Pantry Plan: April 12th

Cook Up Some Amazing Meals from the Pantry!

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Photo by @foodyfirst
As much of the world, the current COVID-19 crisis has led to a shift in our day-to-day operations in order to keep our team and community safe and healthy. That being said, during this time of crisis we see it as our duty to serve our community recipes, tips, and tricks to make this time of isolation less stressful, more delicious and as resourceful as possible. So without further ado, allow us to introduce our new normal for the foreseeable future, The Pantry Plan.  In this weekly guide, we provide recipes that you can easily pull off based on pantry staples and what you might have on hand. We provide tweaks and substitutions you might need keeping in mind that access to fresh ingredients may be hard to come by. We hope you use it as inspiration to turn out healthy and hearty meals while riding out this storm at home. Stay safe, be well and take some comfort in the kitchen.
 
Things to Use This Week: Use this as a guide for what to stock up on at the store, or what to grab from your pantry. 
 

Canned and Dried Beans
Canned Tomatoes
Tinned or Jarred Fish
Dry Pasta
Bits of Cheese
Condiments 
Lentils and Legumes


Eggs
Frozen Chicken Thighs
Baking Staples (Flour, Sugar, Etc.)
Lentils and Other Legumes
Powdered Spices
Frozen Vegetables
Baking Mixes 
 
Things to Prep Ahead This Week: We realize some of the items we rely on from the store each week may be difficult to come by. Here are a few basics you might want to consider making yourself to be as resourceful as possible and to add lots of flavor to your pantry meals! 

Caramelized Onions (add flavor to a number of dishes!)

Roasted Garlic (Use as a condiment or to build the base of flavor for pasta and soup)

Freshly Baked Bread (Yes, you can do it!)

Jam or Curd (a good way to preserve fruit or citrus going bad)
 


Pesto (Perfect way to use up odds and ends of herbs and greens in the fridge)

Pickled Onions (Another great way to preserve fresh ingredients! These add flavor to sandwiches, grains bowls, tacos and more!






 
 
THE RECIPES
Use these as a guide for inspiration. Just because you don't have every single ingredient doesn't mean you can't replicate the main flavor of the dish! 
 
Creamy, Dreamy Cornmeal! 
That bag of cornmeal is about to transform into the creamy dish dreams are made of. 
Lamb Ragu with Creamy Polenta by @thedelightfulcook

Creamy, cheesy polenta topped with a slowly cooked lamb ragu is the decadence we deserve for dinner every night. This one is made easy because you can make so many swaps! No ground lamb? Use beef or turkey! No Fontina? Just add more parm. You deserve more parm. 

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Lentils and Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta and Quick Pickled Onions by @mollyjean4

This polenta dish is the ultimate pantry raid. Creamy polenta topped with tender lentils, crispy mushrooms and a pop from pickled red onions utilizes all of the staple ingredients you probably already have. Pro Tip: place leftover polenta in a container and let set in the fridge. It will form a block that can be sliced, fried up and served alongside a fried egg for the perfect breakfast.

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Ginger Please!
This little root can be grated into almost any soup, salad or side.
 
Seared Salmon with Scallion Ginger Oil by @foodminimalist

Combine oil, ginger, scallions and fish sauce and what do you get? The perfect condiment. Here, it is drizzled over seared salmon filets and served over rice, but it would pair perfectly with any white fish, shrimp or even crispy seared chicken thighs.

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Chicken Scallion and Ginger Fritters by @lea.koenig

Aromatic ginger, spicy jalapeno and fresh cilantro get minced together with chicken to make these perfectly little crispy fritters. They are lightly fried and can be dipped in whatever condiments you have on hand.

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Meatballs: Spheres of Joy!
There is perhaps no food more comforting than a ball of ground beef smothered in tomato sauce. Crispy, juicy morsels of deliciousness await you in these quick and pantry friendly recipes!
Meatballs in San Marzano Tomato Sauce by @spoonabilities

Meatballs and marinara are the ultimate duo and this recipe takes them to the next level. If you can’t get your hands on some of the ingredients don’t sweat it. Ground beef can replace ground brisket, breadcrumbs can be used for matzo meal and whatever canned tomatoes you have on hand will work in a pinch. 

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Easy Homemade Meatballs by @occomestibles

A secret technique makes these classic meatballs extra juicy: soaking your breadcrumbs! We tried this once and will never go back.

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Weekend Bonus

Blueberry Lemon Tart with Raspberry Sauce by @foodyfirst

Bright lemon curd sits atop an almond coconut crust in this show stopping tart. Topping it with fresh blueberries and raspberries makes it that much sweeter and if you don’t have any fresh fruit in, just use whatever you have in your freezer.

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Need some more help and inspiration during this difficult time? Send us a DM or post a photo of what you have on hand in stories and we'll send you some recipe ideas!