Vegan Cooking Class Secrets
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Ower at Nourish Northwest
Recently we have been doing a lot of vegan cooking in the kitchen of Nourish Northwest. While we never promote one single diet for everyone and both consume all types of foods, we do believe the vegan diet has the potential to be one of the healthiest ways to eat. When followed correctly (ahem… not subsisting on vegan donuts), this lifestyle choice has the potential to protect against diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.
So if we know this, why doesn’t everyone follow a vegan diet? There are many reasons for this, including personal reasons for wanting to include animal proteins, specific health concerns or nutritional needs, food preferences and not knowing how to cook vegan, to name a few. We are certainly not trying to convert everyone to becoming vegan, but we do want to address the latter of these barriers by providing some simple vegan cooking tips.
There are certain properties of animal foods that vegans or people thinking about coming vegan miss or do not want to give up. The first of these is achieving a creamy texture, much like what you would get from using cream or other dairy products. There are two vegan secrets to solving this conundrum: the avocado and the cashew.
We use the avocado a lot to make creamy salad dressings and desserts. One of the best things we have made in our vegan cooking class is an avocado chocolate torte. It has a rich, creamy texture with no trace of avocado flavor. Avocados are also a great source of monounsaturated fat.
The cashew has the power to also produce a creamy texture. It can also turn a dish into a great source of protein. Cashew cream will most likely become a staple in your kitchen if you start doing a lot of vegan cooking. The basic cashew cream recipe involves blending cashews and water together in the food processor for several minutes until you achieve the desired texture. You then have a basic canvas for adding different flavors. Cashew cream always makes an appearance in at least one of our recipes in our vegan cooking classes. By only adding a small amount of water and then nutritional yeast and a variety if savory herbs, we have made a delicious cashew cheese that we served with a roasted beet salad. By increasing the water content, we sometimes make a heavy “cream” that is the added to pureed soups to thicken them up. We also sometimes add sweeteners to make a delicious dessert fruit topping.
Another important property of ingredients, is the potential to bind. Most commonly, the egg is used for this purpose. Luckily, there is a fantastic vegan egg replacer that has worked every time I have used it: the flax egg.
To make a flax egg, you simply dissolve ground flaxseeds with water and let it sit. After about 15 minutes you will have a thick, gooey “egg.” Keep in mind, this is not meant to be eaten as you would an egg, but used as a replacement for an egg in cooking.
The last vegan cooking secret I will be sharing is the method for making something gelatinous. Many vegans will avoid using gelatin because of it’s animal origin. Agar agar is a perfect gelatin substitute for this situation. Agar agar is a sea vegetable, that is the product of the mucilage of several species of seaweeds. It is calorie free, contains 80% of your daily value of Iodine in just 1 Tbsp and is also a good source of calcium and iron.
So now you know the secrets, but you need the recipes! Good news…we’ve got you covered there, too! We offer our Vegan Vitality cooking class almost every month, with the menu constantly changing based on the season. The March 20th and April 24th class will include Beet burgers with creamy avocado dressing, Garlicky Fries with Russian dressing and Key Lime pie. Register today!
Kitchen Cabinet Meals
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
Awhile back, I wrote a post on how to keep a well stocked kitchen pantry. It’s funny how this is not always something we think of as important, but as soon as the warning of an impending winter snowstorm is declared, we are all rushing to the store to stock our pantries. Regardless of how well you have prepared, there are usually many different meals you can come up with by combining some of the foods that you already have around your house. By using your creativity, you are also developing important skills for pulling together quick weeknight meals but when your schedule just doesn’t allow time for planning.
Below is a compilation of some simple meals, based on common kitchen items. While these might not be the most impressive or nutritious meals you’ve ever made, they work great in a pinch! Add some of these to your repertoire for your busy nights, or the next time the winter weather strikes!
Recipes and photos from StoneSoupfreeecookbook
Broccoli and Parmesan Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 heads broccoli, chopped including tender stalks
1 small piece of parmesan rind, optional, + shaved parmesan to serve
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
1. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add broccoli, parmesan rind, if using and soy sauce.
3. Cover and simmer rapidly for about 8 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
4. Puree in the saucepan with a stick blender until smoothish.
5. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve with extra parmesan sprinkled over the top.
Tuna and White Bean Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 can tuna in oil (185g / 6oz)
1 cans white beans (400g / 14oz), drained
2 large handfuls washed baby spinach leaves
Directions:
1. Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. Season generously.
2. Toss in drained beans, tuna and leaves and gently combine.
Warming Onion and White Bean Casserole
Serves 4
Ingredients:
5 onions, sliced into half moons
4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
3 cans white beans (400g / 14oz, each), drained
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock 150g (5oz)
grated cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).
2. Heat a generous glug of olive oil and a large frying pan or skillet and cook onion, stirring occasionally over a medium heat until onion is melting and deep golden. Add more oil as you need it. Will take about 25 minutes.
3. Add thyme to onion and season.
4. In a medium heatproof dish layer about a third of the onions. Add half the beans and a little cheese. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used, finishing with the cheese. Pour the stock over and season.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Pasta with Tuscan Kale
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 large brown onions, peeled & halved lengthwise
1 bunch tuscan kale, roughly chopped
6 oz. any kind of pasta/egg noodles/soba noodles
lemon juice
handful grated parmesan, to serve
Directions:
1. Finely slice onions into little half moons. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan and cook onion, covered, over a medium-low heat. Stir every 5 minutes or so to stop it burning too much. The idea is to get soft, melting caramelized onions. It’s going to take about 30 minutes or even up to 45minutes. Patience is needed.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until al dente or how you like it. Drain.
3. When the onions are caramelized, add greens and continue to cook covered, but stirring every few minutes, until the greens are just wilted. Keep warm.
4. Add pasta to the greens and onions and toss. Taste and season, adding a little squeeze of lemon juice, to taste. Serve with parmesan.
Tomato Scrambled Tofu over Greens
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 jar red peppers (about 150g / 5oz), drained
300g (10oz) firm tofu, drained and crumbled
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons smoky paprika
spinach or mixed greens, to serve
Directions:
1. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet).
2. Add peppers and stir for a few seconds. Add tofu and stir fry, breaking it up further with a fork or spoon. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and paprika. Continue to cook and stir for a few more minutes until everything is hot and the tofu is well scrambled.
4. Taste and Season. Serve on a bed of greens.
Chickpea and Rosemary Baked Frittata
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
handful freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), drained
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F and place a baking tray on the middle shelf.
2. Line an 8 in springform pan with baking paper & grease generously with olive oil.
3. Whisk together lightly eggs and parmsean. Season.
4. Place chickpeas in the prepared tin. Pour over the egg mixture & scatter over the rosemary. Season.
5. Place on the preheated tray and bake until golden and puffy and the center feels firm and springy, about 15 minutes.
Super Simple Coq Au Vin
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks
4 small onions, peeled & halved
8-12 large button mushrooms
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4cup OR 1 1/2cups red wine
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 100C (210F). Or get your slow cooker ready.
2. Place chicken, onions, mushrooms and tomato paste in an ovenproof casserole dish or the bowl of your slow cooker.
3. Pour over 3/4 cup wine for the slow cooker or 1 1/2cups for the oven method.
4. Cover with a lid. Place the slow cooker on HIGH or place the casserole in the oven and cook for 5 hours. Or until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked. Taste and season.
Vegan Main: A Cooking Class Favorite
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
What do meat-lovers serve as a show-stopping main course? Prime rib? Rack of lamb? It can be difficult to create a plant-based main course that is beautiful, delicious and worthy of a dinner party. After brainstorming ideas for our vegan cooking classes, we think we found just the thing: Stuffed Acorn Squash.
This main course is not only impressive, but it has all the requirements of a balanced, complete meal. It has rice and beans (protein and fiber), greens and vegetables (loads of nutrients), mushrooms (umami) and a dash of hot sauce (zing!), all served in an edible, nutrient-dense little squash (sweetness).
Grab the last of the winter acorn squashes and make this tonight! If you have a small squash, you may have leftover filling…great for lunch!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
(Adapted from thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com)
Ingredients
Acorn Squash
3 acorn squashes, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 tsps thyme, divided
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt
Wild Rice Medley
1 cup rice brown or wild rice medley, dry
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Tbs shallot (about 1 large), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 large handfuls greens chopped (Or use a 5 oz. combo package of baby kale, baby chard and baby spinach)
1 can cannellini or great northern beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Sriracha or hot sauce, to taste as garnish
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Season each squash half with about 1/4 tsp thyme along with a sprinkle of sea salt. Rub in a drizzle of olive oil into each half.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes on a baking sheet, cut side down, until tender. Knife should easily slide into the flesh.
- Bring rice and 2 cups salted water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 40-45 minutes.
- Once the squash and rice are cooked, set aside to cool and begin with the vegetables.
- In large sauté pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned. Add shallots, garlic and bell peppers. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add beans, one tablespoon thyme, red pepper flakes, a few twists of salt and pepper, cook for another three minutes.
- Add leafy greens, stir frequently until they are wilted (you may also want to use a cover in between stirring to help soften the greens).
- Combine rice and sautéed vegetables in the larger of the two pots. Taste for seasoning adding additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Scoop mixture into each acorn squash half and serve with any additional seasonings.
- 10. Store leftovers in an air tight container in fridge for up to a week.
What is HIIT?!?
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian, Co-Owner of Nourish Northwest and soon to be Personal Trainer
You may have noticed a new group fitness class on the Nourish Northwest schedule called HIIT. A similar type of class has been on our schedule before, under the names Tabata and Interval Training. We have given this style class a makeover and are excited to have it back as High Intensity Interval Training.
The HIIT style class is gaining popularity and was ranked as one of the top fitness trends of 2014. Its benefits are numerous and include improving fitness levels and cardiorespiratory capacity, decreasing fasting insulin and increasing insulin sensitivity, reducing abdominal and subcutaneous fat, improving resting metabolic rate and increasing overall strength and muscle size. In addition to all of these health benefits, perhaps the best thing about this workout is that it’s only a half hour long! Results of a study of Japanese Olympians showed that exercising in quick bursts of intensity was more beneficial in terms of improving fitness than a whole hour of running at a moderate intensity. And since time is a major exercise barrier for many people, this is a really important discovery!
So what does a HITT class look like? The class begins with a five minute warm up and the we get right into the bulk of the workout by alternating brief 2o second work periods followed by 10 second recovery periods. Each classes involves 6 different exercises designed to increase heart rate, tone the arms, legs and core. It’s a pretty simple concept, but a killer workout. The 20 second work periods can seem like an eternity while the 10 seconds of rest barely allows you to blink. The class is over before you know it and you are left feeling like you got an intense workout with time leftover to go home and make dinner.
So come see what all the hype is about. HIIT is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:45 pm. Hope to see you there!
A Note From Natalie
While we are sad that we will be losing a core staff member and good friend, we couldn’t be happier for Natalie as she embarks on the next stage of her life. Things will be a little different around here at Nourish but we will continue to offer the same challenging, fun classes that we always have. This marks a new stage for everyone that is part of the Nourish community and with mixed emotions and a few tears we say goodbye and good luck to Natalie! Natalie, thanks for helping us form and grow our business and family that you will ALWAYS be a part of!
Guest post by Natalie Clements, Group fitness instructor
Dear Nourish family,
It is with a very heavy heart I announce that beginning in February, I will no longer be teaching regular classes at Nourish Northwest. Though I hate the thought of leaving this amazing group of friends, I have been given an opportunity to pursue my passion for fitness full-time, and know that the time has come to jump into a new adventure with my whole heart.
I have accepted a position as Fitness Director at RiverPlace Athletic Club downtown with the hope that I can rebuild their fitness program, and find a way to reignite the same sense of passion, energy, and community that we feel at Nourish. It’s a step out of my comfort-zone and an exciting challenge in a direction I’ve wanted to go for a while now, but with it comes a “good-bye” I don’t want to make.
I hope you all know what a hard decision this was for me. The past year and a half has been an unbelievable learning experience, and I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by such warm, supportive, and hard working women and men. I sincerely want to thank each of you for sharing this part of your lives with me- for showing up even on days you didn’t want to, for trusting me, and for continually pushing yourselves. You have touched and inspired me in so many ways, and I am sincerely grateful to have gotten to know you and watch you grow.
It isn’t often in this industry, as an instructor or a client, that you find such a close-knit community and support system. I fell in love with Nourish the moment I met Paula and Olivia because I knew their compassion and genuine desire to better peoples’ lives would help them do great things; Abby and the other instructors are no exception. It has been this common goal and the incredible hearts of those that walk through the doors that have helped make Nourish what it is, and that make it so hard to leave.
Know that I am always just a phone call (or sub request) away, and am looking forward to staying in touch and seeing the transformations you all continue to make! I know many of us have big plans for 2014, and wish everyone at Nourish all of the best.
I love you all, and will see you soon!
Natalie