You know the feeling; it’s coming towards the end of the week and supplies in the fridge are powering down. To top it all, you have some unexpected guests popping over for lunch so what do you do?
That’s where the good old traditional store-cupboard comes into its own. Every home has one, whether it’s an old-fashioned walk-in larder or simply a couple of cupboards in the corner. Our mum’s always kept a store-cupboard and most of us have followed through on the idea. But when needs must, what sort of healthy dishes can you make from store-cupboard ingredients? Let’s take a look at some of our favourite ideas:
- Potatoes – there must hardly be a time when you don’t have some potatoes lying around. Even if they look a little dry and old, once peeled, most can turn themselves into some delectable dishes. Think potato soup, home-made chips or good old cheesy mash. All scrummy to eat, wholesome and cheap.
- Eggs – These are a fail-safe in our house when all other supplies have run low. Fantastic in a Spanish omelette, carbonara or even a soufflé. If you have a little cheese to add, the results are awesome. Always make sure your eggs are free-range and keep in the fridge for freshness.
- Flour – it might not look like much but a little bit of flour can go a long way. Make a pizza base, home-made bread, dumplings in a stew or a flan base to fill with a couple of whisked eggs, seasoning and cheese.
- Tinned tomatoes – find a tin of forgotten tomatoes in the back of the cupboard and lunch suddenly gets interesting! Make your own pasta sauce, chilli or even pizza topping. Personally I love them very hot with black pepper spread on crispy wholemeal toast.
- Tinned tuna – as well as adding to a sandwich, try mixing with sweetcorn if you have any for a tasty jacket potato filling. Also makes a great base for a salad Nicoise, served with tomatoes, eggs and some fresh green leaves.
All it takes is a little imagination and a tour through the store-cupboard. You might even amaze yourself at just how many delightful dishes you can concoct, simply by using items that have been tucked away in your kitchen and nearly forgotten. Tinned foods will always last a long time, but do keep an eye on those sell-by-dates and rotate your stock on a regular basis.
So next time you get unexpected people popping in, there will be no need to panic or run out to the takeaway. Some of the tastiest and healthiest meals can be made with very few store-cupboard ingredients. Once you get the hang of it, you will soon become a ‘store-cupboard queen’!
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