Ever had the basics of a great dinner in mind, but feel like it’s lacking something? The dish is just a little too expected or it’s missing that spark of magic.
Sometimes those meals just need one little thing, and then suddenly the meal is something special. This week we’re sharing six of our favorite pantry ingredients for giving dinner that final flair. They’ll keep in your fridge and pantry indefinitely, so you can stock up and be ready for when you need a little magic.
1) Unsweetened Coconut
Toasted coconut adds a nutty, exotic dimension to everything it meets. We love it baked with kale, mixed into oatmeal, sprinkled on top of pizza (like this Coconut Basil Flatbread) and as a finishing touch for gnocchi.
2) Capers
These little berries give meals a salty Mediterranean flair we can’t resist. Use them as a final finish in a pasta dinner, mix them with yogurt and lemon for a tasty drizzle for chickpeas and white beans, or even fry them in a little oil for a crispy little topper that’s great on everything from crepes to quesadillas.
3) Dried Fruit
A sweet touch that’s the perfect compliment to almost anything with cheese. Dried apricots with blue cheese, dates with feta, cranberries with Parmesan… you get the idea. Sweet fruit is a great way bring the salty-sweet balance back to meals with flavorful cheese. (We’re featuring sweet raisins with artichokes in this week’s creamy Artichoke Risotto. See the full menu here.)
4) Sesame Oil
Have some veggies that you’re not sure what to do with? Sesame oil gives them instant Asian personality. For bonus points sprinkle on some sesame seeds.
5) Chutney
Instant exotic. We keep a jar of mango chutney in the fridge and pair with yogurt to give rice an Indian flair, spread it on bread with some cheddar and apple for an upscale grilled cheese, mix it with cream cheese for a tasty quesadilla.
6) Panko
The crispy Japanese breadcrumb adds a crunch that we can’t resist. We mix it with cheese to give gratins an extra crispy crust, sauté it with olive oil to give pasta dishes a nut-free topper and roast it up with cauliflower for a crispy side.
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