Hi y'all! I hope you had a wonderful Easter or Passover. I spent most of my day in the kitchen yesterday, concocting lots of yummy treats, and also some "real" food. I made some amazing raw bread with my dehydrator and am currently making some "fake-un" bacon, so be expecting a post on raw vegan BLT's soon! It's always fun to try and make standard comfort foods healthy. I never used to let myself eat things like BLT sandwiches, but now I can. And I'm making fries to go with it (no, not real fries- you'll see! Even better than the real thing).
What I want to share with you today are a few things that I am asked about a lot lately: What exactly do I eat? How do I shop? What's typically in my kitchen? I've shared my delicious green breakfast smoothie with you, but I am excited to take you through my normal shopping routine and give you some tips to make creating these recipes easier (its such a mood killer to have to run to the store to get one or two ingredients). Having a stocked kitchen makes me happy.
Erinn's Kitchen:
These are the items that I always have on hand (I buy organic most of the time, if possible):
VEGGIES: Kale, Lettuce (red leaf and romaine), spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers (all but green- they are not well digested), onions, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, jicama, carrots, fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, thyme, cilantro, dill and rosemary, and celery (I don't particularly like the taste, but I like the crunch). Pumpkin.
GRAINS: Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, gluten-free oats (Bob's brand), buckwheat, amaranth, rice pasta, popcorn kernels (ok, not the healthiest choice, I admit.... but I make it with coconut oil and sea salt and I'm not giving it up!)
FRUITS: Apples, oranges, pears, lemons and limes (a necessity for many recipes), avocados, tomatoes, blue berries, strawberries, sometimes raspberries or blackberries, frozen mangos and bananas (for smoothies and to snack on), grapes, raisins, goji berries, mulberries....
BEANS: Chickpeas, lentils, fava, kidney, black turtle (lots of protein!). I'm not really a huge fan of beans in general, but I usually have a can or two handy in case I want them.
RAW NUTS AND SEEDS (Always use raw nuts, as roasted nuts are actually rancid): Almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds (really good for puddings and cereals), hemp seeds, almond meal (ground up almonds for easy using), almond butter. Almond milk as well. Coconut flakes and milk.
SEASONINGS: Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, ginger (fresh), paprika, garlic (fresh), ground garlic, turmeric, black pepper, lemon pepper, Bragg's liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, alcohol free vanilla, cayenne, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, cloves
SUPERFOODS and SWEETENERS USED OFTEN IN UN-BAKING: Cacao powder, cacao butter, coconut butter, lucuma powder, maca, stevia (I use the green powder at home, and take the little packets with me to go), agave nectar (I only use Ultimate Superfoods raw blue agave bc it is the least processed), mesquite powder, soft dates (I like Medjool), extracts such as mint. Also superfoods chlorella, spirulina and camu camu (more on these in the future). Green Powder
OILS: For dressings: Cold Pressed Olive, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil. For cooking: Coconut oil (by far the best for cooking as it is the most stable), sesame oil, grapeseed oil.
MISC: Tempeh, Teas (naturally caffeine free- not decaffeinated), Teecino (coffee substitute made from chicory root- it's so good!!), kombucha (if it's on sale. ha), coconut water, rice protein powder (enzymatically processed), hemp protein powder.
So this list is not conclusive, and I'm sure I've forgotten something I use everyday. But you get the idea! I do most of my shopping at my local farmer's market, then at Trader Joe's for a some things that I can get there for less than I would at Whole Foods but can't get at the farmers market, then to Whole Foods for whatever I still couldn't get, and then finally to Erewhon if I need a specialty product. I do this bc, let's be honest, it's not cheap to eat healthily, and this allows me to get more things for less money.
One of my favorite things to do is to go grocery shopping, so if you would like some help in finding products, feel free to contact me. And don't worry about getting all of these things at once! I once had the barest kitchen ever, and it has taken me a while to accumulate all of these products.
Peace and happy shopping. And eating :)
Above: Jicama Fries: Coming Soon!
Blend in ice slowly so that it reaches the consistency that you prefer (you can also drink it without the ice, but I find it more fun to eat with a spoon). :) I garnished mine with whipped "cream" and some raisins. Now all you need to do is enjoy the deliciousness and smile as all the nutrition enters your cells. Yes, life can be this good.
