More important now than ever - Using what you have
.... Not to waste any food. None of us can afford to waste a thing. Not with the prices of food at the moment. I very much think that for most households this coming Christmas.
Once your meal leftovers have cooled make sure that they are packaged into a container and packed into the fridge. Over a couple of days any leftover veg can accumulate and can always be turned into a "Bubble and Squeak" cakes or potato cakes.
This is what is happening for us tonight for tea. I have cooked vegetables leftover from Sunday, and I am not wasting anything. The vegetables consist of the last of the roasties, some broccoli, carrots, peas, celeriac, Brussel sprouts and a little left over mashed potato. I am going to mash all the veggies together, and then either pop in portions in the frying pan after frying some bacon or shaped into cakes/patties. This will be served with the fry up we are having for tea tonight. These patties are also good to pop into the freezer if you have a freezer in use. Then just grab a few to serve with a meal. The freezer can be your best friend, especially if you do not want to eat the excess here and now. Makes for a quick meal another day so well worth doing. Bubble n Squeak is lovely served with chicken, chips and a fried egg, and also with Game such as Pheasant or Duck.
Today we were going to have Roast Chicken, but time got away from me a bit today.
As well as the Bubble and Squeak, OH might also have some fried bread with his as well. Therefore, we will be having tonight, Chipolatas, Bacon, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Egg and the Bubble and Squeak (there are some Brussels in this, but you can add other green leafed veggies) and OH will have his fried bread. (I do not have everything but have a little). Makes a filling meal.
I always start with sausages first, get them brown then add the bacon.
Then the eggs go in and after that the tinned tomatoes. I always add plenty of white pepper to the tomatoes.
This is the lovely tea we had a "His" and "Her" version.
There were two patties left and half a tin of tomatoes. They have therefore gone onto the leftovers shelf, for a brekkie for himself another day.
Just like my Mum and Nan did before me (and what happened as a matter of course during the War years), I am trying to make the most of what comes our way. I am trying not to waste anything even going so far as to using alternative ingredients to those that I would normally buy and use primarily because of the price. I am trialling out the Honest Value Co-Op Brand margarine for baking at £1 a tub. I would normally buy the Stork Brand, but that is £2.40 a tub at the moment it could buy other things - will see how we get on with it) just in an effort to put a bit of something to eat into the fridge, the Canning/Jam Store and the Pantry shelf with a bit of cake or pastries and puddings. I think the prices being charged for bakery products have gone well off the scale and have come to the conclusion that even if I just bake a little bit each day if I have the oven on, will just give that little bit extra to what you eat and to your palate. We have really enjoyed the puddings we have had recently as well. Fortunately, because of the canned goods I popped up earlier. That is going to be a reality for the future.
It is important not to feel hungry in these winter months to keep ourselves and our families warm and to eat food that will warm us up from the inside out. Especially if the heating is not going to be on as much as it used to be. At the moment we are slinging on extra jumpers and if I get too cold the heating goes on for a short while, but we are trying to use sparingly. Obviously, we are being sensible. When it gets colder still it will be on a bit more but we are being realistic and practical.
At the moment, on the use up shelf in the fridge, I have the remains of the French Onion soup from the other day to which has been added the remnants of the gravy from the Beef Roast we had on Sunday. I plan on adding this into a stew I have planned for later in the week. So, no waste here but lots of flavour. There is still a little bit of beef leftover and that will get thinly sliced and used in some sarnies with Leek Relish. A short-term preserve for the fridge shelf and a way of using up any best before veg. The veg may look a bit past their best but they are still full of flavour. I think common sense has to come out to play here. I have plenty of Leeks in the house at the moment. I use them a lot when they are in season. I have plans for a Leek and Potato soup. I also have some Leeks that will be ideal for roasting with a little oil and butter and perhaps a very little sugar (helps them caramelise - but go steady on it you do not need much) in the oven, and then using as a relish in a meat or cheese sarnie.
I also have plans for a Roasted Squash soup to be prepped up and popped into the fridge. Ideal for a warm me up on a cold winter's day like today where we have had loads of rain again, and the temperature has dropped, and the winds have been really rough.
There is also swede in the fridge, and some left over carrots. They are going to be turned in Carrot and Swede mash which goes very well with a cooked meal of most sorts i.e., mashed potatoes, sausages, cabbage and swede n carrot mash or indeed with a roast Chicken which I have planned for tomorrow night. Anything root veg wise will go into the stew planned for later in the week. All good healthy eating
I went to the veg shop today and asked about a sack of potatoes. I gasped even more they have gone up to £14! The price was quoted at £12 two weeks ago. I am not paying that. I am shopping around to see what I can locate close to us in Peterborough. If we can locate such a provider and the price is good enough, I might end up getting two sacks in one go. I am mindful of Christmas and New Year and the premium that is attached to food during the month of December, based on supply and demand which I do not agree with.
Talking of which, if you have a freezer, it would perhaps be a good time to freeze a load of fresh veg yourself, (if you do not grow it and have not already frozen it) and are reliant on little shops and supermarkets. Put as much up as you can now this will save time and energy on Christmas day, and also from paying through the nose for parsnips, Brussels and other veg based on supply and demand. When I had the freezer, this is something that I regularly used to do as it is (as the premium is a bit of a rip off) all round and I think profoundly morally wrong. Unfortunately, this year I am not in a position to do this but would however urge all of you who do have a freezer to keep it going and to do this. There is so much you can sort and organise when you have more time rather than everything being manic and frantic on the day when you can end up forgetting things. I always aimed to get most of the food shopping sorted by third week of December and then just odds and ends after that. All of the preserved items also play their part in the selection of foods available during the holiday period.
Today's finds on the veggie front - there was not a big selection, are Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, beetroot, Squash, Pumpkin, some pickling onions and a tray of eggs. Will keep my eyes peeled for other items as the week goes on. I also bought in a couple of Pomegranates for Christmas Decorating. They are going to be sliced and popped in the Dehydrator.
Am therefore doing my bestest to use what I can wherever I can rather than waste it. OH was not aware that I had prepped up the Bubble n Squeak and loved it. At least he has some more for another day. We have another full roast dinner tomorrow.
What are you doing to try and avoid waste in your kitchen?
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Comments
Post a Comment
Hello, thank you for popping by