What's Not Cooking?: A Non-Cooking Cooking Class

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When registered dietician Jennifer Haas decided to hold a series of healthy cooking classes at Nova Medical Group, she didn't need to look any further than her office for inspiration. The bare-bones kitchen in the medical center's Ashburn, Va., building lacks a stove and an oven, making it the perfect setting for "Non-Cooking Cooking" classes.

These one-hour workshops are "about taking some of the intimidation factor out of cooking," Haas says. "People think if you had a home-cooked meal it must have taken all day to prepare." But, in reality, prepping your own nutritious meal doesn't need to be difficult or time-consuming.

The secret is to invest in a few key appliances that will save you time and energy. "Non-Cooking" students in the Nova classes ($25 each; call 703-554-1130 to register) learn to assemble meals with just four versatile items: a rice cooker, a George Foreman grill, a blender and a slow cooker. As a bonus, these basics are economical — Haas says she nabbed 'em all for less than $100 total.

Haas plans to teach "Non-Cooking" techniques based on a broad range of topics and themes, including allergy-friendly recipes, farm-to-table dishes and budget-friendly meals. The time-saving fare is far more nutritionally balanced than fast food or prepackaged dishes, and it's also more flavorful than most people expect, she says.

Her from-scratch recipes include grilled chicken (cooked on a George Foreman) with a corn and rhubarb salsa (prepared in just minutes with a blender); and a dessert of fresh local melons and berries topped with honey-laced cream (also blended). Hearty staples such as stews and chicken are simple and delicious when prepped in a slow cooker, and a rice cooker takes the work out of whipping up a fiber-rich side dish.

When all four appliances team up for a meal, the options are endless, Haas says. Who needs a kitchen anyway?