Thursday, March 26, 2009

What's in a Vegan Pantry?


This month I have been posting recipes that are quick and easy to make with ingredients most of us have in our dry, refrigerated or freezer pantry. So today I thought I would reveal my very cramped and unorganized dry pantry. My kitchen is pretty small as are the cupboards. This is the space I have to store my dry goods.
What's in a vegan pantry? Probably similar to most other pantries. We rarely eat already prepared meals in our house, such as canned soups, chilis, frozen entrees, etc so those items are absent from my pantry. My dry pantry pretty much contains the following on a regular basis:

Baking Items (top left)

  • sugars (brown, sucanat, cane sugar, powdered sugar)
  • brown rice syrup
  • baking soda and powder
  • cocoa powder
  • vegan sprinkles
  • extracts (vanilla, almond, orange, lemon, rum)
  • agave nectar (on first shelf for easy access since it is our main sweetener)
  • hot sauce
  • tea and coffee

Misc

  • bread crumbs (usually panko)
  • wasabi powder
  • oils (coconut, olive oil, canola oil)
  • tofu
  • dried mushrooms
  • pasta (regular Barilla brand, whole wheat and soba noodles)

Canned Goods (top and bottom right)

  • Beans (Pinto, black, garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, black-eyed peas, etc)
  • Pumpkin puree
  • coconut milk
  • tomatoes (diced, crushed and whole-regular and fire roasted)

Rice and Beans (bottom left) I try to keep one bin of dry beans and one of rice but they inevitably overflow into each other

  • Rice (brown basmati and jasmine, white basmati and jasmine, wild)
  • Beans (lentils, kidney, black and garbanzo)

I keep spices in their own drawer except for a few over sized spice containers. Flours and nuts are stored in the refrigerator. I saw this interesting chart, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5401.pdf that explains how long we should keep stuff such as canned goods, spices, etc. I have to admit, I have a few spices that need to be updated!!! Maybe you do too???

2 comments:

  1. my pantry is exploding, too.

    I read your blogger profile--- R U in LA???? if so, we need to hang out!! :)

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  2. Hi Happy Hebivore! I am in LA so we do need to hang out. I just started checking out your blog recently and really like it!

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