My Pantry List

This is in response to a long overdue post I had promised my cousin (I didn't forget!). In thinking about what I stock in my pantry, I realize that it changes with the seasons and various discounts I find. I include what I usually have on hand in fresh produce as well. We try to eat a lot of raw foods, so you'll see that reflected here.

Greens are listed separately because they are so important. I rotate the greens for breakfast smoothies, but I always try to keep salad lettuces on hand for other meals. I don't usually have all these greens at the same time. Right now we are still using kale (Lacinto and Red Curly) and Swiss Chard from our garden.

Following is a general list that you should feel free to adapt to your situation. These are what I thought of today (I will try to update as I think of others). I rarely have all these things at the same time. I buy as I can and try to watch what is in season and on sale. Please see additional notes at the bottom of the post.

Seeds and Nuts

• Almonds (for homemade almond butter)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds & Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hemp
• Chia
• Flax (dark and light)
• Cashews
• Coconut, shredded (unsweetened)
• Seeds for Sprouting (alfalfa, mung bean, etc.)

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Wheat/Rye/Spelt Berries (to grind fresh into flour)
• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)
• Popcorn (kernels for popping)
• Quinoa
• Whole Organic Corn (for grinding into cornmeal)
• Millet

Legumes, Dried (organic preferred when sprouting legumes)

• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Onions (and Green Onions)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Garlic
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried organic)
• Bell Peppers 
• Hot Peppers (fresh and dried)
• Ginger Root
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Pumpkin)
• Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

Greens

• Romaine
• Leafy Lettuces
• Spinach (fresh and frozen)
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Dried Teas: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, etc.

Fruits

• Lemons
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries (frozen)
• Raisins, organic
• Dates (Pitted and also Medjool)
• Avocados

Sea Vegetables (Seaweed)

• Nori (for "sushi" wraps)
• Kombu (makes beans more digestible)
• Wakame (for miso soup)
• Kelp, powdered (in my Spices list)

Sweeteners

• Honey (local)
• Maple Syrup (local)
• Green Stevia, powdered (in my Spices list)

Oils and other condiments:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos
• Olive Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Coconut Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Mustard
• Salt (we like "Real Salt")
• Vegetarian Formula Nutritional Yeast
• Miso
• Carob Powder
• Homemade Vanilla Extract (recipe coming soon)
• Dried Herbs and Spices

Occasionally:

• Pasta
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Tomato paste
• Yeast (for baking bread)
• Arrowroot (for thickening)
• Figs
• Home canned tomatoes
• Mushrooms (fresh and dried)
• White Potatoes
• Pineapple
• Young Coconuts
• Other fruits in season
• Other vegetables in season

I go to discount stores and find other foods that we can enjoy periodically. Sometimes I'm able to find things that I normally use at a much better price, but selection may be very spotty. I find that if I check in now and then at places I'm going by anyway, I can sometimes get a very good deal. My standard is buying ripe bananas (with brown spots - I use them for smoothies) at a deep discount for only 19 cents per pound at a local grocery store I frequent. Sometimes there are even organic bananas marked down for the same price. Keep an eye out for deals and marked down produce. We buy a lot of it and it pays to check.

Note about wheat/gluten and soy: We have been eating wheat free for about one year now. I don't stock any wheat, rye, spelt, wheat based pastas, or yeast (not wheat, but I wouldn't use it anyway) because of this. I include it here to show what you may need if you use wheat/gluten based products. We also eat very little soy, but do include it occasionally (I never use TVP or soy oil). Because of these two reasons, I never buy pre-made meat analogs, as it seems that 99% of these products contain one or both, wheat and soy.

I try to include recipes on this blog that give you alternatives to pre-packaged (read: marketed to vegetarians) "alternatives" out there. Vegetarian offerings in stores have come a long way in the last 20 years. There is still so much to be desired if you consider the sensitivities and allergies that people have these days. Making things yourself tastes better when it's homemade and it's usually cheaper, but not always. At least you know what's in your food this way!

I hope this list gives you an idea of how I do things at our house. Your list may look very different than mine. Make it yours.

Raw Cauliflower "Popcorn"

Cauliflower went on sale this week and I thought of this idea I'd seen floating around on the internet. It's a good thing I had three heads of cauliflower to work with! We polished this off with some baby carrots and pitted dates for a nice raw supper tonight. Pass the cayenne!

Raw Cauliflower "Popcorn"

1 head cauliflower, washed and cut/broken up into small pieces
olive oil
salt or seasoned salt
nutritional yeast (not raw, but often used in raw cuisine)
other seasonings, as desired

The only directions you need are simple. In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower. Add in the seasonings and stir well until evenly coated. You can vary this with your choice of seasonings. The only thing that is standard with the recipe is the cauliflower. It was very much like seasoning the usual corn variety of popcorn. Except there is no popping happening. Eat right away or see below for a dehydrated version.

Food dehydrator option: Mix up as usual, making sure not to over season. Put onto dehydrator trays and dry until desired, about 8-10 hours. The flavor will be much more concentrated when you do this as opposed to how it tasted freshly mixed before dehydrating. This option makes it even more crunchy.

Almond "Groundnut" Stew - West African Style

While living in Ghana, we enjoyed many new flavors and tried some new dishes. We often made many of our own stews without meat at home so we could enjoy what was common there. A West African meal, groundnut stew is surprisingly good. We enjoyed this last evening with two friends, one was vegetarian and one was not. They both really liked it.

My version is vegetarian and uses almond butter instead of the typical peanut butter (aka, "groundnuts"). It puts unique flavors together that our American palettes don't understand... until we taste it. Most often served with steamed rice, it is also very good with boiled medium ripe plantains (a type of banana that is cooked). For toppings, you may also put out other fresh chopped tomatoes, green onions, coconut (etc. - like for curry condiments). Slices of avocado or banana, on the side, would be enjoyed by those more sensitive to the spiciness of this dish.

The three flavors, that were often used together in Ghana, are hot pepper, fresh ginger, and garlic. These are the stars in this stew, along with tomatoes, onions and, of course, almond butter (or more commonly, peanut butter). It is my recommendation that you use only "natural" peanut or almond butter without sweeteners or oils or other ingredients. I made my own almond butter just before I added it to the stew last evening (2 cups whole almonds in the food processor, about 10 minutes, makes about 1 cup almond butter).

Almond "Groundnut" Stew

1 Tablespoon oil (I used coconut oil)
2 cups chopped onion (red is more authentic)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon peeled and minced, fresh ginger root (about 10-12 grams)

cayenne pepper to taste (or chopped fresh hot pepper, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1 teaspoon chili power (optional)
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or use canned tomatoes)
1-2 eggplant, chopped (optional)  *called "garden egg" in Ghana
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

More optional ingredients: (add with tomatoes)
10 whole okra
1/2 cup chopped sweet potato

In a large saucepan, saute onions, garlic and fresh ginger in oil for a few minutes. Add seasonings. After a minute or so, add in tomatoes, optional vegetables, salt and water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. In a separate bowl, or larger-than-needed heat proof measuring cup (I use a 2 cup glass liquid measuring cup), mix peanut butter (or almond butter) and about another equal part of hot liquid from the stew (I use a ladle to get some from the pot) together with a whisk. When mixed well, add it slowly to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes or so. Adjust salt and seasonings as needed.

This would make a good choice for a crock pot meal and will be very freezer friendly after it has been cooked and cooled.

Date Pecan Treats

This is the other treat I took along to our family reunion. Chopped and mixed together, this can give a whole new flavor combination that people would not expect. I often put these morsels out next to the Truffles and let people decide for themselves.

Date Pecan Treats

3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon orange (or lemon) zest, fresh or dried
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Put all ingredients into food processor. Pulse until you have an even texture, not paste, but very small "crumbs" that will hold together into a ball. Roll into bite size pieces and place onto a dish and put into freezer to stay firm until ready to serve.

My son made these and they turned out well. If you notice an oiliness when you make these, that's normal. It's the oil from the pecans. I can hardly make these without pulsing just a tad too long and oiliness results. Not bad, just more slippery, but oh, so good!

Tahini Fudge

I recently attended a family reunion in Virginia and took some of this (similar to Simple Fudge) along to share. It was a hit, along with Truffles and another recipe, Date Pecan Treats, I'll share later. It is best a day or two after it's made, so plan accordingly. Enjoy!

Tahini Fudge

1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste/butter)
1 cup carob (or cocoa) powder
3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Optional mix-ins:
coconut
granola
nuts

Mix together well. The mixture will be a bit like thick frosting. Put into a small flat pan in the freezer and chill for a few hours (up to 24). Cut into bite size pieces and place them separately onto another dish and return to freezer until ready to serve. You'll lick your fingers, these are so good (and gooey!).

Lasagna Bake

I've been trying some gluten free products lately. Some good, some ok and some I should stay away from if I'm going to continue my emphasis on whole foods and avoid overly processed foods.

Recently I tried some wide noodles made from potato. This was my first try at cooking these and I decided to try them using a recipe on the back. I've also been using some tofu again now and then. Seeing as how I needed to make it vegan (it called for cheese and eggs), I made some changes.

I'm pleased with how it turned out. It's made like the no-boil recipes for lasagna. You might be able to substitute other gluten-free noodles for this recipe, although you'll have to experiment and find what works for you. Please read the recipe thoroughly before gathering all your ingredients.

"Tastes Like Lasagna" Bake

1 recipe "stedda ricotta"
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tablespoons water
1-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 cups tomato sauce (like spaghetti sauce)
1-9 oz. package gluten-free wide potato noodles
1/2 cup water

In a bowl mix together the "stedda ricotta", ground flax seed (already mixed with water), spinach, oregano, salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

At this point have all of your ingredients ready. You should have the spinach/"ricotta" mix (divided in half), nutritional yeast, tomato sauce (divided in half), dry noodles (also divided in half), and 1/2 cup water ready. I used a 9"x 13" pan, you can use a smaller pan for a taller finished product if you like. Oil your pan now (I used coconut oil and a little olive oil together).

Layer in this fashion, spreading evenly after each addition:
1/2 spinach/"ricotta" mix
1/2 dry noodles
1/2 tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 spinach/"ricotta" mix
1/2 dry noodles
1/2 tomato sauce
Pour the 1/2 cup water around the edges.

The recipe says to cover tightly with foil. Since I don't use foil, I covered it with a cookie sheet instead. Bake for one hour or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting.

Enjoy. Pass the crushed red pepper, please! =)

Curry Powder

I made this curry powder recipe after using up my current supply of store-bought curry powder. The only ingredient I had to buy was fenugreek seeds. I easily found it at my natural foods store with their bulk spices. I got just enough for two recipes worth since I won't be using it for anything else currently.

Stores that have a get-your-own bulk herbs and spices are great for being able to do this without spending a lot of money to try it. I like being able to have a variety this way and it's more authentic too.

Curry Powder

1 stick of cinnamon, 3 inches long, or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 cardamom pods or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
8 whole cloves or 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin
2 teaspoons peppercorns or 1 teaspoon pepper (I used less)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 teaspoons fenugreek seeds or 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek

If using whole spices, combine all ingredients, except cardamom pods and coriander seeds. Grind and sift cardamom pods and coriander seeds separately, then add to other spices and grind in a blender or electric grinder. If using ground spices, mix all together. Store in airtight jar. Makes about 1/4 cup.

Hot Curry Powder: Add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to mix.

I had both whole and ground spices, so I measured them as called for and then put everything in the grinder for one last go round.