The evenings are drawing in earlier now, and I’m craving meals that feel comforting without requiring a full shop. These October store-cupboard staples are what I’ve been reaching for on repeat, the tins, jars, and packets that do the heavy lifting when you can’t be bothered with complicated cooking.
Dear Diary,
October’s arrived properly now. The evenings are getting dark earlier, the heating’s gone on, and I’m spending more time standing in front of the open fridge wondering what I can make without going to the shops.
This is when a good store cupboard earns its keep. The tins and jars that turn half a bag of pasta into something you’d actually want to eat. The things that add depth without requiring fresh herbs you don’t have or ingredients that cost a fortune.
These are my October store-cupboard staples, the things I’ve actually reached for this month, not the things I think I should be using. Capers and anchovies for sharp, salty brightness. Tomato paste for that deep, concentrated savouriness. Coconut milk for creamy comfort without dairy. White miso for adding complexity to both savoury and sweet dishes. Butter beans because they’re filling and satisfying and work in basically everything. Good dark chocolate because pudding shouldn’t require effort. And banana-maple peanut butter that makes breakfast feel less like a chore.
Below is what I’ve been cooking with each one, and where to find the recipes if you want the same low-effort, high-reward satisfaction.
Capers & Anchovies (The Tiny Tin Double Act)
There are nights when dinner needs punctuation: a briny comma, a lemon-zesty dash. I keep Drivers Pickles Capers and a tin of M&S Cantabrian Anchovies in olive oil in arm’s reach. Chop them together with parsley, a dab of Dijon and a clean squeeze of lemon, and you have the quickest salsa verde, the sort of sauce that rescues roasted trays from heaviness.
I spooned it over Salmon with Puttanesca Potatoes & Charred Courgettes. The potatoes bake with olives and tomato, then the caper-anchovy tumble gives the plate its high note. It did beautiful things to Za’atar Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomato & Anchovy Salsa too, salty, bright, and precisely the kind of food that makes the most perfect sheet pan dinner.
Coconut milk (lashings of it in the bowl)
There’s a specific comfort to coconut milk: not loud, just… soothing. In my Thai-Style Prawn & Sweetcorn Curry it wraps everything in a quiet, plush sauce that takes to lime like a dream. I warm a tin of full-fat coconut milk with a teaspoon or two of curry paste, let it burble, season with fish sauce, and finish with lime. The prawns blush in minutes and the bowl gives off that halo of steam that makes you want to dive right in spoon first.
Leftovers, if there are any, make the best ten-minute lunch with a knot of rice noodles lowered straight into the warmed broth.
White miso (a small spoon, a deep note)
White miso is where I allow myself to feel clever with pudding. It’s mild and gently sweet; it melts into brown butter and sugar and makes apples taste deeper and a little nutty without announcing its presence. I browned butter, whisked in a spoon of Hanamaruki White Miso, light brown sugar and a splash of cream, and suddenly I had a glossy miso caramel for Apple Crumble Pots.
70% dark chocolate (pudding without a palaver)
There are days only chocolate will do. I heat cream, tip in Menier Dark Chocolate Drops, breathe for a minute, then whisk — Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots in a jug. A last flick of flaky salt and they retire to the fridge, calm and obliging. For crunch, add pecans or hazelnuts before they set.
Butter beans — Bean There, Sauced That.
Butter beans are the tray’s best sauce-soakers: tip a tin on for the last ten minutes and they drink the good bits, turning roastiness into dinner. This month they starred in my Sweetcorn & Butter Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Tomato Sauce soft, smoky, happily scooped. For tender skins and creamy middles, I like Bold Bean Co.
Banana-Maple Peanut Butter (M&S)
Some mornings you need porridge to taste good without fifteen different toppings and half an hour of prep. This jar does the work for you.
Simple porridge (serves 1): Cook 50g oats in 250ml milk for 3–4 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1 heaped tablespoon of banana-maple peanut butter. Top with half a sliced banana, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp chopped pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup. (Life changing… honestly.)
Making the Most of What You’ve Got
This is what October cooking looks like for me, reaching for the same reliable tins and jars throughout the week, using them in different ways depending on what needs making. Capers and anchovies in a quick salsa one night, folded into roasting trays the next. Coconut milk for curry, butter beans for enchiladas, miso caramel when you fancy something sweet.
The recipes are all linked above. Make what sounds good, use what you’ve got, and let the store cupboard do some of the heavy lifting!
