We recently moved. In the wearisome process of packing our house, I emptied the pantry, tossing anything that had expired and using up everything else. I resolved not to restock right away, having a minimalist’s dream that I could get by with less. This was not my brightest idea.
As a result of a thinned pantry, I experienced a handful of dinner debacles where I found myself lacking an essential ingredient to what is usually a simple meal. It’s hard to make tacos without chili powder. Impossible to make our beef and broccoli stir-fry without sesame oil. Tomato sauce needs a new name without tomatoes. Soup frankly just isn’t soup without vegetable or chicken broth.
These half-baked meals — the flavorless stir-fry, the no-bean chili — resulted in my kids picking at their food and consuming little. I couldn’t blame them.
My goal in cooking every evening is to fill my family with healthful foods. It had been evident to me in my old kitchen, yet here I was reminded, that having a stocked pantry is essential for cooking nutritious weeknight meals.
So I admitted failure at kitchen minimalism and hit the grocery with a master list of the items I needed to fill a highly operational pantry. Weeknight dinner, I’m back. This time prepared.
THE PREPARED PANTRY
Spices and flavorings:
· Cayenne
· Chili powder
· Cinnamon
· Cumin
· Curry powder
· Powdered ginger
· Oregano
· Paprika
· Black peppercorn in a grinder
· Dried red pepper flakes
· Turmeric
· Vanilla extract
Salts:
· Sea salt, coarse
· Sea salt, ground
· Gomasio (sesame salt)
Oils:
· Extra virgin olive oil
· Sesame oil (for high heat and flavor)
· Grapeseed oil (for high heat)
· Walnut oil (for baking)
· Flaxseed oil (for dressings)
· Coconut oil (for baking, roasting and flavor)
Vinegars
· Apple cider vinegar
· Balsamic vinegar
· Red wine vinegar
· Rice wine vinegar
· Sherry vinegar
Sauces & other condiments:
· Hot sauce (sriracha, Tabasco)
· Tamari soy sauce
· Ketchup
· Mustard
· Chutney
· Light coconut milk
· Nutritional yeast
· Seaweed flakes
Sweeteners:
· Honey
· Maple syrup
· Brown rice syrup
· Brown sugar
Beans:
· Lentils
· Black beans
· Cannellini beans
· Garbanzo beans
Grains:
· Brown rice
· Quinoa
· Farro or barley
· Millet
· Rolled oats
Other pantry:
· Canned tomatoes, whole
· Canned tomatoes, diced
· Tomato paste in a tube (lasts longer than in a can once open)
· Dried pasta
· Bread crumbs
Nuts & seeds:
· Nut and seed butters: peanut, almond, sunflower seed, tahini
· Raw nuts: pine, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios
· Raw seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax or chia
Fridge:
· Grass-fed butter
· Eggs
· A hunk of Parmesan cheese
· Sauerkraut
· A jar of minced ginger
· Miso
Freezer:
· Chicken breasts
· Peeled shrimp
· Fish fillets
· Steaks
· Fruit for smoothies
· Homemade chicken and/or vegetable stock
Fresh:
· Garlic
· Onion
· Shallots
· Ginger root
· Lemons
First published in the Washington Post on October 9, 2014.