Shop Your Pantry, Refrigerator & Freezer First

Frugal cooks know that there are three great ways to save money on groceries. First, don't waste food, use up what's on hand. Second, before making a grocery list, 'shop' from your pantry. Third, stock up on ingredients when prices are good. All three tricks require an easy way to take advantage of specific ingredients. This page is especially designed to help home cooks easily find much-tested, trusted recipes for common cooking ingredients -- including ingredients commonly accepted as super foods -- especially those with short shelf lives most at risk of going to waste. Happy shopping!

---

Agave

Agave is the 'sweetener du jour', professed to be 'sweeter' than honey (so you can use less), to have a lower glycemic index (so preferred by diabetics, carb watchers and others who wish to control their glucose intake) and plant-based (so vegan) and less processed (compared to granulated sugar, say). On the downside, it is more expensive than honey and for most of us, travels many miles to reach our cupboards. The best price seems to be a Trader Joe's though you won't find it next to the honey, instead, next to the stevia, another natural sweetener. Use agave when honey is called for, usually using three-quarters of the amount of honey that's called for.

Chameleon Ice Cream
Estonian Apple Cake
Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Skillet Cornbread
Sugar-Free Chai Tea

Favorite Recipes with Agave from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Bok Choy Salad with Chinese Salad Dressing
Oil & Honey Dressing for Salad Greens

---

Apples
SWEET
American Apple Pie
Apple Cranberry Compote
Apple Yogurt Salad
Baked Apples
Cinnamon Apples
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Cranberry Apple Pie
Cranberry Applesauce
Dutch Apple Puff
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Estonian Apple Cake
Homemade Applesauce
My Perfect (Unsweet, Unboozy) Sangria
Winter Fruit Salad

SAVORY
Chicken Cider Stew
Mashed Rutabagas & Apples
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Swiss Muesli
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut

---

Apple Cider

In the fall, pick up a jug of apple cider, preferably unpasteurized from a farm stand somewhere. Over a few weeks, it will change in character, ripening, developing a real 'zing'. Good stuff!

APPLE CIDER - SWEET
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Apple Cranberry Compote
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Swiss Muesli

APPLE CIDER - SAVORY
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken with Creamy Cider Gravy
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut

---

Apricots
FRESH APRICOTS
Fresh Apricot Bars

OTHER APRICOTS (dried apricots, apricot juice, canned apricots, etc.)
Cranberry Chutney
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Swiss Muesli
Winter Stew

---

Artichokes

Favorite Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
How to Cook Artichokes in the Microwave
Spinach & Artichoke Gratin
Stuffed Artichokes
More Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Asparagus

THIN OR FAT? Thin tapers of asparagus are much ballyhooed but the fat spears are my favorite, especially for roasting. CLEAN WELL Rinse fresh asparagus well, especially the tips which can collect grit. HOW TO SNAP OFF THE WOODY ENDS Most recipes call for 'snapping off the woody ends' -- this means to bend the spear near its base, it will find its natural breaking point. Save the ends for asparagus soup! PEEL OR NOT TO PEEL? I've learned to check the skins, if they're fibrous, it pays to skim them off with a vegetable peeler before cooking.

Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Asparagus Custard Tart
Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup
Finnish Summer Soup
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Lemon Asparagus
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus

Favorite Asparagus Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad
Lemon Lovers’ Roasted Asparagus
Party Asparagus with Aioli (especially good for buffets)
Roasted Asparagus with Feta
More Asparagus Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables

---

Avocadoes
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Fruity Gazpacho
Tropical Salad Supper

Favorite Avocado Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Homemade Cobb Salad
Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos (only Weight Watchers 1 point for 1/4 cup)
Spring & Summer Sliced Salad
More Avocado Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Bacon
How to Make Homemade Bacon Bits & Render Bacon Fat

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Baked Bacon
Balkan Sausage Stew
BLT Pasta Salad
Calico Beans
Cauliflower Risotto
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken Sybil
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Saturday Soup
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

---

Bananas

VERY VERY RIPE BANANAS For baking, bananas will add luscious banana flavor only if they are very, very, very ripe. How ripe? See these photos of ripe bananas.
NO RIPE BANANAS? Try sautéeing banana chunks in butter, see Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting for details.

BANANAS - SWEET
Banana Floats
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Chameleon Ice Cream (Chocolate Banana Ice Cream)
Cheery Cherry Banana Bread
Shhh Banana Bread
Stovetop Oatmeal with Whipped Banana
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble
Swiss Muesli
Winter Fruit Salad

BANANAS - SAVORY
Asian Chicken Salad
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Tropical Salad Supper

---

Beets
Beet Röesti with Rosemary
Borscht Beets with Sour Cream
Karelian Borscht
Those Pink Potatoes

Favorite Beet Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Pesto
Beets with Feta
My Favorite Way to Roast Beets
Swedish Beets

More Beet Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Bell Peppers

Stock up on bell peppers in the early fall when they're especiallly plentiful and inexpensive, especially at the farmers market.

BELL PEPPERS as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Grilled Pepper Salad
Pied Piper Pepper Pickles
Red Pepper Crostini
Red & Yellow Pepper Relish
Warm Pepper Salad

Favorite Recipes Starring Bell Peppers from A Veggie Venture,
my food blog about vegetables
How to Roast Peppers in the Oven
Fresh Tomato & Basil Stuffed Peppers
Grilled Pepper & Tomato Salad
Stuffed Peppers
Peperonata with Potatoes
More Bell Pepper Recipes from A Veggie Venture

APPETIZERS
Herbed Goat Cheese

SALADS
Bloody Mary Salad
Confetti Potato Salad
Cucumber & Pepper Refrigerator Pickles
Holy Slaw!
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad
Wild Rice Salad

SIDE DISHES
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Ratatouille

MAIN DISHES
Asian Chicken Salad
Balkan Sausage Stew
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Chicken Cacciatore
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Pork Chops & Rice Oven Dinner
Ratatouille Omelettes
Sweet ‘n’ Hot Chicken
Tiapinno (Ciopinno) - Herbed Fish Stew
Tin Foil Chicken & Veggies
Tropical Salad Supper
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

SOUPS
Fruity Gazpacho
Lemon Turkey Noodle Soup
My Sister's Recipe for Crockpot Chili
White Chicken Chili

---

Blackberries & Raspberries

Fresh blackberries and fresh raspberries are often interchangeable, though blackberries often have more seeds and need more sweetener. I often buy them frozen at Trader Joe's.

FRESH BLACKBERRIES and / or FRESH RASPERRIES
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Iowa-Style Shortcake
Summer Berry Pie
Summer Fruit Salad

FROZEN BLACKBERRIES or FROZEN RASPBERRIES
Baby Back Ribs

---

Blueberries
FRESH BLUEBERRIES
Blueberry Salsa
Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart
Finnish Fruit Tart
Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake
Peach Blueberry Cake
Peacherry Blues
Raspberry (or Blueberry) Morning Cake
Summer Berry Pie

FROZEN BLUEBERRIES
Blueberry Galette

DRIED BLUEBERRIES
Buffalo Ragout

---

Bread

These recipes use bread that's already been baked, especially 'stale bread' that might otherwise go to waste. If you'd like to make homemade bread, check the homemade bread recipes.

BREAD - SWEET
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Pumpkin Bread Pudding

BREAD - SAVORY
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Fried Bread
Gashouse Eggs
Mom's Roast Chicken
Panzanella
Spring Stuffing

---

Broccoli
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickenpeas & Lemon
Date-Night Chicken
Finnish Summer Soup
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli

Favorite Broccoli Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Never-the-Same Steamed Broccoli
Perfect Pan-Fried Broccoli
Tomato & Zucchini Salad

More Broccoli Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Brussels Sprouts
Marinated Brussels Sprouts

Favorite Brussels Sprouts Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Braised Brussels Sprouts
Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels Sprouts

More Brussels Sprouts Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Buckwheat

WHAT IS BUCKWHEAT? Buckwheat is one of the world's most healthful grains. In the U.S., it's often inaccurately called 'kashi'. (More about buckwheat.)

Favorite Buckwheat Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Buckwheat with Mushrooms & Carrots

---

Butter

Salted vs Unsalted Butter Kitchen Parade recipes usually call for unsalted butter, which lets us, the cooks, control how much salt to add, especially important for baked goods. That said, in recent years, I've begun to use salted butter again with great results, especially for older recipes, when salted butter was all that was available.

My favorite butter All Kitchen Parade recipes are tested with my favorite butter, Land O' Lakes, both salted and unsalted, which has 80% butterfat. I rarely use European-style butters, which typically have a higher butter-fat content (usually 82%) and are more expensive. For baking, I never use butter from Sam's Club, say, which has a lower butter-fat content.

How to soften butter Place a wrapped stick (not a whole box) on a plate and leave it at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes. If you cut it into chunks and separate them, the butter will soften in about 15 minutes. To test if the butter is soft enough -- but not too soft -- for baking, press the tip of your finger into the butter. If you're slightly obsessive about this stuff, the proper temperature for creaming butter is 65F - 67F.

How to to soften or melt butter in the microwave Cut a stick into pieces and place in a small microwave-safe dish. Mike for five seconds at a time, until the butter is softened or melted. This technique is not recommended for softening butter to room temperature unless the recipe specifies.

Butter equivalents A stick of butter weighs 1/4 pound and is equivalent to a half cup (eight tablespoons) of butter. Four sticks of butter is a pound of butter.

Can butter be frozen? When butter is on sale, stock up! It can be frozen, making a batch of cookies just a few minutes away.

Anyone having trouble with butter may find this 2008 article useful 'Butter Holds the Secret to Cookies That Sing'.

---

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is must-have ingredient for baking. It's slightly acidic, so helps break down the gluten from flour. This makes pancakes fluffier, muffins more tender and cakes slightly 'tangy'. For a dieter, buttermilk does all this with just a few calories! For a frugal cook, it does all this for low cost. For a thrifty cook, it does all this and lasts for weeks. Good stuff, buttermilk!

The buttermilk product found in the U.S. is a 'cultured' buttermilk, akin to yogurt. Cooks from other countries have access to old-fashioned, churned buttermilk, a thin, slightly acidic liquid left over after churning butter from full-cream milk. The two are not interchangeable.

Kitchen Parade recipes have been tested with cultured buttermilk. A ready substitute is made by 'souring' milk. Just place a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup, then add milk to measure one cup in total.

Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing
Cheery Cherry Banana Bread
Cheese Puffs (Gougère)
Chocolate Cinnamon Whipped Cream Cake
Five-Week Bran Muffins
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Lavosh (Armenian Cracker Bread)
My Mom's Pancake Recipe
(Quick) Brown Bread
Raspberry Morning Cake
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Shhh Banana Bread
Skillet Cornbread
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Whole-wheat Soda Bread

Favorite Buttermilk Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing

---

Cabbage
See also Sauerkraut.

GREEN CABBAGE
Alice Waters’ Coleslaw
Caraway Cabbage
Caraway Corned Beef
Colcannon
Holy Slaw!
Winter Stew

RED CABBAGE
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Karelian Borscht

NAPA CABBAGE
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Tropical Salad Supper

Favorite Cabbage Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cabbage Roses
Cabbage & White Bean Stew
Swedish Red Cabbage

More Cabbage Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Capers

What are capers? [KAY-pers] Capers are one of my very favorite pantry items because they add a touch of piquancy and a bite of saltniness to so many dishes. Capers are actually the flower buds of bushes found in the Mediterranean and Asia. The buds are sun-dried and pickled in a salty brine. Some capers are tiny, others are as large as a small grape. Many recipes suggest rinsing capers before using, I don't find this necessary.

Caper Chops with Curried Carrots
Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs
Chicken Sybil
Herbed Goat Cheese
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Panzanella
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Red Pepper Crostini
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Warm Pepper Salad
Warm Potato Salad

Favorite Recipes with Capers from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Carpaccio
Caponata - Sicilian Eggplant
Summer Lentils

---

Carrots

BABY CARROTS vs WHOLE CARROTS For eating out of the hand, 'baby' carrots are great. But for cooking, 'baby' carrots have no flavor and in fact, are not even baby carrots. (They are huge carrots, shaped into small carrot bullets.) If you can manage the two or three minutes it takes to peel whole carrots, it's worth it. In fact, unless the skins are tough, I often skip peeling carrots entirely.

CARROTS as a MAIN INGREDIENT
Butter-Simmered Carrots
Cumin Carrot Fries
Curried Carrots
Honey Carrots
Laura's Carrot Soup
Mashed Potatoes & Carrots

SIDE DISHES & SALADS
Bloody Mary Salad
Curried Rice
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Holy Slaw!
Light Vegetable Stock
New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad

MAIN DISHES
Caraway Corned Beef
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Emerald Isle Stew
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Squash & Carrot Stew
Sweet 'n' Hot Chicken
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

SOUPS
Finnish Summer Soup
Karelian Borscht
Lemon Turkey Noodle Soup
Lentil Soup Vincent
Low-Fat Vegetable Soup
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Plant Sale Soup
Salmon Chowder
Scandinavian Pea Soup

Favorite Carrot Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Cowboy Coleslaw
Creamy Carrot Purée
Roasted Carrots & Mushrooms with Thyme
"Wonderful" Glazed Turnips & Carrots
More Carrot Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Cauliflower
Cauliflower Risotto
Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs
Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes'
Quick Cauliflower Soup
Roasted Cauliflower

Favorite Cauliflower Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Cream
Cauliflower Spanish 'Rice'
Cauliflower Tomato Medley
Curried Cauliflower
One-Skillet Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
More Cauliflower Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Cheese
See Cheddar Feta Parmesan Other Cheeses
See Cream Cheese Goat Cheese

Cheddar Cheese
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Cheddar-Olive Spread
Cheese Gnocchi Pie
Cheese Sauce
Date-Night Chicken
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli

Favorite Cheddar Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup
Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese
One-Skillet Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Zucchini with Tomatoes & Cheddar

Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a particular favorite since it's strong-flavored but has fewer calories than other cheeses. Do try to purchase it in bricks, not crumbles, it's fresher and still more flavorful.

Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil
Chicken Greek Salad
Greek Feta Chicken
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Favorite Feta Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beets with Feta
Feta Stuffed Zucchini
Roasted Asparagus with Feta
Spinach & Feta Quiche
More Recipes for Vegetables with Cheese from A Veggie Venture

Parmesan

Be sure to save bits of Parmesan rind, too. Just toss them into a pot of soup to add richness and flavor.

Asparagus Custard Tart
Basil-Cream Cheese Dip
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickenpeas & Lemon
Cauliflower Risotto
Cheese Gnocchi Pie
Cheese Puffs
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Parmesan Chicken
Parmesan Crisps
Plant Sale Soup
Ratatouille
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Spinach Puffs
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Those Pink Potatoes
Winter Pesto with Pasta

Other Cheeses
GRUYÈRE Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
IMPERIAL CHEESE (hard-pack cheddar) Cheese Puffs
QUESO FRESCO Chilaquiles

---

Cherries
FRESH CHERRIES (or frozen cherries)
Finnish Fruit Tart
Peacherry Blues

OTHER CHERRIES (dried cherries, maraschino cherries)
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Cheery Cherry Banana Bread

Favorite Cherry Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Tomato & Cherry Gazpacho

---

Chocolate
SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE, BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE & UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
Chocolate Decadence
Chocolate Mint Ice Cream
Fudgicles
Gourmet Mocha Cookies
Graham Cracker Toffee
Mocha Morsels
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Perfect M&M Cookies
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble
Vanilla Brownies
Walnut Chocolate Cake

COCOA POWDER

Cocoa powder is one of my favorite pantry ingredients because unlike chocolate chips and chocolate bars, there's no snacking on it during a hungry moment! When cocoa powder is called for in Kitchen Parade recipes, it is always the 'natural' unsweetened cocoa powder -- not the sweet cocoa used for a 'hot chocolate mix'. I'm especially fond of the Hersheys Dark which is a 'Dutch processed' cocoa powder with deep color and an intense chocolate flavor.

I generally keep both natural unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch-processed unsweetened powder in the pantry because they are shelf stable and recipes often specify one or the other, due to different leavening requirements. But one can be easily substituted for the other -- just use these substitution guidelines:

To make Dutch-processed cocoa - Mix 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.

To make natural unsweetened cocoa - Mix 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa with 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or vinegar.

Chocolate Chili
Chocolate-Cinnamon Sugar
Chocolate Cinnamon Whipped Cream Cake
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
Frosty Christmas Trees
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding
Two-Bite Brownies

---

Cilantro

To keep cilantro fresh, rinse it well, then stick the whole bunch, stems down, into a cup with about an inch of water and store in the refrigerator; if needed, freshen the water every couple of days.

---

Coconut
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Gum Drop Cookies
Gold Cookies

---

Coconut Milk
Cashew Chicken Curry
Coconut Ice Cream
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry

---

Corn
FRESH CORN
Fresh Creamed Corn
Mini Crab Bites
Sengalese Soup

FROZEN or CANNED CORN
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Salmon Chowder
White Chicken Chili

CORNMEAL - see cornmeal recipes

Favorite Corn Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Grilled Sweet Corn
Raw Corn Chowder
Summer Vegetable Stew

More Corn Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Cornmeal

Cornmeal is field corn -- dried and ground -- so qualifies as a 'vegetable' especially if the more healthful full-kernel coarse stone-ground cornmeal is used. That said, some recipes really need the finer texture of a degerminated yellow cornmeal so I keep both on hand. Stone-ground cornmeal should be kept in the freezer so that it doesn't go rancid. If you really love cornbread, you'll not want to miss The Cornbread Gospels.

STONE-GROUND CORNMEAL
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Buffalo Ragout
Skillet Cornbread

YELLOW CORNMEAL
Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad
Fresh Creamed Corn
Fried Okra (Garden Popcorn)
No-Knead English Muffin Bread
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Favorite Cornmeal Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Pumpkin Cornbread
Sweet Cornbread
More Cornmeal Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Cranberries
FRESH CRANBERRIES
Apple Cranberry Compote
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Cranberry Apple Pie
Cranberry Applesauce
Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry Ginger Relish
Cranberry Pudding
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies

DRIED CRANBERRIES
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Cranberry-Mac Morsels
Festive Holiday Salad
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Swiss Muesli
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

OTHER CRANBERRY PRODUCTS - Cranberry Juice, Canned Cranberries
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Cranberry Orange Spread
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Cranberry Sauce

---

Cream Cheese

WHAT KIND OF CREAM CHEESE SHOULD I BUY? Three kinds of cream cheese are easily found. The best-known is full-fat cream cheese, 100 calories per ounce (Weight Watchers 2 points). My favorite -- there's no telling the difference -- is the reduced-fat cream cheese often called 'Neufchatel', 70 calories per ounce (Weight Watchers 1 point). Avoid using non-fat cream cheese, despite its 30 calories per ounce (Weight Watchers 0 points), as it is gummy and watery.

Basil-Cream Cheese Dip
Chilaquiles
Cranberry Orange Spread
Cream Cheese-Chutney Spread
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart
Easy Radish Spread
Molasses Ice Cream
Peach Appetizer
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Strawberry Ice Cream
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad

---

Canned & Dried Beans
PRECOOKED & CANNED
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickenpeas & Lemon
Calico Beans
Chicken Nachos
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Plant Sale Soup
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Simple Hummus
White Chicken Chili

UNCOOKED
Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans - my favorite way to cook dried beans
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup
My Sister's Recipe for Crockpot Chili
Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup
Scandinavian Pea Soup

Favorite Recipes using Canned & Dried Beans from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
15-Bean Soup
Chipotle Chickpea Salad
Cabbage & White Bean Stew
More Recipes using Canned & Dried Beans from A Veggie Venture

---

Currants & Raisins

Currants and raisins are interchangeable. That said, I prefer currants because they are smaller (and thus a smaller quantity distributes more easily) and slightly less sweet.

CURRANTS & RAISINS
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Butter Tart Bars
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Cranberry Apple Pie
Fat Rascals
Five-Week Bran Muffins
Hot Cross Buns
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(Quick) Brown Bread
Swiss Muesli
Tropical Salad Supper

GOLDEN RAISINS
Cranberry Chutney
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Rhubarb Chutney
Winter Stew

---

Cucumber
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Bloody Mary Salad
Chicken Greek Salad
Cucumber & Pepper Refrigerator Pickles
Fruity Gazpacho
Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream
New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad
Panzanella
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad

Favorite Cucumber Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Julia Child's Cucumber Salad
Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad
Old Liz's Cucumber Salad
More Cucumber Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Egg Whites
Whole-wheat Soda Bread (2 egg whites)
Skillet Cornbread (2)

---

Egg Yolks
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream (4 egg yolks)
Coffee Pots & Lemon Pots (5)
Crème Anglaise (2)
Gold Cookies (4)
Herbed Goat Cheese (3)
Lavender Crème Brûlée (2)
Mom's Roast Chicken (1)

---

Cooked Eggs
How to make Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing (2 cooked eggs)
Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs (5 cooked eggs)

Favorites from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asparagus Scallion Salad (1 cooked egg)
Beet Carpaccio (1)
Homemade Cobb Salad (1/2 per serving)
Insalata di Finocchio aka Fennel Salad (4)
Mom’s Potato Salad (3)
Steamed Leeks with Chopped Egg (1)

See also Cooked Egg Recipes, a collection of recipes from Kitchen Parade, A Veggie Venture and my fellow food bloggers

---

Eggplant
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry
Moroccan Chicken
Ratatouille
Ratatouille Omelettes

Favorite Eggplant Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baba Ganoush
Brushed Eggplant
Caponata - Sicilian Eggplant
Eggplant Steaks
Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Honey Syrup
Roasted Baby Eggplant Halves with Herbs
More Eggplant Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Farro

WHAT IS FARRO? Farro is a natural grain that once cooked, is nutty in flavor and slightly chewy in texture. It is also called 'emmer wheat' and is much-appreciated in Italian cuisine. I use the 'pearled' or 'semi-pearled' farro where some of the husk is removed so it cooks more quickly.

Favorite Farro Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Farro with Beet Greens
Farro with Asparagus & Green Onion Sauce

---

Flour

FLUFF TO AERATE BEFORE MEASURING This is my favorite baking trick! Always fluff flour before measuring it. You see, when flour sits, it settles. As you stir the flour for just a few seconds, you'll add air and actually feel it lighten. By fluffing the flour first, you'll use as much as 25% less flour, by weight. The result is that all your baked goods will turn out noticeably lighter -- pancakes, muffins, cakes and cookies. I keep a spoon right in the flour canister, so I never forget and rarely, rarely get out the flour sifter, which performs much the same function. It's a miracle tip! Try it yourself, then pass it on to a friend!

Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of flour.

• All-Purpose Flour - Often called 'white flour' or just plain 'flour', all-purpose flour is a low-gluten wheat flour and often the only flour found in home pantries. However, all-purpose flour is milled without the germ and the bran, so has less fiber and fewer nutrients than whole-grain flours. In the U.S., all-purpose flour is enriched with vitamins and minerals by law. To incorporate more whole grains into our diets, many home cooks now substitute as much as half whole-wheat flour for all-purpose flour. My favorite all-purpose flour is Pillsbury but I use others, as well, especially if on sale.
• Whole Wheat Flour - Is a heavy, high-gluten and full-flavored flour. Typically, about 1/4 to 1/2 of all-purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour. I buy ground-yesterday whole wheat flour at Great Harvest Bakery and store it in the freezer to keep it fresh.
• 100% White Whole Wheat Flour - Is a relatively new product, a whole-grain flour milled with the idea that it can be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose flour. However, my own experience is that this flour (the King Arthur brand, anyway, which is found in many supermarkets) cannot be substituted 1:1.
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour -
• Bread Flour - Is unbleached and especially milled for high-gluten content and is primarily used for yeast breads, especially rustic breads where some heft is desirable.
• Cake Flour - Has a silky texture and is often specified for fine-crumbs cakes and baked goods.
• Arrowroot Flour - A fine powder made from the stalks of the arrowroot plant, arrowroot is used as a tasteless and easily digestible thickening agent. Diabetics often use arrowroot instead of flour or cornstarch to thicken stews and soups. It should be mixed in very late in the cooking process, as heat tends to break down its thickening capabilities. In small jars in the spice section, arrowroot is very pricey; instead, find it in large bags at Whole Foods in the flour aisle.

---

Garlic

FRESH GARLIC vs JARS For everyday cooking, I use jars of chopped garlic purchased inexpensively from a small Asian market, worth their weight in gold.
GARLIC PRESS For fresh garlic, I often use a garlic press.

GARLIC BASICS
How (and Why) to Grow Garlic at Home from A Veggie Venture
How to Roast Garlic from A Veggie Venture

---

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese has a lovely piquancy. It can be expensive so for every day, I use big logs of less-expensive goat cheese from Sam's Club or Trader Joe's -- or for a quick substitute, use cream cheese. Good news: goat cheese can be frozen, it need never go to waste.

Cranberry Orange Spread
Herbed Goat Cheese
Peach Appetizer
Rapini Panini
Toasted Goat Cheese

---

Graham Crackers

I love to keep graham cracker crumbs on hand, one of the very few 'convenience foods' that I rely on. Why? The obvious: with graham cracker crumbs, you've got a quick pie crust in 5 minutes. The less obvious reason? If a box of graham crackers were on hand, it would tempt and tantalize me. Some night, I'd have a snack attack and eat a whole package. A box of crumbs? It's just a box of crumbs.

Cottage Cheese Pie
Graham Cracker Crust
Graham Cracker Toffee
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

---

Grapes
Asian Chicken Salad
Fruity Gazpacho
Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Roasted Pear Salad
Winter Fruit Salad

---

Green Beans

The trick, I've learned, to cooking green beans is to make sure they'e cooked in a lot of water with plenty of salt. Per pound of green beans, use two quarts of water and one tablespoon of table salt. It makes a world of difference! Watch for flat 'Romano beans' at the farmers market -- they're especially tender and delicious!

FRESH GREEN BEANS
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole

OTHER GREEN BEANS (frozen, preferred, or canned)
Plant Sale Soup

Favorite Green Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog (oh so many favorites, there but here are a few!)
"Best Ever" New Potatoes & Green Beans
Fresh Three-Bean Salad
Green Beans with Mayo & Soy Sauce
World's Best Green Bean Casserole

More Green Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Italian dressing

While I will always encourage home cooks to Never Buy Salad Dressing Again, at the same time, a bottle of Italian salad dressing can be helpful to have around. I nearly always use the non-fat house brand, it works like a charm.

Easy Easy Grilled Mushroom Appetizer
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables

Favorite Recipes with Italian Dressing from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Tomato & Zucchini Salad

---

Ketchup

Believe it or not, ketchup is a quick and inexpensive way to add instant flavor to a dish. Check the label, however, for many favorite ketchups include high-fructose corn syrup.

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Berry Baby Backs
Calico Beans
Chicken Cider Stew
Lentil Soup Vincent
Minnesota Sloppy Joes

Favorite Recipes with Ketchup from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Five-Minute Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Thousand Island Dressing

---

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens (those are the greens like kale, mustard greens, beet greens, spinach, collard greens, turnips greens along with the leafy lettuces such as red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce) are some of the most healthful foods and most of us, me included, don't eat enough of them.

Leafy greens should be washed well before cooking or eating. Rinse the leaves under running water, wiping the leaves with your fingers; or let the greens soak for a few minutes in cool water, then 'swoosh' around and rinse thoroughly. To know if the greens are free of grit, eat a leaf!

ANY GREEN
Ontario Greens with Sour Cream

KALE
Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup

SPINACH - see Spinach

Favorite Leafy Green Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Braised Collard Greens
Greek Greens
Greens 'n' All Beet Soup

More Recipes for Leafy Greens from A Veggie Venture

---

Leeks
How to Clean Leeks

Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Cauliflower Risotto
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Scandinavian Pea Soup
Spring Stuffing
Vichyssoise
Winter Tomato Soup

Favorite Leek Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Leek & Vegetable Gratin
No Waste Leek Stock
Steamed Leeks with Chopped Egg
More Leek Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Lemons
American Apple Pie
Banana Floats
Black Walnut Bread
Blueberry Galette
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickenpeas & Lemon
Brown Sugar Peaches
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Dimply Plum Cake
Garden Popcorn (Fried Okra)
Grilled Pepper Salad
Herbed Goat Cheese
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Homemade Ricotta
Hot Cross Buns
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Lemon Asparagus
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Lemon Chive Chicken Salad
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Pots
Lemon Pudding Cake
Lemon Turkey Noodle Soup
Moroccan Chicken
Mini Crab Bites
Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Peach Blueberry Cake
Peach Un-Cobbler
Rhubarb Ginger Jam
Rhubarb Sorbet
Roasted Rhubarb
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Shrimp Salad
Simple Hummus
Sole with Mushrooms & Onions
Spiced Yogurt Chicken
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Squash & Carrot Stew
Strawberries in Wine
Strawberry Ice Cream
Summer Berry Pie
Sweet 'n' Hot Chicken
Swiss Muesli
Winter Fruit Salad

---

Lentils
Lentil Soup Vincent
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

Favorite Lentil Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil
Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup
Summer Lentils
More Recipes with Beans & Lentils from A Veggie Venture

---

Limes
Alice Waters’ Coleslaw
Almond Cilantro Spread
Asian Chicken Salad
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Blueberry Salsa
Chicken Nachos
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry
Fruity Gazpacho
Lime Chicken
Mango Chicken Salad
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Raspberry Morning Cake
Sengalese Soup
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Thai Cantaloupe Salad
Tropical Salad Supper

Favorite Lime Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Green Beans with Jalapeño Lime Butter
Grilled Sweet Corn with Spiced Lime Butter
Melon, Blueberry & Feta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

---

Mangoes

Asian Chicken Salad
Banana Mango Smoothie
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Finnish Fruit Tart
Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Mango Chicken Salad
Mango Lassi
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Tropical Salad Supper

---

Maple Syrup

'Grade B' maple syrup isn't second-quality maple syrup, in fact, it has the most flavor. It's the maple syrup I always seek out.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Buttered Pecan Ice Cream
Chicken Sybil
Maple Glazed Salmon
Mashed Rutabagas & Apples
Swiss Muesli

Favorite Recipes with Maple Syrup from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette
Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze
Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes

---

Melons

The thick skin of a melon, especially the rough skin of a cantaloupe, can harbor bacteria and other unsavory stuff. Wash the exterior of a melon before cutting into it, so that the knife doesn't transfer it from the skin to the flesh.

CANTALOUPE
Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Shrimp Salad
Thai Cantaloupe Salad

HONEYDEW
Fruity Gazpacho

---

Molasses

I love the distinctive flavor of molasses, dusky and dark, sweet and sour at the same time. 'Light 'molasses' comes from the first boiling of the syrup from sugar cane and sugar beets. 'Dark molasses' comes from the second boiling and is thicker, darker and less sweet, which is why, perhaps it's my personal preference. I'm also a fan of 'blackstrap' molasses from the third boiling but many find it too bitter. Watch too for 'unsulphured molasses' which has a purer, more refined sugar-cane flavor but can be harder to find.

Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Calico Beans
Cranberry Pudding
Frosty Christmas Trees
Gingerbread Muffins
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Ice Cream

---

Mushrooms

Can mushrooms be washed? Yes, especially if they're going to be cooked, but do trim off the rough edges first. For raw mushrooms for salads, say, brush off the dirt with a small brush. Cut mushrooms in large pieces (or leave whole or separate the caps and then slice the stems) to avoid a 'canned mushroom soup' character.

Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Beef & Mushroom Stew
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Sybil
Easy Easy Grilled Mushroom Appetizer
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Kitchen Stir-Fry
Low-Fat Vegetable Soup
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Mushroom Soup
Pepper Steak & Mushrooms
Ratatouille
Sole with Mushrooms & Onions
Smoked Turkey Chowder
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Spring Stuffing
Sweet 'n' Hot Chicken
Tin Foil Chicken & Veggies
Wild Rice Salad

More Mushroom Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Mustard

WHAT IS 'GOOD' MUSTARD? Kitchen Parade recipes often are no more specific than 'good mustard' -- which is to say, anything except yellow 'ballpark' mustard. The safe bet is Dijon mustard, a pantry staple. But feel free to explore the many, many mustards available now, especially the mustards from other countries, some times sold in tubes like toothpaste! Many mustard packages bear a date -- purchase the freshest mustard possible, it loses strength sitting on the shelf.

---

Nuts

How to store nuts Nuts can be more expensive than meat, we don't want them to go to waste! To keep nuts fresh, store them in the freezer, just 'double-bag' to avoid freezer burn. For baking, heighten the natural nut flavor by toasting the nuts beforehand.

How to toast nuts Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet, use a single layer with plenty of space between the nuts. Roast in the oven at 350F or 375F until the nuts begin to turn gold in color, stirring every 5 minutes, watching very carefully at the end. I often start toasting nuts while the oven is preheating, it works great.

Nut substitutes Nuts are often interchangeable so don't hesitate to substitute one for another.

Any Nut Almonds Cashews Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Walnuts

NUTS, any kind
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies

ALMONDS
Almond Cilantro Spread
Black Pepper Almonds
Curried Rice
Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Summer Berry Pie
Swiss Muesli
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

CASHEWS
Cashew Chicken Curry

MACADAMIA NUTS
Cranberry-Mac Morsels

PEANUTS See also Peanut Butter
Asian Chicken Salad
Kung Pao Chicken

PECANS
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Butter Tart Bars
Buttered Pecan Ice Cream
Cranberry Chutney
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies
Mocha Morsels
Peach Un-Cobbler
Pecan Meringue Cookies
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Savory Pecans
Swiss Muesli

WALNUTS

BLACK WALNUTS If you can find them, black walnuts have a distinctive flavor that many people, including me, find quite addictive. Believe it or not, I buy large bags of black walnuts (Missouri native walnuts, no less) at Sam's Club in St. Louis. Keep them in the freezer for lasting freshness.

TOASTING To my taste, English walnuts should nearly always be toasted where black walnuts need not be toasted.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Basil-Cream Cheese Dip
Black Walnut Bread
Cinnamon Apples
Festive Holiday Salad
Graham Cracker Toffee
(Quick) Brown Bread
Roasted Pear Salad
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Two-Bite Brownies
Vanilla Brownies
Walnut Chocolate Cake
Winter Pesto with Pasta

Favorite Recipes with Walnuts from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Pesto
Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette
Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette
Celery, Date & Walnut Salad
Pumpkin Muffins

---

Oatmeal

WHICH OATMEAL IS BEST? All Kitchen Parade recipes are tested using the least-processed form of oats, called 'old-fashioned' oats by the Quaker people. Their 'quick oats' can be substituted with good results but 'instant oats' or any of the sweetened breakfast oat packets should not be used. For a description of all the types of oats, you'll want to read Oatmeal: How and Why to Cook It Every Day.

OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPES (apparently I'm a fiend for oatmeal cookies!)
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Gum Drop Cookies
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

MORE WAYS to COOK with OATMEAL
All-Natural Dog Treats
Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Elk Meatloaf (or Bison, Beef, Other Meatloaf)
No-Roll Oatmeal Crust
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Summer Berry Pie
Swiss Muesli

Favorite Oatmeal Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Savory Oatmeal with Scallions & Soy Sauce
Carrot & Fruit Oatmeal Slump

---

Olives
Cheddar-Olive Spread
Chicken Greek Salad
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Olivada
Ratatouille
Red & Yellow Pepper Relish

Favorite Olive Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Caponata - Sicilian Eggplant
Summer Orzo with Radicchio

---

Onions

Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of onion, a basic pantry ingredient. Store green onions in the refrigerator, all others in a cool dark place. Onions can be purchased less expensively in three-pound bags and since onions last for several weeks, this can be a real bargain.

• GREEN ONIONS -- Green onions are also called scallions. They're typically left raw but can be quite delicious when softly cooked in butter or olive oil.
• YELLOW or BROWN ONIONS -- When a Kitchen Parade recipes calls for 'onion', choose a yellow-skinned onion or a brown-skinned onion.
• RED ONIONS -- Red onions are especially pretty in salads, just be sure to chop them very small so not to overwhelm with onion flavor.
• WHITE ONIONS -- White onions have a sharper, more onion-y flavor. Choose white onions when you'd like onion flavor to stand out. Many Mexican recipes call for white onion.
• SWEET ONIONS such as Vidalia or Walla Walla -- Choose sweet onions only for dishes where they'll stay raw, for sweet onions actually go flat when cooked. Unfortunately, some grocery stores label sweet onions as 'yellow onions' so be sure to watch the little stickers on the onions themselves.
• SHALLOTS -- Shallots have a gentle onion flavor, I especially like to use shallots when a recipe calls for just a tablespoon or so of onion. They keep a long time so are especially useful to keep on hand.

---

Oranges
WHOLE ORANGES
Banana Floats
Caraway Corned Beef
Cranberry Ginger Relish
Cranberry Orange Spread
Fresh Peach Pie
My Perfect (Unsweet, Unboozy) Sangria
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Tropical Salad Supper

ORANGE JUICE
Apple Yogurt Salad
Raspberry Morning Cake
Strawberry Fool
Swiss Muesli
Winter Tomato Soup

ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE

Frozen orange juice concentrate is my favorite way to create intense orange flavor. I keep a small container in the freezer nearly all the time, scooping out a spoon or two as needed.

Chicken Sybil
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies
Mini Crab Bites

ORANGE ZEST
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Dimply Plum Cake
Hot Cross Buns
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Swedish Rye Bread

ORANGE LIQUEUR such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart
Peach Un-Cobbler
Winter Fruit Salad

MANDARIN ORANGES (canned)
That Pink Salad

Favorite Recipes with Orange from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Green Smoothies
Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad
Rich Tomato Orange Soup

---

Panko

WHAT IS PANKO? Panko (pronounced pawn-ko) is a Japanese bread crumb, light and coarse and crunchy and best of all, shelf stable. I used it for crumb toppings for both sweet and savory dishes. Check out an Asian market, panko is sold in bags or boxes. Increasingly, you can find panko at a regular grocery store but for 3x the price. If you can't find panko nearby, it's available on Amazon.

Cranberry Apple Crisp
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Toasted Goat Cheese
Turnip Puff

---

Parsley

For more flavor, choose flat-leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley) rather than curly parsley. To keep the parsley fresh, rinse it well, then stick the whole bunch, stems down, into a cup with about an inch of water and store in the refrigerator; if needed, freshen the water every couple of days.

---

Peanut Butter
Cashew Chicken Curry
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
'Dog Chow' for Kids
Holy Slaw!
Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter

---

Peaches
FRESH PEACHES
Brown Sugar Peaches
Fresh Peach Pie
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Peach Appetizer
Peach Blueberry Cake
Peach Un-Cobbler
Peacherry Blues
Roasted Peaches
Summer Fruit Salad

OTHER PEACHES (canned, etc.)
Winter Fruit Salad

---

Pears
FRESH PEARS
Estonian Apple Cake
Roasted Pear Salad

OTHER PEARS (canned, etc.)
Winter Fruit Salad

---

Pie Crusts

Even though I starting making homemade pie crusts when I was 16, for three or four years, I struggled to make pie crusts worth eating. During this period, I often turned to Pillsbury's Refrigerated Pie Crusts and learned that to improve their taste by sprinkling the dough with a little sugar and rolling it out thinner. It's still easy to handle, you throw away the excess so save a few calories, and is less likely to get gummy during baking.

I'm happy to report that once again I make pie crusts that cause people to moan with pleasure, see my recipe for Flaky Tender Pie Crust and step-by-step pie crust photos and tips in How to Make Flaky Tender Pie Crust. That said, I still keep a box of the Pillsbury crusts in the freezer, they do come in handy on occasion.

---

Plums
FRESH PLUMS
Dimply Plum Cake

DRIED PLUMS aka 'PRUNES'

---

Poblano Peppers

Poblanos are my favorite 'hot' pepper. Their dark-green skins are really quite mild, more 'warm and smoky' than 'fiery hot'.

Crockpot Chili
Green Chili Burgers
Green Chili Sauce (Salsa Verde)
Grilled Pepper Salad
Poblano Steaks
Pork & Poblano Skillet
White Chicken Chili

---

Potatoes
POTATOES as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Colcannon
Confetti Potato Salad
Lavender Potatoes
Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes' (not potatoes but a low-carb substitute)
Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Slow-Baked Potatoes
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli
Those Pink Potatoes
Vichyssoise
Warm Potato Salad

COOKED POTATOES
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli

POTATOES as a SUPPORTING INGREDIENT
Balkan Sausage Stew
Caraway Corned Beef
Emerald Isle Stew
Finnish Summer Soup
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Salmon Chowder
Smoked Turkey Chowder
Tin Foil Chicken & Veggies
Winter Stew

POTATOES as THICKENERS
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Laura's Carrot Soup
Light Vegetable Stock
Scandinavian Pea Soup
Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Favorite Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables
Microwave Baked Potato
Rosemary Potatoes
Twice-Baked Potatoes
More Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds are priced like black pearls at supermarkets. Instead, buy bags of poppy seeds for a couple dollars at an international grocery.

Cheery Cherry Banana Bread
Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Lavosh - Aremenian Cracker Bread
Poppy Seed Pancakes
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

---

Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is a good choice for most baking, just be sure to purchase 100% pumpkin, not a pumpkin pie mix. It's also easy to roast a whole pumpkin. You can also roast a whole butternut squash, a good substitute for pumpkin, even in 'pumpkin' recipes. In some parts of the world, 'pumpkin' is what Americans call winter squash.

Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Honey Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkin Muffins
More Pumpkin Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Quinoa

WHAT IS QUINOA? (pronounced KEEN-wa) Quinoa is a a high-protein grain and is considered a complete protein. It's also higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than other grains. I love it because it's lighter-tasting than other grains and cooks quickly. Look for quinoa at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and natural-food stores.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

---

Rhubarb
Country Rhubarb Cobbler
Finnish Fruit Tart
Rhubarb Chutney
Rhubarb Ginger Jam
Rhubarb Rosemary Jelly
Rhubarb Sorbet
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Roasted Rhubarb
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Favorite Rhubarb Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Custard with Rhubarb Sauce
Rhubarb Pizza
Straight-Up & Perfect Rhubarb Pie
More Rhubarb Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Rice

WHAT IS BROWN RICE? Because it is more healthful, whole and natural brown rice is nearly always my choice when cooking rice. But 'brown rice' is not a variety of rice. Instead it is any unmilled rice; the grains retain their outer hulls and their inner germs, keeping the nutrients intact. (The exception is 'quick' brown rice, these should be avoided.) So look for all varieties of brown rice, basmati brown rice, jasmine brown rice, medium brown rice, long brown rice, etc.
WILD RICE See also wild rice which is actually a grass, not a rice.

HOW TO COOK BROWN RICE
Oven-Baked Brown Rice
Fool-Proof Oven-Baked Brown Rice from A Veggie Venture
Perfect Stovetop Brown Rice from A Veggie Venture

UNCOOKED RICE
Cauliflower Risotto
Pork Chops & Rice Oven Dinner

COOKED RICE
Curried Rice

Favorite 'Vegetables with Rice' Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Tomato & Rice Salad
Finnish Carrot Casserole
More 'Vegetables with Rice' Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Ricotta
How to Make Homemade Ricotta, just milk and a lemon

Crockpot Lasagna
Herbed Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Personal Pan Lasagna
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli
Spinach Dip

---

Salmon
FRESH SALMON
Maple Glazed Salmon
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Salmon Chowder

SMOKED SALMON
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon

---

Salt

Kitchen Parade typically calls for three types of salt.

• Table Salt - Table salt is what most of us thought of as just 'salt' until we became cooks. It is fine-grained and includes additives to prevent clumping and to encourage pouring. It often includes iodine, a natural chemical that prevents goiters. (Did you know that with more people using non-iodized salt, the incidence of goiter is on the rise? Be sure to include iodized salt in your diet! I use it in the cooking water for vegetables, say.) It is useful for baking, since the small grains distribute easily throughout a dough or batter. For anything else, it can be harsh and bitter. To substitute table salt for a recipe specifying kosher salt or sea salt, use half as much table salt.
• Kosher Salt - Look for blue boxes of Morton Kosher Salt and red and white cylinders of Diamond Kosher Salt in the salt section at your supermarket. Either one will work, both are free of additives. I use both, interchangeably, but it's good to know (especially for brining and other salt-centric techniques) that Morton Salt is 'saltier' than Diamond because it's heavier; this means that 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher Salt is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of Diamond Kosher Salt. Kosher salt has a larger grain and is more gentle than table salt. It is less expensive than sea salt. To substitute kosher salt for a recipe specifying table salt, use twice as much kosher salt.
• Sea Salt - Real sea salt is more expensive than kosher salt, thanks to a time- and labor-intensive harvest, capturing the salt that's left when sea water evaporates. To substitute sea salt for table salt, use twice as much sea salt.
• Finishing Salt - Finishing salts are typically sprinkled atop a dish (say slices of rare beef tenderloin or garden-ripe tomatoes) immediately before serving, adding bright bursts of saltiness and ironically, using less sodium. My favorite finishing salts are fleur de sel from France and Maldon sea salt from Great Britain.

---

Sausage
Balkan Sausage Stew
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Karelian Borscht
My Sister's Recipe for Crockpot Chili
Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup

---

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a busy cook's friend (it's already cooked), a dieter's friend (it has hardly any calories and tons of fiber), a frugal shopper's friend (it's cheap)! That's practically a miracle food. Do purchase sauerkraut in a jar or a plastic pouch, anything other than canned sauerkraut. Small butchers often have their own sauerkraut, it can be excellent. See also Cabbage.

New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut

Favorite Sauerkraut Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Reuben Casserole
More Sauerkraut Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Sesame Seeds & Tahini
SESAME SEEDS
Armenian Easter Bread
Lavosh - Aremenian Cracker Bread
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Quick Crisp Flatbread
Sesame Candy
Swiss Muesli

TAHINI

Tahini is a thick paste the consistency of peanut butter made from ground sesame seeds.

Simple Hummus

Favorite Sesame Seed & Tahini Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Armenian Tahini Bread
Baba Ganoush
More Sesame Seed & Tahini Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Shrimp
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Sengalese Soup
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Tiapinno (Ciopinno) - Herbed Fish Stew
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

---

Sour Cream

To my taste, low-fat sour cream is a great lower-calorie substitute for sour cream but non-fat sour cream is largely to be avoided.

Almond Cilantro Spread
Apple Yogurt Salad
Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Borscht Beets with Sour Cream
Caper Chops with Curried Carrots
Chicken Sybil
Chicken Nachos
Finnish Fruit Tart
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake
Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream
Ontario Greens with Sour Cream
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Quick Banana Dessert
Skillet Cornbread
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli
Strawberry Fool
Swedish Cream
Trio of Vegetables with Sour Cream

Favorite Recipes with Sour Ceam from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Cream
Homemade Onion Dip
Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries with Horseradish Sauce
Twice-Baked Potatoes

---

Spinach

Fresh baby spinach -- including the oh-so-convenient bags of fresh baby spinach -- is perfect for salads but too tender for cooking. For recipes where cooking is specified, choose the curly spinach often found in open bins. It will need to be washed very well and it often pays to cut out the tough ribs and stems.

FRESH SPINACH
Asian Chicken Salad
Chicken Greek Salad
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Herbed Goat Cheese
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Lemon Turkey Noodle Soup
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Salmon Chowder
Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Tropical Salad Supper
Winter Pesto with Pasta

FROZEN SPINACH
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Crockpot Lasagna
Personal Pan Lasagna
Spinach Dip
Spinach Puffs

Favorite Spinach Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Eggs in Cream with Spinach
Easy Spinach Nests
Orzo with Spinach
Spinach & Artichoke Gratin
Spinach & Feta Quiche
Spinach Curry
Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad
Spinach Burgers
More Spinach & Other Leafy Green Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Strawberries
Strawberries in Wine
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble
Strawberry Fool
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Strawberry Shortcake Iowa-Style
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Summer Berry Pie

---

Stock
Homemade Chicken Stock
Light Vegetable Stock
Turkey Stock

Favorite Stock Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
No Waste Leek Stock

---

Sugar

Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of sugar and other sweeteners.

• 'Sugar' - If a recipe calls for sugar, assume granulated sugar, the standard refined sugar. American-style recipes are typically much sweeter than European-style recipes. My own taste skews to less sweetness so many Kitchen Parade recipes have been 'Alanna-sized' with reductions in sugar, allowing the more natural, more healthful flavors of fruit or chocolate, say, to come forward.
• Superfine Sugar (Caster Sugar) - Some baked goods benefit from a more tender crumb and thus call for the finer grain of 'superfine' sugar, what Europeans call 'caster' sugar. To make your own caster sugar, just run granulated sugar through a food processor.
• 'Brown Sugar' - Brown sugar is refined granulated sugar with molasses added back in. To measure it properly, pack the moist sugar into the measuring cup. If a recipe calls for brown sugar, either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar may be used, to my taste there is little difference. To make a cup of brown sugar, mix 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar with 1-1/2 teaspoons molasses.
• 'Powdered Sugar' - Powdered sugar is also called 'confectioners sugar' and 'icing sugar'. A light dusting can add a 'finished' look to baked goods without adding much sweetness or many calories.
• Vanilla Sugar - Vanilla sugar builds the essence of vanilla, right into the sugar. In Europe, grocery stores sell vanilla sugar right alongside the other sugars. But it's so easy to make at home, I keep a jar among my baking ingredients. Just place 'spent' vanilla beans (ones scraped clean) into a glass jar and leave indefinitely.
• 'Decorating Sugar' - These large grains of white sugar add visual and texture interest to the top of baked goods, again without much sweetness or many calories. Some times they are called 'pearled' sugar or 'Swedish pearl sugar'. They can be hard to find but keep well in the pantry. Here's a source for a variety of decorating sugars.
• 'Raw' Sugar - In my grocery stores, large grains of light-brown sugar are variously labeled 'raw sugar' or 'Demerera sugar' or 'Turbinado sugar'. I especially like these for topping muffins, cakes, etc., for they add a bright burst of sweetness in the mouth, reducing the need for sugar in the baked good itself. Here's a source for a variety of raw sugars.
• Splenda - I do bake with Splenda on occasion and have had quite good results substituting it for sugar, especially when the sugar's purpose is primarily sweetness. If a recipe has been tested with Splenda, that will be stated.

---

Summer Squash
including Zucchini
Balkan Sausage Stew
Finnish Summer Soup
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Ratatouille
Ratatouille Omelettes
Shredded Zucchini with Thyme

Favorite Summer Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Easy Cheesy Zucchini
Feta Stuffed Zucchini
Homemade Zucchini Relish
Zucchini Mushroom Hominy Tacos
More Summer Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Sweet Potatoes

Watch for a variety of sweet potato called Red Garnet, perhaps labeled as 'yams' or 'red-skinned yams' with a slightly sweeter and less mealy flesh. Ever been curious about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

Chicken Cider Stew
Confetti Potato Salad
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables
Delicious Microwave Sweet Potato
Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes
Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries with Horseradish Sauce
Sweet Potato & Banana Purée
Warm Sweet Potato Salad
More Sweet Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Tomatoes
FRESH TOMATOES
BLT Pasta Salad
Chicken Greek Salad
Fish with Garden Fries (Roasted Okra) & Garden Salad
Herbed Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam
Panzanella
Ratatouille
Ratatouille Omelettes
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Summer’s Tomato Soup
Tomato Basil Quiche

CANNED TOMATOES
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Balkan Sausage Stew
Beef & Mushroom Stew
Caraway Cabbage
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chocolate Chili
Chicken Cacciatore
Lentil Soup Vincent
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Moroccan Chicken
My Sister's Recipe for Crockpot Chili
Plant Sale Soup
Pork & Poblano Skillet
Ratatouille
Squash & Carrot Stew
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Tiapinno (Ciopinno) - Herbed Fish Stew
Winter Tomato Soup

OTHER TOMATOES - Sun-Dried, Tomato Juice, etc.
Bloody Mary Salad
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Favorite Tomato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil
Tomato Platter with Olives & Feta
Tomato & Zucchini Salad
More Tomato Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Tortillas
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Chilaquiles
Mexican Gas House Eggs
Ten-Minute Enchiladas

Favorite Tortilla Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Zucchini Mushroom Hominy Tacos
Veggie Burritos with Cilantro Sauce

---

Turnips
Buffalo Ragout
Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes'
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Turnip Puff

Favorite Turnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Creamed Turnips
"Wonderful" Glazed Turnips & Carrots
More Turnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Vinegar

What Is 'Good Vinegar'? Many Kitchen Parade ingredient lists are no more specific than 'good vinegar' -- which means, anything except harsh white vinegar. I buy red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and rice vinegar from an international grocery, where the prices are lower than the supermarket. My very favorite vinegar is the sweet and gentle sherry vinegar. I am especially fond of the vinegars from O Olive Oil; they are pricey but during the first taste test, my then 15-year old nephew turned to me with surprise, "We could drink this!" We could indeed.

---

Wheat Germ
Cheery Cherry Banana Bread
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Swiss Muesli

Favorite Recipes with Wheat Germ from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Green Smoothies

---

Wild Rice

Wild rice is a favorite in my home state of Minnesota. Much of the rice that's available in stores is raised commercially, it takes much longer to cook. The native wild rice, which isn't a rice at all but a grass, is difficult to find but a real treat. For a photo comparison of commercial wild rice and native wild rice, see my recipe for Wild Rice Salad.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Oven-Baked Brown Rice
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
Wild Rice Salad

---

Winter Squash

'Winter Squash' is the general category of thick-skinned squashes that appear in the fall. Common varieties are the acorn squash, the butternut squash, the kabocha squash.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Squash Puff
Winter Stew

Favorite Winter Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Acorn Squash with Mustard & Honey
Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese
Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze
Curried Squash
Mashed Butternut Squash & Sweet Potatoes with Citrus
Steamed Butternut Squash (including how to cut a butternut squash)
More Winter Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture

---

Yogurt

Greek Yogurt Many Kitchen Parade recipes call for 'Greek yogurt', an especially thick and tangy yogurt that is some akin to sour cream. Cup for cup, Greek yogurt has more protein, fewer carbs and less lactose than sweet, gloppy American-style yogurts. Greek yogurt is beginning to appear in regular supermarkets (although with prohibitive price tags) but can be found in international markets and specialty markets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's whose house-brand Greek yogurt is quite inexpensive. I'm especially fond of Fage Greek yogurt, especially the 0% fat. To create a decent substitute, strain whole or low-fat plain yogurt to remove much of the liquid.

Apple Yogurt Salad
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup
Greek Feta Chicken
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Lemon Chive Chicken Salad
Mango Chicken Salad
Mango Lassi
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Quick Banana Dessert
Skillet Cornbread
Spiced Yogurt Chicken
Strawberry Fool
Strawberry Shortcake Iowa-Style
Swiss Muesli

---