July 2010 Grocery Challenge

freakyogre · 10 July 2010 at 8:15PM

katholicos wrote: »

I opened a 3 kg tin of chick peas form my storecupboard and made a chick pea curry for tea and a chickpea spread thingy for lunch, and home made pizza also. Phew!

I've been using up my freezer contents so that I can open my giant tin of chick peas too! I've had it for a couple of months, so it's about time I did something with it. The plan is to open it next weekend and make lots of this and some falafel. Yum!

But then I still have a 2.5kg tin of chopped tomatoes, so once again, I will be waiting for freezer space to make lots of pasta sauce etc! I really must stop buying huge tins

Hippeechiq · 10 July 2010 at 8:44PM

Gintotmelinda wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Rummaged around in the fridge and cupboards yesterday to find something for tea(not meal planned this week!) and made a frittata with mushrooms, potato (the last one) cheese and sweetcorn. DH and I had this with a handful of salad leaves from the garden, home grown radishes, and the last two cherry tomatoes and spring onions in the fridge. DS had the other half of the frittata when he came back from his girlfriend's. I'm getting there-before I joined I might have just gone over to the supermarket and picked something up!

Must plan this week's meals but keep forgetting to take stuff out of the freezer. Anyone else have this problem?

Now I have identified how much I am spending every month I am looking forward to getting it down. Is internet shopping and delivery the key? I find that I often buy small portions of meat and just cook for one evening. I do cook up mince and do spag bol and chilli for more than one meal but am not good at rubber chicken....It's a bit hot to put the oven on methinks.

What do you all put on the table this weather? Can you recommend hot weather standbys? We are having chicken salad tonight.

Take care.

Well done on the frittata front instead of going out and buying something :T

I have my menu planner on my fridge door, so as soon as I get up in the morning and go to the fridge to make my morning cuppa, I look to see what's on the planner and take whatever I need out of the freezer then. Worth a try maybe?

I don't do rubber chicken either. Ex hubby wouldn't eat a complete chicken (although he would eat portions of one) and I wouldn't have a clue about cooking a whole chicken, and then saving bits for this and bits for that. I think it's fab if you can, but I wouldn't know where to start.

While it's so hot, I'm trying to cook things that involve being cooked on the hob rather than having the cooker on - curries, chilli, spag bol type dishes, cassoulets, stir fries, frittata, omelette, that kind of thing. Luckily, I have home made Cheese & Lentil Loaf in the freezer (which we had half of last night, with cold new potatoes and large mixed salad) and a home made Onion Quiche which we can have during the week with cous cous and a mixed salad if it's too hot to cook what I've planned for. Funnily enough, we're having frittata tomorrow, with spicy wedges and beans. Tonight we've had a chicken chow mein stir fry with mediterranean veg, noodles and garlic bread.

Had a NSD today, which makes 6 so far :j It's been too hot to go anywhere or do anything much today, we're all melting down south - or at least, I am

ilovetea · 10 July 2010 at 9:46PM

Had to spend some money today,quite upsetting!!
£15.71 on fruit,salad stuff and half a dozen eggs:eek:.
Hopefully last all week (better had).
The cheese and lentil loaf sounds good,might have a go at something lke that.Do extra portions freeze? with being on my own I like to cook for more than one meal and freeze any extra. I can get 6 meals and 4 lots of stock from one small chicken.Trying to save for a bigger freezer now:D.

ilovetea x

katholicos · 10 July 2010 at 10:10PM

freakyogre wrote: »

I've been using up my freezer contents so that I can open my giant tin of chick peas too! I've had it for a couple of months, so it's about time I did something with it. The plan is to open it next weekend and make lots of this and some falafel. Yum!

But then I still have a 2.5kg tin of chopped tomatoes, so once again, I will be waiting for freezer space to make lots of pasta sauce etc! I really must stop buying huge tins

I never thought of falafel! Thanks for posting a link. That's next on my culinary agenda!

You sound just like me with your large tins, limited freezer space and canny use of catering sized products LOL!

Hippeechiq · 10 July 2010 at 10:35PM

ilovetea wrote: »

Had to spend some money today,quite upsetting!!
£15.71 on fruit,salad stuff and half a dozen eggs:eek:.
Hopefully last all week (better had).
The cheese and lentil loaf sounds good,might have a go at something lke that.Do extra portions freeze? with being on my own I like to cook for more than one meal and freeze any extra. I can get 6 meals and 4 lots of stock from one small chicken.Trying to save for a bigger freezer now:D.
ilovetea x

Hi ilovetea. The Cheese & Lentil loaf freezes very well. The recipe I use I got off a member on here and it's absolutely delicious. It makes a 2lb Loaf and I slice it into 12 slices. Two slices is plenty, with something like cous cous/new potatoes and salad, although I have 3 cos I'm a bit of a piggy when it comes to this loaf

and I'm always too full afterwards

Anyway - here's the recipe in case you'd like to give it a go

Originally Posted by carriebradshaw
I love this recipe it's very moreish I sometimes use a mixture of split peas and lentils instead of just lentils,tastes just as good to me

Cheese & Lentil Loaf

150g cheese, grated (I use cheddar or red leicester) up to you to use what you like really though
225g red lentils,rinsed well and cooked
100g porridge oats or breadcrumbs
100g mushrooms, finely chopped
100g mixed peppers, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 large carrots, or parsnips or 1 of each grated,
1 beaten egg
a good handful of chopped herbs I use mainly thyme & a little bit of rosemary(not too much Rosemary it can taste soapy) from my garden,but have also used mint and parsley as I grow those as well.You would use less if using dried herbs as they are stronger so I’m told
salt & pepper to your taste

Pre-heat oven to 180c & line your loaf tin with greasproof paper then grease the paper or it will stick
Cook lentils in 500ml water until soft and have absorbed most of the water.
In another pan with a small amount of oil,gently soften onions & peppers,add garlic,mushrooms & grated carrots and cook for a few more mins then tip it all into a large bowl
Add the lentils, cheese,oats & herbs & mix well, season with salt and pepper,and stir in the beaten egg.
Pour into lined 2lb loaf tin bake for 30-40 mins, until top is golden.
Remove from oven and place a plate over the top,then a heavy weight or some tins on top of that to press for about 15mins –half an hour.This will make it easier/firmer to turn out and slice up.
Then turn out onto a plate, peel off the paper and slice up how you want it and eat.

I love this served hot with some veggies or cold with salad, would be nice with some tattie wedges or chips too I should imagine.

I use 3 tspns Lazy Garlic & Oats (not tried it with breadcrumbs) Carrots (not parsnips) and Dried Mixed Herbs to taste as I'm not a fresh herb fan. Also, my oven takes an hour to cook to the "golden" stage, so you might want to check it from 45 minutes onwards as all ovens vary

katholicos · 10 July 2010 at 11:29PM

Here are a few pics of my pantry and wall cupboard shelves i tidied up yesterday....when you have a good sort out it really is enlightening how many things you find that you forgot you had. I have lots of new ideas for meal plans now!

cw18 · 10 July 2010 at 11:30PM

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Hi ilovetea. The Cheese & Lentil loaf freezes very well. The recipe I use I got off a member on here and it's absolutely delicious. It makes a 2lb Loaf and I slice it into 12 slices. Two slices is plenty, with something like cous cous/new potatoes and salad, although I have 3 cos I'm a bit of a piggy when it comes to this loaf and I'm always too full afterwards

Anyway - here's the recipe in case you'd like to give it a go

Thanks for the info and for sharing the recipe you'd been given.

I'm trying to collate veggie recipes at the moment, and this sounds well worth a try

OH doesn't eat meat (though he does eat fish) and I already wanted to go more that way after DS leaves for Uni in September (doesn't much like fish, and complains he's not had a meal if there's no meat

) even before OH and I started seeing each other. As this freezes it sounds ideal for when I'm cooking for one with the occasional visit from OH.......

OH seems to rely very heavily on stuffed pasta with sauce and cheese, salmon with oven chips, or take-away pizza/curry/chinese ( :eek: ), so I want to cook 'proper' meals to show him what can be done with minimal effort and cost

Hippeechiq · 11 July 2010 at 12:06AM

cw18 wrote: »

Thanks for the info and for sharing the recipe you'd been given.

I'm trying to collate veggie recipes at the moment, and this sounds well worth a try

OH doesn't eat meat (though he does eat fish) and I already wanted to go more that way after DS leaves for Uni in September (doesn't much like fish, and complains he's not had a meal if there's no meat ) even before OH and I started seeing each other. As this freezes it sounds ideal for when I'm cooking for one with the occasional visit from OH.......

OH seems to rely very heavily on stuffed pasta with sauce and cheese, salmon with oven chips, or take-away pizza/curry/chinese ( :eek: ), so I want to cook 'proper' meals to show him what can be done with minimal effort and cost

You're welcome

I'm not vegetarian, but I'm trying to eat non meat based meals each week, twice a week if I can, as it benefits both my health and my pocket. So since April, I've been searching for recipes that will appeal to both myself and my OH (children - who are both adults - won't eat vegetarian meals) I found a nice Veggie Bean Curry recipe recently, & Spicy Mushroom & Bean Chilli and I have one called African Beans which I've yet to try which has coconut milk in it, so it sounds lush :drool: I'm new to cooking Frittatas, but theyare also good to for using up left over cooked potatoes and odds and ends of veg

Lovley photos katholicos - love your jars

Gintotmelinda · 11 July 2010 at 8:24AM

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Well done on the frittata front instead of going out and buying something :T

I have my menu planner on my fridge door, so as soon as I get up in the morning and go to the fridge to make my morning cuppa, I look to see what's on the planner and take whatever I need out of the freezer then. Worth a try maybe?

I don't do rubber chicken either. Ex hubby wouldn't eat a complete chicken (although he would eat portions of one) and I wouldn't have a clue about cooking a whole chicken, and then saving bits for this and bits for that. I think it's fab if you can, but I wouldn't know where to start.

While it's so hot, I'm trying to cook things that involve being cooked on the hob rather than having the cooker on - curries, chilli, spag bol type dishes, cassoulets, stir fries, frittata, omelette, that kind of thing. Luckily, I have home made Cheese & Lentil Loaf in the freezer (which we had half of last night, with cold new potatoes and large mixed salad) and a home made Onion Quiche which we can have during the week with cous cous and a mixed salad if it's too hot to cook what I've planned for. Funnily enough, we're having frittata tomorrow, with spicy wedges and beans. Tonight we've had a chicken chow mein stir fry with mediterranean veg, noodles and garlic bread.

Had a NSD today, which makes 6 so far :j It's been too hot to go anywhere or do anything much today, we're all melting down south - or at least, I am

Thanks Hex and Hippeechiq lots of lovely ideas and advice. :beer: I am inspired now for the rest of the week and I do have some stuff in the freezer that I can adapt. We already have a weekly curry night for DH. I often use Q***n and then DS moans that there is no meat. I tell him to think of it as a protein in itself and not a meat substitute!

I am definitely going to make cheese and lentil loaf when I feel like putting the oven on again. It sounds delicious

Take care in the heat everyone!

dazzle21 · 11 July 2010 at 8:49AM

Hello, hope everyone is doing ok this month?

I am about to add £36 to our total.. £18 of this was a takeaway.. eek! Persuaded OH that if we had it, that had to be it for this month, he agreed (unusual!) especially when i pointed out the bills this month

Have worked out what we have in the freezer and what I need to buy to make certain meals, so I'm going to try to just shop for what we really need and avoid everything else.. hmm, anyone have a pair of blinkers I can borrow?!

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July 2010 Grocery Challenge

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