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Running out of culinary inspiration? Bored of baked beans on toast? Lorna Wing shares her brilliant ideas for creating gastro feasts from our everyday store cupboard ingredients. This weeks it’s the turn of tomato ketchup…

CREATE quick mini pizza-style crostini for children by spreading a little ketchup on to sliced French bread, arrange sliced cherry tomatoes and grated mozzarella on top and bake in a moderate oven for 8-10 minutes, until crisp and golden.

FLAVOUR mayonnaise with ketchup, horseradish sauce, a few dashes of Tabasco, crushed garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning and use as a cocktail sauce for prawns and crab.

CHOP red onions and soften in olive oil with some crushed garlic. Add some chopped pancetta and celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in drained, rinsed cannelloni beans, bouillon and a little water, along with a generous dollop of ketchup and simmer for about 30 minutes until soupy. Serve the stew with extra virgin oil and crusty bread or with grilled lamb chops. 

SWIRL English mustard into a bowl of tomato ketchup and use as a dip for cocktail sausages.

MIX together ketchup, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, a little rice vinegar or Thai fish sauce, grated ginger and crushed garlic. Simmer in a pan for a few minutes and use as a marinade for chicken drumsticks, pork ribs, prawns or vegetable skewers. Delicious oriental-style BBQ sauce.

DRY-FRY cumin and coriander seeds briefly in a frying pan, lightly crush and stir into ketchup along with chopped chillies, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Use as a dip with Indian or Middle Eastern nibbles or spread it onto toast, top with cheddar cheese and grill. Good too spooned into pitta breads with plain yogurt and sliced grilled lamb.

PEP UP a Sunday morning Bloody Mary with a glug of tomato ketchup.

COOK a baked bean soup by cooking a chopped onion in olive oil until soft and add a can of baked beans, some vegetable bouillon ad some Worcestershire sauce ketchup for piquancy. Season and serve with a bacon sandwich.

MAKE a speedy store cupboard tomato sauce for pasta.  This may be sacrilegious to Italians but is adored by children and teenagers. Sweat a chopped onion and garlic in good olive oil until soft, then mix in tomato ketchup, chopped bail and seasoning. Stir into spaghetti and serve with grated parmesan.  

JAZZ up ketchup by adding hot chilli sauce and a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve with hamburgers.

STIR equal quantities of sour cream and mayonnaise together and add ketchup, a little lime juice, chopped green chilli and coriander leaves. Good with tortilla chips.

COMBINE a spoonful of ketchup into a vinaigrette and use on peppery salad leaves tossed with nuggets of warm chicken.

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Food expert Lorna Wing teaches cookery online via WhatsApp to tech-savvy teens doing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, plus others wanting an essential life skill and kitchen confidence. Prue Leith, Rick Stein and Delia Smith all think what she’s doing is brilliant.

www.lornawingcookery.co.uk  020 8871 2507