Fundamentals of Healthy Cooking - January 2022

PREMIUM Course Mise En Place Introduction

The first "skill" that the home cook needs to master has nothing to do with cooking. It involves a shift in mindset.

PREMIUM Course What is Mise En Place

Mise en place is a French Culinary Term meaning "put in place", and is an important part of being successful in the kitchen.

PREMIUM Course An overview of the Mise En Place process

This lesson outlines the steps to mise en place a recipe or meal and provides a check list to get you started.

PREMIUM Course Introduction to Basic Knife Skills

The backbone of any great cook is the ability to properly use a chef’s knife. Prep is the most time-consuming part of any recipe, so becoming proficient in this area will make cooking faster, easier, and more enjoyable. In this course, you will first learn the basics of knife selection, care, honing, and sharpening. You will then learn and practice how to mince, slice, and dice various vegetables and herbs.

PREMIUM Course Basic Knife Types for the Home Chef

Before we can start to learn how to properly cut, we need to know what type of knife to purchase. There are many different types of knives to choose from, but you really only need 2-3. This video will explain the different types, and show what you should have in your own kitchen

PREMIUM Course Knife Construction and Styles

You know you need a chef's knife, but what brand? How much should you spend? What should I look for? This video will answer all those questions and more!!

PREMIUM Course Storing and Caring for Your Knives

Properly storing and caring for your knives will extend their life and keep them in tip-top shape. This video shows you how.

PREMIUM Course Cutting Board Basics

Next to your chef's knife, the most important tool you have is your cutting board! Many people use too small of a board which hinders their ability to properly and efficiently cut. This video will show you what to look for in a cutting board.

PREMIUM Course Using The Chef Knife

Knife skills begin with knowing how to properly hold a knife. In this video, you will learn the proper way to hold and use your chef knife. You will also learn proper cutting motion and what 3 habits you need to break and why.

PREMIUM Course Keeping Your Knife Sharp

Keeping your knife sharp is crucial. Although we think we must constantly "sharpen" our knives, we really need to focus on "honing" or cleaning the edge using a honing steel on a regular basis. Yes, knives need periodic sharpening, but for most home cooks this should be done only 1-2 times per year. This video will give you all the details! P. S. If you do need your knife sharpened, we can help! We offer professional sharpening services. Contact us for details.

PREMIUM Course How To Chop An Onion

Chopping an onion is the first skill I teach in my knife skills class. Once you can master this, the rest will come easier, and SO MANY dishes START with chopped onions (or shallots!). Time to get chopping!!!

PREMIUM Course How to Slice an Onion

The first step to slicing an onion is determining which direction to cut. Cutting an onion into "rings" will result in a stringy, chewy result where cutting in slices from top to tip gives a crisper, better result. Get all the details and learn the technique in this video lesson.

PREMIUM Course How to Mince Garlic

Chopped or minced garlic is an ingredient is so many recipes. Many people automatically reach for the garlic press, but your Chef knife and cutting board will give you a better result. This video will show you step by step how to chop and mince fresh garlic. Enjoy!

PREMIUM Course How to Make Garlic Paste

Although chopped or minced garlic is used most of the time, there are applications where we want a smoother product like garlic bread, salad dressings or guacamole. By adding coarse salt and working the garlic with the side of a chef knife, we can create garlic paste which is smoother and milder than minced.

PREMIUM Course How to Cut a Carrot

After onions and garlic, the carrot is the next vegetable we learn to cut. Not only is it widely used, but it also demonstrates several principles and techniques for basic cutting.

PREMIUM Course How to Cut Celery

With its long shape, celery poses a unique challenge. It is nearly impossible to "cut forward", so we must use the "cutting to the side" technique. It is also helpful to keep the top leaves on the stalk to hold everything together. Learn how in this video lesson.

PREMIUM Course How to Cut a Bell Pepper

This lessons illustrated the "roll" method of cutting a bell pepper. It may seem a little awkward at first, but with some practice, you will see it is very efficient and produces less waste!

PREMIUM Course How to Cut an Apple

In this lesson, you will learn to cut an apple with the "advantage chef" role in mind. Not only will you get more uniform cuts, but you will keep waste at a minimum.

PREMIUM Course How to Chop Parsley and Other Similar Herbs

Fresh herbs can brighten any dish and should be used liberally! Using a sharp knife and proper technique makes a HUGE difference in flavor. This video demonstrates how to chop herbs with small leaves and long stalks such as parsley, cilantro, and dill.

PREMIUM Course How to Chiffonade

Chiffonade is a slicing technique in which leafy green vegetables such as spinach, sorrel, or Swiss chard, or a flat-leaved herb like basil or mint, are cut into long, thin strips. This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll.

PREMIUM Course How to Cut Cabbage

Cabbage can look intimidating with its large size and round shape making home cooks think they need to buy it pre-shredded or use a food processor. However, by cutting it into manageable size wedges and positioning the "higher" side properly, it can be cut with ease!

PREMIUM Course How to Cut a Leek

Leeks are often overlooked by the home cook. Part of the reason may be that they contain lots of sand that can be hard to remove or not knowing which parts you should be using. This lesson provides a simple tip to make sure ALL the dirt is removed and clears up what parts you should use when. When the mystery and uncertainty is resolved, leeks become a favorite with many of my students! I hope you will embrace them more, too!

PREMIUM Course How to Prepare Spaghetti Squash

This lesson shows you how to cut and prepare a spaghetti squash

PREMIUM Course How to cut Butternut Squash

PREMIUM Course Peeling and Cutting Ginger

PREMIUM Course How to Cut a Pineapple

PREMIUM Course Homemade Stock: The Workhouse of the Kitchen

There is no better way to elevate your cooking, reduce kitchen waste, and save money than to make your own chicken and vegetable stock!

PREMIUM Course The Formula for Making Soup

PREMIUM Course Simple, Delicious & Nutritious Soups

PREMIUM Course Fundamentals of Stove-Top Dry Heat Cooking

Cooking methods are divided into two categories: dry heat cooking and moist heat cooking. Dry heat cooking is further divided into groups based on heat source. In this lesson, we will explore the methods that use fat applied to a metal surface (pan).

PREMIUM Course Searing Protein

The technique is most used when prepareing large, thin pieces of meat, chicken, fish, or other protein. This lesson contains videos explaining this process.

PREMIUM Course The Art of the Saute

Saute comes from the French word meaning to jump, and it is one, if not the most, useful technique in cooking. It can be used on its own as with sauteed mushrooms or in combination with other techniques like sauteeing the aromatics for soup or sauteeing onions to pair with a seared protein. It is a simple technique, but does require mastery and respect for heat!

PREMIUM Course Classic Sear & Saute Favorites

Many popular dishes are a combinatino of the sear and saute techniques. In this lesson, you will find a few of my favorites.

PREMIUM Course Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions are another classic dish that relies on a proper saute. PLUS, they are so versatile and can perk up so many dishes!

PREMIUM Course Fundamentals of Heated Air Dry Heat Cooking

The terms roasting and baking are often used interchangeably in the kitchen, but are they really that similar? This lesson breaks down the similarities and differences of these two dry heat cooking methods that use heated air as the cooking medium.

PREMIUM Course The Art of Roasting

Roasting is a favorite cooking method for home cooks. It is simple, results in minimum clean-up, and creates flavorful results.

PREMIUM Course Baking Basics

Baking is used for foods that lack structure and do not require caramelization or deep browning. It is a technique well suited for items such as casseroles, patties, or other combination dishes.

PREMIUM Course Fundamentals of Braising

Braising uses a combination of dry and moist heat cooking to produce a tender, flavor result. Although pot roast is the most classic braised dish, almost any protein or vegetable can be braised.

PREMIUM Course The Braising Process

PREMIUM Course Moist Heat Cooking Methods

This lessons provides an overview of the many moist heat cooking methods.

PREMIUM Course Blanching 101

This lesson explains how to properly blanch food and why it is important.

PREMIUM Course Cooking en Papillote (Cooking in Packets)

This lesson is a replay of a demonstration class that I conducted on the classic French technique of Cooking En Papillote.

PREMIUM Course Slow Cooker Basics

In this lesson you will learn how a slow cooker works, what foods are best to use, and some tips to get flavorful results everytime.

PREMIUM Course Slow Cooker Food-Safety Guide

A slow cooker is convenient, but if not used correctly there is the potential for food-safety hazards. This lesson covers basic food safety when using a slow cooker.

PREMIUM Course Slow Cooker Recipes

This lesson contains simple, delicious slow cooker recipes along with tips for maximizing flavor and nutritional value.

PREMIUM Course Instant Pot Basics

This lesson provides an overview of using an Instant Pot (pressure cooking) including a step-by-step guide and hits for converting your favorite recipes.

PREMIUM Course Recommendations and Resources

This lesson contains recommended cookbooks and equipment along with helpful resource links for using your Instant Pot.

PREMIUM Course Instant Pot Yogurt

This lesson will step you through how to make your own Yogurt in the Instant Pot.

PREMIUM Course Instant Pot Stock

Using the Instant Pot makes it easy to prepare your own homemade stock and broth!

PREMIUM Course Recipes and Cooking Videos

This lesson contains recipes and videos using the Instant Pot.

PREMIUM Course Introduction to Emulsification and Thickening

PREMIUM Course Emulsification 101

PREMIUM Course Basic Homemade Vinaigrette

PREMIUM Course Simple Ways to Thicken a Sauce or Dish

Even the best home cook has times when their gravy isn't thick enough or their alfredo sauce is too thin to cling to the pasta. This lesson covers simple ways to thicken any sauce or dish.

PREMIUM Course The Art of Balancing Flavor

This lesson discusses how to balance the 5 main flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami.

PREMIUM Course Building a Flavor Foundation

Most people think flavor comes from the herbs, spices, and other ingredients that are added toward the end of cooking. The truth is the foundation of flavor is often in the humble, unassuming ingredients that are used first.

PREMIUM Course Flavor Boosters

This lessons lists a few simple tips to turn bland and boring into delicious and delightful!

PREMIUM Course Flavoring with Herbs and Spices

One of the easiest ways to flavor a dish is to use fresh herbs and/or spices. This lesson provides two flavor charts to get you started.

PREMIUM Course Cooking without Recipes Introduction

Congratulations! You have made it to the last lesson of the course! Time to take off those training wheels!

PREMIUM Course Cooking without Recipes Tips

PREMIUM Course Cooking without Recipes Videos

This lesson contains examples of cooking without recipes.

PREMIUM Course Homemade Nut Milk

This video illustrates how to make your own nut or seed milk.

PREMIUM Course Homemade Oat Milk

This lesson shows you how to make your own oat milk.

PREMIUM Course Cauliflower Rice

This video steps you through how to make cauliflower rice.

PREMIUM Course Healthy Pantry Introduction

This lesson discusses the benefits of having a well-stocked pantry both in terms of cooking and health.

PREMIUM Course Healthy Pantry Overview and Basic Tips

This lesson covers the importance of building and maintaining a healthy pantry along with general tips to help you along the way.

PREMIUM Course Healthy Pantry Essentials

This lessons provides suggestions and lists for what to have in your healthy pantry.

PREMIUM Course Healthy Cooking Oils and Fats

Your choice of cooking oils and fats has a big influence on your overall health, and unfortunately most of us are using the wrong types. The document and videos below provide an overview of what basic cooking fats you should be using and why.

PREMIUM Course The Pantry Clean-out Challenge

This lesson provides tips and steps to do a pantry clean-out!

PREMIUM Course Introduction -- The Anatomy of a Recipe

PREMIUM Course Anatomy of a Recipe Basics

Recipes are a HUGE part of cooking, but they can also be the cause of frustration and overwhelm. This module will help you understand how recipes are structured, teach you to read between the lines, and know the unwritten assumptions. Once you learn to read the language of recipes, your cooking expertise and knowledge will grow by leaps and bounds!

PREMIUM Course Common Recipe Mistakes

Recipes can be helpful when it comes to cooking times, ingredients, and seasoning quantities. But following one can—surprisingly—also lead to mistakes. Here are the top issues you might encounter in the kitchen when using a recipe, and how to avoid them.

PREMIUM Course Overview - Essential Kitchen Tools

This lesson includes an overview of suggested tools for healthy cooking.

PREMIUM Course Cast Iron Cookware

Cast Iron cookware is a great addition to your your healthy cooking toolbox, but it is intimidating to some. This lesson covers how to select, care, and clean your cast iron cookware. We will be exploring using it in our cooking throughout the technique modules of the course.

PREMIUM Course Glossary of Popular Cooking Terms

Knowing what the terms used in recipes mean can take a lot of the stress and worry out of cooking. This section provides a glosary of popular cooking terms.

PREMIUM Course Be a Better Shopper

Healthy eating starts with what you put in your shopping cart. The more you can control what you bring into your house to start with, the better your overall health and well being. This lessons gives you some tips to help you make better shopping decisions.

PREMIUM Course The Truth about Organic

One of the biggest questions abuot food labeling revolves around the term organic and if it is worth the extra cost. This lesson explains what organic means and if it matters.

PREMIUM Course Buying and Storing Eggs

This lesson explains what to look for when buying eggs.

PREMIUM Course Imperfect Foods

Imperfect Foods is a company that rescues and repurposed food items that would normally go to waste. It is a great way to quality products at a good price AND help reduce waste at the same time!

PREMIUM Course Local Food Sources

For those of you in the NW Indiana area, here is are some of my favorite local sources for quality foods. Buying local is always a good choice.

PREMIUM Course Food Labeling 101

Food labels are SO confusing! Choosing more real, whole foods which do not have labels is the first step, but there are times when we need and want to buy a packaged food. This lesson offers tips on what to look for on food labels.

PREMIUM Course Health Washing and Healthy Halos

Health Wasing and Health Halos are two tactics used by food manufacturers to make their products appear to be healthier than they are. This lesson will show you what to look out for!

PREMIUM Course Freezer Basics Workshop Replay

This lesson contains a replay of a workshop from 2021 on getting the most out of your freezer and its contents.

PREMIUM Course Freezing 101

This lesson contains information and tips for properly freezing foods not just for the sake of taste, but also for safety.

PREMIUM Course Fresh Produce Storage and Preparation

This lesson contains tips and tricks for storaging and prepping fresh produce.

PREMIUM Course Storing and Preserving Fresh Herbs

This lesson provides ideas and techniques to get the most out of your fresh herbs.

PREMIUM Course How to Store Greens

This lesson shows you how to wash and store your green for maximum freshness and storage time.

PREMIUM Course Introduction to Meal Planning

PREMIUM Course Meal Planning 101

This lesson provides an overview of the meal planning process.

PREMIUM Course Meal Planning Methods and Strategies

This lesson provides an overview of the most popular meal planning methods and strategies.

PREMIUM Course Introduction to Meal Prep

PREMIUM Course Meal Prep 101

PREMIUM Course Meal Prep Storage Tips

PREMIUM Course Meal Prep Batch Cooking Tips

PREMIUM Course Why reduce waste?

This lesson covers why reducing kitchen waste is important.

PREMIUM Course Tips to Reduce Food Waste

This lesson provides simple, practical tips to help reduce food waste in your own kitchen.

PREMIUM Course Reduce Food Packaging

When it comes to reducing food waste we automatically think about the food itself. However, packaging is a HUGE source of landfill waste!

PREMIUM Course Quick Tips

This lesson contains a few quick tips to help you reduce waste in the kitchen.

PREMIUM Course Recipe that reduce waste

This section contains recipes for some of the most wasted food items.

PREMIUM Course The Four Basic Steps of Food Safety

This lesson explains the four steps to ensure food safety at home.

PREMIUM Course Top Food Safety Tips

This lessons gives you a few tips for food safety.

PREMIUM Course Food Safety Mistakes to Avoid

This lessons lists the most common Food Safety Mistakes and how to avoid them.

PREMIUM Course Facts About Food Expiration Dates

This lesson explains what food expirations dates actually mean.

PREMIUM Course Hearty Minestrone

Minestrone Soup is a simple vegetable-based soup that is easily adapted to your personal tastes and dietary preferences. It is a great introduction to basic knife cuts and soup making.

PREMIUM Course Potato-Leek Soup

PREMIUM Course Asian Egg Drop Soup

Egg drop soup is a take-out favorite and is super simple to make at home with just a few ingredients!!

PREMIUM Course Nutrient Loaded Chili

This chili is LOADED with nutrient dense vegetables and powerful spices. It is so good you will forget how good it is for you!

PREMIUM Course Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a classic Italian vegetable soup with beans and pasta.

PREMIUM Course Basic Roast Chicken

Learning how to make roast chicken is a basic skill every cook should learn. It is a simple process, but does take practice and repetition to get it "just right". An added benefit of roasting a whole chicken is have the carcass to make bone broth!!

PREMIUM Course Turkey-Sweet Potato Burgers

This recipe is a GREAT meal prep addition. Just bake a sweet potato when you have the oven on for something else (like the roast chicken!). Then later in the week, you can simply mash the potato and add the turkey and spices for a super easy, quick weeknight dinner!

PREMIUM Course Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread

This cornbread is a great companion to soup or chili, and contains real ingredients unlike the typical box mix! Use your cast iron skillet for best results!