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

[Ninkanink]

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!

@Graphista wish I could send you some of my flour, at least you’d know what to do with it

In other news, I may have panic bought FAR too much garlic granules. It’s one of the few things I use in everything but I seem to have ended up accidentally ordering 500g from Amazon 😂😂

By the end of the month it’ll be garlic raisins for us... 🤣

@PurpleDaisies oh yes I love plastic cheese, yes I love "proper" cheese but plastic a guilty pleasure

@OnceUponAMidnightBeery I love garlic but yes that's rather a lot how big is your family?!

@Ninkanink the pioneer woman, wow just reminded me I used to watch her show, think I’ve still got a few recipes knocking around somewhere, never checked out the website though, thanks.

OnceUpon
Well if you eat all that garlic the social distancing won’t be a challenge.

I’m pretty good at using up left overs but some great ideas here

@Graphista just me and DH think I read it as 50g, it certainly seems a lot better value now 🤣

If we weren’t isolating I’d send you all some! I do get out of quarantine on Thursday, let me know if anyone needs any! Or any raisins 😉

Wonders if dogs like garlic

I make an awesome southern fried chicken burger* with chipotle ranch dressing, pickled gherkins and jalapeños, and for them to be just right one simply must add cheese of the plastic variety (they’re not even allowed to call it cheese! ).

...so delicious.

*Photo of the delectable delights - might not look all that great but it’s seriously good.

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

That made me lol, you’re right - protection from vampires and corona virus in one!

Sigh. Second time I forgot photo today!

Well, garlic granules are very useful! We actually had a mix up with garlic this week and our veg box supplier ordered 10kg not 1kg. No vampires round here either. I freeze the whole bulbs and use them straight from the freezer. Same with fresh ginger and chillis.

I have fresh garlic, garlic grinder, garlic granules and garlic salt...think I'm set I do love garlic but even I'd be pushed to use that much

10 kilos of garlic?! Bloody hell! No vampires round your way then

Glad I’m not the only one inundated with garlic, that’s going to keep us going for months! I think work will send me back into isolation for their own good...

10kg fresh garlic? I feel strangely better now 😂 at least it was them not you though!

Looks like garlic is actually quite beneficial for dogs, who knew? They’re not sleeping in the bed tonight though

I'm pretty certain garlic is toxic to dogs!

I think you’re thinking of onions...

Oh shit you’re right!

Small amounts are safe apparently.

But NO, I wouldn’t risk it.

www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/garlic/

m.petmd.com/dog/conditions/toxicity/are-onions-and-garlic-bad-your-dog

wagwalking.com/condition/garlic-poisoning

Just putting it in bold to be on the safe side:

don’t feed garlic to your dogs

I have pet food manufacturing contacts if you want me to double check, but can safely say I have never seen alliums of any sort in pet food factories I have audited over the years

No you’re right, it’s not worth risking it, that’s for sure. My mistake.

I have a quantity of filo pastry that has been defrosted. Had it on top of a spring chicken pot pie but there was way more than I thought in the box.

Was hoping to have enough leftover pork to make pork filo parcels but sadly not. Any other ideas - sweet or savoury?

Greek style pie.

I’ve linked to this loads over the years. It’s one of my favourites. Use whatever you’ve got in the fridge. Reheats really well too.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crispy-greek-style-pie

@PurpleDaisies I think I could do any adaption of that. I have lots of Swiss Chard in my veg bed which I could use in place of spinach. Thank you

Chicken casserole was lovely. Had it with instant mash which I've not had for a while total comfort food.

Eaten about 90 mins ago just off to put the other portion in the freezer hoping it's cooled enough

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