5 Pantry Staples You Need To Always Keep On Hand
Let’s talk about pantry staples…
The pantry is the heart of the kitchen. Don’t have a pantry? Welp, I guess your kitchen doesn’t have a heart, sorry! Part of keeping the heart of the kitchen pumping, is keeping it well stocked. I get that every kitchen and pantry is different; but whether you’re a kitchen novice or seasoned chef, there are some pantry staples everyone should have on hand…so let’s get to them!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EVOO is the MVP of my kitchen. I go through so much of it, that I only buy it at Costco. Side note, Kirkland olive oil is like crazy good and super high quality. You can drizzle EVOO on salads, sautee veggies, use it for yummy sauces like pesto (is the besto), marinate meat, you can even bake with it! And it’s uses stretch beyond the kitchen, a lot of people incorporate olive oil into their skin and haircare! Oh yeah, and it’s rich in antioxidants and healthy fats to support heart health.
Quinoa
Quinoa is like rice on steroids. It’s a complete protein (meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids, brown rice only has a few), and it’s higher in fiber, iron, and magnesium; it’s kinda a super food for us women over forty. Use it as a base for salads, a filling for stuffed peppers, or on its own as a side dish. I should mention quinoa is also super easy to cook, which is a deciding factor for lazy cooks such as myself.
Soy Sauce
The way I go through soy sauce, phew! Soy sauce is not just for Asian inspired dishes, although it slaps in those. I add soy sauce to ALL my marinades (don’t knock a bottle of Italian dressing and some soy sauce), use it on my burgers for an extra flavorful cheeseburger, I add it gravy for a little richness, and when cooking I add it to anything that needs a little salty vibe. I have a giant bottle at home, and a giant bottle on my desk at work; that’s commitment.
Balsamic Vinegar
I think Balsamic vinegar might be the only reason I eat as many veggies as I do, they’re just a vehicle for getting some Balsamic into my mouth. Its sweet and tangy flavor profile makes it the PERFECT for everything salad dressing bases to dessert drizzles. Some days I’ll just dip a whole loaf of French bread into some Balsamic vinegar and I’m happy as a clam, don’t judge!
Garlic Powder
It was very hard to choose between my two most beloved spices, garlic powder and onion powder, but in the end I had to go with GP. I’m a big seasonings gal, so it’s very hard to pick just one, or two, or five, that I love. Anything I’m making, the garlic powder comes out. This is another staple I mostly buy at Costco because I go through so much it.
Onion Powder
You know what, screw it. This is my website and I can do whatever I want. I’m doing more than five pantry staples and I’m including onion powder! I put it in everything and on everything, I love it. So there.
Believe me, I could go on, and on about what I keep in my pantry (like emergency Sour Patch Kids), so this might become a multi-part series. I know, I know, a multi-part series about pantry staples, how exciting! (That’s sarcasm BTW). But I feel like with these six pantry staples you have unlimited options to whip healthy delicious meals whatever you picked up at grocery store this week. Happy cookin!
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