At the back of the cupboard I've found...

[handslikecowstits]

Here is an idea for a thread if anyone wants to join in: we all have stuff at the back of the cupboard/freezer that we bought on a whim and have never used. If posters would like to post an item that is lurking in their cupboards, others could post a favourite recipe of how to use it.

I'll start: a bottle of pomegranate molasses. I'm an adventurous cook and don't mind making unusual things but for some reason this bottle is languishing at the back of my cupboard.

Does anyone have a favourite way of using it?

Fesanjoon is one of my favourite dishes using pomegranate molasses.

You can also use it to make a glaze for baked chicken or drizzle it over roast root veg.

Drizzled over halloumi, drizzled over hummus with pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top, drizzled over cous cous. There are probably loads of uses for it but those are my favourites.

Maraschino cherries. I bought them at Christmas (thinking of cocktails I think!) Can I use them for anything else?

Just googled and who would know what else it could be used for.

Mix pomegranate molasses with olive oil, lemon juice, dried mint and sumac. It's my favourite salad dressing.

Pomegranate molasses is good on Greek yoghurt, with some chopped nuts if poss.

You can also add a dash to a G&T.

I’m afraid I have not good cherry ideas!

For boring reasons I’ve got a tonne of star anise. Other than using it to flavour rice, any ideas for that?

I put star anise in pulled pork

I once had a bottle of pomegranate molasses in my cupboard for about ten years but never got round to using it. I bought it at Borough Market with a friend who said it made a lovely sauce with duck.

@MartinMartinMarti on the back of this thread that is what I've just eaten except I had a few pomegranate seeds lurking in the fridge.

Slow cooked lamb with the molasses. Lots of other ideas above.

Star annise: drop one in a stew

@MartinMartinMarti

Pomegranate molasses is good on Greek yoghurt, with some chopped nuts if poss.

You can also add a dash to a G&T.

I’m afraid I have not good cherry ideas!

For boring reasons I’ve got a tonne of star anise. Other than using it to flavour rice, any ideas for that?

This sounds beautiful, I’d have never thought of it!

Hot (as in spicy) honey, anyone?

Absentmindedly using the white bread flour at the back of the cupboard to make an apple crumble tonight has not been my finest moment (claggy, vv claggy), surpassed only by my ‘I can do that without a recipe’ cheese cake made with pineapple cottage cheese and a long forgotten packet of lime jelly.
I have a packet of poppy seeds and no idea how or what to make with them. Do you have to soak them like beans first or just dry?

I ate lemon and poppyseed muffins

I make not ate, although I do occasionally have one!

I use a dash of pomegranate molasses when I'm making a tagine.

@Fitterbyfifty

Maraschino cherries. I bought them at Christmas (thinking of cocktails I think!) Can I use them for anything else?

www.delish.com/cooking/g2679/maraschino-cherry-desserts/

I make a cocktail syrup with star anise. Simple syrup + orange peel + star anise + cinnamon stick, keep in a jar in the fridge and top up as required. I like it in an Old Fashioned.
Star anise is also good in beef or oxtail stew with celery and orange peel.
I also have a huge box of poppyseeds (lockdown baking fever) and no idea how to use them in quantity. My grandma used to make little pastries with poppy filling but I suspect the filling came out of a jar.

Pomegranate Molasses is lovely drizzled over roasted chickpeas and added to a salad.

I have a pot of Za'atar herb mix thats been string at me for months. I bought it for a recipe but I can't remember what.

We mix it with olive oil. It's a nice dip for moroccan flatbread.

I use star anise when making a bolognese/ lasagna. Gives an amazing flavour.

The Fesenjoon recipe mentioned above looks delicious. I was in Iran a few years ago, and the food was a highlight.

Love this Rick Stein recipe that uses pomegranate molasses: www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/oven-roasted_chicken_13123

They're also good in salad dressings.

Poppy seeds are good if you're making your own bread, sprinkled on top. Or if you just want to use them up you could add them to flapjacks but you won't really notice them.

Chilli honey is excellent drizzled on a salami pizza.

Love this thread idea!

Great idea. I've got a bag of chickpea flour which I haven't got round to using. I was going to try making pancakes with it. Any recipe suggestions for that, any other ideas?

@DHandme mix za'atar with flour to make halloumi fries.
@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g chick pea flour or gram flour make onion bhajis, I use Kitchen Sanctuary recipe but I omit the chilli as I don't like them too spicy.

@crispinglovershighkick lemon, lime and poppy seed drizzle cake.