5 weeknight dinners from an almost-empty fridge

Some nights the fridge is basically eggs, leftover rice, and whatever sauce bottles have survived since last month. That’s enough. Here are five dinners you can put together in about 15 minutes, with the kind of swaps that actually work on a tired weeknight.

1. Soy-butter egg fried rice

Day-old rice is better than fresh here. Fry a beaten egg until just set, push it aside, crisp the rice in a little oil, then fold the egg back through with a splash of soy sauce and a knob of butter. A handful of spring onion if you have it.

2. Garlic oyster-sauce noodles

Boil any noodles you have. While they cook, soften sliced garlic in oil, then toss the drained noodles through oyster sauce, a little of the noodle water, and a few drops of sesame oil. Top with a fried egg to make it dinner.

3. Microwave miso-ish tofu bowl

No stove needed. Cube soft tofu over hot rice, spoon over a quick sauce of soy, a little sugar, and chilli if you like heat. Microwave 60 seconds. Spring onion on top.

4. Tomato egg

The five-minute classic. Soft-scramble eggs, set aside; cook chopped tomato with a pinch of sugar and salt until jammy, then fold the eggs back in. Eat over rice.

5. Tuna-mayo rice

Pantry-only. Flake a tin of tuna into mayo with a squeeze of lime or a dash of soy, pile onto hot rice, and finish with anything crunchy — cucumber, spring onion, even crushed crackers.

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The common thread: fat + salt + something savoury, over a starch you already have. Once you have that pattern, an almost-empty fridge stops being a problem and starts being a prompt. Tell OneToCook what you’ve actually got and it will rank ideas by how little you need to buy.