I don;t know about you but I love to do easy cooking from my pantry. So, when Whole Foods contacted me to see if I’d like to participate in the $50 pantry challenge with the offer of giving away a $50 gift card to one lucky reader, I loudly said YES.
Included in the challenge were a few foods that aren’t on my vegan diet such as a an of tuna and a few boxes of chicken broth but other than that, all he other foods provide the basis for great meals when paired with fresh produce.
Here are the foods on the list:
- 1 lb black beans
- 1 lb lentils
- 1 lb quinoa
- 2 lbs brown rice
- 3 (32-oz) boxes vegetable broth
- 1 (32-oz) box chicken broth
- 1 lb rolled oats
- 2 cans cannellini beans
- 1 lb orechiette pasta
- 1 lb pasta, your favorite kind
- 1 can black beans
- 1 jar unsweetened applesauce
- 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened soymilk
- 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened almond milk
- 1 (5-oz) can tuna
- 3 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 package no-oil sundried tomatoes
- 1 jar pasta sauce
Here are a few dishes that i have made with the pantry staples:
Pasta with tomato sauce, white beans and greens.
Black bean and sweet potato chili that was served over brown rice
Purple sticky rice pudding made withe the almond milk (I bought the purple sticky rice)
Shane’s Fabulous Lentil Soup which required the addition of onions, potato and carrots
And there’s much more on the horizon as I have hardly made a dent in the ingredients. I see a bean burger with oats, sundried tomato and spices in my future. A big pot of brown rice will also get cooked, with some stashed in the freezer to eat later. If the weather turns cold again, another pot of soup will surely appear.
I will randomly draw a name for the gift card at midnight on February 1st.
To be entered to win, like my Facebook page by clicking here and post a comment below (right here on this blog) with the most creative pantry dish you might make with the vegetarian ingredients listed above. (If you use the tuna or chicken broth, you are automatically disqualified.) Include the list of other ingredients you need to add to complete your dish and list your current favorite pantry meal. I hope that you can think beyond the pasta.
Have fun with this. I love pantry cooking and saving money. Of course I also save energy in the process by using my pressure cooker. Shane’s Fabulous Lentil Soup takes only 6 minutes at pressure and it’s oh so tasty.
Good luck.
ivan says
I would make tomato soup with cans diced tomatoes and no-oil sundried tomatoes and a little bit of pasta sauce in lieu of tomato sauce. I recently tried it and it was delish. I found the recipe at Laura’s at hippressurecooking.com
Lori says
I make oatmeal with almond milk and applesauce every morning. Its yummy and a fabulous way to start the day. I noticed they are all on the list.
Meredith says
Lately my family really enjoys burrito bowls, for which I’d use the black beans and brown rice. I’d also need to have some limes, cilantro (dried is fine), salt, a bit of oil, cumin, water, bell pepper, and onion. It is pretty simple stuff but so tasty and most of those things I keep around all the time anyway!
Nancy says
just was interested in the pantry challenge!
Janet says
I would make quinoa, add the drained black beans, drained tomatoes, some frozen corn (not even cooked), and make a dressing with some lime juice, garlic, little water and cilantro. It could be eaten cold or hot. Great in a lunchbox. Oh, some avocado would be nice if I had it. I usually have green chilies in my pantry, so would add those as well. thanks for the opportunity to enter your contest.
I’ve already “liked” you page on FB.