Food thread! Favourite leftover dishes, avoiding waste, menu ideas.

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Thought I’d start a thread for everyone to post their tips and ideas on how best to use foodstuffs. Hoping it could be an easy guide as well for those who maybe aren’t so used to home cooking or using leftover foods, or understanding how best to utilise everything you have, expiry dates etc.

We have always been very conscious of food waste so we plan very carefully to use every scrap of food, it’s not hard, it’s just a skill one develops.

I’ll post some of my favourite leftover/using up bits meals and menus here and if anyone else wants to as well, please do!

Sueelleker the egg one is gala pie. Used to be popular in the 70s and 80s

*Another thing cleared...

Hi, does anyone know if it costs to whatsap video calls through a mobile in UK??

Stock for home made Pho using veg trimmings and a couple of chicken carcasses I had in the freezer, plus coriander, star anise and wild garlic.
I found a bit of leftover roast pork in the freezer too, so will add that, plus tofu puffs, noodles and veg at the end. Chopped coriander and sriracha to finish it off

Poppy1973 it's free, I use it in UK and abroad to chat to the cat (oh, and to my OH when the cat's finished talking) when I am working away

poppy it uses WiFi or data, so as long as you're connected to WiFi or have data included in your plan then it's free.

My DH went on a bread and milk run earlier and I asked him to get a cauliflower as well. Well, he's brought back the saddest looking cauliflower I've ever seen, so I'll have to find room for it in the freezer. Does anyone know if roasted cauliflower freezes well or if I'm better boiling it? It'll likely end up in a curry if that makes a difference. Might do a cauliflower cheese with half of it but I don't have a great track record for making white sauce...

I would just cut into florets and freeze it raw, then you can use it so many ways. More versatile if you can’t get fresh food for a while.

I would just quickly blanch the cauliflower and freeze,. You can roast or whatever you want on defrost then

@Weedsnseeds1 your stock/broth looks fantastic. I’m craving Asian style meals so much atm - we usually have one every week or so...just need to use up other things first and then I’ll have my fill!

That is a mighty fine stockpot!

Yes, definitely blanch first to avoid it going soggy and to preserve it better. I should learn to be clearer when I say things and not rely on shorthand.

@Spam88

Have a look online at cauliflower mash recipes. Tried a couple of years ago and found it very tasty.

LOVE cauli mash, especially with plenty of butter and black pepper!

So, mushrooms are off the menu for us after DD reacted very badly to them last night. Was planning steak from the freezer for tea as a treat, as DD and DS really like it, but that's going to wait until DD is feeling better. In fact, I've only just had breakfast as woke up late after being up and looking after DD in the night.

Meanwhile, I have to go and get some milk shortly, and some bread for my dad (we leave his shopping in a hidden niche in his backyard). I'm hoping to find some spring onions for this Chinese recipe I like:

www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-scallion-pancakes/

Also, does anyone know what to do with rice flour? DS had to get a selection of flours to do comparison tests for his GCSE Food Tech, and while I can use the others (bread, wholewheat, etc) I've no idea what to use rice flour for.

I have too many eggs to use up, so I'm making a crustless quiche, baking the mix in a lined baking tray. I can then cut this into portions and freeze. I used to take a portion to work with some salad, and microwave for lunch.

Rice our = shortbread

Flour

myheartbeets.com/rice-flour-roti/

Rice flour roti

Also Mochiko chicken

Rice flour:

Tempura seafood/veg/chicken wings etc.

Asian dumplings/pancakes/buns

You can use in baking gluten free cakes.

I have a spare portion of mash left after lunch. I can’t decide whether to use it for potato pancakes or farls, bubble and squeak cakes or something else entirely.

Fish cakes?
Macaroon? ( Yes a sweet dish with potato)!

Op the problem is I DON'T want non contact deliveries, I would not use or even touch anything left on doorstep as to me it would be contaminated.

Reheating - you've all been so helpful saying most things can be frozen and tips on reheating things like casseroles. If I make the bun tin frittatas to freeze how do I defrost/reheat them safely?

Some interesting idseas for the rice flour, I'd prefer not to waste it, so will look at these. Shortbread sounds nice.

I've no microwave

Ooh, I never knew you could make macaroons with potato!

@Graphista yes I figured that would be the case (makes sense with the OCD in relation to germs). Just thinking if there’s some way to work around it...have you got a plastic crate with lid that they could place the parcel into? You could clean that inside and out on the day when you get notification of something coming, then place outside, then clean it as part of cleaning routine for the parcel for virus protection? Is that workable or does that not reduce the worry?