There are plenty of rainy or cold days when you don’t feel like getting out of the house, not even to the store! But even those days you have to eat, so what are the pantry essentials to have around just in case of laziness? Find out right now!
It happens a lot on rainy weekend days. I wake up, look out the window, see the grey skies, and curl back in bed because I don’t feel like doing anything. But hunger sets in soon after, so I go into the kitchen and make something. I can do that because I always have the next pantry essentials at home. You can never have enough of these basic ingredients and they will carry you through a cozy, lazy day!
6 pantry essentials to stock up on
1. Salt and pepper
Seasonings. I cannot touch a food which does not contain seasonings. Salt gives amazing flavor and it is essential to the chemical aspect of cooking because it helps break down components in foods like pasta, making them softer and tastier. And pepper is just a wonderful punch and an extra heat layer for any dish which helps your taste buds appreciate the feel and texture of your food.
Of course, you should also have plenty of spices and herbs on hand, but salt and pepper are… well… the salt and pepper of life! They’re mythic foods, even.
2. Lemons
Why are lemons pantry essentials? They’re good for a cup of tea during the aforementioned rainy day. But they can also be used in marinades for meat, they can give zesty flavor to a vinaigrette, and they can be turned into lemonade, for all your vitamin C needs.
3. Eggs
They’re loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and protein, and they’re a simple way of calming down your hunger. They’re also delicious even at about the two-week mark from their production date, so they keep well. They’re extremely versatile. You can boil them, fry them, poach, and scramble. You can turn them into a delicate omelet or a hearty frittata by adding whatever else you have in the fridge! Eggs are amazing!
4. Bread
I am a bit of a bread junkie – I eat everything with bread, and I know it’s not healthy, but I’ve been doing it at home ever since I was little so it’s a tough habit to kick. But even if you’re not like me, bread is a very useful food to have at home at all times. If you have some old bread, you can grill it a little and make a grilled cheese sandwich. You can toast it for some PB&J unforgettable moments. And you can also make a myriad of sandwiches, toasts with toppings, French toast and so on. Bread goes well with sweet, savory, and sour.
5. Garlic and onions
Garlic has one of the best flavor known to man and can be used to pump up the flavor of any dish, including casseroles, salads, stir-fries, and so on. It’s also very healthy, as it lowers your blood pressure and is rich in a lot of antioxidants.
And what can I say about onions? I could write novels! Chopped onion can be cooked and become the base of so many soups, sauce, and stew recipes. You can use caramelized onions as a topping for burgers, bruschetta, or omelets. It’s sweet and it’s indispensable!
6. Olive oil
It has an amazing flavor and can be used for so many things. Choose a refined olive oil to cook with, because it has a higher smoke point and will not char your food. But stick to cold pressed olive oil for vinaigrettes, dips or mayo!
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