Author: Susanne at Dish With Me
GARLIC
I have already mentioned garlic, but it bares repeating…
When I list fresh garlic in my recipes, I mean just that. Bulbs (pods) of fresh garlic from the produce section of your market with individual cloves that must be peeled. FRESH! I will NEVER mean the crappy chopped garlic in the jar. I promise you it makes a difference.
BUTTER
When I list butter in a recipe, I will NEVER mean margarine! I always mean real butter, creamy butter, rich butter made from heavy whipping cream. REAL BUTTER. PERIOD. As in real butter on bread slathered with my Roasted Garlic recipe. That is all…
EVOO
I really thought everybody already knew this, but, apparently not, because I gave someone a recipe and they asked me what EVOO is. So, EVOO stands for extra virgin olive oil, like in my Fresh Everything But The Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad recipe. There you have it.
STORE BOUGHT ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
Why not take a helping hand? A store bought cooked rotisserie chicken is not only very versatile, but also gives a recipe another layer of flavor. Besides being able to enjoy it for a meal or snack as is, a store bought rotisserie chicken can be used in almost unlimited ways. Various kinds of soups, sandwiches, tacos, barbeque, paninis, wraps, various salads, I could keep going. Many of my recipes will list a rotisserie chicken as an ingredient.
CAVENDER’S SEASONING BLEND
I don’t just buy a little container of this stuff at the grocery store…I order a pound tub of it on Amazon! I use this stuff on a very regular basis. It goes well in all sorts of different dishes. LOVE it on grilled meats, but also use it in things like spaghetti, meatballs, some salads, vegetable dishes, etc.. Once you use this stuff, you’ll never want to stop.
ORRINGTON FARMS BROTH BASE & SEASONING
I have used plenty of different bouillon cubes and powders, but, for me, none compare to these savory additions. I use them in many of my recipes and always have containers of beef, chicken and vegetable in my spice cabinet. I swear the contain magical properties! I cant find these at my local grocery store, so I order them on Amazon as well.
DILL
Ahhh, dill weed! One of my favorites. This delightful herb/spice is more versatile than you may realize. Not only is it good in pickles and pickled things, but, also, on fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes, in hollandaise sauce, tartar sauce, creamy dilled cucumbers, salmon cakes and more.
CHICKEN SALT
Funny name, but delicious on French fries. Try it!
S&P
First of all, salt & pepper are ALWAYS to taste. Your taste. No matter what my recipe says! I exclusively use Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Kosher salt has coarse grains, instead of fine grains like table salt. The coarse grains of Kosher salt season food in a gentler way than table salt, if that makes any sense. So, in essence Kosher salt enhances the flavor of foods rather than making it salty tasting. I use Diamond Crystal brand.
As for pepper, I haven’t used regular pre-ground pepper in years. Once you get used to freshly ground pepper, the flavor of the other pepper just won’t do. So, when I call for pepper in a recipe, I will specify how many grinds I use.
COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE
Hey, I LOVE to cook, but everybody needs a night off, right. So, why not cook once and eat twice…or more? Not only does that save time, but, also, money. Win-win. And, NO, that doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing for two or three nights. It just takes a little imagination. So, let’s say that you’ve enjoyed chili one night for dinner. The next night, you could make a chili Frito pie. Same same, but different! Have something entirely different the next night and, if you still have chili left make chili dogs. Same goes for other meals…many can be converted.
KITCHEN/PANTRY ITEMS
I will be producing a separate list of items I feel are essential or will be helpful to have on hand in your kitchen, so that you are able to whip something yummy up at any given time.
** Please note that I will NEVER recommend products that I have not personally used and liked or loved.