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5 Ingredients To Always Have In Your Kitchen

When it comes to flavouring dishes, there are a few ingredients that are worth their weight in culinary gold and won’t break your budget.  Chef Claire Tansey has shared 5 ingredients you should always have in your kitchen:

Here are 5 ingredients you should always have in your kitchen: parmesan rinds, lemon juice, smoked paprika, dried thyme and garlic powder. Find out why.

  • Parmesan rinds (the tough edge you’re left with after grating a whole chunk of Parmesan): Adds incredible umami-richness and depth of flavour to soups and risottos. Simply add the chunk to the pot while it is simmering. Fish it out and discard it before serving.
  • Lemon juice: It brightens dull flavours, reduces the intensity of salt, balances excessive richness and generally brings sunshine to everything it touches. Add a squeeze just before serving anything from steak to lentil dal. Just make sure to use fresh lemon juice (the bottle stuff is not an option!)
  • Dried thyme: Thyme packs flavour in homemade vegetable soups, on roast chicken, potatoes or carrots.
  • Smoked paprika: It brings a gentle heat and gorgeous deep red colour, as well as a hint of smokiness to vegetable soups, baked beans, dry rubs of all kinds, and even mac and cheese.
  • Garlic powder: It’s a dehydrated, pulverized form of the original that’s a little less punchy than fresh garlic, but similarly flavourful and extremely versatile. Chef Tansey suggests to use it in dry rubs because it doesn’t burn on the grill, guacamole, steak marinade and salad dressing.

These products can be found at your local Loblaws.  Visit www.loblaws.ca for more information.

Above all, remember that cooking doesn’t have to be a chore.  Don’t stress, lower your expectations and forget about perfection. And maybe have fun!  Happy cooking!

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