Toad in the Hole

Serves 2 adults and 2 children

• 125g plain flour

  Flour

  For pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles.

  • Raising agents are added to plain flour to make self-raising flour, used to lighten and give an airy texture to cakes and sponges.
  • Once opened reseal with quick clips or transfer to an airtight container or kilner jar. It will keep for up to 3-4 months
• Ground black pepper

  Black peppercorns

  Best used as a condiment.

  They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.

  • Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
  • Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
  • Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
• 2 beaten eggs

  Eggs

  Always have some on hand for quick scrambled egg.

  • Keep eggs in the fridge in their box and never eat them after their best before date.
  • The Health Protection Agency recommends buying Lion branded eggs, which come from vaccinated hens and are therefore less likely to contain salmonella
• 150ml cold water mixed with 150ml milk
• Leftover hard grated cheese

  Cheese

  Add to eggs for omelettes, grate onto soups or salads.

  • Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
  • Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

  Sunflower oil

  It is tasteless and heats to a high temperature so is a good all round oil.

  Ideal for pan-frying, mayonnaise, dressings and marinades.

• 6 thick, herby sausages
• Leftover onions, courgettes, peppers – about 125g