Store cupboard challenge

GemmaBuckle

I could do with having a crack at this challenge. We're moving house in a few weeks so I need to run down stocks as much as possible. I'm particularly keen to use up a can of kidney beans that I've had lurking for a while. Only trouble is, OH doesn't like them, so whatever I cook needs to be something I can pack up to take for my lunches for work...

CCP

I really must get back to storecupboard challenge myself - I did about 3 weeks of it last month then just... stopped. I have to stock up on a few essentials first, though, as I have no tinned tomatoes or beans, and I struggle to cook without those.

GemmaBuckle - you could turn your kidney beans into a bean salad - Waitrose do a nice one with chunks of cucumber and tomato in a Cajun-spiced dressing which I've been intending to try and recreate. Bean pate's nice, too - I usually make it spicy by adding a splash of sweet chilli sauce, and eat in a sandwich with lettuce, mayo, and/or grated cheese. :drool:

I must definitely buy some more beans...

GemmaBuckle

CCP - ooh, kidney bean pate...

<3FallenxAngel<3

We are in dire situation at the moment. I have to feed myself, OH and 3 kids out of this for bout 3 weeks.

1/2 sachet lamb and mint gravy
bout 1/4 pk cous cous
bout cup mini pasta shells
bout 1/2 cup green lentils
bout 5 sachets blancmange (noone likes)
bout cup red lentils
1/2 small bag popcorn kernals
1/2 country soup mix
1 1/2 bags pearl barley
1 bag bulgr wheat
3/4 cup brown rice
3/4 cup white rice
3 pks value noodles
2 3/4 bottles milk
25 onions
tiny bit marg
2 box frozen mixed berries
2 chicken n veg pies
16 value veg soup
1 tomato soup
2 tins spaghetti
18 oat so simple
3 cheese and broc pasta n sauce
2 tom n onion pasta n sauce
14 batter mix
2 beef gravy granules
1 chicken gravy granules
half parsley sauce
3/4 chip shop curry sauce granules
2 choc whip
3 boxes lasagne sheets
4 stuffing mixes
2 boxes breadcrumbs
3 fajita mixes
2 peppercorn sauces
1 borginon mix
2 mushroom soup
1 onion sauce pack
1 bolognese sauce mix
13 savoury rice
6 fish fingers
2 fishckes
3 chicken goujons
reduced chicken slices
2 reduced ham slices
1 reduced bit of liver sausage
egg and ham slices
1 stewing steak (defrosted)
3 chicken breast
2 crumpets
frozen mini fruit bags (reduced to 3p each)
half milk roll bread (defrosted)
11/4 bag brocolli
2 bags sprouts
2 bags cauli

Any ideas would be gratefully received x

CCP

A few first thoughts for you, <3FallenxAngel<3:

Make a stew with the defrosted stewing steak, onion, pearl barley and either some beef stock or your pack of bourginon mix, and serve with some of your veg and yorkshire pudding made with one of the batter mixes. Depending on how big the pack of stewing steak is, and how much you all eat, you might be able to get more than one meal out of the stew.

The packs of cheese and broccoli pasta can be mixed with some fresh broccoli to pad them out, and the packets of veg soup can be cooked with the soup mix to make them go further. One of your chicken breasts could go with another onion and one of the packs of fajita mix to make fajitas, or serve it with rice of bulgar wheat. Another one could be mixed with some of your veg soup to make a casserole (that sounds a bit odd but my mum used to make this when I was a kid and it was really nice). The final one could be mixed with mushroom soup to make lasagne (I know you can make pasta bake this way so I can't see why it wouldn't work in a lasagne).

The oat so simple will be good for breakfast as it's filling, so you shouldn't need as much for lunch.

I am concerned though that there's really not much fruit and veg there to last you three weeks - is there any way you can get some more? Apart from being healthy, it's great for bulking out your other ingredients to make them go further (my suggestions for the chicken breasts are based on them being stretched with veg, as one chicken breats won't otherwise go far amongst five of you). It might be worht checking the clearance sections of your local supermarkets as these can be great for picking up fruit and veg for a few pennies.

I'm sure other people will come along with more ideas soon - and good luck!

<3FallenxAngel<3

CCP wrote: »

A few first thoughts for you, <3FallenxAngel<3:

Make a stew with the defrosted stewing steak, onion, pearl barley and either some beef stock or your pack of bourginon mix, and serve with some of your veg and yorkshire pudding made with one of the batter mixes. Depending on how big the pack of stewing steak is, and how much you all eat, you might be able to get more than one meal out of the stew.

The packs of cheese and broccoli pasta can be mixed with some fresh broccoli to pad them out, and the packets of veg soup can be cooked with the soup mix to make them go further. One of your chicken breasts could go with another onion and one of the packs of fajita mix to make fajitas, or serve it with rice of bulgar wheat. Another one could be mixed with some of your veg soup to make a casserole (that sounds a bit odd but my mum used to make this when I was a kid and it was really nice). The final one could be mixed with mushroom soup to make lasagne (I know you can make pasta bake this way so I can't see why it wouldn't work in a lasagne).

The oat so simple will be good for breakfast as it's filling, so you shouldn't need as much for lunch.

I am concerned though that there's really not much fruit and veg there to last you three weeks - is there any way you can get some more? Apart from being healthy, it's great for bulking out your other ingredients to make them go further (my suggestions for the chicken breasts are based on them being stretched with veg, as one chicken breats won't otherwise go far amongst five of you). It might be worht checking the clearance sections of your local supermarkets as these can be great for picking up fruit and veg for a few pennies.

I'm sure other people will come along with more ideas soon - and good luck!

Thankyou very much for that. Iv just managed to scrape £35 together and been to Tesco and managed to buy the following...

1 bag frozen sausages (20)
2 x frozen sweetcorn bags
1 bag frozen mix veg
bag value chicken portions
bag frozen chicken breast fillets
900g frozen lamb mince
30 eggs
10 value custard sachets
2 loaves WM bread
5 bags value pasta quills
bag value long grain rice
pack value lasagne sheets to go with the other 3 in case
2 bags crumble mix to save on butter to use to make berry crumble
2 dried spaghetti
tomato puree
3 bags maris piper potatos (reduced to 40p a bag - 7.5kg)
jar value mayo
2 bottles orange squash
oil
3 value pasta sauce
coffee
tin butter beans
5 tins value tomato soup
2 tins of tomatos
3 tins spaghetti
3 tins baked beans
2 tins kidney beans
tin hot dogs
value margarine
value soft cheese

Oh and just before I left I got about 9 lemons for 9p, a bag of fresh parsley 3p, bag of greens 3p and bag of watercress 3p

which i just used to stirfry some of it with egg and cous cous and the kids had a veg curry that i made last nite with cous cous

Duno what to do with the lemons lol that was just impulse buy cos of price

I thought so far of using mince and stuffing mix to make meatballs n serve with rice and gravy or one of the pasta sauces

baked, kidney and butter beans with lentils onion garlic and tin of veg soup lasagne sheets and make some bechemel sauce to make bean lasagne

pasta, bacon, onion, sweetcorn, peppercorn sauce

wedges and chicken pieces spiced up

thats me so far x

lynzpower

Hey Fallen angel did you have plan as to what to make with what you bought?

<3FallenxAngel<3

lynzpower wrote: »

Hey Fallen angel did you have plan as to what to make with what you bought?

Hey. Yes and no. I figured if I bought some chicken, sausages, pasta, rice, veg etc and beans and all that then there are alot of meals that can be made out of them. I have some ideas of what to do and need to sit down and figure out some more x

katycocoa

I've been doing this recently to try to clear the freezer of all the ancient food and finally defrost it!

Have made:
* Chilli with pork mince and frozen sliced peppers- tasted gorgeous, I think I prefer it to beef
* Chicken casserole with some chicken breasts
* Curry made withcubed lamb, served with samosa and bhajis from freezer
* Fishfinger sandwiches!!!

Still got lots to use up - beef mince, stewing steak, oxtail, whole chicken, king prawns, chicken breasts, fish pies, sausages....the list goes on!

Penelope_Penguin

valk_scot wrote: »

Anyone else doing a freezer clear-out week?

I've just finished doing mine, so will order a beef box from the next village, and a pork box to collect from the necxt farmers' market now that I have space :j

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing Storecupboard Challenge thread

Penny. x