How to have a kitchen reset
Senior Food Editor
Heather Taylor
Are you stuck in a cooking rut? A kitchen reset could be the answer. From cleaning out your spice cupboard, to trying out some new ingredients and stocking up on flavour-boosting store cupboard shortcuts, here’s how to refresh your kitchen and liven up your meals for the new season and beyond.
Spruce up your spice cupboard
Spices can start to go stale after a few months, so if you’re guilty of leaving yours to languish in the back of the cupboard, it could be the reason your dishes taste a bit flat. Take everything out and throw away anything older than six months old. Arrange your spices according to cuisine, with curry-loving ingredients like mustard seeds, turmeric and garam masala next to each other, then Mediterranean smoked paprika, oregano and cayenne, and Middle Eastern ras el hanout, cumin and nigella seeds. If you find you often waste spices, try one of our handy blends, which means you can buy less – try our Coconut and Lime Seasoning, Roast Potato Seasoning, Dukkah or Fajita Seasoning.
Learn to love your freezer
Your freezer is your friend when it comes to quick and easy midweek meals – but you won’t be able to rely on it if it’s become a graveyard for mystery Tupperwares and freezer-bitten bread. Give it a proper clear out, and label leftovers in freezer bags with a permanent marker. Then stock up on ingenious time-saving freezer ingredients, like our rice and veggie mix (great for egg-fried rice), Chargrilled Mediterranean Vegetables (try with orzo) handy frozen fruit (excellent for smoothies and crumbles), plus staples like jacket potatoes and all-butter croissants.
De-clutter your fridge
Get rid of the random jars that have been gathering dust at the back of the fridge – if you’ve not used it for a few months, the chances are, you’re not going to. Use half-empty jars of spice pastes, pesto, tapenade or curry pastes by shaking with a little olive oil and tossing over vegetables or chicken before roasting. Or make a condiment jar dressing – add equal parts oil, vinegar and lemon or lime juice to an almost-empty jar of pesto, harissa or chipotle paste, shake and use to dress steamed veg, fish or salad leaves.
Embrace flavour-boosting ingredients
You’ve cleared the decks – now it’s time to try something new. Write a shopping list of hardworking ingredients that will pack a flavour punch and can be used in a variety of dishes. For the pantry, try our Rose Harissa Paste (as good in marinades and dressings as it is swirled through yogurt for an instant dip); Classic Tomato, Garlic and Herb Paste (adds intensity to sauces and stews); and Truffle Pesto (toss through pasta and risotto). Keep store cupboard shortcuts on hand, too – our Collection Butternut Squash and Sage Soup can be topped with cannellini beans and served with sourdough for a speedy midweek dinner, while no cupboard should be without a jar of our versatile Classic Tomato Everything Sauce, that adds intense flavour to bolognese, pizza toppings, shakshuka and more
Published 9.6.2024
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