Food finds: what have you tried because of COVID shopping difficulties that you’ll retain?

[boatyardblues]

For us, it has been sandwich wraps. I bought them ‘just in case’ as they’re long-dated. We got stuck in 14 day quarantine and used them when we ran out of bread. I was talking about it with DH and the kids last nighf and we all prefer them to bread for lunch. We won’t be going back.

Also, DH and I have renewed our interest in pears after a random veg box gave us some lovely, juicy pears.

Avon - I didn't use a recipe: just mixed flour and yoghurt until it looked like dough then patted it out into vaguely flatbread shapes on a floured board. fried on both sides in a bit of olive oil.

I fell badly out of the habit of cooking mainly due to health issues (ironically) and lost my confidence.

I’ve been posting on the “frugal foodies” thread and been getting great advice & ideas there.

Made jam for the first time ever, also ratatouille and feeling far more confident using leftovers and knowing what can be used past date etc

Celeriac. Never in my life have I used one before but I got it in a veg box and used it to make a soup as I literally didn't know what else to do with it and it was amazing . Hoping we get one again in this weeks box !

Ice lollies. Got them as a sub in a delivery. They brighten your day a lot.

Twix Tops - we got them as a sub for Tunnock’s Teacakes and they are great.

Jamie Oliver has a flat bread recipe that’s really nice. Haven’t made them in years but might have a go now

@AvonCallingBarksdale

I used 250g self raising flour, 150ml water and a pinch of salt! Just mixed it all together and then needed and separated, it did only make 3 fairly small flat breads do adjust accordingly! Flattened them out and fried lightly in oil for a couple of minutes each side! Sprinkled some cheese on during frying for DP as he normally has a cheese naan!

@nameymcnamechangeagain and Remus and MoMandas, thanks, I’ll give them at a go!

Homemade pizzas and bread. I do a lot of cooking and baking anyway but never really had the need to make either of those before as we just buy bread and get takeaway pizzas. DH said the pizzas are actually nicer than our usual one (which is a proper Italian one, not just a kebab shop pizza, his standards are high!). We've also started eating more jacket potatoes, I have them a lot in work anyway but DH has always proclaimed he's not fussed on them...he's been converted, I'm just doing a few altogether at the start of the week and then reheating.

Frozen couscous with veg from Aldi - it's lovely! It has edamame beans and pomegranate seeds
In it

Sourdough starter and bread. I doubt I’ll ever buy bread again.

Making own bread - had trouble getting bread then our local bakery was starting to get uppity regarding orders so now making own. Since it is so much nicer and cheaper I think I will do this from now on.

Massive chickens - roasting larger chickens, getting 2 meals out of them, plus a few leftovers and then using the carcass for stock and putting leftovers and veg in to make soup. I'll never buy a small chicken again. 3 meals!

Easter eggs - I'll never buy before Easter again. Went to the shop on Easter Monday and bought massive ones for 1/4 price.

I think the thing I will remember the most is the annoyance at food waste. Since the past 3 weeks I've been infuriated at any food waste. All in all I think I threw 2 bananas away and some blueberries, but still mad over it.

That couscous sounds FAB. My DH loves it. We can't understand the appeal and he is a bit of an Aldi snob but I'll give it a go.

I will definitely be trying the various pizza ideas out on here. And you've inspired me to bake bread again 🙂

I'm a keen cook, but got into bad cooking ( and shopping) habits over the last few years - work too hectic, same dishes over and over.

Mostly I've discovered that reading Nigel Slater's kitchen diaries is a culinary turn-on and have enjoyed trying his various seasonal recipes. We are lucky enough to have a weekly village market and I've really enjoyed having the time to trudge down to the veg stall. We've bought new things that the kids have rarely eaten like artichokes and mangoes. I'm certainly keeping this habit up once like if back to normal. It's much cheaper than the supermarket. The farm shop is a bit more expensive, but the meat is excellent, so that will stay too.

I'm growing my own herbs in pots in the garden and am using them loads, especially thyme and mint.

Today we are having Greek lamb skewers, homemade flatbreads, Greek salad. Inspired by another thread, we might also now be having Nigel Slater's chocolate brownies. But I'll leave half on the neighbours' doorstep because I'm no greeder ( I am!)

Basically, I've learned that it's worth spending time buying, cooking and eating good, simple and healthy food and I want to keep on doing it.

I have had 2 bags of gram flour in the back of a cupboard for ages - bought for one recipe, forgot I'd bought a bag, bought another, so I had 2. Then I used about 100g and was left with 2kg of the stuff. It's been there for years.

Seeing as there is no normal flour wondered what I could do with it. I have made socca and it is a revelation. Dead easy, quick, really tasty, hard to get wrong and healthy!

pinchofyum.com/one-ingredient-socca

We made pizza with out of date bread flour and out of date yeast sachets & lived to tell the tale. I found 3 boxes of yeast sachets at the back of the baking cupboard, all out of date. The stuff that’s 15 months past its BBE date is working fine. It makes me think we probably chuck a lot of food that is still perfectly fine.

Cooked yesterday with a packet of dessicated coconut and noticed it said 'once open use within one month'.

My mum never told me this

That packet has been there at least 2 years, and we aren't dead yet. Not sure what is supposed to happen to us from some dry coconut either. We don't eat that much of the stuff to use it within a month.

Bonkers.

Anyway, I've resealed it with the tab and will try not to leave it another 2 years before using it again

Custard ice cream. Just a carton of premade custard in the ice cream machine. I haven't used my ice cream machine for ages but now rediscovering it. I also put in a large tub of strawberry yogurt which was just out of date and the kids loved that too even the DC who wont eat yogurt.

We are using everything like broccoli and swiss chard stalks in stir fry which before might have gone in the compost. We also get beetroot in our veg box and never get round to eating it but I've been grating it and adding a bit to everything - a few spoons in the bread dough, in waffles, pancakes etc. The dc dont seem to even notice it and it's a few added vitamins.

Boiled beetroot peeled and thinly sliced is fantastic in sandwiches. Weirdly it tastes best with cheese spread, but its good with proper cheese too.

Frozen green beans. Not quite as good as fresh but there isn’t much in it really. £1 for 1kg and they’re perfect for chucking into Thai style dishes (which I tend to do weekly with a chicken carcass). They seem to keep colour too.

Also Yorkshire tea, it’s definitely the best!