NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

barneydee_2

Jackie o where did you find the recipe form the baked been lasagne ? I would like to Gi d it a go the sort of thing my lot would like

Dee x

[Deleted User]

The lasagne recipe is over on the What are you making for dinner? thread a few days ago by M & M90, it looks scrumptious too!

PenguinOfDeath

Had a fantastic but spendy holiday recently so trying to get back on the NB bandwagon. We had a cheeky takeaway before we left and instead of trying to cram all the LO in our bellies or throwing it away (!?) we froze them for the first time, so that's already one meal sorted!

Yesterday would have been a NS day but we were invited out for birthday drinks so it would have been rude to refuse... Today however will be, I've been busy in the kitchen making breakfast muffins I mentioned earlier in the thread (yes they do freeze well! )

OH wants to play with fire so he's going to light the BBQ soon, pork belly and bacon wrapped corn cobs, and some seafood kebabs going on there for tonight, and on the hob currently is a plum sauce made with a punnet of YS plums to go with pork tenderloin later in the week.

I've been trying to sell some clutter on FB and Gumtree but having no luck whatsoever, thinking I might give them one week on ebay then off to the CS if no biters.

In the spirit of not buying things for others to clutter up their houses, I've gone with trusted and we'll received chocolate and alcohol for recent birthday and congratulations presents. No agonising whether the recipient actually likes the item or if it goes with a colour scheme etc, saves a potential ebay listing too

We've been debating about changing the front garden, things haven't grown quite as well as expected but I'm determined to put up with it until at least next spring instead of spending money and effort on a half as sed go at it, only to change it again and when money needs spending in the house more urgently.

[Deleted User]

Baked Bean Lasagne
1 onion
clove of garlic or two (optional)
1 pepper
1 courgette
2 tins beans
1 tin tomatos
1 beef stock cube
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 heaped teaspoon of chilli flakes or a spalsh of chilli sauce (optional)
Cheese sauce
200gms Cheddar
2 heaped spoonfuls flour
500-600 mls milk
1 tablespoon of butter/spread
1 tea spoon dried mustard (optional)
half a packet of value lasagne sheets
Method
Baked bean Sauce
Chop onion,garlic,pepper courgette
saute in a dribble of oil until softadd remaining ingrediantsbring up to bubbleing then reduce heat slightly to simmer for 10 minutes or so until slightly reduced.

Cheese sauce
In another pan melt the spread add sifted flour and mix to a paste gently with a wooden spoon.GRADUALLY add the milk stirring all the time so there are no lumps.add two thirds of the grated cheese heat stirring all the time until smoothon a low hat until a gentle bubble.
To Make
into a square dish one third of the bean sauce, layer lasagne sheets on top, then one third of the cheese sauce on top of that.
repeat layering until all used up Add the last of the grated cheese over the top of the last layer
Cook for 45 minutes on gas mark 4 in the oven or until the lasagne is soft and cooked .serve with garlic bread and /or salad.
Made this yesterday afternoon, very yummy and portioned up for the freezer last night when cold .really inexpensive and very tasty.

pm2326

Morning

Miserable day here today, had heavy rain overnight and this morning, was starting to brighten up but looks like another shower or 2 is on the way. Looks like an afternoon watching dvd's is on the cards for today

Have sweet potato and cauliflower soup in the slowcooker, hoping it'll be ready for lunch, if not it'll do for tea. Won't help reduce my freezer much but least I've used up some frozen onion and I'll take some bread out of the freezer to have with it.

I cleared down the fridge before going shopping yesterday and had a pack of chicken thighs and a pack of cooking bacon left with a use by date of today. So I've cooked the chicken thighs and had 2 for tea last night then removed all the meat from the remaining three this morning and put it in a Tupperware tub in fridge to use during the week. Did have to freeze the bacon though, I portioned that up so can easily defrost when needed.

Hope you all have a good day and weather isn't too bad x

GreyQueen

Can I ask about the frozen onions, as I've never done this? Were they raw or cooked, sliced or otherwise prepped? It would be a good bit of knowledge to tuck by me.

pm2326

GreyQueen wrote: »

Can I ask about the frozen onions, as I've never done this? Were they raw or cooked, sliced or otherwise prepped? It would be a good bit of knowledge to tuck by me.

It's just diced onion, no other prepping. Normally buy a bag when on special offer, dice them, pop in freezer bags. Give the bags a shake after a couple of hours just so you dont end up with a frozen block.

You can either freeze them in portions for example 1 diced onion per bag or just pile them all in one bag. I only use onion in cooking so this works out ideal for me, specially good for slowcooker as you can put them in frozen, they go a bit soggy when you defrost so wouldn't use for salads etc.

I just tried it after seeing bags of frozen diced onions in supermarket for £1:eek:

pm2326

Forgot to say I also do this with spring onions if they are starting to go soft and won't be used, use them when making tomato sauce for meatballs etc just slice and freeze.

mushrooms, same but again these go soggy so only for cooking with, spag Bol etc

Basically no veg gets thrown out in this house, hence the full freezer lol

GreyQueen

Thank you!

I can see the need for a bigger freezer in my future - first I'll need a bigger home to put it in, but it's still good to know this trick. Thanks again.

Ches

Previously frozen onions fry much better than fresh as they soften before burning. Lovely for Hot Dogs etc.