Tag: Natural Awakenings

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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

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    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

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    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: 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
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    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.

  • Experience Nutrition: Hummus 3 Ways. As seen in Natural Awakenings Magazine, Arizona

    Experience Nutrition: Hummus 3 Ways. As seen in Natural Awakenings Magazine, Arizona

    So honored to create plant-based recipe articles during the last several years for the Natural Awakenings Magazine, Phoenix and Northern Arizona. This month, May 2020, I am especially humbled to contribute to the magazine while we are all together during the Coronavirus stay-at-home. And, while so many people are experimenting more in the kitchen with families and kids.

    For this article, I decided to bring a touch of positivity to our world with “The Joy of Beautiful Food.” Experiment with the tips to add beauty to meals and have fun creating dishes with beautiful food and edible flowers. – Melanie Albert


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    Natural Awakenings, May 2020.

    Top 4 Ways to Add Beauty to Your Meals:

    1. Buy Beautiful Veggies from Our Local Farmers.
    2. Add Color and Texture to your Dishes.
    3. Add Natural Aromatherapy to Your Culinary Creations.
    4. Plate Mindfully.

    I hope you are inspired to add a little beauty and joy to life by creating some beautiful, mindful plant-based dishes. Share your creations with us on  www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenutritionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition.

    Happy to share a few of my very favorite recipes in the Natural Awakenings article. Importantly, you can easily modify the recipes with local farmers’ seasonal produce, along with the fruit and veggies in your refrigerator. Enjoy!


    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.

    • Hummus. Three Ways. Classic. Turmeric. Beet.
    • Avocado Salsa. Intuitively create with the veggies, aromatics, and herbs in your kitchen.
    • Raw Carrot Cake. Simple, beautiful, tasty, aromatic dessert.

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    Hummus Three Ways: Beet. Turmeric. Classic.

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    Simple Avocado Salsa.

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    Raw Carrot Cake. Edible Flowers.

    Hummus Video. In the cooking video, come into my kitchen and see the steps to create the Three Hummus Recipes.


    RECIPE: Hummus. Three Ways. Classic, Turmeric, Beet.

    Use these recipes as a guide to create your own hummus. Once you’ve learned how to prepare the basic classic hummus, have fun experimenting and intuitively creating your own versions of it.

    Serves 4

    Classic Hummus. Turmeric. Beet.

    I’m excited to share with you the same recipe we made for the Super Bowl XLIV VIP Tailgate Party for the Super Bowl in Miami. Now you can make it, too. In addition to the Classic Hummus, traditionally made with tahini (ground sesame seeds), we can create different versions of hummus with turmeric or beet powder. Enjoy!

     Simple Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • ⅓ cup chickpea water
    • 3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • ⅛ tsp cumin seeds, hand -round
    • ⅛ tsp coriander seeds, hand-ground (seeds from cilantro)
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Turmeric Hummus: 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, pinch black pepper
    • Beet Hummus: 2 tsp beet powder

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    Simple Steps

    • Place all ingredients, except olive oil, into a food processor.
    • Blend a few minutes, until smooth.
    • Stream in the olive oil and blend until creamy.
    • After the hummus has been blended, taste and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.
    • Turmeric or Beet Hummus: After creating the Classic Hummus, add either the turmeric or beet powder to the food processor. Process until well combined.

    Simple Plating

    • Mindfully plate the three versions of hummus with fresh edible flowers, fresh herbs, or chopped veggies.

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

    Will also be sharing the Avocado Salsa and Raw Carrot Cake in videos and blog posts. Stay tuned.

    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.

  • Natural Awakenings Arizona: Recipe 2: Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto

    Natural Awakenings Arizona: Recipe 2: Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto

    by Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Culinary Expert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition, award-winning cookbook author, speaker,

    So honored to create “recipe articles” for the Natural Awakenings Arizona magazine, with our local farmers produce. For the March 2020 issue, the recipes include:


    Recipe: Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto

    Enjoy a simple lunch or side dish by gently steaming local Arizona Spring veggies in a bamboo steamer and enjoy with simple Arugula Hempseed Pesto.

    Lightly steaming veggies brings out the beautiful colors and natural flavor of vegetables, while maintaining their nutrients. Steam a mix of a few Spring veggies with different colors, shapes, and textures, such as golden and Cylindra beets, Daikon radishes, Tropical Black carrots, purple snow peas, sugar snap peas, and corn grown at The Soil & Seed Garden at the Farm at South Mountain.  Plus, steam beautiful, unique roots, such as those grown by farmer Billy Anthony of Tropizona – China Rose Radishes and Hinona Kabu and Hida Beni Red Turnips – to add brilliant red and purple to the dish. Enjoy the Spring steamed veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt, refreshing Arugula Hempseed Pesto, and Calendula flowers.

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    The Farm at South Mountain Spring Produce

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    Tropizona Radishes and Turnips

    Always be mindfully organized when cooking…

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    Arizona Spring Veggies Grown at The Farm at South Mountain & Tropizona

    Steamed Spring Veggies

    A bamboo steamer is key to simple plant-based cooking.  Learn to steam spring veggies with the mindful process of steaming.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 5-7 different Spring veggies, such as beets, carrots, purple snow peas, sugar snap peas, corn, radishes, turnips, sliced
    • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch of sea salt
    • Garnish: Edible flowers

     Simple Steps

    • To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
    • Place sliced veggies into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the veggies so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook them. Sprinkle veggies with a pinch of sea salt.
    • Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
    • Test the veggies for doneness. When veggies easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
    • Once the veggies have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.
    • Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
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    Veggies into the Bamboo Steamer

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    The fresh steamed veggies

    ARUGULA HEMPSEED LEMON PESTO

    Make simple Arugula, Hempseed Lemon Pesto to enjoy with steamed Arizona Spring veggies. With plant-based cooking, add extra flavor to vegetables with simple herb and seed pestos.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 cups arugula
    • 1/2 cup hempseeds
    • 5-7 stems chives
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 1 lemon zested
    • Pinch sea salt

    Simple Steps

    • Place all ingredients (except olive oil) into mini-processor or food processor and blend.
    • After processing, stream in ¼ cup of olive oil.
    • Adjust with oil, lemon, or salt to suit your taste.
    • Enjoy with steamed veggies.
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    Arugula Hempseed Pesto Mise en Place

    Mindful Plating

    • Mindfully plate the veggies and pesto, showcasing the color and shapes of the veggies.
    • Garnish with edible flowers.
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    Arizona Steamed Veggies: Ready to Plate

    Simple plating…to start…

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    And, next, a full bowl of steamed veggies and pesto…

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    Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto.

    2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats

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    Getting started with our mindful chopping for our fresh Tomato Gazpacho and Avocado Tartare.

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    Beautiful Plant-Based Lunch Creation: Avocado Tartare

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    Yoga at one of my very favorite spots in the world: Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

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

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

    To Purchase, click below on the class date:

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  • Natural Awakenings AZ Recipe Article: Top 5 Tips for Successful Local Plant-Based Cooking & Recipe 1

    Natural Awakenings AZ Recipe Article: Top 5 Tips for Successful Local Plant-Based Cooking & Recipe 1

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

    It is my honor and pleasure to write “recipe articles” for the Natural Awakenings Arizona magazine. For each recipe over the last few years, I first meet with our local Arizona farmer, primarily, Billy Anthony, Lead Grocer at The Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, to determine what is growing during the season. Then, I intuitively create a few recipes to be featured in the Natural Awakenings Magazine.

    I was so exited to learn that the March 2020 issue of Natural Awakenings focus was Plant-Based and loved offering a few tips to enjoy plant-based eating in Arizona and in creating the veggie-focused recipes.

    Enjoy creating these recipes with your local farmers produce and share your creations  with us on Instagram: @nutritionauthor @plantbasedexperiences

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    Natural Awakenings Arizona. Top 5 Tips for Successful Local Plant-Based Cooking, by Melanie Albert

    Top 5 Tips for Successful Local Plant-Based Cooking

    Spring in Arizona is an exciting season to enjoy cooking plant-based meals since our local farmers grow a wide range of produce this time of year. We see lots of greens, all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. If you are new to plant-based cooking and eating, visit a farmers’ market to get inspired by what our local farmers are growing and create simple, tasty, beautiful salads and veggies with different culinary techniques, including raw, steamed, and roasted.

    • Eat local. Buy produce, herbs, and edible flowers from our local Arizona farmers or grow your own for the freshest, most nutrient-rich food. Plant-based dishes start with beautiful fresh produce to create tasty, eye-catching meals. Shop at our local farms, farmers’ markets, commit to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), grow at a community garden, or grow your own.
    • Keep it Simple. With the plant-based way of eating, we focus on fresh veggies and fruit, nuts, and seeds, whole grains, and beans. With plant-based cooking, we use a few simple culinary techniques for flavor and color. The essential simple plant-based culinary techniques include raw, steaming, sauteing, and roasting. We cook the same vegetables with different culinary techniques to create different flavors, textures, and looks that add variety to our meals.
    • Cook Intuitively. Think about it: What grows together goes together. With plant-based cooking, mix and match the produce, herbs, nuts and seeds to create beautiful dishes. All veggies are different depending on the seeds, soil, weather, and geography. As a result, each dish we prepare is unique in a positive way with plant-based intuitive cooking. Be sure to taste while you are cooking and adjust your ingredients to suit your favorite personal taste preferences.
    • Mindfully Plate. We eat with our eyes first. Since plants are naturally beautiful, it makes sense to take time to mindfully plate your meals for visual beauty. Have fun experimenting with various plating styles with your version of “food art” using extras such as fresh herbs or edible flowers. Use your favorite bowls and dishes to add to the beauty of your meal.
    • Slow down and enjoy. Take a breath. Take time to enjoy the beauty of your local Arizona plant-based meal. Give gratitude to our local farmers for so passionately growing the incredible food and appreciation to yourself for taking the time to shop for and prepare your lovely plant-based meal. Enjoy mindful plant-based eating and the colors, textures, and flavors of your locally grown plant-based meal with your family and friends.

    Three Arizona Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Recipes

    These simple, beautiful plant-based recipes were intuitively inspired by and created with produce grown by our local Arizona farmers, The Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, and Blue Sky Organic Farms in Litchfield Park.


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      The Farm at South Mountain Spring Produce, Herbs, and Edible Flowers


    RECIPE: Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad

    Create a simple, beautiful salad with greens from our local farmers or your garden. Pair a few different light leafy greens and a simple-to-prepare light salad dressing with fresh herbs. This fresh salad, inspired by the local greens grown at the Soil & Seed Garden, also features cherry tomatoes grown at Blue Sky Organic Farms.  We start with a simple salad 3-ingredient salad dressing to toss with the fresh salad greens. And, add extra plant-based extras to create a beautiful salad.

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    Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad

    Basic Salad Dressing: 3 Ingredients. That’s It

    Create your own salad dressing. The key components of a 3-ingredient salad dressing include an acid, fat, and salt. Once these elements are balanced, we can add in extras, such as garlic, fresh herbs, mustard, and honey. Acids are citrus, such as lemons, limes, grapefruit, along with vinegar. Fats are oils, such as olive oil. And, salts could be Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt.  Once you’ve learned how to prepare a dressing with this technique, you can use this method to create your own unique salad dressings for your fresh salads.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 fresh lemon, orange, or ½ grapefruit, squeezed, approximately ¼ cup
    • Organic extra virgin olive oil, twice as much as the citrus juice, approximately ½ cup
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • OPTIONAL: 2-3 garlic cloves, minced; Fresh dill, fennel frond, mustard, honey

    Simple Steps

    • Squeeze a fresh citrus juice into a Mason jar.
    • Pour in twice as much olive oil as the citrus.
    • Shake the jar.
    • Taste and notice if your dressing seems too oily or acid-tasting. Add more citrus or olive oil to suit your taste.
    • Sprinkle in sea salt.
    • Shake the jar. Taste.
    • OPTIONAL: Add in minced fresh herbs and garlic.
    • Shake the jar. Taste.
    • OPTIONAL: Add honey and/or mustard. Shake and taste.
    • Taste testing salad dressing is a great way to mindfully use your cooking intuition. Add ingredients until the dressing tastes great.

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    Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad

    For the base of the salad, choose a variety of Spring greens grown by our local Arizona farmers or growing in your garden. In addition to the salad greens and dressing, extra ingredients add texture, beauty, and taste to the salad. Some sweet. Some salty. Some crunchy. Choose a few of your favorite extras such as tomatoes, berries, nuts and seeds, raisins, capers, and olives.  When plating, add beauty to your salad with dehydrated Arizona citrus and edible flowers.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 4 cups Mixed Greens, such as lettuce, baby kale, arugula, spinach, mizuna, shungiku (chrysanthemum greens)
    • 1 cup tomatoes, sliced
    • ½ cup berries (eg. blackberries, raspberries)
    • ¼ cup cracked pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds
    • ¼ cup golden raisins
    • ¼ cup Kalamata olives
    • 2 tbsp capers
    • Garnish: 3-5 sliced dehydrated citrus (oranges, blood oranges, grapefruit); Edible flowers, herbs (dill or fennel fronds)
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    Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad Mise en Place

    Simple Steps

    • Chop or tear Spring greens into bite-size pieces.
    • Pour dressing over the greens.
    • Lightly toss the greens to coat with the dressing.
    • Add half of the extras (tomatoes, berries, nuts or seeds, raisins, olives, capers) and gently toss.
    • Mindfully plate with the remainder of the extras, dehydrated citrus, herbs, and edible flowers.
    • Enjoy!
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    Create Your Spring Salad with your Favorite Greens and Tasty Extras

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    Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad

    Enjoy our local Arizona Spring veggies by cooking with a few simple plant-based culinary techniques – raw salad, steaming, and roasting . Mindfully enjoy your plant-based creations with your family and friends.


    2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats

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    Getting started with our mindful chopping for our fresh Tomato Gazpacho and Avocado Tartare.

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    Beautiful Plant-Based Lunch Creation: Avocado Tartare

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    Yoga at one of my very favorite spots in the world: Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

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

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

    To Purchase, click below on the class date:

     

     

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Veggie Bowl

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Veggie Bowl

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

    I was so excited to intuitively create this farm-to-table recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.

    This recipe is inspired by the range of roots and the fennel in the POM Rhibafarms Box. Veggie Bowls are popular and we can prepare a really quick veggie bowl with a simple roasting technique where we cook  all veggies in a pan or two. Cook a whole grain and make your own tasty Veggie Bowl.

    Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…

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    The beauty of the POM Rhibafarms Box

    Closer look at the POM Rhibafarms Box

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    POM Rhibafarms Quick Roasted Veggie Bowl

    INGREDIENTS from the POM RHIBAFARMS BOX

    • Rhibafarms: Carrots, rainbow radishes, broccoli, fennel, green onions, red beets
    • Pomegranate Café: Flaxseed  Crackers

    QUICK ROASTED VEGGIES

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 red beets
    • 1 fennel bulb
    • 5-7 yellow carrots
    • 3-5 green onions
    • 5-7 broccoli florets
    • 5-7 mini-peppers
    • 1 purple sweet potato
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 3 tbsp dried spices: Your choice: Mediterranean Blend, Southwest Blend

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    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice all veggies into bite-sized pieces.

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    • Place veggies into baking pan.
    • Place purple veggies (sweet potato, beet) into baking pan.
    • Place all other veggies into separate pan.
    • Drizzle both pans of veggies with olive oil, spices, and sea salt.

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    • Roast for 15 minutes.
    • Mix veggies.
    • Roast for another 12 minutes.
    • Use veggies in veggie bowl.

    Fennel Almond Brown Rice

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 2-3 fennel bulb slices
    • 1/3 cup almonds, sliced
    • 2 cups water
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    Fennel Almond Brown Rice

    Simple Steps

    • Pour all ingredients into medium pot.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Lower to simmer.
    • Cook covered for 15-20 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed.
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    Fennel Almond Brown Rice ready for the Veggie Bowl.

    Plating: Create your Veggie Bowl

    • One-by-one place brown rice and veggies into bowl.
    • Garnish with the Pomegranate Café Flaxseed Crackers.
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    POM Rhibafarms Veggie Bowl

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    A fun video of the creation of the POM Rhibafarms Box Veggie Bowl.


    A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:



    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

    IMG_5493


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


    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
    • More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.

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    SPRING COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA

    • HUMANA: March 27, 2019, April 24, 2019, May 29, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. March topic: Plant-Protein.
    • PHOENIX MARKET: April 13, May 11, 2019, 10:00-11:00am: Kids Cook at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Melanie shops the market and then shares beautiful ways to enjoy food with the kids.
    • GRANDFAMILIES PLACE: March 18, April 29, May 30, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm, Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn how to prepare simple healthy dishes, then plate and serve to their grandparents.

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Arizona Spring Flatbread

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Arizona Spring Flatbread

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

    Each week I have the incredible opportunity to intuitively create recipes with the beautiful food so passionately grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony in the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Spring Farm-to-Table Flatbread

    The beauty of the Soil & Seed Garden greens and “purple greens” were the inspiration for my weekly flatbread.

    Let’s take a look at the Spring CSA

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    The Farm at South Mountain: CSA March 2019

    SPRING FLATBREAD RECIPE STEPS

    To prepare your Spring Farm-to-Table Flatbread, follow the following recipes to create a flatbread with your local seasonal ingredients. Please share your flatbread creations with us on www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating or tag @nutritionauthor on Instagram.

    • Roasted Veggies: Choose a few seasonal veggies, such as cauliflower, radishes, and tomatoes.
    • Sauteed Greens & Purples: Choose a few of your favorites, such as arugula, spinach, or shungiku (chrysanthemum).
    • Cashew Cream: Quick Plant-based sauce created with raw cashews.
    • Quick Yeast-Free Flatbread: Quick flatbread that takes less time that yeast flatbread.
    • Creation Video: Layering of veggies onto the flatbread.
    • Final Flatbread: A look at the cooked flatbread with sauteed greens.

    ROASTED VEGGIES RECIPE

    Simple Ingredients from the Soil & Seed Garden

    • 10-12 radishes, sliced
    • 1 small head, cauliflower, sliced

    Other Simple Ingredients

    • 2-3 small tomatoes, sliced
    • 3-4 mini sweet peppers
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tsp sea salt
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    Ingredients Set for the Spring Flatbread and Sauteed Greens & Purples

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice veggies into bite-sized pieces.
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    Mise en Place: Roasted Veggies
    • In a bowl, gently coat veggies with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
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    Add olive oil and a pinch of salt to veggies prior to roasting.
    • Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
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    Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet, with veggies not touching.
    • Roast for 12 minutes.
    • Flip veggies.
    • Roast for another 12 minutes.
    • Use veggies as flatbread toppings.
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    Roasted veggies are ready for the Spring flatbread.

    SAUTEED GREENS AND PURPLES

    Simple Ingredients from Soil & Seed Garden

    • 2 cups of 3-4 greens from Soil & Seed Garden, such as Shungiku, Minutina, Purple Orach, Red Spinach
    • 3-4 leaves, lemon verbena
    • 1 tsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 2-3 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
    • Pinch sea salt
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    Mise en place for sauteed greens: Red Spinach, Purple Orach, Shungiku (Chrysanthemum), Minutina.

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat medium sauté pan on medium.
    • Add olive oil to pan.
    • Add to pan, green colored greens, lemon verbena, pinch sea salt, and 1 tbsp grapefruit juice.
    • Lightly toss the greens to cook for 2 minutes.
    • Remove greens from pan.
    • Follow same cooking steps for the purple greens.
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    Saute greens lightly and quickly with squeeze of fresh grapefruit juice and a pinch of sea salt.

    Greens & Purples Sauteed for the Flatbread

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    The beauty of the greens and purples.

    CASHEW CREAM

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 2-4 hours
    • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Pinch sea salt
    • ¼ cup water, adjust for desired creaminess.

     

    Simple Steps

    • Pour all ingredients into a blender.
    • Blend to desired smoothness.

    EXPERIENCE NUTRITIONTM Yeast-Free Quick Flatbread

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 ¼ cups sprouted spelt flour
    • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 1 ½ tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (dough)
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (spread on dough prior to baking)
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    Mise en place set for the Yeast-free Quick Flatbread.

    Simple Steps

    • Place pizza stone into oven. Pre-heat oven to 390 degrees F. Pre-bake the stone for about 5 minutes.
    • In large glass bowl, with a fork mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt.
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    Mix the sprouted spelt flour, baking power, and salt. Then add olive oil and water.

     

    • Add 3/8 cup water and oil until dough forms a ball. Add additional water, as needed.
    • Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes.
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    Kneed the dough for 3-4 minutes.
    • Flatten out the dough on floured parchment-paper.
    • With parchment paper on top of the dough, roll thinly with a rolling pin.
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    Roll out the flatbread with a rolling pin.
    • Carefully move flatbread to pre-heated pizza stone.
    • Spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the flatbread.
    • Bake flatbread for 5 minutes.
    • Remove stone from oven.
    • Spread cashew cream on the top of the flatbread.
    • Add veggies to the top of the flatbread.
    • Cook for about 8 minutes.
    • Garnish with edible flowers.
    • Enjoy!

    Mise en Place Spring Farm-to-Table Flatbread

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    Mise en place to prepare the Spring Flatbread.

    Enjoy the Step-by-Step Video of Layering the ingredients on the flatbread.

    Let’s take a look a the beautiful, tasty, local Arizona flatbread.

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    The beauty of the Spring Farm-to-Table Flatbread.

    Mouthwatering…

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    Spring Farm-to-Table Flatbread. Sauteed Greens.

     

    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

    IMG_5493


     

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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.

    NaturalAwakeAZ-Jan19-Cover-IMG_7717 (1)
    Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019

    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Behind the Scenes for The List TV Shoot

    Experience Nutrition: Behind the Scenes for The List TV Shoot

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

    As an entrepreneur, I am totally living my passion. Connecting with our local Arizona farmers and chef friends, and having so much fun every day enjoying real whole foods.

    I am so humbled to be invited to appear on tv segments with The List TV Show, produced by Scripps, right here in Phoenix, Arizona, and aired in 41 markets across the USA.

    In the recent February 2019 segment our focus was the HMR Diet, rated as the #1 weight loss diet by US News & World Report. Our angle was to create 3 different meals taking into account the 3 2 5 philosophy of HMR. That is, eat 3 Shakes a Day, 2 Entrees a Day, and 5 Servings of Veggies and Fruit a Day.

    Pre-Production with the Producer

    The producer, Olivia Schneider and I wanted all of the meals to be simple to prepare and in keeping with my plant-based focus. For the shake, we decided to make home-made cashew milk as the base for a raspberry smoothie. For the Entree we chose a Farm-to-Table Veggie Bowl with Brown Rice, and for the Veggies, it’s a colorful Farm-to-Table Roots and Greens Salad with a vibrant rainbow of veggies.

    Farm-to-Table Just Harvested Produce for the Shoot

    A few days prior the tv shoot — as soon as the recipes were approved –I reached out to my passionate urban farmer friend, Billy Anthony at The Farm at South Mountain. Billy supplied us with literally “just-harvested” produce for the shoot including all kinds of beautiful roots, greens, veggies, edible flowers, and even a floral arrangement.

    A Quick Look at The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden

    Billy was kind enough to organize and label the produce, so the different types of unique veggies and greens would be perfectly clear. Even the edible flowers were labeled.


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    Thanks to Billy for the beautiful farm-to-table floral arrangement for our kitchen set.

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    Day Before the Shoot: Finalize the Recipes

    A little more than 24 hours before the shoot, I started to intuitively decide which veggies would make sense with the two different veggie dishes: Roasted Farm-to-Table Veggie Bowl and Rainbow Salad. And, we finalized the recipes that we’d be filming.

    Food for the Shoot

    Incredibly beautiful just-harvested produce from the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.




    Day of Shoot Food Pre-Production

    The morning of the shoot started quite early, around 6am as I began to cook and prep food for the shoot, so we’d be ready with the final components of each of the dishes for on-camera. Just for fun, my pre-shoot cooking check-list.

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    Behind the scene out-takes from Pre-Prep


    A video look at the pre-production prep for The List TV Shoot…all set for the Crew.


    The Kitchen Set

    Right at 1pm, when I had just finished cooking and organizing the pre-prep food, the crew arrived and set up my kitchen for the shoot.

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    We all loved the edible flowers. Thanks so much to urban farmer, Billy Anthony at The Farm at South Mountain.

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    On Set: The Make your Own Shake: Raspberry Goji Berry Cashew Milk Smoothie


    On Set: The Farm-to-Table Roasted Veggie Bowl


    On Set: The Beautiful Farm-to-Table Roots & Greens Salad


    The beautiful dishes we created, with plating by  The List TV Show Co-Host Segun Oduolowu.

    Now, lets’ take a look at the beautiful dishes we creating during the shoot. During the segment, I guided The List co-host Segun Oduolowu to plate the dishes. Thanks again to urban farmer, Billy Anthony  for the beautiful food grown at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain. Thanks so much to The List for the opportunity to work together to bring these “create your own dishes” to your viewers.

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    Please join the Experience Nutrition Blog and come back for the step-by-step photos of the creating of the recipes created in for this tv segment with The List.


    IMG_5493

    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE


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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.

    NaturalAwakeAZ-Jan19-Cover-IMG_7717 (1)
    Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019

    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: 15 Arizona Greens & 1 Green Drink

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: 15 Arizona Greens & 1 Green Drink

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

    Each week I have the incredible opportunity to intuitively create recipes with the beautiful food so passionately grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony in the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    During the last few weeks, Billy has been growing and we’ve been enjoying so many different greens. What I love about the greens is that they are so beautiful with so many various shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. And, they offer different flavors. Some more mild. Some very spicy. Plus, we can enjoy greens raw in salads and beverages, lightly sautéed in a side dish, and even as dehydrated chips. Think kale chips.

    Oh my…the wide variety of greens grown at The Farm’s Soil & Seed Garden this 2019 Fall / Winter Season.

    1. Borage greens
    2. Broccoli greens
    3. Cauliflower greens
    4. Collard greens
    5. Hon tsai tai
    6. Kale
    7. Minutina
    8. Mizuna
    9. Mustard Greens
    10. Rainbow Chard
    11. Red Pac Choy
    12. Roquette Arugula
    13. Shungiku (chrysanthemum)
    14. Spigarello
    15. Tatsoi

    Let’s take a look at Soil & Seed Garden. Always beautiful. And, one of my favorite places to pause and enjoy nature…right in my neighborhood.


    And, the beauty of edible flowers…

    AA-TheFarm-edible-flowers-IMG_4873 - Copy-Reducesizetest


    Broccoli Kale Orange Green Drink Recipe

    This week I decided to try something different with the greens. A Green Drink, featuring the kale, sprouting broccoli, and fresh mint grown at the Soil & Seed Garden by urban gardener Billy Anthony.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    From the Soil & Seed Garden

    • 1 cup kale leaves
    • 1 cup sprouting broccoli
    • 2 small oranges, peeled
    • 3 sprigs fresh mint

    Other Ingredients

    • 2 cups coconut water
    • 1 banana, cut and frozen

    A-greendrink.jpeg

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place kale, broccoli, and coconut water into high speed blender and blend for about a minute.
    • Add oranges and mint. Blend for a minute.
    • Add bananas and blend another minute.

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    • Enjoy as a refreshing breakfast or snack.

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    Garnish with a few sprigs of broccoli, mint, and edible flowers…Enjoy!

    A-greendrink-IMG_5410

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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.

    NaturalAwakeAZ-Jan19-Cover-IMG_7717 (1)
    Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019

    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

    IMG_4825

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Veggie Tacos

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Veggie Tacos

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

    POM Rhibafarms Make Your Own Veggie Tacos

    I was so excited to intuitively create this week’s recipe with the POM BOX with the Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee and Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona.

    Let’s take a look at the POM Rhibafarms Box…


    This week’s recipe is inspired by the Pomegrante Café’s Guacamole, Enchilada Sauce, and Corn Tortilla. Of course, tacos, with the beautiful Rhibafarms grown broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, and radishes. Mix and match tacos with flavorful roasted and crunchy raw veggies.

    INGREDIENTS from the POM  RHIBAFARMS BOX

    • Pomegranate Café: Guacamole, Enchilada  Red Sauce, Corn Tortillas
    • Rhibafarms: Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Mookum Carrots, Icicle Radishes.

    ROASTED VEGGIES with Chili Spices

    Simple Ingredients

    • 3-4 broccoli stems, sliced
    • 5 carrots, sliced
    • 5 radishes, sliced
    • ¼ red cabbage, 1” slices
    • 7 mini-sweet peppers, sliced
    • 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 3 tbsp chili spices: Your choice: Ancho chili, Smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, ground Rhibafarms’chilis, oregano

    B-veggies-IMG_5128.jpeg

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice broccoli, carrots, and radishes into bite-sized pieces.
    • Grind and mix your choice of chili spices in a small bowl.
    • In a bowl, gently coat each veggie with olive oil, mixed spices, & a pinch of sea salt.

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    • Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.

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    • Roast for 8 minutes.
    • Flip veggies.
    • Roast for another 8 minutes.
    • Use veggies as taco toppings.

    D-veg-roasted-IMG_5155.jpeg

    PUMPKIN SEED CREAM

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds soaked in water overnight
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Pinch sea salt
    • ¼ cup water, adjust for desired creaminess.

    Simple Steps

    • Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

    Taco Garnish

    Simple Ingredients

    • Pomegranate Café: Guacamole, Enchilada Sauce, Corn Tortilla
    • 2 carrots, sliced
    • 3 radishes, sliced
    • 2 mini-sweet peppers, sliced
    • ¼ cup red cabbage, sliced
    • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

    Corn Tortilla

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
    • Coat bottom of pan with about 1 tbsp olive oil.
    • One by one, heat corn tortilla in pan, turning to cook and crisp on both sides.

    Plating: Create your Tacos

    • Plate with corn tortilla on flat surface.
    • Spoon sauce and pumpkin seed cream onto the top of the taco.
    • Add roasted veggies, guacamole, and pumpkin seed cream.
    • Garnish with the raw veggies.

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    Building the Tacos…

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.


    The Amazing Tacos!

    Seriously, I think these are my favorite tacos ever. Made with so much love and passion. Passionate Farmer Mark Rhine, Healthy Restaurant Pioneer Cassie Tolman, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author Melanie Albert. What a fun collaboration!

    AA-tacos-IMG_5245AA-tacos-IMG_5232

    A few more recipes created with the POM Rhibafarms BOX:



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


    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     



    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

    IMG_4825


    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
    • More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.

    IMG_1302

    WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA

    • February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
    • February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
    • March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
    • March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
    • March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo

     

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Orange Pepper Pilaf & Greens Radish Salad

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Orange Pepper Pilaf & Greens Radish Salad

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

    So honored and excited to create quick, simple, delicious, farm-to-table dishes from the weekly Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with the healthy-eating, vegetarian, vegan Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and the incredible Rhibafarms and Mark Rhine in San Tan Valley, Arizona.

    Let’s take a look at my favorite beauties in the POM Box…

    AA-PomBox-021419-IMG_4149
    POM Rhibafarms Box. Arizona Winter 2019

    Mark Rhine, owner of Rhibafarms dried last Fall’s beautiful chili peppers for us over the last year. What a variety. Big Jim’s, Jalapeno, Habanero, Cayenne, Sweet Bell.

    A-Rhibafarms-ChiliPeppers-IMG_4625
    Beautiful Peppers by Rhibafarms.

    Rhibafarms Orange Pepper Pilaf & Greens Radish Salad

    This week’s recipe is based on intuitively cooking almost all of my favorites in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. It started with being excited with my first fresh thyme of the year, plus the beauty of the dried peppers. You’ll see that I first created a pilaf and extended the meal to a fresh simple salad.

    INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX

    • Fresh Thyme. Oranges. Dried Peppers. Radishes. Greens. Honey.

    COOK GARBANZO BEANS

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked in water overnight
    • 3-4 bay leaves

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-soak garbanzo beans in water overnight.
    • Rinse beans and then place beans in large soup pot.
    • Cover with about twice as much cold water.
    • Add bay leaves to tenderize the beans.
    • Cover pot and bring to a boil.
    • Lower heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours with the lid ajar.
    • After about an hour start to test the beans for doneness. They should be creamy on the inside.
    • Use the beans in the Pilaf.

    ORANGE PEPPER PILAF RECIPE

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 2 cups garbanzo beans
    • 1 orange, juiced (about ½ cup)
    • 1 orange, sliced
    • 3 peppers
    • 2 cups water

     

    A-pilaf-IMG_4633
    Mise en Place: Orange Pepper Pilaf. Greens Radish Salad.

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on low.
    • Warm olive oil in pan.
    • Add brown rice and toast 2-3 minutes.
    • Add garbanzo beans, orange juice, water, orange slices, & peppers.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Cover and sauté for about 30 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    C-pilaf-IMG_E4669
    Orange Pepper Pilaf. Garbanzo Beans. Thyme.
    C-pilaf-IMG_4667
    Orange Pepper Pilaf

    ORANGE HONEY DRESSING

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 orange, juiced (about ¼ cup)
    • ½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tsp local honey
    • Pinch sea salt

    Simple Steps

    • Squeeze orange juice into small Mason jar.
    • Add twice as much olive oil as the orange juice.
    • Add honey to the jar.
    • Shake and taste. Adjust for desired taste.
    • Add pinch sea salt.

    GREENS RADISH SALAD

    Simple Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Orange Honey Dressing
    • 3-4 greens leaves, rough chopped
    • 5-7 radishes, sliced
    D-salad-IMG_4680
    Mise en Place: Greens Radish Salad

    Simple Steps

    • Gently toss greens with dressing and radishes.

    EnD-salad-IMG_4687.jpg

    E-salad-MG_4700
    Greens Radish Salad

    FINAL DISH

    • Enjoy Pilaf and Greens Salad for a simple meal.
    F-pilafsalad-IMG_4758
    Orange Pepper Pilaf. Greens Radish Salad.

    Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.


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


    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     



    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page


    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

    IMG_4825


    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
    • More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.

    IMG_1302

    WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA

    • February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
    • February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
    • March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
    • March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
    • March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo

    HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019:  Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!

    During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad

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

    In awe of another week of beautiful, vibrant veggies in the Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and grown by Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona. I am so honored to create beautiful, tasty dishes with the food from the CSA each week. It’s fun to receive seasonal food grown by our local farmers, and to intuitively create dishes with food we have not previously cooked, while also experimenting with various culinary techniques.

    For those of you who are supporting your local farms CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), I invite you to have fun experimenting with the different foods your farmers are growing. Try the new veggies and new culinary methods.

    In this week’s Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad we focus on the simple culinary technique of steaming veggies in a bamboo steamer and making a simple 3-ingredient salad dressing.

    Love and heart…at the Pomegrante Cafe, this Valentine’s Week…so much love and heart at this amazing vegetarian/vegan healthy restaurant.

    A-POM-love-IMG_3997


    Rhibafarms Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad Recipe

    The beauty of Rhibafarms broccoli and cauliflower inspired this very simple refreshing, beautiful salad.  Steamed broccoli and cauliflower, dressed with a simple lemon dressing  with parsley, almonds, and dried figs.

    INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX

    • Broccoli
    • Purple Cauliflower
    • Purple Cabbage Leaf

    STEAM BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 cups broccoli florets, sliced
    • 2 cups cauliflower florets, sliced

    Simple Steps

    • Slice broccoli and cauliflower.
    • Place broccoli and cauliflower in bamboo steamer.
    • Bring several inches of water to boil in large soup pot.
    • Once the water is boiling, place bamboo steamer on top of the pot.
    • Steam for about 8-10 minutes.
    • Check broccoli and cauliflower with fork to desired tenderness.

    Lemon Finishing Dressing

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 lemon, juiced (approximately 1/4 cup)
    • Twice as much olive oil as lemon, approximately ½ cup
    • Pinch sea salt

    Simple Steps

    • Squeeze lemon juice into small Mason jar.
    • Pour in twice as much olive oil.
    • Shake.
    • Taste to test for desired oil / lemon ratio.
    • Add additional oil or lemon, as needed.
    • Add pinch of salt to jar.
    • Shake.

    Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad

    Simple Ingredients

    A-broc-cali-mise-IMG_3797
    Mise en Place: Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad

     

    • 2 cups steamed broccoli florets
    • 2 cups steamed cauliflower florets
    • ½ cup Lemon Finishing Dressing
    • 1 cup fresh parsley, rough chopped
    • ¼ cup raw almonds, rough chopped
    • 5 dried Mission figs, sliced
    • 1 purple cabbage leaf
    • 3-5 edible flowers

    Simple Steps

    • Place broccoli into a small bowl, drizzle dressing onto broccoli, and lightly toss.
    • Place cauliflower into a small bowl, drizzle dressing onto cauliflower, and lightly toss.
    B-cauliflower-IMG_3817
    Lightly coat broccoli with Lemon Finishing Dressing
    • Place parsley, figs, and almonds into a bowl. Drizzle dressing onto the ingredients. Lightly toss.

    B-parsley-IMG_3819.jpg

    • Place all ingredients into a bowl and lightly toss.
    • Plate all ingredients on purple cabbage leaf.
    • Garnish with edible flowers.
    • Enjoy.

    A-broc-calli-plate-IMG_3847.jpg
    Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad

    Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.


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


    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     



    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page



    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
    • More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.

    IMG_1302

    WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA

    • February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
    • February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
    • March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
    • March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
    • March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo

    HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019:  Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!

    During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Fragrant Winter Greens Gremolata Recipe

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Fragrant Winter Greens Gremolata Recipe

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

    Each week I have the incredible opportunity to enjoy the beautiful food grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, and to create delicious dishes with Soil & Seed Garden CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

    Twelve years ago when I was studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, I can honestly say that I did not cook, or even eat greens, like kale, arugula, or collards. Today, I eat them a few times a week and prepare them different ways. Sometimes raw and sometimes cooked. Hope you enjoy this new greens creation, inspired by the Shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) and fresh cilantro.

    Let’s take a look at the beauty of The Farm at South Mountain this Winter week in Phoenix, Arizona.

    A-thefarm-poppy-IMG_E2396
    Poppies at The Farm at South Mountain…breathe in the beauty.

    Now, let’s take a look at The Farm’s Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

    A-thefarm-greens-IMG_2563
    Winter CSA Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona. So many amazing greens.

    Fragrant Winter Greens Gremolata Recipe

    In awe of the beauty and aromatherapy of the greens and cilantro grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden. With a fresh ruby grapefruit dressing, unique gremolata is a perfect accent to roasted veggies.

    A-greens-ingredients-IMG_2868
    Greens all set for the Fragrant Gremolata: Chrysanthemum, Minutina, Spigarella, Arugula, Cilantro.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    From the Soil & Seed Garden

    • 3-4 stems Shungiku (chrysanthemum greens)
    • 3-4 stems Minutina
    • 3-4 stems Spigarello Greens
    • 3-4 stems Roquette Arugula
    • Small bunch fresh cilantro
    • ½ Ruby Grapefruit, juiced (about 1/8 cup) and zested

    Other Ingredients

    • ½ Lemon, juiced (about 1/8 cup) and zested
    • ½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup pecans
    • 2-3 garlic cloves
    • Pinch sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Rough chop all of the greens into bite-sized pieces.

    Ruby Grapefruit Dressing

    • Zest ruby grapefruit & lemon.
    • Squeeze grapefruit and lemon juice into 8 oz Mason jar. Approximately ¼ cup of juice.
    • Add twice as much olive oil as the citrus juice. Approximately ½ cup.
    • Shake jar.
    • Taste and adjust. Add more olive oil, grapefruit or lemon juice for your taste preference.
    • Add pinch of sea salt. Shake.

    Gremolata

    • Place all ingredients into a medium bowl.
    • Add dressing.
    • Gently toss.
    C-dressing-IMG_2930
    Gremolata Mise en Place.

    C-dressing-toss-IMG_2940
    Gremolata ready to toss.
    • Serve with roasted local veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes.

    D-gremolata-vegs-IMG_2964
    Local Arizona roasted veggies to enjoy with the Fragrant Gremolata.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.


    D-plate-gremolateveggiesIMG_2982
    Arizona Winter Fragrant Greens Gremolata. Roasted Veggies.

    D-gremolata-veg-plate-IMG_2986
    Enjoy Roasted Veggies and Gremolata.

    Enjoy!

     


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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA

    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2) Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Broccoli & Cauliflower Flatbread

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Broccoli & Cauliflower Flatbread

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

    I absolutely love beautiful local Arizona farmers’ food and feel so humbled and honored to cook with it.  I am so honored to intuitively prepare one of my favorite meals – flatbread – inspired by the POM Rhibafarms Box, with produce grown by farmer Mark Rhine at Rhibafarms in San Tan Valley, Arizona and in collaboration with the Pomegranate Café, in Ahwatukee, Arizona owned by Cassie and Marlene Tolman.

    This week (2.8.19) with the POM Rhibafarms Box I am especially in awe of the fresh broccoli and cauliflower. Since the beginning of January 2019, I’ve been creating a new seasonal flatbread each week. Naturally, the plant-based flatbread features these beautiful veggies.

    Made a quick stop at Pomegranate Cafe to pick up this week’s POM Rhibafarms Box…

    BB-POM-020719-IMG_3130
    The healthy, welcoming Pomegranate Cafe, Ahwatukee, Arizona.
    BB-POM-BOx-MA-IMG_3133
    The POM Rhibafarm Box 2.8.19…”Especially grown for Pome/Rhiba Family”…I feel special. Thanks so much to Mark Rhine.
    BB-POM-Box-list-020819-IMG_3131
    The POM Box 2.8.19 Winter Arizona goodness.

    The beautiful ingredients in this week’s POMBox.

    Mark, thanks so much for your dedication in growing the beautiful food for our community. And, Cassie, thanks so much for sharing your yummy walnut taco and pico with us this week. My mouth is watering.

    A-PomBox-2018-0208-IMG_3159
    POM Rhibafarms 020819: Trio Broccoli, Galaxy Caulflower, Purple Cabbage

    Rhibafarms Broccoli & Cauliflower Flatbread Recipe

    The beauty of Rhibafarms broccoli and cauliflower were the inspiration for my weekly flatbread. Since these veggies were so fresh, I roasted them lightly and simply with olive oil and sea salt.

    INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX

    • 1 head broccoli
    • 1 head cauliflower
    AA-Cauliflower-IMG_E2305
    Rhibafarms Cauliflower. Simple Beauty.
    AA-broccoli-IMG_E2314
    Rhibafarms Broccoli. So fresh.
    IMG_2621
    Rhibafarms Cauliflower & Broccoli

    ROASTED BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 head broccoli, sliced and leaves
    • 1 head cauliflower, sliced and leaves
    • 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    A-POM-CauliBroc-Mis-IMG_2631
    Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Mise en Place. All set.

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
    • In a bowl, gently coat broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
    A-POM-Cauli-Broc-IMG_2639
    Gently toss cauliflower and broccoli with olive oil and sea salt.
    • Place broccoli and cauliflower on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
    A-POM-cauli-broc-IMG_2647
    Cauliflower and broccoli on parchment-lined sheet pan.
    • Roast for 8 minutes.
    • Flip veggies.
    • Roast for another 8 minutes.
    • Use veggies as flatbread toppings.
    A-POm-cauliflowerBroc-cooked-IMG_E2659
    The lightly roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

    CASHEW CREAM

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 2-4 hours
    • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Pinch sea salt
    • ¼ cup water, adjust for desired creaminess.
    B-cashewcream-IMG_2619
    Cashew Cream: Pre-soaked cashews, lemon, nutritional yeast, sea salt.

    Simple Steps

    • Pour all ingredients into a blender.
    • Blend to desired smoothness.

    EXPERIENCE NUTRITIONTM Yeast-Free Quick Flatbread

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 ¼ cups sprouted spelt flour
    • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 1 ½ tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (dough)
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (spread on dough prior to baking)
    • OPTIONAL: ¼ cup Kalamata olives, ¼ cup capers, ¼ cup dehydrated tomato slices.

    Simple Steps

    • Place pizza stone into oven. Pre-heat oven to 390 degrees F. Pre-bake the stone for about 5 minutes.
    • In large glass bowl, with a fork mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt.
    • Add 3/8 cup water and oil until dough forms a ball. Add additional water, as needed.
    • Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes.
    • Flatten out the dough on floured parchment-paper.
    • With parchment paper on top of the dough, roll thinly with a rolling pin.
    • Carefully move flatbread to pre-heated pizza stone.
    • Spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the flatbread.
    • Bake flatbread for 5 minutes.
    • Remove stone from oven.
    • Spread cashew cream on the top of the flatbread.
    • Add broccoli, cauliflower, olives, and capers to the top of the flatbread.
    • Cook for about 8 minutes.
    • Garnish with dehydrated tomatoes.
    • Enjoy!

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Yummmm…the baked beautiful POM Rhibafarms Box Roasted Cauliflower Broccoli Flatbread

    E-flatbread-final-IMG_2732
    Baked beautiful POM Rhibafarms Box Roasted Cauliflower Broccoli Flatbread

    A perfect slice…

    E-flatbread-final-IMG_2785
    Perfect slice. Cauliflower Broccoli Flatbread & Leaves.

     


    Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.


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



    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page



    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
    • More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.

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    FREE PUBLIC KIDS COOK CLASS AT THE DOWNTOWN PHOENIX PUBLIC MARKET

    • Saturday, February 9, 2019, 10-11am: Kids Cook at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market (14 E Pierce Street, Phoenix)

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Specialty Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Saute. Top 5 Tips to Saute Greens

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Cooking with The Farm at South Mountain: Specialty Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Saute. Top 5 Tips to Saute Greens

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

    For the last 13 weeks I’ve had the honor and opportunity to create recipes with the beautiful food grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, located about a half mile from my home in Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve been visiting The Farm since 2005 and always love the beauty of the seasonal produce, flowers, and herbs growing.

    This Winter I’m loving the variety of greens growing at The Farm; some mild, some grassy, and some spicy. It’s fun to mix and match with the greens to create a simple side dish.

    Let’s take a look at the beauty of The Farm this Winter.

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    The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden. January 2019 Morning.
    A-TheFarm-CSA-012619-IMG_1384
    The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden. Beautiful edible flowers.

    Now, let’s take a look at The Farm’s Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

    B-TheFarmCSA-IMG_1754
    The Farm at South Mountain Winter CSA

    Specialty Greens Di Cicco Broccoli Orange Sauté RECIPE

    In awe of the beauty of the greens and di cicco broccoli grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden.  With fresh sage and navel orange, this dish is simple, warming, sweet, savory, and delicious.

    B-TheFarm-Stir-012619-IMG_1766
    Mise en Place…

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 bunch di cicco broccoli
    • 3-4 stems Hon Tsai Tai
    • 3-4 stems Purple Orach
    • 5-7 fresh sage leaves
    • 1 navel orange, juiced and zested
    • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    C-TheFarm-stir-012619-IMG_1792
    Mise en Place: Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Navel Saute

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
    • Add oil to coat bottom of the pan.
    • Add sage leaves to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
    E-sage-IMG_1797
    Fresh Sage in the Saute Pan
    • Add broccoli leaves, florets, and stalk to pan and sauté for a minute.
    • Add Hon Tsai Tai to pan and sauté for a minute.
    C-sautepan-IMG_1802
    Add greens one by one, and gently saute for about a minute.
    • Add Purple Orach to pan and sauté for another minute.
    • Squeeze orange juice and a pinch of sea salt onto the greens.
    • Sauté all greens for another minute.
    • Plate with orange zest and raw greens.
    • Enjoy!
    D-TheFarm-stir-plate-012619-IMG_1868
    Greens & Di Cicco Broccoli Orange Saute

    AA-GreensSaute-IMG_1879

    GET TO KNOW: Di Cicco Broccoli, Hon Tsai Tai, and Purple Orach

    Di Cicco Broccoli. Beautiful Italian heirloom small (3-4”) bluish-green broccoli. Great raw or lightly sauted.

    B-TheFarm-012619-stir-Broccoli-IMG_1774
    Di Cicco Broccoli, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain

    Hon Tsai Tai. Chinese specialty with purple stems and budded yellow flowers. Mild mustard taste which works well raw in salads or gently cooked in sautés or soups.

    B-TheFarm-stir-Hontsaitai-IMG_1788
    Hon Tsai Tai, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain

    Purple Orach. Beautiful deep purple mountain spinach, with large, spade-shaped leaves. Adds color and beauty to salads and sautés.

    B-TheFarm-012619-orach-IMG_1781
    Purple Orach, Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain

    TOP 5 TIPS TO SAUTE GREENS PERFECTLY EVERY TIME

    1. Choose a variety of greens. Different shapes and colors. Some mild, some bitter.
    2. Pre-heat the saute pan prior to adding the oil.
    3. Add a pinch of salt when sauteing to bring out the flavor in the greens.
    4. Add citrus – orange, lemon, or grapefruit – to add contrasting acid to the dish.
    5. Only cook greens for a few minutes. Enjoy them with a little crunch.

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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONABB-01-A-13-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuliding-MelanieDessert-IMG_2119

    Purchase Tickets for the Get Clear for the New Year Vision Board & Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Saturday, January 12, 2019, 1-3pm

     

     


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Cabbage Two Ways

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Cabbage Two Ways

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

    I’m excited to share recipes each week for the POM Farm Box. The weekly box features just harvested produce from Rhibafarms and farmer Mark Rhine in the San Tan Valley along with tasty specialty items from healthy-eating cafe Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona, founded in 2010 by Cassie and Marlene Tolman.

    Let’s take a look at some of my favorites from this week’s Winter 2019 POM Farm Box. Thanks so much Mark for growing your beautiful food for our community.

    AA-POM-Rhibafarms-CSA-020119-IMG_2270
    POM Rhibafarms Box 2.01.19 My favorites: Green Cabbage. Galaxy Cauliflower. Broccoli. Dino Kale. Swiss Chard

    Made a quick stop at Pomegranate Cafe to pick up this week’s POM Rhibafarms Box…

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    Winter Arizona POM Rhibafarms Box, February 1, 2019

    This week, I am absolutely in awe of the fresh, just-harvested beautiful green cabbage. When I first saw the cabbage, I knew I wanted to make quick pickled cabbage. Afterwards, since that dish was so quick to prepare, I also made another quick dish with a simple cabbage saute.

    AA-POM-Rhibafarms-cabbage-IMG_2334
    POM Rhibafarms Green Cabbage

     

    Rhibafarms Green Cabbage: Two Ways

    Two simple ways to quickly prepare and enjoy cabbage. One raw. One cooked.

    Raw Quick Pickled Cabbage

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    From the POM BOX

    • 1 large green cabbage (1/2 for each recipe)

    IMG_E1952

    Other Ingredients

    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • ½ cup water
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp agave
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed with side of knife.
    • 2 tsp caraway seeds
    • Optional: 2-3 radishes, sliced
    • 1 12-ounce wide-mouth glass Mason Jar

    A-cabbage-Pickled-IMG_1947.jpg


    A-Cabbage-pickled-IMG_1951.jpg

    SIMPLE STEPS

    Cabbage

    • Slice cabbage in half.
    • Cut out the core.
    • Slice one-half of the cabbage into ¼” strips.

    A-cabbage-pickled-IMG_1965

    • Place cabbage in a large glass bowl.
    • Sprinkle sea salt onto the cabbage.
    • Gently massage the cabbage for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add caraway seeds, garlic, and bay leaves, and radishes to the cabbage and toss.

    A-cabbage-pickled-IMG_1983

    Liquid

    • Pour water, vinegar, and agave into a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the agave.

    Jar

    • Place the cabbage mixture into a Mason jar.
    • Press down to fill the jar.

    A-cabbage-pickled-IMG_1985.JPG

    • Pour the liquid into the jar to fully cover the cabbage.

    A-cabbage-pickled-IMG_E1999

    • Cover the jar with a lid.
    • Allow the jar to sit on the counter 3-4 hours.
    • Place jar into refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.
    • Enjoy for 3-4 days as a condiment.

    Quick Sautéed Cabbage

    Tasty cabbage side dish in 5 minutes! Chop your cabbage. Quick saute. And, that’s it.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1/2 cabbage
    • 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Slice cabbage in half.
    • Cut out the core.
    • Slice one-half of the cabbage into ¼” strips.

    A-cabbage-saute-IMG_2012

    • Pre-heat sauté pan on medium for 3-4 minutes.
    • Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
    • Once the olive oil is warm, about 1 minute, add the cabbage and a pinch of salt to the pan.
    • Increase the heat to medium high.
    • Gently toss with tongs for about 3 minutes.

    B-cabbage-saute-IMG_2021

    • Plate with a few fresh greens and enjoy as a side dish.

    B-cabbage-saute-IMG_E2042.JPG


    Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.


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



    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page



    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Thursday, February 7, 2019, 10:00-11:30am: El Mirage Branch Library
    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: More than Kale Chips. 5 New Leafy Green Chips!

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: More than Kale Chips. 5 New Leafy Green Chips!

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

    More than kale chips. We can dehydrate all kinds of leafy greens to make chips.

    This week I experimented with 5 different beautiful greens from this week’s CSA at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, grown by urban farm Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden.

    When leafy greens are in season, I invite you to experiment with dehyrating them and notice which you prefer. I absolutely love shungiku (chrysanthemum) and loved this floral green dehydrated.

    Simple Recipe: Leafy Green Chips: More Than Kale Chips

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    Leafy Greens

    • ½ bunch mizuna
    • ½ bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum)
    • ½ bunch roquette arugula
    • ½ bunch spigarello
    • ½ bunch cauliflower greens
    A-greens-IMG_0811
    Leafy Greens: Mizuna, Shungiku, Arugula, Spigarello, Cauliflower

    Cashew Cream

    • 1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked in water for 2-4 hours
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder
    • ½ tsp dry basil
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2-4 tbsp water, for desired creaminess
    A-cashewcream-IMG_0791
    Cashew Cream: Mise en Place

    SIMPLE STEPS

    Cashew Cream

    • Blend all ingredients in blender or processor.
    • Add water, as needed for desired creaminess.

    Dehydrated Leafy Greens

    • Tear out any large stems in the leafy greens.
    • One variety of greens at a time, place leaves into a large bowl.
    • Add a few tablespoons of cashew cream to the greens.
    A-chips-IMG_0827
    Place greens and cashew cream into a small bowl.
    • Gently massage cashew cream into the leafy greens.
    A-chips-IMG_0828
    Lightly massage the cashew cream into the greens.
    • Spread greens onto dehydrator screen.
    A-chips-IMG_0833
    Mindfully spread greens onto dehydrator screens.
    • Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
    A-chips-IMG_0848
    Dehydrate greens at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
    • Test for desired crunchiness.
    • Dehydrate longer to suit your taste.
    • Enjoy as a snack.
    A-chips-IMG_0953
    More than Kale Chips. Enjoy all kinds of leafy green chips.

    The Five Winter Greens

    • Shungiku, often known as edible chrysanthemum, is one of my favorite flavorful greens. These greens, popular in Japan, are aromatic and floral tasting. Shungiku are generally eaten raw or gently cooked to enjoy their crunchy texture and flavor.
    A-shungiku-IMG_0419
    Shungiku: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

    • Mizuna, another Japanese green is a member of the mustard family, a little peppery, yet milder than arugula. These are growing in the Learning Garden at The Farm.
    C-mizuna-learninggarden-IMG_E0467
    Mizuna: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

    • Roquette Arugula, one of my favorite greens, a little spicy, nutty, and sweet, adds exciting flavor to all dishes. Arugula is enjoyed both as salad greens, as an herb, and now as a dehydrated chip.


    • Spigarello, technically in the broccoli family, looks like a spiral kale. Enjoy spigarello gently sauted or massaged with a simple acid-fat-salt dressing in a salad.

    • Cauliflower greens. Yes, there are the edible greens that grow on cauliflower. Enjoy!

    CauliflowerGreens-IMG_0427
    Cauliflower Greens: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

     


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

    WP-088-A-book-IMG_5760


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Winter Greens Sauté Recipe

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with Pomegranate Café and Rhibafarms: Arizona Winter Greens Sauté Recipe

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

    I’m so excited and honored to prepare simple to cook recipes for the new POM Farm Box CSA Program. The beautiful weekly box features just harvested produce and mushrooms from Rhibafarms and farmer Mark Rhine in the San Tan Valley along with tasty specialty items from healthy-eating cafe Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona, owned by Cassie and Marlene Tolman since 2010.

    Behind the scenes. To get ready to create the recipe, farmer Josh Sundberg  personally delivered my POM BOX and I made a quick stop at Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee to pick up goodies from Cassie Tolman.

    Let’s take a look at the POM Box produce. So beautiful! Thanks Rhibafarms.

    FullSizeRender
    POM Rhibafarms BOX: 1.25.19

    Let’s see…what is all that beautiful local Arizona produce…

    AA-POMBox-w-01-IMG_1374
    POM BOX 1.25.19

    RECIPE: Arizona Winter Greens & Hakurei Turnip Sauté with POM Sweet Chile Tamari Sauce

    One simple way to  enjoy the bounty of greens is a very quick sauté. Choose a few of your favorite greens, broccoli stalks, and delicate Japanese Hakurei turnips from your POM Box and create this quick and easy spicy sauté.

    A-POMBox-01.24.19-IMG_1092
    Veggie Saute: Getting set with the food.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    From the POM BOX

    • 3-4 leaves of 3 different greens, sliced
      • Red Cabbage, Red Mizuna, Collards
    • 3-4 broccoli stalks
    • 1 large Hakurei turnip, sliced
    • 3 I’itoi onions, sliced
    • 3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
    • ¼ cup POM Sweet Chile Tamari Sauce

    Other Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Slice all produce.
    A-POMBox-01.24.19-IMG_1118
    Mindfully chop all the veggies.
    • Pre-heat sauté pan to medium.
    • Add 2 tbsp olive oil to coat bottom of pan.
    • Place onions in pan and gently sauté for 3 minutes.
    • Add garlic to pan. Gently sauté for 30 seconds.
    • Add turnips to pan, drizzle with about 3 tbsp tamari sauce and sauté for 2 minutes.
    • Add broccoli stalks to pan, drizzle with 1 tbsp tamari sauce. Sauté for 4 minutes.
    • Add greens to pan, drizzle with sauce, and sauté for 3 minutes.

    Take a quick look at the sauté sizzle video…one of my favorite cooking sounds…

    https://experiencenutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_1139.mov
    C-greens-saute-quinoa-IMG_1169
    Ready to plate with the Greens Saute and Turmeric Quinoa.
    • Plate with greens, fresh cilantro, white sesame seeds, and enjoy with Turmeric Quinoa.
    A-POMBox-0124.19-IMG_E1240
    Winter Greens Saute. Take time to mindfully plate.

    Quick Turmeric Quinoa

    Make a batch of quinoa as a side for your sautéed greens. Be sure to add black pepper with the turmeric to enhance the bio-availability of the nutrients in the turmeric.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
    • 1 tbsp turmeric powder
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 2 cups water
    C-Quinoa-turmeric-IMG_1111
    Quinoa. Turmeric Powder. Black pepper. Plus, water.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place all ingredients into a small pot
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Lower to simmer.
    • Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
    • Rest the quinoa for 10 minutes.
    • Fluff the edges of the quinoa. Rest for another 10 minutes.
    • Enjoy the quinoa with sautéed greens.

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



    Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page



    PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES

    I’m honored  have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.

    • Thursday, February 7, 2019, 10:00-11:30am: El Mirage Branch Library
    • Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Brand Library

     

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: Arizona Winter  Three Greens & Citrus Salad Recipe

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: Arizona Winter Three Greens & Citrus Salad Recipe

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

    This week’s intuitive culinary creation was inspired by the fresh, vibrant Winter Greens & Citrus from The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), grown passionately by urban farmer, Billy Anthony.

    So often we sauté greens with a little olive oil, garlic, and sea salt for a nice side dish. Since The Soil & Seed Garden greens were so fresh and vibrant I decided to experiment with eating several different greens in a simple raw salad. And, I’m so glad I did. This salad is one of my very favorites. The textures and combination of citrus and mint are outstanding. Hope you try it.

    The salad features Shungiku, Minutina, and Mizuna greens, Arizona navel orange, ruby grapefruit, and an Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, imported to Arizona by Chef Chris Bianco.

    The Three Winter Greens

    • Shungiku, often known as edible chrysanthemum, is one of my favorite flavorful greens. These greens, popular in Japan, are aromatic and floral tasting. Shungiku are generally eaten raw or gently cooked to enjoy their crunchy texture and flavor.
    • Mizuna, another Japanese green is a member of the mustard family, a little peppery, yet milder than arugula. These are growing in the Learning Garden at The Farm.
    • Minutina are long, slender, spiked leaves with forking antler-like horns. When harvested young, the crunchy leaves of minutina taste a little like a mix of parsley and spinach.

    The Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    In addition to the greens, I’ve been experimenting with an organic extra virgin cold pressed olive oil that local Phoenix Chef Chris Bianco has recently imported from Italy. The oil, from the Pugila region, is a single variety pressed from Peranzana olives. Chef Bianco has mentioned that some of the olive trees are 400 years or more years old.


    Arizona Winter Greens & Citrus Salad

    This salad is perfect for the fresh Soil & Seed Garden vibrant mild tasting greens and citrus.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 large handful shungiku (chrysanthemum)
    • 1 large handful minutina
    • 1 large handful mizuna
    • 1 navel orange, sliced, juiced, and zested
    • 1 ruby grapefruit, sliced, juiced and zested
    • 1/4 cup snap peas, sliced on diagonal
    • 3-4 sprigs fresh mint
    • 2 tbsp kalamata olives
    • 1 tbsp capers
    • 1/4 cup pecans
    • ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil

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    SIMPLE STEPS

    SALAD DRESSING

    • Squeeze ½ of juiced orange and ½ of juiced grapefruit into mason jar. Approximately ¼ cup juice total.

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    • Pour in twice as much organic extra virgin olive oil as juice.

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    • Shake the jar.
    • Notice if the dressing needs more acid (grapefruit / orange) or fat (olive oil) to suit your taste.
    • Add pinch of sea salt.
    • Add few mint leaves.

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    • Shake jar.

    PLATE THE SALAD

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    • Place greens, snap peas, olives, capers, pecans, and mint leaves in a large bowl.

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    • Gently pour the dressing onto the greens.
    • Hand toss to coat the greens with the dressing.

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    • Plate the salad with slices of orange and grapefruit.

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    Let’s take a look at the final salad..

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


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


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    Click to Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


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    Click to Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


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    Click to Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


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