food essentials

I've often thought of food essentials for easy dinners and such.  I think my staples are the following.

~DRY~

Spices (marjoram, basil, thyme, rosemary, cumin, coriander, cayenne, curry, cajun)

Flour

Salt and pepper

Baking soda

Rice

Olive Oil

~FROZEN~

Crock pot chicken meat

Crock pot Soup stock

Peas, Peppers, Corn

~REFRIGERATED~

Butter

Milk

Heavy Cream (can also be frozen)

Mayonnaise

Lemon Juice

Shredded cheese

Eggs

~FRESH~

Onion

Garlic

Salad Greens

Celery

Carrots

Ginger

Potatoes

With the above, I can make chicken and rice in various incarnations - with or without hot spices, a bit of an indian flair or more cajun in nature, mexicanish, plainer, etc... with or without various veggies... put it on a plate or in a wrap or in a pita bread... Put some soup stock in for a rich and satisfying soup... Use soup stock as a base for freshly chopped veggies and cilantro and lemon juice with some noodles for a nice "Pho" type dish... Put chicken meat in between slices of bread with some mayo and greens... fried eggs... pan bread in many flavours... scones with fresh cream/whipped cream... green salad with any of the above in there that are desired... potato cream soup... the list goes on and on and on, things are interchangeable for variety, and most everything is pretty easy.

I think my favourite tools are the fry pan, a dutch oven with cover, holey spoon, sharp knife and/or Ulu, the crock pot, the mixer, and a whisk.  Oh, and the thing that opens stuck things.  Jar opener?  I think that's what that is.  And... tupperware-like things to store extra food in.  :)

~w