Basic cupboard & freezer MUST haves!!

sunshine6650 · 29 March 2008 at 2:33PM

I have been dabling on & off on this board for last 6 months & i have learnt a lot
(ive just made shepards pie,HM Meatballs & burgers from 1 packet mince from this site, usually i pack would of done 1 lasagna!!)

I have decided to have a cupboard atart again. WE are using everything as much as poss in the cupboard at the minute, get it to bare essestials than have a good shop on practical things that can always be used (tinned toms etc..)
Is there anything you ALWAYS have & comes in handy with everythng?

I have the basics of flour,yeast,pasta,few sauces,noodles etc..

I want to do the same with the freezer.

I know its not going to be the cheapest shop at first as starting from scratch but in long rub we should never be without a meal to hand (saves takeaways!!)

I like to be organised so im even thinking of creating a list of meals i can russle up!!

Ive looked around the site & as most of us i get side tracked on other threads, been looking since 9am & looked at everything else!!
Thinking of creating a recipe list that i can always do..& list what i need all the time so we always have the basics?

x

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miserly_mum · 29 March 2008 at 5:56PM

My freezer essential are

1. Frozen pre-cooked rice for quick stirfries/ fried rice dishes to use up leftover cooked meats.

2.Chopped mixed peppers for stir fries/pasta bakes/curries

3. Frozen veg, especially value frozen peas and casserole mix

4.Pre cooked chopped bacon bits for pasta dishes

jcr16 · 30 March 2008 at 9:23PM

for me it is prob just 1 thing and that is mince.

with a bag of beef mince i feel i can generally make anything along side my stroe cupbaord basic. from chilli , cottage pie , lasagne , spag bol, twice baked potatos.

but also lamb mince is a good stand by.

Stephen_Leak · 30 March 2008 at 9:59PM

Here's my absolute basic ingredient list. If I run out of any of these, I get twitchy.

CUPBOARD

142g tin of tomato puree
400g tin of plum tomatoes
400g tin of red kidney beans
400g tin of tuna in brine
420g tin of baked beans
500g bag of plain flour
500g packet of basmati rice
500g packet of spaghetti
Beef stock cubes
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Ground black pepper
Salt
Dried mixed herbs
Chilli powder

FREEZER

375g pack of casserole or stewing beef
375g pack of chicken breasts
500g of white fish (Cod, coley, haddock, hake, plaice or pollack) fillets
500g pack of minced beef

FRIDGE

Bottle of lemon juice
Butter
Cheese
Eggs
Milk
Tomatoes

VEGETABLES

Baking potatoes
Garlic
Onions

laughing_cow · 31 March 2008 at 12:10AM

As well as some of the stuff already mentioned I always have:

CUPBOARD
Veg Bouillon powder
Soy sauce
Oregano
Chilli flakes
Cumin
Oats
Mustard
Chickpeas
Cannellini beans
Balsamic vinegar
Oils - maybe sesame, walnut, chilli
Tahini
Tabasco
Honey
Rice noodles
Risotto rice
Jar of olives
Jar of capers
Can of coconut milk
Nuts - pine, hazel and almonds
HP sauce or mushroom ketchup to add flavour to casseroles
(I'm veggie so tend to have lots of 'flavourings' to make it more exciting!)

FREEZER
Pitta bread
Wraps
Frozen berries (for making smoothies)
Peas (for currie/soups/risotto)
Broad beans (for risotto or making a puree like hummus)
Spinach (for bulking out stews etc)

FRIDGE/VEG
Lemons + limes
Chillies
Root ginger
Fresh Herbs (basil, parsley, mint) I grow as many as possible, but sometimes buy them during the winter)

kunekune · 31 March 2008 at 9:00AM

I always have homemade breadcrumbs, frozen peas, frozen corn, sausages, mince, smoked haddock and prawns in the freezer. Essentials in my pantry are coconut milk, tinned beans (kidney, chickpea, haricot), red lentils (dried), suet, flour, yeast, baked beans, tinned tomatoes, tinned salmon, mixed nuts and every kind of grain (at least 4 kinds of rice, barley, couscous, bulgar wheat), spaghetti and macaroni. I keep a good spice and herb supply, the most important for me are cumin, coriander, turmeric, saffron, oregano and a pre-mixed curry powder (sainsburys do a lovely kashmiri one). Essentials in the fridge are butter, eggs, milk, cheese, lemon juice, bacon, chorizo sausage (whole), and various flavourings: soy sauce, tom yum paste, pataks curry paste, thai sweet chilli sauce, mustard. I never allow myself to run out of onions or potatoes. I know that whatever happens, I could feed the family for at least a week on my stores, and it is unlikely that I'll start a recipe and not be able to do it.

angelavdavis · 31 March 2008 at 9:15AM

Hiya, My necessities below:

Cupboard:
Sunflower Oil
Salt
Pepper
Selection of dried herbs and spices - definitely oregano or mixed Italian herbs, rosemary, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and curry powder
Selection of different stock cubes
Tinned tomatoes or passata
Plain and Self-raising flour
Bread flour
Lemon juice
HP tomato and brown sauce
Light and dark soy sauce
A couple of different bags of Rice - usually American and Basmati
A couple of types of pasta - usually spaghetti and penne
A pack of rice noodles
A pack of soup noodles
Dried mushrooms
Tinned kidney beans
Dried mixed pulses for stews
Yeast
Olive oil
Mustard
Worcestershire Sauce
Gravy mix

Fridge:
Butter
Eggs
Milk
Cheddar
Tomato Puree
Celery
Carrots
Onions
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Garlic

Freezer:
Peeled cubes of ginger
Pack of beef mince
Pack of salmon steaks
Bag of frozen prawns
Frozen Peas
Open frozen bag of sliced peppers

This gives me enough scope to make quite a few meals without needing to shop for anything else.

daisy_steiner_2 · 31 March 2008 at 9:43AM

Our must haves are as follow:

Cupboard
Flour - plain, sr, wholemeal, pasta, bread
Sugar - various types
Icing sugar
Rasins and other dried fruits
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Vanilla extract
Stock cubes
Cous cous
Pasta - lots of (various)
Rice - Brown, white and risotto
8-10 tins of tomatoes
Passata
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned waterchestnuts - great for bulking out stir frys cheaply
Noodles
Large selection of dried herbs and spices
Cooking chocolate
Dried yeast
Mustard
Mustard powder
Garlic
Olive oil
Tinned beans - baked beans, kidney beans, mixed beans and any that are on offer in the super market
Pearl Barley
Tinned pineappled
Evaporated milk - great for making quick, cheap ice cream
Condensed milk - great for making cheap fudge when in need of a sugar rush
Chorizo - Can spice up even the most basic of meals and a good one can last months
Wasabi paste
Anchovy sauce - a splash of this can be added to lots of meals and a bottle lasts years
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Cornflour
Tinned sardines
Tinned tuna
Pudding rice
Bouillion
Oats
Green lentils
Capers
Chick peas
Coconut milk

Frozen
Mince
Beef for stews
Chicken thighs
Few blocks of butter
Bacon
Sausages
Chopped veg
Ginger
Few standby chops
Stock
Breadcrumbs
Fish fingers
Pizza dough
Vodka

Made up versions :
burgers
meatballs
fishcakes

Fridge
Cheese - chedder, brie, blue cheese, cream cheese&mozzerella
Butter
Marge&stork
Milk
Lettuce
Peppers
Chillies
Apple juice
Lemons
Limes
Tomato puree
Eggs

laughing_cow · 31 March 2008 at 2:08PM

daisy_steiner wrote: »

Cooking chocolate
Frozen
Mince
Beef for stews
Chicken thighs
Few blocks of butter
Bacon
Sausages
Chopped veg
Ginger
Few standby chops
Stock
Breadcrumbs
Fish fingers
Pizza dough
Vodka
Made up versions :
burgers
meatballs
fishcakes

I nearly put that one too.

I also forgot the wine. White for risotto and red for stews and 'helping' me during the cooking process.

maypole · 31 March 2008 at 5:42PM

jcr16 wrote: »

for me it is prob just 1 thing and that is mince.

with a bag of beef mince i feel i can generally make anything along side my stroe cupbaord basic. from chilli , cottage pie , lasagne , spag bol, twice baked potatos.

but also lamb mince is a good stand by.

Agree, couldn't do without it, we buy ours in Costco in bulk and split it up, the quality is lovely.

I also like a lot of bread and rolls in the freezer, saves me nipping to the shops for it and spending loads more money on something I never went for in the first place!

competitionscafe · 8 April 2008 at 11:02PM

As long as you have tinned toms, onions, garlic and olive oil you can always make a basic tomato sauce for pasta or to serve with chicken or meat.

Lemons are always useful and keep a while in the fridge, always good to have some cheese - cheddar for cheese sauces, parmesan for pasta and risottos or blue cheese to add to broccolli and pasta for a quick supper. Homemade chicken stock freezes well and can be used for anything from soup to risottos. Peas (frozen) so you always have some veg even when you run out of fresh veg.

You can freeze milk, cheese and butter so you always have an emergency supply if you run out. You can't freeze eggs but they keep a few weeks in the fridge and are another essential for everything from cakes to omelettes.

And a tub of good quality ice-cream for when you have a craving for something sweet or want to offer a dessert to guests. Vanilla ice-cream is the most useful as you can make a good hot chocolate sauce in 3 minutes with cocoa powder, sugar and a little bit of milk to go with it or serve with fruit salad, crumble or just with a generous slug of Baileys poured on top.

Green & Blacks, Rocombe Farm and Hill Station all do a good vanilla ice-cream.

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Basic cupboard & freezer MUST haves!!

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