Stock your kitchen for success, easy meal prep, and healthy choices

I often get asked how I manage so many healthy meals and snacks, or whip up yummy smoothies on the spot for the family.

Why is it so easy for you? How do you do it?

Well, it’s not easy or effortless, but it takes planning. I need to ensure that I stock up on fresh weekly produce and that my pantry has all that I need for delicious and easy cooking. Once you check this list of best pantry items and kitchen staples, clean and healthy home cooking will be within your reach, too! Below you will find my tips for organizing, free printable pantry labels, and how to get bargain priced items at bulk from Thrive Market.

It’s not magic. I need to be 100% transparent and say healthy and clean eating has been a journey for me. So start by taking simple steps you know that you can manage. Do not simply buy everything on this list and expect a magical shift in your lifestyle. Slowly start incorporating a few of these items at a time and use them. Then expand from there.

First I started to eliminate canned foods from my grocery shopping and cooking. Instead I would cook beans fresh from their dried version in my Instant Pot. The taste has been completely worth it alone, let aside the health benefits. Then I started buying tomatoes in a jar or box instead of cans. Eventually, I started making my own tomato sauces from scratch!

I also shifted to buying my pantry items in bulk, without the packaging of plastic, bags, and cardboard. Not only does this cut down on environmental waste, which one should feel great about, but the ingredients are usually more fresh and better tasting too. A huge bonus is that you also save money buying items in bulk, without the packaging.

I highly recommend storage containers because cardboard boxes from the grocery store often carry feces or insect eggs that you do not want to set into your pantry. I know this because I had an unfortunate infestation in my cupboards one day and learned from pest control about this common problem. GROSS!

You’ll need to set yourself up with some glass or plastic canisters. I save plenty of large glass jars and repurpose them. I also buy some air tight containers for my grains and more perishable items. I love the Oxo containers below available on Amazon. I absolutely love these containers because I can add more as I need them and they ALL stack over one another. I get the short and wide containers for all my cereal, granola, and oatmeal toppings like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and other small nuts or grains.

If you are looking to invest in some timeless quality storage, check out the extensive line on Tupperware.com. I especially love these large containers for cereals, oats, flours, and brown sugar. I find that these are truly superior at keeping food fresh and air tight.

Finally you can label all of your lovely jars with these labels that I created. They are available for you to download and print for free. I simply printed the labels onto clear sticker sheets by Silhouette from Amazon.

So what do I buy? These are items I recommend you start stocking up in your pantry so that fresh, flavorful cooking, meal prep, and snacks are always easily at your fingertips! Many pantry items such as the grains, nuts, and seeds are automatically shipped to me at a bargain price from ThriveMarket.com. You can save 25% when you shop using my link here.

1. Seeds, nuts, dried fruit for cereal, hot cereal, smoothie, and even salad toppings. Examples of what we always like to keep include:
   • pumpkin and sunflower seeds
   • almonds
   • pistachios
   • dried cranberries or raisins
   • chia seeds
   • hemp seeds.
2. Super food ingredients to keep on hand to sprinkle into cereals, salads, baked goodies, or smoothies such as:
   • cacao nibs
   • maca powder
   • camu camu powder
   • Acai powder
   • chia seeds
   • hemp seeds
   • spirulina
   • ground flax seed
3. Grains and flours for baking and meal prep needs such as:
   • quick oats
   • steel cut oats
   • rolled oats (I use these for baking muffins for the kids)
   • barley
   • brown rice (a healthier option to go along veggie dishes and stews)
   • long grain or basmati rice (my go to for vermicelli rice alongside many stews)
   • Egyptian rice (small grain rice mostly used for stuffing veggies or my fish rice recipe)
   • bulgur wheat (used often in place of rice and cooks in 5 minutes)
   • semolina flour (many Middle Eastern desserts)
   • all purpose flour
   • pastry flour (my go to for cookies, muffins, and brownies)
   • almond flour
   • Cassava flour (delicious gluten free option)
4. Beans and legumes
   • green or brown lentils
   • red lentils (my kids’ absolute favorite!)
   • black beans
   • chickpeas ( I use them in almost any dish or salad)
   • fava beans
   • black eyed peas
5. Butters and oils for meals and baking
   • pure olive oil for high temperature cooking (it has a higher smoke point than extra virgin)
   • Sunflower oil or canola oil (for high temp cooking)
   • extra virgin olive oil for salads and sauces
   • coconut oil (unrefined and cold pressed)
   • Kerrygold or Organic Valley Pasture raised butter (best flavor!)
   • peanut butter for snacks and lunch
   • almond butter for snacks and lunch
6. Spices and flavor: I love my spices to be kept fresh (under 6 months old) and purchased from a high quality source. I rely on Penzey spices or my local spice shop for the best quality.

• Essential spices and vinegars I use for flavoring include:
  • balsamic vinegar for delicious pasta sauces and vinaigrettes
  • white vinegar for many recipes (and cleaning!)
  • Himalayan pink salt or kosher salt
  • black peppercorns and a grinder (fresher taste)
  • cumin powder or seeds with a grinder
  • ground coriander
  • cinnamon
  • ground cardamom and cardamom pods
  • cloves
  • allspice
  • ginger
  • cayenne pepper
  • chili powder
  • garlic powder
  • sumac powder
  • bay leaves
  • anise seed
  • vanilla paste or powder (Nielssen Massey is my go to)
• Produce and fresh ingredients vary based on the season. I will suggest to always keep the following items on hand for fresh Mediterranean meals always on the menu. These are also items I strive to grow in my own home garden. I cannot go without:
  • bell peppers
  • tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • olives
  • either eggplant, mushrooms, squashes, or cauliflower weekly
  • parsley
  • dill
  • mint
  • cilantro
  • yellow and red onions
  • garlic (of course!)
  • ginger root (peel this and keep it in your freezer)
  • turmeric root (peel and mince this and keep in freezer)
  • lemon (a LOT)
  • lime

This is hands down the most requested drink by my family, friends, and my very picky children. This watermelon cooler is refreshing, hydrating, cooling, and tastes like a tropical drink you’d enjoy on vacation. In my Vitamix blender, I throw in cubes of fresh watermelon, which becomes the liquid portion. I add frozen strawberries, fresh mint leaves, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

I often make this recipe to use up a watermelon that is getting too watery before we can eat it, or to repurpose a watermelon that turned out to not be perfectly sweet and crunchy for slicing and eating raw. I often even blend any watermelon, whether it is ripe or not, too soft or too crunchy, as the texture and flavors are instantly remedied and delicious in this drink.

Um Ali is a well known dessert in Egypt that dates back to the Abuyyid period. This ubiquitous dessert is an Egyptian version of bread pudding made with flaky layers of Egyptian bread soaked in a thick sweet mixture of milk, sugar, and cinnamon. The flaky layers are dispersed with coconut, golden raisins, and a nut mixture. The top is golden and crispy with a buttery and flaky texture and scattered nuts roasted to a most pleasing and aromatic crunch.

Um is the Arabic word meaning mother; so this dessert is named after the Mother of Ali. “Who is she?” many newcomers to this dessert wonder. She is supposedly a woman who contributed to liberation of the region after a series of murders and attacks. With this historical reference, Um Ali is definitely bittersweet! But rather than go into this dark history- I will focus on the sweet, decadent layers that go into this delicious national dessert that graces Egyptian tables with much love.

The Three Contenders

As I developed this recipe, I took a thorough approach to pin down the best bread or dough to use for the recipe, using what is readily available in the U.S. Goulash or flaky phyllo dough is originally used in Egypt, but I wanted to find a source readily available that will not become too wet and soggy with time. I tested 3 different versions of Um Ali: phyllo dough, puff pastry, and croissant chunks. All three versions were delicious and decadent as the milk mixture was perfect and brown butter caramel atop is very forgiving for any mishaps. I’ll explain the results for each one below.

Phyllo Dough

This bread seemed to provide a more typical appearance and texture of this classic milky dessert. However, after sitting all day or if serving the next day (is it possible to have any leftovers?!) it could become too soggy. This is easily remedied by heating up in the oven.

Puff Pastry

This was by far the best result. I used puff pastry shells, rather than puff pastry sheets to make sure we have as many edges as possible. The crunchy bread throughout ensures the dessert does not become too dense or soggy. It takes on the thick milky pudding nicely. The flaky, buttery layers of pastry dough are exactly what this dessert needs. In a pinch, you could use the ready made puff pastry cookie known as palmiers or orejitas. They are puff pastry cookies covered in dulce. YUM.

Croissants

I ordered a package of croissants from Costco Instacart and used about 4. You could make your own or get them from a bakery if you prefer. I cut them into small bite size pieces, toasted in the oven and then layered the dessert with them. This result was very similar to the puff pastry version. Flaky, buttery layers of dough smothered in the sweet milky custard. I would say this option and puff pastry go hand in hand, based on which you can access more easily.

In summary, all three options are a win. But if you want a flaky and crunchy texture, definitely use the puff pastry options or croissants. I see myself using either of those 2 depending on what is available. I would not go for the phyllo dough simply because it is a lot more work to break it up and then toast in the oven (also very messy!)

Assembly

Clay Pots

Um Ali is traditionally prepared and served in little clay pots. This makes for even heat distribution, a crunchy top, and keeps the bubbling milky filling nice and warm. I used my Emile Henry stoneware for a similar effect. I would not recommend using pyrex or metal. You could use 2 medium sized stone dishes, one large casserole dish, or several small serving pots. I was imagining how sumptuous and beautiful this would be in mini stone cocottes for guests!

The filling

The inside should be layered with plenty of coconut. The nut mixture could include whatever your fancy but hazle nuts, walnuts, and almond are the classics. Pistachio and almond can get chewy if they are steamed, so be sure to chop those and limit how much you pack into the center. The nuts are divine on top as they get golden and crunchy, so I reserve 2/3 of my nuts for the top and only use 1/3 inside. I love the golde raisins and coconut inside. I do not recommend putting raisins or coconut on top, because they will burn quickly.

Milky custard filling

The milk mixture needs to be thick. I stirred in sweetened condensed milk with coconut milk to yield a sweet and thick mixture. You do not need to add any sugar to this. It thickened perfectly in the dessert, creating the perfect custard texture throughout. The heavy cream poured all over the top, is also thick, and becomes creamy as it bubbles in the oven. It also serves to brown the top crust. You could omit the heavy cream if you are watching calories, but it really supports the thick and creamy texture of the filling.

Brown butter sugar topping

The top needs to be covered in some butter, so I used an unapologetically American fusion here. I prepped my apple pie topping of melted butter and sugar to drizzle all over because I was imagining how it would seep through every nook and cranny of flaky buttery dough and caramelize my nuts on top. It is purely genius, and makes this dessert out of this world decadent. Try it; you won’t be sorry. If you want to make this more Egyptian, you can stir in honey with the butter instead of sugar and it will be equally luscious.