A friend approached me recently as she was eager to learn some basic cooking skills. She has an interesting dilemma- her boyfriend is vegan and she is not a fan of vegetables- quite the predicament! My mission in this class was to show her just how delicious and satisfying plant foods can be with the right cooking methods and seasoning! While I have never adopted a vegan lifestyle I once was a vegetarian and I have an unwavering affection for vegetables. There is not one that I dislike except maybe on occasion Okra and why you may ask? Well, most people don’t know how to cook it! It’s all in finding the best method to bring out the amazing inherent flavors in plant foods. What I most adore about cooking classes is not only do I teach my clients but it is also a learning experience for myself.
While going to culinary school gave me a solid foundation in all cooking methods, there were so many untouched aspects. For example- vegan bread making. While my baking classes ran the gamut from traditional french pastries to breads, pies, tarts and cheesecakes, we were never taught the specialty art of vegan bread making and I can happily report that it is incredibly simple and gratifying! Thanks to my beautiful friend- Natalie Perlin – I was inspired and did my research on vegan bread which i discovered can me made with just four simple ingredients- flour, water, yeast and oil. In our class I utilized the following simple vegan bread recipe courtesy of Genius Kitchen. If you have never tried making vegan bread and are curious I highly recommend starting with this recipe!
The other half of the class was dedicated to experimenting with one of my favorite methods for cooking vegetables- ROASTING! If you have struggled with roasting vegetables please see my essential tips below!
5 Mistakes to Avoid when Roasting
1. Not cooking the vegetables with enough (or too much) fat.
Vegetables should have a good coating of oil- enough so that everything is fully coated, but not so much that the vegetables are swimming in a pool of oil. As a rule of thumb, use 1 tablespoon of oil per pound of veggies.
2. Not cutting vegetables into equal sizes
To ensure even cooking, cut vegetables to roughly the same size. Between one to two inches is a good place to start. When cut to different sizes, the vegetables won’t cook evenly. Smaller pieces cook faster, with more potential to burn, while larger pieces don’t get cooked through.
3. Forgetting to flip the vegetables during cooking.
Roasting is not a set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking. Forget to flip the vegetables, and they’ll end up unevenly cooked, with one side that’s deep brown (or burnt), while the other has no color. To get roasted vegetables that are beautifully browned all the way around and evenly cooked flip the vegetables at least once during cooking..
4. Cooking at too low of a temperature.
While setting the oven at a low temperature will certainly cook vegetables, it’s not enough to achieve the kind of deep brown, caramelized, crisp exterior that makes roasting so wonderful. Roasted vegetables require high heat. Set the oven between 400°F to 450° F.
5. Overcrowding the pan.
You want to fit as many veggies on the sheet pan as possible — I get it. When the pan is packed to the gills with veggies, pushed up next to one another, or worse yet, in a double layer, vegetables will steam rather than roast. As they cook, vegetables give off moisture, and when arranged too close together it results in a soggy outcome.To achieve beautiful browning and crisp, roasted perfection, vegetables need some breathing room. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and don’t overcrowd the pan.
Root Vegetables Roasted to Perfection
If you are looking to step up your skills in the kitchen, want to get a group of friends together for a healthy and fun cooking party or would love a one-on-one cooking class with me please click on the link below for more details on booking a class!
Individual and Group Cooking Classes
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