Storecupboard staples. What do you keep in there that can be turned into a meal?

[nkf]

I have:
pasta
tinned tomatoes
rice

But bit dull really.

Stock cubes I meant.

Nkf, three bean salad(tin) with sweetcorn (frozen or tin), crushed garlic, ground pepper and tomato puree (tin or tube), add a spoonful of pesto and some chopped bacon trimmings if you're really pushing the boat out.
Chop in whatever veg and herbs look least sad, it's a good quick salad.

Also, I have just googled open lasagna because I didn't recognise the term. They look brilliant. Imagine two sheets of lasagna, one on the top and one of the bottom of a filling. Sounds really easy and a bit different to just pasta with sauce.

Nkf those tuna salad/Greek salad lunch pots aimed at working ladies on a diet are worth having in stock for that.

I mean working ladies of the office rather than bedroom persuasion, natch.

If you want tinned pulses or red lentils etc always check the world foods aisle in your supermarket. They are usually loads cheaper.

I noticed that in areas with a high ethnic populations the big four tailor their ranges to suit them. So you get huge vats of oil and sacks of rice for pennies.

Our Tesco does Finest basmati rice for £7 for a huge bag.

I now prefer passata to chopped tomatoes.

Favourite use for tinned chick peas:
Heat a little oil in a pan, chuck in drained CPs. Heat through, then stir in some curry paste. When that's heated, mash them. Add a bit of water until it's a bit smoother. Serve as a dip with pitta bread, crudités or whatever. I much prefer it to hummus, it's really lovely.

As for rice, I use Tesco value range, it's lovely, and dirt cheap :)

Cup-a soup

This is an old thread of mine that has loads of suggestions BTW

My favourite salad:
Tinned tuna, frozen green beans, boiled eggs, boiled potato, plus any salad stuff like cucumber. The magic ingredient - avocado. When you mix it, it mushes up a bit so it doesn't need a dressing. Due to the mushiness it's not a very attractive looking dish, but it's yummy!

I always keep a couple of tins of Campbell's condensed cream of tomato soup in the cupboard. Used without dilution it gives a really creamy rich tomato sauce. There are a few ways I use it - stir through cooked pasta with Tuna or gather all your veg odds and sods, courgettes, broccoli etc cook them, then add a tin of the soup, a couple of tins of beans and simmer on the top of the oven in a stockpot. Serve with crusty bread, and for non veggies, with a sprinkle of cheese or a spoon of Philly stirred through. Lovely and warming, relatively low fat.

We always have a jar of curry sauce and a jar of Homepride tomato and bacon sauce too

Agree on passata. I use the Basics range. Totally fine. I like the curried chick peas recipe. Thank you.

Okay, anyone up to a challenge. Found some odd things in the cupboard. What can I do with the following things?

• Condensed mushroom soup. Can't remember why I bought it.
• Tin of chestnut puree. Must have intended to go all Nigella-ish at Christmas. On the side it says you can use it to make soups. Can you?
• Some bamboo shoots. Can't remember why I bought those either. Stir fry I guess.

Linguini, bottle of lemon juice, olive oil, tin of white crab meat, dried chillis. Nice pasta dish, seems like you made an effort even though you didn't.

Boffin cassoulet is what you're thinking of.

I also buy tinned duck confit. Yum.

Other than that I have tinned tuna, tomatoes and sweetcorn in. Plus frozen sliced onions and frozen sliced leeks.

Always have a couple of jars of pataks curry paste, a teaspoon of which can liven up pasta or soup (seriously).

Allways have a bottle if very cheap white wine too. A glass added to a pan of soup or poured over baked chicken or fish can make it a little different.

That's it, cassoulet. Name was on the tip of my tongue.

If you open a bottle of wine but fail to finish it before it goes funny, keep it handy as it's useful to cook with.

Stop press ... Austerity Housekeeping eBook is free again on Kindle tomorrow, if anyone still wants a copy.

I mean Amazon!

nfk: Thin down the mushroom soup with boiling water and use as stock for mushroom/chicken/any vegetable risotto.

Chestnuts (whole or pureed) are yummy in soups as long as they are unsweetened... I've made a lovely lentil and lardon soup which I chucked some whole vac-packed chestnuts into and then whizzed up a bit - I'm sure a splodge of the puree would do just fine.

You could probably also make some very fancy stuffing with it as well.

Bamboo shoots - yup, stirfry!

Tin of chestnut puree. Must have intended to go all Nigella-ish at Christmas. On the side it says you can use it to make soups. Can you?

I made chestnut and sage soup yesterday. Recipe from the Hugh FW veggie book but it's v simple, just an onion, chestnuts, stock and sage, with some creme fraiche stirred through at the end. I used vac packed chesnuts but I'm sure you could use puree (as long as it's unsweetened!)

I always have gnocchi in the cupboard. Lasts for ever and can be turned into a quick, easy meal with some pesto or jarred sauce. And a bit different from endless pasta...

Mmmm gnocchi, one of my favourite things ever!

You can fry gnocchi - it's delicious and chewy with a crunchy outside. Very nice fried with chorizo and made into a salad. I don't eat very healthily!

I am a huge hoarder with these type of things

What is always in my cupboard

rice flour and pasta cornmeal

mackerel tuna sardines salmon and corned beef

tomatoes beans pulses sweetcorn and tomato purée

coconut milk, condensed milk

that makes, rice with mackerel and tomatoes,
salmon green thai curry,
beef and beans,
veggie chilli,
fishcakes,
tuna pasta and sweetcorn,
pizzas (making own base) and assuming mozzarella is in freezer like normal (also love tuna pizza)
tuna and tomatoe pasta bake with sardines or mackerel thrown in,
cornmeal porridge

always have a tin of tomato soup to