storecupboard surprises
It’s amazing what you can cook with canned or dried goods and just a few special ingredients. Share your dishes with us on Instagram with #stayhomegetcooking and follow us @bbcgoodfoodme for more inspiration!
STORECUPBOARD HEROES Ramen noodles Buy Asian brands of ramen and you’ll have more interesting flavours to choose from, like sesame and kimchi. You can also buy frozen ramen in some supermarkets. Sesame oil Toasted sesame oil has a rich flavour and a little goes a long way. Add a drizzle to noodles or rice dishes or use it to dress cooked frozen spinach. Lentils This might sound obvious, but if you have, for example, red lentils, then you have a meal, even if you just cook them in water and add butter and a twist of black pepper. You can also use them to bulk out soup and ragus or thicken a casserole. Capers Choose capers in salt for the best flavour, but rinse them well. A handful of capers will lift even the most basic plates of pasta. Fry them in browned butter with a splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon to make a garnish for salads, grilled chicken or fish. Olives Olives add punchy salinity to dishes. Use them whole, chopped or whizzed into a paste. Pair green olives with lemon, and black with sundried tomatoes. Saffron A pinch of saffron can transform a dish with its earthy, heady scent. Soak it in cold water well ahead to release all the flavour and aroma. Pour saffronscented milk over rice before cooking, add a little to mashed potatoes and use it to bump up the flavour of frozen fish fillets.
14 BBC Good Food Middle East June-July 2020
