From the Pantry: Fridge cleanout cornbread + quicker oats
Ideas for what to cook in the week ahead, inspired by my (actual, chaotic) home pantry
Welcome to another edition of what I’m calling “From The Pantry,” where I share a few ideas for what to cook in the week ahead, inspired by all the shit I’m trying to use up from my very full, very chaotic home pantry. This series will always be free to all subscribers and non-subscribers (though hopefully you are a subscriber?). FYI these are not sponsored product placements, nor do I earn income from anything you purchase via links in this newsletter.)
You know, I had every intention of writing and sending this out last night. But sometimes life gets in the way and you let it, because it’s a good decision for the soul. So instead I had friends over and made cornbread and creamy, bean-y vegetarian nachos and watched Frida to get inspired for an upcoming trip to Mexico City; it was an evening well spent. And now it’s only Monday, and I’m guessing you still need ideas for what to eat in the week ahead. So, onward!
Here’s what I’m cooking from the pantry this week:
Clean-out-the-fridge cornbread
I have one trizillion corn products in my freezer/fridge/pantry/hall closet right now, and am not entirely sure why, as I like corn fine, but…not that much. I would not recommend following suit, as corn products generally have a much shorter shelf life than other flours/meals (I try to keep my corn products in the freezer to extend their shelf life). I had some very nice medium-grind Liberation Farms Cornmeal from Maine Grains ($14.95 for a 2.4 lb.-bag), one of my favorite online retailers for whole grain flours, in the freezer that I baked into a skillet of cornbread for my movie night. I’m also trying to clean out the fridge before I leave town, so I threw in a big handful of past-their-prime sliced scallions and some pickled chilies, and used a combo of yogurt and buttermilk for the batter.
Quicker-than-steel-cut oats
I’ve had a large bag of this Organic Oat Cereal ($10 for a 2-lb. bag) from Sunrise Flour Mill for some months now, and I’ve renewed my intention to finish the bag. The cereal is essentially whole oat groats that have been blitzed and broken up more than steel-cut oats, so they’re a bit more piecey and thus cook quicker while still filling me up in the way that minimally processed oats tend to do. I chuck some oat cereal in a small pan with water and a pinch of salt, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes while I make coffee, etc. I topped the bowl above with sliced banana, hemp seeds, peanut butter, flaky salt, and a drizzle of maple.
Vegetarian refried bean nachos
I made a pot of beans earlier in the week (Rancho Gordo King City Pink, always using the method in the newsletter linked below) that I quarted up and promptly forgot about in the refrigerator for a few days. Then while I was cleaning out the fridge I rediscovered them and made an inspired skillet of refried bean nachos to round out a casual dinner hang. I heated up a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet and hard-sautéed some chopped onion and garlic until they were nicely browned. In went the beans and some of their cooking liquid. Brought it all to a simmer and then used the back of a small metal ladle to coarsely mash up the beans until they were nicely creamy but still with plenty of texture, adding more liquid as needed to loosen everything up. Scooped out the beans, layered a bag of tortilla chips in the same skillet, then topped with the refried beans, the rest of their broth, and a big blanket of cheese and baked for 10 minutes to warm through. Once out of the oven I topped it all with jarred salsa, diced avocado, sour cream, and pickled jalapeños. Everyone was happy.
Biji jjigae
And because there is seemingly nothing in my pantry besides every legume to ever exist, I am making a few meals’ worth of biji jjigae this week with the cup of Laura Soybeans soaking on my countertop. Biji jjigae is a creamy, wonderfully savory Korean stew made of ground soybeans (or the soybean pulp leftover from making soy milk), kimchi, and a little pork. Eaten with a bowl of hot white rice, it is one of my favorite foods on this earth. This week I’m going to test a version that will hopefully end up in my cookbook.
That’s all for this edition of From the Pantry—see you for your regular Gentle Foods dispatch on Thursday. Have a great week!
–Chaey