Cooking doesn’t always need an overhaul, but we can always give our meals a glow-up. I’m not talking about complicated, multi-step recipes or fancy foams. Instead, I’m talking about simple pantry swaps or fridge finds that elevate flavours with minimal efforts.

By adding a few new ingredients to your favourite recipes, you can escape a cooking rut without having to spend a fortune at the grocery store.

Here are five ways to lift your dinner and snacking game.

Oyster sauce

If you don’t overthink the name, this quiet achiever is the ultimate culinary power move, adding an “I can’t quite put my finger on why this tastes so good” flavour to everything it touches. The flavour is sultry, round and deeply savoury. I add a dollop to peppercorn sauce for steaks when French bistro is the mood of the day. It’s a chef’s kiss to wok-tossed greens, and is soup’s secret weapon. But it really shines in noodle dishes. The combination of flash-fried garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil coating a coil of noodles is the ultimate “I had no idea what to cook for dinner but now I feel like Nigella in a silk robe.”

Honey mustard

This isn’t just mustard, it’s a sunshine-hued miracle in a jar. It’s sweet, it’s tart and it’s something I find myself constantly adding to anything and everything that crosses paths with my fridge or oven. It spreads lovingly across a sandwich. it adds extra dimension to salad dressings and saucy depth to roasted chicken, peas and pancetta. It loves roast carrots as much as it loves lightly coating hot and squeaky pan-fried halloumi. It’s the ultimate pantry workhorse. My go-to: Maille Honey Dijon Mustard available from supermarkets.

Maggi Original Seasoning

Calm down. I know it’s the “MSG sauce” but this golden liquid needs to make a comeback. Lean in, embrace it. I’m not suggesting you take a bath in it, but a splash here and there makes the simplest dish taste like it has been simmering for generations. Add a splash while whisking eggs for an omelette. Marinate steaks with it, drizzle it in a salsa to make the tomatoes come alive, or simply mix it into a stir-fry. Noodles, rice dishes and roast veg are all the better for the salty depth it adds, too.

Brown butter

It’s melted butter but with a tan. Cook butter in a frying pan until it’s foaming, then keep cooking until you begin to notice a glorious nutty, toffee-like smell. That’s the milk solids caramelising on the bottom of the pan. Strain the melted butter through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and use the resulting brown butter in and on anything that asks for it. The depth and dimension this adds to sauces, baked goods (like Helen Goh’s dreamy burnt butter parsnip cake, pictured above), and even scrambled eggs is a revelation. Drizzle over roast vegies, ditto noodles with a bit of smoked soy, and thank me later.

Black garlic

Finely balanced between sweetness and umami, black garlic is a type of aged garlic that is coloured deep brownish-black. It is aged at a steady temperature until its sticky-soft texture is achieved. Imagine it’s like balsamic meets molasses with a kiss of garlic in the very best kind of way. Thinly slice to garnish salads, add to roasts in place of your usual garlic or simply pop some into your next bolognese or risotto to add extra depth. You won’t find this in aisle seven of the supermarket but do some sniffing around locally at delis, fruit shops and independent grocers, which tend to have it.

Yuzu kosho

This fragrant fermented blend of chillies and yuzu juice has the hit of chilli with the floral depth of the yuzu to create a glorious spicy, zesty and umami rich flavour that will work wonders on many a dish. Rub some with butter into the skin of a roast chook, stir through some Kewpie mayo, stir through noodles, or top avocado toast with it. Find it at most Asian grocers or on Amazon as I do. Alternatively, substitute with the zest of a lemon, half a finely chopped jalapeno chilli and half a teaspoon of sea salt flakes. The best bit? A tiny bit goes a very long way, giving you maximum bang for buck.

Pistachio spread

Pistachio spread is a glossy green miracle, with endless addictive uses. It’s pure pistachio in mood and body — toasty, buttery, slightly bitter, and faintly floral. But it is also intensely nutty, sweet and velvety and great for swirling into cake batter or dolloping onto your morning oats. Incorporate it into intricate baked goods, like these Dubai chocolate bars (pictured above) or more simply spread on toast or swirled through yoghurt. My favourite hack is smearing over a bit of puff pastry before turning into twists and baking for 15 minutes or until golden. I also like to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon, barefoot in the kitchen, fridge door ajar. Find Pistachio Papi at Woolworths now, and for a reasonable price.