Who would have thought just a few months ago that we would all be sitting where we are at the moment. Pandemic. It sounds like something from a "B" movie, but we are all in pretty much the same boat. Having to take precautions and all sorts. Because of my husband's age and both of our underlying health problems, we are have been self-isolating for about a week and a half now and have been told it could be for as much as three months or even longer. People have been panic-buying in the shops, store shelves have been stripped bare of even the bare essentials. What we have in our homes at the moment, is pretty much what we have. It is going to be tough over these next few weeks to keep things interesting as far as food goes to say the least. I thought I would do a round-up today of some recipes that make good use of store cupboard ingredients and that are delicious and anything but boring. My whole blog is filled with recipes quite like this because I have always been a somewhat thrifty cook, and a cook who can turn nothing into a meal. Here are some of my suggestions, which are really only the tip of the iceberg.
Tomato Lasagne. This is simple, uncomplicated, straightforward and delicious. A delicious tomato sauce, with some cheese, lasagna sheets and a good bechamel. You can dress it up by adding some different cheeses, such as goat's cheese, or a few dollops of pesto, or some grilled vegetables between the layers. What you have here is a canvas to write your own story upon .
Stewed Steak and Macaroni. This simple and yet delicious recipe is a testimony to the ability of our forebears to create something quite delicious out of simple and ordinary ingredients. This is absolutely delicious. Cheap, cheerful and delicious.
Creamy Sweet Corn Mac & Cheese. This tasty casserole combines two of my great loves . . . mac & cheese and creamed corn.
Roasted Potato Nachos. Potato chunks are tossed together with a mix of seasonings and and are then spread onto a lined and oiled baking sheet in a single layer and bake in a fairly hot oven. Topped with cheese and chopped spring onions or your favorite nacho toppings and then served wih salsa and sour cream, they go down a real treat.
Creamy Turkey and Rice. This is simple to make and quite delicious. Its cooked all in one pot, which makes for an easy clean up. I use long grain rice for this. You can also use leftover cooked turkey for this instead of fresh, or leftover chicken, or canned cooked chicken.
Pasta e Piselle. Simple ingredients put together in a fabulous way! Quick, easy and delicious!
Sausage Hash. This is a simple and quick supper that is all in one pan. Make sure you could extra potatoes one night so that you can make this. Alternately you can use a tin of new potatoes, well drained and cubed. It's delicious!
Cabbage & Ham Soup with Cheese Dumplings. What more can I say? Hearty and delicious!
Tasty Oat and Cheddar Scones. These scones are the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of soup and quite tasty on their own just split in half and spread with butter. They also make great picnic sandwiches, split open and spread with soft cheese and filled with ham. They are just plain good no matter how you take them.
Lassy Buns. A delicious biscuit/scone made with molasses.
Hot Dog and Baked Bean Casserole. Simple, hearty and delicious. All you need is some tinned cooked beans, hotdogs ad a few odds and sodds. Easy peasy.
Mother's Creamy Tomato Soup. Creamy and dreamy. Very rich. Perfect with a grilled cheese!
Creamy Corn Chowder. An old family favourite which I have been making for many years. It was really hard to put it down on paper as I have only just done it off the top of my head, but I have managed to get it done just for you!
Frank & Potato Bake. Cooked potatoes and sliced frankfurters are gently folded into a cheese sauce which has been flavoured with onion and then poured into a casserole, covered and baked. Yummy!
Cauliflower, Green Bean & Tomato Salad. Not only is this salad delicious, but it's filled with colour and texture and lots of flavours! The dressing is a simple one. You could spark it up a bit by adding some anchovy or olives, or even some garlic.
Salmon or Tuna Loaf with a Mustard Cream. This is a recipe which I have been making for years and years. You make it with either cooked tuna or salmon. Sometimes I will serve it with a cream sauce, or creamed peas, or this l ush Mustard Cream.
Tortilla Pie. Who says that economy has to taste bad? This is a delicious mix of corn tortillas, tomatoes, pulses and cheese, baked together in a pie. I am sure Little Jack Horner would have loved this pie too!
Bread and Cheese Omelet. Once in a while an indulgent treat is just what we need. The recipe is for one omelet, but you can make as many as you like, by increasing the amount of ingredients. I made two, one for me and one for Todd. I doubled everything, cooked all the bread cubes together and then did individual omelets, one at a time, keeping the first one warm in the oven while I cooked the second one.
Confetti Rice Salad. Colorfully delicious! Filled with lots of good things and plenty of tasty crunch!
Nutellos. A favourite snack for kids, both large and small alike! Creamy nutella, melted together with butter and marshmallows, and tasty oaty O-shaped cereal stirred in. (Ok, so it's cheerios!) Scrummy, yummy nummy!!
Irish Marmalade Cake. A sweet and moist marmalade flavoured loaf studded throughout with sticky sweet sultanas. A delight when sliced, buttered and enjoyed with a nice refreshing hot drink.
Like I said, this is by no means all that I could have shared with you today. My blog is filled with recipes like this. Have you got anything in particular that you would like to turn into a delicious meal? Ask me in the questions below and I will see what I can find or do! We are all in this together!
