“Fall” into Healthy habits
week 2 advanced prep

We are so excited to cook with you next week and to talk about the impact of food on health and menopause! Our class will focus on setting ourselves up for success.   We’ll be cooking Chicken and Tofu Lettuce Wraps and Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes.

To make the most of our time together, there are a few things you will need to do in advance of the class, so please read closely:

• Preheat the oven to 350

• Ensure that you have all of the ingredients listed for the recipe

• Ensure that you have all the equipment needed on the equipment list

• Measure and prepare your ingredients in advance 

• This is a VERY important step to make things run as smoothly as possible.  Here is a link to a nice video explaining how to prepare your space before cooking: 

  • Simple video (1 min) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2QRgNAdzc

• If you want to get a headstart you can view this video on basic knife skills, some of which we will go over in class.

  • https://stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/culinary-knife-skills

Equipment - List

Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Dry measuring cups
12-inch non-stick skillet or large wok
Medium bowl
Microplane grater or box grater 
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Whisk
12 inch muffin tin and cupcake liners
Food processor
Baking sheet (optional if making spiced nuts)
Parchment paper (optional if making spiced nuts)
Small saucepan (optional if making spiced nuts)

Ingredients - List

Produce:

• 1 bunch scallions

• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger

• 2 heads of Bibb or Boston lettuce

• 1 red bell pepper
  

Pantry: 

• Extra-virgin olive oil 

• Kosher salt (alternative - sea salt or iodized salt) and cracked black pepper

• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

• ¼  cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• ¼ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

• Peanut butter (preferably no added sugar)

• Asian chili garlic sauce

• Toasted sesame oil

• Molasses 

• Canola oil

• 1, 8-ounce can water chestnuts

• ½ cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts

• 12 ginger snap cookies

• 1 can pumpkin puree

• Cinnamon

• Ground ginger

• Ground nutmeg

• Ground cloves

• Ground allspice or substitute pumpkin pie spice for all of the above

• 1 cup pecans (optional if making spiced nuts)

• 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional if making pecans)

• Brown sugar (optional if making pecans)

• 1 jar dulce de leche or caramel sauce 

  • https://www.amazon.com/Alpina-Dulce-Caramel-Spread-Ounces/dp/B002TEDAU2

  • https://www.stonewallkitchen.com/dulce-de-leche-sauce-161012.html

Other:

• 1, 14-oz package of extra firm tofu

• 1 pound of 93 percent lean ground turkey or chicken

• 1, 8-oz package of low-fat cream cheese or ⅓ less fat cream cheese

• ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon butter (optional if making pecans)

To do ahead:

• Measure all ingredients and prepare your work surface as described in the video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2QRgNAdzc

For the Wraps - have all the ingredients measured and prepped.  

For the Cheesecakes -  have all the ingredients measured and prepped.