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The Little Ferraro Kitchen

The Little Ferraro Kitchen

World Cuisine, Made Easy

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Home » How to Eat Well with a Full Stocked Pantry

How to Eat Well with a Full Stocked Pantry

by Samantha · Leave a Comment

Having a full stocked pantry is key to making incredible recipes at any given time. Here I share my favorite pantry staples that we always have on hand!

Because we cook a lot, a fully stocked pantry is key!

It’s no surprise that we cook at home..A LOT, which means we like to keep a fully stocked pantry and freezer at all times. For quick, weeknight dinners or even something longer and elaborate for a weekend day lounging at home.

So with that being said, I’d love to share how we stock our pantry and freezer to make just about ANYTHING from one pot chicken dinners to French souffles.

Is there anything I missed? Are there items that YOU can’t live without? I’d love to hear what they are!

How to Stock Your Pantry for Anything
Photo by The Orderly Space who professionally organized our kitchen!

Dry Goods

Flour (AP and/or GF): perfect for pizza night, cheese souffles and a fun day of baking rosemary garlic challah.

Red Lentils: cook incredibly quick and are the base of Turkish lentil soup which freezer incredibly well and makes enough for an army!

Basmati and Jasmine Rice: for one pot chicken with rice or rice pilaf or to finally get your hand at trying Persian rice (tahdig).

Pastas: of all shapes and sizes for countless dinner nights in.

Dried Beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans): Inexpensive and bulk up foods to feed the entire neighborhood. Just make sure you soak the dried beans overnight before cooking.

Panko Breadcrumbs: for coating Eggplant Parmesan.

Capers: One of my favorite ingredients to add a pop of briny flavor. Add capers to chicken piccata or chorizo bolognese with capers or on top of pizza too!

Olives (Castelveltrano, Kalamata): For snacking, antipasti, add to roast chicken dishes, baked fish and salad such as Greek Fattoush.

Anchovies: A favorite to melt in olive oil and spread on garlic bread or Linguini Puttanesca.

Olive Oil: Countless salad dressings such as in Israeli Chopped Salad.

Vinegar (Balsamic, Red Wine, Apple Cider): Base for salad dressings

Quinoa and Couscous: Great to add in soups, toss with eggs and bulk up salads such as Quinoa Tabbouleh and Greek Quinoa Salad.

Quinoa Taboulleh via LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Canned Goods

Tomatoes (crushed, diced, whole): Always have multiple cans on hand! For everything from pasta sauces ( vodka pink sauce for instance), to pizza sauce and sweet and sour stuffed cabbage rolls.

Beans (chickpeas, black, kidney): All you need is a can opener and beans can be added to soups, chili’s, one pot chicken dishes (try the One Pot Lemon Chicken with Chickpeas) or if you’re feeling a bit extra, mashed up for a faux re-fried bean side dish.

Broth (chicken, vegetable): I really like the jarred Better Than Bouillon, it’s concentrated and a little goes a long way.

Coconut Milk: For curries (such as Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Curry) and soups and to make a fantastic dairy free coconut whipped cream.

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Curry via LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Freezer Items

Unsalted butter: Freezes incredibly well. Just take out a few hours before you’re ready to use it.

Chicken (whole, parts, cutlets): A Protein we always have in the freezer of all cuts and sizes. One of my favorite recipes with chicken is Olive Oil Braised Chicken with Turmeric.

Ground meats (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, sausage): All freeze very well. Just be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight at least.

Raw Shrimp: Surprisingly not expensive and you can often get a 5 pound bag at most stores. raw shrimp defrost easily and are perfect for pastas or to add to cioppino.

Frozen Vegetables (Corn, Edamame, Peas, Cauliflower Rice): All freeze and defrost very well and perfect to add to stir fry and soups. And cauliflower rice defrosts quickly and is a fantastic substitute for rice, such as in Jeweled Cauliflower Rice.

Frozen Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries): We use these mostly for smoothies and last minute dessert cravings.

Olive Oil Braised Chicken with Citrus, Fennel and Turmeric via LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Fridge Items:

Eggs: Fried up on buttered toast, shakshuka, carbonara fritattas and on top of fried rice.

Whole Milk Yogurt: One of my favorite ingredients for marinades!

Coconut Water: For hydration, to add to smoothies and to add to rice for a slight coconut flavor.

Classic bucatini carbonara, but with a decadent twist of salty guanciale, creamy egg yolks and extra cheese!

Counter Top Produce:

Garlic and Onions: Always have these on hand for starting just about any recipe.

Cherry Tomatoes: Hold up pretty well on the counter and if they’re out of season, roast tomatoes with olive oil and garlic.

Potatoes: Yukon, sweet, russet all hold up well and great for roasting, frying and mashing.

Winter Squash: These have incredibly hard exteriors and meant to last months on end. One of my favorite recipes, roasted kaboacha squash with coconut oil.

Roasted-Tomatoes-Basil-oil

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Hi, I’m Samantha!

I started this blog for my love of world cuisine and cultural flavors! You’ll find everything here from Jewish recipes, Middle Eastern, Italian and more!

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The Little Ferraro Kitchen
**Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves** Filled with ba **Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves** Filled with basmati rice, chickpeas and loads of fresh herbs.⁠
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One of the first recipes my mom taught me, was how to roll grape leaves. ⁠
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And whatever stuffing you decide to add, I have a few tips to share. ⁠
* Jarred grape leaves are super briny, take them all out and rinse them very well. ⁠
* Separate each leaf (that was one of my moms biggest peeves).⁠
* Remove the hard stem before adding filling.⁠
*Each leaf has 2 sides, a shiny and dull side. Add filling to the full side, so shiny side is up for presentation. ⁠
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What would you stuff grape leaves with?⁠
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(For the complete recipe, click on the link in my profile and click on the photo!)
*Chicken Saltimbocca with Speck and Herbes de Prov *Chicken Saltimbocca with Speck and Herbes de Provence*⁠
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Boy oh boy, do I have a weeknight chicken recipe for you!⁠
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My version of saltimbocca takes a bit of French inspiration and in my (humble) opinion, has bolder flavors!. ⁠
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Pounded chicken cutlets are seasoned with aromatic herbes de Provence and layered with basil and smoky speck, seared and finished in a light white wine sauce.⁠
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Saltimbocca translates to 'jump in the mouth', which is exactly what these flavors will do. ⁠
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**Recipe is live on the site, head to the link in my bio and click on the photo for the recipe!**⁠
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*Homemade Preserved Lemons*⁠ ⁠ New on the site *Homemade Preserved Lemons*⁠
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New on the site, is a step by step guide on making your own homemade preserved lemons with some recipe inspiration and tips.⁠
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There is nothing like the aroma of preserved lemons. Citrusy, bright and floral.⁠
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You just need two ingredients and about two weeks time. Then chop or slice up to use in so many things, such as tagine or preserved lemon compound butter for fish.  How good does that sound?⁠
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How would you use preserved lemons?⁠
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(For the recipe + tips, head to the link in my bio and click on the photo!)
*Herb and Citrus Roasted Salmon*⁠ ⁠ Oh hello t *Herb and Citrus Roasted Salmon*⁠
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Oh hello there citrus season! Sure, you could take winters sunshine and bake it into a cake or curd, but there is something about citrus + salmon that never goes out of style. ⁠
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Wild salmon filets are packed with a fresh herb "crust" and poached in a bright white wine lemon and olive oil marinade. ⁠
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I've made this recipe with so many different variations...different herbs or with blood orange would be fantastic! ⁠
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What would you make this citrus season?⁠
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(For the citrus salmon recipe, head to the link in my bio and click on the photo!)⁠
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*Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine*⁠ ⁠ What is *Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine*⁠
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What is your favorite method of cooking? If I was left to one, it would be braised. ⁠
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A good hard sear, then low and slow (preferably in red wine) for hours until the tough muscle fibers are forced to break down, soften and literally melt in your mouth. ⁠
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A few herbs, some aromatics and then just let the braise do the rest of the work. ⁠
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(Head to the link in my bio and click on the photo to get this classic recipe!)
*Four Ingredient Lemon Herb Couscous*⁠ ⁠ Today *Four Ingredient Lemon Herb Couscous*⁠
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Today, we're chatting about "back pocket recipes" as I'd like to call it. ⁠
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Recipes that we all should know and can whip out at a moments notice. A few of mine are: creamy polenta, a bomb roast chicken and classic spaghetti and meatballs. ⁠
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The other day, I shared my chicken tagine recipe and this simple lemon herb couscous would the perfect companion to those bold flavors. ⁠
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What are you "back pocket recipes?"⁠
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(Head to the link in my bio and click on the photo for the recipe, but really...just remember the 1:1.25 ratio and you're set!)
* Turkish Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon*⁠ ⁠ * Turkish Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon*⁠
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When I think of Mediterranean cuisine, one of the first recipes that pops in my head is this robust lentil soup. ⁠
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We were first introduced to this lentil soup in Istanbul and since, I have bright it to my  cooking classes, my site and in my book because everyone needs to experience how fantastic Turkish lentil soup is.⁠
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Vegan and full of hearty grains such as rice, quinoa and lentils and flavored with smokey paprika and finished with fresh mint and bright lemon. This is what Mediterranean cooking is all about...bold, fresh flavors!⁠
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For the full recipe, head to the link in my bio and click on the photo!

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