The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook. Laura Lea
you are measuring ⅓ cup minced shallot. A
rounded cup means a few pieces of what you
are measuring (often fruit) will stick up above
the measuring line.
Basic recipes. Many cookbooks have a section
on how to make healthy “basic” recipes, like
properly cooking beans, making homemade
nut milk, or making homemade stock. I do not
have this, because the reality is: I don’t make
beans from scratch, I rarely make my own
nut milk, and the few times I’ve made my own
stock, it stunk up the kitchen for a whole day.
Instead, I look for BPA-free organic canned
beans and full-fat coconut milk, as well as low-
sodium, free-range organic chicken broth. If
you are interested in more of these DIY basics,
there are ample book resources out there, if
you do some noodling.
Preparing bananas for smoothies. My favorite
smoothie foundation is the magical banana.
A ripe frozen banana turns any smoothie
into something creamy and decadent, even
when it’s packed with veggies. I always have
a bunch of bananas ripening on the counter.
When they are dotted with brown spots, I peel
and slice them into 1-inch pieces. I then add
them to a plastic food storage bag and lay the
bag flat, horizontally in my freezer. They’ll
freeze in a layer that’s easy to break apart.
Approximately 6 banana pieces equals
1 medium-sized banana.
Eggs. I always use large eggs, and eggs should be
room temperature when used in baking recipes.
Canned coconut milk. If canned coconut milk
feels a little heavy to you, try this: add 1 can
coconut milk to a blender with 2 cups water.
Blend until smooth and store to use as milk
throughout the week. You can also use light
canned coconut milk or unsweetened almond
milk. However, almond milk will create a
product that is less rich and creamy, and I
cannot vouch for the results.
Dates. In this book, I use medjool dates that
come with the pit in. If you can only find
pitted dates, you may need to soak them in
hot water for 10 to 12 minutes, then drain
thoroughly to make them juicy.
Nut/seed butters. Ideally, I try to use newer/
runnier nut and seed butters, because they
add moisture and are easier to blend. If that’s
not an option, then you can use this trick:
Scoop out a few tablespoons less than the
recipe calls for and add to a mixing bowl with
the missing amount of tablespoons of very hot
water. Stir to combine, then allow the mixture
to sit 10 minutes. Then stir everything together
thoroughly and measure out for the recipe.
Also, assume nut butters are unsweetened
and unsalted and peanut butter is organic.
Canned beans and butter. I always choose
unsalted and unflavored options for these
ingredients.
Extracts and caffeine. Technically, extracts
like vanilla and maple are not considered
strict paleo. Feel free to remove from recipes,
noting that it will alter the flavor slightly.
Or, you can order vanilla powder (look for
Terrasoul brand online), which is pure ground
vanilla beans. Sub ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add powder
with dry ingredients in baking. Technically,
also caffeine is not considered paleo.
Oven rack position. I always use the middle
rack. If I’m baking two things at once, I use the
middle and bottom third rack, and switch the
trays halfway through.
Cleaning salad greens. Though I don’t
specifically call for cleaning salad greens with
a spinner in the recipes, you can assume that
greens must be either cleaned or labeled as
pre-rinsed before consuming.
Oat flour. To make oat flour, pulse rolled oats
in a food processor or high-powered blender.
It is important to pulse or blend until you have
a very fine consistency. It should only be a
little more granulated than all-purpose flour.
It can be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose, whole-
wheat, spelt, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Make ahead. All casseroles can be assembled
the night before and baked the next day, but
they will need another 5 to 10 minutes baking
time because of the chill.
Leftovers. All estimated lengths of time for
keeping leftovers with meat assume the meat
was fresh when the item was prepared.
1
The LL BALANCED
APPROACH to FOOD
Cooking isn’t a rote set of steps to follow. It is a daily
adventure; one that doesn’t require airfare or jet lag. The
temperature, time of day, age of your spices, seasonality of your
ingredients — each time you cook, all of these factors and more
come into play. And I do mean play. We live in an age of instant
gratification, of science and technology and fact, and we’ve
come to expect that in every aspect of our lives. But any true
home cook will tell you that cooking often defies rules and logic,
requiring