Simple secrets to extraordinary meals are in your pantry

The secrets to incredible-tasting recipes are often simple — and the majority of secret ingredients can be found right in your own pantry.

Take tea bags, for instance. Here are little packets of flavour sitting right in the cupboard.

• Add some to boiling water and you have mint-flavoured rice! Everyone will marvel at the flavour and wonder where it came from. Add a little lemon juice to it and you've created a lemon-mint rice that makes a fabulous accompaniment to lamb chops. This is only one example of everyday ingredients that can become the secret to remarkable meals.Here are a few more:

• How do you make scrambled eggs so soft, so silky that you'll want to savour them with a spoon? The key is blending a little cream cheese into the beaten eggs.
• How do you get an extra-crunchy ­topping on your apple crisp? Use crunchy cereal containing dried fruit and nuts instead of oats. When baked with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, it delivers a delicious crunch and satisfying chew.
• What's the secret behind a pillowy-soft texture in homemade focaccia bread? Add mashed potatoes to the dough. The starch in the potatoes lends a smooth consistency to the interior crumb of the bread that yeast alone cannot produce.
• How do you create a delightfully sweet, ultra-crunchy breading on fried chicken? Use cornflakes instead of plain bread crumbs.
• How do you give vegetarian chili a little more pizzazz? Stir in some semi-sweet chocolate. Chocolate has an edge and sweetness that balances out the spiciness of the chili. It also adds a touch of fat for richness.
• What can you do with leftover cooked spaghetti besides reheat it for lunch? Make a Sicilian omelet by mixing cooked spaghetti into the egg mixture. Spaghetti fills out the meal with a little starch and makes it more substantial. It may sound odd to add pasta to eggs, but Italians have been doing it for centuries.
• What's the secret to a light, cracklingly crisp batter on fried fish? Stout beer. The carbonation of beer aerates the batter and the dark, malty flavor enhances the mild taste of the fish.

Some pantry staples can help you save time in the kitchen. For instance, spaghetti sauce isn't just for spaghetti — it can become an instant sauce for baked fish.

• Bake fish ­fillets right in the sauce to keep them from drying out and infuse them with flavour.
• Spaghetti sauce can also give you a jump-start as a base for making a soup or creating a braising liquid for meat.
• Canned pumpkin is another time-saver that most people have on hand. Use canned pumpkin to get a head start on making pumpkin soup.Other common kitchen ingredients make it easy to update old favourites to today's lighter, healthier standards.
• Have some applesauce on hand? Use it to replace one-fourth of the butter in your favourite cakes and tea breads. The pectin in applesauce adds moisture and tenderness, creating low-calorie baked goods with delicious texture. The same can be said for mashed banana and canned evaporated milk.
• Just like cream, evaporated milk creates thick, rich texture in baked goods, quiches and creamy soups — but without all the fat and calories.Simple pantry items can be used in surprisingly creative ways to make your meals seem more exotic and far more delicious! These are just a few of the clever ways to make your meals sing.

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