Getting creative with home cooked food during lockdown might feel overwhelming if you’re not a natural in the kitchen. We’ve asked our Team to share a few of their ingredients currently in their kitchen cupboards and put these to our restaurant clients, Award-Winning Eatery the Orpington, for some suggestions on how we can create something delicious.
Salt & Pepper
Probably two of the most basic ingredients in most people’s cupboard. If you have flaked sea salt at home, it adds a wonderful crunch to a finished dish. If you have frozen fish, you can bake it in salt for a signature Mediterranean twist. Too much salt is not a good thing, taste or health-wise, so use sparsely. Add pepper at the end of cooking; otherwise, it loses its flavour. Pepper is a great addition to a salad dressing or to season your roast chicken; sprinkle salt and pepper before the chicken popping in the oven. Salt & pepper Tofu is a delicious vegan alternative dish.
Honey
Don’t just keep your jar of honey for your toast! Honey is a super, natural sweetener as well. Mix lemon, olive oil and honey for a sauce that goes beautifully with any meat or fish dish or as a delicious salad dressing.
Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar combines acid with a sweet overtone and is delicious mixed with olive oil as a dip for fresh bread or as a salad dressing with a dash of pepper. It also gives a beautiful twist to tinned tomatoes that may lack flavour. Apple cider vinegar is an excellent addition to your kitchen. Not only does it have various healthful properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, but added to pulses or meat dishes, it gives a super twist.
Mustard
A dash of mustard can go a long way and are particularly useful for adding a twist to anything from mash (even dried mash) through to adding a kick to basics like a tomato pasta sauce. Different types of mustard will give different flavours and textures. Dijon has a beautiful creamy texture to add some body to your dish.
Olive Oil
If you’ve got some rosemary, some olive oil, flour and bicarbonate of soda, you can create the most delicious rosemary and olive oil flatbread! Add a dash to spaghetti with chilli and garlic, and you have a super quick and easy meal that is simply delightful.
Chilli Seeds
You can add chilli seeds to your traditional chilli dish of course, but chilli seeds are super for so much more! Add chilli seeds to avocado and poached eggs on toast to make a fantastic brunch dish. Add chilli powder to a tin of chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic you have a simple, wholesome dish with a warming kick to it.
