Storecupboard Surprises

The secret behind conjuring up speedy yet impressive dishes is to have a well stocked storecupboard. Once upon a time this would have meant flour, sugar and a few other dried commodities, but today, with the vast range of convenience and preserved foods readily available, it is possible to have a comprehensive stock of standby foods. This means that tasty, nutritious, attractive and relatively inexpensive vegetarian dishes can be created at short notice.

Most of the recipes in this book include some basic storecupboard ingredients and some are almost completely constructed from what could be considered ‘stock’ ingredients. If a good storecupboard is always maintained, a substantial meal is always available. However, for a good vegetarian diet, storecupboard commodities are best used in combination with fresh ingredients.

The following is what I would consider a comprehensive list of storecupboard ingredients, from which many of the recipes in this book can be prepared. You may wish to add or take away from this list, depending on your personal taste and the likes and dislikes of those you regularly cook for.

Essentially Dry

• Plain (all-purpose) flour
• Cornflour (cornstarch)
• Baking powder
• Sugar – caster (superfine) and soft brown
• Cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder
• Semolina (cream of wheat)
• Custard powder
• Dried milk powder (non-fat dry milk)
• Dried breadcrumbs
• Dried beans and pulses – a selection of your favourites
• Pasta – any shape
• Rice
• Mixed dried fruit (fruit cake mix)
• No-soak prunes
• Walnut pieces
• Packet sauce mixes – white sauce and cheese sauce
• Cornflakes
• Pancake batter mix
• Pizza mix
• Stuffing mix – a garlic and herb combination is the most versatile

Essential Flavours

• Black peppercorns, for grinding
• Salt – table and coarse, if possible
• Mustard powder – or made English mustard and a wholegrain mustard, if possible
• Vegetable stock cubes
• Tomato purée (paste)
• Soy sauce
• Honey – clear, not set
• Golden (light corn) syrup
• Jam (conserve) or jelly (clear conserve) – particularly redcurrant
• Garlic purée (paste)
• Vinegar – cider or wine vinegar and balsamic, if possible
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Selection of dried herbs – mixed herbs, thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil
• Selection of dried spices – curry powder, chilli powder, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg, mixed (apple-pie) spice and ground ginger
• Chutney – a fruity variety such as apple, peach or red tomato
• Plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
• Lemon juice

Fresh, Chilled or Frozen

• Eggs, large
• Milk – whole or semi-skimmed
• Margarine – avoid low-fat spreads, which may not be suitable for cooking
• Butter
• Bread
• Hard cheese – a full-flavoured Cheddar is a good standby
• Cream cheese – plain and garlic and herb, if possible
• Grated Parmesan cheese – freeze and use as required
• Mayonnaise
• UHT double (heavy) or whipping cream
• Plain yoghurt
• Frozen puff pastry (paste)
• Frozen filo pastry
• Frozen sweetcorn (corn)
• Frozen peas
• Frozen chopped parsley
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Carrots

Canned and Bottled

• Oil – vegetable, sunflower or corn
• Canned tomatoes
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Baked beans
• Canned pulses and beans – keep a selection of your favourites
• Stoned (pitted) olives
• Canned fruit, particularly peaches, pineapple and any other favourites
• Carton/bottle of orange juice
• Condensed soups, particularly tomato and mushroom