Vegan cook, wellness blogger, Reiki practitioner and Instagram star Sarah Tanner regularly posts wellness tips and vegan recipes from her kitchen in Auckland, where she cooks every day. Here, she shares her at-home kitchen essentials with Be Well.
My kitchen at home is… a bit of a shambles! I am in desperate need of a bigger pantry, so there's often boxes of ingredients on the floor, loads of ceramics and props for my food photography, and way too many cookbooks!
If I could change anything I would have a…bigger pantry. That would be amazing. And we need our floor re-done. We took out a wall to open the kitchen up last year and we've still got the exposed flooring from where the wall once was. I'd love to have an island built in for extra storage too.
Items that are always in my fridge are… oat milk, coconut yoghurt, organic leafy greens, some ferments, and some sort of raw treat I've made recently.
My pantry is always full of… Ceres goodies. I am really fortunate to be brand ambassador, somy pantry is always full of all their quinoa, pastas, lentils, nut butters. Even if I wasn't ambassador, my answer would still be the same. I'm so grateful for them!
My favourite ingredient to cook with is…probably mushrooms. I love the exotic varieties, and lately I've been playing with different cooking techniques such as braising and roasting. Roast oyster mushrooms with a sticky hoisin sauce, along with some cucumber in a bun is the best!
My go-to meal is… Mexican or Indian flavours for a fast throw-together. Both cuisines really lend themselves to vegan meals. So, either a vegan soft taco, or a warm lentil dhal are my faves.
I cook at home… every day. I really do enjoy it, and I love sharing my recipes and discoveries along the way.
My most-used appliance is… my blender. I've had it for eight years and it was my first step to making better food in the kitchen. Second would be my food processor, which was awedding present 15 years ago!
My least used is… a ridiculously large and clunky vege spiraliser thing. It sounds like a 747 jet taking off when it's on, and I ended up opting for the traditional hand-held Japanese version. As my husband always says, buy once, buy right!
A kitchen gadget everyone should own is… the best blender you can afford. It really was my first step to wellness. Smoothies, juices, raw treats, sauces, soups, the list goes on. I love mine and use it every day at least once a day.
A spice I can't live without is… Ayurvedic curry powder. I get a seasonal blend from Planet Ayurveda in Auckland. It is beyond. I love coriander with anything, and smoked paprika for my Mexican dishes. My fave is the La Chinata brand.
My advice for living well is… do what makes you feel good. Your gut never lies.
Keep an eye out for Sarah Tanner's new project — a limited number of bookazine-style recipe books to be released regularly. They’ll cover all kinds of themes, from Mexican food, to children’s food,breakfasts, and entertaining, so “people can build a collection that’s relevant to them”. Follow her on Instagram @SARAHTANNERNZ.
Try one of these easy vegan recipes from Sarah