help me: food shopping too much - freezable meals

EagerLearner

Hi all - can I add 'raw' / unsoaked lentils to spag bol (or anything else stew-like) when it is cooking? If I am doing this is it best to do it on the hob or in slow-cooker?

Also, what do I do with mung beans?

Tx!

Cazzdevil

I add raw (unsoaked) lentils to my soups so I suppose they'd be fine to add to spag bol - so long as there's liquid in there they'll be fine.

Hob would be best I reckon.

lynzpower

eager learner you can sprout mung beans to make your own beansprouts!

annie-c

EagerLearner wrote:

Hi all - can I add 'raw' / unsoaked lentils to spag bol (or anything else stew-like) when it is cooking? If I am doing this is it best to do it on the hob or in slow-cooker?


Tx!

You can but lentils take 20+mins to cook (on the hob) and need a reasonable amount of liquid. I have added them to spag bol whilst cooking and found them still a little uncooked at the end - I guess you just need to experiemnt a bit before you'll find the exact quantities and timings, but it should be fine in the end.....

EagerLearner

Thanks all - I have some to use up - I heard on a post that grated carrot was nice with spag bol - so I want to make it with grated carrot (I usually just use sliced) and extra lentils too for more nutrition & 'padding-out' factor! The fact I always add red wine is another matter... My luxury version of spag bol includes mushrooms, red wine and carrots - and now lentils!

Uh, not sure about sprouting mung beans - I only have them in the house thanks to the 'You Are What You Eat' book post-reading shopping fest, and I read it one or twice and that was it... so much for that!

Turbo_Gran

Try putting a portion of red lentils into a vacuum flask,top up with boiling water and leave overnight .. drain then use as required.
note;never add salt to pulses until they have softened or they will take forever

sallywl

Smoothies and juices freeze quite well, just defrost in fridge. Me and my bf make a huge amount at end of week using any left over fruit and veg juicing the ones that cna be juiced and smooti-ing the rest and mix em in together or keep the juice seperate.the pulp from the juice is good in compost or put into soups.... along with some un-juiced veg. Yummy then u can freeze them too.


I agree with laughing cow, the cheap fruit and veg is good too, we dont v often buy full price fruit or veg for our juices or smoothies, its whats left over from week or in the cheap bit
HTH

Sarah

sallywl

OOOO frozen berries are good too, tend to be a bit cheaper than the fresh too esp when on special offer.

If u want to be really lazy tesco do frozen "smoothie mixes" just frozen fruit i think one has pineapple papaya and mango in it, good if u want to try it rather than buy the fruit at full price