Reverse Meal Planning

EssexHebridean

That's the problem with running everything down - the cost when restocking is needed! 

Last night's omelette included a chunk of red pepper diced up, that last bit of chorizo as planned, the final mushrooms and I used the top of a leek finely sliced up as well which worked well. Also managed to find just enough parsley from the freshly repotted plant in my strawberry planter to give it a bit of a lift as well. one of the giant tatties worked perfectly well between us to add a "carb" element as well - so al to plan!

This evening is couscous - I've got pomegranate seeds out to defrost, and will do some roasted veg to go with - red pepper, butternut squash and chickpeas (which I should have got out of the freezer too - bother!) and it'll be topped off with halloumi and toasted seeds. A regular occurrence on our meal plans this one as it works well when we need to eat separately - all MrEH will need to do is to assemble and sort his halloumi out, and the couscous and veg works just as well cold as hot.  

I'll get that chicken carcass stripped tonight while the veg is roasting I think - then I'll know exactly how much meat can be got off it and be able to plan for using it. I think the bones are going in the freezer alongside the last lot for now - might do slow-cooker stock overnight but that need to wait for some freezer space availability! 

joedenise

Cooked a gammon joint on Sunday and have now frozen a few slices.  We had some yesterday in a sandwich.  Tonight I'm going to use some of the smaller bits to make ham and mushroom pasta bake which will also use up the last of the box of mushrooms.  This is what we were originally going to have for dinner last night but had eaten out at lunchtime for DH's birthday so didn't want anything too heavy.

MissRikkiC

1 portion(250g) of mince out of the freezer along with 2 old courgettes, 2 tomatoes, 1 aubergine purchased specially, mushrooms from olio all bunged together to make 2 8 portion lasagnas. 1 solely veggie and the other with the meat. I had them both prepared, cooked and on the table along with some wedges in 1 hour 15 and it was easily the best I’ve ever made. 

No butter for the bechemel so subbed for sunflower oil and not enough milk so watered it down, no salt or pepper as I forgot but did manage to use a pack of wilted basil. Goodness knows how it SO good, but my littlest polished a portion and a bit more off which is a rarity these days! 

Cheese salad sandwich with freezer parsnip and apple soup for lunch and off to collect a Morries TGTG bag now so hoping for a good one to see us through! 

A good culinary day! 

ruby_eskimo

Definitely sounds like a good day @MissRikkiC

Dinner tonight is a leftover portion of sausage casserole from the freezer.  It's really only enough for one person so going to bulk it out with some butter beans that I missed putting in it the first time around, and then serve with lots of mashed potato and some cabbage from the freezer for something green.

EssexHebridean

Your lasagnes sound lovely - nice cooking! 

I finally got round to stripping the chicken carcass today - a portion stashed in the freezer for a meal probably next week, the carcass is frozen too, and enough odd pickings for risotto tonight. There was quite enough to get lunchtime rolls out of it as well sadly - but it did OK allowing it fed three of us on Sunday and Mum had the remaining breast meat too!

Tomorrow is going to be a use-up day for the random salad bits - I need to remember the avocados as well, I’ve got two that should be ripe but one of them feels a bit squishy on one side so may not be good. I’ll do one of the giant potatoes, split that between us, top with tuna mayo and then do the mixed salad alongside. 

Suffolk_lass

Phew! Just starting to catch up, reading 50+ posts in no more than five threads I subscribe to - I came back from hols with over 1000 notifications so it is taking a while!

Anyway, still here and using up stuff. Had chilli before going to bed at 7.30pm last night, feeling shivery and flu-like. Got a runny nose this morning but otherwise fine and I think the nose is hayfever related. I was rundown and needed an early night as way behind with everything I do. Sometimes recognising you have reached your limit is as important as achieving stuff you are supposed to do.

I will keep the one remaining portion of chilli to have on Saturday night when DH is planning to be at a bike rally, checking out all his camping gear before he needs to use it in anger on his international rally over the week of the Jubilee celebrations.

My freezer still contains masses of last year's produce and I think I will need to be more diligent about using it up, before this year's goes mad.

joedenise

Was going to do stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon but pickup up a pack of med veg in Marks last night YS so will do a tray bake instead.  Also picked up some purple sprouting broccoli so will have that as well.

EssexHebridean

Morning all - I now have a rough meal plan through next week relying as heavily as possible on stuff we have - Sunday will be lamb - the remains of that will head to the freezer, while during the week the chicken I froze last night will come out again. I need to buy sausages and smoked mackerel as meal components, but 2 of the sausages will then freeze for a future sausage and mushroom pasta, and other than that the shopping list is mostly the usual fruit, veg, yogurts etc plus a handful of storecupboard items. Also plan to buy a bag of Al's nice oven chips for using part of with burgers tomorrow night - that conserves my remaining tatties for roasties on Sunday and mash next week. 

If it helps anyone I've seen a tip off on another thread that F@rmf00ds are currently offering Napolina Passata for 29p - I may be investigating that one myself.  

QueenJess

I am randomly going through the fridge/cupboards/freezer everyday trying to use up all the old stuff first or find new uses for things we don’t like so that nothing gets wasted.  I have too much and am trying to use it up to get to the right amount. Some of it is due to DD just getting older, so her snacks and meals have changed to be like ours now, but we need to use up the stuff she’s stopped eating. I also over estimate as I hate shopping and so like to buy in bulk. The last bulk shopping was meant to last 1 month and it’s lasted 2.5 months…. probably tells you everything you need to know!

The flapjacks were a success, so I will make more over the next few weeks until the unwanted strawberry porridge gets used up. Today’s random item of choice was two packs of wild garlic that I turned into garlic pesto to have with mushrooms and pasta for lunch. I have a lot of pesto leftover of which I have some in the fridge and the rest in ice cube trays in the freezer.

We are still eating the pineapple, mango and coconut muffins which we need to finish as I have some rhubarb and apples to use in a crumble. Might make that tomorrow for the weekend. DD is happily munching through a box of baby biscuits I found at the back of the cupboard and need to be used up this month.

otb666

i was pleased with myself as had 5 hard avocados a week ago which i left on window sill and had them in salad today and they were soft. Previously i may have binned them but not now