Emigrating ....so need to use the contents of my cupboard/freezer/fridge - HELP!

GAP_2

Hello all!

This is my very first post here at MSE although I have been looking for a while. Everyone seems very helpful and full of ideas no matter how dire the situation so here's mine.

I am leaving the country soon (can't wait!) and so need to clear out my cupboards/fridge/freezer etc etc. I am normally an easy to please eater but my boyf is relatively fussy. And to top it off, his sister is coming to stay for a week soon :undecided

So I need to use my food already in stock without going out and spending any more AND please everyone!! Its a tall order but I seriously need every penny I can get at this point and I absolutely HATE binning anything that is OK to eat.

Here are the contents of my Fridge:

Marge
1/2 loaf of Bread
1/3 tub of Coleslaw
1/2 pack of mild Cheese
4 Eggs
1 lemon
2 pineapple rings
2 jacket potatoes
1/2 tin of Ham
Packet of carrots
3/4 pack of Soy milk
3/4 bottle of French dressing
3/4 bottle of Caesar Salad dressing
BIG bottle of Ranch dressing (brought back from USA)
Full bottle of rocket pesto
Last bit of marmalade in the jar
1/2 jar Black Bean sauce
1/2 onion
Full carton of tomato juice

In the Freezer
Few frozen peas
2 beef burgers
1 haddock fillet
2 reformed cod portions
2 portions of minced beef

In the cupboard
Handful of red split lentils
Full bag of Yellow split peas
small can baked beans
tin of 8 hotdogs
one tin of sardines in tomato sauce
large tin spaghetti in tomato sauce
full pack of arborio rice
10 sushi seaweed
practically full pack of sushi rice
practically full pack of brown rice
pack of wholewheat spaghetti
7 lasagne sheets
One pack Vegebanger mix
Handful bulghar wheat
little plain flour
little wholemeal flour
3/4 pack self raising flour
1/2 pack pasta shells
handful couscous
1 tin tomato soup
3/4 pack of coconut milk powder
packet bay leaves
dried parsley
packet cinnamon bark
cumin
coriander power
black mustard seeds
dessicated coconut
hot madras curry powder
chilli powder
dried soy chunks (dehydrated - not sure what on earth to do with these!)
sesame oil
1/2 bottle light soy sauce
olive oil
vegetable oil
garlic bulbs
bicarbonate of soda
oxo chicken cubes
oxo veg cubes
baking powder
vanilla essence
cinnamon powder
cheap 'weetabix' imitation - very large box!
pack rye bread
1/2 pack granulated sugar
little brown sugar
raisins (again very large pack!)
and for those really adventurous recipes..........!
small bottle of white wine for cooking
can of stella

The obvious ideas........
I have tried to make risotto (seafood medly) but it turned mushy and horrid! I like the sushi and seaweed but have only tried the easy cucumber filling.
I like chilli and lasagne - make both easily - any recipes to use the lentils in these two meals?


I know that this is a tall order - too many random things lurking I fear, but even if I use up half of it I will be pleased - any nearly full things will go to my mums cupboard anyway.

Obviously, I am not adverse to buying a few things to plump out menus and fresh fruit veg salad can always be bought at the last minute (live very near the local fruit and veg market thankfully) but don't want to spend loads/end up with more stuff in the cupboard!

Sorry for the really long post but I had to give everyone the full story!

Thanks in advance for any tips you have to offer

Catdaf

Why not donate some of it to a homeless charity?

Katgoddess

If you brought some cheap 20p tins of tomato you could make lots of pasta and pizza meals with these ingredients. Or be adventurous with the tomato juice and soup.

There is a recipe for Weetabix cake here. Use the cinnamon instead of mixed spice?

Marmalade on toast
Sardines on toast
Spaghetti on toast.

You could make the jacket potatoes into wedges by cutting them lengthways into quarters/eighths then drizzling with olive oil and one of the herbs then serve with the fish.

Rice pudding from the sushi rice and also the coconut milk. There are recipes on this board somewhere.

naughty_10382

I'll send you my address for the ranch dressing and the black bean sauce... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Seriously...

Nah, think the homeless shelter is a good idea.

GAP_2

Yes homeless shelter shall get the remains but I need to eat for another few weeks yet!!

zombiecazz

Use some curry powder and the cocnut milk to make a fish curry. Make the curry sauce by sauteing some veg, like onion and carrot with with some curry powder. add the coconut milk and add fish last so it only just cooks, then serve with your brown rice.

invest in a tina of tuna and a cucumber and make some more sushi.

just add your lentils to your mince when cooking it. add extra fluid as th lentils soak up a lot.

make a spicy hotdog risotto - if yu don't like it mushing try cooking the rice in the microwave and then mixing it through a pre-prepared sauce.

I second the weetabix cake - it's so easy and tasty

use the rocket pesto with your pasta shells

Yellow pea and ham soup . Might need to get another onion. Saute the chopped onion, carrot and garlic in a little oil. Add 2 pints of hot stock, bring to the boil. add 2 cups of yellow split peas cook until peas are all broken down adding extra water if it gets to thick. finally add ham. taste and season. then serve.

hope tis helps

thriftmonster

Hawaiian toast - Toast the bread lightly - top with a slice of ham, pineapple ring and some grated cheese and toast until brown and bubbly

GAP_2

Hello,

Thanks for the great ideas! Just to let you know, today I made some lasagne (well I made the mince bit) and I will freeze it to make a relatively quick lasagne next week! I don't have the space in my freezer nor a suitable container to freeze the whole lasagne so I thought this was a good compromise!

Also just baking some lovely wholemeal muffins. Here is a recipe for anybody who is interested - I love making these - takes ten minutes to make up then just whack in the oven for 20 minutes -yum!:

Makes 12 little muffins (in a muffin tray)

Beat an egg
Add to this sifted flour - 1 part wholemeal/1 part plain or self raising (sorry don't know quanities I just guesstimate - prob 1/2 cup
Crumble some brown sugar (normal granulated white sugar would do but gives a difference taste)
Add a large tablespoon of baking powder
Add a generous helping of cinnamon powder and a capful of vanilla essence/flavouring
Mix together roughly and add milk to make a batter- the more lumps the better for a 'muffiny' texture!
Add anything you fancy to make it more interesting - I have tried chopped cherries/sultanas etc etc - fold this into the batter
Grease each well in the muffin tray and add batter
Bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees
Remove from oven and put tray on a wire rack
Leave for 5 minutes
Remove each muffin from tray using a fish slice/blunt knife
Voila - delish muffins - and a lovely smelling kitchen to boot!

GAP_2

Forgot to mention - have complied a little recipe list from all the ideas you have provided and some other I have come across - like using the TVP (soy chunks) as meatballs to make meatless meatball subs - just like subway!:T

Also, love the fish curry idea - will be doing that next week too.

The ham and pea soup sounds yum - I will make some home made bread rolls to serve with it methinks

Also thought of making a fish pie with my reformed cod and mash the jacket potatoes to make the topping (with the peas)

Thanks again- and keep them coming!

squeaky

We also have a long running store cupboard challenge. While the ingredients vary from post to post there's lots of inspiration and improvisation there that I'm sure will suggest a few ideas to you.

Store Cupboard Challenge