"Deliciously Healthy Superfoods" Cooking Class

I've been working all summer (even my job involves me being in a kitchen all day . . . go figure), and I still can't get enough. With that being said, I made it a point to sign up for this class at Sur la Table located inside Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrensville, NJ before I head back to school in a week :)

I found this cooking class by simply searching "cooking classes in NJ" and a bunch of different locations popped up -- the internet is such a wonderful thing lol. The only hard part about signing up for this class was deciding which cooking class I was going to spend money on, being that there were so many classes to chose from. To name a couple of options : "Summer Sweets," "Knife Skills 101," and "Great Grilled Pizza." LIKE WOAH , & that's not even 1/100 of the classes available. So do yourself a favor and go check it out now --

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My choice brought me to "Deliciously Healthy Superfoods" to incorporate my love for nutrition with my favorite hobby, cooking !

I did not know what to expect of this class, but I figured majority of the other people who signed up for the class would either be A. older women, or B. really amazing chef's . . . regardless, I was just excited to get some experience, and I figured I would learn a lot, which is never a bad thing !

SO in all my day went as follows:: had a latte, read the menu, wore a cool ass apron, and a cool name tag to match, had cashew dip explode in my hair, ate the dip with pita bread and vegetables (from a bowl not my hair), ate some salad, then had a another latte, tried to slice some garlic, made some dark chocolate banana bread, learned that I've been buying the wrong type of salmon, and that I have not been ripening bananas fast enough, ate more salad, then ate the salmon when it finished cooking, took some pictures, bought some cooking shtuff, and finally I packed my mini loaf of banana bread into my purse as if I didn't eat enough food during the entire class

. . . & honestly, I couldn't imagined this day any better.

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All "Deliciously Healthy Superfoods" Recipes

Produced by Sur la Table

Creamy Herb Cashew Dip

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

A quarter cup of cashews has the recommended daily allowance of copper, known to benefit brain functions, antioxidant defenses and energy production.

1 cup of raw unsalted cashew pieces

1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1 whole lemon

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped herbs such as parsley, thyme, basil ,and tarragon

2 green onions, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)

1/2 teaspoon onions powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

Cut vegetables, and warm pita for serving

Place cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight refrigerated. Drain the cashews and set aside.

To a blender, add the water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, green onions and salt; process until combined. With the blender on low, gradually as the cashews, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Continue to pulse until the ingredients are well combined and the dip is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust accordingly with salt and pepper.

Transfer the final product to a small serving dish with cut vegetables or pita. The dip can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Berry-Almond Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Chia seeds are incredible in vinaigrettes and dressings because they thicken without added oils or emulsifiers. It's a genius way to incorporate this tiny superfood into your diet !

Chia seed vinaigrette:

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

2 T of raw apple cider vinegar

1 T raw honey

2 T chia seeds

2 T thinly sliced chives

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Berry Almond Salad:

1 Head Bibb Lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 bunch of spinach, stemmed

1 cup of strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. (Chia seeds will starts to expand and thicken the vinaigrette; if vinaigrette becomes too think, thin with a small amount of water.)

To assemble: To a large bowl, add lettuce, spinach and enough vinaigrette to coat; toss to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a chilled serving bowl or salad plates. Top salad with berries and nuts, and serve.

Slow Cooked Salmon with Chickpeas and Turmeric

Yield: 4 servings

Cooking salmon low and slow creates a tender, silky texture unmatched by other cooking methods. Additionally, cooking techniques that use minimal heat and water are known to preserve vitamin content in foods.

1/2 cup plain whole milk or low-fat greek yogurt

1 T minced garlic

1 T minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon plus 2 T olive oil, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon toasted and ground coriander seeds, divided

1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds, divided

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more as needed

1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, pin bones removed

3 cups freshly cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 T chopped cilantro

Sautéed Greens (recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 275 F.

In a small bowl ,combine yogurt, garlic, ginger, honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of coriander and cumin and remaining spices. Spread yogurt mixture over the top of the salmon fillet and set aside at room temperature.

In a large baking dish, combine remaining 2 T oil and 1/2 teaspoons of coriander and cumin with chickpeas. Smash about half of the chickpeas with a fork and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped herbs and spread mixture evenly in the dish. Place salmon fillet over the chickpeas and drizzle additional olive oil over all.

Transfer to the oven and bake until salmon is firm and no longer translucent in the center, 30 to 40 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet (Fillets that are more than 1-inch thick may take longer.)

Transfer to a large serving dish with sautéed greens.

** NOTE: try to buy sockeye salmon or coho salmon **

Sauteed Greens

Yield: 4 Servings

Simple and delicious, this preparation is a great way to incorporate nutrient-dense greens into every meal. When paired with poached eggs they are even delicious for breakfast !

2 large bunches greens such as kale, Swiss Chard, Collard, or Mustard greens

1 T olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 T minced ginger

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 T sherry or cider vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse and dry greens well. Stem leaves and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves into bite-size pieces.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook just until golden and fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add greens, turning with tongs and coating them with oil and seasonings.

Stir in vinegar and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes, or more depending on the type of greens and your preference.

Banana and Coconut Snack Cake with Dark Chocolate

Yield: 12 mini bundts or loaves

Brown bananas are beautiful ! Well, they are for this recipe; in fact, the riper they are, the more sweet and moist the cake will be without adding additional sugar or fat.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups (about 3 large) very ripe bananas

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup extra-virgin coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup plain whole milk or low-fat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease mini bundt or loaf pans and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, eggs, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla; whisk until smooth and well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture; stir just until thoroughly combined. Fold in the coconut and chocolate. Fill cavities two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy ! & Please send me an email if you recreate any of these amazing recipes :)