My friends always ask me how I manage to make so many quick and yummy meals with a busy household. So I am giving you a run-down of the best pantry and freezer staples to have on hand for quick meals. We live in New York City and ordering in is as easy as clicking two buttons. My local Chinese place can be at my apartment in like 12 mins, no joke. Meals have to be QUICK and EASY if I am to compete. (And let’s be honest, some times I don’t! We order in probably 1x week on a normal week. More if J and I are super busy with evening events. How to order healthy-ish takeout can be covered in another post…!)
PANTRY STAPLES
- jarred spaghetti sauce (no added sugar)
- lentil or chickpea pasta
- taco shells (yes, technically processed but oh well.)
- Thai red curry paste
- coconut milk cans
- tomato paste
- tomato sauce (add garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning and salt and you have pizza sauce!)
- capers
- canned pumpkin
- canned or jarred artichoke hearts
- canned whole tomatoes
- canned chopped tomatoes
- organic chicken and/or vegetable broth
- variety of nuts and seeds (always sunflower and pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts) and butters
- dried porcini mushrooms
- California brown basmati rice
- quinoa
- red lentils (cook super quickly!)
- canned chickpeas
- vegetarian refried beans
- ginger root
- garlic (or peeled cloves in the fridge)
- spices: curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, tumeric, onion and garlic powders, oregano, italian seasoning)
- good sea salt (Maldon, please and thank you)
- lemons and limes
- imported tuna in olive oil
- nutritional yeast
- paleo pancake mix
- variety of vinegars, oils, condiments (coconut oil, grass-fed ghee, avocado oil, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, sriracha, and thai chili-garlic sauce are musts.)
FREEZER STAPLES
- cauliflower rice
- berries
- mango
- sliced bananas (makes perfect smoothie bowls)
- quinoa
- brown rice
- peas
- corn
- spinach
- kale
- GF pizza crust (I love Capellos!)
- frozen GF pasta
- frozen wild shrimp
FRIDGE STAPLES (I usually have these veggies and things in my fridge)
- pastured eggs
- grass-fed beef, pastured chicken, organic turkey, non-GMO tofu
- avocados
- mushrooms
- greens: lettuces, arugula, kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard
- broccoli and/or cauliflower
- organic celery (I spread with almond butter for a snack)
- unsweetened almond, hemp or cashew milk
- aged parmesan cheese
- grass-fed ghee
- fermented sauerkraut
- good aged cheddar
- Gluten-free corn tortillas and/or Siete brand cassava tortillas
Now, what can you make with all these things?
Often I make something quick and figure out a way to incorporate any produce or protein that I need to use or re-invent leftovers (potato hash, already-roasted cauliflower tacos with chickpeas). That may be my next post! Challenge yourself to use up herbs, leftovers and produce that are in your fridge. Food waste accounts for 25% of the methane in our environment!
Here are some quick ideas:
- lentil pasta with sauteed spinach & jarred tomato sauce
- turkey burgers* (turkey meat, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, egg, s & p, parmesan)
- slow-scrambled eggs with peas & parmesan
- red lentil coconut curry with greens
- quick shrimp & pea curry
- seared miso-butter salmon with caesar salad & roasted baby potatoes*
- GF pizza (with leftovers as toppings)
- quick “creamy” tomato sauce (tomato sauce, spices & cashew cream) for pasta or spaghetti squash
- taco night (stir in a can of refried beans with your taco meat, a tip I learned from Gretchen Dean!)
- breakfast for dinner (pancakes, eggs & protein of choice)
- sauteed artichoke hearts, spinach, capers, garlic and lemon* (serve over lentil pasta or with sauteed shrimp or chicken)
- whatever protein + frozen veg + fruit
- leftover grain bowl + avocado + greens
Let’s be serious, it is just dinner! Not a cooking show. Some of most basic things I make my kids go nuts for. Focus on WHOLE foods with minimal processed ingredients and you will do great.
Have a sense of adventure! Get your kids to cook with you and try new spices and recipes! (For the record, this is often more easily done with a nice glass of wine in hand.)
HAPPY COOKING!
*I will post these recipes when I get a chance!*
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