Sarah Cook

IN THE KITCHEN WITH SARAH COOK

2019 US Wellness Meats Featured Chef Q&A

Tell us about yourself:

I’m Sarah Cook – mom, wife, and founder of Sustainable Cooks. We live outside of Seattle on a wee little micro-farm (less than 1/10th of an acre) where we grow as much organic produce as possible, and raise five incredibly spoiled and dim-witted chickens.

How did you get involved in cooking?

I distinctly remember asking my parents for a cookbook for my fifth birthday. As someone who is not creative by nature, the concept of cooking has always been interesting to me. Both of my parents were physically disabled and “heat and eat” packaged food was the norm growing up. I craved homemade meals. So as I got older, I started cooking to provide my family and myself with healthier food.

Describe your cooking style:

Affordable unfussy healthy seasonal meals with lots of flavor. I’m kind of obsessed with cast iron cooking because it makes food delicious AND it is one fewer dish to wash. So yeah, unfussy!

How did you learn about grass-fed meats?

As my interest in sustainability grew, I realized that grass-fed meats were the right balance of delicious food and good for the earth. If you choose to eat meat, selecting grass-fed meat should be a priority.

What is your favorite recipe featuring grass-fed meat?

It would have to be my healthy Instant Pot Orange Chicken recipe. It’s a one-pot delight that also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.

You’re stranded on a desert island; luckily, you’re stranded with your top 5 ingredients and one must-have kitchen tool:

kitchen tool would be a super sharp chef’s knife! Assuming I could make salt from sea water, I would bring: 1) olive oil 2) farro (I actually want rice but farro has more protein) 3) sweet potatoes 4) cheese that is somehow magically shelf-stable 5) chocolate

Best cooking secret/tip/piece of advice you’ve learned:

You can roast frozen vegetables! This has changed my meal prep and budget in amazing ways. I even have a printable guide on this: https://www.sustainablecooks.com/roasting-frozen-vegetables/

What’s your favorite quote/song for culinary inspiration (if any)?

I have a whole Spotify playlist of cooking tunes and the one that always gets me pumped up is Don’t Stop Me Now from Queen.

If anyone is interested, here is the playlist: Sarah’s Cooking Tunes

Anything else you want to share?

Just have FUN in the kitchen! It’s just food – we’re not creating oxygen. Don’t take it too seriously

Enter to Win

Enter to win our October 2019 Featured Chef Contest for a chance to win $150 bundle of sustainably raised food! Contest runs from October 1 – October 14, 2019