5 ‘Back Of The Cupboard’ Meals To Make Right Now
Image by: Kevin McCutcheon
The Female First team shares the five recipes that they’re cooking and loving during lockdown, all made with those all important store cupboard essentials.
Are you cooking differently since lockdown started? I sure am. Now, all those back of the cupboard staples - the various tins and jars that tend to collect dust, forgotten - are taking centre stage. Think tinned tomatoes and beans, bags of lentils and chickpeas, anchovies, tuna, sweetcorn, dried mushrooms, pesto, soy sauce, dried pasta and rice, herbs and spices; their possibilities are endless. Those tinned tomatoes? You could have fresh mediterranean pasta sauce, curry or shakshuka eggs on your hands. Beans? Try enchiladas or burritos, chilli or a casserole. Tuna? Wraps, pasta bake or a salad.
Eager to know more, I asked my colleagues what ‘back of the cupboard’ recipes that they are cooking and loving right now. Bookmark this for the next time you’re in a lockdown cooking funk.
Image by: BBC Good Food
Natasha
“Right now, I need comfort food more than ever. My go-to is the BBC Good Food’s tuna and sundried tomato pasta bake, especially eaten in a big bowl with lots of cheese, on the sofa and in front of a Netflix marathon! All you need from your store cupboard for this is dried pasta, tinned and sundried tomatoes, tinned tuna and sweetcorn, and dried thyme; then for fresh food, double cream and cheese (I go for parmesan and cheddar).”
Image by: Olive Magazine
Maggie
“I’m vegan so tend to live on homemade curries anyway, but during lockdown this spinach, chickpea and potato curry is a lifesaver - it’s a case of chucking onion, garlic, various spices, tinned tomatoes and the vegetables into a big saucepan or crock pot and letting it thicken and the flavours develop.”
Sarah
“All you need for this smoked sausage and bean casserole is sausage, carrots, tomato-basil pasta sauce (or make up your own with tinned tomatoes and herbs) and baked beans.”
Image by: Good To Know
Julia
“I always buy a few large sweet potatoes because they’re great for building up recipes with, like these sweet potato and black bean enchiladas or as baked potatoes with curry spiced chickpeas.”
Ella
“I’ve been making these saucy bean baked eggs for a weekend at-home brunch in the garden, all you need for the recipe are tinned tomatoes and beans, eggs, some sort of greenery like spinach and - if you eat meat - shredded ham or sausage.”
Image by: Ambitious Kitchen