Note to self: Don’t start a capsule pantry the week your region gets hit with snowmaggedon.
What a week! We Southerners are not built for heavy snow. I didn’t go to the store for two weeks.
Two weeks, y’all.
Since I was stuck at home in a ridiculous amount of layers, my capsule pantry week took a small hit. But no worries! I was still able to make use of the ingredients and assemble recipes, observations, and other tips to help you edit your pantry.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Just to recap, here were the ingredients I chose for my capsule pantry:
- Protein: Black beans, eggs, protein powder (optional)
- Starches: Sweet potatoes & rice
- Greens: Spinach & Romaine lettuce
- Veggies: Red bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, onion
- Liquids: Broth (veggie or chicken), almond milk
- Fruits: Bananas, frozen blueberries
- Fats: Olive oil, Peanut Butter
So, what do you eat with just those ingredients?
Turns out, there are several dishes you can make with that list. Here’s a breakdown of meals with recipes:
Breakfast
Veggie Omelet
This veggie omelet recipe is simple and nutritious. I swapped out the butter for olive oil, and I only used red bell peppers (normally I would use both red and green).
Kelly’s Sleepyhead Smoothie
This is my favorite, go-to smoothie for busy mornings. Or lazy mornings. Any morning, really. Here’s what you need:
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup loosely packed spinach, fresh or frozen
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 to 1 scoop protein powder (I use Vega chocolate, but you can use whatever type you want)
- 1 cup almond milk
Simply blend everything in a high-powered blender and drink up!
Entrées
These entrées can be used for lunch and/or dinner. I like to make a recipe for dinner and eat the leftovers for next day’s lunch. Some of these recipes have links, and some have easy to follow directions underneath.
Note: These recipes will be modified to fit the ingredient list. I would normally add more (cheese, nuts, etc.), but we’re keeping it extra simple, people!
Modified Bibimbap Bowl
Bibimbap bowls, or Korean beef and veggie rice bowls, are great for getting all the food groups in one yummy dish. This version is definitely pared down and not as authentic, but it still packs a highly nutritious punch and tastes great.
- 1 cup long-grain rice (I’ve used jasmine, white, or brown)
- 2 cups broth
- 1 large carrot, grated or cut julienne style
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- garlic powder, ginger, salt, pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 egg per person
Put rice, ginger, and 2 cups broth in saucepan (you can also use water). Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat and cook spinach, seasoning with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Once wilted and cooked, set aside. Repeat with broccoli. Set aside. Fry the eggs to desired doneness (I like sunny side up). Place rice in bowl and top with spinach, broccoli, and raw carrots. Place fried egg on top. You can add soy sauce if you have it.
*This recipe usually has a soy based sauce with it. I omitted it for the recipe, but it tastes better with the sauce. I also usually cook the rice in water, but since I was eliminating the flavor of the sauce, I went with broth to infuse more flavor.
Roasted Veggie Pan
So simple and so good! Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil (yay for fewer dishes!). Slice bell pepper, onion, and carrots. Break broccoli into florets. Toss veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 18 minutes.
Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (omitted ingredients not in capsule pantry)
Fruity Spinach Salad
Toss spinach with blueberries, hard boiled eggs, and your favorite dressing.
Sweet Potato Skillet
This is a modified version of a Whole30® Master recipe, but it is most definitely not Whole30®. Just want you to be aware!
- 2-3 sweet potatoes
- Black beans (1- 15 oz can or 1.5 cups cooked beans)
- Taco seasoning (packet or homemade)
- Olive oil
Wash, peel, and dice 2-3 sweet potatoes. Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil over medium heat in skillet. Cook sweet potatoes until fork tender. Add black beans and taco seasoning. Stir to combine. If needed, add a small drizzle of olive oil. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until beans are heated through. Serve.
Spinach Omelet (omitted tomatoes)
Egg Salad Lettuce wrap
Using this homemade olive oil mayo recipe, I made egg salad. For a good simple egg salad recipe, click here. I took the egg salad and wrapped it in Romaine lettuce leaves. This would be good to make in batches for lunch.
Snacks
Roasted Bell Peppers
Baby Carrots
Bananas & peanut butter
Simple smoothie
1 cup almond milk with 1 scoop protein powder, blend in high-powered blender
What I Noticed
This was not as hard as I thought it would be, but the challenge was making sure I had enough protein. I tried to get protein in every meal, but there were some that just didn’t have much. It would have been easier with meat, but I wanted this to be vegetarian friendly and cost-effective. And meat is expensive!
I did use Dijon mustard a couple of times (egg salad, dressing base for salad), so I would add that to the list. I just happened to have some on hand.
Tips for Building Your Capsule Pantry
If you want to have a capsule pantry, you have to be prepared to do two things: cook and eat leftovers.
Try having a “theme” for the week. For instance, I might make a lot of southwestern dishes one week. These dishes use a lot of the same ingredients, so my grocery list is smaller and more efficient.
Cook in batches. Since having a compact pantry means more cooking, make your time count by cooking large recipes and then eating them for several meals. Or, cook a large amount of a recipe part (e.g. a large pot of rice) that can be used for different dishes. Just make sure to store food properly.
Finally, if you absolutely hate cooking, but you also don’t want to waste food, I might suggest trying out a meal service. There are oodles of meal services out there. Just select one that has good reviews and recipes and doesn’t bust the budget. I’ve used these before when my schedule was hectic, and I liked them. I still recreate a lot of the recipes.
Your pantry doesn’t have to look a certain way or be a certain size, but hopefully by experimenting you will realize just how little it takes to make a good meal.
Bon appétit!