THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (4 page)

The key to saving time in cooking is to cross-purpose some basics like Almost Instant Peanut Sauce or Mushrooms Barbacoa and use them in different recipes to give you variety without a lot of effort. Making double batches of dishes and then using them in a variety of ways is one way around eating too many leftovers in a week.

I like to cook a big pot of quinoa or brown rice once a week to use in recipes throughout the week and to have as last-minute side dishes or stir-fries. Cooked grains like rice or quinoa make the easiest meals. Sometimes I eat brown rice warmed with almond milk, a dash of cinnamon, and dried fruit like raisins or dates as a quick breakfast. I also make Date and Soy Stir-Fry Sauce every week so I can make stir-fry with rice and vegetables as a last-minute meal.

I make one or two salad dressings at the beginning of the week and keep fresh salad greens on hand, so I can always have healthy salad options. I also keep my favorite salad vegetables on hand—cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, raisins, sliced green onion, and so on.

For this menu, you will need the recipes listed below, as well as the items in the additional ingredients list. See the pantry list on
p. 21
for items you should always have on hand.

MAKE IT EASY:
On Sunday, put together all the components for recipes like the Mushroom Tacos, the barbacoas, and the burritos and then assemble them as needed throughout the week so that you can enjoy them fresh.

Here’s a good menu plan for stir-fry lovers. Stir-fry is one of my favorite meals, especially because it comes together so quickly once you have everything in place. You can vary the vegetables throughout the week and use either cooked rice or quinoa to serve with it. I also use leftover stir-fry to make a burrito that I can take for lunch. And I make extra Green Sauce to add to my burrito—delicious!!

Most days I make a smoothie for breakfast—it only takes five minutes. I vary the fruits each day and always keep a good supply of frozen fruit on hand. Muffins are an occasional treat and good to have on hand when making a smoothie is out of the question.

For this menu, you will need the recipes listed below, as well as the items in the additional ingredients list. See the pantry list on
p. 21
for items you should always have on hand.

MAKE IT EASY:

•
Keep Date and Soy Stir-Fry Sauce on hand.

•
Make a double batch of the Orange-Miso Salad Dressing and pair it with the Apple, Fig, and Arugula Salad.

•
If time is an issue, make quinoa in place of brown rice to use in your stir-fries and Falafel Bowl. It takes only 15 minutes to cook instead of the 45 minutes that brown rice takes.

•
You can also buy minced garlic in a jar—1 teaspoon equals 1 clove.

ARROWROOT POWDER

BAKING POWDER

BAKING SODA

BEANS AND LEGUMES (CANNED AND DRIED)

adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), navy beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, refried beans

BOTTLED LEMON JUICE

BUNS (WHOLE GRAIN)

burger buns, hoagie/submarine buns, sandwich buns

CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

applesauce, artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, mandarin oranges, roasted red peppers, sweet potato puree, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce

CONDIMENTS

brown rice syrup, capers, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, dijon mustard, liquid aminos, maple syrup, marinara sauce, miso paste, olives in brine, pickle relish, sliced pickles, red hot sauce, salsa, soy sauce or tamari, silken tofu, nutritional yeast

FRUITS (DRIED)

apples, apricots, coconut (shredded), Medjool dates, raisins

FRUITS (FRESH AND/OR FROZEN)

apples, bananas, blueberries, figs, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons

GRAINS

barley, brown rice, bulgur, cornmeal, quick-cooking oats, quinoa, rolled oats, rye

HERBS AND SPICES

ground allspice, ground black pepper, ground caraway, ancho chili powder, fresh and dried basil, dried bay leaf, cayenne pepper, fresh chives, cilantro, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, unsweetened cocoa, ground coriander, ground cumin, curry powder, fresh and dried dill, ground fennel seeds, granulated garlic, fresh and ground ginger, green onions, fresh and dried mint, mustard powder, ground nutmeg, granulated onion, dried oregano, sweet paprika, fresh parsley, crushed red
pepper flakes, dried rosemary, saffron, dried sage, sea salt, star anise, dried tarragon, dried thyme, ground turmeric, vanilla extract

LIGHT COCONUT MILK

NUTS AND SEEDS

almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts

NUT BUTTERS

almond, cashew, peanut, tahini

PASTA (WHOLE GRAIN)

fettuccine, fusilli, linguine, macaroni, penne, rotini, spaghetti

PASTRY FLOUR (WHOLE WHEAT)

TORTILLAS

corn tortillas, whole wheat flour tortillas

THAI RED CURRY PASTE

UNSWEETENED NONDAIRY MILK

almond milk, rice milk, soy milk

VEGETABLES (FRESH AND/OR FROZEN)

arugula, avocados, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, corn, edamame, eggplants, garlic, green peas, jalapeño peppers, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, poblano peppers, potatoes, serrano peppers, slaw mix, spinach, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, shallots, sprouts, zucchini

VEGETABLE STOCK

VINEGARS

apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar

Banana-Pineapple Smoothie

Strawberry Cream Smoothie

Peach-Mango Smoothie

Banana Bread Smoothie

Muesli

Apple Pie Granola

Easy Creamy Polenta

Oatmeal-Raisin Breakfast Bars

Sweet Potato Pie Muffins

Fresh Apple Muffins

Stovetop Rice Pudding