Ideas for neglected storecupboard ingredients please

[minipie]

Just having a cupboard/fridge sort out and have various things lurking that need using up. Either half used or bought on a whim and never used!

I would be grateful if anyone has good recipes or ideas for:

Aivar
Harissa
Anchovies
Saffron
Juniper berries
Polenta

Very happy to give ideas for other people’s “needs using” ingredients in return, if I can !!

I mix harissa into Greek yogurt and use as a marinade for chicken. Do with med veg in the oven and cous cous.
Anchovies, I made a nice putanesca risotto with sundried tomatoes from an online recipe. Delicious.

I've got most of a jar of smoked capers in the fridge and no ideas.

Thank you! How much harissa to yoghurt do you use please? Don’t want to overdo it…

For your capers, what about using them in a smoked salmon dip? Or this pasta looks good

You could use the saffron to help flavour the polenta.

Harissa chicken and tomato and new potatoes tray bake is nice. Though actually the yoghurt idea sounds nicer!

Is it dry polenta? I have used that on a baking tray underneath pizza dough. It uses it up without chucking it but not exactly inspiring!

I'd stir the harissa into yoghurt to make a dip.
Capers and anchovies would go on a pizza, or in a salad, but I'd probably just eat the capers with a spoon.
I'd make a cake or biscuits with the polenta.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/orange-polenta-cake
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/lemon-polenta-biscuits/114f6306-54e7-4c1b-a461-a40872471240

I'd keep the juniper berries as they'd make me think of the scene in Life of Brian where they chase Brian into the desert and he falls into the pit with hermit, and it would cheer me up.

What is aivar?

Ayvar is lush with everything! Just alongside grilled meat and salad, with mezze and dipping veggies/bread alongside tzatziki, humus etc.
It's good with feta cheese, and you could put it on a pizza?

Saffron is often used in Indian food. I bought mine for chicken biryani and shrikand (never made either recipe but that is what mine is intended for).

https://www.recipetineats.com/biryani/
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/shrikhand-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-136453

My random jar that needs using up is one of njuda.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/broccoli_and_anchovy_27818

Ok good ideas! You’re right I need to keep the juniper berries for Life of Brian reasons 😆

Orange and polenta cake definitely on list and the broccoli anchovy pasta too. Never heard of shrikand, looks intriguing!

I didn’t realise Aivar is a dip… in fact I have no idea why I have it as I know nothing about it!! That makes it easier to use thanks

For nduja - I’ve never cooked with it but found this thread!
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/food_and_recipes/4706144-nduja-recipe-ideas-please

Polenta....make cake with it, orange and polenta, almond and polenta etc, to serve with poached fruit such as plums. Or use as a carb to serve with stews as a change from potato or rice.
Anchovies....use in Salade Niçoise, chop and use in pasta sauce or ratatouille, add to fish pie or fish stew. My favourite is to add a few to a roast beef sandwich to zap up the taste!
Saffron....use in paella, or any risotto especially chicken.

Juniper berries....crush slightly with the back of a spoon and add a few to meat stews or casseroles for added depth of flavour, especially good with venison or beef.

For the harisa my dc love this www.easypeasyfoodie.com/one-pot-harissa-chicken-butternut-squash-pilaf/#recipe.

I think this is what we got the juniper for originally! Maybe it was a Nigel slater recipe… need to have a look.
Also wondering if they’d be good squashed and added to gin 🤔

I think my anchovy issue is related to not liking olives. So many things with anchovies also have olives!
I like the flavour of anchovies, but worried about the bones. If I chop them up small and put them in a tomatoey pasta sauce or stew, will the little bones dissolve?? Would they work in a lamb casserole maybe?

Saffron in risotto, good idea. Or saffron in polenta as a pp says.

Polenta was supposed to be a rice/potato/cous cous alternative but it’s just so much more work to prepare that I never end up using it.

Harissa. There is a really good sausage and squash harissa bake on BBC good food, or one of the other online food recipe sites. Super simple and really tasty.

Anchovies. When added to dishes they just melt into the sauce and the bones are of no issue at all. I use them in pasta puttanesca or on top of pizzas when making our version of a local takeaways Napolina pizza (tuna, black olives, sweetcorn)

Saffron. Really lovely in a biriani. You add it to water and sprinkle it over the rice so you have little pockets of deep yellow rice.

Juniper berries. I just use it once a year, when I make Bigos for Easter lunch. I have added it to just tonic water with ice and lime to make it feel a bit more g&t like.

Amazing anchovy dressing (which I always make contrary to the recipe 😱 with a stick blender): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020127-anchovy-garlic-dressing?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

Idk if you’re a fan of venison but the barely used jar of juniper berries in my cupboard was last used in a venison recipe.

Harissa honey halloumi
Ajvar as a side to grilled meat and roast chicken
Anchovies in Caesar salad or in tomato pasta dishes

Anchovies - Pasta Puttanesca (or as Nigella calls it - Sluts Spaghetti)

Harissa paste - https://www.rebelrecipes.com/smoky-red-pepper-lentil/

I chuck all sorts of stuff into all sorts of other stuff

So think about spreading pastes and dips onto ready made pastry, rolling it up and baking pin wheels. A harrisa pinwheel etc

Anchovies go in salads, stews, soups and again could make a robust past out of them for a pasta sauce or spreading on bread or pastry to bake

Polenta, mix in with cake or bread doughs

Saffron in rice or saffron buns

Capers I use in salads, I could imagine smoked capers would be nice on a shredded duck breast salad.

I love this

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/casseroles-and-stews/pork-sausages-braised-in-cider-with-apples-and-juniper?callback=in&code=NME0YTBMYWQTNGU3ZI0ZNZQYLWJMMWETNZJMODA2MDMWY2UZ&state=a5f9d9d1ef0349c78ad810d3e40d6fcd

Could it have been this sausage and cider casserole recipe for the juniper berries?

With the polenta, make sure it is the fine stuff before using in a cake, if it's too coarse, it ends up gritty. Yes, I am speaking from experience!

I love tarts spaghetti so anchovies always welcomed in my cupboards, along with those capers.

I recently finished my saffron in a Waitrose recipe for a one pot, spiced whole roast chicken with rice. It was ok, they don't sell the spice mix anymore and my winging it as I went along attempt didn't quite work. It needed more veg too so not really a one pot wonder. Might try again one day though.

I've got nduja in the freezer - bought for a recipe that only need some of it.
It's easy to cut off a chunk as it doesn't freeze rock solid.

So far, I've added some to
pulled pork
chicken & mushroom mix for a pie
paella

Ice cream - trust me! https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/rosewater-and-saffron-ice-cream-bastani-irani

This looks right up my street, but I can’t access it 😩 any chance you could cut and paste the ingredients pretty please? Noted on the stick blender!