6 Essential Ingredients For People In A Hurry

I know that with the pace of life we ​​lead and the endless work days, especially if they are split hours, many times we don’t have time to shop or cook what we really like. It is a matter of organization and priorities, but I understand that sometimes it is impossible for reasons of schedules, travel, etc.

6 basic ingredients that you should include in your shopping list

That is why I leave you a list of ingredients and basic foods to have in the pantry if you do not have much time between daily.

Plan your purchase

In public transport, in a free time or when you return home, you can do it with mobile applications, in the cloud or in a notebook that you always carry with you. This is essential to avoid wasting time when we go to buy. Write down the basics:

1. Legumes

If you are not going to be able to make them in the pot, buy cooked legumes. They are a good resource to always have protein foods on hand already cooked and ready to eat.

With jars of chickpeas you can make patés like hummus for several days, exquisite curries with vegetables in 10 minutes or less, vegetable burgers for a few days, etc.

With lentils and beans the same, you can make from pasta sauces to salads.

Remember that also some legumes such as red and peeled lentils do not need a long cooking time and can be done in a little while.

Legume curry with spinach

Ingredients for 4 servings

• ½ onion
• 1 small can of crushed tomato
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pot of cooked chickpeas, lentils or beans
• 2 cups frozen spinach, cut into pieces
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Chop the onion and put it in the pan. When it becomes translucent add the curry, crushed tomato and salt and mix well.
3. Drain and wash the legumes and add them to the saucepan or skillet. Turn up the heat a bit. Mix it well.
4. Add the spinach and coconut milk, stir and cook until creamy (about 10 minutes).

Lentil bolognese

Ingredients

• ½ onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 can of crushed tomato (half a kg)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 pot of cooked lentils

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Chop or crush the garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes.
2. Drain the lentils and add them. Let them brown for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and leave it half covered for 10 minutes. Taste it and leave it for a few more minutes if you want it tastier.

2. Vegetables that last

Zucchini, pumpkin, onions, cauliflower, romanesco, leek, potatoes, kale … are some examples of vegetables that do last a whole week at home without going bad, to use them when you can. You just have to keep them well.

Store the squash, onion, and potatoes out of the fridge (as long as they are whole and uncooked). The rest, to the refrigerator in the drawer of the vegetables.

It is very easy to prepare any dish if we have enough vegetables on hand. For example, in 5 minutes we can make cauliflower with garlic in the pan, in 10 minutes a salad with legumes and kale, and in 30 minutes a vegetable cream for several days.

Potatoes “for everything”

With this recipe you will have ready-made potatoes that you can use in any dish, brown on the grill or grill, add to stews, etc.

Ingredients

• 3 kg of small potatoes

Preparation

1. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot.
2. Wash the potatoes very well under the tap with a soft brush.
3. Cook all the potatoes together for 16-18 minutes, until they are tender. You just have to take a look at them sometime and remove them.
4. Drain them and let them cool (you can put them in cold water). Dry them and store them in a tightly closed container in the fridge.

3. Canned vegetables

Jars and cans of vegetable stew, green beans, peas, roasted peppers, peeled tomatoes, sauerkraut, baby carrots, mushrooms … Sometimes they are not the cheapest option but they are the most practical or the only option in the case of fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

These vegetables can also be used directly because they are already cooked. You just need to heat them or drain them and use them.

Homemade Russian salad

Ingredients

• 1 pot of vegetable stew
• 1 cup of sunflower oil
• 50 ml of soy milk (without sweeteners and without flavors)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• a pinch of garlic powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

Preparation

1. Drain the vegetable stew very well and leave it on absorbent kitchen paper.
2. Make the vegetable mayonnaise starting with the soy milk, salt, garlic and mustard and adding little by little, while beating, the oil.
3. Add the lemon or vinegar at the end and continue beating. Taste it and add salt if necessary. If you want a more consistent sauce, add more oil, and if you want it more liquid add more vegetable drink. You can take a look at this article I wrote about veganesas.
4. Mix the vegetable stew with the vegan we have made.
5. Store it in the fridge in a tightly closed container until you consume it. You can also add half a pot of legumes, for example chickpeas, or some roasted pepper strips.

4. Fruits that last

Bananas that are a little green, avocados, oranges, tangerines, plums, pears, apples, etc. Always have a good selection of fruits because that is just taking one or two pieces and running out of the house, or arriving very hungry and chopping an apple or a banana.

Also with some of them, like avocados, you can also make savory dishes, especially salads and sauces.

Colorful breakfast

This recipe serves you for breakfast and a snack, or mid-morning, or whatever you want, 2-3 servings come out and you will have a lot of flavors and a creamy texture without having to cook anything.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup flaked oats
• 1 cup of soy drink
• ½ apple
• 1 medium banana
• 1 tangerine
• 1 handful of dried blueberries
• a handful of raisins
• a handful of chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Mix the oatmeal with the soy drink in a bowl.
2. Wash the apple and cut it into small cubes (you can peel it first). Add it to the bowl. Cut the banana into small pieces and add it too. Break off the tangerine and add the segments. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything well. Leave it in the fridge in a tightly closed container until the next morning.

5. Nuts

In general, they do not go bad, but if possible, once purchased, store them in hermetically sealed containers to avoid rancidity.

Walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios and hazelnuts are among the most versatile, which are just as useful for a snack as for preparing a vegetable paté, a salad or a snack.

They do not need cooking and you can take them in bags before leaving home.

Quick muhammara

Ingredients

• 1 can of piquillo peppers (drained)
• 1 large handful of peeled walnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• cayenne (if you want it spicy)
• The juice of half a lemon

Preparation

1. Beat all the ingredients with the mixer until you get a creamy paté without large chunks.
2. Store it in the fridge in a tightly closed container until you use it.

6. Vegetable drinks

Preferably unsweetened and without flavors because that way we can use them in both sweet and savory dishes. The most versatile, due to their flavor, texture and nutrients, are soy drinks, so you can choose some “normal” or with calcium, always without sugar or sweeteners. Once opened they last 3-4 days in the fridge.

VEGETABLE MILK ARTICLE