Here’s something you might not know about me:
I love grocery stores.
Seriously. When I was 15, I had double dates with my high school best friend at the local grocery store. These days, if I’ve had a tough day at work, my husband knows to ask “Should we swing by Whole Foods on the way home?” It’s a thing.
There’s something calming about wandering aimlessly through the produce section, peering at each type of protein in the meat section (for the sales - duh), and poking around for interesting additions in the pantry aisles. I rarely go to the grocery store with a list - instead, I stock up on my essentials and leave it up to that particular store to inspire my next meal. With my essentials in stock, I know I always have something to fall back on for dinner. Here are some crucial items:
Eggs
Breakfast. Breakfast for lunch. Breakfast for dinner. Scrambled eggs are the quickest 3 minute meal when you’re lazy after a work-out but should probably eat some protein. It is so versatile. Scrambled topped with aleppo pepper, fried with crispy edges and a drizzle of soy sauce, poached over some toast, steamed until its basically egg custard and mixed in with rice - the options are endless. If you’re in the mood to splurge - go for the $4 cartons (free-range, organic, pasture-raised, etc) - that deep orange yolk makes a difference when you’re making carbonara.Salad Greens
I eat a salad topped with some type of protein pretty much every day for lunch. We buy the prepackaged ones (kale, spinach, mixed greens, 50/50) in the big tub because I’m too lazy to wash/dry greens. Throw it in a smoothie. Wilt it down in a pan. Grab a handful, make some dressing, toss it all together - boom, done.Vinegar
Apple Cider. White Wine. Red Wine. Rice Wine. Balsamic. Sherry. I usually have 2-3 on hand so I have the option of switching it up. Vinegar can add a kick to anything that feels too heavy. I mainly use it for salad dressings or sauces, but use it to deglaze a pan and make a tangy pan sauce. Yum.Lemon
I grew up in Southern California with a lemon tree in my backyard. There will always be lemons in my fridge. Buy the ones that smell super lemon-y. Roll it a bit before you slice it to get the juices going. And definitely wash it well so you can use the zest.Fresh Tomatoes
I inhale tomatoes. I eat the meh ones during the winter and will gladly hand over $5 for a single farmer’s market heirloom tomato in the summer. They’re delicious in all forms: sliced for sandwiches, quartered for salads, diced for pico de gallo, roasted for .. anything - the list goes on. I even eat them whole like an apple - this was one of the first things I bonded with my father-in-law on. Tomatoes are a great veg (fruit…officially?) option to have on hand when you need something fresh.Some sort of fresh herb
Fresh herbs are a great addition to most dishes. I usually lean towards parsley or dill (and cilantro only sparingly since my husband thinks it tastes like soap). Sprinkle it on veggies, pasta, fish. Whiz it up for salsa verde or chimichurri. Or buy two giant bunches, chop it up, throw some bulgur wheat in it and make yourself some tabbouleh that can feed you for a week. I can never use up the individual $1.99 herb packages in time before it goes bad so see if they have a “poultry mix”. It’s a few sprigs of sage, rosemary, and thyme each - a reasonable amount and you don’t feel like you’re wasting produce.Canned Whole Tomatoes
Can you tell I love tomatoes? You can always find 1-2 cans of whole tomatoes in my pantry. Use them for soups, chili, stews, pasta sauces - you name it. When there’s nothing to eat in the house, make a quick sauce with some onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then toss it with some pasta. If you can, buy the canned whole plum tomatoes. The lesser-than tomatoes get sent to the “chopped” or “crushed” tomato cans. The whole ones usually break down during the cooking process and if they don’t - bash them with a wooden spoon. Or just blitz it in a blender before you use it.A Chocolate Bar
Preferably dark chocolate - at least 70%. Keep it in the fridge so it’s cold. Hide it in a different spot every time you sneak a square so it’s always a treat. And if you’re feeling fancy, use a microplane and shave it over red berries for dessert.