Store cupboard challenge

zippychick

NualaBuala wrote: »

Oh Zippy, I didn't know you were being made redundant - hope you're ok, big hugs. I think you should write a recipe book - with a nice big soup section! You can be the new Nigella.

The takeaway did dinner, lunch and will do part of dinner tonight - might need to add something to fill me up, maybe just a small sambo. So I'm not feeling so guilty now!:D

It's wild wet and windy here today (again) but there haven't been floods in my part of the country. Hope you're all ok where you are.

Ah thanks pet, that's incredibly sweet! Gosh, i would love to earn a living cooking and baking, just not sure how feasible that is!

Good work on the takeaway. When i do treat myself to an indian, it lasts two main meals for me to the point of stuffedness so it doesn't feel quite so bad or guilty!

XSpender

zippychick wrote: »

Xspender, what recipe do you use for lentil and tomato or is it a chuck it all in affair? It does sound nice actually.! Never tried lentils with tomato.x

This is the recipe I use for Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

I onion
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
1tblsp veg oil
7oz split red lentils
1 tin toms
3 1/2 pints of stock
1 tblsp tom puree
salt and pepper

Heat oil and chopped onion, carrots, celery and saute gently until lightly coloured. Stir in lentils, toms, stock and tom puree. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 35-40 mins until lentils are soft. Season to taste then blend until smoth.

You will need a big pan/stock pot as it makes quite a bit. Hope you like it!

XS

jasperconran

hi, need some help with next weeks meal plan. im gonna list everything ive got in freezer/store cupboard. sorry, but its a long long boring list! lol. any ideas gratefully received, i wanna use everything up before i go shopping again (a habit, i am ashamed to say, im not into yet!).there are only 3 of us thanks

freezer list

grapes, blackberries, mushrooms, roast spuds, 1 pack of 8 sausages, chips, 2 chicken breasts, 500g mince, frozen bananas and chopped toms.

store cupboard

3 tins of evaporated milk, mixed dried fruit, brown sugar, golden syrup, 2 x tins of curry sauce, tin of rhubarb, nutmeg, cinammon, mixed spice, cayenne, chinese 5 spice, mango chutney, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sweet chilli, 8 cans of different soups, porridge oats, lentils, chicken and beef oxo cubes, pasta, rice, noodles, caster sugar, icing sugar, plain and s.r. flour, vanilla extract, choc drops, baking powder and bicard of soda. sorry for the long list, need some meal plan/dessert ideas thanks guys, please help me become proper os and not to be so wasteful! plus i am sick of always making trips to the bloody supermarket! thanks

huston_kw

dessert ideas flapjack assuming you have margarine in http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=17693197#post17693197

don't have a recipe to hand but you could do a rhubarb crumble (I add mixed spices to the topping which is yummy). You could use the frozen blackberries in with this, I've used frozen berries in crumbles.

You have enough for things like cakes, muffins from your store cupboard.

It would depend on what you like to eat, for the chicken you could use it with one of your sauces for a curry or grill it and have it with the roasties. Maybe the mince as a spag bol using up the mushrooms & chopped toms in freezer.

The sausages can either be used simply in sandwiches, with chips or make a casserole.

Hope this helps

lynzpower

zippychick wrote: »

Awww you poor thing! This sounds familiar - what do you work as? Is it on a consrtuction site?

Hmmm. The lact of microwave and kettle certainly is a problem. I can imagine how much you spend in London! I was over a few months ago and we went shopping in tescos and i couldn't believe the prices compared to home! :eek:

Regards your gluttony, I'm sorry I'm so like you ! I literally have to stop myself eating lunch too. I'm being made redundant and we have very little to do, so I just sit and clock watch (and MSE watch) and think about food all day. It's the only thing that breaks the day up!

Here's my suggestions...... Take lunch 3 days a week, treat 2 days a week
* Pasta based, rice based and cous cous so all can be cold and no bread (if you get a micro all the better)
* Put your money into a pot that you would spend on lunch each day.
* To motivate yourself - do a quick calculation now to see how much you could save between now and christmas. ikf you take two lunches this week, and three each week up until christmas , that's 14 lunches , so multiply 14 by your average lunch cost. Eg £5 x 14 = £70.......
* Give yourself a sandwich day a week and exclude bread from dinner (or are you better with no bread at all?)
* Make a batch of flapjacks for a mid morning snack - full of oats nuts and seeds, very filling as well so should hopefully make you feel less underprivileged and starved and help you last until lunch time!

I'm sure it's all very well me saying all this, I can't imagine what it's like for you working outside. Big hug for that

Aw thanks

I dont want to moan as I have a job that even though drives me totally up the wall, Im freezing for the vast majority of the time, its stable ( she says) and I do love it.

I am a property manager for a security company, sounds a hell of a lot more glamorous than it is! Basically involves driving around, managing people, and getting into filthy flooded basements and getting cobwebs in my mouth! :eek:

It was rather unpredicatable ( as usual)at work today, so had to go somewhere totally different to what I had planned and lack of hot water was the outcome of that- typical, honestly. As many of these buildings dont have central heating and we dont have it at home, sometimes being in a pub or cafe at lunch is the only time I thaw out At least I hadnt bought rolls or anything I was waiting to see if I could get the holy grail of hot water. :rolleyes: So, as unfortuantely tends to happen, I had no option but to have a 5 minute stop off at Mcdonalds, wherupon I alleivated myself of £2 and had a happy meal & hot chocolate. I only ate half the chips and I have nuggets not burger :rolleyes: and I still felt a bit noddy-at-the-wheel. Summer is a lot easier! If I pass a nice sainsburys or waitrose that has a rotisserie AND salad bar thats perfect for me. Hot chicken & salad and not really that expensive. I just find eating any compex carbs makes me really sleepy. Weirdly eating chocolate/cakes/ crisps etc doesnt have this effect! :A

Lynz I blame you!

Oh no!, dont be influenced by my food shopping habits for gods sake :eek: Grab a bargain, consider what to make with it later :eek: Did well today mid you got a loaf, milk, and handful of carrots NOTHING MORE. I did put back a RTC cheesecake- as Ive still got the apples I need to use up :rolleyes:

mollymunchkin

Lynz have you thought about using an in-car kettle? I have no idea if they are any good but maybe worth a thought?

I've been lurking on this thread to help motivate me to use up the contents of the freezer before Christmas. It's never been done but I live in hope!

nopot2pin

mollymunchkin wrote: »

Lynz have you thought about using an in-car kettle? I have no idea if they are any good but maybe worth a thought?

I've been lurking on this thread to help motivate me to use up the contents of the freezer before Christmas. It's never been done but I live in hope!

Welcome Molly ..
That is a good idea.
I always remember the advert of the in car kettle for a cup of Nescafe:cool:

I was also going to suggest to you Lynz, about the food flasks...
I cant remember what they are called, but they do seem to be quite good, especially for chunky soups, chillis, and the like. I am sure Lakeland do them, but someone else maybe able to suggest a cheaper alternative

ETA... Lakeland sort but I am sure I have seen other sorts... just cant remember the make

lynzpower

Think Im goin gto try and by pass a halfords or something to take another look for a kettle, there must be a way!

OH in paris today on a jolly the lucky blighter, so it will probably be beans on toast for me today which is great as its one of my favourite things and I havent had it for ages.

Otherwise nothing much doing storeswise, i must resist buying any food for home today !

charliee_3

ok... we are a bit skint this month so trying to use up what i have..
today i have the following:
2 chicken legs, 2 chicken wings
1 cooked ham hock
1 overripe mango
2 dried up lemons
1 dried up carrot
peppers
onions
dried up sprig onions
spinach- that needs desperately using
salad bags
some wilted celery
potatoes
rice
pasta
spicy cous cous
dried mixed fruit
tinned toms
tin sweetcorn
various spices and herbs
flour
butter
milk, etc

in the freezer
prawns
peas
plums


any inspiration???

kunekune

Roast the chicken legs and serve with a mango salsa: chopped mango, red pepper, spring onions, moistened with a little oil, lemon juice and preferably chilli. Serve the meal with couscous.

Prawn and sweetcorn chowder with crusty bread

Pancakes stuffed with a white sauce containing spinach and ham & some salad

Use the rest of the ham to make a pasta sauce, also including tinned tomatoes, the rest of the pepper, celery and some carrot

No recipes, I'm afraid.