Pantry Challenge 2024

[2024Hackathon]

A relative has downsized. I 'inherited' a mass of pantry items she couldn't take with her. They range from the exotic to the everyday. A lot of them are well beyond their Best Before date (some going back to 2012 like stock cubes).

However, I can't bear food waste. So, I'm making a conscious effort to use up the pantry items along with the contents of our freezer and minimise the need to purchase much beyond fresh fruit and vegetables (we do have a lot of dehydrated vegetables).

I know I'm going to run out of inspiration and find it easier to default to not rotating in the pantry items which is why I'm hoping to keep this here.

Note from 31 Dec. I used some dried whole egg when baking (I used half the amount of fresh eggs and the remainder was from dried) and it was (unexpectedly) fine.

01.01.24 pantry challenge

Breakfast: porridge, HM bread toasted, HM yoghurt (all pantry; I may need to try and shift yoghurt making to dried milk)

Lunch: yesterday's vegetable soup (pantry) with tomato salad (current stores)

Dinner: duck (freezer) with roast potatoes, vegetables all from pantry (red cabbage, rehydrated carrots and celeriac).

I made poha yesterday for WFH brunch with rice flakes, peanuts and spices all from the pantry. Poha Recipe | Spiced Flattened Rice - Swasthi's Recipes (indianhealthyrecipes.com) Very carb heavy though but we had salad for dinner.

I love poha with a fried egg on top!

Poha looks amazing! I’ll keep an eye out in the shops for it so I can try. (Not the point of the thread but I love trying new dishes.)

I’m not strictly on a pantry challenge (did a big shop this week 🥴) but I’m still working my way through our tiny freezer freeing up space. Fishcakes from the freezer tonight with a poached egg and sweetcorn/black bean/red onion salad. I’ll make extra salad for tomorrow’s dinner too.

@HowDidThisHappenDinesh i am also not on a strict pantry challenge.

I do however want to get out of some bad habits of constantly being in stock up mode. i feel the last few years have been so weird with supply chains etc that i have used my pantry and freezers as a comfort blanket. however they aren't a good one unless i use this stuff up.

Hoping to also use some of the more random household supplies i have. Things i generally don't reach for but work fine and other tiems ive been saving for "just in case". time now to use them.

I'm kind of playing chicken with the big shop. I know to some extent i'm only kicking the can down the road but hoping to wait until i'm out of enough of the products that are really expensive in smaller shops before doing it.

i feel the last few years have been so weird with supply chains etc that i have used my pantry and freezers as a comfort blanket.

I absolutely understand the feeling of well-stocked pantries and freezers acting like a comfort blanket. And, simultaneously, because lockdown threw so many of my relative's usual routines and hospitality, I can see how those stores can become fairly vintage without assiduous attention to using them up.

07.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with carrot and celeriac soup sharpened with HM apple vinegar (the things that I never realised my relative did!).

Dinner: I'm very tired and people are out and about, returning at different times. I've thawed the last of the baked potatoes that we froze in December, and I've made up a range of fillings that people can have with them (tinned octopus based or grilled aubergine). The side dish is defrosted freezer coleslaw (upthread) with the last of the pickled lettuce. The pickled lettuce keeps well beyond one week although it is best within a week.

https://food52.com/recipes/19023-shalotta-mom-s-pickled-lettuce-condiment

Yes that’s almost my exact thought process. I’m so used to buying things reduced or ‘just in case’, buying stuff for quick meals that actually never get eaten, etc. I think it was the same thought process of, I may not have any money in the bank, but I have a kitchen full of food!

Times have changed now and we’re more financially secure, and have a tiny kitchen so much better to only buy what we need and not worry about stores! Saying that I just did a medium sized shop, again, because all our staples seem to have run out at once 🥴

And i broke!

Small child is sick but recovering so went to Lidl to get some of their favourites, an easy dinner for us and picked up some of the things on my big shopping list too. Didn't do a huge shop but i have also looked at the lidl app today and have seen that their reduced items starting today for the week are items i'd like to stock up on. i will get these as they are a significant saving on items we use regularly and can be stored well.

While i want to use up my stores i also still want to continue to have a good pantry and add to them responsibly and that means buying them when on offer. They are not items that are usually on offer so i won't put these off.

I enjoy reading the range of strategies that we all have.

pistachios - Lidl was the undoing of DH. He dropped in this afternoon to get some cheese he likes. But he was smitten by the Asian food which is the special that started today and he's arranged a night with friends where they'll eat Korean food. He intended to buy me some pak choi as a treat but it was out of stock apparently. 🙄£18:89 but this also counts as his social networking which I support so it could be far costlier.

08.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with beetroot and apple soup sharpened with HM apple vinegar.

Dinner: Salmon with artichoke bottoms in tomato sauce bake, green beans and rehydrated mushrooms plus red peppers. People with larger appetites can have pasta as well.

@2024Hackathon @pistachiosanscream I wish DH would have a Lidl habit - it’s Sainsburys for him, which is dearer! I also am supporting his social life though, he’s leaving me to my own devices for two Saturdays in a row - heaven! So I won’t complain when he spends in sainsbos this weekend for food we don’t really need, if it’s for him and his mates.

Korean food night sounds great - I have a tub of gochujang in the fridge that I have several good recipes for actually.

@2024Hackathon your dinner as always sounds great. I never got on with artichokes but with salmon sounds tasty. Maybe I’ll meal plan it for March as I refuse to do another shop until then! Keep updating, I love to hear your creations.

I think lockdown, and also the shortages caused by Brexit are definitely a contributary to the food stores we now keep. I am absolutely rigorous with rotation though of tins etc. I don't feel it's a problem as such.
It's more using up random things bought on a whim or a idea of "something" that is my problem!

Still eyeing up the idli mix and hominy. I didn't get around to trying it this week, next week is half term, so perhaps after that!

I bought a bunch of tinned pineapple in Lidl, it's 95p a tin, or 6 for £3 currently!!

Dinesh - Korean food night sounds great - I have a tub of gochujang in the fridge that I have several good recipes for actually.

From Lidl, it's 2 types of pork ribs in Korean sauces and some Korean-style pulled chicken. We've got noodles and our own kimchi (courtesy of the 'inheritance'), so I'll see what we can do in the way of vegetables.

08.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with tomato soup and the very last of that jar of smoked tomato oil.

Dinner: Chicken or chickpea tofu curry using up an elderly curry sauce mix. We've also got several packets of dahi vada that I might serve as a side dish with some assorted vegetables.

I made the 2nd version of the chickpea tofu with some added lupin flour for the colour and to increase the protein. (Yes, of course I inherited the lupin flour.)

There is chickpea yoghurt for the vegans but MN doesn't seem to like 2 YT videos to be linked so I'll pop it below.

The chickpea yoghurt which is just a fermented purée. I'm not a fan but these things take a while to bed down (like all ferments do) and the people who are eating it like it so I feel it's OK to serve with the dahi vada.

Definitely missing the fresh herbs to liven up the appearance of food and add something to it. This has to be the year that I learn how to cultivate indoor herbs.

09.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with mushroom soup and some rehydrated morel mushrooms.

Dinner: Stir-fried chickpea tofu (as above) with ginger and toasted sesame oil with rice and vegetables.

10.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast: inherited frozen Danish Aebleskiver so we served these with a mixed cherry and berry jam.
Lunch: Chicken or mushroom loaf, both some rehydrated morel mushrooms and a range of vegetables.

Dinner: Crackers and Tartex pate. Frozen coleslaw (upthread) and garden pickles.

12.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with mixed vegetable soup.

Dinner: Octopus or artichoke bake with noodles, rehydrated red peppers and tomato sauce and a side of aubergine (jarred).

DH bought Lidl Asia week food for a night with friends. We're having leftovers of that tomorrow as everyone is out early and back from 19:00 or so.

Making more yoghurt and villi this evening.

Aebleskiver! Another fascinating find. They look delicious.
I’ve just made a courgette soup which didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped, dinner was also a mushy mess, so in the spirit of the pantry challenge I’ll be attempting some food surgery tomorrow. Turning mushy sweet potatoes into puree and the soup into pasta sauce, for example. No waste and no giving in to takeaway temptation!

That's the (surgical)spirit, Dinesh! Well done for both using them up and ignoring the siren call of a takeaway.

13.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with mixed vegetable soup with leftover morel mushrooms.

Dinner: Leftovers from the Lidl splurge on Asia food that DH had last week (he bought it to eat with friends). However, one of the leftovers was a rack of ribs so it's better than it sounds. We have some seitan to serve with a barbecue sauce for vegans. The accompaniments will be rice and a mix of the rehydrated and frozen vegetables.

14.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with lentil soup.

Dinner: Chicken | mushroom loaf with freezer coleslaw (I need to make more) and stuffed vine leaves with red peppers.

We might have aebleskiver today. We meant to have them yesterday but it didn't work out.

DH is definitely hearing the siren call of a takeaway and I am resisting with all my might! Haha. I made what I call a Frakenpasta today with remains of dinners gone wrong. It ended up being linguine with ricotta, spinach, sweet potato puree and garlic butter. Actually sounds tasty but we'll see when I try it!

Tonight's dinner is a sachet of laksa that's been floating round for months. It says to serve with fish and various veg (including pineapple?) so I'll be using up a tin of mackerel and tin of pineapple as well as half a cucumber, some red onions and half a pack of noodles left over from a stir fry. The pineapple juice from the can will go in smoothies tomorrow to use up old fruit.

15.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with smoked aubergine soup.

Dinner: Range of pies with side vegetables.

16.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with tomato soup and a dollop of aubergine.

Dinner: Salmon with artichoke bake in tomato and chilli plus rehydrated vegetables.

We definitely need to buy some frozen vegetables now.

The family will be very sorry when the aebleskivers are all gone!

17.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast as usual, lunch was aebleskivers.😊

Dinner: Pork steak or vegan schnitzel, served with the steady supply of red cabbage, rehydrated kale and carrots.

DH sulking we don't have potato for roast potatoes. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a late-breaking supermarket visit to obtain potatoes!

@2024Hackathon I’m surprised you don’t have any tinned potatoes in your haul! I’ve found they make better roasties than I can make myself 🙃

My laksa turned out so nicely that I will likely buy more sachets of it! DH didn’t even notice or care about the tinned mackerel. The Frankenpasta was also tasty.
I’m in clear out/freezer mode for the next few days before we go away for a week. All vegetable bits and bobs that can’t be frozen are going into a big curry to see us through the next few days. Made a coleslaw with carrots and cauliflower leaves (no cabbage but waste not want not) which I’ve frozen for when we get back. When I return it will be freezer challenge 😄 for a week or so, there’s loads of stuff in there!

I made a curry last night of all sorts of sad bits of vegetables from the fridge, then it was too hot, so had to add another tin of tomatoes and another of beans. Oh well, two servings to the freezer for another day!

Dinesh - jellyfish, eel, octopus, dried tofu skin, red bean curd, all sorts of things but not tinned potatoes!

18.02 All from stocks and freezer

Breakfast and lunch as usual, with smoked aubergine soup and rehydrated red pepper.

Dinner: Feta, mixed vegetable spread, freezer coleslaw, pickled garden vegetables with selection of crackers.

have fallen off the wagon slightly. Did a shop last weekend which I’m calling “the big shop” €100. Then this weekend I spent €16 on a top up shop that I didn’t really need as I just wanted bananas.

last week I bought apple juice from a small farm. it comes in 3 litre pouches and we bought a case. We’d been given some as a Christmas gift snd it’s lovely. Also had the option to add on a box of apples for €7.50 so we got them. Considering a six pack of apples is €3 it’s good value but means we have lots of apples to eat.

hoping to have a good week and stay out of the shops. I’ll send DH for bananas when we need them