Please meet Katherine and Hector. This is a lovely couple that I had the pleasure of teaching
a three-part healthy cooking class to recently. Katherine and Hector are newlyweds; 18 months out, but still honeymooning. By all accounts they are very much in love.
Katherine is an experienced healthy cook in her own right. She gifted Hector these lessons so that they could cook together at home. They enjoy spending couple time together. Their common interests include physical fitness, dancing and a strong faith life. Cooking together was a natural progression for them. Hector was an eager student. Both Katherine and I were impressed with his precise dicing skills and his attention to details.
To start with we sampled grab and go and easy to make healthy snacks. This is a fun way to get started and stay on track; pack your cooler and take your snacks. We discussed cooking methods, what type of pots, pans and storage containers to use and touched on food safety. We often talked about the importance of sourcing organic foods; local when possible. Katherine and Hector belong to a local food co-op called Sweetwater Organic Farm.
We explored tasty dishes like Scrumptious Salmon Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Vegan Coleslaw with Pineapple. We even had a date night class. Catherine and Hector brought thoughtful gifts for each other that they shared over dinner.
Adopting a healthy life style has many advantages. It’s often the case that people feel better, reduce or reverse diseases, have more energy and live a robust, long life. Going deeper, healthy living is also about loving yourself. When you love yourself, you share your love with others. Love of healthy food and healthy relationships go hand in hand, as do Katherine and Hector.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS NO SUGAR VALENTINES CHALLENGE!
Using Organic Ingredients
Total Time: 10m
Yield: 18 peanut butter cups
Ingredients
¾ cup peanut butter, or almond butter at room temperature.
3 tbsp of Zylitol (dissolved in 1 tsp water (heat is sauce pan until it becomes liquid) for peanut butter
optional 1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup of chocolate chips
½ cup dissolved zylitol for chocolate chips . plus 9 drops stevia or monk fruit and 1 TBS agave.
2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
Stir the peanut butter together with all ingredients. Using about a teaspoon full of the mix, form a ball and place it in the bottom of a mini cupcake liner pressing it out to fit into the bottom of the liner. Continue this process until all the mix is gone. * Note: For easy handling, place the mini cupcake liners in a mini cup cake pan. I like to use brown liners that are dye and bleach free.
Melt the chocolate together with the coconut oil stirring constantly with a wisk. Just as the chocolate becomes a sauce ( about 90 degrees ) place the chocolate sauce in a glass Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the chocolate sauce over each liner containing the peanut butter mix until the cup is full. Work quickly before the chocolate sauce cools. If it becomes too cool to pour, reheat it adding water.
Cover the mini cup cake pan and refrigerate. The chocolate peanut butter cups can be placed in a thick freezer plastic storage container and frozen for up to two weeks.
FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH Check out this delish heart healthy salmon cake recipe.
Scrumptious Salmon Cakes <3 For Valentines Day, form salmon cakes in a heart shaped mold.
Using Organic Ingredients
1 lb fresh salmon filet* 2 minced garlic cloves
1 Tsp minced ginger
Salt and black pepper to taste Olive 0il 1 medium onion (1 cup finely diced) 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 cup gluten free bread crumb
½ to 1 cup of Veganaise (less for fresh salmon, more for canned salmon)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh basil
½ tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
*Note: Fresh salmon can be substituted with leftover cooked salmon, or 14-15 oz of well-drained canned salmon, or three 5 oz salmon packets. If mixture is too moist to hold the patty shape, add more bread crumbs and if it is too dry, add an extra Tablespoon of mayo.
*This recipe is lightly seasoned. Adjust for your own taste.
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl or food processor combine flaked salmon, sautéed onion and pepper, 1 cup GF bread crumbs, 6 Tbsp Veganise1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Stir to combine then form into 13-14 patties. Press them into 1/3 to 1/2″ thick patties.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat add half of the salmon cakes and sauté 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
If salmon cakes brown too quickly, remove them from the pan when they are golden brown. Bake them at 325 degrees until they reach the internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Serve with 50/50 brown Dejon and veganize sauce.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE A CLASS Please reach Chef Sherell at
727-433-1077.