Eat ALL the food in your house

[horsepoor]

Tamarind paste:  paid a fortune from amazon as I can't buy it locally.  Made pad Thai and it was such a pain, well worth it to just get the 6$ take-out!  So I can make more pad Thai but is there anything else I can try with the tamarind paste?  Preferably without rice noodle as we have no Asian grocery here and they cost a fortune at the regular grocery. 

What do you use red lentils for?  DH says he hates lentils. But I think he might not notice red lentils. 

Make a dahl with your tamarind paste and the red lentils.  It doesn't sound like you have access to lots of exotic ingredients locally, but if you can get like a red curry paste and/or garam marsala, use that, and add in any vegetables you might like.  I made this last week and I think it had onion, red bell peppers and carrots in it.  Peas would be good too.

Tamarind paste is actually really good to round out flavors by adding a bit of sourness without the regular acid bite you get from vinegar or citrus.  I frequently add a spoonful of it to soups and stews when the flavor isn't rounded out quite right and it needs that little something.

[MinimalistMoustache]

MayDay, we love Tamarind chutney! Back in the day, I used to make it from seeds obtained from an Indian grocer. These days, I purchase it at Whole "Paycheck" Foods -- when it goes on sale! One of our favorite ways to use it is with samosas. (Easy to make from scratch). Also good on pakora, batter-dipped vegetables.

[Worsted Skeins]

Eating ALL the Food involves using up beans in the pantry.  This is what is currently in my slow cooker:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/white-bean-stew-00100000068403/

Chicken sausage and spinach from the freezer, stock and tomatoes from the pantry, rosemary from the front yard.

I also have some bags of strawberries in the freezer, fruit I picked last year.  Looks like pie is in my future this weekend...

[MayDay]

Thanks for the tamarind ideas.  We can get curry paste and most spices, so those ideas will work.  I need to visit the Asian grocer that is an hour away the next time I am in the city, but so far the stars haven't aligned on that (tired kids who want to go home now, or if I go myself I have to be home before school buses). 

[MayDay]

A friend is doing the GAPS diet for her whole family, and she just have us a big bag of starting-to-sprout potatoes that we need to eat ASAP.  Yay for free food, but ughhhhh potatoes.  I can always just make "French fries" (ie baked potato wedges) every night for 2 weeks, DH and the kids would be happy.  But I think I want to branch out a bit from that. 

Maybe mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, some kind of Indian dish with diced potatoes, twice baked potatoes, hash browns for breakfast, what am I missing?

I could just make a giant batch if mashed potatoes for DH and freeze in single servings.  Easy to pack his lunch!

[horsepoor]

http://www.joybx.net/articles/124.html

These are easier than most twice-baked and sooo good - use whatever you want on them.

Potato leek soup?  Potato gnocchi?  Latkes?

[tariskat]

I'm completely out of vegetables and rice, so will go make a trip for those. Working on a big old ham from last summer! He thawed earlier in the week, was roasted in the oven, appeared as sandwiches, and will soon be in soup.

What do you use shredded coconut for that is not a dessert? I'm trying to nix junk food this month, like cookies and pizza, so I want to burn that up in real food.

[swick]

What do you use shredded coconut for that is not a dessert? I'm trying to nix junk food this month, like cookies and pizza, so I want to burn that up in real food.

Granola, you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you like. There is a great link in the Mustachian recipe Index for "Stolen Granola" super easy to make.

[Pell mell]

... some kind of Indian dish with diced potatoes...

http://www.chow.com/recipes/30942-aloo-gobi-potatoes-and-cauliflower

I've been dying to try this recipe, but I've refrained because my partner is doing no carb at the moment. Enjoy the potatoes! Yum.

I've been using up stuff also as a fun personal challenge not to buy any more groceries until the last few days of the month were over.

Used up lots of frozen veggies that had been hiding in the freezer. There were some that looked like giants ball of ice studded with colour. I added them to stews, soups, whatever I was eating basically. Then I found some frozen coconut milk. Yum. And as a reward for my labours, I found a forgotten bag of frozen brownies way in the back. Yes! I even thawed them out first. :)

Used up tons of skipjack tuna. Forgot my BF needed a lunch today so at the last minute I threw into a container a couple cans tuna, (frozen) veggies (that I thawed), tomato sauce, olive oil, tons of crushed chilies & spices. Then half way down added a layer of cheese and on the top added another cheese layer.  Now he can just heat it up. Not Cordon Bleu but hey, on the fly.

Used up cans of tomato paste and just added them with water and spices when tomato sauce was called for. Used up dribs and drabs of alcohol that had been hanging around a long time.  (Don't know if that's really a bragging point, lol).

[tariskat]

What do you use shredded coconut for that is not a dessert? I'm trying to nix junk food this month, like cookies and pizza, so I want to burn that up in real food.

Granola, you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you like. There is a great link in the Mustachian recipe Index for "Stolen Granola" super easy to make.

I've never made my own granola. I think march sounds like a good time to try it!

[Pell mell]

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

You can make pesto with parsley and any random nuts instead of basil and pine nuts.  It's a milder taste and very cheap.  I made a batch with parsley, hazelnuts, and hazelnut oil.

Sounds interesting! Not sure if it would work with a blender but a friend might give me her old food processor, so I may try it then.

I took someones suggestion on here and stuck my cilantro in a mason jar and vacuum sealed it with the jar attachment. My cilantro has just about lasted two weeks! Usually it goes bad within two days of coming home from the store, if it starts out in decent condition. If you have a vacuum sealer it is the way to go!

Vacuum sealers sound handy. Maybe if i pick one up at a garage sale or something.  For now, I just shoved the parsley in everything i made. It's healthy, right. ;)

[swick]

I still have some cilantro left, it is truly amazing. Think I'm going to have to start putting anything "green" in mason jars. It is by far our biggest area of food waste so I am pretty stoked.

Pulled some chopped red pepper and re fried beans from the freezer and having nachos for dinner. Grocery spending was half of usual last month because we have been eating so much out of the pantry - and at least have of what we spent was meat that went cheaper then I have ever seen it here - so added a bit back to the pantry :)

[Noodle]

Made a variation of a beet salad I like with oranges added and feta subbed for the goat cheese which I discovered had gone bad. Yay for produce out the door! Also used the last of a bag of potatoes on the edge to make oven fries. That went with a salmon burger (free w. coupon from grocery store) to make a very nice dinner!

[horsepoor]

Made a variation of a beet salad I like with oranges added and feta subbed for the goat cheese which I discovered had gone bad. Yay for produce out the door! Also used the last of a bag of potatoes on the edge to make oven fries. That went with a salmon burger (free w. coupon from grocery store) to make a very nice dinner!

FTW!  I have beets rolling around in the bottom of the crisper and clementines I stupidly bought a 20# box of moldering away in the garage, plus some chevre stashed in the freezer.  Now know what we'll be having alongside our fish tomorrow.  Thanks!

[sunnyca]

I'm so in.

My kitchen is insanely full- I like to stockpile and buy things when they're on sale, but it's getting a little excessive.  Applegate breakfast sausages went on sale for $1.25 at the local supermarket (they're normally $5 or so), so I bought 20 boxes.  I think I'm set for breakfast for a while...

I also have a huge stock of dried beans and lentils.  Other than throwing them in the rice cooker with rice, I'm not really sure what else to do with them.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  :)

[1967mama]

Sunnyca -- what kinds of beans do you have? Maybe that will help us come up with some recipes:-)

Unless they're bulk, and you don't know what kind they are?

[sunnyca]

1967mamaof8 - Oops! I should have listed the types of beans. 

I have black beans, kidney beans, aduki beans, and green lentils. 

I also have a bunch of different grains- white/brown/red rice, quinoa, wheat berries, and millet.  And a lot of spices. 

[HappierAtHome]

I've been doing this half heartedly (and my pantry is looking a lot neater as a result!) but I think March is the time to tackle it in earnest - especially as I'll be home by myself for a week, and I'm relatively happy to eat weird combinations of food.

First up: very old pearl barley needs to get turned into tasty stew...

[Worsted Skeins]

First up: very old pearl barley needs to get turned into tasty stew...

Earlier in the week, when I had one thing already going in the oven, I added Budget Bytes baked barley with mushrooms.  Nice side and I used up the last of the barley..

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/09/baked-barley-mushrooms/

[HappierAtHome]

Thanks Worsted Skeins, that looks tasty!

I make a barley stew with carrots, celery, mushrooms and loads of beef stock (plus sometimes actual beef) which is really good. So now I have a few barley recipes :-)

[tariskat]

1967mamaof8 - Oops! I should have listed the types of beans. 

I have black beans, kidney beans, aduki beans, and green lentils. 

I also have a bunch of different grains- white/brown/red rice, quinoa, wheat berries, and millet.  And a lot of spices.

I haven't used aduki beans, but the black and kidneys- I make big batches, freeze most of it in separate containers, and always have a cup or so thawed in the fridge. I add them when I cook eggs in the morning (not a bunch, but similar to what i would add of onions or anything else), make soup, make crock pot stuff, etc. I use them in pace of a meat protein, basically. Or you can do burritos. Mexican food night!

[Miamoo]

http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-eat-beans-every-night.html

[MicroRN]

I had some leftover loaded mashed potatoes and shredded zucchini.  Made mashed potato-zucchini pancakes and the kids inhaled them. 

[sunnyca]

tariskat, Miamoo- thanks for the great tips!

[Noodle]

One thing I am learning from this process is the difference between what ingredients are "real" pantry essentials for me--as in, I use them often and will always use them up--and what is aspirational--things I think I'll use when I buy them, but have to have a specific plan for. My resolution is that when I move, my new pantry will only have what are essentials to me and other stuff will be bought only if I have a specific recipe in mind.

[ashley]

One thing I am learning from this process is the difference between what ingredients are "real" pantry essentials for me--as in, I use them often and will always use them up--and what is aspirational--things I think I'll use when I buy them, but have to have a specific plan for. My resolution is that when I move, my new pantry will only have what are essentials to me and other stuff will be bought only if I have a specific recipe in mind.

This has been my experience exactly, and I'm making the same resolution. If I bought it ages ago and it's still sitting around, I obviously should not buy it again.

[HappierAtHome]

One thing I am learning from this process is the difference between what ingredients are "real" pantry essentials for me--as in, I use them often and will always use them up--and what is aspirational--things I think I'll use when I buy them, but have to have a specific plan for. My resolution is that when I move, my new pantry will only have what are essentials to me and other stuff will be bought only if I have a specific recipe in mind.

This has been my experience exactly, and I'm making the same resolution. If I bought it ages ago and it's still sitting around, I obviously should not buy it again.

Case in point - I've just discovered some almond meal that is a whole year out of date.

Clearly almond meal is not a thing I should have in my pantry.

[Noodle]

Going through the pantry, it has really amazed me how many cooking habits I picked up from my mom that I still have in my 40s. Mom always had a bag of potatoes around...but for me, onions are a staple but potatoes tend to sit around and sprout so I really need to buy just what I want for a recipe instead of the bigger bag. I will use olives and sun-dried tomatoes often, but not capers or pickles (even though I like those things.)

[horsepoor]

Noodle, I should send you all my sundried tomatoes.  Each year I diligently dry a raft of cherry tomatoes, then promptly forget that they exist.  I have them in oil in the fridge, in oil and vacuum packed in the freezer.  There is no way I'll put a dent in them before next tomato season.

I'll be doing a bit of guiltless cheating this weekend.  I'm running a 10K that benefits the food bank, so runners are asked to bring canned goods.  Let's just say I'll be contributing more than the minimum and freeing up some space in my kitchen.

[tmac]

Finally! I love this thread but haven't had a compelling reason to join in. Until now. We're moving this summer and have three months to clear the pantry. We're pretty good about getting through the perishable stuff (the fridge is close to cleared out each week), so I'm going to focus on the things we never seem to get through from the pantry and freezer. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay to move it and I hate to throw it out. So I'll start by planning next week's menu around those ingredients and see how much we can get through.

[4alpacas]

Going through the pantry, it has really amazed me how many cooking habits I picked up from my mom that I still have in my 40s. Mom always had a bag of potatoes around...but for me, onions are a staple but potatoes tend to sit around and sprout so I really need to buy just what I want for a recipe instead of the bigger bag. I will use olives and sun-dried tomatoes often, but not capers or pickles (even though I like those things.)

What do you do with sun-dried tomatoes?  A coworker gave me a small bag, and I don't know what to do with them!

My meals are starting to get weird because we don't have items to make a regular meal.  I had cauliflower (from the freezer) and Honey Nut Cheerios for dinner last night.  I think we're going to break down and buy produce this weekend. 

[swick]

What do you do with sun-dried tomatoes?  A coworker gave me a small bag, and I don't know what to do with them!

send them to me! no-wait I have a few bags I'm going through:)

You Could:
Eat them like candy/dried fruit (my mom's favorite snack)

cut them up and add with abandon to any soups or stews you are making

Rehydrate, chop and mix with a little olive oil and spices and use as: a crostini topping, pizza topping, dip, pasta topping - one of my favorite pastas is basically this with some cracked pepper and Parmesan cheese. Also a great filling for palmairs or pin wheels if you need a stupid fast, easy and impressive appetizer.

The re hydrating liquid can also go into soups, used to make rice, used anywhere else you would use water.

A couple thrown into the stock put when making veggie stock is great too!

[nottoolatetostart]

So I have not posted here in a bit, but doing really well on keeping our weekly groceries low thanks to the recent large grocery run at Costco (Costco savings are unbelievable compared to our local grocery stores, but 60 miles away from my home, so I am only planning on going a few times a year and buying accordingly).

For the month of March, I put together a list of 21 or so dinner meals based on what is already in pantry/freezer and wrote out specific goals (like use 2 of the frozen whole chickens, use up some clearance items in the freezer, etc). Working our way through that list and always improvising.

My biggest accomplishment today is that I wanted to make a chicken enchilada casserole and really thought I had an old, old can of cream of chicken soup in the way back of pantry. Turns out, I did not, so I made my own thanks to a recipe online.  It tastes pretty good and probably will never buy Campbell's soup cream of anything again (my homemade version is cheaper and not processed...double win). Also made my own enchilada sauce and used up some old corn tortillas that have been sitting around longer than they should (not a fan of corn tortillas, for whatever reason). Excited for dinner tonight. Cooking dishes are now done and just need to throw dinner in the oven for a stress free night. Love it!

Monthly March stretch goal is $100 (but have $200 budgeted).

[Noodle]

Swick covered most of what I do with sundried tomatoes. You can also mix chopped sundried tomatoes w. cream cheese for a very nice bagel spread! If you have the kind that are dried in a bag, you will need to rehydrate them first by soaking in warm water. I usually get the oil-packed ones in a jar even though they are less healthy.

As for me, I took care of some boxed macaroni and cheese and tuna for last night's dinner. I don't usually eat boxed dinners but sometimes when I am sick that is the only thing that appeals so I keep one or two on hand. Spring cold=taking care of the mac and cheese (also, threw in the ends of a couple of odd pieces of cheese, shredded up.) Come to think of it, some chopped sundried tomatoes would have been pretty good in there, too!

[swick]

ohh and sundried tomato compound butter for steak...or in chicken kieve...added to double stuffed baked potatoes...

[horsepoor]

I feel like an idgit, it's never occurred to me to chop them up on the blender.  Hmm, off to make a delicious tomato-ey sauce. 

[workathomedad]

No!

Eventually!

Always keep at least a couple months worth for disasters.

[nikki]

I cooked up some pork neck meat for lunch, and I have some fatty pieces left that I'm not sure what to do with. Some pieces still have skin.

Can I make lard from already slightly cooked pieces of fat? I'd imagine so.

Other ideas for using these pieces besides making lard?

[sunnyca]

Crisping fatty pork in the oven is always yummy.

[SweetLife]

I have a bunch of parsley to use. I think of it as a garnish but I need it use it all up soon or it'll go bad.

Parsley is also good cooked in rice, potatoes and any kind of soup that is tomato based :) I add it everywhere ... if you can't use it all up chop it and put in freezer in a ziplock bag lasts forever but we use it so fast that it never goes bad :) (My husband is the one that introduced me to using it in all sorts of wonderful recepies! )

[SweetLife]

... some kind of Indian dish with diced potatoes...

 Used up dribs and drabs of alcohol that had been hanging around a long time.  (Don't know if that's really a bragging point, lol).

I still have a bunch of those little bar mini's from an antique bar that I was "gifted" ... I did manage to use most of the little whiskey ones the last time I made jam (OMG ... it was awesome just added a little extra flavor - all the alcohol evaporates) but soooo tasty ... next to use up the more "exotic" mixes ... but might just try those in jam too ...

[Rural]

Cooked up a pound of brown rice and froze 3/4 of it today in recipe-sized portions for latere in the week/ into next week.

I've just devised (haven't cooked yet) a chickpea-peanut butter curry to go over that rice for supper tonight. Can't swear it will be great, but my usual PB-based stirfry does, so I'd say the odds are good. It uses up some peanut butter we're no longer eating on toast ( cutting down on trans fats, so we've gone to natural PB) without either of us getting a mega dose of it.

Update: the curry totally rocked. Red curry paste, soy sauce, lemon juice, a dash of Fish sauce, garlic. Add a can of chickpeas, Drained, and a 1 pound bag of frozen stirfry vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are done-that is, not frozen anymore and warm through -- And then add a couple of big spoons full of peanut butter, stir until the peanut butter dissolves and the sauce thickens and serve over rice.

[swick]

Cooked up a pound of brown rice and froze 3/4 of it today in recipe-sized portions for latere in the week/ into next week.

I've just devised (haven't cooked yet) a chickpea-peanut butter curry to go over that rice for supper tonight. Can't swear it will be great, but my usual PB-based stirfry does, so I'd say the odds are good. It uses up some peanut butter we're no longer eating on toast ( cutting down on trans fats, so we've gone to natural PB) without either of us getting a mega dose of it.

Update: the curry totally rocked. Red curry paste, soy sauce, lemon juice, a dash of Fish sauce, garlic. Add a can of chickpeas, Drained, and a 1 pound bag of frozen stirfry vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are done-that is, not frozen anymore and warm through -- And then add a couple of big spoons full of peanut butter, stir until the peanut butter dissolves and the sauce thickens and serve over rice.

You have inspired me, Rural! Because seriously, I roasted some asparagus and went...that's enough for dinner, right?
So I have cooked a big pot of rice, some will be for dinner tonight,  I am thinking some cabbage flash stir-fried with some Korean pepper paste. Then some extra rice for garlic fried rice for dinner tomorrow...and Rice pudding!

Seriously easiest ever, I make extra rice while it is still warm stir in some coconut sap (any sugar would work) and some vanilla and almond extract let it cool and fold in some freshly whipped cream. Make a basic fruit sauce with whatever is hiding in the freezer or just top with some canned fruit or compot made from dried fruit. It ain't really elegant, but it is sure tasty!

[Rural]

Good for you! I don't think I would like rice pudding, and my husband makes horrible faces whenever it's mentioned, so I'll pass on that one. But I love having the rice ready to go.

I found brown rice for $.89 a pound last week! I'm thrilled about that; I bought several pounds.

[SweetLife]

Still under the weather with baby/sinus/blech feeling (winter has been tooo long this year lol) ... SOOO ate up another can of mushroom soup with (getting down to the last - finally) crackers ... Yummy and just enough to sleep on.

Pantry looking much better now that we are getting into all the can foods ... Made those shrimp sping rolls again last week (need to use up that rice paper and vermicelli) along with peanut sauce (almost finished off peanut butter!) was yummy and used up more stuff :)

Excellent thread and good push to start using up stuff that has been waiting and waiting :)

[nottoolatetostart]

Yesterday used up some scratch navy beans from freezer as well as some bacon to make a navy bean soup with tons of carrots. Toddler even loved it, saying "mmm" as she stuck a big spoonful of beans into her mouth. Her taste in food cracks me up!

Today making black beans from scratch into refried beans and tonight will be ground beef + refried black bean tacos. Will freeze some of the black beans to use another time. Our milk consumption was lower than expected this week so looks like my normal $12 weekly purchase of 2 gallons of milk (2% and whole) on Saturdays can be pushed off for at least another 4-5 days. Woo hoo!

This week has been awesome for food consumption. Very proud of myself and family.

FIL coming over the weekend, so I am hoping to tempt FIL and DH from wanting to eat out. It seems like there is always temptation to eat out when his family is in town.

[tariskat]

We have a huge batch of parsley that's about to go. Should I just put it or on a towel and let it turn into a dry herb, or is there some kind of sauce I can make with it? I feel like someone may have asked this...

[Noodle]

Tabbouleh involves a fair amount of parsley. Or I wonder if you could do a pesto with it?

I did a thin-crust pizza tonight to use up some packaged pizza crusts that have been hanging around too long, fig butter (I like figs, but not to the extent of consuming large jars of both fig butter and fig jam...), blue cheese and caramelized onions. It was really good but I think I would have preferred it with a more traditional crust.

[horsepoor]

Yep, I think this was covered upthread.

Parsley is good in pretty much any vegetable soup or mixed in with rice pilaf.

I still have so much stuff to use.  I made bread yesterday that was a total flop.  Edible, but dense as it didn't rise properly.  Made soup out of odds and ends and leftover chicken.  I am making progress on the random jars of things in the fridge, though I don't think DH will allow me to prune his mustard collection (he's recently gone mustard-crazy and has to have 5 different kinds), but then I have 3 different kinds of kimchi in there.

I did do well with shopping this week.  Picked up our co-op basket of fruits and veggies and only spent another $15 at the grocery store on a couple odds and ends. 

It's rainy here today, so I might do some batch cooking to get some of the non-perishables moving through the supply stream.

[Worsted Skeins]

Use your parsley in chimichurri sauce. 

http://www.food.com/recipe/chimichurri-21151