With the summer season upon us, there's an undeniable urge to embrace the great outdoors, leaving the confines of the kitchen and immersing ourselves in vibrant al fresco dining.
But while the allure of grilling and gathering around the braai captivates, the secret to effortless summer meals resides within a well-stocked pantry.
With longer, warmer evenings ahead, ensuring your kitchen is brimming with the right staples can transform your cooking experience into a celebration of the season.
Summer is synonymous with laid-back dining. Whether hosting a lively braai, planning a casual picnic, or enjoying spontaneous no-cook nights, having quick and accessible options makes all the difference.
Here’s a guide to the must-have ingredients that will not only cut down on preparation time but also elevate your summertime culinary experience.
Couscous
A popular Middle Eastern and North African staple, couscous is made from semolina that's been steamed and dried. Though not a grain, couscous is commonly used as a substitute for rice and pasta as it's low in calories.
It's also incredibly handy when you're in a rush to make dinner, as the couscous available in grocery stores has already been pre-cooked and dried, so it doesn't need to be cooked.
All you have to do is just rehydrate and plump the couscous and it's ready to eat.
Fruit butter
If you are looking for a more inspiring, summer-fresh take on familiar recipes, fruit butter can be a great addition to your meals this season.
Not to be mistaken for classic jams, fruit butter has the spreadability and thicker texture of many of your favourite nut butter — albeit a bit more sweet, and a good alternative for those with allergies.
Made with fresh fruit and lightly sweetened, this butter can be delicious on toast, scones, muffins and endless baked treats.
Apple sauce
It can be easy for adults to forget just how wonderful this kid-favourite, seasonal snack really is.
Apples alone are rich in ingredients like fibre, quercetin, and pectin, and they boast a perfect balance between being sweet enough with some tartness to add interest. Eating apple sauce is a great way to get more of this into our diets, especially for little ones.
Pasta
It is a given that standing inside your kitchen, in front of the hot stove, is uncomfortable on summer days. So to avoid standing there too long, you should find ways to cook faster!
And what better meal than a hot plate of pasta. Cooking pasta for dinners saves a lot of time, and energy and you can finish preparing your meal in a matter of minutes.
And you can prepare a hearty meal of one-pot pasta, summer pasta salads, or those easy red sauce and white sauce pasta on those days! So, isn’t that easy? Cook pasta and have a fiesta.
Fresh produce
Fruits and vegetables are at their peak in the summer, which also means they are cheapest. Make this the summer of experimentation with fresh produce.
Try making salsa out of watermelon, or better yet, grill it! Give pickling fresh vegetables a go (peppers, perhaps?).
And when fresh produce isn’t an option, make sure your freezer is stocked with frozen vegetables and frozen fruit. Frozen produce and fruit is preserved at the peak of freshness so it has all the nutritional value and flavour of the fresh stuff.
Marinara sauce
Having a bottle of marinara sauce in the pantry this summer doesn't mean you just have to use it to whip up a quick batch of pasta. This incredibly versatile ingredient can also be used to make flatbread pizzas, meatball subs, and even a quick plate of chicken parm.
Chickpeas
Summer is a season when many of us are constantly on the go. Whether running kids out the door to play games or heading out for a hike, it’s crucial to have a balanced diet that will keep our energy from flagging — and in these scenarios, chickpeas show their nutritional star power.
These tiny pulses pack a surprisingly powerful punch as a source of protein, fibre, B vitamins, and more.
Chickpeas seem tailor-made for many refreshing summer salads.
Cooling spices
Did you know certain spices in your kitchen can help cool you during the summer season? Spices like fennel, coriander, and more contain certain properties that help cool your body and gut and also add refreshing flavours to your summer recipes.
Hard cheese
During summers, hard cheese over its shredded counterparts is a wise choice. Why so? Because it stays in your fridge much longer. And you can easily use this cheese to amp up your food.
Meat and seafood
For all meat lovers, a stock of meat and seafood is essential throughout the summer. You can quickly make numerous dishes like healthy chicken salad, chicken curry, boneless chicken breast recipes and shrimp fried rice.
With frozen meat on your side, you can always prepare a sumptuous meal within minutes. And guess what?
It will save you the hassle of going to the local poultry shops and waiting in a queue under the hot sun. Have an easy summer with these smart kitchen essentials for summer cooking.