If you’re self-isolating because of the coronavirus outbreak, one of the first things you should do is stock up on cupboard staples that’ll get you through your long stay at home. The only trouble is, when most of us are faced with shelves full of canned tuna, dried pasta and beans, we can’t possibly imagine turning that into something delicious.
That’s where these recipes come in handy. From pasta salads to soups and sandwich fillings, we found 22 recipes that use the following pantry staples as their foundation:
Pasta: Any shape you want. A self-quarantine isn’t “Top Chef,” so no one is judging whether your pasta is the optimal shape for absorbing your sauce.
Canned tuna: Or salmon, if you wish! It can be packed in oil or water ― these recipes are versatile enough that you can make anything work.
Canned tomatoes: In this case, it truly doesn’t matter whether they’re diced, crushed or whole (you can always chop the whole ones). Just try to avoid pureed, if possible, since they’re pretty watery.
Beans: Dried or canned are both fine. Just remember that unless you have an Instant Pot, you’ll likely have to soak dried beans up to a day in advance. Go for black beans, garbanzos, black eyed peas, pintos — honestly anything you like will work for most of these recipes.
Stock/Broth: Chicken is a great choice for meat eaters, and vegetable is obviously best for vegetarians and vegans. Stock is a great tool for taking rice from boring to flavourful.
Rice: Brown has the most fibre, so will keep you feeling full longer. Otherwise, choose whatever you like best, whether it’s sushi rice, white rice, jasmine, basmati, etc.
Bread: Any kind you want! Just consider storing it in the freezer (never the refrigerator) if you think you’ll need to be eating it for longer than a few days.
Jarred pickles, capers, olives and sun-dried tomatoes: These briny ingredients will pack a ton of flavour, so keep plenty handy.
Spices: Dried herbs and spices are what’ll keep all your recipes from tasting the same. Load up on cumin, coriander, red chilli flakes, cinnamon, turmeric and more.
Freezer staple: Frozen vegetables. Buy all the frozen peas, carrots, green beans, squash, spinach and other veggies that you love. They’ll freshen up all your recipes and you won’t have to worry about them rotting.
Now go check out the recipes below, and remember to be flexible and creative. If you don’t have a couple ingredients that the recipe calls for, you can likely do just fine without them or find a similar substitute. It’s all up to you! This is one thing you can actually control right now, so enjoy.