Yes, please! Teya Brooks Pribac with Junction 142 manager Stephen Bradley (right) and Joshua Bradley, about to savour the three-ingredient coconut balls.
Story and photos by Linda Moon
Healthier for us and better for the planet and purse, plant based food is trending. A local expert can show you how to turn plant foods into mouth-watering creations.
Key Points:
Statistics show interest in plant based food is booming with Aussies among those leading the charge.
Local author and academic, Teya Brooks Pribac from PlantInspired, is running monthly cooking classes in Katoomba to teach us how to make plant foods fun, creative and delicious.
Leaving animal foods off the plate is associated with a longer life span in many studies. A Seventh Day Adventist study of over 73,000 people, for example, found vegans had a 15 per cent lower risk of dying over the study period compared to those eating meat.
Under the guidance of PlantInspired’s Teya Brooks, we start with caramelising onions. Some of us take turns stirring the onions; another participant washes lettuce leaves at the sink. We learn the caramelising process takes a slow 45 minutes on very low heat and that soaking lentils overnight makes them cook quicker – just some of the tips you don’t normally learn from a cookbook, but take home in a fun, intimate, face-to-face class like this.
Today we’re learning how to make a three-course meal: a lentil and vegetable burrito, a Mexican-inspired sang choy bau stirfry encased in a lettuce leaf, and a coconut sweet. There’s also a free recipe handout to take home.
A class participant and Teya Brooks Pribacget creative in the kitchen.
The secret of great taste: it’s all in the spice and salt
Teya’s goal is to start with simple ideas accessible to people without expensive kitchen tools. The focus of the classes is on cheaper cooking techniques and healthy, plant based ingredients using pantry staples. The menu features inexpensive ingredients anyone has in their cupboard – no sign of almond flour or pomegranate here.
“A lot of people want to eat more vegetables but don’t know to make them taste good,” she says. “They steam them. What I want is to teach people how to make vegetables in a really nice, tasty way.” According to Teya, that magical element of deliciousness is really just about adding salt and spice.
Fresh ingredients for the burrito. Colourful plant foods like these are high in antioxidants, good for you and the environment.
Plant-based passion
Teya, (who is Slovenian-born and has a PhD in animal grief from the University of NSW), is passionate about vegan food: “It’s cheaper, healthier, better for people and the planet and kind for animals”. It was actually her husband (poet, David Brooks) who taught her to cook. “I started to cook with him, then I got better than him,” she reveals with a smile.
She also began experimenting with vegan cheeses. It’s a culinary journey that resulted in a cookbook, the aptly named Not Just Another Vegan Cookbook. It’s been praised by icons in the vegan world, like Lynda Stoner.
The delicious final result: veg and lentil burrito and veg stir-fry in lettuce leaf. Yum.
Teya never expected to end up in community work, but at this stage on her path feels more useful in the community than in the academic world. Along with her community cooking classes, Teya, who has been vegan since 2005, hosts Sip and Savour afternoons at Good Earth Bookshop in Wentworth Falls (a delightful chance to sample plant-based delicies and wine), plus other community cooking events and classes through her community cooking project, PlantInspired.
Teya from PlantInspired serving it up.
The joy of cooking and eating together
There’s something so natural and traditional feeling about cooking and eating together. Bonds form quickly over food. Menu and food ideas are traded along with local news.
By the time we sit down together to feast at the end of the two-hour class, we’re all comfortable with each other, chatty and hungrily tucking in. The three-course meal is restaurant quality, visually attractive and utterly tasty. For the $10 class fee, it’s a bargain. There’s also plenty to go round and Teya shares food with others at the Junction 142 centre.
Plenty to share. Eating together is the spice of life.
Those who fear or loathe baking, or simply don’t have time, will love the coconut dessert. The tasty treat has only three ingredients: coconut, sugar and vanilla. For something so simple, it’s surprisingly delicious and dressed up with some chocolate bits, looks great.
Creative fun with coconut.
Come to the next class
If you missed Teya’s cooking class and want to attend the next one, here’s all you need to know:
When: Teya’s cooking classes will be offered monthly for two hours between 11am and 1pm. Each month will feature a different menu with new, fun plant-based recipes to explore and enjoy.
Where:Junction 142, at 142 Katoomba Street, Katoomba. Go towards the back of the building to the entrance beside the Sweet Charity Op-shop.
Cost: $10 donation to help offset the costs of the social enterprise project and fund those who can’t afford it to partake. The class is free for concession card holders.
To book or enquire: Call or message Teya on 0434 691 496
Learn from a master of vegan cookery. Teya Brooks Pribac from PlantInspired demonstrating how to make coconut balls.
Take Action:
Book the community cooking class with Teya on 0434 691 496.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Thank you to everyone who popped by for the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains today! It was a great day discussing gardens, ponds, frogs, seeds, composting seats, wicking beds and how to restore the hydrological cycle! Next Saturday will be our Skill Share Saturday. We`ll be kickstarting a 6-week block of Tai Chi & Qigong at 9am, launching our Seed Saving and Gardening Group at 10am and running our monthly Bushcare Group at 1.30pm. You can book in for Tai Chi here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/tai-chi-and-qigong-six-week-block-spring-2025-qaw2ts2v and to Bushcare here (link also in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-bushcare-spring-summer-2025
The Planetary Health Centre is on the Edible Garden Trail today! Last week we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group. Come along to learn more, enjoy a coffee in our garden, and pick up a free Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guide. We`re open from 10am. You can find us at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Tickets for the Edible Garden Trail available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-edible-garden-trail-2025
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out. Read about three days of innovation at the upcoming Full Cycle Conference in Nov, the Edible Garden Trail this weekend, and a six week block of Tai Chi and Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47jbFBz
Today is an Extreme Bushfire Danger Day! Have you heard about the extraordinary fire resistant paint developed by Professor Yeoh and his team at UNSW? Professor Yeoh will be presenting at our Full Cycle Conference on Thurs 20 November. He is world renowned in the field of fire safety and his innovations are helping to keep people and property safe. Importantly among these innovations has been the development and commercialisation of FSA FIRECOAT paint (sold at Bunnings), which creates a protective insulating ‘char’ on a building when it’s exposed to flames. It is water based and non toxic. Watch it in action in this video (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkA1RlxMjWQ
Join us at the Conference to learn more about Professor Yeoh’s work during three days of innovation and exploration in which leading speakers from around Australia will share how we can reduce the risks of natural hazards and hazardous materials. Places are limited so register here now (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
With new modelling suggesting a hot summer with increasing fire risk it`s worth making time now to learn more about how we can reduce the risk of disaster by registering to attend the Full Cycle Conference that`s bringing together the Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conferences in Katoomba on 20-22nd Nov. Group discounts apply if you register now here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
• Emma Whale from the NSW Reconstruction Authority will discuss how state-wide and place-based disaster adaptation planning is helping reduce risk;
• David Sanderson, the inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, will share the results of a landmark enquiry on how our response to disasters requires a change in housing policy and local government empowerment;
• Owen Price, Director of The Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at UOW will compare the patterns of housing loss in the NSW and Californian wildfires;
• Guan Heng Yeoh from UNSW will share how he developed the award winning FIRECOAT fire resistant paint;
• Everson Kandare from RMIT University will discuss the development of fireproof cladding made from molasses-cultured mycelium - a fungal biomass;
• Alan Green from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre UOW will introduce Heatwave and Multi-Hazard Resilience Star Rating Tools for retrofitting houses;
• Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities and Dr Kim Loo from Doctors for the Environment will discuss heat waves and social justice;
• Andrew Bovis from Integrated Water Solutions will discuss the potential use of treated blackwater as an independent water source for landscape hydration and fire fighting;
• Sara Jane Wilkinson from UTS will launch the Bushfire Retrofitting Toolkit for older Australians and do a session on green roofs and walls to reduce disaster risk and increase biodiversity;
• Melissa Knothe Tate will discuss research on tackling PFAS contamination;
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair today. It was an inspiring and thought provoking day with lots learnt, many connections made, amazing food consumed and stunning weather! We look forward to doing it again next year!
The inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair kicks off at 9am today at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Pop in to listen to a talk, watch a demo, grab a coffee and sweet treat from Good Fat Pastry, a delicious lunch from Bibi`s Kitchen, fresh mushrooms from EarthRising Mushroom Farm, locally acclimatised vegetable seeds from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, and edible native plants from Muru Mittigar Ltd You can view the full program here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St (former Katoomba Golf Course).
The Fair is a World Animal Day event and has been supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association of Environmental Educators.
A huge thank you to Richard Burrell from Muru Mittigar Native Nursery who delivered us the following edible natives to sell at our Food Security Fair on Saturday 18th October:
Apple Berry Finger Lime Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia Midgen Berry Native Leek Native Parsnip Native Raspberry Female and male Pepper Berry Vanilla Lily Yam Daisy
You can view the full program for the Food Security Fair here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle
We`re thrilled that EarthRising Mushroom Farm will be at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair this Sat 18 Oct with their fabulous fresh mushrooms, mushroom grow kits and other mushroom products. Alex can help you get started on mushroom growing and let you know more about the mushroom compost you can pick up from the Farm in Lawson. View the full program for the day here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Fair is at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre: 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba (former Katoomba Golf Course)
Such an amazing program for the Food Security Fair at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Sat 18 Oct: from the renowned Holly Davis, co-founder of Iku, and author of Ferment, giving a hands on demonstration of how to preserve and increase the health and deliciousness of food through fermentation, to Dr Milena Bojovic from UTS on the Future of Food! Dr Teya Brooks Pribac from Plant Inspired will demonstrate innovative plant based cooking techniques, Michael from Good Fat Pastry will share baking innovations, Marnee Fox from Forage to Feast will share how to use Wild Edibles, seed saver extraordinaire Lloyd Sharp from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers will share his amazing expertise and launch the Upper Blue Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group, Manu Prigioni from Farm it Forward will discuss equity and nutrition security and Farm it Forward’s response to the National Food Security Strategy document, Erin Hall will provide a hands-on Weaving with Weeds workshop, and Nev Sweeney will share how to build and use a solar food dehydrator. Places are limited so bookings essential here (link in profile @bluemountainsplanetaryhealth : https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or... This event has been supported by an Australian Association for Environmental Education sEEd grant.
Social enterprise @farmitforward is working to increase local food security one backyard after another, and with young people at Katoomba High School. At the Food Security Fair on Sat 18 Oct, co-founder Manu Prigioni will speak about Incorporating equity and nutrition security in discussions on food security: Farm It Forward’s response to the National Food Security Strategy document. Reserve your spot for her presentation here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle Read more about Manu and Farm it Forward in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/46PTAfF
Join seed saver extraordinaire Lloyd Sharp, from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, as we launch the Upper Blue Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening group at the Food Security Fair on Sat 18 October. Lloyd will share some of his extensive seed saving experience, and there will be an opportunity to purchase and share local seeds and plants. Huge thanks to Happy Valley Seeds for donating heirloom seeds and discount cards, and to @thediggersclub for generously donating Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guides and their 2025/2026 Heirloom Seed Annual. There will be one for every attendee! The Food Security Fair is being held at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba and the Seed Saving presentation is at 10.20am. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
Linda Moon has lived in the upper Blue Mountains since childhood and is a freelance writer for Australian media. A qualified naturopath, permaculture designer, mother and former student of social work, her passion is building local community, gardening, mental, emotional, social, housing and environmental health – all of which are linked!
Dave Spees, Katoomba-based carpenter and founder of Against the Grain, has turned the by-product of his craft into a sustainable, sought-after winter fuel. His compressed sawdust briquettes are now helping to heat homes across the Blue Mountains, all while dramatically reducing landfill waste.
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