The Wholefood Kitchen

The Wholefood Kitchen Cooking in the Spirit of Kotahitanga A place to gain insights from practitioners, and share experiences.

An opportunity to connect with a growing community of people who approach food within an integral context. Above all, it is for people who would like food to support them to fulfill their potential. This site is run by Kevin Helas and other practitioners of wholefood cooking. Kevin is greatly indebted to the Concord Institute, which has provided the bulk of training of cooking within this context, and a developing understanding of the art of ‘cooking with awareness.’

14/08/2026

Here it is! Due to popular demand, a tried and tested recipe for a Lemon Yoghurt Cake made with Almond flour. Gluten free, light, airy and delicious. Check out the link in bio to access the how-to article and full recipe on Substack. Here are a couple of tips from the article as a ‘taster.’ Tip 1: Use locally grown Lemons. If you’re going for maximum lemon-y zing, there’s no beating freshly picked lemons from your own tree, or foraged from around the neighbourhood (don’t forget to knock on your neighbours door and ask first – it could be the start of a local foraging network, or a beautiful friendship). There will be no comparison in terms of flavour and juiciness to supermarket or store bought lemons, plus it will add a real ‘homegrown’ quality to your baking, and a high degree of personal satisfaction aka you’ll feel well chuffed. Tip 3: Whisk the egg whites. This is my addition to the original recipe, in order to create extra fluffiness and airiness in the final result, especially important when using the almond flour instead of plain flour. Use high sided bowls for whisking, for obvious reasons. Tip 4: Grease and line your cake tin. Apologies if this counts as teaching your grandmother to suck eggs… but I always opt for the extra precaution of buttering AND lining my cake tins with baking paper. It saves a bit of grief when removing the cake from the tin, and elbow grease required in the washup. You might just see remnants of the marker line I drew on the baking paper using the cake tin as a guide, then cutting inside the line with scissors to get my round base.

A planning session with Saskia and RJ from the Glen Avon Community Hub Team ahead of a NEW series of cooking classes for...
13/08/2026

A planning session with Saskia and RJ from the Glen Avon Community Hub Team ahead of a NEW series of cooking classes for working families to develop confidence and competence in the kitchen, leading to greater connection, conversation, creativity, hauora, and much, much more. Stay tuned for details!

12/08/2026

A top notch Sunday roast for the fam, employing simple tips and techniques acquired over the years, reflecting on a dish which was a pivotal one for me on my cooking journey, offering many opportunities for learning and acquiring greater confidence, competence and enjoyment in the kitchen with a meal designed for sharing, celebration and connection.

Before entering into the Poutama Rites of Passage portal, I wrote an article primarily ocussed on origins and intentions...
06/08/2026

Before entering into the Poutama Rites of Passage portal, I wrote an article primarily ocussed on origins and intentions behind the kaupapa. This article can be accessed on my substack platform, with link in bio. Having travelled through and come out the other side, there is plenty more to speak of, of the power of this work, the magic of the experience, and the privilege it is to be part of, not just in service of the tama Tāne taking part, but for all involved, called to create an environment of initiation and challenge which requires all of us to step up to and beyond our edges, in the service of something beyond ourselves. In the coming days I’ll be sharing reflections from myself, and from others who took part in this journey. Tama, Tama Tāne, and Tāne. All present, (sometimes within the same being) acknowledged, honoured and respected, regarded (as much as possible) with patience and deep Aroha. Mauri Ora!

03/08/2026

Tiaki and Tu lining up the celebratory breakfast during the closing stages of this weekends Poutama Rites of Passage retreat in Whāingaroa. Mauri Ora Matua!

03/08/2026

Still reeling from the powerful Poutama Rites of Passage journey that took place over the last few days: the honour and privilege of contributing to this vital kaupapa, supporting a group of tama (boys) through a process of initiation in order to step into a new way of being as tama Tāne (young men). Here’s a snapshot of some of what went down in the Wharekai, ably supported by Thom Gabites and part of a truly inspiring group of Tāne going above and beyond. Mauri Ora!

02/08/2026

A snapshot of an epic time cooking in the outdoor whatekai for the Poutama Rites of passage programme in Whaingaroa for a brave group of young men, ably supported, challenged and mentored by a legendary cohort of Tāne. Joined this week by the bro Thom Gabites bringing all his Aroha, energy and expertise to the mix to create dishes such as this, a next level Minestrone Soup.

29/07/2026

So it begins… arriving in My spiritual home of Raglan to join the Poutama team for a powerful weekend of initiation

23/07/2026

A snapshot of a recent Home Cooking Clinic with Livvy, this time putting together a menu/meal plan based around some dishes she wanted to try and/or master. In this case, a request to learn how to panfry steak led to a meal made up of a few complementary dishes: celeriac purée, Rocket and pear salad with a warm vinaigrette, and a couple of dressing options in the form of a Salsa Verde and a made from scratch Béarnaise sauce. These sessions are such a joy to create, designed as ‘Trojan horse’ classes to tackle common barriers around enjoyment of cooking, developing skills and increasing confidence in the kitchen. DM me if you’d like to find out more, or book in for one or a series of bespoke clinics in your own kitchen.

Teaming up with the irrepressible RJ and the Glen Avon Community Hub Team to develop a series of cooking classes for wor...
22/07/2026

Teaming up with the irrepressible RJ and the Glen Avon Community Hub Team to develop a series of cooking classes for working families to develop confidence and competence in the kitchen, leading to greater connection, conversation, creativity, hauora, and much, much more. Stay tuned for details!

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