Getting Stocked Up: The Quarantine Kitchen Pantry

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Hello There, Loyal Readers!

I hope all is well, where ever you all may be in the World as we are all dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Real quick and to the point of this post.

I have received a number of inquiries from the loyal fans from my various social media platforms this week. The most asked question is: “What do I have in my pantry?”

Well, I love to cook. It is my passion, and since I have been teleworking for my 9 to 5 job it has been my saving grace is that I don’t have to commute and that I can stay home and have the time to prepare meals during the week as oppose to meal planning, prepping and cooking food during the weekend to be ready for the following week.

For most home cooks, it is fairly simple, we like to keep a pantry filled mostly with canned goods and pasta and jarred vegetables. sauces and oils.

But for some of you, who may have never had to rely on a stocked pantry or just getting reacquainted with your kitchen, and you may find yourself in need a little help…..please remain calm and relax—-most food bloggers, home cooks and chefs are providing you with very sound information and advice through their social media platforms to help you get through the days of the quarantine and providing you with healthy food choices and menus as you plan for your next meals in the coming days, weeks and perhaps months.

So today, I am providing a very basic pantry list.

 Please feel free to pick and choose from this that suits your tastes and meets your dietary needs. Take a minute to take inventory of what you already have in your spice racks, cabinets, refrigerator and freezer….and if any thing is past it’s expiration date, it is time to toss it our.

The Basic Pantry Essentials:

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Lemon Roasted Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

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IMG_0443 Leon chicken skillet large

From the #Quaratine Kitchen.

This recipe is the freshest dish that you will experience during the Spring of 2020.

Using what I had in my pantry,my fridge and my freezer, this main dish came together pretty quickly. The caramelized lemons were the perfect compliment to the the chicken and artichoke hearts.  Feel free to used chicken drumsticks or a combination of chicken drumsticks and thighs. I am sure that this will  become a staple in your weekly menu rotation.

Full Disclosure: I posted this recipe in one the foodie fb groups that I belong to and it got over 200 likes and a few people tried out the recipe and it turned out quite well for them.

I hope this will work for you as well!

Enjoy!

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 lemons
4 large chicken thighs, or 8 small chicken thighs, bone-in
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, taste
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
One 8-oz jar of articchoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup white wine (Chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken broth

For Garnish:
Lemon Wedges
1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F .

Very thinly slice 1 lemon; discard any seeds. Cut the remaining lemon into quarters to give 4 wedges.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin side down and cook, letting skin render and brown, and pouring off excess fat except for about 1 teaspoon to provide for a thin coating in pan, until chicken is cooked halfway through, about 8 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add oregano sprigs, garlic, and red pepper flakes and jarred artichokes. Cook the vegertables and herbs, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and the chicken broth. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over and season sauce with salt and pepper, if desired.

Scatter the onions and half of lemon slices over the of bottom of skillet. Add the chicken back to the skillet, skin side up. Scatter the remaining lemon slices over the chicken. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil. Place the skillet to the oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through, skin is crisp and golden brown, and lemon slices on bottom of skillet are caramelized and the artichoke hearts have softened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve topped with caramelized lemon slices and garnished with lemon wedges and chop parsley, if desired.

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Chicken Lo Mein

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Did you know that March has been designated as the National “Noodle Month”?

And if you are feeling like you are running out options for take out during the COVID-19 pandemic, and you are craving something salty, something savory, but you don’t know quiet these flavors are combined into your favorite take out dish, then this easy peasy recipe is just for you. It’s Chicken Lo Mein and it is packed with oodles of noodles and veggies to keep you happy and healthy at the same time.The noodles in this dish are big on flavor without the greasey guilt that you find in most take out foods. This recipe is pretty much straight forward. It is composed of just noodles, chicken and spinach cooked in a garlicky hoisin/soy sauce and dude, it is seriously fresh!

For the most part, lo mein noodles in the ethnic foods section of most major supermarkets. However, in this quarantine kitchen pantry, I substituted the lo mein noodles with the fettuccine I had on hand. You can also use spaghetti or soba noodles. I did not have any hoisin sauce, but there was a bottle of honey barbecue sauce in the fridge, which is somewhat similar to hoisin. I am happy to report that both of these substitution worked well in this dish and it turned out just as delicious.

So, are up to honing you home cooking skills with this dish? Are you game? Ready! Set! And away we go!

 

ENJOY!

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From the Quarantine Pantry:
Soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, honey bbq sauce, fettuccine, cilantro, garlic, carrots, arugula/spinac salad mix, snow peas and chicken breasts.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the Lo Mein:

8 ounces uncooked lo mein noodles

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup snow peas

3 cups fresh spinach

1/4 bunch of cilantro sprigs, optional

DIRECTIONS:

To make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Set the sauce aside.

For the lo mein: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lo mein noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large nonstick sauté pan set over medium heat, add the olive oil and sesame oil. Once hot, add the garlic and chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked through, no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.

Add the carrots and snow peas to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, cooked noodles, chicken and prepared sauce to the pan and cook, stirring, until combined and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

To serve, place in shallow bowls and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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Hello Friends!

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you so much!

Protected by Copyscape