Use Your Pantry to Prepare Summer Meals

In the summer, great-tasting meals can be prepared around a few flavorful ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

If you want to add a flavorful boost to your meals, pick up a few of the ingredients below the next time you're at the supermarket and add them to your pantry. The next time you want to add some exciting flavor to your meals, rely on these items to perk up an ordinary meal.

Roasted Red Sweet Peppers

Searching for a last-minute supper suggestion? Try using roasted red sweet peppers as a savory topping for cold meat sandwiches or broiled chicken. To roast peppers, place them on top of a gas flame or under a broiler. Turn the peppers occasionally, and roast until the skin of the peppers is completely charred and blackened. Place the peppers in a paper or plastic bag or wrap them in a covering of paper towels and let them stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully rub off the skin, halve the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut the peppers into strips to use as sandwich or meat toppings.

Bottled Marinade

Add zesty flavor to skinless, boneless chicken breasts with prepared, bottled marinades. Simply marinate the chicken overnight in whatever flavor of marinade you prefer (try lemon pepper or herb-and-garlic). Drain the chicken well, then cook it in a skillet in 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot olive oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until the meat is no longer pink. Top the chicken breasts with roasted red sweet pepper strips (see above) and a generous sprinkling of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Cover the skillet, and continue cooking for 2 to 3 more minutes or until the peppers are heated through. Serve the chicken over rice that's been combined with fresh (or canned) diced tomatoes.

Specialty Mustard Basting Sauce

If you're planning to grill steaks or hamburgers, why not stir together a sensational basting sauce? Just mix 2 teaspoons of your favorite commercially prepared specialty mustard (such as honey-mustard or Dijon) and 1/3 cup of orange marmalade into your favorite barbecue sauce recipe.

Next week, we'll share more ideas for using items from you pantry for your summer meals. Be sure to check out this week's article for a great one-dish meal you can make in under an hour; look for it Wednesday, July 12 here at Recipes.