The all new using what you have from your Freezer, Cupboard or Shed (Barn)

Cherryfudge

The freezer space now has ice cream in it. We ate with family yesterday and today had our eldest and his family to lunch. All the sausage casserole is eaten but there's French bread and pineapple upside down cake to finish.

I've eaten the rest of the Stilton and finished up some stem ginger but I need to have a good look at the larder and work out what to do with things: not straightforward this week as DH and I aren't in to dinner at the same time at all. I think I will start by soaking chick peas tonight (assuming there are some) to make a batch of chick pea tikka for us to dip into in the coming week.

Edited to add: change of plan. There are lots and lots of butter beans, more than enough red lentils, a smaller quantity of green lentils and a jar of white beans - no dried chickpeas. However, I remembered I had a trial pack of recipes with spices to make various things, and one of the recipes is a red lentil curry that would also help use up some butternut squash and coconut milk so I might try that.

wumph

I really must look in mine.  I have a habit of cooking too large a meal and putting the rest in freezer, never to be looked at again.  I know I have 1 portion soup,  2 small chicken pies (individual home made), a couple of cup cakes and that is just off the top of my head.  Cannot do today as I have 2nd helping of the meal I made yesterday but did not put in freezer. Hopeless.

Cherryfudge

Nothing hopeless about that, @wumph - you should see mine! I'm going to put the put the washer on and investigate the fridge today, then get to work, but coming here has reminded me to defrost a few blackberries for DH's dessert. This year looks like being a heavy crop and I need a bit of space for them!

LotsOfTea

Yesterday I grabbed an unlabelled box from the freezer and it turned out to be a lovely squash and chickpea curry which we had for tea with some rice.  There is now actual space in the freezer and anything new going in has been marked with the date and what it is so I can spot the old stuff that needs using up. 

I tidied the cupboard with all the spices and jars of things in over the weekend and got rid of some dusty old spices that didn't have any aroma left. I also found out I have 3 jars of mango chutney which is 2 too many given that I'm the only one that likes it in my house! I can sneak it into curries while I'm cooking them but no-one else likes it as a condiment.

I've got leftover harissa-spiced vegetable soup earmarked for lunch and I'm looking at the courgettes I've got in the fridge and trying to decide what to do with them.  Something that includes mango chutney maybe? 😂

wumph

I had the empty ice cream oval box thing which I could not bring myself to throw away so now my some of my herbs n spices are in that. The regular ones so not getting lost amongst all the others.  Hate to throw away even if they are 10 years old,  sometimes remember to shake a bit into a stew or something but not always.  Ras el Hamout ??  cumin  harrisa  etc etc.

Frugalista

LotsOfTea said:

Yesterday I grabbed an unlabelled box from the freezer and it turned out to be a lovely squash and chickpea curry which we had for tea with some rice.  There is now actual space in the freezer and anything new going in has been marked with the date and what it is so I can spot the old stuff that needs using up. 

I tidied the cupboard with all the spices and jars of things in over the weekend and got rid of some dusty old spices that didn't have any aroma left. I also found out I have 3 jars of mango chutney which is 2 too many given that I'm the only one that likes it in my house! I can sneak it into curries while I'm cooking them but no-one else likes it as a condiment.

I've got leftover harissa-spiced vegetable soup earmarked for lunch and I'm looking at the courgettes I've got in the fridge and trying to decide what to do with them.  Something that includes mango chutney maybe? 😂

Mango chutney is very nice on cheese sandwiches.

Cherryfudge

Frugalista said:
Mango chutney is very nice on cheese sandwiches.

And on cheese on toast.

I entirely failed to do the fridge today as I've been very busy but I made the lentil curry, thus neatly using up a tub of lentils, a third of a butternut squash, some frozen coconut milk and the second of four pre-prepared spice mixes. It's okay but I'm not raving about it. For a meal that was supposed to serve two, it does four decent portions, so that's another night's tea sorted.

I've also restocked on a few store cupboard things and spent about £20. Garlic-infused olive oil is now £3.50 for 250ml.  

LotsOfTea

Ooh, you're so right - mango chutney is excellent with cheese! Thanks to you both for the reminder. 😀

Cherryfudge

I had more of the curry today and will probably finish it tomorrow. I was supposed to be eating at my friend's but she had a change of plan, which usually means her work has called her in. She will play host in a couple of weeks instead.

DH had a fishcake and we started on the two and a half bags of new potatoes which were bought to go with the casserole on Sunday, then we served French bread instead. There's a bit left of Sunday's pudding, but that will be gone soon.

I've thrown out some soya milk which had been opened too long, and sorted out part of a food cupboard. Stocks of tins are doing nicely apart from tinned peaches so I will raid Asd@ tomorrow. DH could eat tinned fruit for England.

Things that need to be used up: eggs, butternut squash, melon, monkey nuts, pate.

Cherryfudge

We seem to be inundated with chicken: I bought some today as it was discounted at the supermarket, along with sausages and chicken liver. There was roast chicken in the fridge so I had some for tea, put the rest of the meat in the freezer and made stock with the carcase. Then DH announced he had bought Southern fried chicken for his main meal today and tomorrow (work timing means we can't always eat together). So what am I to do with all this chicken?!

I've not made a definite plan but I think I could make something like chicken chasseur so the chicken is cooked while still fresh. That would be okay in the fridge for a couple of days and could safely be reheated. The freezer will need to be rejigged to fit the liver in, and the sausages are portioned out and frozen already.

I intend to have a cooking day tomorrow. Will let you know how far I get!