Reverse Meal Planning

QueenJess

Struggling now it's the day before the veg box arrives; I have little left in the way of veg.  I will use up the parsnips, some onion and potatoes in a soup for lunch, then I only have a few onions and some lettuce left!  Dinner will be from the freezer (fish and chips with freezer veg).

rtandon27

Yesterday's lunch used ip the last of the salmon flaked and added to spaghetti with veg and tomato basil sauce. Used up the last of all kinds of bits from the fridge.

EH - we've given up on our favorite yogurts as well - we might be imaging but they don't seem to be as thick or have as much fruit as they used to - home made yogurt and tinned fruit does us 8 portions which are larger and much less sugar!

Suffolk_lass

Hearing you mention onions left, @QueenJess I might have to make an onion tart to have with some of the (slightly less likely to go slimy in the next two days) lettuce here. Shortcrust base and then something like the Jamie Oliver recipe but no balsamic and whatever onions we have. I always have some cheese which might get grated on top too

EssexHebridean

RT we've mostly been making use of the 10 for £4 "corners" in T's - but the jelly and fruit option will definitely make those last a bit longer. Used to routinely buy the big pots when they could be had for £1 a pot but now the cheapest pretty much seems to be £1.50 so nowhere near such good value. 

QueenJess

Suffolk_lass said:

Hearing you mention onions left, @QueenJess I might have to make an onion tart to have with some of the (slightly less likely to go slimy in the next two days) lettuce here. Shortcrust base and then something like the Jamie Oliver recipe but no balsamic and whatever onions we have. I always have some cheese which might get grated on top too

OOh... what a good idea.  That sounds like something nice I could make for a lunch.  I've been choosing all my meals based on vegetables in the fridge the past week.  It means everything gets used up and I eat a huge amount of vegetables (and less meat and cheese) which must be good for my health!

zafiro1984

I've started to work through my cupboards and use up all those bits and bobs.

I was in the cupboard where all my cake making ingredients are, much was in half used pks, the dried fruit was no longer as soft as it should be. 
I made a sultana and orange traybake  - no oranges in the fruit bowl so I left the 2 tbs of milk out of the recipe and used orange squash instead - it worked.

Light bulb moment on what to do with the bits of dried fruit  - now very dry fruit - I am making a tea loaf as you have to soak the fruit for 8hrs in tea. The 375g of mixed fruit was all the bits left at the bottom of the pks, currents, sultanas, raisons, some candid peel and chopped apricots. the sugar was a mixture of dark brown soft, muscovado and caster sugar. I'd no Earl Grey tea as specified in the recipe so used good old 'Builders tea' I'll wait and see how it turns out but I love a buttered slice of fruit loaf and I haven't made one for a couple of years.

I've a few currents left and some LO puff pastry from yesterday in the fridge so I'll make some Eccles cakes to have after tea tonight.
The cupboard is now looking less disorganised and somewhat bare.

zafiro1984

Queen Jess and Suffolk lass
Just seen the post about onion tart. Brilliant idea, Thanks

Brambling

Thanks for the tea loaf idea Zafiro I noticed my dried fruit was getting hard at the weekend, I only ever use builders tea for mine 🙂 now I'm debating between a tea loa and malt loaf 

Soontobeoap

Took some leftover cooked roast beef from freezer added onion and some frozen carrot and made dumplings, stewed slowly for 2 hrs. Served with cooked from  frozen brussel sprouts, runner beans and peas along with roasted potatoes. Brilliant comfort food with leftovers. Hoping too get to the end of month without needing to buy any dinners. I am actually quite enjoying the challenge. 

rtandon27

Dinner tonight was entirely from the freezer & stores!  Indonesian style stir-fry - Ol!o chicken, red pepper strips and fine green beans from the freezer, dried egg noodles & dried veg from the store-cupboard and nasi goreng paste & kicup manis from the back of the fridge! Not sure when those last two ingredients came into our lives, but they still smell and taste OK so continue to be used - LOL - Dessert - or afters as OH calls it - home made yogurt and tinned pears.