As if we needed something else to worry about, now we’re running out of fruit and veg.
Growers have warned that carrots, leeks, cabbages and cauliflower stocks could run low within weeks due to a combination of adverse weather, transport issues and the energy crisis.
So what’s a savvy home cook to do? It’s time to look in the depths of your kitchen cupboards.
As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – we’ve brought you three delicious dishes that make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal.
Whip up a super quick pasta dish, a warming dhal and an almost-instant hummus that will make you wonder why you invested so much money in your double-door fridge.
We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (though hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online.
Shopping list
- 6 cloves garlic
- 20g fresh ginger
- 2 red onions
- 1 lemon
- 225g chorizo
- 50g tinned anchovies
- 400g tinned butter beans
- 200g green olives
- Capers
- Tahini
- Tomato purée/paste
- Olive oil
- Vegetable oil
- Chilli flakes
- Garam masala
- Cumin
- 20g almond flakes
- 70g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 plain naan breads
- 200g orzo
- 150g dried red lentils
Orzo puttanesca
Puttanesca is a store cupboard favourite originating from Naples. In our twisted version, all you need is 15 minutes spare!
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
50g tinned anchovies
2 tbsp tomato purée/paste
3 cloves garlic
200g orzo
2 tbsp capers
100 g green olives
4 tbsp olive oil
70g panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp chilli flakes
Method:
1. Tip 1 undrained 50g tin of anchovies into a large frying pan and place it over a high heat. Dollop in 2 tbsp of tomato paste and mash everything together with the back of a wooden spoon. Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dark red and sticky. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
2. Peel and finely grate 3 cloves of garlic. Once the tomato paste and anchovies are ready, add the garlic. Fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add 200g of orzo to the pan and toss to coat the orzo in the tomato mix. Add 500ml of water and bring everything up to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring regularly for 10-12 minutes, until the orzo is soft but still has a slight bite. The liquid should reduce to a thick glaze that coats the pasta - add a splash more water if it starts to look a little too thick or stick to the bottom of the pan. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
5. Finely chop 2 tbsp of capers and 100g of green olives.
6. Tip 4 tbsp of olive oil into a small frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat.
7. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in 70g of breadcrumbs. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until light golden brown. Take the pan off the heat and season with a generous pinch of salt and 1 tsp of chilli flakes. (If you are still waiting for the orzo to cook, now would be a great time to crack on with a bit of washing up.)
8. Once the orzo is done, chuck in the capers and olives. Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
9. Divide the orzo between bowls and top with the chilli crumb. Get involved!
Lentil dhal with chorizo tadka
A tadka is a spiced oil traditionally served with (or in) dhal. In this recipe use cumin-spiced chorizo as the base for this Spanish-inspired riff.
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 red onion
150g dried red lentils
20g fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp garam masala
100g chorizo
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
Method:
1. Halve, peel and finely dice 1 red onion. Chuck ¾ of it into a medium saucepan - we will use the rest for garnish later.
2. Tip 150g of lentils into the pan. Peel and grate in 20g of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tbsp of garam masala and 450ml of water, Then season with a generous pinch of salt.
3. Place the pan over a high heat and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the dhal becomes thick and the lentils become completely soft and start to break down. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Chop 100g of chorizo into small chunks and add them to a small frying pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
5. Place the pan over a medium heat, allow the fat to render from the chorizo, then fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp.
6. Take the pan off the heat, add 1 tsp of cumin and mix to combine. You have made a tadka, a spiced oil used in loads of Indian cookery! If you are still waiting for the dhal, now would be a great time to crack on with a bit of washing up.
7. Once the dhal is ready, season to taste with salt and divide between bowls. Spoon over the chorizo tadka and top with the reserved onion from earlier. Enjoy!
Spiced butter bean hummus with chorizo and naans
Hummus doesn’t have to be made with chickpeas. This butter bean take will not fail to disappoint, provided you have a hand blender at the ready!
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
125g chorizo
1 red onion
4 tbsp olive oil
400g tinned butter beans
100g green olives
1 lemon
2 tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
2 plain naan breads
20g almond flakes
Method:
1. Cut 125g of chorizo into bite-sized chunks, then mince them like you would mince herbs, until a semi-fine crumb is reached. Halve, peel and finely dice 1 onion on the same board.
2. Tip 2 tbsp of the olive oil into a large frying pan and place it over a medium heat.
3. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in the chorizo and onion. Fry for 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion softens slightly and the chorizo releases its fat. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Tip 1 400g undrained tin of butter beans into a large mixing bowl. Microwave on full power for 40-50 seconds to warm the beans through slightly - this will make blending them easier later. Roughly chop 100g of olives while you wait.
5. Once the beans are ready, tip off around half the liquid they were cooked in to a small bowl, reserving for later.
6. Finely grate in the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze in its juice. Add 2 tbsp of tahini, then peel and finely grate in 1 clove of garlic. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
7. Use a hand blender to blitz everything together in the bowl to form a smooth mixture that holds its own shape. Loosen with a splash of the reserved bean water if necessary, then season to taste with salt and pepper once ready.
8. Preheat the grill/broiler to its highest temperature. Once the chorizo and onions are ready, tip in the olives and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes - just to warm them through. Take the pan off the heat.
9. Pop the naans under the grill for 4-5 minutes, until golden and toasted. Flip halfway through and get on with a bit of washing up while you wait.
10. Dollop the hummus into bowls and spread it out to form an uneven disc. Spoon the chorizo mix into the centre of each bowl and top with 20g of almonds. Serve with the naans.
In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick.
