A Well Stocked Pantry & Meals in Under 30 Minutes

How to Stock the Pantry

Since my mother believed in the superiority of pre-packaged food (does Hamburger Helper send a chill down your spine?), she never taught any of us the fine art of keeping an efficient and useful pantry. We all had to learn on our own.

But what should one keep in a pantry? That depends on what you like to cook, and to eat. I like Mediterranean-based dishes that don't require hard-to-get ingredients. If you like to prepare meals in under 30 minutes, there are several approaches. Here are some tips that won’t kill your time, budget or wallet. You can find all of these items in your local grocery store at reasonable prices.

Pasta: Since there are many varieties, keep several on hand. Penne, orecchiette, spaghetti, and fusili are versatile and keep meals from becoming boring.

Sauce: Keep some crushed and whole tomatoes on hand – you can use them to form the foundation of tasty and non-time consuming meals.

Rice: Keep two varieties on hand, for example shorter grained rice for risotto and longer grain, like basmati for a quick pilaf.

Legumes: A bag of red lentils is a great thing to have in your larder. You can make them jump through many hoops, and they require no pre-soaking.

Flour, sugar, soda, seeds: Always have a bag of all purpose flour in the pantry, as well as granulated, brown and powdered sugar. Baking soda and baking flour are also handy. But think about keeping sesame and poppy seeds, as well as a variety of nuts in your supply area.

Tuna: Canned tuna (solid white packed in water) is a great staple to have. Buy on sale and use in a pinch.

Chicken or vegetable stock: Either canned or in the cubed form, stock can really soup up the flavor of many quick dishes.

Soup packets: Since I live in a Polish neighborhood I like to buy the mushroom soups (zupa pieczarkowa). These can be turned into a variety of things besides soups. Knorr and other brands offer a wide variety of mushroom, leek and other vegetable offerings.

Crackers: Saltines are good for a lot of things. Keep some on hand.

Oil: Olive oil, extra virgin, is a necessary and healthy item to have in the kitchen. Never let yourself run out. Please.

Of course, I could add the myriad foods tied to breakfast, like cereals, peanut butter, Nutella and more, but for now let's concentrate on lunch & dinner (dinner & supper if you are southern at heart).

Under 30 minutes suggestions:

Quick pilaf
In a frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add ground pepper, herbs that your like (dried thyme, oregano, sage, for example) and ground sea salt. Take about a dozen pieces of spaghetti and break into small pieces. Brown in the olive oil. Add about a cup or so of long grain rice. Make sure all the rice is coated in the olive oil. If you want to add sliced almonds or pistachios, now is the time. When the rice begins to brown, add a packet of soup and stir into the rice. It will be dry, but that’s okay. Once everything is equally distributed, add enough water to cook the rice as directed, give it a good stir, then cover and let it simmer. It’s fast, easy to clean up (one pan), savory and cost you less than two or three dollars. Easily serves two, more if you are having a salad and bread.

Quick corn & lentils
In a frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add ground peppers, herbs that you like (red chili flakes, cayenne) and ground sea salt. If you have two large ears of fresh corn on the cob, remove the corn from the cob and toss into the hot oil. If not, use frozen corn (stay away from the canned, if possible). Add finely diced onions if you are in the mood. Cover and simmer. When the corn is almost cooked, add a couple handfuls of red lentils and toss until they become dark in color. Then add a cube of chicken or vegetable stock (or the liquid version) and water. If you want to add chopped whole tomatoes, go for it. Cook until the lentils are ready. If you have fresh parsley or cilantro, chop some and add it just before serving, and if you have a lime, squeeze some over the dish. Add a dollop of sour cream if you dare, or marscapone (it’s not just for tiramisu). Again, this is a fast, easy to clean up meal that cost less than two or three dollars.

Use the tuna and tomato sauces to come up with some of your own pasta sauces – add olives and fresh herbs, and seasonal vegetables to make quick sauces that fit all types of pasta. (The orecchiette are robust little pasta disks that can take a heavier sauce containing pitted olives or nuts, while the penne goes well with just olive oil, salt, peppers and a few herbs.)

The tuna can also be mixed with the tomato sauce, spiced with chili flakes or other herbs to form a sort of paste, and then pressed into a shallow baking dish. Cover the mixture in toasted sesame seed and then finish off with grated parmesan cheese (or manchego, or your favorite grating cheese). Bake or broil until the cheese is the golden color you prefer. An excellent snack for late night.

Just a few ideas for these cool evenings, when time and money are short.

Tags:   cheese, pantry, pasta, quick meals, tuna

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Posted on 10/23/2005 ( Permanent Link )
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