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Hi, I'm Britt from The Banana Diaries!

4 Simple Pantry Staple Ingredients I Alway Have (and what I make with it!)

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Hey Reader!

I've been thinking a lot about what would help someone just starting out in the vegan baking and cooking world, and I realized a quick high-level overview of just some familiar ingredients I always have on hand- and what I make with them- might be really beneficial!

So today we're looking at 4 very simple, very universal and popular ingredients that are staples in both a vegan and non-vegan kitchen that you can use for some really delicious plant-based goodies (that no one will ever know are vegan!).

Chickpeas, dairy free yogurt, lentils, and tofu may seem boring, but there's a lot we can do with them with a few other simple ingredients to really create something special.

Here's what's in my family's rotation many weeks:

Chickpeas:

Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Curry

This is truly comfort in a bowl. Between the tender soft sweet potatoes and the perfectly simmered chickpeas, everything comes together so beautifully and easily!

Crinkle Top Vegan Brownies

Believe it or not, that liquid in your chickpea can is pure gold for a shiny, crackly top on brownies!! This is my go-to vegan brownie recipe that wins over the toughest of vegan critics!!

Easy Chickpea Scramble

Most eggless scrambles opt for tofu, and I do have a tofu scramble that is incredible. But this chickpea scramble shocks me just as much- it's so soft, deeply rich and flavorful, and really does give you that soft scramble flavor.

Lentils:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Lentils

This is one of my favorite sheet pan dinners to roast up in a pinch! The lentils get slightly crisp on the outside with the caramelized sweet potatoes. And that quick dressing is SO easy, you're going to love!

Creamy Tortellini Soup with Lentils & Kale

Chilly early springs are made so much more comforting with this soup. I use Kite Hill's vegan tortellini, but use whichever brand you like! The lentils cook in the soup's broth, making them extra flavorful and tender!

Dairy Free Yogurt:

Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce with Roasted Veggies

I LOVE the sauce over my roasted red cabbage, but it' amazing over any roasted veg- even cauliflower, crispy tofu, or Brussels sprouts!

Molten Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm obsessed with this recipe. The dairy free yogurt acts as the vegan egg replacement, giving a fudgy yet structured cookie that's all too easy to eat (and an absolute smash for vegans and non-vegans alike! My old neighbors in Florida would make these every week after I brought over a batch for them!).

Tofu:

Warm Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Tofu Bowls

These bowls were inspired by a restaurant that we would go to while in Florida with some of the only good vegan options, and it was so. yummy. It's super easy, and loadedddd with goodness! Warm, crispy sweet potatoes and onions, pickled cabbage, guacamole, hummus, and deliciously sautéed tofu all come together in the dreamiest bowl!

Vegan Caesar Salad with Lemon Pepper Tofu

We still cannot get over how much this tastes just like Caesar salad dressing, and paired with these lemon pepper tofu "steaks," it's an absolute dream!

I think with these still chilly evenings, the warm roasted tofu bowls are calling to me! Might need to make these tonight...alongside some double chocolate chip cookies :)

Hope you're having a fabulous week! And if not- it's okay to go a little kinder on yourself. I did that yesterday and woke up feeling a heck of a lot better.

Xx,

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Hi, I'm Britt from The Banana Diaries!

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