Bring Me Your Leftovers - MadameD's Food Surgery

[MadameDefarge]

Got a fridge full of nonsense, or indeed, rather lacking in anything?

This thread is to help those stumped for ideas with what they have lurking in their fridge/freezer/cupboard and need to knock something up.

I am here quite a lot, and as a professional (resting) cook I would relish the challenge to help people out!

Loving this thread! I have steak, peppers, broccoli, cabbage pak choi, carrots, green beans, varied herbs. Was going to just pan ry the steak and have with buttered vegetables so if no one replies in th meantime and you have any other yummy ideas I'm all ears!!

have you thought about doing a yummy vegetable bubble to go with it? I know I go on about bubble and squeak, but it really is a fab way to use stuff up. Or doing a lush vegetable bake. with a cheese sauce.

Otherwise I love buttered veg! Simple is often the best.

Wow. Amazing friend. I want to declutter my fridge so will be back later! Not read whole thread but super impressed!!

Technically not left over (as I have a plan for beef and red wine casserole!) but beef use by 1st jan - ok today/tomorrow to cook?

yes fine. cook away!

beef is not a troublesome meat bacteriawise, as in being fine to eat raw in steak tartare or beef carpaccio...

I shall cook tomorrow then. Have tonsillitis and can't face cooking

you poor thing! but your casserole sound delicious!

done

but vinegar is what you pickle stuff in, how can it go off?

its about exposure to the air and other bacteria. If its sealed, its pretty safe. manufacturers have to be ultra strict about use by deadlines. There is also the question of taste being affected. After a certain period, the taste will decline, and you just wouldn't want to use it.

If it has been sealed, and unused, after a couple of years, you need to be guided by taste. If it tastes shit, chuck it! If its okay, then give it ago. but preferably in a cooked dish, where, bacteria will be killed by high heat.

Pickles don't last forever! A year or so is the best bet.

Vinegar still contains organic substances that can react and go off.

It will have shallots, mushrooms, beef, chopped pancetta, tin tomatoes, red wine, bay leaves, thyme, a tiny bit of marmite/stock and carrots in it

Can I come round?

Thank you MD . Will give the recipe a go. Just loving this thread and am now envious of all your fridge contents!

Only if you cook and liquidise it for me
It's a Jamie Oliver recipe adapted, no browning of meat and never fails

jamie is great at one pots/pans.

That is kind of my point, lots of great stuff out there. But very few folk are as religious about researching home cooked food as a cook.

I won't be spouting bollocks recipes which ask for nonsense. But neither will I pander to the truly lazy! Hey Google it! But sometimes its really hard to think of a good meal with the stuff in your fridge. here I can really help.

A really tasty soup which nobody else seems to cook is cauliflower cheese. Do it with a good sharp cheddar, serve with crispy bacon on top - yum!
I'm a lazy cook because I live alone

my customers absolutely loved this

I have so many lovely cauliflower things, but this really hit the spot!

That looks so good! Love reading all these recipes, I get invited to friends a lot as I eat anything (except pistachio nuts and offal)
My vegan friend likes to experiment on me

I feel your pain, good... while I have a ds, he is a total nightmare when it comes to food (dyspraxia, supertaster)

Some things I'm not keen on. Coriander tastes like soap to me
Vegan friend specialises in vegan bakery which is fine by me

The cauliflower cake looks fab. I nearly always have an about to go off cauli in the fridge!

I know! my lovely cousin, who is like a sister to me, loathes coriander with a passion.

Just one of those things!

I'm a lazy cook because I'm just not great at it! I can follow a recipe but not brilliant at tweaking them so the food still tastes good.