I’m getting really tired of my food expiring before I make anything with it, and I want to quit buying anything that can’t be frozen or last several months in the cupboard.
Chili sin carne with dried vegan ‘minced meat’.
Salsa chicken in the instapot. Frozen chicken, taco seasoning, jar salsa, chicken stock, black beans. Yum.
Here’s one that’s lazy, pretty much foolproof, and uses all canned food from the pantry. (If you know what it’s called, good for you.)
- Add oil to stockpot, put in anchovies, dried red pepper, and garlic, fry it up a little bit until it smells good.
- Add in a can of crushed tomatoes, drained olives, and caper. Boil, then simmer.
- Cook some spaghetti to al dente(approximately 6-7 minute, SALT THE WATER, DON’T OIL THE WATER)
- Drain the pasta and mix into sauce, add olive oil and Parmesan to taste, serve.
Most recipes can actually be made from non perishables. Meat can almost always be easily frozen and you can either buy frozen veg or cut some up to throw in a freezer bag. Additionally you can use canned veggies too. You can also freeze minced garlic and ginger in ice cube trays as well.
For cheeses you can buy them pasteurized so they remain sterile until opened. You can also sterilize a lot of things very easily. Put food into a glass jar, boil in the microwave and cap very tightly (it’s gonna be hot!). Make sure on the lid that the center has sucked inwards so you know there’s a vacuum. If it hasn’t then it’s not gas tight and will mold.
For fresh herbs try to put the stem in a small cup of water if possible. If you find the herbs going bad then chop them up and let them dry in open air on a sheet, put into a spice bottle and use later.
There are some videos about freezing your ingredients, and food by Ethan Chlebowski on YouTube.
Oh and if you really want to go crazy you can get a can of nitrogen gas. If you have any dry ingredients in the pantry that go stale or taste oxidized you can fill an air tight bag with nitrogen gas. You can also do this with dry spices and an air tight spice jar. Otherwise spices will lose their flavor overtime and after 6 months or so you’re basically sprinkling dust on your food
Rice, beans (canned or dried - dried lasts “forever” basically), canned or tinned meats or dried meats. Most hot sauces (Louisiana). Pasta. Pasta with ‘tinned’ sauces. etc.