Reverse Meal Planning

joedenise

Using up the last chicken breasts from the freezer to make chicken schnitzels for dinner tonight.  Used some burgers and wholemeal rolls from the freezer for lunch (cooked by DH!).  Nice to have a break from cooking.

Porridgecat

Been AWOl for  bit as I've had to go into work for the first three days this week. Sunday we had MIL over for dinner and I made pork schnitzel with some of mountain of 70p pork loin steaks I got in lidl earlier this year, I also made some more parsnip rosti so used up another two of those. Monday we had breakfast for dinner to use up some bacon that was two days out of date. Tuesday I took a packet out he freezer that I though said lamb steaks but the label (my one on masking tape) was a bit blurred and it turned out to be butchers pork steaks so I roasted those with potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions. I now have 3/4 of a sweet potato to use up as the end was going squishy on the last one in the bag so cut it off. I've taken out some mince and will make a general bolognese type sauce and have it with pasta tonight and then should have enough left to freeze two meals worth which I can make into chilli and lasagne or something else.

Primrose

The mention of pork  from the freezer has reminded me to comment on here that we,ve been finding recently that the flavour and texture pork steaks stored in the freezer for more than a couple of months do not seem to be as good as other meats stored for a similar period.  There,s ni thing exactly "wrong" with the meat.  It just doesn,t seem to be anywhere near as pleasant as fresh pork,  whereas the flavour of frozen beef and lamb doesn't seem to be affected in the same way.

Has  anybody else noticed this?.  Perhaps we,re doing something in the freezing process which has affected it although it,s normally just wrapped immediately in clingfilm And  frozen straight away.  It still just always tastes a bit "stale"!

greent

@Primrose - totally agree - we no longer buy YS pork to freeze as we find it tastes wrong, which is sad, as I see some great bargains. We've had chicken which has been frozen for 11 months and was fine, steak for 6 months plus which was good - yet pork texture and taste seems to change:(

greent

Whilst going though the latest free Tesc0 magazine I noticed a recipe for sweet potato and chickpea patties. I did an adapted version for lunch - I didn't have enough sweet potatoes,  so topped it up with some regular potatoes. Upped the spices (cumin, garam masala , black pepper, dried garlic, dried chilli), lots of spring onions and some red onion. I also baked them, not fried them- nice and I have some leftover for tomorrow. Ate them with some houmous and a pile of salad. Very low cost - sweet potatoes, potatoes, spring onions and houmous were all 0li0 :). Good job. Too as  dH offered the kids takeout for dinner whilst I was out with DD.... sigh....

Primrose

Greent - thanks for responding. I found your comments reassuring as I was beginning to wonder if it was just us with freezing pork.  Our village butcher sells lovely fresh meat so we knew it wasn,t his fault.  We must ask him if he knows the reason why this happens.  We too now now longer freeze pork joints although ironically we don,t seem to experience the same problem freezing his pork sausages.  I wonder why this is ?

greent

@Primrose - we don't have any problem with sausages, either - whether they be from A1di or our local farm butcher - strange! 

ruby_eskimo

I think it's the texture of pork meat itself - the texture is a bit more "open" compared to chicken or beef which have a closer, more compacted texture.  Being more open means there's more space for the water to expand when it freezes which probably degrades the meat slightly in the thawing process? 

joedenise

Had some leeks to use up so made a leek and barley soup which also used up the rest of the pack of pearl barley in the cupboard.

Primrose

I find it hard to be enthusiastic about Pearl barley yet have an unopened pack to use up. Does anybody  have any favourite interesting ways of using it - perhaps with fruit for something different ?