My parents were children in the Second World War. They knew what it was like to be short of food, and to never know what was round the corner. Subsequently, for as long as I can remember they had a 'siege' cupboard under the stairs where they kept a supply of tins, packets and bottles to sustain them in the event of an unexpected crisis.
Many of us came round to that way of thinking at the start of 2019, when Brexit loomed- and we began to stock our cupboards with tasty Euro treats like pasta, pulses, sauces and tinned fish.
Well, the 29th of March came and went as a damp squib- as did June 2019 (Damp Squib 2), and October 31st (The Return of the Damp Squib).
Now however the 31st January looks like Damp Squib is back- and this time it means it.
So we are un-celebrating the date by eating a meal from my stock of tins and packets.
If you feel like un-celebrating with us, or just want some storecupboard ideas to use whilst camping or travelling- look no further.
I am making Moroccan Soup and Vegetable Chilli with flatbreads, plus Butter Bean Mash and Smash-ing Gnocchi.
For the Moroccan Soup, you will need 1cup of leftover vegetables or 1 tin of ratatouille, 1/2 jar fruit chutney ( plum or fig are good here) 2 tbsp red lentils, 1 tin mixed beans in tomato sauce, 1 tbsp Moroccan seasoning (ras-el-hanout) and 1 tsp chilli paste ( or harissa paste if you prefer).
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep pan or pressure cooker, and coat the lentils before adding the spices. Then pour in the contents of the tins. Fill the tins with water, swirl around to rinse and add this to the soup.
Stir in the chutney and taste- add more salt, chilli or seasoning to get the flavour you like.
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| Mix all together in a deep pan |
Cook in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes or simmer in the pan for 15 minutes until the lentils are cooked.
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| Moroccan Soup |
This soup goes well with pitta bread or homemade flatbreads:
Just blitz 220g of wholemeal flour and 1 tsp salt with 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a food processor ( or rub in with your fingers).
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| Blitz flour, salt and oil |
Gradually add hot water until you have a soft dough.
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| Turn the dough out onto a floured surface |
Turn it out on a floured board, divide into four portions and roll out thinly.
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| Roll into four thin flatbreads |
If you are not going to eat these straightaway, freeze them with a piece of greaseproof paper in between each one. You can cook them straight from frozen.
When you are ready to eat, fry them in a hot dry frying pan until the surface bubbles slightly. Turn them over and fry the other side for a couple of minutes and serve.
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| Fry in a hot dry pan and serve |
These flatbreads go well with a vegetable chilli- again made from tinned goods.
You need 1 tin brown or green lentils, 1 tin kidney or borlotti beans in chilli sauce, 1/2 tin Eazy onions, 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder, 2 extra tsp chilli powder (optional), 2 tbsp tomato puree.
Bring the onions up to a sizzle and add the minced garlic.
Drain and rinse the lentils and add them to the pan along with the kidney beans.
Add the tomato puree and some salt and pepper to taste ( you can add extra chilli powder here).
Add some more water and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Adjust seasoning before serving.
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| Vegetable Chilli |
The leftovers make a great filling for baked potatoes the next day too.
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| Veggie chilli Baked Potato |
And talking of potatoes- do you remember these guys?
Well, I'm making a case here for the return of Smash ( instant potato ) to our stock cupboards.
Instant mash has fallen out of favour here- but the French have no such fashion fads. They love their pomme purée and rightly so. Added to soups, it thickens and adds flavour- and in this gnocchi recipe, it's as good if not better than it's fresh rival.
Mix 40g potato powder rehydrated with 150 ml boiling water to 1 egg yolk ( freeze the white for later use ), 1 tsp salt and 1-2 tbsp plain flour. Add more flour as necessary to achieve a soft workable dough.
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| Mix mash, egg yolk, salt and flour in a bowl |
Turn out the dough onto a floured board and roll it into a long sausage, like you used to roll Playdough.
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| Roll out into a long sausage |
Slice at 2cm intervals and then flatten with the tines of a fork to give the gnocchi their traditional appearance-but also to help with them carrying a sauce.
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| Slice and shape the gnocchi |
Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil and add the gnocchi in batches. They cook quickly.
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| Gnocchi are cooked when they rise to the surface |
Remove with a draining spoon and leave to cool (if you are not using them right away).
These little pillows are easy to freeze and refresh in boiling water when you need them.
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| Baked Gnocchi |
They are lovely with olive oil and grated cheese on their own, or in a tomato sauce or baked with a cheese sauce and spinach as a main dish.
They are also tasty fried to accompany steak or chops.
If you want a change from potato or rice to accompany your dishes- try making a mash from tinned butter beans.
Gently cook 1/2 tsp minced garlic in some olive oil, then add the drained beans with lots of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a tsp of grated lemon zest.
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| Add lemon zest and juice to beans |
Mash with a potato masher for a coarse puree or use a hand blender for a smoother one. You can flavour the mash with chopped chives or spring onions,
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Mash to a coarse or fine puree
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or leave out the lemon and beat in some Tomme cheese and nutmeg for a Butter Bean Aligot. Coarse grain mustard makes a good flavour combination too.
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| Butter Bean Aligot |
So whether you are celebrating or un-celebrating this 31st January, I hope some of these recipes are useful.
And remember in these dark January days - you never know who will really have the last laugh.
