Help, I'm overwhelmed with food!

liz545

The last couple of weeks I've really been trying to do a storecupboard challenge, and I've been very diligent about trying to mealplan and not buy more than I need. Unfortunately I forgot to cancel my vegbox delivery, and I got home from work to find I've got loads of veg! :eek: Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I've got lots of comittments over the next few days that will mean I won't be eating at home much. I've got some time tonight and tomorrow night to bulk-cook stuff and freeze it, but I don't have much fridge space and I don't want to buy many extra ingredients if necessary! I've got:

• potatoes (1 portion)
• carrots (about 6)
• mushrooms (lots, rapidly deteriorating)
• onions (2)
• sweetcorn cobs (6!)
• broccoli (2 large)
• spinach (about 300g)
• pak choi (about 4 portions)
• 1/2 a small squash
• chard (about 300g)
• lettuce
• sweet potatoes (3)
• tomatoes (6)
• cucumber
• leek
• courgettes (3 large)

In addition to this I've got some basmati rice but only 1 portion worth of risotto, similar amount of spaghetti, tinned toms, usual baking stuff and a small amount of frozen lamb fillets and chicken wings. I'm really frustrated because I didn't expect this and I could really do without it; can anyone suggest things I can cook or easy ways to freeze this lot to minimise the wastage?

poohzee

Veggie burgers would use a lot of different veggies up - sorry dont have a recipe

jennet1

You could make a big batch of pasta sauce, using onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and grate in some carrots and courgettes. that should freeze ok

angie_baby

jennet1 wrote: »

You could make a big batch of pasta sauce, using onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and grate in some carrots and courgettes. that should freeze ok

This freezes really well, i di it all the time,Angie

MrsB_2

Huge batch of veggie soup?? You could even whack it in the slow cooker so it's not too time consuming. Should freeze fine and you'll get most of that lot into it.

Psykicpup

liz545 wrote: »

The last couple of weeks I've really been trying to do a storecupboard challenge, and I've been very diligent about trying to mealplan and not buy more than I need. Unfortunately I forgot to cancel my vegbox delivery, and I got home from work to find I've got loads of veg! :eek: Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I've got lots of comittments over the next few days that will mean I won't be eating at home much. I've got some time tonight and tomorrow night to bulk-cook stuff and freeze it, but I don't have much fridge space and I don't want to buy many extra ingredients if necessary! I've got:

• potatoes (1 portion)- these will keep well in bottom of fridge
• carrots (about 6) -umm never been able to keep these well- sorry
• mushrooms (lots, rapidly deteriorating)- fry with garlic in butter & olive oil & serve stirred into pasta-even better if you have/can get a little bacon- nice hot or cold & freezes if you add a little white or cheese sauce
• onions (2)- again a few weeks in fridge or chop & freeze
• sweetcorn cobs (6!) - freeze - think you blanch (sp) first
• broccoli (2 large) - freeze again need to blanch
• spinach (about 300g) freeze again need to blanch
• pak choi (about 4 portions)- no idea at all on that
• 1/2 a small squash - shame its cut as it lasts better whole but should keep a while in fridge- if not soup & freeze
• chard (about 300g)- no idea at all on that
• lettuce - cant stand the stuff so no idea at all on that
• sweet potatoes (3) - these will keep well in bottom of fridge
• tomatoes (6) - pasta sauce
• cucumber- could make soup & freeze......?
• leek - with the potatos in pie or soup but also these will keep well in bottom of fridge
• courgettes (3 large) -same as mushrooms really but may keep better than you think as they are baby marrows (they keep weeks if not too warm)

In addition to this I've got some basmati rice but only 1 portion worth of risotto, similar amount of spaghetti, tinned toms, usual baking stuff and a small amount of frozen lamb fillets and chicken wings. I'm really frustrated because I didn't expect this and I could really do without it; can anyone suggest things I can cook or easy ways to freeze this lot to minimise the wastage?

is that any help at all?

liz545

Thanks all - I'm going to try and use the spinach to make a quiche, and probably a mushroom pasta sauce. Have frozen the sweetcorn and managed to sell the lettuce & cucumber to one of my neighbours! Still got quite a lot of leafy greens to do something with, but I'm sure I'll work something out - and it'll teach me to pay more attention to my orders!

foreversomeday

Could you donate some to a local church or somewhere that provides food for homeless people or a "meals on wheels" kind of organisation? It wouldn't go to waste then and it seems like you've managed to salvage a lot of it for yourself, so the money wasn't wasted as such.