Pantry Ingredients Equal Good Eating

 It's important to have a well stocked pantry. It's amazing what those cans and tins can yield as far as ingredients. They can be tossed together to create  hot, delicious meals.It;s just knowing what to use and what.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this as well as giving recipes in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She also offers several tips on different pantry Staples. Be creative . Chili crisp can be used in everything from scrambled eggs to ramen. Mustards such as Dijon cans also add color and flavor .Salsa is great for punching up stews and sauces >USe tapenades in veggie sautes for brightness and to liven up tomatoes and peppers. Make dips for dinner using curry paste and Greek yogurt. Serve with veggies as a nice appetizer . Miso just doesn't;t have to be for Oriental dishes. Try it mixed with honey in Ali Slagel's pasta Alfredo. Pasta can also get a lift from some tapanade or chili crisp. Mix it with olive oil and toos whatever pasta you have with it. The popular Colo Henry recipe for her bed white beans can be varied with just the addition of jarred pesto. An instant sauce is a blend of olive oil, flaky sea salt and whatever spice is there.Tru a mix of hot red pepper flakes with cumin for a different take.

Ms Clark has three interesting recipes that anyone can make. For a quick  meal try one pot spiced turkey and rice. This can be made on the weekend and also reheated for week night meals.It's a marriage of garam masala with tomato paste , chopped serrano chiles and ground turkey. Cinnamon added sweetness to this Indian inspired meal.A nother good dish is the cheesy chili crisp white beans. On their own white beans  can be bland but add chlili crisp, scallions and  white Cheddar cheese and they're elevated to something new and exciting.There is also pasta with spinach , yogurt and feta. The yogurt used is the Greek kind and that will add a creaminess similar to an Alfredo sauce. You can go into your freezer for the spinach along with adding freshly chopped mint, basli and cilantro.To make sure that the sauce clings , use a chunky kind of pasta like  rigatoni shells or camanelle. Red pepper flakes are also part of the recipe but if they're too spicy or hot for you they can be omitted.

Use your pantry to create tasty , flavorful dishes. Be creative. Have fun.it;s a great way to use up what you have.