Class #4: The Intuitive Pantry / Staple Red Lentils, Pantry Pasta
“The sheer variation of what pantries look like across the globe is what makes cooking so cool.”
Some Key Takeaways
Notes
A well-stocked pantry is one of the main keys to intuitive cooking. Cooking according to the seasons and your cravings can seem overwhelming, which is why we need the support of the pantry. When you start treating your pantry as a place that holds certain staple, long-lasting foods and flavor-building ingredients that can act as a base for endless meals, everything changes. With this kind of backbone for your meals, it becomes easy and fun to add whatever seasonal, fresh produce you have access to, to really make your meals sing.
A pantry should be well-stocked according to the cook, their cooking style and taste. Your pantry should fully support you, never stress you out or intimidate you. If you're a minimal cook that has a few favorite dishes and sticks to them, your pantry can be very minimal. If you're a more lavish, experimental cook, your pantry can reflect that as well. A pantry is a highly personal place and will look different for everyone.
It's usually a good idea to have an ingredient (or several ingredients) that represent each of the main building blocks of flavor in your pantry. These building blocks are: fat, salt/umami, acid, sweet, and spice or heat, as well as some aromatics. A good balance of all these things makes for delicious cooking, and learning to achieve that flavor balance is key to a more intuitive style of cooking. See the breakdown below.
My Pantry Essentials
These are my most-used pantry staples, arranged by category. You definitely don't have to have or like all of these things to cook well, but I thought it would be helpful to include this list as a general guide. Experiment and make your pantry your own!
FAT
Fat coats your palate and helps carry flavor throughout the palate.
olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil (refined for baking, unrefined for coconut flavor), sesame oil, vegan butter (Miyoko's original cashew butter is my favorite), coconut milk, tahini, almond butter, cashews (to blend into sauces)
SALT/UMAMI
Salt enhances the flavor of food and makes food taste more like itself. Umami-containing ingredients and salty ingredients often go hand in hand. Umami is not just a saltiness, but also an overall savoriness.
sea salt, Maldon flaky salt, nutritional yeast, miso, tamari, coconut aminos, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, Dijon mustard, dulse seaweed, kombu seaweed
ACID
Acid brightens and awakens flavors, as well as balances out any rich or savory flavors.
lemons, limes, preserved lemons, apple cider vinegar, red wine/white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, white wine, red wine
SWEET
Sweetness can help further balance flavors (even in savory dishes) by creating a contrast with fat, salt, and acid.
maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates
SPICE/HEAT
Heat often acts as the figurative cherry on top. The cool thing about spicy ingredients is that they all have a unique flavor in addition to their heat.
whole black peppercorns (to grind fresh), chile flakes, chipotle en adobo, hot sauce
AROMATICS
Aromatics build up the foundation of most delicious, savory dishes.
onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, celery, carrots, ginger, fresh turmeric, scallions
OTHER SPICES
bay leaf, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, curry powder, cinnamon sticks and powder, cardamom pods, nutmeg
LEGUMES
chickpeas, white beans, black beans, pinto beans, other heirloom beans, red lentils, French/green lentils, Beluga/black lentils
GRAINS
white Basmati rice, quinoa, Arborio rice (for risotto), rolled or steel cut oats, polenta, traditional and gluten-free pasta
FLOURS, NUTS & SEEDS
spelt flour, all purpose flour, almond flour, cashews, walnuts/pecans, almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, hemp hearts
MORE
fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, dill, rosemary, thyme, sage; ferments: kimchi and sauerkraut
Recipes
Staple Red Lentils
serves 4-6
olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil
2 medium-large leeks, white parts only, sliced
sea salt
5 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated
zest and juice from 1 large or 2 small lemons, divided
pinch chile flakes (optional)
1 medium sweet potato (optional)
1 1⁄2 cups red split lentils
1⁄4 cup white rice
4-5 large handfuls baby spinach
Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt, sauté for 10-12 minutes, until the leeks are soft and lightly browned in parts. Add the garlic, ginger, lemon zest, and chile flakes, if using, and sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant. Add the sweet potato, if using, lentils, rice, 6 cups of water, and another generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered for 20-25 minutes, until the rice and lentils are soft, and the sweet potato is cooked through. Add another splash of water if the mixture becomes too dry. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Turn off the heat, wilt in the spinach and mix in the lemon juice. Serve warm.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
This recipe is almost endlessly customizable. Cook it when there’s not much to eat, or when the fridge needs cleaning out. You can use onion (any kind, yellow, white, or red) or shallots in place of the leeks. Lime can be used in place of lemon. All kinds of spices, spice blends, or dry herbs can be added, to taste: curry, garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, mustard seeds, etc. Any kind of vegetables that do well with cooking can be added in place or in addition to sweet potato: winter squash, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Just adjust the cooking time/when you add the vegetable according to its density and cooking time. Instead of water, you can use vegetable broth or a mix of vegetable broth and coconut milk (or coconut milk and water). The spinach can be omitted, or you can add other greens like kale, chard, etc. (just adjust the cooking time). You can serve the lentils as they are or garnish with fresh herbs, toasted nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, chile oil/other flavored oil, etc.
Pantry Pasta
serves 4
sea salt
olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
chile flakes
5-6 oz tomato paste
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 min if no high-speed blender
16 oz pasta
Set a pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, saute for 7-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add chile flakes, to taste, about halfway through cooking the onion. Add the tomato paste and another pinch of salt, stir to incorporate. Cook the tomato paste for 5-7 minutes, until further reduced and slightly caramelized.
Meanwhile, combine the cashews with 1/2 cup water in an upright blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add the cashew cream to the sauce and mix to incorporate. Taste the sauce for salt and spice, and adjust if needed.
Cook the pasta al dente, according to the time on the package. Reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta water. Strain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the sauce. Start mixing the pasta into the sauce, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed, until fully incorporated. Serve right away.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
As is the case with all pantry recipes, this recipe is not set in stone and can be modified so many ways. Use shallots in place of onion, wilt in greens, or add other vegetables (I love adding broccolini or broccoli if I have it). To add even more complexity and acidity to the sauce, add a few splashes of white wine when the onions are almost finished cooking, or squeeze in some lemon juice at the end. Serve the pasta as is or with fresh herbs, like parsley.
