Let’s keep this simple. You don’t want to go out and spend $100 on a bunch of spices you’ll only use once for a specific recipe, only to throw out when you next move sharehouse.
Here’s what I think you need:
A good sharp knife
Sounds simple, but it’s easy to overlook and helps SO much. You don’t have to spend much here. ‘Kiwi’ chef’s knives are less than $10 online (or less from a local Asian grocer) and kick ass. I’ve only used a single Kiwi knife for the last year or so, and sharpen it once a month or so. Best knife I’ve ever owned.
Dried beans and legumes
This is going to be the staple of most of the meals we cook. Canned beans are convenient, tasty and cheap. But let’s be real – dried beans are simply better. Thankfully, with the pressure cooker, the days of preparing & soaking beans hours in advance of cooking are GONE. We will simply rinse and chuck ’em straight in as is.
Supermarkets have all these dried beans available, but for real value, track down somewhere to buy in bulk. If stored airtight, they’ll last for years. I recommend you keep stock of:
- Black beans
- Red kidney beans
- Soy beans
- Red lentils
- Brown/green lentils
- Chickpeas
Pinto, great northern beans, cannellini and adzuki beans are also cool, but I don’t use them as much :~)
Spices
If you buy these spices, I promise we’ll actually use them regularly.
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Paprika
- Ground Coriander Seeds
- Turmeric
- Garam Masala
- Oregano
- Italian Herb Mix
- Bay Leaves (never used to use them, glad I do now)
- Curry Powder (usually predominately coriander and turmeric)
- Onion Powder
- Nutritional Yeast (nooch)
- Black Peppercorns (come on, just buy wooden grinder)
- Iodised Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Hot chill sauce (Sriracha, Tobasco, etc..)
Other bulk stuff
- RICE: It’s good value to just buy the 10kg bags of white + brown rice and put it in jars
- TINNED TOMATOES: Stock up on the better quality tinned tomatoes whenever they go on sale (my favourite is Mutti Finely Chopped)
- VEGETABLE STOCK: Most of the time I’m asked to add water, I add stock to add flavour. I used to use liquid, but the powder/cubes are just better value.
- OLIVE OIL: When you see the better brands go on sale, just get a big bottle.
Tips / hacks
- Buy bigger quantities of baby spinach, and immediately put it in an airtight jar with a couple of paper towels. Makes it last way longer.
- If cutting onions is a painful tear filled experience, the $6 Kmart Pull Choppers are pretty dank. Pre-chopped frozen onion is a perfectly good alternative too.
- Get some good quality matching Tupperware containers, because we’ll ALWAYS be making enough for leftovers to cover lunch the next day
- If you live with other people, try and negotiate a schedule where you split up cooking responsibility, and can all look forward to a pre-determined ‘takeaway’ night once or twice a week (with extra servings made the night before to cover lunch the next day!)
- Plan what you want to do with your time while the pressure cooker is doing its thing. You’ve unlocked the ability to not stress monitoring cooking meals like a hawk, so treat yourself with that extra time.
- To compliment this style of healthier eating, make sure you’re eating lots of fruit/nuts/seeds for snacks, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, find fun and engaging ways to fit in exercise, and taking vitamins/supplements as needed (B12 for vegans!)