Pantry Essentials
Translation: Julie Summers
When it comes to cooking, it’s always good to have certain things on hand. By adding the following ingredients to your grocery list, you can make sure that you’ll always be able to throw together a quick meal.
Grafík / Margrét Aðalheiður Önnu- Þorgeirsdóttir
Garlic, ginger, chili – These fresh spices are always available at the grocery store. Give them a quick sauté in a bit of oil, then follow your recipe. They’ll blend with the oil, giving your dish a nice punch of flavor.
Bouillon cubes – Essential for soups and stews, these little cubes add huge flavor to your dish.
Canned goods – I mean all sorts of canned goods: tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas. I always grab a few cans when I go to the store. Canned food lasts forever, literally.
Yeast and flour – During the great yeast shortage of 2020, many people started baking their own sourdough bread. I wasn’t one of them, though, because I’ve always had yeast in my kitchen. Water, flour, yeast, sugar. Ta-da, you’ve got bread.
Pasta and rice – I always have some sort of pasta on hand. You can make a huge number of pasta-based dishes, and the same is true of rice. Both are also really filling.
Peanut butter – I think it’s always good to have peanut butter. The Directorate of Health agrees with me, the reason undoubtedly being that peanut butter is a good source of protein.
Oats – Oatmeal in the morning and peanut butter in the evening.
Spices – Salt and pepper can make even a terrible meal a bit more palatable. I recommend figuring out what spices you like most and keeping a stash of them in your pantry. I recommend paprika, cumin, and curry blends.
Oil and vinegar – Olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil — there are plenty to choose from. If you’re looking for a neutral oil to use for pan frying, pick some sort of vegetable oil. Vinegar isn’t only good for certain dishes; it can also be used for cleaning.