Tuck into our recipe guide to the tasty meals you can make in self-isolation

What’s lurking in the back of your cupboards? Could you feed your family with a two-year-old dusty tin of Spam and half a packet of pasta?

A few weeks ago, such questions seemed laughable; the preserve of panickers and preppers predicting the apocalypse as the rest of us went about our normal lives.

But suddenly, the alarming spread of coronavirus — this week declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation — is very real indeed. 

And as the threat of quarantine hangs over the UK, it’s hard not to turn your mind to what you would do in the event of a national lockdown.

As a mum to a ten-month-old, recently I’ve found myself waking in the night worrying about whether I should be stockpiling. 

The Government insists there is ‘no need’ and campaigners have rightly warned that buying in bulk now simply deprives poorer families of their weekly essentials.

But as the virus spreads, it seems it is a case not of ‘if’ but ‘when’ we might all be confined to our homes for several weeks.

So what can we do?

And as the threat of quarantine hangs over the UK, it’s hard not to turn your mind to what you would do in the event of a national lockdown. As a mum to a ten-month-old, recently I’ve found myself waking in the night worrying about whether I should be stockpiling. An Asda store in London is pictured above

Well, if you — like most families — have a reasonably full freezer, sensibly stocked cupboards and odds and ends in the fridge, there really is no need to panic, even in the event of isolation.

I have been astonished by the treasures I’ve found hidden at the back of my cupboards — from corned beef bought in error to a four-pack of Ambrosia rice — and the tasty tubs of leftovers that have been languishing in the freezer since last year, from chicken curry to a slab of Christmas pudding.

With a strict meal planner and inventive recipes, you and your family can eat healthily and happily for two weeks without a single trip to the shops. 

Here are some surprisingly delicious dishes for you to try out . . .

What to do

The best way of preserving fresh food — such as milk, eggs and veg — is to cook it, so start on day one. 

Stews, soups, chillis and pies are best, as the cooking liquid preserves the contents, and they are easy to freeze.

Make a list of all the food in the house, including foodstuffs for babies/children, and make sure it is stored and sealed correctly.

Write a menu planner, using the recipes here — and ensure everyone sticks to it.

Make space in the freezer by taking foods out of their packaging and using Ziploc bags rather than plastic boxes.

The best way of preserving fresh food — such as milk, eggs and veg — is to cook it, so start on day one [File photo]

Take two-thirds of the fresh bread, milk, butter and cheese in your fridge and freeze them. Slice the bread, chop the cheese and butter into chunks and decant the milk into smaller containers so you can defrost it when needed.

Crack eggs into ice-cube trays before freezing. You will need to peel fresh fruit such as bananas and oranges, too.

This makes them easier to defrost (or you can throw the frozen fruit into the blender to make a vitamin-rich smoothie).

Herbs are freezable, too, but you can also stick them in a pot of moist soil or a glass of water near a window and they will stay fresh for longer.

Meals to feed the family

The following recipes are based on what I have in my house, without stockpiling or preparing, this weekend, excluding fresh produce such as meat, veg and dairy.

Many ingredients are optional, so just omit whatever you don’t have — or substitute it.

If you, like me, are catering for children or babies, these meals are suitable for all the family — and make enough for two adults and two little ones. If you can, double up and freeze a batch for later.

Baked bean Shepherd’s Pie 

• 800g potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, diced (optional)
• 1 x 400g tin of baked beans (or alphabet spaghetti)
• 1 x 400g tin of kidney beans, drained and washed
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 250ml water
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)

Heat a little oil (or water) in a saucepan over a medium heat. If using, saute the onion for five minutes.

Add the kidney beans, stock, water, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and ketchup. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the beans and cook for another ten minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Boil the potatoes. Once they are cooked, drain and mash with the butter (or 1 tbsp water) and mustard.

Preheat the oven to 200c (fan 180c). Tip the bean mixture into a roasting dish and spread the potato on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Add the kidney beans, stock, water, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and ketchup. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. A stock image is used above

Add the beans and cook for another ten minutes, until the sauce thickens. A stock image is used above

Lentil spag bol 

Add the lentils, wine, Marmite and herbs and simmer for 20 minutes. A stock image is used above

• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 onion, diced (optional)
• 1 carrot, diced (optional)
• 1 x 400g tin of green lentils
• 140ml red wine
• 1 tsp Marmite
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 400g dried spaghetti

Heat a little oil or water in a frying pan and (if using) saute the onion and carrot until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and stir.

Add the lentils, wine, Marmite and herbs and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a saucepan of boiling, salted water.

Serve the bolognese over the pasta — topped (if you have some) with grated cheese.

Heat a little oil or water in a frying pan and (if using) saute the onion and carrot until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. A stock image is used above

Tuna and pea pilaf 

• 1 tbsp olive oil1 onion, diced (optional)
• 250g basmati rice
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 150g frozen peas
• 175g tinned sweetcorn
• 200g tinned tuna, drained and forked (or sardines)
• 2 tbsp dried parsley

Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid and, if using, saute the onion.

Add the rice and stir for one minute until the grains are glossy.

Pour in the stock and cover the pan with the lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for ten minutes, before adding the peas and corn.

Cover and cook for ten minutes more. Stand for five minutes before stirring through the tuna and parsley. Serve hot.

Tinned tomato risotto 

• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
• 250g risotto rice (you can also use basmati rice, pearl barley or bulgur wheat)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Tip the chopped tomatoes and half the vegetable stock into a food processor and blend until it is smooth.

Pour this, with the remaining stock, into a saucepan over a low heat and keep warm.

Put the oil into a large frying pan and (if using) add the onion and garlic.

Add the rice and stir for a minute until it turns glossy.

Add the hot tomato stock, one ladle at a time, making sure you let the rice absorb the liquid.

After 20-25 minutes, it should be soft and creamy. Add the herbs, stir and serve.

Tip the chopped tomatoes and half the vegetable stock into a food processor and blend until it is smooth. Pour this, with the remaining stock, into a saucepan over a low heat and keep warm. A stock image is used above

Add the hot tomato stock, one ladle at a time, making sure you let the rice absorb the liquid. After 20-25 minutes, it should be soft and creamy. Add the herbs, stir and serve. A stock image is used above [File photo]

Peanut butter curry 

Serve hot, over rice or noodles, or with bread to help soak up the sauce. A peanut butter jar is seen above

• 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
• 2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x vegetable stock cube, crushed
• 50g frozen spinach (or other frozen veg)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the spices.

Cook for a few minutes to bring out the flavours before adding the coconut milk, chickpeas, peanut butter, tomato puree and crushed stock cube.

Cook on a high heat for five to ten minutes until it thickens. Add the frozen veg and (if using) lemon juice and cook for another five minutes.

Serve hot, over rice or noodles, or with bread to help soak up the sauce.

Cook on a high heat for five to ten minutes until it thickens. Add the frozen veg and (if using) lemon juice and cook for another five minutes. A stock image is used above

Five-minute minestrone

• 1 x 400g tin of plum or chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 100g dried pasta pieces (any broken odds and ends will do)
• 350g frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 tbsp red or green pesto
• Handful of grated cheese (optional)

Pour the tomatoes and stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

Add the pasta pieces and cook for another few minutes until they’re just turning soft.

Add the frozen vegetables and bring the soup back to the boil, letting it simmer for one to two minutes.

Serve in bowls, topped with pesto and cheese.