A Healthy Cooking Lesson

Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing people actually use and reproduce the recipes I teach them. John and Hannah are the epitome of those kinds of people. They’ve told me on numerous occasions that they made the recipes from their first lesson multiple times and even recommended me to all of their friends.

It all started out when John went to the doctor and was told he had to lower his intake on salt, carbs, fat, and sugar (aka “flavor”) in all his food or else he’d have to go on medication. So they hired me and after making the recipes from the first lesson, he passed his health test and the doctors said he didn’t have to go on medication! NICE!

So they hired me again, but this time, he threw in an extra twist. This time I also had to make sure I taught them all one-pot recipes that were quick to make. Yikes! But I was up for the challenge. They were nice enough to have Joe and I stay to eat the recipes with them, so I felt extra motivated to make it edible enough for even us to enjoy.

Not to mention, they have a son, Matthew, and I don’t think they’re about making 2 separate dinners every night, so I wanted to make sure it was tasty enough for him to eat as well.

Just like I told them last time, you can use less salt as long as you substitute with fresh citrus like lemons, limes and oranges. Somehow, the acid tricks your taste buds into thinking you’re eating salt. Weird huh? But it works. Acid just kicks up flavors a notch or so.

And who says you can’t still eat with your eyes first when making “bland” foods? So I told them to always use a variety of colors in their foods like vibrant seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs.

As you can see, I really put them to work. My philosophy is that if you don’t try to do it yourself, you’ll probably feel intimidated doing it yourself later, when I’m not there.

For anything with a high sugar content like peas, make sure you measure it out and don’t go over-board. Carrots, onions and peas have tons of sugar, even if they’re natural sugars… so watch yoself!

I didn’t even notice this before, but for all the dishes, somehow, John was the holder of the pots and Hannah was the scraper.

In one dish and a small amount of time, we made cod over beans and greens with a low-sodium Asian vinaigrette. Trust me, and you can even ask Joe, but you don’t miss the fat or salt.

Tender, flaky, buttery, slightly crunchy and yummy.

This dish ended up intriguing John the most. The combination of chicken with granny smith apples, thyme, and zucchini surprised them both. Most people don’t realize you can use cinnamon in delicious savory dishes. The normally tart apples break down when you bake them and let out their natural sweetness which infuses the chicken and makes it moist and juicy.

This one pot stir-fry was Hannah’s favorite which used ground turkey, tofu, and tons of crispy vegetables. She said she could eat it everyday. That’s music to my ears!

In the end, we made three different one-pot recipes and had a feast together. Working with less fat, carbs, salt and sugar was definitely a challenge, but I love these kinds of things because it helps me to grow and improve as a chef. Thanks to Hannah and John for hiring me for the second time. Once they get bored of these recipes I’ll come up with more! Here’s to flavorful healthier eating y’all.