This program has been cancelled. To be notified of future sessions, please email olivia@smithcenter.org.

With Chef Kara Garrett

In our final session, we will take what we’ve learned and discuss tools to help you realistically incorporate preparing healthy meals into your weekly routine. Maintaining a healing kitchen requires planning your meals to be nutritious and delicious, while staying exciting to your taste buds. We will review how to select recipes, build a shopping list and prep your meals to support a kitchen that fits your lifestyle. This class will include:

  • Selecting a “base meal” to plan other healthy meals to enjoy throughout a week
  • Learning to plan your weekly meals by trying new dishes and utilizing your favorite recipes
  • Using a template tool to help generate a weekly shopping list (and keep your healing pantry stocked!)
  • Learning to evaluate and organize your meal prep tasks to reduce the amount of time spent in the kitchen

As a group, we will prepare our selected recipe, and prep additional ingredients that can be used at home in future meals that week.

Address: 

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

1632 U Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

Suggested Donation: $15/session or $45/series


About Chef Kara Garrett

Kara Garrett Cancer Support Program Coordinator

Kara Garrett is a health-supportive chef based in Washington, DC. Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, she embraced the challenge of finding a balance between her foodie lifestyle and eating well with cancer. Kara is a graduate of the Chef Training Program at Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC, trained under Chef Lillian Chou at The Ananda Ashram Yoga Society of New York, and completed a graduate certificate in Developing Healthy Communities: Nutrition, Behavior, and Physical Activity from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is passionate about working with others to encourage healthier food choices and develop sustainable food relationships that energize the body and the soul.

This program is being hosted in-person. To register, please click the RSVP button above or email programs@smithcenter.org.

With Chef Kara Garrett

In the second part of our series, we will focus on essential cooking skills needed to support your own healing kitchen. After you have revamped your pantry and refrigerator, the next step is to learn how to properly prepare these items to create healthy and delicious meals. Chef Kara will help you build confidence in the kitchen and share tools to boost nutrition in your everyday meals. Our discussion will include:

  • Introduction to common cooking techniques with regards to plant-based foods
  • Review of knife skills, including how to cut commonly used vegetables and how to utilize scraps
  • Introduction to common plant-based proteins (tofu, tempeh, seitan), how to prepare them, and substitute into your favorite recipes
  • How to easily incorporate cancer-fighting herbs and spices into meals
  • Review baking techniques to reduce sugar and boost nutrition in easy desserts

The class will end by assisting Chef Kara with making a healthy meal using your new cooking techniques and sharing our delicious meal together.

Address: 

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

1632 U Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

Suggested Donation: $15/session or $45/series


About Chef Kara Garrett

Kara Garrett Cancer Support Program Coordinator

Kara Garrett is a health-supportive chef based in Washington, DC. Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, she embraced the challenge of finding a balance between her foodie lifestyle and eating well with cancer. Kara is a graduate of the Chef Training Program at Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC, trained under Chef Lillian Chou at The Ananda Ashram Yoga Society of New York, and completed a graduate certificate in Developing Healthy Communities: Nutrition, Behavior, and Physical Activity from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is passionate about working with others to encourage healthier food choices and develop sustainable food relationships that energize the body and the soul.