Welcome to your essential guide for stretching ingredients, reducing food waste, and creating healthy, flavorful meals rooted in culture and care. Whether you’re a busy mom, meal prep beginner, or simply trying to get more out of your grocery budget, this kit is for you.

🛒 Smart Pantry Staples

  • Brown rice or whole grains (quinoa, bulgur)
  • Canned or dry beans (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, kidney)
  • Canned tomatoes, tomato paste
  • Dried herbs & spices (thyme, ginger, curry powder, smoked paprika, cloves)
  • Cooking oils (olive oil, palm oil for Ghanaian dishes)
  • Frozen vegetables
  • Stock or broth (store-bought or homemade)

🔁 Stretching Basics

Cook Once, Eat Three Times: Start with one main ingredient, and reimagine it into three different meals:

  • Chicken → Stew, Tacos, Soup
  • Rice → Fried Rice, Salad, Rice Pudding
  • Stew → Stew with plantains, Pasta Sauce, Waakye base

Pro Tip: Freeze in portions and label by ingredient and date.

🧊 Storage Essentials

  • Glass containers with lids
  • Silicone freezer bags
  • Mason jars for broths or grains
  • Ice cube trays for herbs, ginger paste, shito portions

Quick Tips: Lay freezer bags flat for easy stacking. Store pre-chopped onions, garlic, and peppers for quick use.

🍛 Featured Dish: Waakye with Stew, Meats & Shito

Rich. Hearty. Unforgettable.
Waakye (pronounced waa-che) is a beloved Ghanaian dish made by cooking rice and black-eyed peas together with dried millet leaves, giving it its signature earthy color.

Traditionally served with spicy tomato stew, boiled eggs, assorted meats (like beef, fish, or goat), and a generous scoop of shito—a smoky hot pepper sauce—this dish is the ultimate meal stretcher. Add coleslaw, fried plantains, or spaghetti on the side, and you’ve got a full Ghanaian feast.

Stretch Tip: Prep your stew and shito in bulk and build meals with mix-and-match proteins and sides all week long.

✨ Final Note from SpiceQueen

You don’t need expensive tools or fancy recipes to create nourishing meals. You just need strategy, culture, and a good stretch plan. Let your pantry work for you—one flavorful, intentional dish at a time.

With love,
Alice Esso, RN aka SpiceQueen
Creator of The Stretch Pantry