Whats your cheat ingredient or recipe you would be ashamed to reveal?

[notamumyetbutoneday]

Mine is pasta caronara- with the sauce bit made from adding any old grated cheese (usually cheddar ) to creme fraiche til it melts. Absolutely gorgeous, everyone loves it but I would be soo ashamed to reveal that my carbonara sauce contains cheddar cheese!

Whats your secret?!

Can I put in a word here for Gita's curry sauce - the one with the small plastic pot of dry spices stuck to the lid. You fry the spices first with the meat/veg, then add the contents of the jar. Best bought curry sauce ever.

I make up a big jar full of fresh ginger, garlic, onions and green chillies at the start of the week. Stick some oil in and blend it until it's smooth. I then add this to bought curry sauces and it makes it taste much more authentic.

I also fry up a big dollop of it with some whole spices and curry leaves, add a tin of chopped toms and a couple of tins of chickpeas and let it cook for half an hour. Hey presto - chickpea curry. You can bung in a big handful of frozen spinach at some point if you're that way inclined.

Also favourite cheat: drain jar of marinated red peppers. Blend with fried pine nuts, garlic and parmesan. Fry in olive oil and tip over pasta.

I use chopped anchovies as a seasoning in loads of italian dishes and in some non-fish dishes. Gives good depth of flavour.

Ooh that pepper pasta sauce sounds scrummy - I am always on the lookout for non-tomato-based sauces!

Those circles of puff pastry are great (I know, sooooo lazy of me but they were on special offer) for making quick veggie tarts: spread with pesto or onion chutney, top with veggies (I did lightly cooked asparagus and some red onion and pine nuts) then some cheese and blast in the oven.

Ratatouille - frozen 'grilled veg' type stuff, tin of chopped tomatoes, in casserole with lid, bung in oven (or slow cooker). It tastes like you spent the requisite hours frying aubergines, etc, etc.

DH has a hilarious american 'cookbook' where every recipe starts with a sauce mix, or a tin of condensed soup, or something of that ilk.

I know this is an old thread but it's given me some great ideas!

I use gravy granuals to thicken up meaty foods like stew if needed.

and do the green + blacks dark choc in bolognaise/ chilli con carne / and my meatball sauce. can't go wrong with a slug of red wine and a lump of choccy IMO for these types of things