1. Tinned & Jarred Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes and passata, are staples. However getting good-quality ones is really key for me. The San Marzano variety tinned plum tomatoes are amazing, they're packed with so much juice, and you can make an instant, simple tomato sauce with. Add red pepper chilli flakes, dried oregano, season up with salt and pepper, and you've got a really great simple tomato sauce. Passata is fantastic for adding rich tomato-ness to anything, whether it's a stew, a casserole, or a soup, or adding a little more flavour to your tomato sauce.
2. Pulses
I love all different varieties of pulses. Chickpeas: butter beans, kidney beans; they're all fantastic for adding into soups, casseroles, stews to make them more substantial. I also love using them as a base to a winter salad, along with seasonal greens such as chopped kale or charred. For a really quick delicious dip, blend cooked chickpeas,tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil for an instant, delicious hummus dip. And I also love sautéing butter beans and adding in a sprinkle of dried oregano, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Mash them together and serve with a pan-fried lamb cutlet.
3. Lentils
Lentils are so good for you. They're packed with plant-based protein. I love adding them into casseroles and soups, or else I'll just cook them in a simple vegetable stock or water and add them in as a base for a salad. But one of my favourite mid-week suppers is my
4. Bread Flour
Bread flour is the essential flour to have for making focaccia, French yeast breads, anything that you're using yeast with, or a sourdough starter. One of my favourite brands is Doves Organic, it makes such a difference to use unbleached organic flour, health wise and for the texture of bread.
5. Noodles
I love noodles for a really quick weeknight supper. I'll add chicken stock into them, torn cooked chicken, some chilli flakes and ginger, and some fresh herbs, and I've got an instant chicken noodle soup. My recipe for my Chicken Cuddle soup: clodaghmckenna.com/blog…is perfect for this time of year. Or else I'll add them into stir-fried vegetables. They're brilliant. I have all different types of noodles, from egg noodles to vermicelli… I absolutely love them.
6. Dried Pasta
Obviously, dried pasta is absolutely essential to a well-stocked pantry. I like having loads of different varieties of it, from fusilli to penne to macaroni to linguine to spaghetti to farfalle, because it gives me lots of room for doing a lot of different dishes, from baked pastas like my One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta: clodaghmckenna.com/blog…, to really quick one-pot spaghettis to gorgeous baked macaroni and cheese.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar
I try and have a spoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, before I go to bed at night because it's really good for your gut and digestion. But besides that, I use it in salad dressings, I use it for pickles, My recipe for Cucumber and Mustard Seed Pickle: clodaghmckenna.com/blog…is a great way to get into pickling, I also use it to finish off soups and casseroles when I want just a little bit more of a punch. I love the apple-y flavour from this vinegar.
8. Dried Red Pepper Flakes
My number one go-to for seasoning, I love these and use them to add a lovely gentle heat to so many different recipes. Whether I am livening up a simple fried egg in the morning, adding heat to a simple tomato sauce or to casseroles or soups, or even a crab salad.
9. Dried Oregano
I discovered dried oregano when I was living in Italy. I love it on a roast chicken. When I am cooking a roast chicken, I will mix it with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper, and smear it all over the chicken. I also love it for finishing off roasted potatoes. I love it on tomatoes when I don't have any fresh basil. I love adding it into soups and casseroles. It's also great in lentil dals.
10. Smoked Paprika
Smoked sweet paprika is so delicious in so many dishes. Sometimes when I'm doing baked eggs and I've got a base of tomatoes in there, I'll add a little bit of smoked paprika into it. It gives a lovely warm tone as well as that gentle fieriness to it. It's great as well for adding into shakshuka and tomato-based casseroles. Smoked paprika is also fantastic over a roast chicken and also over potato wedges.
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