The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook. Laura Lea

might be

       sick of quinoa and oats.

      what to do with

      EXTRA WILD RICE

      You can pop wild rice the same way

       you pop popcorn.

      Fiber-rich

       grains can

       be a great

       addition to a

       healthy diet.

       In the recipes

       that follow,

       you’ll find wild

       rice, quinoa,

       rice, and

       rolled oats.

      DRIED/CANNED GOODS

      • Canned organic chickpeas

      • Canned organic black beans

      • Canned organic lentils

      • Canned organic kidney beans

      • Dry red lentils

      • Canned organic cannellini or great

       northern beans

      • Canned full-fat coconut milk

      • Canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

      • Nuts: almonds, cashews, pecans,

       walnuts, hazelnuts

      • Nut and seed butters: Almond butter, peanut

       butter (technically a legume, but we use it

       like a nut), and tahini paste*

      • Seeds: Chia*, sunflower, pumpkin

      • Unsweetened coconut flakes: Coconut

       flakes are different from shredded coconut.

       Shredded coconut is made of thicker, larger

       pieces than coconut flakes, so they’re not a

       1:1 substitution. If you use shredded, I cannot

       guarantee the exact same outcome, but it

       shouldn’t impact a recipe dramatically.

      • Unsulphured dried apricots*

      • Medjool dates*

      • Nutritional yeast*

      • Pasta: Brown rice, quinoa, spelt, black bean,

       or chickpea pasta

      • Wild-caught, boneless and skinless canned

       tuna and salmon

      • Non-GMO popcorn (as a snack)

      • Dandy Blend: This is a caffeine-free coffee

       substitute made from ground chicory,

       beet, and dandelion root. Order it online

       at dandyblend.com.

      • Stock of choice (low-sodium chicken

       or vegetable)

      • Canned artichoke hearts

      • Figs

      • Kalamata olives

      • Tea bags

      • Salsa

      • Unsweetened applesauce

      • Organic crushed tomatoes

      • Diced tomatoes

      • Tomato paste

      • Dill pickles

      • Dried cranberries/dried cherries

      REFRIGERATOR STAPLES

      • Tamari* or low-sodium soy sauce

      • Sriracha: The best condiment of all time,

       I’d wager! No, this is not a perfectly healthy

       product. It has added sugar and some

       preservatives, but this is the LL Balanced

       cookbook, and I’m not worried about a

       tablespoon of sriracha spread over multiple

       servings in a recipe. It has the perfect balance of

       sweet, savory, and spice, and I just adore it. You

       can sub 1 teaspoon honey + 1 teaspoon plain red

       hot sauce + 1 teaspoon water if needed.

      • Mayo: As you will see in this book, I am not

       anti-mayo. I’m a Southern girl, after all! The

       problem with commercial mayonnaise is

       that it’s usually made with hydrogenated

       vegetable oils, like soybean, and I’ve

       explained in my Healthy Fats section (page 26) why this is a NO. However; thoughtful companies like Spectrum, Chosen Foods, and my favorite, Primal Kitchen, have made mayonnaise with olive oil and avocado oil, both healthy choices that taste great. I buy my mayo on thrivemarket.com, or you can check out chosenfoods.com.

      • Dijon mustard: A classic and staple! I

       adore Dijon mustard, and find that it adds

       a wonderful touch of acidity to countless

       recipes. A dear friend from college taught

       me to dip baby carrots into Dijon, and I still

       love this combo. My favorite Dijon ever is

       the Trader Joe’s Moutarde de Dijon, but any

       basic variety will do.

      • Organic ketchup: As with sriracha, ketchup

       is not a perfect food, but there are many

       brands now offering organic versions

       without high-fructose corn syrup. And

       sometimes, only ketchup will do. That

       is a culinary fact of life. I like Annie’s

       Homegrown, which I buy on Thrive Market.

       It has a touch of cane sugar, but I don’t

       spend a minute worrying about it.

      • Coconut water: This is nature’s Gatorade

       and something you will always see stocked

       in our refrigerator, because my husband

       drinks a glass every morning. Coconut water

       is packed with natural electrolytes, which

       keep you hydrated and help regulate the

      nervous system. I use coconut water as the

       base of smoothies, my Workout Water (page 89), and as a key component to any illness recovery. I just look for any brand that is 100% coconut water, without added sugars, flavors, or preservatives.

      • Tempeh

      • Lemon/lime juice

      • Cheese of choice

      • Eggs

      • Prepared horseradish

      • Orange/grapefruit juice