Contents of my fridge - ideas & opinions please :D

Kazonline

Hi Guys - well I did as a good girl should and cleaned my fridge.
I have the following and would like some ideas as to what I can do with them (preferrably today) and also whether they are safe

Aubergeines (2) Both are about 10 -15 days past BBE, but look ok apart from a small 'bruise' on one that doesn't look too well (the bruise bit that is -yuck - but could it be cut and use the rest? )

Chillies - about 10. Only as soft as when they were delivered.

Celery - 2 and 1/2 heads of.

Marscapone - I have a recipie for this but use by was 19th. Hoever it has remaind sealed in its pots (3) in a VERY cold fridge - and the recipie requires baking it.

Peppers - still look like there's another week or two's life in them (they're in a tupperware crisper thing that keeps things really well)

I am going shopping later so I can get some ingredients make up any suggestions, but where possible I'd like them to be dead simple and cheap - plus they have to be stored to be eaten another day (pizza tonight to use up sliced meats and mozzarella use by today)

Not asking much am I
Any ideas or should I bin most of it?
Cheers guys
Kaz x

nikibella

Hi,
you can make a ratatouille with your vegetables. Brown some onion with the chopped celery in a little butter or oil, add the cleaned cubed aubergines and peppers, half a tin of tomatoes (or a few fresh tomatoes), oregano, basil, capers and olives if you like a chili if you want it hot and simmer until the vegetables are soft but not too mushy. You can use the leftovers as a sauce for pasta.
Happy holidays.
Niki

redspot24

I'd cut the yacky bits out then chop all the veg (although perhaps not the celery) into small bits, roast with a bit of oil and maybe some spices. When they're really crispy, stir them into some cous-cous (you did say you were going the shop, didn't you?) and add a few dollops of mascarpone and the celery. Yum yum... I wish I had your leftovers! :rotfl:

Paige

Hi,
If you don't use the fresh chilli, dry them. I dryed about 12 a month ago, just spread them out on a small tray and leave somewhere warm - in airing cupboard or next to the oven. They take about 3 weeks to dry out and then you can crumble them to use in future cooking. Paige XX

angelavdavis

To keep the aubergines and peppers until you are ready to use them, I would freeze them.

Cut out the bruised bit and bin it. Slice the aubergines, and then fry in olive oil both sides, open freeze for a couple of hours and then put into a bag. You can then layer them up (still frozen) with some cooled but cooked lamb mince (cooked with a chopped onion, celery, chopped tinned tomatoes and herbs) and top with a cheesy sauce for a quick version of moussaka. Alternatively, you could use the aubergines to make up the moussaka and freeze it for another day, but because it takes a while to put together, I tend to cook it in stages.

For the peppers, I would slice them up and open freeze (no cooking required) and then pop in a bag for use when required (I don't bother defrosting them first as they do go mushy). Open freezing means you can just shake a few out into a recipe (bolognaise or risotto etc) when required. I used frozen mushrooms, baby sweetcorn and peppers with some spring onions and cheap noodles the other day for a quick, cheap noodle soup.

Chilli can also be frozen (if you are using for a sauce as they do go softer). I would roll the chilli on the worktop vigorously to loosen the seeds inside and then cut off the stem end and tip out the seeds. Then freeze whole.

The mascarpone, provided it remains sealed should be fine to use now. Its only when the air reaches it that it will go off.

I haven't tried to freeze celery - I suspect it won't be so successful as it contains so much water. I have found celery keeps forever in the fridge though, I would add it to risottos, bolognaise sauce, stirfries, stews, I always think it adds more flavour to onions when you are frying these off.

Uniscots97

What about making cream of celery soup?

Kazonline

Brill - thanks guys, some great ideas there that I will use - and I especially love the tip about rolling the chillies. Thank you.
I also quite fancy 'cream of celery soup' so off to do a search for a recipie. My youngest will turn his nose up (not good with soups) but I'll love it, and my eldest (hmm, middle one HATES celery so no good for him either, lol)
Thank you guys - your worth your weight in gold,
Kaz x

organic_wanabe

I tried braised celery as a vegetable for the first time at the weekend. I think it was the Delia recipe. Anyway neither me nor DS are big fans of celery but it was lovely done this way (and DS even ate the carrots - a first unless they are grated into bolognese). I used HM chicken stock. Will definitely do again - wonder if it would go with goose?

mustafa_say_ving

Kaz, I make celery soup quite a bit and this is the best recipe I've found ,I only ever use this recipe now

http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes_result.asp?name=creamofcelerysoup


I do tend to cook it a bit longer than the recipe says and always use the chopped up celery leaves for the garnish. I freeze any celery leaves that are leftover from using celery in other dishes and use those too ...My kids aren't that fond of raw celery either but they love this soup