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3.14.17

We’ve been having too much fun rifling through the fridges of foodies we love (see all our fridge features here!) and Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest’s is no exception. Tieghan’s award-winning healthy cooking blog is nothing short of stunning and we couldn’t wait to get a glimpse of how this high-style foodie truly eats at home.

We learn a little something new with each fridge and kitchen feature, and love all the practical tips and strange ingredient discoveries. Take note as you tour the inside of Tieghan’s heavenly Colorado barn home fridge, then grab her gorgeous grain-free granola recipe here!

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE:

I always have tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. I buy whatever is in season, but I always have broccoli, carrots and beets on hand, as those are some of my favorite vegetables. I also buy fruit pretty seasonally, but lemons, limes, mangoes, pineapples and bananas are staples. Oh, and always, always avocados. Then it’s berries in the summer, apples in the fall and citrus in the winter; spring is all about strawberries and rhubarb, if I can find it. I also keep organic butter, ghee, miso paste, greek yogurt, fresh chicken eggs and fresh goat milk on hand at all times. I have chickens and goats, so those are always plentiful! I like to keep cooked quinoa or brown rice in the fridge at all times for easy lunches and dinners to throw together with roasted veggies and avocado.

As for drinks, I always have kombucha on hand as well as pomegranate juice. My family is big on making fun drinks with pomegranate, kombucha, lemon or lime… and tequila.

RECIPE STAPLES ALWAYS ON HAND:

My recipes typically always have olive oil, veggies, salt and pepper, so I always, always have those handy. I also use a lot of fresh eggs, cheese, beans, pasta, grains, nuts and seeds. I use tahini a lot in place of things like mayo.

MUST-HAVE MUNCHIES:

Ahhh, carrots are my all-time favorite thing to munch on. I’ll eat them with tomato paste, which I know is so weird, but I love it. Other favorites are fresh dates (so good), dark chocolate, fruit, hummus, almond butter, cheese (ricotta or burrata are my favorite for snacking) and whole-grain bread.

GO-TO PROTEINS:

I am a big fan of lentils, but I also love black beans. Tuna and salmon are my favorites for fish. For meatier things, I lean toward chicken breast and skirt steak or slow-cooked short ribs. Oh, and I use a lot of Greek yogurt and nuts as protein sources too!

FAVE CONDIMENTS:

Thai red curry paste, harissa, ghee, organic butter, hot sauce (my favorite is Cholula), homemade pestos, low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar and fish sauce. I love, love, love condiments and make a ton of homemade sauces.

DAIRY OR NON-DAIRY FAVES:

My favorite form of dairy is goat milk. Like I mentioned, my family has goats, so we have fresh goat milk daily and there is nothing that can beat it. It’s great for anyone who is lactose intolerant, as it’s much easier digested than cow’s milk. I am also a huge fan of canned coconut milk.

MUST-HAVE PANTRY STAPLES:

Grains like quinoa, brown rice and farro; nuts (almonds, cashews, walnut, pistachios, pecans); seeds (hemp, chia, sesame, etc); nut butters; chocolate; almond flour; whole-wheat flour; coconut flour; lots of different oils like sesame, peanut and extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil; coconut milk; dates; maca powder; cacao powder; balsamic vinegar; apple cider vinegar; flaky sea salt; and every dried spice imaginable (I always keep these well stocked).

Also in my pantry are fruits like bananas, pineapple, avocado, etc. and winter squash like butternut and acorn.

SWEETS + OTHER INDULGENCES:

Well, I always have chocolate in many forms on hand, but I also keep ice cream in the freezer and typically some kind of baked good. Since the year started, I have been posting a ton of healthy sweet recipes on the blog like bliss balls, protein pancakes, and a fun Greek yogurt chocolate mousse cake. My healthy indulgence, though, is dates. They are seriously dangerous for me as I cannot stop eating them. My not-so-healthy treat has got to be my mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They are the best.

FAVE VEGGIE + WHAT YOU MAKE WITH IT:

Honestly, I can’t choose. I love all veggies, but I probably cook broccoli the most. I recently made a lemon garlic roasted broccoli salad and it’s become one my go-to recipes to make weekly. The leftovers are good warm or cold!

SIMPLE GO-TO RECIPE:

Either mushroom tacos with cilantro yogurt sauce and kale pineapple slaw or whole-wheat spinach and artichoke pizza.

INGREDIENT THAT MAKES EVERYTHING TASTE BETTER:

Um, cheese? Or soy sauce/tamari. A little salty flavor is always good!

FOR LAST-MINUTE ENTERTAINING:

Keep it simple. Make something that is safe that most people will enjoy, like a healthier pizza or pasta dish. My favorite is pasta tossed with olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs and baked topped with a little mozzarella and tons of sliced red bell peppers. Simple and everyone always loves it! Serve up with a hearty kale salad or roasted broccoli.

BEST SHOPPING TIPS:

Never go hungry, stay mostly in the produce section, always go with a list and do your best to stick to it.

BEST LABEL-READING TIP:

If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, don’t buy the product. Try to buy mostly foods that do not require labels and make homemade versions of whatever you can! Nut butters and oils should have one to two ingredients max.

FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP:

Well, I live in a small Colorado mountain town where it snows nine to ten months out of the year, so Whole Foods is my favorite. They put one in a year or so ago and it’s been a life saver. When I am in other cities like LA, I am at the farmers market daily.

BEST BARGAIN:

When avocados are less than 99 cents, I buy them all.

CRAZIEST THING I BUY:

Mass amounts of kombucha or avocados or pineapple. I am addicted.

WHAT'S IN MY SHOPPING BAG:

It’s pretty simple as I try to make whatever I can from scratch. I always buy fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, seafood, yogurt, grains (a lot of quinoa and rice), nuts and seeds (in bulk from Costco) and oils.

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Comments


  1. I love these fridge features, they are so fun! It’s always neat to see whats going on in a bloggers kitchen!


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