Natural Foods Cooking Retreat – Day 3

We completed our three day Natural Foods Cooking Retreat the same way we began it with a heavy emphasis on great tasting food that also happens to be good for you. Some sweets lovers follow the "Dessert First" mantra so here is sneak peak at our class finale, Apple Pie Apples dessert. This treat was as much fun to construct as it was to consume. More on this to follow.

Apple Pie Apples with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream

Kicking off this final meal was burgers but these were not your typical highly processed garden variety store bought veggie burgers. Chef Jenny Brewer threw a great Black Eyed Pea and Chipotle Burger recipe at us. The touch I especially liked was adding a bit of corn meal to them just before baking.

Black Eyed Pea and Chipotle Burger Patties

And instead of tucking these beauties in a big old heaving bun we made our own wraps by flash steaming Collard Green Leaves.

Steaming even made the color of these leaves even more vivid

In order to put a quick stop to the steaming process we dipped the leaves into a quick ice bath.

Lightly streamed Collard Green Leaves cool down rapidly in an ice bath

Ready to wrap burgers topped with caramelized onions

Also on the menu was a Hemp Seed Caesar Salad. I have tried many mock Caesar dressings but this one is hands down the best. You could fool your biggest Caesar Salad fanatic in a blind test taste. Here's a shot of the ingredients for the dressing all prepped and ready to go. Just one tablespoon of kelp (sea vegetables) even give it just a hint of the anchovy flavor. This dressing is clever, heathy and really faithful to the spirit of the classic.

Another refrigerator staple as Jenny likes to call them is her Quinoa Pumpkin Seed Salad. Quinoa is a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids and gluten free. The addition of the pumpkin seeds make this salad so satisfying that it can stand as an entree itself. Included in this dressing was cumin, chili powder, cilantro and lime juice so it had a really nice Southwestern snap. We used red Quinoa for even more color.

Red Quinoa Pumpkin Seed Salad with a tangy Southwestern dressing.

We even made our own crackers called Flaxy Crackers. They were missing flour but not flavor or fiber thanks to chickpeas, walnuts, flaxseeds, sesame seeds and lots of herbs. We rolled the mixture out onto parchment paper and then baked in a 425 degree oven. We served the crackers with Cashew "Cheese" which was really a non-dairy recipe turning raw cashews into a tasty cheese like dip. Garlic, tahini and lemon juice all contributed to the unique flavor profile.

Flaxy Crackers Pancake ready for the oven

Our final meal was especially colorful and had a huge variety of interesting textures as well as solid flavors.

Clockwise: Burger Wrap, Caesar and Quinoa Salad and Flaxy Crackers with Cashew Cheese

And back to our final recipe of the class. I got to work on the team that made these Apple Pie Apples or as I called them, "Twice Stuffed Apples." It was a bit like carving a pumpkin. We first removed the cores and most of the inner apple creating a cavity for re-stuffing them with bits of apple, raisins, cinnamon and sugar.

Granny Smith apple cups filled to the brink with sweetness and awaiting their crusty tops

The next step yielded a surprising crust that turned our apples into mini apple pies. We used sprouted spelt flour and coconut oil to create strips of crust in a basket weave pattern topping each apple. It was really fun to dress up each apple cup with the crust strips. Another surprise was making the most delicious Whipped Cream out of chilled Coconut Milk. We simply added some powdered sugar and whipped it with a hand mixer just as you would with cream. For me the texture and flavor surpassed whipped cream yet is was 100% dairy free. Unbelievable!

Apple Pie Apples ready for the oven

When the cold Coconut Whipped Cream danced with the warm freshly baked apples it melted into major yumminess. My parting food shot here just kind of says it all.

The best possible final bites of a great meal.

It was another "Winner Winner Natural Foods Dinner" with Chef Jennifer Brewer. Actually, we not only had many winning lunch, snack and dinner recipes but as I described in my Day 2 post we

also made some seriously good breakfast foods too. I'd like to thank Jenny for her relentless pursuit of healthy food that tastes great and to my classmates who made this experience a really memorable one. Here is our class group photo except for Mike who had to take off a few minutes early just before we all posed for one last time.

(L to R) FRONT: Steve, Victoria, Me BACK: Rebecca, Elizabeth, Jenny, Nancy, Barbara, Erin

My parting shot is of Chef Jenny and I. This was not my first class with her and it certainly won't be my last. For more information on all of Jenny Brewer's healthy lifestyle habits just check out her website at www.nourishingnutrition.com.

Natural Foods Cooking Retreat – Day 2

On the second day of our Natural Foods Cooking Retreat Chef Jenny had the perfect segue from Day 1 into our early start on Day 2. She had made sure that we poached some extra pears from the previous night's dessert and turned them into a beautiful breakfast beginning. The sweetness of the poached pears and tartness of the Greek yogurt made for perfect contrasting flavors in my book.

Poached Bosc Pears with Tart Greek Yogurt and topped with Ginger Crumble

We got very busy building breakfast at the beginning of Day 2

I was thrilled to get some new healthy breakfast recipes because so many cookbooks and other resources for natural foods often ignore this important first meal of the day. One group made Spiced Apple, Buckwheat and Oat Porridge. It was very thick, satisfying and the perfect comfort food to warm up a cold winter's morning. We served it with our own handmade nut milk using almonds that were soaked overnight then blended in purified water. Chopped Brazil nuts topped it all.

Spiced Apple, Buckwheat and Oat Porridge simmered and filled the kitchen with great aromas

Scrambled Tofu was the beginning of our spicy Fijoles recipe that had all of trimmings to make your own breakfast tostadas.

Tofu Scramble with onions, red bell peppers and lots of Mexican spices.

Tofu Frijoles Bar

Breakfast of Champions plate with Tofu Frijoles Tostada, Porridge and a Breakfast Bar Bite

We also learned how to make our own High Protein Breakfast Bars with only the healthiest ingredients at a fraction of the cost of commercially produced energy bars. These snacks are sweetened with honey and loaded with flaxseeds, hemp seeds, almonds, and fruit. We call them "Breakfast Bars" but they make a great snack anytime of the day.

High Protein Breakfast Bars disappear very quickly

For the egg lovers we made a great Chard and Leek Frittata. It tasted right out of a pricey restaurant menu but had inexpensive wholesome ingredients. Chopped thyme and oregano kept it really fresh. I could eat this every morning and even make sandwiches out of it hot or cold!

Chard and Leek Frittata

It was time for a break as Day 2 involved two complete meals. As great as breakfast tasted it was just the first half of the day's menu. We returned to some knife skills tips and quickly put them to work making the classic Holy Grail of all soup starters, Mirepoix. We diced carrots, celery and onions as the base for a trio of soup recipes.

Basic Lenti Soup (right), Moroccan Red Lentil Soup (left) and Thai Style Lentil Soup (rear)

Mike works the greens in the food processor

Jenny did a really interesting experiment with flavoring. We all started with the Basic Lentil Soup and she passed around a plate of seasoning options. We added each individually and noted their impact on the soup. Surprisingly, salt was neither the one that was preferred nor even the most interesting. For me it was fresh lemon juice that hit it out of the park.  I now plan have lemon wedges for squeezing right next to the salt and pepper shakers accompanying more of my meals.

Clockwise: Lemon Juice, Parsley, Sea Salt, Miso and Balsamic Vinegar flavoring add-ons.

Hands down for me the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup was the winner. When red lentils are well cooked they melt and get an incredibly creamy texture. It is rich in both taste and protein. Just before serving we tossed in some chopped chard which added color, freshness, texture and another layer of flavor.

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

The next recipe pleasantly surprised me because I was introduced to Delicata Squash. We were all talking about the popular Butternut variety and how it tastes great but is also very hard. Delicata is not only easy to cut but you can also leave the skin on. I love how its stripes almost resemble grill marks.
 

Maple Roasted Delicata Squash

Here Rebecca and Nancy cut the squash into crescent shapes for even roasting in the maple syrup.

Freshly Toasted Pumpkin Seeds stand by to provide crunch

We tossed Arugula in a vinaigrette that included some maple syrup, folded in the roasted squash and topped it with toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch. This salad was super simple to make but was unique, colorful and a certain guest dazzler.

Maple Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

My closing shot is another Jenny gem for dessert. Never forgetting how many chocolate lovers and those with a serious sweet tooth are out there she capped another great day of food with Chocolate Mousse Parfaits. This dessert was decadence with a difference. The secret ingredient that added great texture and healthy fats was avocado. Yes, you read this correctly. You CAN sneak veggies into a dessert that will delight and impress. We topped it with a fresh Raspberry Coulis and chopped Brazil nuts. YUM! More will follow in my recap of our final Day 3 coming soon.

Chocolate Mousse Parfait

Natural Foods Cooking Retreat – Day One

In the spring of 2009 I took a great Natural Foods Cooking Class in Santa Cruz, California from local natural food guru, Chef Jennifer Brewer. It was such a great experience that I made seven posts about it that you can read right here. So when Jenny contacted me recently to try her new three day condensed version of the program I knew I just had to be there to see the redux.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Chipotle Aioli Dipping Sauce

WHAT!?! Since when did fries and aioli dipping sauce make it onto a list of healthy foods? Since Chef Jenny Brewer has come along to show us how foods that taste great can also make you feel great. And that bit of word smithing is exactly how Jenny began our three day journey into more healthy cooking that really appeals. She asked all of us to make two lists and bring them to the first class:

 1. What are your three most favorite foods?

 2. What are the three food that make you feel GREAT when you eat them?

The difference between these two simple questions is not only profound but exemplifies a huge contradiction in our diets. So many of the foods that people crave and make them happy to eat actually make them feel awful after consumed because of their high fat content paired with lack of nutrients. Jenny put our answers to these questions into two columns on the white board.

Jenny Brewer's Taste Great vs. Feels Great Foods Chart

I kept flashing on the popular the Miller Lite Beer campaign from a few years back, "Great Taste, Less Filling." Most of the foods in the left hand column called Taste Great are comforting because they are so high on the flavor scale. But with that flavor normally comes runaway fat content so our body isn't nearly as happy as our mouths. Notice all of the whole foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals on the right hand column called Feels Great. What I love about Jenny Brewer's approach is that she never denies that the Taste Great foods are delicious. Jenny is the first to admit she too has a weakness for many of them, especially great breads. So instead of preaching to us or scolding anyone for loving tasty foods she focuses on bridging the gap between the two lists with her three "F"s: Fat, Flavor and Fun. When you know how to combine a little fat, a lot of flavor and make it fun then a nutrient rich diet of natural foods is not always a compromise.

After a short lecture we broke into groups to make our Day One Menu. Clockwise from the bottom of the plate here was the fare:

1. Nori Rolls filled with Sunflower Seed Paté, carrots/cumcumber/avocado/sunflower sprouts
2. Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Chipotle Aioli dipping sauce
3. Twice Cooked Tempeh Chunks with Cilatro-Hemp Seed Pesto
4. Kale with Avocado Salad and simply Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
5. Kale and Tahini Salad with Brown Rice

Natural Foods Cooking Retreat – Day One Sampler Plate

The other thing I really like about Jenny Brewer's classes is the heavy emphasis of hands-on. Jenny had two assistants and seven attending this retreat so the ratio of staff to students was almost one to two. Everyone got lots of hands-on time.

Chef Jennifer Brewer in the middle flanked by her assistants, Erin (left) and Elizabeth (right)

The staff had all of the recipes nicely prepped for us upon our arrival. Prepping ingredients and tools makes cooking half the battle. One really cool advantage of taking a class at New Leaf Market on the west side of Santa Cruz is the kitchen right is inside their incredible store. Any ingredient you could possibly ever need is just a few steps out the door of the kitchen.

All recipes are good to go and ready for execution.

"Fries" right out of the oven with just a pinch of potato starch to give that crunchy "Fry Feel"

Steve and Nancy from Sacramento work all the veggies for the Cilatro-Hemp Seed Pesto sauce

Dueling Kale Salads – Tahini/Miso on the left and simply Olive Oil/Lemon Juice on the right

Victoria peels a Bosc pear for our nutrient dense dessert.

Even though we were all completely satisfied by our first five courses of vitamin and mineral rich recipes there's always room for dessert, right? Jenny came up with a real winner that included two classic cooking techniques, poaching and reducing. First we poached Bosc Pears in their own juices, cinnamon and vanilla bean and then reduced the cooking liquid to a thick rich sauce. We also made a Cashew Date Cream by just blending soaked cashews in water and giving them a good pulverizing in the blender with filtered water, dates and vanilla. It was 100% dairy free and tasted unbelievably rich. Topping both these tasty sweets was a Ginger "Crumble" combining walnuts, flaxseeds, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and dates. It was the perfect texture punch to create a really decadent dessert that was actually nutrient dense.

Poached Bosc Pear with Cashew Date Cream and Ginger Crumble

After learning, cooking and eating all of this great food there was not an unsatisfied customer in the house. But as Jenny says NSNS..."Never Starved Never Stuffed" is the way of the healthiest diet. And all of this tasty food left everyone with the same great feeling. We were completely satisfied but also eager to return for Day Two and so the story will continue in my next post.

Cooking Class Review: Healthy Breakfasts (Don't Skip The Day's Most Important Meal)

Back in the Spring of 2009 I took an eight week Natural Foods Chef Training course at the New Leaf Market in Santa Cruz. Each class had a theme which covered a full range of healthy eating topics. My posts began on April 17. These classes were great exercises of healthy cooking under the able guidance of natural foods Chef Jennifer Brewer. So recently when I saw that Jenny was teaching a class in healthy breakfasts at New Leaf it was a complete no brainer for me. After all, breakfast is very high on my list of important meals.

So why is breakfast such an important meal when it is so often just overlooked and not heavily factored into diet strategy? Jenny explained that what you consume for breakfast can greatly impact your body's need for nutrition during the rest of the day. She quoted a study where they contrasted two breakfasts. One was protein based (eggs) and the other carbohydrate based (bagel) but they were equal in calories. Those consuming the protein breakfast consumed 300 calories less than the carb eaters for 24 hours and yet still reported feeling fuller all day long. So it is true that the satisfaction factor of protein lasts longer and especially when consumed in the morning.

Classes at New Leaf always kick off with a short lecture where Jenny explains the recipes and their nutritional benefits of all the ingredients.


And in no time we form groups to tackle the recipes in a truly hands-on environment.


The students perform all of the prep steps which is essential to beginning any cooking process.


Our Breakfast of Champions Menu:

Spiced Apple, Buckwheat and Quinoa Porridge
Chard and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Frittata
Savory Scrambled Tofu
Gluten Free Coconut Blueberry Muffins
High Protein Breakfast Bars

Buckwheat and apples are high in soluble fiber. Brazil nuts are rich in the immunity boosting mineral, selenium and figs are one of Jenny's favorite sources of magnesium.




Chard and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata makes for an easy crust-less quiche. We also made a batch of baby round versions in a cupcake pan. This mini size can be stored in the fridge and easily reheated later.



As an alternative to eggs we also made a Savory Scrambled Tofu dish. Tamari (soy sauce) and Tumeric delivered the big flavors here along with sweet peppers, onions, cumin and thyme.


We tucked the savory scramble into corn tortillas to make tasty breakfast tacos. We toppped them with ripe avocado and Jenny's secret weapon of black beans with smoked paprika. Delish!


The biggest challenge of the menu was Gluten Free Coconut Blueberry Muffins. Baking is always an exact science and doing it with gluten free products ups the degree of difficulty. It is mostly a texture and not flavor issue. What I like about Jenny is that she is always experimenting with recipes to accommodate the many people with food intolerances, allergies and dietetic restrictions. She suggested we make one half of our batch by substituting the eggs with a surprising combination of ground flax seeds with almond milk.


Again, the texture was not terribly muffin like but all the flavors were there in a very healthy package. Pictured here are the blueberry muffins with the egg free version on the left.


The take away highlight recipe for me was the High Protein Breakfast Bars. I have tried to make other versions before but never with the success of these. This shot is of the whole batch which was quickly attacked by the hungry cooks. Heavy carb lovers can still have their sweet treats for breakfast only these are packed with nutritious almonds, hemp seeds, flax seeds and brown rice syrup.


My parting shot is of Jenny stepping out into the market to grab some more Brown Rice Syrup. One of the many advantages of these classes is whenever we run out of something it is just a few steps to one of the best selections of natural foods you will find anywhere. For more information on their healthy lifestyle classes visit New Leaf Markets.