The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook. Laura Lea

Make sure you’re offering plenty of vegetables

       with your entree and encourage family members

       to fill up on those first. If you can ditch the notion

       of meat as the main event, it will save you some

       serious bucks in overall quantity consumed.

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      Meatless Monday. And while you’re at it, have a

       meatless night or two every week, and try one of

       my absolutely delicious vegetarian dishes. Beans,

       grains, and tempeh are quite affordable, and I

       promise with the right cooking techniques and

       flavoring, you’ll love them.

      Make friends with leftovers. See my section on

       leftovers (page 54). This can save some major cash, it helps decrease waste, and it forces you to use your imagination (or your keypad and Google, whichever the case may be).

      SPICES

      I recommend replenishing your spices every

       6 months. If you get rid of spices you don’t use,

       and only stock the ones you do, this will be

       easy—you might even run out before then.

      • Ground cinnamon

      • Ground paprika

      • Ground sweet smoked paprika

      • Turmeric powder*

      • Chili powder

      • Garlic powder

      • Onion powder

      • Ground cumin

      • Curry powder

      • Ground ginger

      • Ground cayenne pepper

      • Sea salt

      • Black pepper: For adding to a dish that will

       be cooked (soups, casseroles, sautés), use

       pre-ground. For garnishing an already-

       prepared meal, use a pepper grinder.

      • Oregano

      • Basil

      • Tarragon

      • Rosemary

      • Red pepper flakes

      GRAINS (ORGANIC

       RECOMMENDED)

      • Quinoa: Quinoa is technically a seed, not

       a grain. However, it has a similar nutrient

       profile and is prepared/eaten similarly to

      grains, so I’m designating it to this category.

       Quinoa is high in plant protein, and it is

       considered a “complete” protein. “Complete”

       proteins contain all nine essential amino

       acids that our body cannot produce and thus

       must obtain from food. There are very few

       plant-based “complete” proteins, and quinoa

       is one. Quinoa is also loaded with vitamins,

       minerals, and fiber, and it is gluten-free,

       making it a superstar in the health-food

       world. Before cooking quinoa, it is crucial to

       rinse the “grains” thoroughly, as they contain

       a bitter protective coating called saponin.

      • White rice: My husband and I much prefer

       the flavor and texture of white rice to

       brown. Although brown rice, when properly

       prepared, contains more nutrients, we get

       so much nutrition from other foods that we

       don’t worry about this. However, white rice

       can be a problem for those with diabetes or

       blood sugar issues. Quinoa, alone or mixed

       with brown rice, is a great alternative in those

       cases. Also, we always pair white rice with a

       fat or a protein, so it doesn’t spike blood sugar

       the way it would if eaten alone. Absolutely

       feel free to use whatever grain you prefer.

      note: When I mention white rice in recipes,

       I am referring to long-grain rice, not short-

       grain rice. Long-grain rice cooks up fluffy and

       separate, whereas short-grain rice tends to

       clump and stick.

      • Rolled oats: Oats—one of the inspirations of

       this book! You will see oats throughout this

       book in various applications, and that is for a

       few reasons. Oats are affordable, available at

       every grocery store, and they are extremely

       versatile with their mild, barely sweet

       flavor. Ground up, they can substitute 1:1 for

       wheat flour; they make a great binder, are a

       breakfast staple, and they can be used whole

       in bars, granola, or dessert toppings. On

       the health front, I much prefer homemade

       oat flour to wheat, as it is gluten-free and

       minimally processed. There are different

       types of oats. All oat variations start at oat

       groats, which are then processed to create

       three main oat categories. Steel-cut oats

       are simply groats that have been cut into

       chunky pieces, and they take quite some

       time to cook. Rolled oats are groats that have

       been steamed and flattened, which makes

       them more pliable and quicker-cooking.

       Instant oats have been further processed

       and flattened, and they lose texture/become

      mushy when cooked. Feel free to experiment

       with all three, but be sure to choose rolled

       oats for the recipes in this book.

      note: Make sure your oats have “Certified

       GF/Gluten-Free” on the packaging if that

       is a concern.

      • Wild rice: Wild rice is actually the seed of

       a long-grain aquatic grass. It has a nutty,

       chewy flavor that pairs beautifully with nuts

       and fresh or dried fruit. It has significantly

       more fiber and protein than brown rice, as

       well as B vitamins and a host of minerals.

       Wild rice is