If you cook, you know that a well-stocked pantry makes the job a whole lot easier and more convenient. But keeping enough rice, beans and pasta on hand for quickie weeknight meals is one thing; making them sparkle is another. My latest column delves into the secrets to leveling up those pantry dinners, and to go with it I created three new pantry recipes. Even if life is too crazy to get to the store, you still deserve an excellent dinner.
My fiery take on a cheesy bean bake laced with chile crisp will get you there; so will this fragrant one-pot ground turkey and rice. Yogurt-feta pasta with frozen spinach throws some vivid greens in the mix (don’t forget: The freezer is part of your pantry). Be sure to read the comments on the article, where readers have shouted out their favorite pantry dinners. There’s loads of unbeatable inspo. Feel free to add yours, or send it to me directly at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. I always love hearing from you, even if I can’t reply to every message.
Featured Recipe
Cheesy Chile Crisp White Beans
If you have shrimp in the freezer and gochujang (or another chile paste, such as harissa or Sriracha) in the cupboard, you’re almost halfway to Alexa Weibel’s speedy gochujang shrimp pasta. Using only five ingredients, Lex has managed to coax beguiling flavors out of each one, making this a vibrant meal to put on repeat.
Miso is one pantry essential that lends maximal flavor for the minimal effort of opening the package. Why not take Andy Baraghani’s suggestion and add a spoonful or two next time you pan-sear some cabbage wedges? In fact, since heads of green cabbage keep forever in the fridge, they qualify as another pantry staple, one that’s often overlooked. Combined with white miso and a squeeze of lemon, they make a tangy, umami-rich vegetable dish for your dinner table.
For more autumnal vegetables, this time stewed till saucy and rich, Carolina Gelen’s lecsó is a traditional Hungarian recipe for softly simmered onions, peppers and tomatoes spiked with sweet paprika and a dash of cayenne. Serve it with fried or scrambled eggs, or perhaps Yasmin Fahr’s feta-strewn roasted squash and spinach salad for a meatless and supremely comforting cool-weather meal.
I’ll leave you with Samantha Senevirante’s new recipe for coconut almond blondies, a nubby, crunchy twist on the usual chewy bar cookie — like an Almond Joy, but spiked with caramelized brown sugar and salted, roasted almonds. Sam calls for chopped bittersweet chocolate to be sprinkled on top, but I could see using milk chocolate for a slightly creamier treat.
Naturally, you’ll want to subscribe to get all the recipes at New York Times Cooking (thanks to you if you already do). If you need any technical assistance, you can send an email to the genius minds at cookingcare@nytimes.com.
Lidey Heuck is at the ready with this week’s one-pot recipe — her smoky fish with tomato, olives and couscous. Made with any kind of white, flaky fish fillets and pearl couscous, it all gets seasoned with anchovies, smoked paprika and garlic and simmered in white wine and tomatoes until fragrant and very hearty: a weeknight meal with charm to spare.
The post Melissa Explains It All (About Pantry Dinners) appeared first on New York Times.
