Meet Joanne Gerrard Young, master raw food chef, holistic nutritionist and wellness instructor behind The Healing Cuisine. Joanne has been cooking up nutritious and delicious plant-based, gluten and allergen-free cuisine for over 25 years. For the past 10 years, she has been living in beautiful Costa Rica with her family, where she works as Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen’s private chef when their family is in town. Joanne provides the family with nutritious and (mostly) raw meals using the abundance of fresh ingredients available to them.
When she is not catering to the dietary needs of celebrities, Joanne can be found teaching her online culinary course and private classes. She recently began a “Getting Saucy” cooking class series in which participants are encouraged to cook alongside her (well, through a computer screen) as she creates amazing plant-based meals. Each week involves a new recipe, but all of them guarantee that you “eat the rainbow”, a concept Joanne says will ensure your body gets all of the nutrients it needs. Joanne was kind enough to invite me to one of her “Getting Saucy” classes so I joined in for Teriyaki Week. The recipe we made was Cauliflower and Rainbow Veggie ‘Fried Rice’ with Teriyaki Shitake Mushrooms. Yes, it was as good as it sounds and yes, I will certainly share my experience with you.
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First and foremost, Joanne is a wealth of knowledge on all things food and the impact it has on our bodies. Microbiomes, hormones, nutrients, superfoods and vitamins are just the tip of the iceberg with the topics she’s an expert on. Throughout the cooking class, Joanne spoke about the different benefits of each ingredient she was using and why she loves them. Her tips and tricks were endless, like how you don’t need to wash mushrooms because they will absorb the water and become spongey, but a wipe with a dry towel will do. Or that you shouldn’t peel your carrots because you’re getting rid of the amazing nutrients on the skin. Or the magical health powers that are released from garlic when you crush it! Really, endless.
Participants of the cooking class are sent the recipe and ingredients beforehand, including directions for use in the future (I will most definitely be making this dish again). Joanne talked us through chopping and prepping our veggies and left the floor open to any questions throughout the class. She was well organized and cooking alongside her was a breeze! The cauliflower rice was crispy and seasoned to perfection along with the rainbow-coloured assortment of veggies. The shitake mushrooms in the home-made teriyaki sauce were just amazing, and the perfect addition to the dish. Who doesn’t love feeding their body healthy, nutrient-dense food that tastes delicious?!
Joanne offers her “Getting Saucy” cooking class to anyone and everyone, for only $15 a ticket, Thursdays at noon. Still to come in this series is a silky Macadamia Nut Lemon Cream sauce and a rich and creamy plant-based Ranch dressing. Whether you’re looking to expand your plant-based recipe repertoire, learn more about holistic healing or possibly find out why Tom Brady doesn’t eat anything red, Chef Jo has got the answers. Purchase your tickets for next week’s class here.
Feature Image: The Healing Cuisine
