Cooking Classes 2022

Classes generally run on Mondays at 11.00am and 4.00pm; and

on Saturdays at 11.00am of each month. For Booking Enquiries please contact Rita at rita.varelas@gmail.com

Cooking with Wholefoods

Whether you follow a vegan, vegetarian or plant-based diet, or you simply want to introduce beautiful wholefoods into your diet, this class is for you.  Join Nutritionist Rita Varelas to learn about the health benefits, ease of preparation and taste delights of wholefoods designed to nourish your body and soul:

  • Superfood salmon salad;
    • Nut & seed butter;
    • Pearl barley risotto;
    • Wholefood pancakes;
    • Lentil moussaka
    • Coconut & almond smoothie

Exploring Vegan Cooking: A Healthy & Tasty Alternative

Veganism is a way of living that excludes eating all animal products including meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, as well as fats and gelatine, dairy products, eggs and honey. However, there is much to be inspired by when cooking vegan, and you will learn how to prepare delicious dishes inspired by vegetables, grains, nuts, fruits and other plant foods. Rita will also champion the nutritional benefit as you prepare:

  • Cauliflower vegetable pizza;
    • Pumpkin chickpea coconut curry;
    • Lentil parsnip walnut salad;
    • Whole wheat maple cinnamon buns;
    • Toffee apple upside down cake.

Gluten-free Flavoursome Meals

Nutrition Consultant Rita Varelas teaches the tips and techniques for successful gluten free cooking.  Learn how you can convert your traditional dishes, exploring great flavour combinations. Rita will create:

  • Gluten-free flours & rice breadcrumbs (to demonstrate their use in bread making, pastry, biscuits and rice crumbs to replace breadcrumbs),
    • Chia & pepita bread with homemade butter,
    • Savoury flatbread with roast eggplant dip,
    • Spinach & ricotta cannelloni in Napoli sauce
    • Chicken Schnitzel with Creamy Polenta
    • Chocolate Torte Caprese.

Ketogenic Cooking Class

Learn the tools to build your own ketogenic diet meal plan.  Understanding the basic principles and what foods are in and what are out for the ketogenic way of eating and prepare nutritious and hearty meals such as:

  • Zucchini Pasta with Pesto;
    • Portugese Chicken and Vegetables
    • Keto Cheeseburger
    • Cauliflower Pizza
    • Berries with organic coconut whipped cream.

Food Is Your Medicine

Learning the nutritional value of the food to consume for optimum health is a stepping stone to healing and preventing most common diseases of our age. In this tutorial, Rita Varelas – Holistic Nutritionist, will explain what the Top 10 Superfoods are and how to introduce them into our diet; discuss what Wholefoods are, focussing on fibre and prebiotics; Using food to replenish & heal your body focussing on balancing inflammation and improving brain health; including a food demonstration. 

Foods demonstrated include:

  • Bone broth
    • Beef & Silverbeet Soup
    • Seeded Bread Loaf
    • Salted Caramel Slice
    • Superfood Porridge
    • Turmeric Latte

Healthy Food Prepping

Join Nutritionist Rita Varelas as she demonstrates how you can easily prepare 7 meals, 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and your snacks for the entire week in just 1 hour.

All the meals are gluten and refined sugar-free and are made with minimal everyday ingredients. They are delicious and most can be frozen for longer preservation or can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Included in this class are some simple strategies for healthy food swaps and how to set up your fridge/pantry/freezer with healthy ingredients and how to successfully meal prep for your week ahead.  The aim is for you to gain the motivation, skills, knowledge required to prep 1 weeks’ worth of meals in 1 hour easily and without stress.

Foods demonstrated include:

  • Overnight Oats
    • Breakfast Smoothies
    • Tuscan Chicken, Quinoa & Roast Veggies
    • Lemon Parsley Salmon with Rice & Potatoes
    • Capsicum, Brown Rice Tuna Salad
    • Quinoa Superfood Salad

The Detox Diet Menu

This is a wonderful class to demonstrate delicious, hearty, and easy to prepare meals to support you whilst on your detox journey.  Preparing foods without gluten, dairy and sugar need not be a challenge when you can see for yourself the wonderful array of foods that are easy to source and that can make the most nutritious and satisfying meals whilst still supporting you in detoxifying your body. This cooking class can be done on its own or whilst following the SBN Detox or SBN Active Detox.

Foods demonstrated include:

  • Bone broth
    • Easy Shakshuka (Eggs cooked in Tomatoes)
    • Egg & Spinach Burrito
    • Zucchini Noodle Chicken Soup
    • Stuffed Tomatoes with Chicken & Spinach
    • Beef Meatballs in Napoli Sauce
    • Chilli Prawns and Zucchini Noodle Salad
    • Cauliflower Bake
    • Beef Burger Salad
    • Strawberry Sorbet
    • Green Detox Juice