The Power of Five - Ingredients

There are a number of ingredients that I always like to have in my store cupboard.

Oak Smoked Paprika - Gives a wonderful flavour to tomato based sauces, sweetly savoury with smoky overtones.

Lentils - Red lentils add a earthy richness to soups and tomato based pasta sauces. Green lentils work well with strong flavoured sausages and pan fried duck breasts.

Chick Peas - Added to a chicken curry or a vegetable one with chunks of potato. Added to couscous with tinned tuna, red onions, cherry tomatoes and lots of parsley and coriander and perhaps a finely chopped red chilli.

Chilli Sambal - Foxes do a range of wonderful chilli sambals with roasted onions and garlic which are fabulous as a relish, thinned down as a dipping sauce or added to mayonnaise to flavour a pasta salad.

Frozen Cranberries - I buy lots when they are in season as they add a wonder flavour to porridge (yes really), stuffing, home made chutneys and smoothies with mango and passion fruit.