Pantry
- beans ~ Garbanzo (chick pea), small white beans, and black beans are what I keep on hand. Though I have dried beans I honestly use their canned counterparts the majority of the time. (I would like to master preparing dried beans at some point though.)
- dried lentils ~ Love to add them to soups or make a hearty winter dinner with vegetables.
- brown rice ~ I have regular brown rice and the instant "minute" rice in a pinch.
- couscous ~ Though it is essentially pasta, I always think it's healthier. I prefer pearled or Israeli couscous. Toss a handful in homemade soup or add to some tiny diced peppers and onions, herbs, olive oil, and red wine vinegar and serve cold for a summer salad.
- red wine and white wine ~ I am not a big drinker so I always get the little four packs of wine. One bottle is usually a good amount to add to sauces or other dishes.
- whole grain mustard ~ This one is technically in my fridge but is good for sauces, salad dressing, and as a stand alone condiment of course!
- steel-cut Irish oats ~ I think these are heartier and more filling than their rolled cousins. I like to prepare them and add some frozen blueberries and a dollop or two of vanilla Greek yogurt for some added flavor and protein. Eating this breakfast at 5:30 a.m. usually keeps me going to at least second period :)
- dried fruits and nuts ~ I prefer apricots and raw almonds and my husband goes for raisins and honey-roasted peanuts.
- olive oil ~ obvie
- vinegars ~ I always have champagne, white wine, and red wine vinegars on hand.
- canned pineapple ~ I get the kind that has no additional sugar. Perfect for my sister's smoothie.
- popcorn ~ To pop on the stove obviously!
Freezer
- chicken sausage ~ You can thaw them and slap them on the grill. Slice them up and put them on a homemade pizza. Slip the casing off and add it to sauce, a pasta dish, etc. Very versatile!
- chicken breasts ~ If you purchase larger quantities of chicken breasts or sausage, separate them into how many you will need for a typical recipe for your household, and put those portions in freezer safe ziploc bags. It helps to write the date on them with a sharpie so you can use them up in the right order.
- tortillas ~ They thaw very quickly and are great for wraps, burritos, homemade baked tortilla chips or strips to add a little crunch to a salad.
- frozen corn, spinach, broccoli ~ Often on sale. Read this to find out about benefits of frozen vegetables.
- whole wheat/7 grain bread ~ Heartier breads like these keep well in the freezer. I often buy two at a time due to a store sale and we would never be able to eat both in time so we always freeze one.)
- blueberries and other berries ~ Great for smoothies, added to oatmeal or yogurt, or for yummy weekend morning pancakes :) )
- chicken stock ~ You can make it at home with a rotisserie chicken. Take all of the meat off it to use for whatever dish you'd like. Then, fill a large stock pot with water and pop the chicken carcass (what a yucky word!) in. Toss in some roughly chopped celery, onions, carrots and herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Top it off with some salt and pepper, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let the pot simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Revisit the pot and skim off any fat that may have risen to the surface. You want to simmer it long enough so that it reduces and the flavor is concentrated. After a few hours, strain the chicken, vegetables, and herbs from the stock. Once cooled you can skim any remaining at off the top and freeze it. You can put the stock in freezer-safe tupperware containers. You can also fill empty ice cube trays with the stock, let it freeze, and then pop out the chicken cubers and put them in a freezer safe bag. This way, you can use the individual cubes when you need them without having to thaw an entire container of stock. This method is perfect for adding flavor to sauces, stir fries, etc.
What other items do you always keep on hand? I'd love to hear!
