Girl about Town: The Well-Stocked Pantry

Recently, a friend of mine dropped by for a visit – and I was so happy to see her. What I wasn’t so happy to see was my empty fridge. I wanted to put together a nice healthy lunch for us, but my cupboards looked bare. What’s a girl to do when a delicious meal needs to be whipped up on a moment’s notice? Head to the pantry!

I have a list of staple items that I keep on hand for times just like this:

• Canned beans of all kinds (my favorites are black, garbanzo, cannellini, and kidney)
• Canned tomatoes (both whole and crushed), and other canned veggies like artichoke hearts, beets, hearts of palm, water chestnuts (my thinking is that if it’s got to be canned, it should at least be a little exotic)
• Pasta of all kinds (I like to have a mix of noodles and smaller shapes to choose from)
• Ready-to-make whole grain products (I like Near East^® brand for lentil pilaf, couscous, and Spanish rice – there’s a huge variety to choose from)
• Frozen vegetables and fruits (my current favorites are a veggie mix with edamame/peppers/onions and mixed berries with blueberries/raspberries/blackberries for gorgeous color)
• Canned tuna (solid white, packed in water)
• Wedge of good quality parmesan cheese (it lasts in the fridge for a really long time and gives any dish an extra boost of flavor)
• Dried herbs and seasonings (I re-stock once a year since they can lose their flavor potency as they lose freshness)

I also have a few fresh items on hand that I make sure I purchase at least every other week:

• Fresh garlic (its cheap and it lasts awhile)
• Fresh lemons (same as garlic – cheap and long-lasting)
• Small tomatoes (I love the Campari brand – they are larger than a cherry tomato, but smaller than standard vine-ripened, and they are oh-so-sweet and flavorful all year long)

So, I had what I needed to whip up lunch for us: I made couscous (from the box) with thinly sliced beets (from the can) on top, and a side salad with fresh chopped tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and dried basil. And it took all of 15 minutes to put together.

After our meal, I pulled out a bag of frozen mixed berries, emptied half into a bowl and microwaved them for just about 2 minutes, stopping half-way through to stir them around. I opened 2 containers of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I ALWAYS have Greek yogurt on hand – it’s on my short list of must-have foods, along with skim milk and cereal) and scooped them out into 2 pretty martini glasses. Once the berries were defrosted and warmed through, I spooned them over the yogurt and topped each glass off with a light dusting of sugar (you can also use a non-caloric sweetener, or try cinnamon instead).

The whole meal felt special yet didn’t take me away from my company, which is the whole point.

If you have unexpected company, what are your go-to foods that you always have on hand?

by JessieDavenport on 12/07/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: planning, strategies, nutrition