Welcome to mama eats, a twice-weekly newsletter inspired by a simple + seasonal home life. This week’s post, on pantry staples, is free to all readers. I try to provide as much free content as possible, however, this newsletter is a labor of love and I am a busy mama to three. If you have the means, and find value in what I share, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which also gives you access to the growing archive of posts older than a month.
Hello lovely friends, thank you for reading. Today’s newsletter is a utilitarian one that I hope will prove useful (or at least interesting!) It came about from a comment received this weekend from a reader:
Hi Amanda, would you consider giving us a guide to pantry staples or giving us a tour of your pantry? I’d love to know what you consider essentials to keep on hand.
Of course, everyone’s staples will be different depending on preferences, nutrition needs, who you cook for… but these are my current favorites to keep on hand to create healthful meals with minimal fuss. In writing this list, I’ve stuck only to things I use very often- the workhorses of my kitchen- and left out things I use only occasionally.
If you’ve been here for a while, you probably are familiar with my style of cooking: relatively simple, seasonal and whole-food ingredients, and based heavily on fresh produce and legumes. Below, I’ve written out extra notes on each item explaining what I generally use it for, plus brands I prefer when applicable.
whole grains
I prioritize whole grains for fiber, nutrition, and freshness. I try to soak my grains before cooking if possible to reduce cooking time and to reduce antinutrients.
farro- grain salads and soups, wonderfully chewy texture that holds up well for many days even in soups. I boil it like pasta in generous salted water, then toss with vinaigrette, herbs and other seasonal veg/pulses for a grain salad. Or add it to minestrone soups, especially in autumn/winter.
brown rice, arborio and sushi rice- for fried rice, sushi, rice bowls, rice puddings, risottos.
amaranth- Often when I make a pot of brown rice, I add in 1/4 cup of amaranth. It’s nutritionally dense and also makes the rice a bit sticky for a wonderful texture that also makes less of a mess for small children to eat.
rolled oats- for porridge and baking.
whole grain pastas- I love the Bionaturae range of either whole wheat, or gluten free rice/lentil blend.
bulgur wheat and whole wheat couscous- for grain salads, these cook up so quickly and are a perfect companion for summer veg.
quinoa- for soups, grain salads, mixing with oats for porridge.
flours/baking
We bake often, at least twice a week- often my children have whatever baked good it is as a snack in the afternoon. I find this satisfies their sweet need for the day without then desiring dessert after dinner, which helps them sleep better. My goals here, in light of that, are that the baked goods are not overly sweet (sweetened lightly and naturally with fruit or maple syrup as much as possible), and that they are made with wholesome and unrefined ingredients as much as possible.
spelt flour- I find spelt flour to be relatively light in baking and since it is whole grain, it is much more nutritious. I bake most things with it.
chickpea flour- for farinata, falafels, frittatas, and crepes.
almond flour- I often bake with almond flour, especially for cakes.
cocoa powder + chocolate bar- for cookies, brownies, and cakes- I personally strongly prefer the flavor of dutched cocoa powder (processed with alkali) such as Valrhona, Droste, or Equal Exchange.
sourdough starter- for baking nutritious bread, pizza dough, pancakes, and more.
medjool dates- to naturally sweeten baked goods and as a sweet snack with nut butter. I like to buy the “imperfect” ones which are called “grinders” from Rancho Meladuco.
nuts/seeds/dried fruit
So much nutrition, flavor, and texture here and nice to have on hand for both baking and quick snacks.
hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts- for snacks, pestos, muesli, nut milks, topping salads and porridge, baking…
coconut shreds- for baking and in porridge
flaxseeds- bought whole and then ground at home in small amounts and kept in the freezer, for baking as a binder, and on top porridge
tahini- for hummus, and for quick dressings with lemon juice, water, olive oil, garlic, and salt. I prefer the Sadaf brand, for me it is the perfect flavor and texture.
almond and peanut butter- for baking, smoothies, sandwiches, toast, snacking.
chia seeds- for cooking into porridge and for chia puddings.
legumes
Legumes/pulses are an aboslute cornerstone of our meals. I am always soaking a bean or lentil, and cook several pots a week. They are inexpensive, packed with nutrients and fiber, exceedingly adaptable, and can be added to just about anything. Legumes are a common factor for all blue zones (longevity). I buy mine dry, in bulk, and soak overnight or up to a day on the counter before cooking simply with salt.
white beans- soups, dips, as a side, mixed into grain/pasta/bread salads
black beans- tacos, refried, nachos, soups, quesadillas, brownies
french lentils- salads, soups
red lentils- dahl, curry, fluffy hummus-like dips, fritters
chickpeas- hummus, soups, pasta/grain/bread salads, falafels
condiments/canned
I always look for products that have as few ingredients as possible, and which are packed in glass if possible.
tomato paste- for building flavor in recipes, I use the double concentrated tubes from Mutti or the glass jar from Bionaturae.
canned whole plum tomatoes- soups, pasta and pizza sauces, dahl- I can my own and when I run out, use the Bianco DiNapoli brand.
olives, capers, artichoke hearts- topping pizza, adding to pasta salads or pastas/paellas
full fat coconut milk- I always have a can or two on hand for curries
canned beans- a can each chickpeas, refried black beans, and kidney beans: for those times when you need a quick meal, and have no beans cooked fresh
red and white wine vinegars- for dressings and anywhere acid is needed. I use the Madhava brand or Corti Brothers.
red and white wine- for both drinking and cooking, organic when possible.
extra virgin olive oil- my most beloved ingredient, I use it for baking and cooking almost everything. I buy single origin oil, generally from California, prioritizing a dark glass bottle. I love the oil from Corti Brothers and Yolo Press.
maple syrup- naturally sweetening things, and for pancakes.
calabrian chili paste- for adding to pastas, pizzas, soups, beans. The brand I use is called Italbrand.
freezer
frozen peas- soups, risottos, pastas, for having alongside shepherd’s pie, for a quick no-fuss vegetable side when time is short.
frozen cooked beans- these come in so handy when I forget to soak beans. When I make a batch of beans, I make extra to store in the freezer. I freeze in mason jars- you can freeze either with or without liquid. Then, I can just pull one out in the morning for use at dinner that evening.
fruit- cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. For baking, making compotes, adding to pancakes, smoothies, popsicles.
seasonal pesto- similar to the beans, I freeze extra pesto in small jam jars and pull out in the morning for dinner that evening.
fresh things I buy/use weekly
mint, parsley, cilantro, and green onions- brings so much freshness and flavor to a multitude of things- to top soups, pastas, add into grain salads, flavoring beans, tacos…
garlic, shallots, onion, and ginger- the backbone of flavoring most dishes
lemons- both the zest and juice, for flavoring both cooking and baking
seasonal veg and fruit- a plentiful amount of whatever’s local, seasonal, fresh and looking good at the market or fruit stand that week. I usually shop on both Saturday (farmers market) and a top-up Wednesday at a local fruit stand.
leafy greens- a mix of some for salads (arugula, lettuces, radicchio, frisee), and some for cooking (kale, chard, escarole)
potatoes- oven fries, soups, boiling and making potato salads (vinaigrette based)
tofu- stir fries, sheet pan dinners, marinated for quick sandwiches. I like the “high protein” style ones as I find it doesn’t stick to the pan and also has a denser texture which my family prefers.
milk and yogurt- for baking, pancakes/waffles, and soaking muesli. Generally unsweetened, organic soy or oat with minimal ingredients is what I go for.
sourdough bread- for meals and toast, and for making breadcrumbs or panzanella with any stale leftovers.
a handful of basic staple meals I fall back on
pasta salad: I make this a lot in the warm seasons, to keep in the fridge for whoever’s hungry and home at lunch, or to take on picnics/hikes/outings. Its basic outline is this: whole grain pasta boiled, drained and rinsed; tossed while still warm with a simple vinaigrette (wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, shallot). When cool, stir through generous amounts of chopped herbs (I use a whole bunch each parsley and green onions, sometimes throwing in oregano too), a legume (white beans, chickpeas, or lentils are my tops) and whatever raw or roasted veg I have (examples: tomatoes/cucumbers/bell peppers/arugula; roasted butternut squash/bell peppers/kale; artichoke hearts/olives/bell peppers). sub for the pasta to switch it up: quinoa, stale bread, bulgur wheat, twice the beans, potatoes.
hummus: I make a double batch of this hummus and freeze half for later. The batch in the fridge can be spread thickly onto wraps or bread (whole wheat lavash, greens, raw or roasted veg, herbs, avocado), dolloped on salads, added to a grain bowl, eaten spread inside a pita with falafels, even tossed with pasta as a creamy sauce and some roasted bell peppers for a very quick meal.
pesto pasta: pesto from the freezer made with whatever herb (parsley, arugula, and basil are my top 3), tossed with whole grain pasta and white beans or chickpeas, and with seasonal veg on the side (some examples: roasted rosemary squash, steamed peas, an artichoke, roasted bell peppers, sauteed garlicky zucchini, sliced tomato and cucumber salad). sub: potatoes for the pasta for a variation.
roasted veg and falafel bowl: a bed of leafy greens with herbs, falafels, roasted veg (sweet potato, broccoli, red peppers, winter sqaush, zucchini…), hummus or avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, s+p. If no falafels, use cooked chickpeas or other beans.
dahl: I like this recipe as a base, into which I throw in different veggies depending on what I have- sweet potatoes, spinach, chard, cauliflower… eaten with a simple pot of rice, quinoa, or some naan or chapati.
bean salads: cooked, rinsed and drained beans with herbs and vegetables tossed through. Examples: black bean salad with mango, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime dressing // cannelini bean salad with parsley, basil, tomato, cucumber and green onion // lentil salad with shallot, oregano, tomato, feta, red wine vinaigrette // chickpea and feta herb salad. Any one of these can be eaten with whole grain bread, a quesadilla, or a cooked whole grain to bulk it out- or eaten on a bed of chopped raw greens.
minestrone soup: I make this all year round, varying the veg with whatever I’ve got to hand. I always use cannellini, borlotti, or french lentils and a green (most often kale or chard) and begin with sauteeing onion and garlic in plenty of olive oil. The rest is up to the season and what I’ve got on hand. Paired with a thick slice of bread and green salad, this is an excellent meal. Here’s an autumn example.
a few favorite cookbooks:
I have lots of cookbooks, as I use them for inspiration for flavor combinations, and comfort reading (I often take one to bed to flip through if I’m too tired to read an actual book, or sit down with one in the afternoon with my cup of tea and snack for flipping through). Below is a nonexhaustive list of my all time favorites.
The Art of Simple Food, Volumes I and II by Alice Waters
Chez Panisse Pizza, Pasta, and Calzone by Alice Waters
Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters
At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin
Ripe by Nigel Slater, and others by him (such as the seasonal ones)
Canal House Cooking series (volumes) by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry, and others by her
David Tanis’ One Good Dish and A Platter of Figs
Real Food for Babies and Toddlers by Vanessa Clarkson
Aran Goyoaga’s (Cannelle Vanille) newsletter
Elizabeth David’s Italian Food and Summer Food
The Tuscan Year by Elizabeth Romer
This is super helpful, thanks Amanda! Also enjoyed your list of favourite cookbooks. Which cookbook would you recommend for Mexican cooking? Thanks x
This is so incredibly helpful! Thank you so much for putting this together, what a resource.