Store cupboard essentials - Love Food Hate Waste

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Balsamic vinegar

Perfect for salad dressings and italian dishes

A teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar can wake up the flavour in a bland soup, stew or sauce.
A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar on fresh sliced strawberries or raspberries with a bit of sugar really brings out the flavour of the fruit.
Heat sweetens balsamic vinegar and boils out acidity. If you want to mellow the flavour, heat it.

Why not try Pear and Stilton Toasts or Creamy Tomato Soup or Kid’s Tomato Ketchup

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Beans

Canned, dried or baked beans for the kids.

Canned are most useful when in a hurry. Except for baked beans, once the can is open, tip the contents into a sieve or colander and run under the cold tap to rinse well.
If you want to use dried beans in a recipe instead of canned ones, soak half the weight of canned beans in cold water overnight then cook in fresh boiling water until tender. Drain and use in a recipe.
Beans can be served alone or mixed with other flavourings and foods. They are also great used to thicken soups and stews. They can be mixed with pasta or rice in soup for a hearty dish.
Beans are a good substitute for meat in burgers as protein.
Cold cooked beans are also excellent mixed with garlic dressing for a salad and served with cold meats or fish.

Why not try Jamaican Vegetables, Beans and Rice

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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

Why not try My Big Fat Moussaka or Vegetable Lasagne or Basic Vegetables Stock

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Canned chopped tomatoes

Great for instant pizza sauce, pasta, curry sauces.

The tomatoes will keep for up to a week, but don’t store them in the opened tin because the metal will start to rust and spoil the food. Instead, tip the tomatoes into a plastic container, cover with a lid, or clingfilm and store in the fridge.
Alternatively, put the tomatoes in a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 12 months.

Why not try Sausage Risotto or Golden Shepherds Pie or My Big Fat Moussaka

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Canned Fish

Tuna flakes, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, all great emergency fish for salads, baked potatoes, pasta.

If you have any leftover it’s best not to store the fish in tins. Instead, tip into a plastic container and cover with a lid.

Why not try Fish and Couscous Salad or Tuna Pasta Bake or Panzanella

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Chilli sauce

Adds zest and bite in lots of sauces.

One example is Tabasco. It is the trade name of a range of hot, spicy chilli sauces made in the US state of Louisiana. The original Tabasco sauce is fiery red and made from a variety of chilli pepper called Tabasco, combined with vinegar and salt and matured in oak barrels. Chilli sauces vary in strength. Choose one that is suitable for your family.

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Coconut milk

For thai curries and vegetable bakes

If you have any leftover you can freeze in ice-cube trays. Once frozen transfer to freezer bags. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Why not try Hot and Sour Vegetable and Noodle Broth or Jamaican Vegetables, Beans and Rice

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Couscous

Great for spicy dishes, just needs plumping up with hot stock or water.

Once the packet is opened reseal using grip clips or transfer to an airtight jar or kilner jar.

Why not try Fish and Couscous Salad

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Dried chilli flakes

Great for adding instant ‘hotness’ to sauces.

Or for adding spice to curries.

Why not try Hot and Spicy Rice or Beef and Bean Salad

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Dried fruits

Sultanas, currents, and raisins are all dried grapes of different varieties.

They are a healthy snack on their own or with nuts. They also work well for fruitcakes and Christmas pudding, biscuits and buns.
When re-hydrated in water, tea or alcohol they can be added to mousses, fools and ice creams.
Their natural sweetness works well with Indian and North African recipes.
Keep the fruits fresher by resealing them with bag clips or transfer them to airtight containers.

Why not try Glutney or Soured Milk Scones or The Best Carrot Cake

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Egg or rice noodles

Look for the straight to wok brand.

They can be used in soups, stir-fries or in sauces for dishes using shredded meats, prawns or vegetables.

Why not try Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry or Stir-Fried Seafood with Noodles

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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

Why not try Golden Shepherds Pie or My Big Fat Moussaka or Vegetable Lasagne

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Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.

Why not try Sausage Risotto or Golden Shepherds Pie or Sausage Risotto

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Honey

Enjoy it over ice cream, yoghurt or pancakes or spread onto toast or croissants.

Honey is also an ancient remedy for the treatment of infected wounds.Manuka Honey has recently been ‘rediscovered’ by the medical profession, particularly where conventional modern therapeutic agents are failing.
If it gets too cold it will crystallise. Just put the pot in a microwave for 30 seconds and it will return to its normal state.

Why not try Clay Pot Aromatic Honey and Ginger Baked Chicken or Clay Pot Warm Vegetable Salad or French Toast With Honey

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Jalapeno peppers

Very hot, great for jazzing up tortillas and pizzas.

Can be used as a topping for cheese nachos or in sandwiches.

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Madras curry paste

A sweet, tangy base for Indian curries.

Traditional indian spice

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Mango chutney

Adds zip to grilled chicken, and is delicious accompaniment for a hot curry.

But is also great with cheese and crackers for a snack and makes a good cream dip.

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Mustard

Worth keeping a few different types.

French mustard or Dijon is creamy and can be used in dressings, marinades or adding to sauces.
English is good for roast beef, steak, gammon or sizzling sausages.
Wholegrain is used in chutney’s and pickles

Why not try My Big Fat Moussaka or Vegetable Lasagne or Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

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Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.

Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.

Why not try Golden Shepherds Pie or Sausage Risotto or My Big Fat Moussaka

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Pasta

Available in various shapes and sizes.

Short tubular pasta (rigatoni, penne, macaroni) is best used in baked dishes with vegetables, cheese and meat.
Smooth long pasta (spaghetti, linguine) is best with sauces like Bolognese, tomato and clams as these keep the pasta slippery and separate.
Cup-shaped pasta (conchiglie, orichette) is designed to hold sauces with larger ingredients such as mushrooms, artichokes and tomatoes.
Cut pasta (tagliatelle, fettuccine, farfalle) is best eaten with rich sauce made with cream, eggs or meat.
Twisted pasta (fusilli, eliche, fettuccines, farfalle) the curly character of these pastas means that they will trap thin sauces such as pesto, garlic, and olive oil flavoured with chilli.
Tiny pasta shapes (alphabet letters, fillini, vermicelli) cook quickly and are ideal for adding to soups and casseroles.
Ravioli is stuffed pasta and can vary from cheese, vegetables and meat.
Lasagne sheets and cannelloni are good pastas used in a baked layered meat or vegetables dishes.

Why not try Tuna Pasta Bake or Pumpkin Ravioli or Ham, Roast Garlic and Spinach Pasta

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Pizza crusts

Either long life or frozen

They are ideal for using up leftover cheese, meat and vegetables.

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Rice

Great as an accompaniment or for making risotto and pilaff.

White long grain rice is good for salads, and its absorbent qualities go well with sauces and casseroles.
Risotto rice has an incredible capacity to absorb a great amount of cooking liquid and still retain bite, just like paella rice.
When cooked, basmati rice gives a light, fluffy, separate grains perfect to accompany curries or biriyani and pilaff dishes.
Rice can replace breadcrumbs in stuffing’s and a few grains can be added to soups to thicken the broth.
You have to be careful when reheating rice as there is a nasty little bacteria called bacillus cereus which may be present in cereals, particularly rice, and it is resistant to heat.
It’s important always to cook rice for a hot dish just as you need it and serve it piping hot. If the rice is for a cold dish, once it’s cooked, cool it as quickly as possible and chill within two hours. To do this, drain the rice in a colander, rinse with cold water then tip into a large shallow container. Once it is cold, cover and keep refrigerated for no longer than a day.

Why not try Sausage Risotto or Mixed Vegetable Curry or Clay Pot Oven Cooked Mushroom Risotto

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Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.

Why not try My Big Fat Moussaka or Vegetable Lasagne or Clay Pot Onion Soup

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Sesame oil

For oriental stir-fries.

Only use a small amount, as it can be very overpowering.

Why not try Nasi Goreng or Left Over Fried Rice

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Soy sauce

The two basic types of soy sauce used in chinese cooking are light and dark.

Dark soy is aged much longer than light soy, giving it a brownish-black colour and much thicker texture. Dark soy is used in red-cooked dishes, and is good for marinating meat. Use carefully as the rather pungent odour and darker colour of dark soy sauce can ruin the taste or appearance of a dish.
As its name suggests, light soy has a lighter colour, plus a saltier flavour. It is used more in cooking.

Why not try Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry or Nasi Goreng or Stir-fried Chicken

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Spanish smoked paprika

Good for Tex Mex flavouring

For chicken and ribs

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Stir Fry sauces

All in one Chinese and Thai sauces

Great for quick stir-fry chicken and vegetables when speed is required.

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Stock cubes

Invest in a variety. Use powered or cubes which are both widely available.

Consider making your own stock. Check out our recipes to find out how.

Why not try My 'Use up' soup or Cook Once - Roast Pork or Oven Baked Vegetable Pilaff

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Sugar and Syrups

Try having in stock caster sugar, muscavado, honey and golden syrup

Once opened ensure they are tightly resealed with quick clips or bag clips.
If you have got rock-hard brown sugar, crystallised honey/syrup, place in a suitable non-metallic bowl and give a quick blast of about 30 seconds on high in the microwave to bring these back to their normal state.

Why not try Baked Apple Crisp or Glutney or Kid’s Tomato Ketchup

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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.

Why not try Basic Meat Stock or Bubble and Squeak or Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

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Thai curry paste

Add to chicken or other meats, as well as seafood, noodles, vegetables and tofu.

This paste will create sumptuous curries. Use right away from the jar then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and use it, as you need it.

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Tomato Ketchup

Great bbq sauces and bacon butties!

Could also try our Kid’s Tomato Ketchup

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Tomato paste

Concentrate made from paste type tomatoes that have high pectin content.

When they’re cooked down, they’re put through a strainer to remove skins and seeds, and reduced further until almost all of the moisture has evaporated. Usually a recipe will call for a tablespoon or two, just enough to enrich a beef stew, for instance, or to deepen the flavour of a sauce made with fresh tomatoes.

Why not try Golden Shepherds Pie or Sausage Risotto or Vegetable Lasagne

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Turmeric

Add earthy flavour to curries

Add bright yellow colour to rice

Why not try Hot and Spicy Rice or Cauliflower Tempura

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Worcestershire sauce

For stews, bolognese sauce and shepherd’s pie, over grilled cheese or on top of baked beans on toast

Lea and Perrins was invented in Worcester in 1835 by John Lea and William Perrin. Both chemists, they put together a recipe that tasted disgusting and then left it in their cellar for two years. When they tasted it again, it had matured like a fine wine! Their recipe is still a secret to this day.

Why not try Golden Shepherds Pie or Kid’s Tomato Ketchup

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Yeast extract

Use for adding depth to gravies and flavouring casseroles

Great on toast and adding to mushroom dishes and cheese on toast. Will last indefinitely once opened.

Why not try Golden Shepherds Pie

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Oils and Vinegars

Look out for bottle pour spouts for controlled pouring, which ensures you don't use more than you need too.

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Staples

Store in a dry dark place, once packets are open use Quick clips or grip clips to reseal and keep foods fresh. Invest in airtight boxes that have easy locking lids or storage containers with tight fitting lids see Top 20 Rescue Gadgets.

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Spice and seasonings

Keep away from heat in a darkened cool drawer or cupboard, if they are left in the heat and light they are more likely to loose their potency and have a tainted flavour.

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Sauces

Once the sauces in jars are opened it is best to keep them in the fridge rather than putting them back into cupboards, they will last longer, just don't forget to use them up within the best before date once opened.