Series: A Capsule Kitchen: An Introduction + Minimalist Everyday Bread Recipe

 

This is the first post in a new series I’ve opted to call “A Capsule Kitchen”, which I will be incorporating into my blog every other month. Typically, I write about art and creativity, with the occasional off-topic piece peppered in for a bit of variety. This year, I came up with the idea of “A Capsule Kitchen”, and thought it would be a fun addition. Each post in the series will feature a tried-and-true recipe that is in regular rotation in my household. For the introduction of the series, I thought it might be helpful to provide some context and a brief background, before starting things off with a simple staple recipe.

My husband and I eat a vegan diet, and I do the cooking and baking, which I enjoy, especially now that I have a curated collection of trusty go-tos we both like and that are easy to prepare. We are decidedly unfancy when it comes to our food preferences, both by choice and necessity, which will be clear from the recipes I will be sharing.

I decided to call the series “A Capsule Kitchen” because it is modeled on the concept of a capsule wardrobe (not the kind where you store away “seasonal clothes”, but a literal capsule, as in, minimal quantity). It is a supply of basic ingredients, most of which are shelf-stable, combined creatively. Eating this way keeps things simple, inexpensive, varied, healthy, and results in little to no food waste.

I recently did the math and found that my husband and I together eat for roughly $4 a day, or $2 for each of us. We eat at home 100% of the time and have never ordered takeout. We do not starve, and I would say our diet is fairly healthy, overall. (I once had a coworker tell me it was “impeccable”, for what it’s worth.) 

One of the best aspects of a minimalist, capsule kitchen, is that you tend to know what you have and what you need because you are using the same few items so regularly. While there are inherent limitations to this way of eating, most of what I make are really just templates, which allows you the freedom to change things up, depending on what you have on hand, or feel like adding or omitting.

I thought it might be handy to see what the essentials are in my capsule kitchen. Here is a list of what I always have and use regularly throughout the week:

Stock List

Pantry

Starches

Brown rice

White rice

Oatmeal

Pasta (whole wheat and regular) 

Potatoes

Proteins: I use dried, rather than canned legumes and beans for everything. Making the switch from canned to dried has been a game-changer. They are insanely cheap, and you can cook as many or as few as you need. 

Black beans

Garbanzo beans

Pinto beans

Red beans

Split peas

Split red lentils

Whole brown lentils

Sauces

Canned tomato sauce

Jarred Marinara sauce

Baking 

All-purpose flour

Whole wheat flour

Cornmeal

White Sugar

Baking powder

Baking soda

Cocoa powder

Chocolate chips

Olive oil

Vegetable oil

Spices

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Vanilla (imitation/baker’s vanilla)

Chili powder

Curry powder

Onion powder

Garlic salt

Salt

Pepper

Refrigerated 

Applesauce

Almond milk

Soy sauce

Vegan margarine

Frozen: I use frozen produce almost exclusively for recipes.

Blueberries

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Corn

Green beans

Kale

Peas

All the recipes I make use a combination of the above items listed. I very rarely purchase a specific ingredient for something (the exception being canned pumpkin in the fall and winter, because pumpkin), and tend to favor recipes with minimal ingredients, overall.   

Now, it’s time for the first recipe! I'm starting off with a real staple - bread. No kneading, bread machine, or yeast required. It is based off of a recipe I found online quite some time ago, though I was unable to find it again to reference it here. I’ve made a few changes to it over the years, both to keep costs down, and to simplify and streamline it a bit. 

Minimalist Everyday Bread

Supplies:

9x5 loaf pan

Cooling rack

Spatula

Large bowl

Measuring cups 

Measuring spoons

Ingredients: 

(Dry)

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour  

3 teaspoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

8 teaspoons baking powder

(Wet)

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 ¼ cup water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425° and grease the pan (I use vegan margarine)

Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl (I sift the flour, but this is not essential) and mix.

Make a well in the center and add the vegetable oil and water. Stir until combined.

Add mixture into the greased baking pan and bake at 425° for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, rotate the pan (this helps ensure it bakes evenly), and turn the oven temperature down to 400°. Bake for 20 additional minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before removing it from the pan and placing on a cooling rack.

Tips:

After some experimenting, I found that, once removed from the baking pan and thoroughly cooled, the loaf firms and holds up to slicing best if it is put in the refrigerator until the next day. Once sliced, it freezes very well. We eat this bread regularly, so I make about 2 loaves a week.

That’s it for this first post in the series. I hope you enjoy the bread, and the other recipes to come!