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

rtandon27

We had a successful use it up dinner! Pork shoulder steaks, cauliflower greens, fennel & grated cheese from the freezer - Very muddy organic potatoes, a lonely cooking apple & 2 eating apples from the 'larder' shelf.  We had pork steaks with apple and fennel sauce with a side of champ made with cauli greens.  Dessert was microwave apple crumble with a dollop of carnation tinned cream on top.  (Have just discovered that it has been discontinued which is sooooooo sad.)

Cherryfudge

That sounds like very tasty using up, @rtandon27. What a shame about the tinned cream. I hate it when you can't get a favourite anymore. I never quite got over the demise of Alibi biscuits (dark chocolate and mint), and they've probably not been around since I got to secondary school age, which I'm shocked to realise was about 50 years ago!

We realised we'd not bought anything for tomorrow's dinner so we're cooking from the cupboards and it will be lentil and chorizo soup. Mind you, I did find a brownie in the freezer, which I've 'used up', so to speak.  

Wraithlady

In tidying up the (much neglected) back garden, I uprooted all the self-seeded rocket plants which had spread all over the place, (we hadn't planted rocket for 2 years).

Decided to make rocket pesto, with manchego cheese from the freezer and cashew nuts (which both of us managed to buy a big bag of a couple of months ago) and the olive oil we buy in bulk - produced 1 small kilner jar for the fridge and 2 takeaway soup-tubs full for the freezer.(about 12 meal's worth at a conservative estimate) That, and the remains of the chicken curry I made in the slow-cooker - so much for trying to empty the freezer!

Still I'm taking out a 5lb bag of damsons to make damson cordial (nice as a long drink and really nice on icecream!) so at least some space in the freezer.

Until the meat order arrives...

Cherryfudge

I love the variety of things people cook. As for damson cordial on ice cream - I'll be with you in 30 seconds, bowl outstretched!

carinjo

@Wraithlady, i still got a ½kg of sloes hiding in the back of freezer ready for sloe gin xmas presents this year. Picked them 2 summers ago.
Finally managed to open the shed freezer (loads of junk in front of it) and discovered a beef joint in one tray and an almost empty top shelf. Went to L1d1 and had a shopping spree on their asian weekend: goyza, dumplings, flavoured veg stirfries, edamame beans in pods. 
Life is such just do not have time to do much cooking from scratch, so also got a couple of pies and more stirfry veg. 

Another idea for pesto: watercress. Usually a place like s@insbury will have it discounted (because it so bloody expensive). Can definately recommend it.

kboss2010

We batch cook our meals for the week every Sunday evening and we have a rotation of fave recipes that we were getting a bit bored of so we’ve been trying to mix it up with some new recipes.

First up, Joe Wicks’ massaman chicken curry (substituting broccoli for frozen green beans) - I highly recommend it, it’s delicious! :

Secondly, I made The Batch Lady’s burgers and we found them really bland and a very unusual flavour (we didn’t eat the ones we cooked) but I didn’t want to waste the mince in the second batch so I added some spices, peas and green beans and made a keema curry:

And I used a sad fridge pepper, some soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds to make a filling for some veggie sushi:

So that’s:

- half a bag of frozen green beans
- 1/4 bag of frozen peas
- a frozen chicken breast
- 1/2 a pack of mince saved from the bin
- an old fridge pepper
- an old red onion
- some sesame seeds, coconut oil, a tin of coconut milk and some desiccated coconut from the cupboard

Out from my stores/saved from the food waste.

I’m also going to use the last of a tub of Greek yoghurt and the fresh coriander to make some roasted sesame & coriander naan when we eat the curries. 

Cherryfudge

Some baking done today to use up various things: the only thing totally used up was eggs, but two lots of rhubarb are now in the freezer, one lot has gone to my daughter and son in law and the final lot is in a batch of rhubarb and ginger muffins. I can now see to the back of the fridge: all that rhubarb was in the way!

Some of the rapidly-ripening bananas have gone into banana and coconut muffins.

The remains of the fresh spinach went into the freezer but there was quite a lot of salad left which went down a bit at lunch time, served with tuna jackets. DH also used made the most of the oven being on by baking the rest of the potatoes, so there are two and a half in the fridge to have with another meal.

Frugalistamama

I've done this challenge before but I'm moving soon and my cupboards and freezer are set to burst again!  Also I could do with saving a bit of money for the move, as it's never a cheap thing. I've had a couple of weeks of manic shopping I don't know what's been wrong with me. I know I should de-stock , but have gone into squirreling mode! So I've got to stop and use it up!!

Tonight made the family some chicken and dumpling soup, using up chicken stock from the freezer, lots of veggies going past their best and a tin of potatoes that have been lurking about in the cupboard and some flour. 

I'm posting here for a bit of accountability! 

Cherryfudge

Are you perhaps building a safe zone for yourself against the stresses of moving, @Frugalistamama? It sounds as though you feel you are preparing for a siege. I hope it's not too stressful.

I got various things out of the freezer, cooked them together, ate some and put the rest back in the form of three portions of chicken chasseur and a bag of mushrooms. I am rather shocked that I fitted them in without any Tetris moves. Space in the freezer? Me? This often signals another batch of shopping.

So I've used up chicken, carrots and bacon as well as other bits from cupboards. The chasseur will feed us when we have a visitor next week.

Frugalistamama

That's a good point @Cherryfudge perhaps I am stress shopping. I do have a history of over stocking due to a period in the last financial crisis of 2008 where I could barely feed my family and didn't know any tricks of stretching food. Having food stored is like a safety net. I've learned a lot since then but still fall back into the old pattern of hoarding food 😏

I totally get freezer Tetris!!! 😂