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So, we’ve all had this experience: You’ve had a long, tiring day running from the law, which has finally caught on to your counterfeit Mad Libb factory where you’re taking over the world one hilarious adjective at a time. You manage to lose the cops with a series of quick turns in a neighborhood and rush home to grab the $3 million you keep in the 30 Twister boxes under your bed - and make a quick dinner for the family. What do you do?
Well, first, you shove as much money as you can into the
Cooking from the pantry becomes a lot easier if you keep the pantry stocked with base foods like cornmeal, rice and pasta. Of course, we want this to be as healthy as possible, so try to use whole grains whenever possible: brown or wild rice, whole wheat pasta or, our new favorite, Barilla Plus which has a variety of grains and a ton of extra fiber and nutrients without being as off-putting as whole wheat pasta.
While I prefer fresh sauces and meats, we’re running from the law, people – keep some convenience items on hand. I usually have a jar or two of pasta sauce and some canned fish, sometimes clams, often wild Alaskan salmon, in the pantry at all times. (If you have a tendency towards queasiness, don’t read this part but for the rest of you: I buy the big cans of Alaskan salmon which is a whole filet, that is, the bones and skin are still in there. I peel off the skin but I crush the bones with my fingers – you’ll never notice the difference in texture or flavor but you will get a ton of added calcium. Just don’t let the kids see you do it.)
The trick to pantry cooking is keeping on hand those filling bases that you can alter to accommodate whatever fresh ingredients you have. For example, I love polenta – it’s easy to make, it’s versatile, and it’s got a decent amount of fiber. You can buy polenta in a tube in the produce section of your supermarket but it’s so easy to make, don’t bother (see recipes below) – besides, who knows what they put in that stuff to make it last. And don’t buy the box of cornmeal called “polenta” – course ground cornmeal works just as well and costs a fraction of the price.
Okay, so make your polenta. Now take whatever you have in the fridge and pantry and stick in on the polenta. For example, you could spread half the polenta into a baking dish, top it with taco meat and jack cheese, then spread the rest of the polenta on top. Stick the dish in the oven for a few minutes until everything is hot and the layers are glued together with melted cheese. Serve with taco toppings, like lettuce, tomato and avocado, on the side.
Or, make a polenta lasagna. Stir some chopped spinach into the hot polenta and pour the whole thing into a baking dish. Sauté whatever veggies you like in lasagna: bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, until tender-crisp. Spread a little pasta sauce on the polenta, top with veggies and sprinkle with your favorite cheese: parmesan, mozzarella or ricotta. Then bake until the cheese has lightly browned.
Or you can top polenta with any thick stew you happen to have in the freezer: chili, Brunswick stew, black bean soup. Or, marinate whatever veggies you have in balsamic vinaigrette while the grill heats, stir a little parmesan into the hot polenta, grill up the veggies and have a hearty vegetarian meal in no time.
If you’re worried about your kids eating it, do what one of the personal chefs who trained me does: cut veggies into shapes. He cut bell peppers with star cookie cutters and other veggies at funky angles to make them interesting.
The limit to the possibilities truly lies in your imagination. The same goes with pasta: keep a jar of sauce you like on hand and throw anything else you have around into it: sautéed veggies, that can of clams, soy sausage, whatever. If you’re nervous, make the same deal with your family that Rob and I have: I make whatever I want but if it just doesn’t taste good, we chuck it and order a pizza. I promise you, the more you try it, the less often you’ll be eating pizza.
After a hearty meal of polenta lasagna, your family is charged up and ready to go on the run!
If you have any questions you’d like addressed in Be Your Own Personal Chef, send them my way (ThoughtForFood@bellsouth.net) – if I don’t have an answer, I’d be glad to make look one up.