The Under $1 Healthy Commodity for Dinner
My 2022 pantry MVP — with a recipe at the end
Since the age of five years old, I had the great benefit of a mother who shared with me a love for cooking. Though admittedly, teaching me to cook meant less picky eater catering for her ( if I didn’t like dinner, I could make it myself ) — to support this skill I often accompanied my mother on our grocery trips.
Down the aisles we would go collecting items for dinner. Ground beef, tomatoes (gross), iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas, salsa, tomato sauce . . . TACO NIGHT!
Though I grew up with wonderful home-cooked meals, I was just as picky as the next kid. No sour cream, no beans, no cilantro, and absolutely NO tomatoes. It was not until I was about 20 years old that I slowly crept out of my comfort zone and started trying new things; to this day I vividly remember trying and liking sour cream again as I rushed, late to a a rehearsal after work. Leave it to Taco Bell sour cream no less to be the start of my paradigm shift. . .
Now, I can almost honestly swear there is nothing I won’t eat as I now actively quest for new ingredients to cook with. Its been a ride of many dishes that disappoint, as I adjust to ingredients I’ve tried let alone prepared. Other dishes, like butter chicken and its array of spices…
