What are your essentials for cooking?

greeneyedgirl829

What's always in your cabinet (or fridge) that you use alot for cooking? I need to get a better idea of healthy staple items haha

lilmissy2

For core food items, we really eat what we buy each week so never really have any one food always there. For flavours etc though

Wholegrain mustard
Low fat natural yoghurt
Balsamic vinegar
Black peppercorns
Various spices - cumin, coriander, paprika, tumeric
Garlic
Ginger
Soy, Hoisin, Oyster and Fish sauces

shanolap

Hi! I am always looking for new and tasty ingredients to use in my cooking as well as affordable and easy to use as well. Here are a few ideas:

Egg Beaters: Scrambles, Omelets or Quiches using a variety of fillings.

Roasted Red Peppers in jars and canned Artichoke Hearts in water. Toppings for pizza, fillings for eggs or wraps.

Frozen Chicken Tenders...so easy to cook!

Rice cakes, Laughing Cow Lite cheese and salsa makes a great snack!

Soup in cartons (organic and approx 70 cals a cup) add with a Lean Cuisine for lunch. Or Burger King has a side salad for $1 that is 60 cals (no dressing or croutons).

LOTS of fresh fruit and veggies. I try to double the amount of each in whatever recipe I am making.

DeathIsMyGift

I cook every night so let's see...I use a lot of olive oil. spices. jasmine rice. boneless skinless chicken tenderloins. ground turkey. Fresh Express Tender Ruby Reds (spinach and red lettuce). chicken broth. bell peppers. red onions.

yeah, that's about it. lol. cheese too depending on what I cook.

KAskinny

most of all those things the previous folks mentioned and black beans. I love black beans!
also, I always keep lots of various canned tomato stuff. I also love to snack on okra that's been roasted under the broiler and hot chili sauce. I eat that with sandwhiches instead of chips, super yummy!

gecallo

Excellent topic!

I always make sure I'm stocked with:
whey protein
eggs
whole wheat and/or multi-grain bread
brown rice
oatmeal
fruits (especially banana's)
green veggies
boneless/skinless chicken breast
tuna (in water)

robin52077

I use a lot of peppers of every color and a lot of onions in almost everything I make.

amk44

Too funny... I was going to post a similar question and never got around to it... :happy:

My essentials are:

- 35 calorie whole wheat bread
- oatmeal
- tuna, salmon, sardines, tilapia, and/or shrimp
- chicken, turkey, or pork
- spices and herbs
- eggs (of which I mostly use just the whites)
- lots of apples, because I make apple sauce which we enjoy (with or without other added fruits) and I use the sauce in oil free recipes
- fresh pineapple (and whatever other fresh fruits are on sale)
- romaine and spinach
- onions and garlic
- fresh vegetables, including at various times: sweet potatoes, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, etc
- walnuts and almonds, although I use them sparingly.

I could probably just sum it up by saying I try to keep processed foods to a minimum - I pretty much keep the kitchen stocked with all kinds of fresh stuff. The one utensil that I would never give up is my steamer... :happy:

jienelle

I always have:

Garlic
Onions
Tomato
Carrots
Celery
Milk
Cheese
Rice
Pasta
Eggs
Bananas, Apples, or Watermelon
Oatmeal
I only use Olive Oil...
I keep a lot of herbs/spices in the house too

I cook a lot of Filipino, Chinese-fusion, Mediterranean/Italian, and Mexican dishes. At least one of these items seems to be in every meal.

breakingthepath

I always have...

diced tomatoes
beans
onions
bell peppers
mushrooms
heavy cream
broth
sausage/bacon
dark greens (collard, etc)
zucchini
cheese
low sodium v8
seasonal fruits
potatoes

aippolito1

Olive Oil
Chicken
Peppers & Onions
Cheese for my boyfriend (didn't realize how easily I could cut back on cheese! Wow...)
Eggs
Milk
Snacks (usually fruits, pretzels, 100 calorie kettle corn bags)