HOW TO COOK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
My basic guide for impromptu cooking
When I’m trying to put dinner on the table without an extra trip to the store, this is my general approach. This process might feel backward if you’re used to heading to the store with a recipe in hand. If you’re not used to cooking backward, it’ll take some practice. Once you get the hang of it, though, it’s fun and freeing, not to mention efficient and time-saving!
1 START WITH THE VEGETABLES
Instead of going to the store with a recipe in hand, try making dinner with what you have on hand. I visit my farmers market weekly and also get a bi-weekly CSA box. Having fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs readily available in your kitchen is the first step to building easy, healthy meals.
2 CHOOSE A MEAL FORMAT
Once you have a vegetable (or two or three) picked out, look to your pantry to decide what form the meal will take. For example, if I have tortillas on hand, it’s taco night; if I have vegetable stock, soup’s on!
Take a second look around your kitchen and see what supporting ingredients you can add for balance and flavor. Chickpeas are an easy pantry-based protein, a slice of avocado is a delicious healthy fat, roasted red bell peppers add flavor to a frittata, and pickled onions add pop to a quesadilla.
4 SAUCE IT UP
So many meals are made better with a sauce or a dressing, be it salsa for Mexican food, peanut sauce for soba noodles, or a dollop of pesto on toast. Of course, sometimes all you really need is a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Whenever you take time to make a sauce, make extra and you’ll be ahead of the game tomorrow!
5 SPICE, GIRL
Don’t be afraid to kick up the flavors in your food with spice. Hot or not, experiment by adding curry or chili powders to your quinoa salads, chipotle peppers to your pesto, or a squirt of sriracha on your omelette. In a pinch, a few pinches of red pepper flakes will always do.
6 PAY IT FORWARD
Use what you make as a jumping-off point for the next day’s meal. Extra roasted vegetables can go into tomorrow’s enchiladas. Extra hummus can elevate tomorrow’s sandwich or wrap. It’s time to get creative!