What to cook when there’s nothing in the fridge

Five easy pantry dinners to help swerve midweek meltdowns, and my go-to ingredients to keep on standby.

My toddler is entering his tantrum era. The littlest thing can set him off, whether it’s not having his sleeves rolled up at all times (cue me frantically googling signs of autism), being denied another episode of Bluey (cue me frantically googling detrimental effects of screen times on babies) or, heaven forbid, we run out of the berries we’re currently blowing our entire weekly food budget on (and yes, I have often googled whether a solely berry-based diet will harm my son’s health).

Trying to keep an irate small person calm without losing my mind takes up a lot of real estate in my brain. It doesn’t leave much mental space for planning elaborate dinners. When I’m faced with fraying tempers – on both sides – and an almost empty fridge, these are the ingredients and recipes I turn to.

Chilli cheese egg naan

I’m obsessed with the eggs Kejriwal at Dishoom, and often make the version from Meera Sodha’s brilliant book, East. When I don’t have bread, I’ll make a version with ready-made naans. Top the naans with a thin layer of english mustard and grated cheddar mixed with chopped green chillies, then grill until golden and bubbling. Meanwhile, fry two eggs to your liking, topping each slice of toast with a fried egg. You can make a toddler-friendly slice without the green chilli if you like.

Japanese-style cabbage pancakes

Even when the fridge is bare, I’ll usually still have eggs. Translating as ‘cooked as you like it,’ Japanese okonomiyaki is the ultimate quick fridge-forage dinner. I’ve adapted my version to suit my toddler’s tastes and using easy-to-find ingredients. To make it, mix 80g plain flour, 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, ¼ tsp each salt and sugar, 4 eggs, and 8 tbsp water (or dashi stock if you have it). Finely chop ½ a sweetheart cabbage and a bunch of spring onions and tumble into a large bowl then pour over the batter mix, mixing well. Heat a splash of neutral oil in a small non-stick frying pan and add half the batter mix, cooking for 5 minutes (you could add toppings such as crisped-up bacon, torn cheddar and/or mozzarella or leftover roast chicken here) then flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with Kewpie mayo, pickled ginger, sesame seeds and sriracha, cut into finger food-sized pieces for little eaters.

Fish finger tacos

I’ll usually have a pack of fish fingers lurking in the back of the freezer. I love them piled into tacos, with spiced canned black beans, quick-pickled red onions (scrunch onions and salt with lime juice) and shredded lettuce plus all the chilli sauces, mayo and condiments I can find. These also make great finger foods for little ones – mush up avocado and spread over the tacos then fold and serve alongside fish fingers and some quartered cherry tomatoes.

Frozen veg and chickpea tomato sauce  

A bag of pre-chopped frozen veg is something I would have sniffed at before having my son, but I’ve fully embraced it. There’s no chopping required and they’ll keep for ages – very helpful when you’ve run out of fresh veg. Simmer these chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables with passata, a tin of chickpeas, a teaspoon of nigella seeds and a grated clove of garlic or two, ready to toss through pasta or serve on top of couscous or cooked grains (you could add a spoonful of harissa or some chilli flakes if you like). Squish to your little one’s desired consistency.

Soothing dal

A soothing dal is my go-to store cupboard dinner and the one thing my son usually eats. I make mine by simmering a mugful of lentils in plenty of salted boiling water along with some finely chopped ginger (I buy the frozen, pre-chopped kind), 1 tsp turmeric, a finely chopped onion, a tin of coconut cream, two finely chopped cloves of garlic and 4-5 fresh curry leaves. Once the lentils are tender, I’ll squeeze in the juice of a lemon (you could add some diced fresh tomatoes, if you have them, or a handful of spinach). I’ll reserve some for my son at this point, before sizzling 1 tsp each mustard and cumin seeds, 2 finely chopped green chillies, 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic and 4 curry leaves in 2 tbsp oil in a separate small frying pan. Once the seeds start to pop and the garlic smells fragrant, I add a knob of butter and ½ tsp turmeric, swirling it in the pan before pouring everything into the dal. Serve with rice or roti, and toppings like crispy onions and chutney.

More hardworking ingredients to keep on standby

Freezer
Spinach, peas, cauliflower, berries, paratha, bake-from-frozen ciabatta, pre-chopped ginger, garlic and chillies.

Cupboard
Beans, pulses, pasta, more tinned tomatoes than you think you’ll ever use, spice blends, dukkah, seeds and nuts. Pre-packed breads, like tacos, flatbreads and naans. Eggs.

Fridge
Harissa, pickled chillies, pesto, kimchi, miso paste, sriracha, crispy chilli oil and curry pastes.