Share a new idea for a pantry meal. Choose from one or more of the following:

• I dare you to dream up or share a pantry meal idea you’ve never shared on here before
  
• You can share a favorite recipe (KD’s or anyone else’s)
  
• In a stunningly selfish homework twist, give me some ideas using the following ingredients that I usually have on hand and would like to have some super, super quick ideas for weeknight meals (I’m thinking like 10 min and two pans or less).
  
  Cooked brown rice
  Uncooked dry, small pastas like orzo, elbow mac, angel hair
  Canned Salmon or Tuna
  Canned beans (usually have black, white and pinto at least)
  Eggs
  Canned tomatoes (any type)
  Frozen veggies (green beans, green peas, edamame, broccoli, I like most any)
  Grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, jack and mozzarella are in there now)
  
  I think these go together but I need ideas on sauces or something to give them a flavor boost and make them more appetizing.
  
  
• Post a list of ingredients you and your family enjoy and get some suggestions of your own.

I'd take the eggs and beans and buy some tortillas and salsa and make "beans and eggs Rancheros".

Help Dawn... can you translate into Spanish?

Huevos Rancheros? Something like that...

I'd just do the usual with the other ingredients... nothing with a whole lot of imagination...

I also cook up a batch of brown rice and freeze it in half cup servings. It takes 90 seconds to defrost a half cup of cooked brown rice.

One of my favorite lunches these days is "fried" rice.

I take 1 cup of cooked brown rice,(I usually have some in the freezer) leftover veggies from the night before(green beans, broccoli, snow peas, whatever,) a slice or two of canadian bacon or ham, warm all of this up in a pan.

In a separate pan take 1 egg plus 1 egg white. Beat together with a bit of soy sauce, a few drops of toasted sesame oil, and a tiny pinch of sugar. Cook into an omelet like thing and slice in to thin strips.

Toss the cooked eggs with the rice mixture. If you like you can add a bit more flavor to the rice by mixing a bit of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, black pepper, mirin (rice wine), and some more toasted sesame oil. Whisk this together and toss into the rice.

Some days I can eat the whole thing, but if you have enough veggies, you can stretch it to serve two. Great on a cold day. And it cooks in no time at all.

I have found that canadian bacon is a great "pantry" staple. It's great to toss in corn chowder, mock muffins, rice bowls. It adds a little protein boost with almost no effort.


Another favorite is to take angel hair pasta, cooked, and toss it with a can of tuna, a bit of milk, a dab of butter and some grated parm. Add some veggies and you have a pretty tasty dinner. White beans, or artichoke hearts might be a good addition to this one.

I have been discovering the joys of evaporated milk and non-fat dry milk. They both enhance "cream" sauces without adding fat.

--Francie

I was thinking along the same lines as Dawn. You could also make soup using the beans and tomatoes. I sautee garlic in a little olive oil, add chicken stock and beans, and then the canned tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, and right before removing from heat some fresh basil.

Jill

With the frozen veggies including the edamame you could make a stir-fry and toss in angel hair pasta for a noodle bowl. (Make a sauce from soy, ginger, garlic, mirin or rice wine and brown sugar, and dark sesame oil)

I think the pinto or black beans with the rice, canned tomatoes would make a great beans and rice dish, sprinkle with a littel cheddar maybe.(add spices like cumin, cayenne, black pepper and garlic.)

I LOVE a salad made with either Romaine or field greens topped with tuna and white beans and red wine vinaigrette.

I also like Orzo cooked in chicken broth until it is almost all absorbed and tossed with shredded parm and spinach. (add parsley, garlic, black pepper and basil, crushed red pepper is good too if you like a little spice. Garbanzo beans go well with this too. Have also made using asparagus instead of spinach.)

Eggs, any frozen veggie/s, and cheese omlettes or frittatas.

That's all I've got off the top of my head.

Dawn