Healthy Pantry Essentials + Some Recipes!

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Hello everybody and welcome back to the blog. As I write this in Brussels (March 17th, 2020), the government has stated that the country is in a state of alert as we do our best to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants, bars, gyms, yoga studios and schools have all been closed and many of us have taken to working from home- glad that there is still a way to do so. So, while it looks like we will be confined to our houses for the next few weeks, and potentially months, I wanted to give you all some creative and healthy recipes you can make with food from your freezer and cupboard. 

First, I’d like to list out some of the non-perishable foods I consider staples throughout the year (and especially in times of heightened awareness/ alert), then I’ll give you all some healthy recipes you can make with them :)

Pantry

Protein

1. Beans (*keep many varieties on hand- white and kidney beans are great for making chili while black beans can be used in huevos rancheros or mashed into burgers)

2. Lentils

3. Chickpeas (*fabulous roasted with some spicy chili powder or mashed into a hummus)

4. Canned tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel

5. Protein powder

Carbohydrates

  1. Pasta

  2. Potatoes (*If you store your potatoes with an apple the ethanol released from the apple will help the potatoes stay fresher, longer) 

  3. Rice

  4. Buckwheat (**see below for my favorite buckwheat oatmeal recipe) 

  5. Quinoa

  6. Whole rolled oats (*can be blended up for a quick gluten-free flour- I use this often in my black bean burgers to add more substance) 

  7. Flour 

  8. Popcorn (**see below for an easy and healthy snack- unpeopled popcorn is also cheap, nutritious and quick to make!)

Plus some things to make sauces/ toppings:

  1. Canned tomatoes

  2. Coconut/ olive oil

  3. Spices (*click here for a full list of my favorite spices as well as general spice maintenance)

  4. Curry paste

  5. Mustard

  6. Tahini (**see below for a fabulous recipe for a healthy Caesar salad dressing using this one) 

  7. Peanut butter

  8. Soy sauce (**great to add a bit more umami and salty flavor to a dish) 

Freezer

  1. Frozen meat/ fish

  2. Frozen berries (great in smoothies, to top oatmeal or to make jam)

  3. Frozen veggies (great for whipping up a quick side for dinner or a soup)

  4. Bread (Yes, you can absolutely freeze bread and then toast it up whenever you’re craving a slice!)

  5. Broth

Recipes

As promised, here are some quick, easy and nutrient-dense recipes you can whip up using the essentials shown above :)

Buckwheat Oatmeal

Ingredients:

      • 1/2 cup (66g) buckwheat grains, soaked for 2 hours

      • 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded *optional*

      • 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk of choice OR boiling water

      • 1 cup (100g) frozen berries

      • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toppings (these are my favorites but feel free to use whatever you have on hand/ crave that day!) 

      • 2 T chia seeds

      • 1 T peanut butter

      • Raisins

      • Pumpkin seeds

      • Hemp seeds

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. 

3. Add on your favorite toppings and enjoy immediately.

Golden turmeric popcorn

Ingredients:

1 cup (170g) popcorn kernels,

2-3 T oil of your choice (I used coconut oil but butter, macadamia nut, or vegetable would also work)

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

In a large pot with a tight sealing lid heat your cooking oil over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until just melted, and then add in the popcorn kernels and cover. 

Let the kernels begin to pop giving a few shakes of the pan throughout to make sure none burn on the bottom. You should start to hear fewer pops after about 5 minutes and after that point you can remove the pan from the heat and add the spices, salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the kernels into a large serving bowl and enjoy!

Zesty Tahini and Mustard Caesar Dressing

This recipe is from the lovely Sarah (@Sarahs_Day on YouTube) who manages to cook up delicious and healthy versions of kitchen classics. This caesar dressing has been on repeat in our house the last week because it’s easy and tastes awesome. Just give it a go and see for yourself :)

Ingredients:

2 T tahini paste

1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 lemon (juiced)

2 T milk of choice

Pinch of salt & crack of pepper

Thank you all so much for stopping by this week for another blog and I’m wishing you all a very healthy and strong rest of the week hopefully filled with yummy and nutritious food as well :)

I’ll see you all back here next week for a fresh blog.

Take care,

Alexandra