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

Cherryfudge

carinjo said:

@Cherryfudge, you could try and "hide" the chocolate brioche in a bread&butter pudding! 

I like that - thanks! I need to stop nibbling at them though or there won't be any left!

Today: in - baby potatoes, cheese
out - southern fried chicken, beans, some of the sour cream sauce.

That reminds me - ideas for most of a pot of sour cream please.

Floss

Vac-pack chestnuts are delish just as they are.

Sourcream - how about goulash?

FreeBear

Happy_Sloth said:

• Tinned sweetcorn
  

I often add sweetcorn to mashed sweet potato along with some grated mature cheddar and a knob of butter.

FreeBear

pelirocco said:

Happy_Sloth said:

While i was sorting out my cupboards yesterday i found 2 butternut squashes i had completely forgotten one was "Gone"  so it had to be binned but the other is ok.  I also found 2 little bags of chicken breast,  neither enough for a full meal.  

The plan is to roast the butternut in the air fryer with some onions and add to the chicken to make a "korma like" curry... with some cream i got in a To good to go bag yesterday and coconut cream.    

Just trying to figure out if i can stretch this to 2 portions (Each for 3 people)  when you go to the Indian we always have a lot of sauce and not much meat,  wondering if i can beef up the sauce in some way so people don't miss the meat and just enjoy the sauce with the rice.   

I have a bit of a philosophy when it comes to cooking... if i make the effort to cook you better believe I'm doubling the portion so i have another day i don't need to cook but there really isn't much chicken, the squash should add abit of bulk but still worried i won't get 2 meals from it.  

I always add potatoes to curry

Chickpeas are another thing to use to bulk out all sorts of dishes.

carinjo

I enjoyed reading through all the ideas! I agree on donating if you not going to use it, i gave away an opened, in date bag of semolina on my first try, got snapped up in 5min!
I always now have a tin of potatoes handy to bulk up soups, chickpeas for stews and tin green lentils for warm salads etc. 
The idea of a use up box is fantastic. Further to what to do with what you have, like @Happy_Sloth, i like to google 2 ingredients and see what happens, for instance: glass noodles and tuna recipes, gave me a lovely salad idea! 
Out yesterday: hm bolognaise, hm carrot and parsnip mash for work dinner. My sister said i should try slowcooker sauces, so last night: chilli con carne sauce, tin red kidney beans, tin tomatoes, defrosted beef mince. This morning: house smells amazing!
In: 0, but going to the shop later.
Hope everyone survived Storm Eunice more or less, happy weekend! 

in_my_wellies

Happy_Sloth said:

Hey all,  

I was wondering what you go to methods are you using up the random items in your cupboard.  Our food storage has gotten out of control.  We are mostly creatures of habit so we eat the same items alot,  but it doesn't stop me trying to be interesting and buying random new things.  however more often than not i end up with these items end up sitting for months before throwing them away.  

i've been checking the cupboards today and i have alot of random things i have no idea what to do with.  How do you go about clearing out the random items that don't fall into your normal rotation?

This is me!
Same old stuff every month but random 'good idea at the time' or 'I should try that' items sat there till out of date
At New Year a placed all said items in a box on the worktop - i.e. very in the way and not hidden away and determined to use them before my next 'stocking up' shop. There were 24 items. My shop is being delivered today (Mr T £2), there are 5 items left so quite pleased with myself. 

Items left, all 400g
Can chick peas
Can red kidney beans
Can kala Chana beans
Can black beans
Can pilchards - cat will have these

I forgot a 5kg bag chapati flour. I used 50g for a cake replacing 25% of flour but it was incredibly crumbly. I'll try bread as suggested by Wraithlady

joedenise

Few more things out of the freezer:

burgers, pitta breads, cheese slices - lunch today with the addition of some onions & gherkin slices

chicken breasts, bacon - dinner tomorrow will be stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon and served with roasted potatoes, carrots, peppers & onions alongside some green veg

Wraithlady

In: half a sweet potato, cut into wedges
Out: tub veg soup, cooked chicken, prawns, chicken thighs for tonight

The wrinkly parsnips which I discovered whilst putting the newest veg box away are now in the slow cooker as vegetable soup with a bruised onion, the worst half of the sweet potato and the top of a leek from yesterday's stir-fry. 

YorksLass

Happy_Sloth, a few more ideas for you.

Egg noodles -  Use instead of spaghetti pasta

Rice noodles - Break into small pieces and add to soup

Chapati flour - I'd second the idea of making a batch of chapatis to freeze

Dumpling mix - Yep, donate if you're not going to use it

Yorkshire pudding mix - Another donate or use it for toad in the hole

Oatmeal - Flapjacks, biscuits, muffins, home made stuffing (see vac packed chestnuts)

Tinned ham - Not great for sandwiches but can be used for a ham & mushroom pasta dish

Tinned corned beef 

1. Make corned beef hash (maybe add the dumplings?)

2. Use for a pie filling with onion and potato

3. A savoury pot - Gently fry some chopped onion till softened, fold in diced cold cooked potato and cook for a couple of mins, fold in diced corned beef and cook till it starts to “shred”, turn into a serving bowl, add grated cheese and sliced tomato to top, place under grill to melt cheese.  Or leave mixture to cool before adding cheese, cover and keep in fridge till needed then bung in MW for a couple of mins.  Serve with crusty roll.

Sweetcorn - mix with frozen peas in a fish pie

Tuna - mix with above sweetcorn, add chopped peppers, spring onions, vinaigrette or mayo and eat with salad or in a wrap (made from the chapati flour) or a topping for jacket potato

White/yellow  lentils - add a handful to stew or home made soup (I usually use red lentils but white or yellow ones would be fine).  Carrot & lentil soup is good, especially if you add some curry paste

Tinned black beans - Sorry, no idea!

Vac packed chestnuts - chestnut & apricot stuffing (dried apricots that is); can freeze before or after cooking

Dried veg soup mix with pasta - make the soup!  It will last in the fridge for a few days.

Cherryfudge Sour cream can be used to make scones, just dilute down with a little milk first.  The goulash suggestion is also a winner.

Floss

I meant to add that dumpling mix is really easy to add to a stew - mix with water as per packet, when your stew is almost ready add small blobs of dumpling mix, lid back on (or off if you like them crusty) for 20-30m and serve. You can just use half the packet by weighing & adding 50% of the water, then mix & add the rest to another stew.