Advice On Pantry Staples For All Cooks

by Asahd2

posted on 09/18/2009

You are about to finish cooking that evening meal and mid way through you realize you don't have one or more of the main ingredients. If that has ever happened to you, you know how important a well stocked pantry is. Furthermore, you should always have several items in your pantry that the majority of recipes might call for.

Running out to the store mid preparation is time consuming, can mess up the meal and wastes gas. In addition, it doesn't do much for your attitude especially if you aren't too happy about having to cook in the first place.

If the recipes don't call for them, these staples can be used for other dishes that you can throw together effortlessly in any situation. A staple food is a food that can be stored and used anytime during the year. One great staple to always have on hand is spices. It is never fun to run out of salt or pepper, however some other foods require certain spices to make the dish, the dish. Sweet potato pie without nutmeg, lasagna without fennel, chili powder without chili seasoning. Not a good meal.

Beans. Few things have more fiber than beans and even fewer are more versatile. Dry beans take a little work to prepare, but a crock pot can aid with that endeavor. Canned beans are quicker but more expensive. I suggest keeping both. I always like to have kidney beans for chili, however there are so many uses and so many different ways to prepare beans. Experiment.

Oils. You need a vegetable oil for dishes that require subtlety, however the antioxidant rich olive oil is the oil that you always want to have on hand. Make sure you buy olive oil in a darker bottle and store in a cool place.

Stock. For quick soups, stuffing or even great tasting rice you should always have stock. Chicken, beef or vegetable stock can be found in soup isle and comes in handy more often than you might think. The drawback is that once opened it doesn't last long refrigerator. Try the organic broths or stock and to control the amount of sodium in your meal, try low sodium stocks.

Garlic. Besides its many health benefits garlic is as popular as a main spice throughout the world as salt and pepper is in America. If salt and pepper aren't careful garlic will be number one. Thanks Emeril. Garlic can be used in breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. Try roasting a head of garlic for a sweet and savory snack.

Red Sauce and Canned Tomatoes. Great for a quick meal for your kids or when you just don't have time. Some find the taste of canned spaghetti or marinara sauce fine the way it is. I need to jazz it up with extra seasonings. If the spices are in your pantry, great. Canned tomatoes can be stewed, added to spaghetti or soups. When you come across a great sale always buy extra and stack on the top shelf of your pantry. Chances are if and when you need it they will have not expired.

Sugar and Flour. Baking, drinking tea or making homemade pancakes, you can't do without sugar or flour. Try buying unprocessed raw sugar. Domino is even selling sugar this way. It tastes just like white sugar but the health hasn't been processed out of it. All purpose flour is generally good enough for most recipes. Try different kinds of flour and make your own bread at home. Homemade biscuits on Sunday morning will make your family love you even more!

Pasta Varieties. Elbow, linguine, spaghetti or angel hair pastas can get you through times when you don't know what else to cook. When I'm hungry yet lazy, I add pasta with a steamed vegetable, sautéed garlic, butter and cheese and that is my meal. A filling one at that. Besides that, why have spaghetti sauce and not have the noodles to go with it? Pasta can be added to dishes from the stove or oven so keep on hand.

Rice. Almost every culture eats rice. White rice is popular but for flavor and fiber, brown rice is the way to go. I always make more rice than I need because even fried rice dishes are better with brown rice. There are many kinds of rice too. Not just your average Uncle Ben's. Try jasmine rice or basmati.

I used to always have several kinds of salad dressing in my pantry but since I started making my own, I have removed them from my pantry. If you aren't as daring Italian, French and Ranch seem to be the most popular.

Keep a note pad or chalkboard in you cupboard or pantry and mark off when you use or when a staple is low. Immediately add it to your grocery list. Always check your favorite stores circular for extra savings on the staples you need. When there is a great sale, buy the staples whether you need them or not. It's a great feeling never to run out of something.

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