The Capsule Pantry is all about learning how to be creative and flexible in the kitchen, cooking great dishes with food you already have languishing in your fridge or pantry. For the first post of 2023, I want to show you how this really works - and give myself a challenge.
So here’s the deal.
Give me three ingredients you have in your fridge or pantry. It could be some leftovers, an ingredient you need to use up, or something else entirely. I will give you a recipe based on those ingredients plus any in The Capsule Pantry storecupboard essential list.
I’ll go first in the comments below so you can see how it works:
I'm at my brother's house and I found in his fridge some puff pastry, little gem lettuce and some soft goat's cheese that needs to be used up.
Braised lettuce and goat cheese tartlets
Heat a frying pan on a high heat with a little oil.
Slice the little gems into quarters lengthways and fry on each side for a few minutes until browned.
Pour in some water - about 1/2 an inch - and put a lid on.
Simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Take out the lettuce leaving as much water as possible in the pan.
Remove the stalk and chop into bitesize pieces. Stick in a mixing bowl with some chunks of goats cheese, salt, pepper and a grating of lemon zest.
Cut the puff pastry into rectangles approximately 6x4 inches in size. Arrange on a baking tray. Put a few spoonfuls of the lettuce mixture on top and spread to the sides, leaving a little edge of around 1/4 inch.
Top with chopped almonds and put in a 180C / 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and is golden.
My favourite way to use celeriac is in the French celeriac remoulade.
Grate the celeriac or if you can be bothered, cut it into little matchsticks (or get a food processor to do it for you).
For half a smallish head, you can make a tangy mustard dressing. My favourite is around 1-2 tbsp mustard (depending on how strong you like your mustard and the type you have available) whisked into around 4 heaped tbsp creme fraiche or even plain yogurt, the juice of half a small lemon and salt and pepper. Play with the ratios here until you have a tangy but not overpowering sauce. Stir in the celeriac and serve with toast for lunch.
The dressing can also be made with just lemon and creme fraiche if you don't have mustard. Or you could make a thick vinagrette from lemon juice or good quality vinegar vigorously mixed with olive oil until it thickens (don't forget to season). Approx 3 tbsp olive oil to one tbsp vinegar.
Toss that butternut squash with olive oil and spices. My go-to are cumin and ras-al-hanout but you could also use ground coriander, tumeric or sumac. Season with salt.
Roast in the oven at 180C/350F for 20-45 mins depending on the size of the dice, until the squash is golden and cooked. Turn every 10 minutes.
Meanwhile make a cranberry sauce. Middle eastern food relies heavily on pomegranates so I'm substituting those for the cranberries here. I'd simmer down the fresh cranberries with a little orange or lemon juice, some cardamon, ras al hanout or sumac, and a sprinkling of sugar until the cranberries have broken down into a thick sauce. It should take maybe 10-20 minutes although sometimes longer, and can be made in advance.
Take the flatbread, smother with hummous, top with the butternut squash and drizzle over the spiced cranberry sauce. Wrap up, eat.
Mash up those potato wedges, put in a mixing bowl with some grated parmesan cheese and chopped up dried beef. In terms of ratios, it can be pretty flexible so long as potato is in the majority.
Beat an egg and stick it in there (one egg per 2-3 small potato's worth of wedges).
If it's looking a bit wet, add a little bit of all-purpose flour to bind, but not too much otherwise the rostis can become heavy. I'd take it one teaspoon at a time until you have something that is no longer sloppy, but certainly not dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add some herbs if you have them like parsley, sage or oregano, but don't worry if you don't.
Heat some neutral oil in a frying pan - you'll want a reasonable covering on the bottom of the pan but it doesn't have to be enough to shallow fry. Maybe 2-3 tbsp depending on the size of your pan.
Spoon in spoonfuls of the mixture and flatten down into a disc. Fry until golden then flip.
I love to serve rostis with a lemon-yogurt dressing which cuts through the richness. Mix a few tablespoons of plan yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon juice and some chopped parsley if you have it.
I'm at my brother's house and I found in his fridge some puff pastry, little gem lettuce and some soft goat's cheese that needs to be used up.
Braised lettuce and goat cheese tartlets
Heat a frying pan on a high heat with a little oil.
Slice the little gems into quarters lengthways and fry on each side for a few minutes until browned.
Pour in some water - about 1/2 an inch - and put a lid on.
Simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Take out the lettuce leaving as much water as possible in the pan.
Remove the stalk and chop into bitesize pieces. Stick in a mixing bowl with some chunks of goats cheese, salt, pepper and a grating of lemon zest.
Cut the puff pastry into rectangles approximately 6x4 inches in size. Arrange on a baking tray. Put a few spoonfuls of the lettuce mixture on top and spread to the sides, leaving a little edge of around 1/4 inch.
Top with chopped almonds and put in a 180C / 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and is golden.
I'm so glad I asked! I can't wait to try it. Thanks Charlie!!!
You're welcome. It's such a delicious thing!
celery root
My favourite way to use celeriac is in the French celeriac remoulade.
Grate the celeriac or if you can be bothered, cut it into little matchsticks (or get a food processor to do it for you).
For half a smallish head, you can make a tangy mustard dressing. My favourite is around 1-2 tbsp mustard (depending on how strong you like your mustard and the type you have available) whisked into around 4 heaped tbsp creme fraiche or even plain yogurt, the juice of half a small lemon and salt and pepper. Play with the ratios here until you have a tangy but not overpowering sauce. Stir in the celeriac and serve with toast for lunch.
The dressing can also be made with just lemon and creme fraiche if you don't have mustard. Or you could make a thick vinagrette from lemon juice or good quality vinegar vigorously mixed with olive oil until it thickens (don't forget to season). Approx 3 tbsp olive oil to one tbsp vinegar.
Hi! How about diced raw butternut squash, hummus, and fresh cranberries?
I had fun with this one! I would do middle-eastern style wraps.
Make some flatbreads (recipe at https://simpleandstraightforward.substack.com/p/a-new-year-a-new-direction-a-new) or buy some in.
Toss that butternut squash with olive oil and spices. My go-to are cumin and ras-al-hanout but you could also use ground coriander, tumeric or sumac. Season with salt.
Roast in the oven at 180C/350F for 20-45 mins depending on the size of the dice, until the squash is golden and cooked. Turn every 10 minutes.
Meanwhile make a cranberry sauce. Middle eastern food relies heavily on pomegranates so I'm substituting those for the cranberries here. I'd simmer down the fresh cranberries with a little orange or lemon juice, some cardamon, ras al hanout or sumac, and a sprinkling of sugar until the cranberries have broken down into a thick sauce. It should take maybe 10-20 minutes although sometimes longer, and can be made in advance.
Take the flatbread, smother with hummous, top with the butternut squash and drizzle over the spiced cranberry sauce. Wrap up, eat.
Amazing! I was stumped. Thanks for the ideas!
Fun! I've got 3oz dried beef, left over potato wedges, and shredded parmesan cheese
I'd go for dried beef and potato rostis.
Mash up those potato wedges, put in a mixing bowl with some grated parmesan cheese and chopped up dried beef. In terms of ratios, it can be pretty flexible so long as potato is in the majority.
Beat an egg and stick it in there (one egg per 2-3 small potato's worth of wedges).
If it's looking a bit wet, add a little bit of all-purpose flour to bind, but not too much otherwise the rostis can become heavy. I'd take it one teaspoon at a time until you have something that is no longer sloppy, but certainly not dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add some herbs if you have them like parsley, sage or oregano, but don't worry if you don't.
Heat some neutral oil in a frying pan - you'll want a reasonable covering on the bottom of the pan but it doesn't have to be enough to shallow fry. Maybe 2-3 tbsp depending on the size of your pan.
Spoon in spoonfuls of the mixture and flatten down into a disc. Fry until golden then flip.
I love to serve rostis with a lemon-yogurt dressing which cuts through the richness. Mix a few tablespoons of plan yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon juice and some chopped parsley if you have it.
This sounds delicious, thank you! I can't wait to try it!