of my cookbook is to make you excited to
create your own nutritious food by removing
the pressure of a dogmatic approach and by
setting you up for success in the kitchen.
I took control of my mental, physical, and
emotional health by learning how to take
control of my kitchen. Now, my kitchen is my
sanctuary whenever I need to regain my sense
of balance, and this cookbook will help you
do the same.
The LL BALANCED APPROACH to FOOD:
1 Focus on whole, fresh foods that make you feel great.
2 Ditch any preconceived idea of what you should eat, and listen
to your body; it is your best wellness guru.
3 Indulge in moderation, and occasionally, not in moderation!
4 Have fun and don’t take yourself, or your food, too seriously. Enjoy
food in a relaxed atmosphere and in the company of dear ones.
5 Above all, practice self-love and patience in the kitchen.
It will translate to the rest of your life.
Special Recipe
Symbols and Labels
Symbols are included throughout the book
to make it easier to identify recipes that fit
special diets and lifestyles. If a recipe fits into
a diet as-is, without substitutions, it will have
that diet’s symbol on the left of the title bar.
If substitutions are required, the symbol will
appear on the right of the title bar, and the
subs will also be designated with the symbol.
Although there can be several interpretations
for paleo, vegan, and vegetarian lifestyles, in
this book, definitions should be taken to mean
the following:
VEGETARIAN
Free from: poultry, red meat, and fish/seafood.
Note that in this book, recipes including eggs
are classified as vegetarian. Note than any
recipes including chicken stock can be made
vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock.
VEGAN
Free from: poultry, red meat, fish/seafood, eggs,
dairy, and honey. Note that any recipes including
the following can be made vegan by substituting.
• Mayonnaise can be swapped for
vegan mayonnaise
• Dairy yogurt can be swapped for a
non-dairy yogurt
• Honey can be swapped for maple syrup
• Chicken stock can be swapped for
vegetable stock
DAIRY-FREE
Free from: dairy-based milk, cheese, yogurt,
and butter. Note that most recipes with dairy
in them can be made dairy-free through
substitution of non-dairy counterparts.
GLUTEN-FREE
Free from: wheat, barley, rye, farro, or spelt.
Note that any canned or packaged food should
be certified gluten-free, such as (but not limited
to): oats, canned tomatoes/paste, canned beans,
soy sauce, mustard, ketchup, other sauces,
flours, pastas, and crackers. All recipes in the
cookbook are gluten-free unless otherwise
noted, if certified gluten-free products are used.
PALEO
Free from: grains, gluten, legumes/beans,
dairy (except butter), and refined sugar.
Note that any recipes including dairy
yogurt can be made paleo by substituting a
coconut or almond-based yogurt. Also be sure
to use gluten-free prepared products as noted
under Gluten-free. Some paleo diets do not
include mayonnaise. If this describes your
diet, replace any mayonnaise with paleo-
approved mayonnaise.
DAIRY-FREE NOT RECOMMENDED
These recipes are not recommended to be
made dairy-free by making substitutions.
HANDS-ON AND TOTAL COOKING TIMES
Note that all total and hands-on times are
approximate. Times don’t include preheating
the oven, boiling water, or making optional
toppings or sauces. If marinating is required,
the least amount of time required is included
in the total time. For recipes with sauce or
dressing, those instructions are included in
the order in which the timing is most efficient
for the entire recipe.
1 HOUR OR LESS
These recipes can be made completely within
an hour.
SOAKING REQUIRED
This label applies to recipes that include
soaking an ingredient for 1 hour or more.
CHILLING REQUIRED
These labels apply to recipes that require
chilling for 30 minutes or more.
SECONDARY RECIPE
This label only applies if the secondary recipe
isn’t optional (e.g., teriyaki sauce for teriyaki
meatballs). Even so, sometimes store-bought
options can be subbed. This does not include
salad dressings or optional toppings.
SLOW COOKER
These recipes require the use of a slow cooker.
Important Tips & Tidbits
Understanding measurements. To avoid any
wording confusion, let me clarify how dry
measurements are described: If I say, “1 cup
cucumber, sliced into ½-inch rounds,” that
means you are measuring a cup of ½-inch
rounds, not a whole cucumber. Another
example is: If I say “⅓ cup shallot, minced”