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Ask the Expert: Maggie Gilbert
What to Keep in Your Pantry –UHC TV
The question is “what should I keep in my house as pantry basics?”
Very good question. Some of us have households filled with food and others are just kind of starting out. What you find is you wind up with all kinds of stuff and you walk in the house and you don’t have anything to cook.
So I’m going to give you some basic things that you should keep in your house at all times – I know I do – that can be the building blocks of a good kitchen.
OIL
So, the first place we are going to start is oil. I love olive oil. Obviously, it’s very popular now. I would recommend getting the best olive oil you can afford. Taste some if you have the opportunity. You can get it in large quantities, you can get it in smaller, little ones if you want to try some different flavors. See what you like. I prefer the darker, greener olive oils, but there are lighter ones. And remember, those aren’t lighter in calories. They’re just lighter in taste. They’re more mild. So, get yourself a good olive oil.
And in addition to an olive oil, you want to have at least one other neutral oil. I like canola oil. If you do a lot of frying, you might want something like peanut oil. If you want to sauté and use a very high temperature, get some grapeseed oil. It’s a really interesting one, and it’s pretty widely available now. It can cook to a very high temperature without smoking.
The two I would for sure like to see you get are olive oil and maybe some kind of a neutral vegetable oil. Consider this grapeseed oil as an extra one.
VINEGAR
The next thing I think is really important. Huge, huge help in the kitchen. Get yourself a couple of basic ones. I love red wine vinegar. I have it in my house at all times. I love apple cider vinegar, which looks like this. It looks like apple cider, but of course much more tart. A wonderful thing to add. Of course, for dressings it’s perfect. Gives a little bit of a sweet taste.
And then the last one I absolutely cannot live without is balsamic. Balsamic, for me, is the basic vinegar I like to keep in my house. I use it to drizzle on salads, on something like a tomato mozzarella, it’s perfect. I make salad dressings with it. I use it for all kinds of things.
Keep at least two or three vinegars in your house.
CHICKEN BROTH
Next, chicken broth. That is a go-to to make soups, to make stews, you can do just about anything if you have chicken broth. I like to get it in these boxes, either the big 4-cup size or the little individual ones. So, if you are making a smaller quantity, you don’t have to open a big one and worry about how long it’s going to keep. They do keep for several days in the refrigerator if you don’t use them up. So, keep some chicken stock and again, try some different brands, see what you like and have that in stock
DIJON MUSTARD
Here’s another go-to for me, which is Dijon mustard. I love using it in cooking. Certainly, you can spread it on a sandwich and use it like that, but I use it in everything. I make marinades out of it, I put it in dressings, I find it really really handy. So you can see I buy it in large quantities.
GRAINS
Another basic of course are some grains. My go-to all the time is pasta. I keep long and short pasta in the house always. Spaghetti – something like this – and then something like penne is fabulous. Any shape you like. Whole wheat is terrific. Experiment and see what you like. But pasta is a great one, as is rice. Having some different rices in the house is a nice way to have an easy, quick side dish.
PASTA SAUCE
The last thing I’d say is a good pasta sauce. Try some different ones. I usually get a basic tomato basil one and sometimes I doctor it a little to make it taste the way I want it. But I have one that I like, that I can count on, and I keep it on my shelf so I can use it when I need it.
So, here are your basics. It’s certainly not an all-inclusive list, but if you start here, you’re going to have a great start to cooking. This is where you start.
Ask the Expert
Pantry Basics
Question: What should I keep in my house as the best set of pantry basics?
Answer from: Maggie Gilbert, cooking expert
Cooking at home is easier if you have basic ingredients you can use in just about any meal. The basics fall into six simple categories.
The content of these videos is for information only and is not intended to be medical advice. Refer to your health plan benefit guide for coverage details, and consult with your doctor to determine what is best for you.
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