Recent Kitchen Staples

Happy Holidays everyone. Things have been busy around here and our days have been filled with family, friends, good food and lots of laughter. It has been an amazing couple of weeks.

I realized recently that even though I haven’t been as active in the kitchen, there are definitely some weekly must-haves that I use to whip together simple dinners and tasty packed lunches.

Roasted Veggies

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with roasted vegetables and they have become a staple in my kitchen. Chop whatever is on hand (brussels sprouts are a must for me!), toss with salt, pepper and olive oil and then pop them into the oven for 40-45 minutes at 425. Mmmmmm. They make the perfect salad topper, and addition to pasta or soup or a casserole. The options are endless in my opinion.

Vegetable Purees

I have so much summer squash and zucchini puree for baby Z, that I’ve started adding a serving to everything. You name it, I’ve added. (Chili, soup, pasta, lasagna, casserole, etc) It’s amazing and helps our family get those veggies into our diet. So even if you don’t have a toothless little around, I highly recommend keeping some pureed veggies on hand.

Kitchen helper

She is quite the entertainer.

Spinach

This is a no brainer, but I always have a huge container of spinach on hand. I add spinach to the base of pasta, chili, rice, etc. It is also my to-go lunch especially with my roasted veggies.

Hummus

We have a Costco membership which allows me to purchase the largest container or hummus I’ve ever seen. Hummus is a perfect salad dressing, sandwich condiment or afternoon snack. I’ve been eating my weight in hummus lately now that EJ is gone for dinnertime. Hummus + Cheese + Tortilla Wrap + Panini Press = Heaven

And there you have it, my recent kitchen must haves. Basic and simple but oh so tasty. I’m embarrassed to admit how many dinners I’ve eaten recently that include ALL of the ingredients listed above.

Happy New Year to all! 2011 was amazing but I’m excited for all that is to come in 2012.

Advertisement