I'll let you in on a little secret...
...you can't cook great food without having the right ingredients.
Here are some things that I think are necessary to keep stocked in your pantry. You never know when you might need that one ingredient in a new recipe!
organic beef and chicken broth
-get the resealable refrigerated carton, you can keep it in your pantry and it lasts up to 7-10 days after opening and kept in your refridgerator.
-anything USDA approved to be organic is just a sure sign that its much healthier for you to eat but I like to know that the animals were treated humanely too.
soups
-go for the soups that have lower sodium, you won't be sorry. more than likely you'll end up adding salt to the recipe anyway and that will just balance everything out.
-I always have cream of mushroom, chicken and celery
tomato paste
-this little tiny jar goes a long way, but do yourself a favor and grab the squeezeable tube of this flavorful thickening agent. its a great way to conserve instead of wasting an open can!
sauce and pasta
-I prefer Classico, they have a ton of flavor in their sauces.
-For pasta, I prefer Barilla because it tastes great al dente. I stock regular spaghetti noodles and elbow macaroni at all times.
baking items
-Bakers unsweetened baking chocolate squares
-Toll House semi sweet chocolate chips
-really good vanilla extract: don't use the cheap stuff, splurge once in awhile. you'll notice the difference
-Starbucks VIA instant coffee packets: a secret ingredient for my brownies
-all purpose flour: I use unbleached
-granulated sugar
-light brown sugar
-powdered sugar
-Morton's iodized salt
-baking soda (which is always in my fridge anyway for freshness)
-baking powder
creamy peanut butter
olive oil
-really good olive oil. go for the extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed. you'll taste the difference
-I infuse mine with fresh rosemary, just stick a sprig in your jar and the taste will amaze you
-I infuse mine with fresh rosemary, just stick a sprig in your jar and the taste will amaze you
canola oil
-the days of veggie oil are done. over with. goodbye. canola oil is much better for you, including your heart.
black pepper and sea salt grinders
-you'll be surprised how these two ingredients can turn a bland recipe, into a not-so-bland recipe. whenever you're missing "that certain something", its probably a pinch of salt or some fresh ground cracked black pepper.
unseasoned and panko breadcrumbs
-I almost never used seasoned breadcrumbs, even for meatballs. I like to add my own seasoning and more often than never you'll find yourself needing unseasoned breadcrumbs as opposed to seasoned.
-Panko breadcrumbs give a "crunch" to lots of things such as breading on a chicken breast and even fish. You won't use a lot, just enough to coat the meat.
garlic cloves
-I prefer fresh garlic cloves, but I also have a jar of minced garlic in my refrigerator for when I'm in a rush.
Those are the essentials. There are lots others, but I promise you, if you have these in your pantry you'll never go wrong with cooking.
