Store cupboard challenge

Olliebeak

Home-made Potato and Leek soup this evening - out of the freezer .

Looks like OH will be getting some more of his flaming fishcakes (smoked haddock ones!) tomorrow and I'll have one of the cod in breadcrumbs with some ovenchips.

Getting there slow but sure :j !

Pink.

I cooked a gammon from the freezer yesterday (it's been in there for eight months ) and served it with baby potatoes, cabbage, peas and a cheese sauce which got rid of a bag of some sad looking grated cheese at the bottom of the freezer. I added in some chopped carrots, onions and leeks to give the gammon flavour and used that as a base for soup for tonights tea. I had planned on making lentil soup but got carried away and threw in barley, split peas, red lentils and green lentils, ,a bit of seasoning and some chopped up leftover ham. It was lovely and both boys have asked for some in a flask for lunch tomorrow.

I think the freezer is going down a bit but I still have my 'bargain habit' and seem to be filling it almost as fast as I empty it. Tonights haul included organic chicken breasts reduced to 30p for two...I bought four packs. I also managed to pick up lots of fresh fruit and veg including baby corn and aparagus packs for 20p which will be used over the weekend, fresh pineapple snack packs to go into the lunches tomorrow, two avocado pears for me as nobody else likes them, some chestnuts, some plums, a cucumber and some baby courgettes that I have no idea how to use? They really are quite small....about the size of a middle finger. Do any of you know if they're best used whole or chopped up/sliced as with normal courgettes?

Pink

Olliebeak

I've really no idea about the baby courgettes, Pink - but I think I'd be tempted to maybe cut them in half (or thirds) across the width and then steam them - IYKWIM.

Well done on your whoopsies - there's no way I could have walked past those either .



I've got a cauli that is sitting in my fridge. I want to freeze it, but not sure if I should blanche it first - anybody know what's best to do please?

Mander

I've had baby courgettes steamed whole and served sort of like oversize green beans before. Maybe just trim the stems and ends a bit to avoid any woody spots? I've thrown fresh veggies in the freezer before but I think the conventional wisdom is to blanch them first. Back on topic, the other day I made biscuits (American biscuits; like savory scones) from whatever I had on hand--gram (chickpea) flour, oatmeal, soya bran, butter, and baking powder. they came out pretty good for being only loosely based on the original recipe and mainly composed of misguided health food store purchases!

lil_me

Cooooeeeee only me, room for one more?

I need to clear the freezer, I need to use up all those ingredients close to their date, eeeek I also found wholemeal organic breadflour a couple of months out of date, would you use it? I am thinking try it in a small loaf/rolls, see what comes out like. I have used flour a week or so out of date but not that far I don't think.

I'm waffling because I am nervous, I hate using up because I have a bargain habit and a hate (fear in fact) of empty cupboards/freezers. I do however wish we got as good reductions as PW, we get 1/6th ish off I worked it out at.

I might be back with some bizarre things for inspiration with but putting my name in here means I have to give it a go now....

Ollie cauliflower is one I do tend to blanche for 3/4 minutes before freezing, dry it well (I stick it in a colander over the sink) then freeze in usable portions.

Churchmouse

I'd use the out of date flour, but then I go on the principle my grandmother never had sell by or use by dates and lived to 96:D If it didn't get up and walk from her larder it got used:rotfl: What's a couple of months between friends;)

Olliebeak

Just taken a small pack of diced turkey thigh out of the freezer for this evening's meal. It will become a kind of 'stir-fry' thingy.

In a large skillet, soften some onions (from my frozen stockpile), along with some sliced mixed peppers and some finely chopped garlic in a small amount of sunflower oil with paprika and cayenne pepper. Remove from pan. Fry off the diced turkey (cut into smaller chunks first) till sealed and add the veggies back in again. At this point I add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tsp of dried mixed herbs along with some sweetcorn and mushrooms (optional). It's then simmered for around 30-40 mins while doing pasta or rice.

If I've remembered to pre-soak some mixed beans, I add those as well (after boiling well for 20 15-20 mins and simmering for about an hour) but, THEN I would use two tins of chopped toms - or you could use some tinned mixed beans. That gives me lots of left overs for freezing to use on jacket spuds.

With the paprika and cayenne pepper, it's not as spicy-hot as a chilli but it does have a bit of 'warmth' to it.

I serve this with pasta as OH doesn't like rice - but personally I think rice would go just as well, if not better. It could also be topped off with mashed potato like a shepherd's pie.

BigMummaF

For the past few years, it has become a sort of 'tradition' where me muvva, sister & I meet up to "do lunch" when it's a birthday. This time, I think I've allowed OS to infiltrate my life a little too much, if that's at all possible
Sis is restricted to times cuz of lunch-breaks; we often have to wait for our order or try to think of what we fancy the day before & believe me, that's not easy with a mother like mine :cool: So! Sis asks "where & when" & I thought..Mum's! She has had this bleur of a cold anyway, so she wouldn't have to go out & keeps moaning about how much food she has in the cupboard....
Yesterday, we had toasted paninis with strips of grilled bacon rasher & grated cheese, served with a little side salad SIZE=1]good job I was cutting the spring onions[/SIZE];) ] & less than an individual pack of crisps between all three of us. Mum made up a lime jelly but had forgotten we had bought celebratory fruit n'nut lollies [[SIZE=1]on offer in MrT[/SIZEall washed down with a rather piquant bottled water from the milkman :rotfl: Tea or coffee to finish & to be perfectly honest, it was filling & just as good as any cafe offering.

No-one can say WE don't know how to live:rotfl:

Olliebeak

Still licking our lips over that turkey stir-fry thingy that we had for evening meal last night - was delicious :drool:

Today it will be the minted lamb burgers with mash, cabbage and carrots - so off to update my inventory yet again .


Also need to confess to buying 500g turkey mince (divided into 2 small freezer bags now), 2 tear&share garlic breads and 1 extra strong garlic bread - all whoopsied.

We always get lots of visitors at Christmas (we don't have a car - so people come to us instead) so the garlic bread especially will come in useful for serving with buffet-style food - possibly some turkey and cranberry meatballs would go down well too . I AM planning ahead - well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!.

Penelope_Penguin

Good afternoon :beer: I've finally finished my lists Pantry list here; freezer and fridge lists here

I made bean soup yesterday, using beans harvested from the garden, with HM rolls from the freezer. I have kidney beans and black eye beans in the pantry. What do others have?

I'm making a suet crust chicken pie (from HM pie filling from the freezer). We'll have it with sprouts, carrots and parsnips from the garden.

DS found a HM Christmas pudding, so we'll have that for pudding tonight. We have snow, so it will be great to have a warming comfort supper

Stay warm, Penny. x