664-peachsalsa
    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.

    AP-IMG_5669-peachsalsa
    Peach Apricot Salsa: Mix Ingredients


     SIMPLE PLATING

    • Enjoy with hummus, or as a side salad.

    AP-IMG_5775-peachsalsa
    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.

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Beet Burger

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Beet Burger

    Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for requesting a recipe for a “Beet Burger.” I honestly love your market all these years and our beautiful entrepreneurial community at the market. Thank you so much for all the hard work, dedication, and commitment to our community to stay open as an “essential grocery story” during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We all appreciate you and all the farmers and vendors.

    Looking forward to the Fall when we can continue our “Shop the Farmers Market” Cooking Demos. Meanwhile, I’m honored to share the Beet Burger recipe and hope you enjoy the recipe and have fun preparing and eating it. – Melanie Albert


    Enjoy the Beet Burger Video

    • A glimpse of the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
    • Beautiful veggies grown by Blue Sky Organic Farms.
    • The mindfulness and beauty of mise en place.
    • Steps to saute the veggies, aromatics, and spices for the beet burgers.
    • Mindful plating.


    Recipe: Arizona Farm-to-Table Beet Burger

    The beautiful, nutritious plant-based beet burger features veggies and beans grown by long-time Arizona farmers who support our community at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. Thanks so much to my friends at Blue Sky Organic Farms in Litchfield Park, Arizona, for the red beets, carrots, parsley, green onions, and Spring garlic. And, thanks to Crooked Sky for the black beans.

    AP-IMG_5271-Beet-veggies
    Beet Burger Veggies. Thanks Blue Sky Organic Farms.


    8 Servings

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ medium red onion (1 cup), diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 large red beet (1 cup), diced
    • 1 yellow or orange carrot (1 cup), shredded
    • 1 ½ cups black beans, cooked
    • ¾ cup quinoa, cooked
    • ¾ cup walnut pieces
    • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 2 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
    • ½ tsp black pepper
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • Garnish Ideas: Avocado, tomato, walnuts, hemp seed cream, capers

    AP-IMG_5298-BeetIngr
    Beet Burger: Ingredients.


    Simple Steps

    • Prior to making the burgers, cook black beans and quinoa.
    • Cook the Burgers
      • Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
      • Pre-heat medium sauté pan on medium heat.
      • Add olive oil to the pan.
      • Add red onion to the pan and gently cook for 3 minutes, until translucent.
      • Add garlic to pan and cook for 30 seconds.
      • Add carrots and beets to pan. Stir. Cook covered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
      • Add black beans and quinoa to the pan, and stir well.
      • Add walnuts and parsley. Stir.
      • Add paprika, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Stir.
      • Remove pan from stovetop.
    • Make the Patties
      • Transfer 1/3 of the cooked mixture into a food processor and process until thick.
      • Place the mixtures from the sauté pan and food processor into a large bowl.
      • Hand mix (with gloves, if possible).
      • With your hands, form tightly packed burgers.
      • Place burgers onto parchment-lined flat sheet.
    • Cook the Patties
      • Cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping at 12 minutes.

    AP-IMG_5403-beet-platemis
    Beet Burger: Plating Mise En Place

    • Mindful Plating
      • Garnish with avocado slices, tomatoes, walnuts, hempseed cream, capers.
      • Enjoy!

    AP-IMG_5453-beetburgertop
    YUM. The Farm-to-Table Beet Burger.


    A photo for the Coronavirus Pandemic…My weekly trip to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market.

    AP-IMG_5139MA-BlueSky
    Melanie Albert, Experience Nutrition, Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, Coronavirus Pandemic. May 2020.


    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 & Self-Care Retreat Update

    Excited to share with you that our next Sedona Retreat is September 18-21, 2020.  And, wanted to let you know that we decided to cancel the June 2020 retreat, in light of the Coronavirus. If you’re interested in the retreat, or a custom retreat for a group of your friends or business associates, please let me know, 602.615.2486 Mel@MelanieAlbert.com

    Click to learn more about the Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat and enjoy some photos of our 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.

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe: Arizona Spring Roasted Roots & Fruit

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipe: Arizona Spring Roasted Roots & Fruit

    As always, it is my honor to create recipes with the produce grown for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) by passionate farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden, at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    It is especially touching this week, during the Coronavirus Pandemic while we are all staying at home, and cooking more. And, in Arizona we are transitioning from the Spring to the Summer crops, so we still have roots, along with summer crops, such as zucchini. – Melanie Albert

    When I picked up my CSA this week, The Farm felt very still and calm, in align with the quietness of our Earth…a little video capture:


    For the CSA Members, the items in the May 9, 2020 CSA include:

    • Beets
    • Carrots
    • Glacier Lettuce
    • Salad Greens
    • Zucchini
    • Swiss Chard
    • Grapefruit
    • Lemon Basil, Mint
    • Eggs

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    RECIPE: Roasted Roots & Fruit. Honey Grapefruit Dressing.

    This week’s recipe was inspired by the peaches, and paired with beets, carrots, and grapefruit. Since grapefruits are still available, enjoy a simple dressing with a few extras: honey, mustard, and mint.



    Serves 2

    Roasted Roots & Fruit

    Enjoy creating this dish, inspired by The Farm’s sweet fruit and roots: peaches, grapefruit, beets, and carrots.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 peach
    • 1 grapefruit
    • 1 golden beet
    • 1 red beet
    • 5-6 small carrots
    • Not from The Farm CSA: ½ red onion
    • 3 TBSP olive oil
    • 1 TBSP honey
    • Pinch sea salt


    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Chop all veggies in small bite-size pieces.
    • Veggie-by-veggie toss in olive oil and sea salt.
    • Place veggies, spread apart on parchment-paper lined sheet pan.
    • Place grapefruit and peaches on parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with ¼ tsp of honey.

    • Cook for 12 minutes.
    • Flip the veggies and fruit.
    • Cook another 10-12 minutes.

    Honey Grapefruit Dressing

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 2 TBSP grapefruit juice
    • 1 ½ tsp honey
    • 1 ½ tsp stone ground mustard
    • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
    • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
    • 6-8 mint leaves, rough chopped
    • Pinch sea salt

    AP-IMG_5077-dressingmise


    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Into bowl, place grapefruit juice, mustard, vinegar.
    • Whisk until blended.
    • Add olive oil.
      Whisk until blended.
    • Add more acid (grapefruit juice) or fat (olive oil) to balance.
    • Add sea salt. Whisk.
    • Add honey. Whisk.
    • Add mint. Whisk.

    SIMPLE PLATING

    • Mindfully plate.
    • Place grapefruit slices on plate.
    • Layer veggies and fruit on top of the grapefruit slices.
    • Dressing Options: Drizzle dressing on top of the veggies. Or, when eating, use dressing as dipping sauce.

    Plating Mise en Place…

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    Plating…


    The beautiful, tasty Arizona Spring Roots & Fruit Dish

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

    We are now beginning to think about Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Experiences for Fall 2020…hands-on cooking, team building, catering. Please reach out to me to brainstorm ideas for your organization.  Contact Melanie Albert at 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com


    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.

    So beautiful…one more view of the Arizona Roasted Roots & Fruit and our incredible sunset.

    AP-IMG_5122-finaldishsunset


    The beauty of nature…at The Farm.

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  • Experience Nutrition: Simple Avocado Salsa, as Featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine, Arizona

    Experience Nutrition: Simple Avocado Salsa, as Featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine, Arizona

    It is again such an honor to create recipe articles for the Natural Awakenings Magazine, Phoenix and Northern Arizona during the last few years. And, I am humbled to contribute to the important May 2020 issue during the Coronavirus Pandemic, to bring a little joy to our lives, with beautiful food. –  Melanie Albert

    Recipes in the Natural Awakenings, May 2020 article include: Three Beautiful, Simple Plant-Based Recipes

    Enjoy mindfully and intuitively creating these simple dishes. Take time to appreciate the beauty of the food, the mindfulness of the cooking process, and the final food art of your culinary creations.


    Simple Avocado Salsa

    I hope you are inspired by this simple to-prepare, tasty avocado salsa, along with “food art.”

    Enjoy the video with the steps to prepare and plate your own avocado salsa.

    Serves 1

    Have fun intuitively creating your own avocado salsa with the veggies grown by our local farmers and available right in your own refrigerator. With the avocado as a base, add in your choice of aromatics (onion, garlic), citrus (lemon or lime), favorite veggies, such as carrots, green or red peppers, radishes, cauliflower, tomatoes), and a fresh herb (basil, cilantro, marjoram).

    Thanks to my Arizona farmer friends for the beautiful produce in this Avocado Salsa.

    • Blue Sky Organic Farms, Litchfield Park: Grafitti (purple) Cauliflower, Green Onions
    • Pinnacle Farms Phoenix: Mini-Carrots, Spring Garlic
    • Melanie’s Edible Garden: Fresh Basil, Mini-Tomatoes

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 soft, ripe avocado
    • 4-5 mini carrots, chopped
    • 1 green onion, chopped
    • 3-4 clove raw garlic, minced
    • 4-5 cauliflower florets, chopped
    • ½ lemon, juiced and zested
    • 4-5 basil leaves, chiffonade
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Basil leaves and flowers, mini-tomatoes
    • Pinch sea salt

    AP-IMG_2065-avoingr
    Simple Avocado Salsa: Beautiful Arizona farmers ingredients.


    Simple Steps

    • Chop all ingredients.
    • Place avocado in a bowl and mix with a fork.
    • Add all other ingredients to the bowl and gently mix all ingredients.

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    Simple Avocado Salsa: Mise en Place


    Simple Plating

    • Place ring mold onto plate or bowl.
    • Scoop avocado salsa into the ring mold.
    • OPTION: If you do not have a ring mold, place a mound of the avocado salsa onto the plate.
    • Garnish with basil leaves and mini-tomatoes.
    • Enjoy!


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


    I’m feeling that very soon we will ease out of our Coronavirus Stay-at-Home, so if you or your organization is looking for a live in-person hands-on interactive plant-based cooking experience, I’m happy to chat with you to explore opportunities.  Feel free to call (602.615.2486) or e-mail (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) – Melanie


    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.