Techniques of Plant-Based Cooking 6 Week Series (11/12 - 12/17)

This six-week course is all about vegetables, grains, and beans.  Whether you’ve already jumped in to whole foods, plant-based eating seeking a healthier lifestyle, or because of concerns about sustainability or animal ethics, or you just want to up your game cooking foods coming from the ground, this course is for you.  We’ll equip you with techniques to transform plant-based ingredients into beautiful, satisfying and delicious dishes and meals that deliver an incredible range of flavors, colors and textures.  We’ll ferment, char, pickle and smoke foods.  We’ll use global spice blends from the world’s boldest cuisines.   And we’ll make foods that appeal to pretty much all of us, including vegetarians, vegans, and others restricting their diets.

Week 1: Vegetables – Seasoning, Stocks and Soups
A good stock is the foundation of all great cooking. Start with the basics: vegetable, mushroom, and dashi stocks. From these bases, you will make a variety of soups such as Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut, Creamy Cauliflower with Rosemary Oil, Vegan Ramen and more.

Week 2: Vegetables – Moist Heat Cooking and Raw
Poaching, steaming and braising are just a few of the techniques that you’ll utilize in this class. In addition, you’ll learn some techniques and tasty options for raw (uncooked) meal prep. Recipes include: Sweet Potato Quesadillas, Mushroom Bourguignon, Chocolate Date Caramel Cups, and more.

Week 3: Vegetables – Dry Heat Cooking
Roasting, frying and grilling are a few of the techniques that showcase how caramelization affects foods of all sorts. Create dishes such as Whole Roasted Celeriac with Romesco Sauce, Italian Eggplant Parmesan, Char-Grilled Broccoli Salad, Grain-free Berry Crisp with Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream and more.

Week 4: Cooking with Grains
You are probably familiar with wheat, rice and quinoa, but what about farro freekeh or seitan? We will introduce you to a variety of new grains to add into your repertoire with a plethora of fun mean options such as: Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette, Barley Risotto, Crispy Quinoa Cakes and more.

Week 5: Beans and Legumes
Finally learn how to cook and season the dried beans and lentils you see so amply stocked at the market. Beans and legumes contain some of the highest protein of all plant source, including a ton of other minerals and fiber (without saturated fats). Make some fantastic weeknight meals such as Spinach Lentil Stew with infused butter, Falafel with Tahini Sauce, Tempeh Satay with Sweet and Sour Veggies, and more.

Week 6: Putting it all together, with sauces
Broken up into three eclectic menus: Indian, Israeli and Mexican (inspired), put your 5 weeks of plant knowledge to the test while creating some delicious menus such as Saag Paneer with fresh Chapati, Warm Israeli Hummus with Mushrooms, Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos and more!