A well-stocked storecupboard can help you rustle up a quick meal at short notice. However, resist the urge to fill the cupboard with interesting bottles that you ‘might use one day’.
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
100g (3½oz) frozen peas
15 cream crackers, about 125g (4oz)
2 × 180g cans boneless, skinless salmon, drained
1 medium egg, separated
a few drops of Tabasco, to taste
1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
green salad to serve
Serves 4
1 Put the peas into a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for a few minutes. Meanwhile, put five of the cream crackers into a food processor and whiz until fine. Tip on to a shallow plate and put to one side for the coating. Next, whiz the remaining whole crackers until fine. Add the salmon, egg yolk, Tabasco, dill and plenty of seasoning to the processor and whiz again until combined. Drain the peas and add to the salmon mixture, then pulse briefly to combine.
2 Put the egg white into a shallow bowl and whisk lightly with a fork to break it up. Shape the fish mixture into four patties. Dip each one into the egg white, then coat in the reserved cracker crumbs.
3 Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the fishcakes for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and piping hot.
4 Meanwhile, stir the mayonnaise and chilli sauce together in a small bowl. Serve the fishcakes with the dipping sauce and a green salad.
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
350g (12oz) dried penne pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
120g can boneless, skinless sardine fillets, drained
50g (2oz) black olives, pitted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small handful of fresh curly parsley, chopped, to garnish
Serves 4
1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Strain well, keeping a cupful of the cooking water to one side.
2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 10 minutes or until softened but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and oregano, then bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Stir in the sardines and olives – the stirring should help break up the fish slightly.
3 Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture looks too dry. Check the seasoning, then divide among four bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
200g (7oz) cooked skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
200g (7oz) frozen mixed vegetables
300g can cream of tomato soup
175g (6oz) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
½ tbsp baking powder
50g (2oz) mature Cheddar, grated
75ml (3fl oz) milk, plus extra to brush
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
½ tbsp vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) mark 6. Put the cooked chicken, frozen vegetables, soup and seasoning to taste into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a (roughly) 1 litre (1¾ pint) shallow, ovenproof dish and put to one side.
2 Sift the flour, baking powder and a large pinch of salt into a large bowl. Stir in most of the cheese. Beat the milk, egg and oil together in a separate bowl.
3 Pour the milk mixture into the flour bowl and use a cutlery knife to bring it together until the dough forms clumps. Add a splash of milk if it looks too dry.
4 Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured worksurface and pat it into a (roughly) 9 × 15cm (3½ × 6in) rectangle. Cut the rectangle into eight equal squares, then arrange the scones on top of the chicken mixture. Brush each scone with a little milk, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
5 Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the scones are risen and golden and the filling is bubbling and piping hot. Serve immediately.
Good stock can make the difference between a good dish and a great one. It gives depth of flavour to many dishes. There are four main types of stock: vegetable, meat, chicken and fish.
Vegetable Stock
For 1.1 litres (2 pints) you will need: 225g (8oz) each chopped onion, celery, leek and carrot, 2 bay leaves, a few fresh thyme sprigs, 1 small bunch of fresh parsley, 10 black peppercorns, ½ tsp salt.
1 Put all the ingredients into a pan and pour in 1.7 litres (3 pints) cold water.
2 Bring slowly to the boil and skim the surface. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
3 Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool.
Chicken Stock
For 1.1 litres (2 pints) you will need: 1.6kg (3½lb) chicken bones or a stripped roast chicken carcass, 225g (8oz) each sliced onions and celery, 150g (5oz) chopped leeks, 1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, a few fresh thyme sprigs and a small bunch of fresh parsley), 1 tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp salt.
1 Put all the ingredients into a large pan with 3 litres (5¼ pints) cold water.
2 Bring slowly to the boil and skim the surface. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 2 hours. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
3 Strain the stock through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl and cool quickly. Degrease before using.
Fish Stock
Meat and poultry stock need to be degreased. (Vegetable stock does not.) You can mop the fat from the surface using kitchen paper, but the following methods are easier and more effective. There are three main methods that you can use: ladling, pouring and chilling.
1 Put all the ingredients into a large pan with 3 litres (1½ pints) cold water.
2 Bring slowly to the boil and skim the surface. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
3 Strain the stock through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl and cool quickly. Fish stock tends not to have much fat in it and so does not usually need ot be degreased. However, if it does seem to be fatty, you will need to remove this by degreasing.
Degreasing Stock
For 900ml (1½ pints) you will need: 900g (2lb) washed fish bones and trimmings, 2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped onion and 2 sliced celery sticks, 1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, a few fresh thyme sprigs and a small bunch of fresh parsley), 6 white peppercorns, ½ tsp salt.
1 Ladling While the stock is warm, place a ladle on the surface. Press down to allow the fat floating on the surface to trickle over the edge until the ladle is full. Discard the fat, then repeat until all the fat has been removed.
2 Pouring For this you will need a degresing jug or a double-pouring gravy boat, whoch has the spout at the bottom of the vessel. When ou fill the jug or gravy boat with a fatty liquid, the fat rises. When you pour, the stock comes out while the fat stays behind in the jug.
3 Chilling This technique works best with stock made from meat, whose fat solidifies when cold. Put the stock in the frige until the fat becomes solid, then remove the pieces of fat using a slotted spoon.
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour 25 minutes
400g (14oz) braising steak, cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes
25g (1oz) plain flour, plus extra to dust
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
250ml (9fl oz) Guinness
250ml (9fl oz) beef stock
50ml (2fl oz) double cream
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
a small handful of fresh flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
300g (11oz) puff pastry
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
1 Put the steak into a bowl and coat with the flour. Heat the oil in a 3.4 litre (6 pint) flameproof casserole and brown the beef, in batches if necessary to stop the meat sweating. Add the carrots and onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the Guinness and stock and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the beef is tender, uncovering for the last 10 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan oven) mark 7. Stir the cream, redcurrant jelly and parsley into the beef mixture and check the seasoning. Put to one side.
3 Dust a worksurface with flour and roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to cover the casserole, laying it on top of the beef mixture, then make a small slit in the middle of the pastry to allow the steam to escape. Cook in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Serve immediately.
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 × 300g bags frozen Quorn mince
100ml (3½fl oz) red wine
2 × 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1½ tbsp mixed dried herbs
½ vegetable stock cube
4 tbsp plain flour
600ml (1 pint) milk
9 dried and ready to cook lasagne sheets
50g (2oz) mature Cheddar, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
green salad to serve
Serves 6
1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 10 minutes or until softened. Turn up the heat, add the Quorn and fry for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes.
2 Stir in the tomatoes and mixed herbs, then crumble in the stock cube and seasoning to taste. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Take off the heat.
3 Next, make the white sauce. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Put the milk mixture back on to the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, or until thickened and glossy.
4 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) mark 6. Spoon a third of the mince mixture into the bottom of a 2 litre (3½ pint) ovenproof dish. Cover with three lasagne sheets and a little white sauce. Repeat the layering process twice more, finishing with a layer of white sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over and cook in the oven for 30–35 minutes until bubbling and golden (cover with foil if browning too quickly). Serve with a green salad.
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 55 minutes
125g (4oz) tomato ketchup
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp runny honey
1½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1.5kg (3lb 2oz) individual pork spare ribs
250g (9oz) basmati rice
400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
a large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
green salad to serve
Serves 4
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) mark 6. Line a large roasting tin with a double layer of foil. Put the first six ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the ribs to the bowl and stir to coat completely, then empty the ribs and glaze into the prepared roasting tin and spread out evenly. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes.
2 Uncover the tin, then turn the ribs and put back into the oven for 30–35 minutes, turning in the glaze occasionally, until they’re dark and sticky (most of the liquid should have evaporated).
3 Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack instructions, adding the kidney beans for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain well and stir in the coriander. Serve the rice with the ribs and a green salad.
Before doing your weekly shop, have a good look at the ingredients in your fridge and vegetable rack and think of ways to use them up. You can then go out and buy the ingredients you need to make the most of the items you already have.
Clever leftovers
We all struggle with portion sizing and often have extra rice, potatoes or other ingredients left at the end of each meal. There is a difference between leftovers and waste food. Leftovers are the bits and pieces that sit in a clingfilm-covered bowl in your fridge, challneging you to use them creatively. If you ignore them for four or five days they become waste. Why not try making the most of your leftover bits and bobs?
Ways of using leftovers
There are many ways of using leftover food and slightly over-ripe fruit and vegetables that are starting to wilt. You can:
Simply add the ingredients to a stir-fry, pasta bake, soup, risotto...the list is endless
'Stretch' the ingedients - sometimes the amount left over is so small it won't go very far in a family setting. Try adding to it. You can cook a little more of it (for example, rice), or try adding lentils and tomatoes to leftover mince to create a whole new take on Bolgnese sauce
Make the most of fruit and vegetables that are starting to wilt - use fruit in a crumble, use vegetables in soups and bakes
Alternative suggestions
You may not always feel like transforming your leftovers into meals - or there may not be enough to do so. Another option is to freeze the off ingredient for later use.
Small amounts of herbs - freeze in ice cube trays
One or two chillies - these freeze well and are easy to chop from frozen
Double cream - lightly whip the cream and then freeze
Cheese - hard cheeses will become crumbly once thawed, but can be used for grating or in cooking
Bread - whiz in a food processor to make breadcrumbs: these freeze well in a sealed plastic bag. Use to sprinkle over bakes for a crisp toppig, or to coat fish or chicken before frying, grilling or baking - or ise for bread sauce to serve with game or turkey
Leftover Roast Chicken Soup
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 2 chopped celery sticks, 2 chopped fresh thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, a stripped roast chicken carcass, 150-200g (5-7oz) chopped roast chicken, 200g (7oz) mashed or roast potato, 1 tbsp double cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
1 Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and thyme and fry gently for 20-30 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the bay leaf, chicken carcass and 900ml (1½ pints) boiling water to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2 Remove the bay leaf and carcass and add the chopped roast chicken and cooked potato to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Whiz the soup in a food processor, pour back into the pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the cream, check the seasoning and serve immediately.
