Top 10 Pantry Essentials Part II

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With a well-stocked pantry you are always prepared to answer the most important question of the day, “What’s for dinner?”.

Here’s the remaining items on my list of Top 10 Pantry Essentials.

Top 10 Pantry Essentials Part II

#5 Dried pasta and noodles

 Who doesn’t love a good plate of pasta? It’s cheap and quick to prepare. You can simmer a spaghetti sauce in under an hour, make a cream sauce in 15 minutes, or simply toss your pasta with some basil pesto. If you’re gluten-free keep rice noodles or soba noodles on hand.

• Pan-Seared Scallops with a Ginger and Garlic Rice Noodle Salad
• Spicy Ramen-Style Chicken Soup
• Soba Noodle Stir Fry

#4 Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste

Having canned tomatoes on hand is a must. Use them for a super simple spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or as a base for a casserole.

• The Most Delicious Weeknight Spaghetti Sauce
• Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage
• Go to Town on a Go-to Meal, Try Chili Mac
• Shakshuka
• Homemade Pizza Sauce
• Shrimp Creole
• Simple and Easy Weeknight Chili Recipe

#3 Vinegar

Keep a variety of vinegars on hand for a super quick salad dressing. With a drizzle of olive oil, followed by a splash of vinegar your salads will come alive. And add a splash of vinegar to almost any dish to make it pop. Vinegars you should always have on hand: red wine, balsamic, white wine, apple cider, and white.

• Classic Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette
• Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• Bêarnaise Sauce
• Homemade Ricotta Cheese: Easy, Peasy
• Greek Nachos
• Shish Kebabs
• Greek Tempeh Wrap with Cashew Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce

#2 Oil

Always keep olive oil  and avocado oil in the pantry. Buy cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil and organic avocado oil. Olive oil provides the delicate taste you need for salad dressings. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point and is the perfect oil of choice when for a high-heat kitchen maneuver like pan-searing. If you fry frequently, peanut oil is your better choice.

Smoke Points

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 325˚F – 375˚F
• Refined Avocado Oil – 520˚F
• Peanut Oil – 450˚F

#1 Kosher salt

We hear a lot about salt and its overuse in our diet. But here’s the truth. You NEED salt to live. And your tastebuds need your food to be properly seasoned. The only way you’re going to overdo salt in your diet is if you eat a lot of convenient and pre-prepared foods. Learn to properly season your food. Kosher salt is the choice of professional cooks and should be your choice as well.

Find items 6-10 of Top 10 Pantry Essentials here.