Angela Marie Morton

If you are looking to simplify and streamline your kitchen routine, you may find this inventory list helpful. It has served our household well for several years, and has helped to keep costs down, even as grocery prices fluctuate.   A Capsule Kitchen: Inventory List Starches and Grains Barley  Oatmeal Pasta (whole wheat) Rice (brown and white) Beans and Legumes: I use dried, rather than canned. Making the switch from canned to dried has been a game-changer. They are super 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 Seeds Chia seeds Sesame seeds Condiments and Spreads Mustard Peanut butter Preserves Soy sauce Oils Olive oil Toasted sesame oil Vegetable oil Baking   Baking powder Baking soda Cornmeal Flour (whole wheat and all-purpose) White Sugar Spices Cinnamon Chili powder Curry powder Garlic salt Nutmeg  Nutritional yeast  Onion powder Pepper Sa...

I make this A LOT, and vary what I put in it depending on what I have on hand, or feel like using. Feel free to make this recipe as is, or use it as a template, and swap or add ingredients of your choice. One of the great things about dal is that it can be made with so many different things, so get creative! At the end of this recipe, there is a list of options to try, all of which I use regularly. Delicious Dal Ingredients  (note: I use mostly dried and frozen ingredients, as they are cheapest, but canned or fresh are fine)   1 cup dried brown lentils ½ cup dried chickpeas (or 1 can). If using dried, here's how to prep them: put them in a bowl of water in the fridge for a few hours, then rinse, drain, and bring them to a boil on the stove. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until tender. Either use immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to use. A handful of baby carrots, washed and chopped, or frozen carrot slices A handful of frozen kale A handf...