I used to hate household routines until I realized I was doing it wrong. I could make them work to save me time and money. I dined out 10+ times a week from age 25 to 52, then began cooking at home to reduce sugar, sodium, fat. During Covid, I learned from YouTube to make all my fave Indian, Thai, Vietnamese dishes, find them at www.goddessgrub.com/blog I began using my bread machine. I discovered I cared less about a wide variety than I did high flavor, health and satiety. I eat poultry and fish and just discovered brown lentils. Here’s my new basic shopping list bcz I eat the same meals on rotation so I don’t have to wonder what to cook. I just keep everything on hand. See full pantry list at https://goddessgrub.com/Pantry/index.html
Now it’s more simple. Every time I go to the store, I buy or make sure I have on hand: 2 dozen eggs, sourdough bread, turkey burgers, fish, rotisserie chicken or pkg of thighs, bag of potatoes, bag of onions, green cabbage, tofu, jasmine brown rice, bananas, fresh collards or kale. FROZEN: peas and carrots, okra, spinach. Earth Balance spread, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, turmeric, sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, can of tuna, corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, 4 cans of sardines. DRY: brown lentils, black eyed peas, pinto beans, great northern beans, chickpeas. Those are my current basics.
See also Ingredients I Keep on Hand for Quick Asian Recipes
WHY EAT LENTILS AND BEANS? PROTEIN, FIBER, FLAVOR
I love beans bcz — protein + fiber + flavor — plus I can do so much with them, tacos, a dip with corn chips and salsa is a complete meal, beans and rice with a fried egg, beans on toast with an egg or avocado. I add lentils and white beans to tuna, chicken and egg salad, along with onion, celery, carrot, capers, lemon juice. Hummus isn’t only for chickpeas, I’ve made it with white cannellini beans and it’s delicious. I add a few tbsp beans or lentils to ALL my salads and soups. I used to make a corn starch slurry to thicken my soups but now I use the immersion blender to blend down the beans to thicken with flavor.
Especially brown lentils. I’ve been crazy for brown lentils lately. I cook them in the rice cooker and they end up perfectly al dente. I’ll eat a spoonful while I stare into the fridge and ponder what to eat next. It satisfies! I also like to let them dissolve in a slow cooked soup. I even add them to my fried rice and dishes like mac & cheese. Remember you’re adding them for protein + fiber.
LENTIL SOUP INSTEAD OF COFFEE IN THE MORNING?
I always favor a tasty golden liquid to wake me up. The days I don’t want the caffeine, it’s a savory broth or soup. I usually have a soup ongoing in typically a hot and sour broth flavored with frozen pea and carrots, okra, spinach, mushrooms and a mix of whatever lentils, beans and greens I have leftover in the fridge.
I use mushroom seasoning (msg) to give my soups umami, this is the mushroom seasoning I use for umami. You only need like 1/2 tsp per quart. https://www.amazon.com/Po-Lo-Ku-Mushroom-Seasoning/dp/B00886EWXO/ref=sr_1_6_pp
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