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

joedenise

In:  0
Out:  smoked haddock; diced beef; lardons

carinjo

In: pack prawns, gammon
Out: pack mince, hm tomato and courgette sauce

Cherryfudge

I've had a fridge clean/clear, and sadly had to throw out quite a few things that were clearly OFF. A couple of weeks ago we had a brief power cut and I'm wondering if the fridge temperature went wrong though it's okay at present. Maybe it's just my lack of housekeeping as I wasn't well last week and hardly touched the fridge.

Clean and good again now, but here is what I remember I had to throw (I won't add 'with mould' where applicable because it applied to nearly everything ):
jar of strawberry jam, half jar cranberry sauce, cheese, half jar roasted peppers, one fresh (was fresh) pepper, half jar pesto, remains of tub of yogurt, dregs of milk, salad leaves.

I also succumbed to L!dl coupons and bought a couple of tubs of cupcake icing and some marzipan for stores as well as replacing various empties: mayo, chocolate biscuits, tuna, mushy peas, sandwich gherkins (try them with tuna, you won't regret it) and a pack of ham.

Out: to use up rather than chuck out: 2 sausages, portion of lentil and chorizo soup.

Cherryfudge

I confess to an evening L!dl shop as I'd noticed they had a few of their £1.50 fruit and veg boxes in. I bought one a while back and it was excellent value. They'd also reduced various meats by 30% so I've bought 2 x breaded haddock for £1.39 (now frozen ready for when we want fish and chips), seven chicken thighs of assorted sizes also for £1.39 (also frozen) and various bakery items that were £2.65 but 7pm discount had kicked in so I saved 81p - but of course they were treats and not basics so really that's £1.84 extra spent.

I've topped up on a few others things too: tidying the tins cupboard has shown where the gaps and the stocks are.

The fruit and veg box was great - there were more potatoes than we could use so some of those went to the foodbank box, but I still have a bag of King Edwards, a bunch of beetroot (not my best buy as the last two bunches have ended up planted in the garden because I couldn't think what to do with them!), a couple of leeks, a lemon, a cauliflower and a punnet of pears. Excellent for £1.50.

Leek and potato soup is planned, but I don't like borsch... what else can I do with beetroots apart from brownies? 

Oh, and one thing out: a pumpkin. They last absolutely ages but there was no freezer space for this one and it finally succumbed.

Wicked_Lady

How about some honey roasted beetroot? Could be good with feta? Honey-roast beetroot recipe | BBC Good Food

Cherryfudge

Thank you @Wicked_Lady, that sounds just my sort of thing! I even have all the ingredients! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Wicked_Lady

Please do @Cherryfudge. I haven't tried it myself yet but it sounds yummy!

C_J

I’ve had a whole load of veg from the community fridge to process today, so have made:

Leek and potato soup for this week’s lunches

Spicy chestnut mushroom and butternut biriyani - which will feed us both tomorrow night, plus another four portions for the freezer

Sliced chestnut mushrooms and shallots in a garlic and cream sauce which I’ll serve with spaghetti on Tuesday.

Slightly dry ‘richly fruited’ hot cross buns have been turned into a bread and butter pudding with the addition of more sultanas. Had plenty of eggs from the hens to use up.

Lots of veg prepped and sliced or diced, bagged and frozen - red, green and yellow peppers; leeks; aubergine; chillies; courgettes. I anticipate a veg chilli appearing on next week’s menu plan!

carinjo

C_J said:

Slightly dry ‘richly fruited’ hot cross buns have been turned into a bread and butter pudding with the addition of more sultanas. Had plenty of eggs from the hens to use up

Could i have the recipe? I got 75% discount hot cross buns from A1d1s

C_J

@carinjo : I don’t really follow recipes, I just chuck things together! 

I split the hot cross buns in half and buttered them using Aldi’s Butterlicious buttery spread, and then placed half of them butter side up in a square Pyrex baking dish which was also liberally ‘buttered’. I sprinkled them with a dessert spoon of white sugar and a couple of handfuls of sultanas, and topped with the remaining hot cross bun halves, butter side up. I then beat together four eggs and about half a pint of milk, and poured this over. 

The trick is to leave this for a couple of hours to really let the buns soak up the eggy mixture - mine has been sitting in the fridge all day, and every now and again I squish them down into the egg mix. I will bake it tonight when I have the oven on for some other things - it will take about 30 mins in a medium oven. I keep it covered for most of that so the top doesn’t burn, and just whip the foil off for the last 10 minutes to let it go golden.

In true MSE style, I wash the square of foil and use it again another time 😀