Store cupboard challenge

freyasmum

This is a vanilla cupcake recipe:

4oz margarine
6oz caster sugar
6oz self-raising flour
0.5tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
5tbsp milk

1. Cream the margarine with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy.


2. Sift in the self-raising flour and baking powder, and fold gently.


3. Finally stir in the beaten eggs and milk.


4. Beat to form a thick batter. Spoon into paper cake cases, and bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.


5. For the topping, make a simple glace icing by stirring water into sifted icing sugar until it drips slowly from a spoon.

This is very easy and delicious.

If you have sultanas, you can make a fruit loaf (I have two ready to go in the oven) or if you have lemon curd, you could make a lemon loaf - recipe here courtesy of shaz_mum_of_2

Elle00

Thanks, that's a good idea for using the eggs and vanilla up. I've now got more butter too. To say I ran to Tesco is an understatement but I needed some other stuff anyway.

I'm now thinking of doing one batch of vanilla cakes then using a load of the flour to make a vegetable pie too. I've got loads of potatoes at the minute which'd go nicely in a pie I think.

count_rostov

Right, because of pending unemployment I've set myself a £65 grocery challenge for July. Apart from that, we'll be living off the fat o' the land and the pulse mountain in my larder. Any meal suggestions from this:
Garden: broad beans, new potatoes, lettuce, rocket, dill, parsley, sage, mint, basil
Fish: brown trout, mackerel, hopefully some sea trout, mussels, cockles
Meat: more rabbit than you can imagine, hopefully some lamb at the end of the month
Eggs: about 3 a day
Larder
Baking: loads of bread flour, SR flour, plain flour, cornflour, yeast, brown sugar, caster sugar, gelatine, cocoa powder, vanilla sugar, honey, suet, currants, sultanas, golden syrup, treacle, loads of porridge oats, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds
Pulses: puy lentils, split peas, butter beans, black eyed peas, chick peas, broth mix, black beans
Tins: tomatoes, coconut milk, small tin of tuna
Carbohydrate: Penne pasta, a bit of lasagne, noodles, basmati rice, pudding rice, risotto rice, those wrappers for spring or summer rolls
Loads of different spices
Dried shitake mushrooms
Fridge: capers, gerkhins, anchovies, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, chillies, two red peppers, loads of onions, cucumber, butter, milk, cheddar cheese, a couple of carrots, celery...I think that's it.

Obviously there are loads of cakes I can make. Any suggestions for main meals though? I really need to get through that pulse mountain.

ifonlyitwaseasier

ok re the pulses, dhal, sheperdless pie, lentil soup, curry, lentil loaf
and the rest, rabbit stew with new pot's, pasta puttanesca (!!!!!s spag but nice sauce on any pasta), seafood stew wit lentils, mushroom soup, salad rolls
just for a few ideas

Hatster

1. Thai-inspired lentil and mushroom curry with rice. You can probably improvise it yourself, but basically I'd fry up ginger, garlic, chillies and some onion in a wok and then chuck in the lentils, the shitake mushrooms and the coconut milk and cook until the lentils are done.

2. Last night we had salad lyonnaise (I think it is) from our allotment. This consists of lots of lettuce with some herbs mixed in, the new potatoes, a few bacon bits, a few anchovies as we happened to have them, dressing on the salad, and a couple of poached eggs.

3. I eat loads of lentil stews in winter - just some onion / celery / carrot / garlic cut up small and fried, and then the meat of choice (i.e. sausages, rabbit, etc) browned and then taken out, and then the lentil thrown in with some stock, and cooked a little, and then the meat put back in for full cooking with the lentils. This also tastes nice cold for lunch.

4. You can also put cold or hot puttanesca sauce on cooked cold or hot lentils and I think it tastes delicious!

Hatster

oh yes, have you got any lemons? Lemon risotto tastes fabulous!

count_rostov

Oh, thanks for all the replies!
Seafood stew sounds great - I will pick some mussels at the weekend and make something spanish-style with chickpeas, rabbit, tomato and shellfish.
It's a little chilly today so I'll splash out and buy some sausages for a lentil, sausage and thyme stew. This can do some packed lunches too.
Oh yes, I have loads of lemons which I forgot to put on the list and also a few parmesan rinds. How would you make lemon risotto? Do you use chicken stock? and rind or juice or both?
I hadn't even thought of puttanesca sauce! Great, no need to go shopping until the weekend, except for the sausages.
Thanks all!

liz545

Couple of suggestions for the broad beans: http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/recipe/0,,2287466,00.html
Personally, I like them lightly boiled and then pureed with a bit of mint and lemon zest, to make a dip or bruschetta topping (like this)
Maybe a salad of lightly cooked lentils with olive oil and lardons, and a bit of parmesan? And with the lamb and the chickpeas I'd make a tagine or casserole for when the weather lets us down again!

kunekune

There are some quite nice sounding pastry dishes with beans in the filling in Rose Elliott's Bean Book.

She does a pie (puff pastry top) with a filling made with butter beans, carrots, leeks, mushrooms and a tomato sauce. There is also a quiche with a filling of onion, garlic, green pepper, sliced tomatoes, haricot beans, topped with an egg beaten with some cream or milk. Also a kidney bean one - kidney beans, tomatoes, onion & garlic, flavoured with spices as appropriate, topped with a mix of egg and soured cream.

hmkn

lentils-
megadarra (much nicer than it sounds!) is basically cooked long grain rice combined with cooked green lentils topped with as much fried(caramalised) onion as you can spare. (Masafi is the same, but with red lentils).

lentil salad. Cook lentils with a splash of vinegar, bit of sugar and salt, a clove or 2 of garlic and a bayleaf. When tender, drain and mix with an oil and vinegar/lemon dressing. Add parsley, chopped (oven) dried tomato if possible and crumbled cheese- feta and goats cheese work best. Add other ingredients if you like/have them.

Chick pea and veg curry using the coconut milk

Black eyed beans
Hoppin John pasta. I can't find my recipe right now, but this one http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Pasta%20hoppin'%20john looks similar, or google for it. Obviously omit or substitute beans or red pepper for the green pepper

Butter beans
Combine with vegetables instead of potatoes to make a thick creamy soup (puree before serving). You could try onion and/or lettuce soup.

Cook and puree with garlic, lemon, S + P and parsley to make a lovely dip/pate/spread. Good alternative to humus, and my 3 children like it with tomatoes in sandwiches.

Eggs
Frittata/tortilla- fry cooked potato and chopped onion and garlic (and another veg of choice optional). Add mixed seasoned eggs and cook until set. Finish under grill, topped with grated cheese if youlike. Good hot, warm or cold.

'Caesar Salad
well, ish! Lettuce, soft boiled/hard boiled or raw egg depending on your preference, few anchovies, bread croutons or sauteed potatoes, vinaigrette...

Baked eggs

Eggs benedict (ie soft boiled or poached on toast with cooked lettuce puree instead of spinach)

Oeuf Dizef
Make a spicy tomato sauce with tinned toms, chilli and garlic to taste. Add cooked new potato chunks (boiled and fried I think, but I often just use cooked potatoes), shelled broad beans (should be tinned petit pois, but no point with fresh beans) and hard boiled eggs. These should also be fried, but they stick/fall apart, it's quicker and healthier not to, and there's little difference in the end result. Simmer until all heated through and serve with rice.

Piperade
Make tomato sauce and include sliced peppers. When almost ready crack in 1 or 2 eggs per person and either 'poach' in the sauce or stir into the sauce to make it creamy.

Pasta carbonara
use broad beans, rehydtrated mushrooms or bits of meat instead of bacon. Don't bother with cream.

souffle of your choice

Egg pie
I found this in a war time cook book, but haven't tried it yet. Line a pie dish with shortcrust pastry, crack in eggs to cover. Season with salt, pepper and chopped fresh mint. Cover with pastry lid and bake.

Egg mornay
Eggs in cheese sauce and then baked. You could combine this with pasta to make egg and macaroni cheese.

Moules mariniere with the mussels. Cider might be cheaperthan wine. serve with rice, potatoes or bread.

Can't think of anything else at the moment,

HTH

HMK