Vegan Home: Stocking your Vegan Kitchen

Living in a small Wyoming community it can be trying, at times, to find great recipes and be unable to buy all of the ingredients. Worse yet is the super high cost of some of those hard to find ingredients. Fresh fruits and veggies are often sub-par in the winter months, not to mention the moral dilemma that comes with buying fresh strawberries in January (how far did it have to travel to get here?). While stocking my kitchen I always seem to have a certain group of staples; those items that I turn to when I have no menu planned or when something needs jazzing up. I would love to share with you a list, that is by no means all inclusive (trust me it is nuts to try and itemize your kitchen), that covers a lot of good stuff.

What is on your list?

FRESH
fruits vary by week, I just choose what looks best
mixed greens (when in doubt, make a big salad)
carrots (carrots +hummus=snack perfection) 
onion
pepper
cucumber
tomato
potato
sweet potato
garlic
herbs

GRAINS
brown rice (I love to just make a good stir fry, curry, etc. and serve with brown rice. Also great on a salad.)
wild rice (I rarely remember to cook with wild rice, but I always have it and I am happy when I remember to use it)
white rice (just being honest)
quinoa (for when I want more protein)
rolled oats (great for breakfast, cookies, breads, etc.)
couscous
whole grain noodles 

CANNED AND DRY
 beans (re-fried beans, black beans, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils galore)* remember that beans and rice make a complete protein.
soup mixes (I am often gifted with dry soup mixes and I keep them on hand for a quiet night when I want a simple soup)
EnerG Egg Replacer (I swear this stuff has changed my life. I use it regularly)
agave nectar
maple syrup
organic cane sugar (I love sugar! I am all about healthy eating, but c'mon sometimes you just need sugar)
flours
real extracts (vanilla and almond are always in stock)
chocolate & carob chips (always check the ingredients)
dried fruit (cranberries, unsweetened coconut, raisins, banana chips)
coconut milk (curry anyone?) 
tea (Evening in Missoula, chamomile, valerian---not while nursing or pregnant, hibiscus flower)
herbs and spices galore
cocoa powder
a variety of salts and peppers
whole tomatoes
tomato sauce
vegan prenatal and children's vitamins
cornstarch
arrowroot powder (great substitute for gelatin)
baking powder & soda
marmite (we are simply that cultured) 
rice paper wraps 
olives
sun dried tomatoes
artichoke hearts
nutritional yeast  (perfect for cheesy sauce)
tortillas (wraps, burritos, vegan quesadillas)



REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER
tofu (extra firm and silken)
tempeh 
seitan (I bring a cooler when we go to the city and stock up)
dijon mustard
tamari
braggs
ketchup
pickles
frozen fruit
frozen veggies 
vanilla almond milk 
plain soy milk
orange juice
vegetable juice (low sodium)
hummus
Follow Your Heart vegan mayo
some kind of vegan cheese (my husband and I are currently on a vegan cheese and crackers kick) 
I have frozen fruits that I keep on hand for smoothies
I also have about 6 black frozen bananas, perfect for banana bread
When I don't use up fresh herbs I freeze them in ice cube trays and then put the cubes in baggies and pull out to add to sauces and soups

NUTS
cashews (great for making nut cheeses)
salted and silvered and whole almonds (right hand salted almonds, left hand chocolate chips) 
walnuts
sunflower seeds (I give shelled seeds to my daughter and I love to toss onto a salad) 
sesame seeds
peanuts
peanut butter (sandwiches and cookies, oh and a good source of protein) 
tahini
pine nuts (toasted and tasty or made into a pesto)


OILS AND MORE
sesame oil  (I love to stir fry broccoli in sesame oil and toss with sesame seeds) 
apple cider vinegar
vegetable oil
extra virgin olive oil (a staple) 
rice vinegar
red wine vinegar
white vinegar (I can literally drink this stuff, makes my husband gag to watch me do it...tmi?)  
balsamic vinegar 
vegan margarine 

~Maria Rose