Pick Of The Pantry A Well-Stocked Pantry Will Help Save You From Kitchen Chaos
Every kitchen should have its version of a genie from a bottle:
On those days when you peer frantically into the cupboard, your eyes would alight on the magic can. With a twist of the opener, off comes the lid, and a chef fully armed with a prepared meal would appear in the kitchen.
Well, with the proper planning, you can make a little magic of your own. Even chefs and cookbook authors (who increasingly write recipes to be cooked quickly) rely on pantry meals.
Some call them secret weapons. No-fail foods. Desperation dinners.
“Desperate situations are unlimited,” says Alicia Ross, co-author of “Desperation Dinners! Home-Cooked Meals for Frantic Families in 20 Minutes Flat,” which will be published in November by Workman.
“We’re always finding ourselves in some new desperate situation. The key is to be prepared. To have some backup.”
Being prepared takes a bit of investment up front, which pays off big when stomachs growl or unexpected guests drop by.
“If you get your kitchen stocked, it really puts you in a position to do very spontaneous, last-minute, quick meals,” says Lorna Sass, author of “Lorna Sass’ Short-Cut Vegetarian” (Quill).
Here’s how to get your game plan down so that when you need to, you can always whip up a winner.
Make a list, check it twice: Fill your cart with no-fail ingredients each time you shop. Cathi Hofstetter, a home economist who often travels on business, makes a list every time she runs out of her staples. She also shops in bulk, always keeping on hand things such as chocolate chips to make comforting cookies, bacon to cook and sprinkle on salads or add to biscuits, and sun-dried tomatoes to enliven pasta or sauces.
“I know what’s there. I know that I’ve always got that extra jar of mayo,” Hofstetter says. “I have to make a conscious effort. (Keeping a list) seems like a basic thing, but it’s easy to get out of the habit.”
Play to your audience: “Try to determine which ethnic direction your family likes,” Ross suggests. “If your family is turning to Tex-Mex or Mexican, explore that avenue. One of the amazing ingredients you could use would be a canned green sauce - a tomatillo sauce - which has authentic flavor that lots of packaged ingredients are missing. You can throw a few tablespoons of that into a dish, and it does amazing things.”
Say “yes” to convenience foods: There are a number of products crucial to the no-fail pantry. Minced garlic is one. “A lot of people scoff at that. They say, ‘How long does it take to peel and mince garlic?”’ Ross says. “But when you’re desperate, that’s one less thing you have to do.”
Canned beans are a terrific time-saver. They’re easy to add to soups, sauces, pasta, rice and casseroles.
Michele Urvater, whose “Monday to Friday Cookbook” (Workman) offers several shortcuts, says she uses “beans with abandon.” Her favorites to have on hand: one or two cans of black beans, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans and white cannellini beans. Cans of small pink beans and small white beans are good backups.
Canned tomatoes offer the same ease, and throughout most of the year are better than fresh. Stock a variety, trying the many seasoned tomato products ranging from diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning to tomatoes with green chilies.
Canned broths are another time-saver; keep a few cans in the refrigerator to make skimming off fat easier.
Prepared vegetables can get your menus jump-started. A package of pre-washed lettuce is a simple base for a more elaborate salad of salmon or a simple accompaniment to a main course you spend more time with. Packaged baby carrots are great snacks but also go quickly into a cooking pot.
One tip: If you know you’ll need a no-fail meal the next day, chop some vegetables the night before and store them well-sealed in the refrigerator. If prepared too far in advance, however, they’ll lose nutrients.
Get a jump on it: As soon as you’re in the door, turn on the oven or set a pot of water to boil. In the meantime, you can unload the car, change your clothes and settle in to cook.
Make extras. Double that amount of rice you’re cooking, so you’ll have some to use later in the week. Save half the pasta sauce for the freezer. Grill the whole bag of frozen, skinless chicken breasts and slice them for a salad or tuck them into tortillas for dinners the rest of the week.
Use the blender, the food processor, the microwave. Frozen chicken breasts, for instance, can be partially defrosted in the microwave, sliced while still somewhat firm, then stir-fried quickly.
Remember, says cookbook author Nathalie Dupree, organization is the key to easy cooking. In her book “Nathalie Dupree Cooks Quick Meals for Busy Days” (Potter), she suggests keeping a “no-brainer” list. Posted on a cupboard door in her kitchen, the list offers a couple of dinner ideas, complete with an ingredients list.
Keep your cool: When they call from a few blocks away or just ring the bell unexpectedly, last-minute guests can enjoy your secret-weapon meals as well. It all has to do with your attitude.
“Elegant doesn’t have to mean multifaceted,” says Ross. “Keep it simple; that’s the key.
“If you’re miserable cooking for guests, you’re not going to be able to enjoy what having friends over is about anyway. If you can find a favorite recipe, your family enjoys it, and you can put it together quickly, your guests will enjoy it because you’re relaxed.”
Here are a few ideas for meals you can make in a moment’s notice, provided you stock the right ingredients.
Apollo’s Pasta
From “Desperation Dinners,” by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross (Workman, to be published in November).
12 ounces rotini (corkscrew) pasta
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts packed in water
2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets, optional
1 large summer tomato or 3 large Roma tomatoes
1 (2-1/4-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
Black pepper to taste
Place pasta in 2-1/2 quarts of boiling water and cook 9-11 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain artichokes and pour them into a 3-quart or larger bowl. Using 2 sharp knives or a chopping utensil, cut the artichokes into bite-size pieces. If using anchovies, add the paste or press the fillets between several paper towels to remove most of the oil. Finely mince the anchovies and add them to the bowl.
Coarsely chop the unpeeled tomatoes (or cut Romas into thin strips) and add them to the bowl. Add the drained olives, cheese, oil, vinegar and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Set aside.
When the pasta is tender, drain well and add to the sauce. Toss well to mix. Add parsley, if desired. Season with black pepper to taste. Serve at once.
Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 252 calories, 3.1 grams fat (11 percent fat calories), 1 milligram cholesterol, 79 milligrams sodium.
Chickpea Curry in a Hurry
From “Lorna Sass’ Short-Cut Vegetarian” (Quill). This recipe is easily doubled or tripled; you can vary the taste by using different curry blends. Serve over boiled basmati rice with a dollop of your favorite chutney. If you have leftovers, thin the curry with vegetable stock, reheat, stir in cooked basmati rice and serve as soup.
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, or 1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes plus 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained (liquid reserved if organic)
1/2 cup water (or drained liquid from organic canned beans)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry blend (see note)
1/3 cup unsweetened, dried, grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Break up the block of spinach with a fork, cover, and continue cooking until the spinach is cooked, about 5 more minutes. Stir well before serving.
Yield: 2-3 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 344 calories, 10.4 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 954 milligrams sodium.
Note: You can purchase curry blends, or Sass offers this recipe, which makes about 1/4 cup: Place 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons black (brown) mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small wide-mouth jar and stir in 1/2 tablespoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more cayenne if you like it hotter.) Cover and refrigerate up to 2 months.
Alicia’s Chicken With Olives
From “Desperation Dinners,” by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross (Workman, to be published in November).
8 ounces thin spaghetti (spaghettini)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total), fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red or white wine, optional
1 (2-1/4-ounce) can sliced black olives
Bring 2-1/2 quarts unsalted water to a boil in a covered 4-1/2-quart or larger Dutch oven or soup pot. When the water reaches a rapid boil, add the spaghetti and cook until tender, about 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, if the chicken is frozen, run it under hot water so you can remove any packaging. Place chicken on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it 3 minutes, uncovered, on high, to begin defrosting.
Cut chicken (fresh or partly defrosted) into 1-1/2-inch chunks. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until chicken is lightly browned all over, about 6 minutes (if you have an electric range, you may need to reduce heat). Lift lid to stir occasionally.
Add garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice and wine, if using, and bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Boil rapidly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, when pasta is tender, drain and set aside. Drain olives, add to the skillet, and stir.
Remove sauce from heat, toss with the drained noodles and serve, arranging chicken pieces on top.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving (without wine): 542 calories, 21 grams fat (35 percent fat calories), 96 milligrams cholesterol, 332 milligrams sodium.
Tropical Fruit Crisp
From “Lorna Sass’ Short-Cut Vegetarian” (Quill). If unexpected guests drop by, it’s always nice to pull a quick dessert out of your hat. Sass prefers a granola that has walnuts and raisins, though “no-fat-added” granolas work, too.
1 (20-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained (juice reserved)
2 large ripe bananas, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons unsweetened, dried, grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Large pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice or 2 tablespoons pineapple juice and 2 tablespoons light rum
1-1/2 cups of your favorite granola
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
In an 8-inch square glass baking dish, combine the pineapple and bananas. Sprinkle with coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg and toss to blend. Pour the pineapple juice (and rum, if using) over the fruit. Sprinkle the granola over the top.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve warm. (Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; the bananas will turn brown, but the crisp will still taste good.)
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 313 calories, 11.4 grams fat (33 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.