Think Beyond The Pantry With Walnuts

Think Beyond The Pantry With Walnuts

Life may feel a little uncertain at the moment, but there are some things we can do to create more stability and better enjoy time at home with our families. Meal prepping and cooking together is a wonderful way to pass the time. Here are some helpful tips for meal prepping, cooking and storing your food along with a few innovative meal ideas that will get you away from your typical menu, and help you think outside the pantry.

Tips And Tricks
Let’s start with a simple hack to make cooking easier. Have you ever tried prepping vegetables with a pizza cutter or cutting up small fruits like strawberries, kiwi or chikoo with an egg slicer? To quickly crush walnuts to top your favorite meal, chop them with a meat tenderizer; or to keep herbs fresh longer by freezing small portions in an ice cube tray, and use only what you need for each meal. While we’re all eating at home for more meals, try your hand at meal prepping. Not only is this an efficient way to use your groceries during this challenging time, but it can also help the family create healthy habits by eliminating opportunities for impulsive meal decisions.

Comfort Food With A Nutritious Twist
Walnuts are a nutritious food that packs flavour into recipes and creates a hearty base for some of your favourite comfort foods. They are a great addition to classic breakfast foods like poha, upma, dosa, cheela and paratha. Feeling like you need a midday snack or an after-dinner treat? Walnuts have you covered there, too. Masala walnuts are a flavourful snack for when those savoury cravings hit. But when it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth, incorporate a handful of walnuts while baking your favourite cake or ladoos for an added crunch and flavour.

Storing Your Food
Once you’ve got your favourite meals planned, properly storing your food will be the next step. An easy, but often overlooked trick, is remembering that a lot of foods can be frozen. Freeze meats if you don’t plan to use them right away, or precook soups then store them in a freezer bag. Simply defrost them when you’re ready to eat, and enjoy!

Many people don’t know that the best way to store walnuts actually depends on how you plan to use them. Shelled, unopened walnuts, can be stored in their original packaging. However, once the walnuts are opened, store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Keep in mind, when storing walnuts in the fridge, make sure you place them far from strong-smelling foods since walnuts will absorb the flavours of these foods. A great way to maintain the flavour of walnuts is not to chop or shell them until you’re ready to cook with them.

These helpful tips and slight tweaks can help you enjoy comforting meals that are not only healthy and delicious but easy to prepare.