Quarantined? Here’s a Week’s Worth of Pantry Dinners and my Favorite Cookies
On Sunday morning, I made a grocery run with Pat. We arrived shortly after 8:30 a.m. hoping the early hour would find the grocery store relatively empty. It was, but so were the shelves. I was perversely happy to see that people had cleared out meats, vegetables, beans, in other words, whole foods rather than processed foods, which tells me you’re ready to start cooking!
Please remember, if the shelves are empty, don’t panic. Farmers and food companies are working overtime to get food to the grocery stores and re-stock shelves. If you can’t leave the house: You can order many food staples from Amazon, meat and fish from ButcherBox.com, local grocery delivery may also be available, depending on your area.
Please get outside and take a walk each day if you can. We need to keep our spirits up and our bodies healthy right now. Healthy comfort food is essential, but so is connecting with the natural beauty of our surroundings. Keep in touch with friends, especially those living alone, through email, social media, and phone. Let’s take good care of ourselves.
I’ll begin with a list of pantry staples, then provide recipes using these ingredients. Going forward, I’ll continue to provide pantry-staple recipes until we’re through this. If you want recipes to use a particular ingredient in your pantry, email me at: suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com
Be well, friends.
My Pantry Staples for this week’s recipes:
Oils & Fats: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), butter
Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, my homemade Southwest Seasoning (recipe below), curry powder, nutmeg, soy sauce, lemons (or lemon juice in a pinch) garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, turmeric, smoked paprika
Root vegetables, hearty greens, and fruit: potatoes ( your choice: sweet, Yukon, red, or fingerling potatoes) onions, red bell pepper, 1-2 lbs whole carrots, 2-3 beets cooked or raw, 1-bunch kale,
Your choice of vegetables for roasting: bag of broccoli florets, 1 lb of Brussels Sprouts, butternut squash, baby arugula or spinach, red apples
Canned food: beans: chickpeas, white beans. 1 can full fat coconut milk, 1 - 32-oz can whole tomatoes, 1 - 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
Proteins and dairy: eggs, cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt, half and half or whole milk, skinless/boneless chicken breasts or thighs, whole roasting chicken, frozen salmon filets
Pasta and Rice and Grains: One loaf of hearty bread, white or brown rice, lentils, quinoa. If you’re cooking for 1 or 2, try the pre-cooked rice and lentil packets for convenience, or cook extra rice and lentils and use it for other meals during the week, it keeps well in the fridge.
Baking: All-Purpose Flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, chocolate chips
Southwestern sheet pan salmon and roast vegetables
Preheat oven to 400°F and on a sheet-pan place salmon filets (or chicken!) fresh or frozen - I actually tried both and it didn’t make a difference in taste.
Preheat oven to 400°F and on a sheet-pan place salmon filets (or chicken!) fresh or frozen - I actually tried both and it didn’t make a difference in taste.
Toss the vegetables you want to enjoy with your fish. For instance: Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, slices of acorn squash, sprinkle extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) over both the fish and the vegetables.
Then sprinkle with southwestern seasoning (or maple syrup, or lemon pepper or soy sauce, or your favorite seasoning mix). Roast for 15- 20 minutes until the fish and vegetables are cooked through but not over done!
Suzanne’s Southwest Salt-Free Seasoning Mix
I use this seasoning mix on everything! It’s smoky, savory, and a little spicy. I don’t include salt in my seasoning mixes because I want to have control over how much salt goes into a dish.
In a small jar combine:
2 Tablespoons chile powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground pepper
One-skillet lemon rosemary roast chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 lemon
1 stick of butter
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 potatoes (your choice of color) cut into large skin-on chunks
Roasting vegetables of your choice, corn on the cob cut into 3-inch pieces, or acorn squash cut into half-moons
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. I love roast chicken. I like to spatchcock the chicken, which means I cut alongside the backbone so that the chicken is now lying flat, breast-side up. I believe you get a more even roast this way.
1. Preheat oven to 375F. I love roast chicken. I like to spatchcock the chicken, which means I cut alongside the backbone so that the chicken is now lying flat, breast-side up. I believe you get a more even roast this way.
2. Into the bottom of the skillet, toss your potatoes and vegetables. Then rest the spatchcocked chicken on top of the potatoes and vegetables.
2. Into my food processor goes a stick of butter, two sprigs of rosemary, the juice of half a lemon, two cloves of garlic, pinch of salt and pepper. Process ingredients until the butter forms a soft ball. (You can also combine the ingredients by hand with a fork, room temperature butter and minced garlic, in a small bowl.)
3. Then gently lift the skin between the breast and about 1 ½ teaspoons of this flavorful butter into the pocket between skin and meat on each breast. Spread another 1-2 Tablespoons all over the chicken. Use remaining butter to place dabs on the potatoes and vegetables. Slice the remaining half lemon and put the slices on the chicken. Place remaining rosemary sprigs around the chicken.
4. Roast the chicken in a preheated oven 375° for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes. If the skin does not reach the golden brown you want, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes and that will do a nice job of crisping the skin. Remove from the oven and allow the bird to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Slow-cooker butternut squash and kale curry stew
Ingredients:
1-quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can Garbanzo (chickpeas) beans
2-3 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk
1 each onion, red bell pepper - diced
1 bunch kale – remove stems and tear into bite-sized pieces
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, turn on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or low for 4 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit your palate. A pinch of red pepper flakes will add a nice touch of heat.
When you don’t feel like cooking: Smoky tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich
In my mind, nothing caps a cold day better than curling up in front of the fire with a good book, a cup of tea, and this wonderful soup and sandwich combo.
Once you taste the depth that smoked paprika and alder wood smoked salt add to this super easy tomato soup and the richness of the butter, for less cost than buying a can of soup...well, you'll never visit the soup aisle of the grocery store again. I promise.
Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich and apple slices.
Ingredients:
1 – 32oz can whole fire-roasted tomatoes
1 medium onion cut into large chunks
4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon Alder wood smoked salt (optional!)
pinch red pepper (optional!)
Splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Add onions, canned tomatoes, and butter to saucepan and cook on medium-low heat. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes
2. Add in seasonings. Stir. Then using an immersion blender, blend until the tomato soup reaches the chunky or smooth consistency that you desire, add a splash of vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. If you're feeling so inclined, finish with a dollop of pesto, plain Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Arugula (or spinach), quinoa, white bean, beet and carrot salad
Ingredients:
4 cups of baby arugula or spinach
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 cooked beets, chopped into matchsticks
3 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 14-ounce can of white (Canellini) beans drained and rinsed
Directions:
Toss ingredients together in a bowl and top with a simple vinaigrette dressing (2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, pepper to taste)
To make it a meal: Top with pan-grilled chicken breast, salmon filet, or tempeh!
Zucchini (or broccoli) rice and cheddar casserole
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of zucchini grated (or broccoli florets chopped)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar
1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
3 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup milk or half-and-half
Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Put the shredded zucchini into a strainer sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 15-20 minutes. Wrap zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze to remove more liquid. If using broccoli, steam the broccoli until just tender, drain and rinse with cold water, lightly pat dry. Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, yogurt, milk, and seasonings. Into a lightly greased 9 X 9 baking dish toss together the zucchini, cheese, and cooked rice. Pour over the egg custard mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes until cooked through. Serve with a small side salad. Great cold then next day.
Suzanne’s Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Self-imposed quarantine calls for cookies!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
11 ounces semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Slowly add the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips (and walnuts if using). Form the dough into balls and place on a sheet pan, cover with plastic. Allow the cookie dough to rest int the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight (you can also freeze the cookie balls in a freezer container and take out a few at a time to bake).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden (these cookies will not get dark brown like traditional chocolate chip cookies). Allow to cool and then enjoy with a glass of milk or cup of tea!
You can find more recipes like this in : A Year in the Mountains Cookbook
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