The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook. Laura Lea

      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.