Courses > Forks Over Knives Essentials Cooking Course

Forks Over Knives Essentials Cooking Course

All Levels

3,761 Students

Course Overview

This Forks Over Knives Essentials course specializes in giving everyday people the confidence to adopt a Forks Over Knives-style, whole-food, plant-based diet and lifestyle. The Essentials course focuses on the most foundational knowledge and the most important aspects of getting started in the …

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Course Objectives

At the end of this course you'll be able to:
  • Understand and apply key principles of whole-food plant-based nutrition
  • Outfit the plant-based kitchen with essential tools and equipment
  • Demonstrate knife handling and a variety of knife cuts
  • Demonstrate moist cooking methods, such as steaming and simmering
  • Demonstrate dry cooking methods such as roasting, and sautéing without oil
  • Prepare a wide array of plant-based staple recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Course Syllabus

Unit 1: Introduction to Forks Over Knives Essentials

This unit is your introduction to the course, which will get you ready to cook and set for success. You’ll learn the basic philosophy of the Forks Over Knives dietary plan beginning with a review of the whole foods, plant-based approach to eating and the evidence and research related to benefits of plant-based nutrition.

Lesson 1
Unit Orientation

Lesson 2
The Forks Over Knives Lifestyle

This lesson explores the differences between processed and whole foods, and examines the nutritional reasons to include more plants in the diet.

Lesson 3
Plant-Based Nutrition Overview

In this lesson, you will learn the common nutritional myths about eating a plant-based diet and some basic science to support a balanced plant-focused diet.

Unit 2: Getting Set Up: Equipment, Knives and Ingredients

This unit addresses getting set up and selecting the right knives, equipment, and food ingredients needed for the course. In this unit, you will receive feedback from a Rouxbe chef instructor on restocking your pantry and refrigerator.

Lesson 1
Unit Orientation

Lesson 2
Getting Started: Kitchen Tools & Equipment

In this lesson, you will discover how to set up and organize a kitchen with the essential tools and equipment.

Lesson 3
Selecting a Knife Set

Learn what to look for when selecting the right knife and why it's important to use high-quality knives.

Lesson 4
Proper Knife Handling

Tackle the techniques behind using the most important knife in your kitchen: the chef's knife.

Lesson 5
How to Cut with a Chef’s Knife

Tackle the techniques behind using the most important knife in your kitchen: the chef's knife.

Lesson 6
Resetting Your Refrigerator & Pantry

This lesson gets you ready to cook. It demonstrates how to reset your cupboards and refrigerator to prepare for cooking in a plant-based, whole food kitchen.

Unit 3: Essential Cooking Methods

This unit focuses on moist-heat cooking methods, such as steaming, submersion, simmering and boiling, and sautéing and roasting without oil.

Lesson 1
Unit Orientation

Lesson 2
Steaming Vegetables

In this lesson, you will learn to steam and finish many different sizes of vegetables.

Lesson 3
Cooking Vegetables in Water | Submersion

Poaching, simmering or boiling are moist-heat cooking methods that involve submerging the ingredients in hot liquids to cook them.

Lesson 4
Dry-Heat Cooking | How to Sauté Without Oil

Learning how to sauté is an important task for any home cook or professional chef. It is one of the fastest and most common dry-heat cooking methods used to cook bite-sized pieces of food in a pan.

Lesson 5
Roasting without Oil

When cooked properly and to the right doneness, roasted vegetables not only look beautiful, they have a delicious and earthy flavor that pairs well with almost any dish.

Unit 4: Daily Meal Inspiration

This unit highlights how you can make plant-based choices all day, and all week, long. It focuses on recipes and techniques that you can use to build healthful and delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It also discusses how to repurpose ingredients throughout the week to save both time and money.

Lesson 1
Unit Orientation

Lesson 2
What's for Breakfast?

In this lesson you will learn some simple formulas for creating a number of breakfast items such as smoothies, breakfast bowls and comfort foods like french toast, waffles and scrambles.

Lesson 3
What's for Lunch?

In this lesson, you will learn about some staple lunch items and formulas to create a variety of plant-based salads and grain and bean bowls.

Lesson 4
What's for Dinner?

In this lesson you will learn affordable and quick dinner ideas such as one pot meals along with formulas for creating veggie burgers from scratch.

Lesson 5
What's for Dessert?

Following a plant-based food program doesn't mean you can't indulge in the occasional treat. In this lesson, you will learn basic techniques and methods for creating simple, plant-based desserts.

Unit 5: Final Assessment

This is where it all comes together. In this unit, you will be given your final assessment on the material that is covered in the preceding units.

Lesson 1
Course Review & Final Assessment

This is where it all comes together. In this unit, you will be given your final assessment on the material that was covered in the preceding units.

Student Work

Below is a snapshot of real student photos from the course. Once you learn the foundational techniques of cooking, you too can begin to create an endless number of delicious dishes!
Spaghetti with mushrooms: or a night of cooking

For the final dish I chose spaghetti. Plain and simple. Thought I'd utilize what we have and what we love. I went out to the front g... View More

by Bryce K.
38
Artichoke & Beet Hummus Ravioli

With the left over Artichoke Hummus, I made a beet ravioli. To change the hummus slightly, I added a bit of beet juice. This changed... View More

by Kristine K.
77
Lia's Fridge

I'm a cancer survivor who has transitioned to a 100% organic lifestyle. In 2015 I watched FOK which then led me to study the Whole-F... View More

by Lia H.
62
Garlicy Mushrooms, Two Versions

I have never liked mushrooms as a main ingredient, but these gave me a greater appreciation for them. The mushrooms were perfectly ... View More

by Darsi R.
30
Vegetarian Pho with Greens & Mushrooms

This was the very first time I've ever eaten Pho. I prepared the pho stock yesterday which gave it the opportunity for the flavour p... View More

by Lia H.
18
Sweet Potato, Pepper and Mushroom Hash with Spicy Chipotle Dressing

I made a lettuce wrapped hash using with diced sweet potatoes, red, yellow and orange peppers, baby bella mushrooms and onions. The... View More

by Linda G.
18
Lemon Tahini Roasted Carrots topped with a Spicy Seed Blend

The carrots were first tossed in a little bit of the tahini dressing. I made sure not to use too much of it but just enough to coat... View More

by Genny L.
17
Vegetable Stock

Showing the depth of flavor visually in the color of the stock was what I was hoping for here. This picture was taken after an hour ... View More

by Dale B.
15
Asian Wild Rice Salad

This is a light yet complex dish of fresh, crisp vegetables and wild rice infused with the tastes of spicy Asian flavors. I did not ... View More

by Genny L.
13
White Bean and Asparagus Tart

I cooked a batch of white beans to use for this activity. With half of the cooked white beans, I prepared a lovely bean spread made ... View More

by Kristine K.
62
Lia's Pantry

I'm a cancer survivor who has transitioned to a 100% organic lifestyle. In 2015 I watched FOK which then led me to study the Whole-F... View More

by Lia H.
56
Open-Face Refried Black Bean Burritos

I was at trader joe's and came across vegan garlic naan. I love naan but could never find a plant-based brand until now. I decided t... View More

by Sylvia G.
48
by Genny L.
42
by Kristine K.
41
by Liz W.
33
baked chickpea falafel lunch

I am craving falafel…and want to try to make my version of falafel… Ingredients: (falafel) 2 cups chickpea, cooked 1/3 cup On... View More

by Wen tzu C.
32
Veggie Burger Lettuce Wraps

I decided to use my Spicy Chipotle Dressing for these Lettuce Wraps. They were made using butter lettuce leaves with julienne carrot... View More

by Kristine K.
29
Vegetarian Pho

I've never tried Pho before so that is why I chose it from the two listed. I prepared the broth a day ahead and kept it in the refri... View More

by Kristine K.
24
by Genny L.
24
by Kristine K.
23
Hummus with baked paprika and garlic

To the classic hummus recipe I added baked paprika and baked garlic. Paprika makes the hummus nice orange color and sweet and smoke ... View More

by Svetlana Z.
23

Practice Recipes

A few of the practice recipes you'll learn in this course.
5 Units | 20 Lessons | 97 Videos
Unit 1: Introduction to Forks Over Knives Essentials
Unit 2: Getting Set Up: Equipment, Knives and Ingredients
Unit 3: Essential Cooking Methods
Unit 4: Daily Meal Inspiration
Unit 5: Final Assessment