The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook. Laura Lea

Hummus

      Keeping staples in

       your refrigerator

       makes preparing

       healthy meals easy

       and stress-free.

      FREEZER STAPLES

      • Wild-caught salmon, shrimp, halibut,

       cod, and scallops (I order them from

       Vital Choice)

      • Bread: I like Deland Bakery, Canyon

       Bakehouse (GF), Mestemacher rye,

       or a sourdough loaf.

      • Non-GMO corn tortillas

      • Leftover pancakes and waffles (separate

       with small pieces of parchment paper

       and stack)

      • Grass-fed ground beef; ground turkey

      • Organic chicken breasts and thighs

      • Frozen smoothie fruit such as bananas,

       apples, pineapple, cherries, raspberries,

       blueberries, and strawberries

      • Frozen organic broccoli, spinach, edamame,

       peas, kale, or other green vegetables

      • Frozen corn kernels

      FLOURS

      A note on my flour choices: There are lots of

       healthy flours out there . . . countless, these

       days. But I keep things simple for myself, and I

       suggest the same for you. Certified gluten-free

       oats are cheap, accessible, and tolerated by

       most people. And when blitzed in a high-

       powered blender or food processor, they make

       a fantastic flour. I realize that not everyone can

       or will buy almond and coconut flour, though

       I make a strong case for them in the following

       description. As a result, I decided that oats/

       oat flour/oat bran could be the great equalizing

       flour in this book. It doesn’t rise the same way

       as wheat flour, but it has a lovely mild taste

       that goes with almost everything. Feel free to

       sub wheat flour 1:1 with oat flour if you like.

      • Blanched almond flour*

      • Coconut flour*

      • Oat flour

      • Oat bran

      SWEETENERS

      • Honey (real honey, not from a

       teddy bear bottle!)

      • Coconut sugar*

      • Grade A maple syrup

      • Medjool dates*

      • Molasses

      • Organic liquid stevia: Organic stevia can

       be a great sugar-free sweetening option,

       and it won’t have an impact on your blood

       sugar the way other sweeteners will.

       However, it is incredibly strong and some

       don’t like the flavor. I don’t use it often,

       but I like to keep it around to add a drop

       to oatmeal, smoothies, or hot tea, where

       other flavors are more prominent. I do

       not recommend substituting stevia for

       sweeteners in baked goods/desserts, as it

       can throw off the liquid/dry ratio.

      Try natural sweeteners like honey,

       maple syrup, and coconut sugar.

      OTHER:

      • Baking powder

      • Baking soda

      • Vanilla extract

      • Almond extract

      • Maple extract

      • Arrowroot starch* or non-GMO cornstarch

      • Dark chocolate and/or semi-sweet

       chocolate chips

      • Cacao nibs

      • Cocoa powder: There are three different

       chocolate powders out there. Raw cacao

       powder is made by cold-pressing raw cocoa

       beans. This is the most “natural” form, and

       it is extremely high in antioxidants. Natural

       cocoa powder is made by roasting cocoa

       beans at high temperatures, which decreases

       the nutritional content. Dutch process

       cocoa powder is natural cocoa powder that

       has been alkalized to become less acidic

       and astringent-tasting. The latter two still

       provide health benefits, however, and they are

       preferable for baking, as the baking process

       negates the point of having raw cacao.

       Cutting to the chase—I keep natural cocoa

       powder around, and I use it anywhere I’d need

       a chocolatey powder. If you want to amp up

       your nutrient game, however, feel free to also

       use raw cacao in smoothies or no-bake treats.

      SOME FUNKY INGREDIENTS

       AND OTHER WAYS TO USE THEM

      The vast majority of the ingredients in this

       book can be found in any grocery store and

       probably already sound familiar to you. This

       is how I cook—simply and from the same

       basic pantry—and it makes life so much

       easier. That said, there are a handful of

       ingredients you’ll see scattered throughout

       that you might not recognize. If you choose

       not to buy a single one of these items, you

      can still make most of my recipes. However,

       I recommend them. These are ingredients

       that have enhanced my cooking with their

       flavor and nutrition, and often take the place

       of less healthy foods. I believe they’re worth

       the investment, and your body and tummy

       will thank you! Let me tell you a little bit about

       each, and why I think they’re worthy of a spot

       in your pantry.

      Extra-virgin organic coconut oil: Coconut oil

       has been a superstar on the health-food scene,

       touted for having countless miraculous and