Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Tuesday's Top Five

Staples Needed in the Kitchen

Cooking for me is hard if I don't have a plan. It's even harder if I don't have what I need in the pantry! Ask my husband and he will tell you that I am notorious for always missing at least one ingredient when I cook. That is why last night I made orzo instead of couscous. I could have sworn I had couscous.
Anyway, these ingredients make it a lot easier to create a meal if all else fails, and I usually will include them at some point in the week!

1. Pasta. I have a variety at any given time to choose from. Spaghetti, fetticine, penne, are just a few that you can create so many dishes: pasta with sauce, soups, casseroles, side dishes. It goes on sale regularly, so costs are huge. Big bang for the buck.

2. Ground turkey or a bag of frozen chicken breasts. I stock up in the freezer when these go on sale.

3. Chicken and beef stock. Great to make gravy, add liquid to a pasta dish, base for a soup, add to a roast for liquid and flavor, etc...

4. Cream of Mushroom soup. Randomly I pick recipes that need this ingredient. It's nice to have on hand.

5. Olive oil and canola oil. Every recipe calls for either one or the other. Olive oil for all my pasta dishes; canola oil for all high heat purposes.

Happy cooking!

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