I went to Superfood School with an intention to learn. Learning is at the top of my resolution list. It’s the one thing I make a point to do everyday. Even if I slip up on eating the perfectly healthy diet, I’ll learn from my mistakes, listen to my body and respond to all the feels. Lynnette Astaire’s, Superfood School class is the perfect environment for learning. It is one part information and another exploration as attendees get the chance to make their own salads, noodles and wraps from scratch.

So where does one begin?

We started with understanding all of the components of the perfect meal. How fats, salts, sugars and acids are used to pull out all of the flavorful notes of each vegetables. Lynnette breaks it down with basic information that helps you process what you are doing when going for the ideal vegan meal. She strips away the need for appliances and utensils to rid attendees of excuses. My favorite line, “If you don’t have a whisk, use a fork.”

Here are a few of my take aways from her class:

1. Butters for BBQ sauces

I mean. Where has this information been all my life? I used a delicate mixture of almond butter, smoked paprika, chili powder, ACV and smoked salt to make the most amazing BBQ sauce that I have ever tasted. The sweetness of the almond butter and consistency was the perfect base for my pulled jackfruit. Who needs pork or beef when you have thick and hearty smothered vegetables?

2. Yeasty truths

My mother pacified me with cheese. It’s my vice and the one thing that is the hardest to turn down. No matter what anyone says, vegan cheese does not taste like real cheese. It tastes like a creamy substance but that substance is never what it is supposed to mimic. I did, however, make a banging cheese consistency out of a failed leek and potato soup one day. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the recipe.

The only option that gives me the slight feeling of Parmesan Cheese is Nutritional Yeast. My popcorn hasn’t been the same since this yeast appeared in my life. Little did I know that most of the brands on the market use an artificial B-compound in their ingredients. That’s not cool. If I’m going to eat something with the word “nutritional” in the title, it better give me God nutrients and nothing man-made. Lynnette hipped us to an alternate brand and other packaged goods on the market that are as honest as their holistic brand names. Note to those reading, trust the people who put in the legwork and time to try all of these products. Let their experiences help you through your food journey.

3. Miso late to the game

I never use Miso. It was never a huge staple in our house, even when my Korean immigrant aunt took over the kitchen. She was more about that daengjang and red paste. At first I tried to ignore the paste and focus on my BBQ medley and then sample spoons and others sauces kept whispering at me. I dipped a spoon in someone’s sauce (pause) and immediately fell for pungent Asian profile. I thought of all of the simple things that I can do with just a little miso paste. On top of being delicious, this stuff is full of nutrients like Cooper, Manganese and Vitamin K and is a great probiotic.

The article appeared originally in undoordinary.com.