Foccacia Bread by Shirley Jones

Easy Meals from Pantry Staples

Can’t face the supermarket today? Here are some meal ideas from simple ingredients.


No-Knead Focaccia Bread

4 cups high grade white flour (can use 3 cups white, 1 cup wholemeal)

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dried yeast

1 teaspoon sugar or 1 heaped teaspoon honey

warm water

olive oil

Put sugar in a jug or bowl with about 250mls of warm water, stir to dissolve. If using honey, dissolve this first in small amount of boiling water, then add cold water to get to yeast-happy temperature (put your clean little finger in, should feel slightly warm). Add yeast and stir gently to mix. Leave until yeast starts to bubble.

Put flour and salt into a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and enough warm water to get a slightly wet dough. Beat as thoroughly as you can. Oil another bowl then scrape dough into this and rise for about an hour until double in size. I put oven on to 50 degrees, cover bowl with tea towel moistened with warm water, then put in oven and turn it off. 

Take out risen dough, turn oven to 220 degrees, liberally oil roasting dish, then pour/scrape dough into the dish. Oil your hands and push dough out to sides (the kids will love doing this!) until it is reasonably even. Make indentations in the top with your thumb and brush on some oil. Now you can add toppings. Here are some of my favourites: fresh rosemary and ground rock salt; halved or sliced olives pushed into the indentations and some fresh marjoram; finely grated parmesan with some fresh or dried thyme.

Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from baking dish (I use a fish slice or metal spatula if it sticks) and cool on a rack.


Quick Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup — Image by: Shirley Jones

1x 400g can beans (mixed beans, haricot, or whatever you have on hand)

1x 400g jar pasta sauce, or can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs

750mls vegetable or chicken stock (homemade, carton or water plus dried stock)

100g small dried pasta such as macaroni, or even spaghetti broken up into bits.

Drain beans, add to large pot with pasta sauce (or tomatoes) and stock. Bring to boil then add pasta. When pasta is cooked, take off heat and sit for 10 minutes before eating. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

You may like to add some grated parmesan to your bowl if you have some.


Easy Risotto

Easy Risotto — Image by: Shirley Jones

300g arborio or short grain rice

1 litre hot vegetable stock

1 onion

1 stalk celery(optional)

2 or 3 cloves garlic

splash of white wine or lemon juice (optional)

125g frozen peas or beans

olive oil

grated cheese - preferably parmesan, but cheddar or edam ok

50g butter

Fry finely diced onion and celery in olive oil in a large frypan (with lid for later) until onion translucent, then add crushed or sliced garlic. Cook very briefly then add un-rinsed rice. Stir for a few minutes until rice becomes less cloudy. If using wine, add a splash now (up to 1/2 glass), and let it bubble for a minute or two. Add the hot stock and the peas or beans, bring to boil, turn right down so it will simmer, and cover with lid. This should take about 20 minutes to cook. Stir occasionally and add more hot stock or water if it dries out too much. The rice should be soft with a very slight bite. Take off the heat, add juice of 1 lemon, about 50g butter and some grated cheese. Stir briefly then leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Add freshly ground pepper too if you want.


Chocolate Sauce (to transform ice cream)

Image by: Shirley Jones

50g butter

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons sieved cocoa powder

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat slowly over low heat, stirring frequently. When well mixed and a good, smooth consistency, take off heat - do not boil.


Try these ebooks from our digital collection for more recipes:

Slow Cooking for Two. Mendocino Press
If you're short on time, few in numbers, and craving the comfort of a home-cooked meal, Slow Cooking for Two is here to save the day. Slow Cooking for Two offers 101 easy recipes meant for just two people, including soups, stews, casseroles, desserts, and more.

Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Cooking on a Budget. Rose Elliot
Updated version of Rose Elliot’s vegetarian classic – Cheap and Easy is an essential guide to vegetarian cookery. It includes a wide range of recipes for all tastes, but keeps in mind those with a low budget.

Japanese Cooking Made Simple. Salinas Press
This simple Japanese cookbook will ease you into the basics of Japanese cooking, with primers on everything from cooking the perfect sushi rice, to making hearty bowls of ramen, to preparing your own tasty bento boxes. You’ll learn how easy it is to create traditional Japanese meals using affordable ingredients found at your local grocery store.

Canning and Preserving for Beginners. Rockridge Press
Canning & Preserving For Beginners demystifies the process of home canning for novices, with step-by-step directions and easy, flavorful canning recipes. Get started quickly and painlessly so you can begin making tasty canned goods and preserves with this season's harvest right away.

Mug Cakes Chocolate: Ready in 2 minutes in the microwave! Sandra Mahut
Indulgent, gooey chocolate cakes that can be made in two minutes in a microwave! Chocolate-lovers will be in heaven with over 30 variations on the favourite chocolate cake.

Easy Weeknight Meals: Simple, Healthy, Delicious Recipes from My Food Bag and Nadia Lim
These recipes have been rated as favourites by My Food Bag customers, so you can relax in the knowledge that each recipe is tasty, easy to make and foolproof.