Store cupboard challenge

NualaBuala

zippychick wrote: »

Ha ha ha Mrs funny pants. Yes , I'm also using egg boxes and an empty washing up liquid bottle. What of it?!

It's this one. Probably not a revulationary recipe, but exceptionally tasty for all it is.

Nuala, what are you going to blow your yo yos on?!

Knowing me either tinned tomatoes or something completely impractical! I know there'll be bread on it after yesterday's disaster with the Lidl bread mix.:o I'm just doing a sort of meal plan/list now. Must try to stay sensible!

Zippy, I think you're the queen of soups. You definitely need your own soup thread as yours are always so interesting..

CCP, no suggestions I'm afraid but good luck updating your list and well done for fitting so much in your freezer. I see you have bulgar wheat, I've always fancied trying to make something with that. I think I had it in Turkey - I never knew what I was eating but it was delicious!

zippychick

NualaBuala wrote: »

Knowing me either tinned tomatoes or something completely impractical! I know there'll be bread on it after yesterday's disaster with the Lidl bread mix.:o I'm just doing a sort of meal plan/list now. Must try to stay sensible!

Zippy, I think you're the queen of soups. You definitely need your own soup thread as yours are always so interesting..

CCP, no suggestions I'm afraid but good luck updating your list and well done for fitting so much in your freezer. I see you have bulgar wheat, I've always fancied trying to make something with that. I think I had it in Turkey - I never knew what I was eating but it was delicious!

STAY AWAY FROM THE TINNED TOMATOES! :rotfl:

Buy something new - tin of butterbeans, tin of haricot beans to make hummous? Mixed bean salad for bean stew/curry?

Why notbuy some baking supplies since you are toying with that idea? x

Oh thanks! But my inspiration is mainly stolen from here ! I take no credit (well, a very small part):rotfl:

CCP

zippychick wrote: »

CCP im sure the almonds would perk up after a quick bake/ dry fry for a few mins? That's what I would try.

Rye bread is nice toasted so maybe brekkies? I wouldn't eat it in a sandwich!

Pork ribs - could you use that as a base for lentil soup? This is where i get pork and ham confused..... Or could you roast them and make a cheap curry with the meat and some veg? Pork stock

Could you use the country crisp in flapjacks? Or with melted butter as a cheesecake kind of base with other biccies thrown in to dilute the taste?

Curry cuper noodles - leave them at work for an emergency lunch? :eek::rotfl:

Bulgar wheat

Mackerel fillets (smoked but same applies)

xxx

Thanks for the suggestions. :beer:

I'll definitely try toasting the rye bread - maybe that's where I went wrong in the first place. I'll try the cereal in flapjacks, too, which will also use up some of my stock of various dried fruits.

The super noodles will be going to work - if I decide I really can't face them I'm sure someone will take them off my hands (we've got quite a few young men in the office, and they seem to eat anything!).

Fivenations

I'd use the pork ribs in a simple pasta sauce. First serve just the sauce with pasta then the ribs with some veg as a second course, Italian style. Pasta will have filled you up somewhat so you wont mind there not being so much meat on the bones.

lynzpower

CCP wrote: »

Well, my meat delivery has arrived and I'm pleased to say I didn't need a shoehorn to get it in the freezer after all (although one of the packs of sausages is rather precariously balanced and will probably attack me next time I open the freezer door).

As it's another miserable day in Portsmouth I'm taking the opportunity to update my list of freezer and cupboard contents - it's a bit half-hearted, though, as you can probably tell by the fact I'm on here rather than doing the list!

My next task will be to think of uses for some of the odder items on my list:

• pork ribs that are mostly bone, with very little meat (I thought I might try and do a meat-based soup with them, but I'm not quite sure what)
• five slices of rye bread (for sandwiches, possibly, although it's in the freezer because I didn't like it much)
• pack of curry-flavour supernoodles (they were a freebie - I didn't buy them - honest!)
• box sugar crystals (bought for a cake topping originally, I think)
• half a pack of ground almonds (that might have gone off by now - does anyone know how you tell?)
• three quarters of a pack of raisin Country Crisp cereal (bought because I wanted the free rosemary plant they were giving away, and I then discovered I don't really like the cereal :rolleyes:)
• packet of bulgar wheat
• tin of mackerel fillets
• bottle of curried brown sauce (which is so spicy it took the skin off the inside of my mouth when I tried some)

Any ideas, anyone? Please?!

The country crisp I think could definately be used in flapjacks, I would smash the bag with a rolling pin, and your away- ir as a topping for eg fruit crumble.

The curried brown sauce if its really strong Id use for a spicy marinde eg for chicken legs?

Bulgar wheat- im not sure but Ive had builgar wheat salads before, pretty nice - a moroccan thing- possibly?

The curry supernoodles I would use in a chinesey soup, they would go well in a hot & sour type soup for example.

Im marinading the ribs I bought and am having them as a side to a scrappy chicken hot soup and p crackers. Might be an idea for you, if there isnt loads, there isnt loads so making them the base of a soup is possible too?

I sure the sugar crystaks could just be whizzed in the blender and used as normal sugar- surely? Personally I would LOVE to learn to make eccles cakes, but have to wait for the food processor for that. Unless you are pushed for space I cant see you need to use this up or have it these going off.

Ground almonds seem to be needed in all sorts of recipes that I look up, you can of course use in flapjacks.

zippychick

AH HAH

Sugar crystals ,

[FONT=Candara, Helvetica, Sans Serif]SPARKLING SUGAR[/FONT][FONT=Candara, Helvetica, Sans Serif]
Sparkling sugar has a much coarser grain than sanding sugar making the sugar crystals much larger, similar in size to kosher salt. These brilliantly colored sugar crystals are used as an edible decoration that will not dissolve when subjected to heat, which makes them ideal for baking. Also called decorating sugar, sanding sugar adds "sparkle" to cookies, baked goods and candies. The sparkling affect is achieved because the sugar crystal grains are large and reflect light. These brightly colored sugars are specially formulated to retain their color, texture and sparkle even after exposure to baking.[/FONT]

(from here )

x

Right , went to butchers and got two frozen free range chickens for £8.50, they are about 1.6 kilo each. Plus, 2 ham hocks for £2, so £10.50 all in all. Is that good value? The butcher lied and said they got the chickens that day but the date is 29/10 on them , so that kind of annoyed me. They have taken over my butchers so are new people - do I say something? They don't even sell blimmin chicken carcass - have to order in advance lol.

hex2

Use the bulgar wheat as you would cous cous.

Tonight we had chilli in tortilla wraps which was nice for a change. Second half of the chilli in the freezer. Two steps forward, three steps back.

ellemm

hex2 wrote: »

Use the bulgar wheat as you would cous cous.

Tonight we had chilli in tortilla wraps which was nice for a change. Second half of the chilli in the freezer. Two steps forward, three steps back.

Mmmmm good idea tortilla wraps & chilli that's me planned up to Monday!

lynzpower

I really want tortilla wraps/ bowls today. If I dont eat something mexican inspired every couple of days I get withdrawals.

We have mince in the freezer so tomorrow Im going to make mexican meatballs -use up some of the roasted peppers (from the pound scoop I had to roast or they be binned) from the freezer, meatballs in spicy passata based sauce. YUM! Ive got sour cream, cheese, rice.

:drool:

CCP

Fivenations wrote: »

I'd use the pork ribs in a simple pasta sauce. First serve just the sauce with pasta then the ribs with some veg as a second course, Italian style. Pasta will have filled you up somewhat so you wont mind there not being so much meat on the bones.

lynzpower wrote: »

Im marinading the ribs I bought and am having them as a side to a scrappy chicken hot soup and p crackers. Might be an idea for you, if there isnt loads, there isnt loads so making them the base of a soup is possible too?

Sadly I think there's not even enough meat on the ribs for that - it's a shame as I love ribs normally. I think the butcher ripped me off a bit with these! Never mind - they should make a nice base for lentil soup.

lynzpower wrote: »

The country crisp I think could definately be used in flapjacks, I would smash the bag with a rolling pin, and your away- ir as a topping for eg fruit crumble. ..........

I sure the sugar crystaks could just be whizzed in the blender and used as normal sugar- surely? Personally I would LOVE to learn to make eccles cakes, but have to wait for the food processor for that. Unless you are pushed for space I cant see you need to use this up or have it these going off.

The sugar crystals are exactly the ones that Zippy posted a description of - they're very pretty, but the box is taking up space in a cupboard that's already full to overflowing (that's why I'm on this thread, after all ). I never even thought of smashing them up to make normal sugar - it's so obvious now you say it. :doh: I might try roughly crushing them and putting them in the flapjacks - I'm wondering if I'll end up with sparkly flapjacks? There's only one way to find out .... :think:

My only concern about the ground almonds is that they have been in the cupboard for some time (I don't actually remember putting them in there ), and I know some nuts can go bitter if they're left lying around. That could be a question for the baking thread, I think.

lynzpower wrote: »

The curried brown sauce if its really strong Id use for a spicy marinde eg for chicken legs?

That's a really good idea - it might well make a nice spicy bbq-style marinade. That will have to wait for a while, though - I don't have any chicken and I am not going to buy any. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!! Even if it is on special offer in the co-op...