You know the feeling when it’s time to cook supper but there’s nothing in the house? That’s when you need a pantry packed with ‘store cupboard saviours’ – longer life ingredients that will pep up your sorry leftovers and turn a midweek meal into a marvel. Here are the essentials our mentors swear by.
Belinda Spinney, Senior Mentor
“Harissa paste, miso paste, and a lemon or lime. With those three things you can make anything taste great. Any of those would work on roasted vegetables, roasted aubergine, in pasta sauces, with beans and rice, or in salad dressings.”
Ali Young, Community and Mentor Manager
“I feel worried if I don’t have cannellini beans and beluga lentils in the house because you can always whip up a quick dhal or a white bean stew. If I’ve got some garlic and some lemon and some cannellini beans, I can make a really quick white bean stew, poach an egg to go on top, and that’s a meal. Good quality pulses are great to have in. I buy pre-cooked beluga lentils in the pouches for speed but it’s obviously good to have the dried ones when you have more time.”
Louisa Bergese, Mentor
“Chipotle in adobo sauce. Curry and kaffir lime leaves in the freezer. Coconut milk. And the best quality tinned tomatoes I can afford!”
Martha Money, Mentor
“Soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and vinegar are some of my most used. I also love London Fermentary at the moment as they make some really exciting ferments that are great on top of almost anything.”
