Stock The Pantry

Now that kitchen is stocked, let’s get the pantry full. We will specify brands a little more since their ingredients have been checked. You can always use your own, just read the label for sugars, flours, etc.

This part is key because in order to eat good, we need to spice up our food. Bland food sucks! This is where so-so ingredients turn into something magic.

Add this to anything and apply generously. Bland veggies with Slap Ya’ Momma are amazing. Potatoes or boring white rice with Fox Point are to die for.

My advice here is not to skimp, specially with spices and keep in mind that they last a long time. Buy in bulk when you can. These are the basics. As we get into recipes, you’ll add to the collection.

Spices

What a difference!

Who knew there were so many cinnamon varieties. We love this one. You can find it by Vietnamese or Saigon Cinnamon.

Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon- You can get it at Penzey’s or on Amazon. Cinnamon has many flavors. This variety reminds us of Atomic Red Hots. It will turn bland oatmeal and yogurt into a delicious treat.

Coarse kosher salt- Cheap, brand agnostic, just make sure it is coarse. Melts great, works great for marinating.

Coarse ground black pepper- 16 mesh ground is the size we love. If you grind your own, then set the grinder to coarse. We like the speed of pre-ground.

Make it stand out

You won’t believe what this does to a salad or a baked potato.

Smoked salt- Maldon makes a great one, you can also get some applewood smoked salt on Amazon. This is a game-changer on eggs, potatoes, and salads. It gives you so much variety with jsut a small add.

Rubs and Spice Mixes- a good Cajun rub (Slap Yo Momma yellow and white), Tajin Mexican Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning, and Penzey’s Fox Point Seasoning.

Avocado Spray Oil- great for many things and healthy. A little goes a long way. Great for grilling too since it has a high smoke point. Make sure it is pure as there are many blends.

Rubs

Slap Ya Mama

Great way to liven up dull food.

Slap Ya Mama- we didn’t come up with the name, we just love it. No sugar in any of the blends. It comes in three: Regular, White Pepper, and Hot. We love the White Pepper on broccoli and the Regular/Hot on mixed veggies. We get it on Amazon, and we have heard Walmart has it as well.

Montreal Seasoning-The swiss army knife of rubs. Goes great on steaks, chicken, lamb, potatoes, eggs. A good, quick way to make something way more flavorful.

Tajin

Lime and chiles add a great flavor to avocados and mangoes.

Tajin- This great Mexican spice is amazing on avocadoes. It has a smoky lime flavor to it that really sets it apart from other spices. try it on mango slices too, you will never have mango without it again.

Fox Point

Doesn’t sound like much, but this blend is a multi-tasking workhorse in the kitchen.

Penzey’s Fox Point- Another great one to have in the pantry. This will make your potatoes explode with flavor. We also put it in boring rice with a little olive oil to turn it into a convenient 2min way to get our strach in that is delicious.