Experience Nutrition

Tag: plant-based retreats

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:
- Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad
- Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto
- Roasted Spring Veggies Bowl. Cashew Cream
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.

The Farm at South Mountain Spring Produce

Tropizona Radishes and Turnips

Always be mindfully organized when cooking…

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.
Veggies into the Bamboo Steamer

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.
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.
Arizona Steamed Veggies: Ready to Plate

Simple plating…to start…

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

Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto.

2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats
- Interested in a weekend of Plant-based Cooking, Self Care, Hiking and Special Sedona Ceremonies?
- 2020 Retreat Dates: June 12-15, 2020; September 18-21, 2010
- Click here: Take a look at our retreat page to see all the activities, our unique eco-retreat house, and Sedona.
Getting started with our mindful chopping for our fresh Tomato Gazpacho and Avocado Tartare.

Beautiful Plant-Based Lunch Creation: Avocado Tartare

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:
- March 28, 2020, 11am-1pm
- April 18, 2020, 11am-1pm
March 9, 2020
Experience Nutrition Sedona Retreats: Glimpse of Hiking, Yoga, and Meditation
Yoga, Hiking, and Meditation in the Beauty of Sedona
In addition to lots of hands-on plant-based intuitive cooking at our Sedona retreats, we enjoy hiking, yoga, meditation, and self-care in the beauty of the Sedona red rocks and vortex energy. – Melanie Albert, Experience Nutrition

During our September 2019 retreat, we explored three different magical areas in Sedona.
- Cathedral Rock. One of my very favorite places in the world.
- Seven Sacred Pools. Quiet magical, feminine energy.
- Medicine Wheel and the Amitabha Stupa at Peace Park. Spiritual energy.
WOW! Yoga at Cathedral Rock. Dreams come true!

During our September 2019, we enjoyed hiking at the Seven Sacred Pools, Ayurvedic yoga and meditation with Back to Earth Sedona Tours at one of my very favorite places in the world, Cathedral Rock. Finally, to close out our retreat, during a beautiful hail storm, Wendi and I enjoyed an incredible ceremony at the Medicine Wheel at Peace Park and the Amitabha Stupa.

Enjoy a few favorite photos by my Brazilian photographer friend, Nathalia Rocha, and a few of my personal out-takes during the beautiful hail storm at the Medicine Wheel.

Seven Sacred Pools

The hike to the Seven Sacred Pools takes us through a beautiful, quiet winding path and the deep Devil’s Sinkhole. During the hike, we enjoy the beauty of nature and the feminine energy of the sacred pools, and simple quiet time with the red rocks.

What a magical spot on our Earth: The Seven Sacred Pools in Sedona, Arizona.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

One of my very favorite places on our Earth. Cathedral Rock is my go-to visit, even when I take a day trip from Phoenix to Sedona.

In awe. Stunning beauty. Majestic.

Calming and energizing. Grounding and uplifting. Simply Beautiful.

Cathedral Rock. Sedona, Arizona. Bold & Beautiful.

Balancing our Bodies. Ayurvedic Yoga, with Patricia Fonseca of Back to Earth Sedona Tours.

One of my very favorite special places on Earth. More than excited to enjoy the water energy at Buddha Beach at Cathedral Rock.

Mediation. Breathwork. Awe….Omm…at Cathedral Rock. With Patricia Fonseca of Back to Earth Sedona Tours.

Medicine Wheel and so much more at the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park in Sedona, Arizona.

The final morning of our retreat, Wendi and I enjoyed a magical experience at the Medicine Wheel at the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. The 14-acre Peace Park is juxtaposed between Chimney Rock and one of Sedona’s most massive mountains, Thunder Mountain.

Thanks to the beautiful experience, guided by Patricia Fonseca and Sharon Day of Back to Earth Sedona Tours. Photos from Melanie’s Cell phone.

Prayer Flags. Upon our first glimpse of the Stupa, we are greeted by prayer flags that hang from trees and are strung from the top of the Stupa, fluttering out in every direction.

Pause and enjoy the first glimpse of the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona, Arizona.

Meditative Walk. The Stupa architecture is filled with hundreds of millions of prayers for peace, sacred relics, and ritual objects. Upon arrival, we experienced a beautiful meditative, grounding walk around the sacred Stupa three times offering our intentions for ourselves and others around the world.

Meditatively walk the Stupa three times, with intention.

Then, we offered our prayers to the beautiful Buddha.

Prayers to the Buddha.

Time for Cleansing. As soon as we arrived at the Medicine Wheel, we experienced magnificent cleansing (literally) with a hail and rainstorm. Wendi and I huddled under a Jupiter tree and Wendi’s wide rim hat in an attempt to stay dry. Enjoy the video…

The Medicine Wheel. After the beautiful hail and rain storm, it was our time to walk the Medicine Wheel with indigenous teachings from each direction (North, East, South, West) and life in four segments of 25 years, while Patricia guided us with the beat of Sharon’s drumming. What fun!

Melanie Albert enjoying the Medicine Wheel ceremony!

East & West. During the ceremony, I intuitively gravitated to the East, symbolizing for me, New Beginnings and Growth. Wendi gravitated to the West energy. Definitely looking forward to learning more wisdom from the Medicine Wheel.

Tara Stupa. So much to experience at the Stupa including the first Stupa build in Arizona, a smaller one, dedicated to Tara, the mother of all Buddhas.

Stupa dedicated to Tara, the mother of all Buddhas.

Spin the Prayer Wheels. As you leave Peace Park spin the prayer wheels that are filled with thousands of mantras, to amplify your experience at the Park.

When you visit Sedona, or come to one of our Plant-Based Cooking Retreats, be sure to spend time at the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park.

I’ll continue to post additional blogs, photos, experiences, and recipes from our September 2019 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreat. Meanwhile, please reach out to me if you’re interested in our November 15-18, 2019 retreat or a custom retreat for your organization or group of friends in 2020. – Melanie Albert

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If you’re ready to reserve your spot for the November 15-18, 2019 Retreat, click here for the $500 initial deposit.
October 22, 2019
Experience Nutrition: Arizona Farm-to-Table Summer Salad: Get the “Food Art” Steps

By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
During the summer in Arizona, our local farmers work very hard to grow beautiful produce for us in our 100+ degree weather, so I love to create beautiful dishes with it.

Earlier this week while I was chatting with a friend who reminded me that there are often “behind-the-scenes” steps in creating a beautifully plated dish. So with this Summer dish, I’m sharing with you the full steps from the vision of the dish to the final plate.

I hope you enjoy this “food art” lesson.

Step 1: Stop by the farm and farmers markets to see what’s in season. This was especially important to me the last few weeks, as I was traveling in the Boston area, Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Barbados, so I lost track of what would be growing seasonally in Arizona.

My first stop was The Farm at South Mountain, where Farm Operations Manager, Billy Anthony is growing hundreds of pounds of beautiful heirloom tomatoes.

The Farm at South Mountain: Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes

My next stop was the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, where I often shop and lead cooking demos. I was happy to see that the farmers were growing some of my summer favorites. Thanks Blue Sky Organic Farms for the collard greens and leeks; and thanks to Maya’s Farm for the rainbow carrots.

Step 2: Pause and enjoy the beautiful produce from our farmers. Begin to visualize the creation of a beautiful dish. With intuitive cooking, once we learn cooking techniques and practice with recipes, we can intuitively create beautiful, tasty meals.

Step 3: Pause again and choose a few different types of produce with different colors and textures.

Step 4: Cut the veggies and fruit in different shapes.

Step 5: Pause, yet again, and intuitively notice if any of the produce “fits” together. Today, for me, it was a simple avocado salsa (or guacamole) with the tomatoes, avocado, colorful carrots, lemon, and sea salt. And, the fresh peaches and butterscotch melon with a squeeze of lemon seemed to go together nicely.

Avocado Salsa

Peaches & Melon

Step 6: Arrange all of the ingredients and components (the Avocado Salsa, Peaches & Melon) in a plating “mise en place.” That is, all ingredients mindfully organized to be ready for plating.

Step 7: Looking at the plating “mise en place” begin to visualize how the plate will look. Then, sketch out the plating of the dish, using colored pencils or markers. In the sketch include where the different foods will go onto the plate and the order to plate them.

I’ve been mindfully plating for a few years now, and this process does take practice. Once we get into our own rhythm of sketching our dishes and plating, it becomes fluid and fun. Key is to practice, practice, practice.

Step 8: Mindfully plate the food, following your plating sketch. Know that this phase is also part of the food art process, so if your plate does not look exactly like your sketch, no worries at all. Enjoy it!

All set to plate.

Step 9: Finally, mindfully enjoy eating your plate.

Of course, first pause and enjoy your “food art”.

Enjoy…

We are only two months away from our Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat in Sedona, Arizona September 13-16, 2019. Along with plant-based culinary skills we will also focus on mindfully plating and creating our own style of “food art”.

Please feel free to call (602.615.2486) or e-mail if you’d like to chat about the retreat and take a look at the information about the retreat on ExperienceNutrition.com/sedona-retreats

July 12, 2019
Experience Nutrition: Top 11 Reasons to go on a Plant-Based Cooking Retreat
Top 11 Reasons to Go on a Plant-Based Cooking Retreat

by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition Group, LLC in Phoenix, Arizona, Award-winning Cookbook Author, and Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert

If you’re still curious…

During our Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Fall 2019 Retreat, September 13-16, you’ll experience several days of hands-on, simple plant-based cooking, mindfulness in the kitchen and eating. We’ll enjoy a farm-to-table cooking experience at a local urban farm. You’ll experience self-care with hiking and yoga in the beauty of Sedona.

In the memorable life-changing retreat, our intention is for you to enjoy the cooking and self-care experiences during the retreat and then most importantly take home the experiences and plant-based cooking learning from the retreat to make positive lifestyle changes in your lives.

LEARN TO COOK SIMPLE, BEAUTIFUL PLANT-BASED MEALS

Have fun with hands-on interactive cooking with Plant-Based Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. With hands-on interactive cooking you’ll learn culinary techniques to prepare a variety of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

ONE: Learn How to Prepare Simple Delicious Healthy Breakfasts

Learn the basic culinary techniques to prepare plant-based breakfast options and when you return home intuitively create your own breakfasts with your favorite whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
- Whole Grains (gluten-free)
- Quick, easy, and tasty nut and seed milk
- Superfood Smoothies
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
TWO: Learn to Cook a Variety of Plant-Based Lunches

For lunch, our focus is preparing beautiful, tasty raw salads, raw taco, and cold soup.
- Raw Massaged Kale Salad with fruit, berries, nuts, and seeds. 3-ingredient salad dressing.
- Avocado Tartare with fresh veggies
- Raw Almond Walnut Taco with Quick Pickled Veggies
- Cold Veggie Soup
- Raw Dehydrated Crackers
THREE: Learn how to prepare tasty, healthy plant-based Appetizers, Meals, and Dessert for Plant-Based Dinners

For dinner, we’ll cook complete plant-based meals with delicious Mediterranean appetizers, Veggie Main Dishes, and beautiful, tasty desserts.
- Mediterranean Appetizers
  - Hummus, Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade
- Meals
  - Veggie Sautés (Roots & Greens)
  - Roasted Veggie Flatbread
  - Turmeric Lentil Soup
  - Veggie Brown Rice Pilaf
  - Raw Deconstructed Lasagna
Deconstructed Lasagna
- Desserts
  - Raw Superfood Pie
  - Raw Cacao Berry Pie
  - Aromatic Apple Crisp
Raw Cacao Berry Pie

FOUR: Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Class at an Arizona Organic Farm

Enjoy a true farm-to-table experience. Tour a local organic farm with an Arizona urban farmer. Have fun cooking your dinner right at the farm with just-harvested produce from the farm and local farmers markets. Enjoy your culinary creations in the beauty of the farm.

Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition. Getting set for a farm-to-table cooking experience.

FIVE: Enjoy an afternoon Snack at a Local Sedona Plant-Based Restaurant

After hiking in Sedona, we’ll stop by a popular organic vegetarian Sedona restaurant to enjoy their delicious plant-based creations and chocolate treats.

MINDFUL COOKING & EATING

SIX: Practice Mindfulness while Cooking, Plating, and Eating

During the retreat, we’ll focus on mindfulness and being present throughout the cooking process. We’ll practice mindfulness while cooking our meals, beautifully plating our food, and enjoying our meals together.

Mindful Cooking. During the retreat, we will focus on mindfulness and being present while cooking, as part of the cooking process and a form of self-care. We will:
- Mindfully choose the ingredients (beautiful veggies) and herbs and spices for our dishes.
- Mindfully chop our food. (Learn basic knife skills).
- Enjoy the beauty, the colors, the textures, the shapes, and the aromatherapy of our food.
- Mindfully set up our mise en place. That is, get all of our ingredients in place before we start cooking for mindfulness and organization.
Learn to plate your foods beautifully. Since we eat with our eyes first, you will learn skills to plate foods beautifully. You’ll learn fundamental principles in the art of plating. You’ll have the opportunity to practice plating skills every time we cook and begin to develop your own plating style. We’ll use edible garnishes, herbs, and flowers in our plating to elevate the eye-appeal of our meals.

Mindful Eating. We’ll mindfully enjoy our meals in the beautiful Sedona environment with our retreat community. We’ll enjoy meals in the beauty of the retreat house and in the beauty of the Sedona Red Rocks. We’ll pause, slow down, and really enjoy the beauty and flavors of the food we prepare.

SELF CARE IN THE MAGIC OF SEDONA

SEVEN: Take time for your own self-care, relaxing in the beauty of the retreat house. Get away from day-to-day life. Retreats are the perfect place to really take time for you. Away from work, responsibilities, and technology. During your Sedona retreat, unplug and allow yourself to settle into quiet, to relax, recharge and reflect.

Relax at our Retreat House

EIGHT: Enjoy hiking and nature in beautiful, magical Sedona, Arizona. In Sedona, we can immerse ourselves in nature by hiking with the grounding red rock and expansive big sky environment which provides the perfect place to exercise and unwind. In Sedona, we’ll hike in the Vortex energy, breath in the fresh air, and enjoy the magnificent sunsets.

Cathedral Rock: Melanie Albert’s very favorite spot in Sedona.

Hike at the Sedona Airport Vortex

NINE: Practice yoga on the Sedona Rocks and our private yoga studio at the retreat house. Participate in a yoga class or practice on your own for self-care, quiet, and meditation during the retreat.

Retreat House Private Yoga Studio

Enjoy One-of-A Kind Sedona Experiences

TEN: Enjoy Memorable One-of-A-Kind Sedona Experiences. Only in Sedona experiences. During the retreat, you’ll experience the Sedona magic with Spiritual Reading, and a private Kiva Ceremony.

ELEVEN: Visit Magnificent Antelope Canyon. As a special add-on to the retreat, visit one of the most magnificent spots in Arizona on our adventure day to the Antelope Canyon, one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing, photographic locations in the world. A photographer’s dream, the canyon is known for its wave-like structure and the light beams that shine directly down into the openings of the canyon, creating a supernatural appearance.

If you and your friends are interested in our Fall 2019 Plant-Based Cooking & Self-Care Retreat, September 13-16, 2019 in Sedona, Arizona, please fill out the form and I’m happy to share more and answer your questions. – Melanie Albert

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July 8, 2019