January Pantry Challenge - come join in! - Page 3

[mamarhu]

No time to join in fully this morning, but I wanted to share an amazing pantry/freezer dinner we had last night. I noticed some of y'all are looking for things to do with butternut squash, and some mentioned frozen ham. I think this would be good with pumpkin, as well.

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ham-and-butternut-squash-spaghetti/

Instead of marscapone cheese, I used 1/2 cream cheese and 1/2 plain yoghurt. No Italian parsley... Anyway, it was very good, and easy.

My other pantry-challenge discovery is pupusas (did I spell that right?) Basically, they are hand made tortillas (use up that masa harina I bought for what?) stuffed with whatever. I guess traditionally, it would be with meat, beans, cheese. I have used up canned refried beans, green chilis, and sliced black olives. Another time with cheese and chopped bell peppers and onions. Maybe everyone else has been eating these for years, but it is new to me!
 

[granolamommie]

In my pantry-

spaghetti squash

marinara x 2

coconut milk

pumpkin x2

black beans x4

wild rice

brown rice

sourdough starter

flour

potatoes

lentils x 3 bags

tortillas

chickpeas 1 can 2 bags dry

bread

canned tomatoes

freezer-

frozen broccoli

frozen cauliflower

soy crumbles x3

flounder

fridge-

eggs

cheese

butter

milk

carrots

oranges

apples

mint

My plan

tonight- fried rice

tomorrow- lentil soup and homemade bread

Friday- date night so we are eating out

Saturday- homemade baked pasta

Sunday- african peanut soup

Monday- bean burritos

Tuesday- spaghetti squash and marinara with beef crumbles

Wednesday- pumpkin chili

Thursday- fish tacos

Friday- potato crusted quiche

Saturday-  homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese

Sunday-chickpea noodle soup

[lakeruby]

Great idea!  Last night we made this awesome tomato soup with stuff we had on hand!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-simple-tomato-soup-recipe.html

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by lakeruby 

Great idea!  Last night we made this awesome tomato soup with stuff we had on hand!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-simple-tomato-soup-recipe.html

Thank you for this recipe!  Some of my pantry challenge items are brown rice, tomatoes (mine are chopped but I think it w/b fine) and coconut milk. This recipe will use up some of those.

I was unable to access the supercook.com site mentioned above but will try again later.  I am hoping I can make something using some of these items: rice noodles, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, green curry paste, and sriracha.  (I had meals in mind when I purchased each of these items...but now I'm not sure what they were.)

Does anyone have vegetarian recipe ideas for sauerkraut?   I have two 32oz jars.  My children used to like it plain but no longer like it so I need to find something to do with it or donate it to the food pantry.  TIA 

[Cynthia Mosher]

dried pinto beans

dried black beans

canned black beans

dried mung beans

barley

quinoa

oats

lentils

brown rice

wild rice

assorted pasta (3 left)

masa harina (still some left)

risotto

pasta sauce (not that great so needs fixin' up)

can of coconut cream

kitchen bouquet

pineapple chunks

currants

almonds

walnuts  (used half)

canned sweet peas

lite fruit cocktail

canned tomatoes

tomato paste (one left)

black olives (half a jar left)

wasabi sauce

lemon grass paste (still some left)

spring roll wrappers

corn meal (lots of it)

canned sweet corn

canned creamed corn

To go with this I have:

bell peppers

carrots

zucchini

broccoli

lettuce

cucumbers

potatoes

onions

small pumpkin

butternut squash

beets

frozen vegetable ravioli

Quinoa with black beans, tomatoes and corn and sauteed zucchini with lemon grass

Vegetable stew with corn bread (used the creamed corn in the corn bread as well)

Need something for the dried black beans. Ideas anyone? 

[Cynthia Mosher]

I have masa harina to use as well and it will definitely be for tortillas but I also have a copycat recipe for Chili's Enchilada soup that calls for masa harina so I may give that a whirl. 

[justmama]

You guys are getting so creative!  I'm impressed.  I'm not updating all that much because I'm fairly busy with 3 kids of my own and 4 extras every morning but we have been doing well.  I did match a batch of salsa plus I made a single quart of spaghetti sauce with all the tomatoes/peppers/onions my mom gave me along with fresh herbs from our garden this past summer that I dried and put up.  It's pretty yummy to put over pasta for a quick meal or in a thermos for school lunches.  Yesterday I used two cups of pumpkin puree from the freezer in a double batch of pumpkin muffins that the kids INHALED before school.  24muffins for 7 kids.  They were pretty popular.    http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/10/promise-keeper-pumpkin-eater/  I cut the sugar in half and used half wheat, half white flour because I have 3 pretty mainstream eaters to please.  Tonight will be beans and rice.  Not sure what variety/spices but some version of that.

ETA: We'll be getting even more frugal because my cat just cost me $212 at the vet.  Oh MAN have prices gone up since I was a vet tech years ago!

Edited by justmama - 1/24/13 at 8:32am

[Sarah Lamothe]

My toddler's favorite meal is curry and rice... but I confess I have o idea how to make curry! I always have a few jars of the "Thai Red Curry" sauce from trader Joe's in the pantry. Then I set rice to cook in the rice cooker and boil some potatoes which always finish about the same time if I start the rice before cutting up the spuds. Then I brown the potatoes in a large pan and add frozen peas and then canned wild salmon. I am not into canned food at all, but I recieve wic, so the canned salmon is free, and it is wild so that frees up a little bit of guilt. I add the sauce just to warm and I am done. I always have potatoes in the fridge even though I feel like I never buy them. And we love peas so I always have a few bags of frozen organic peas around <3

[lakeruby]

Originally Posted by dbsam 

Thank you for this recipe!  Some of my pantry challenge items are brown rice, tomatoes (mine are chopped but I think it w/b fine) and coconut milk. This recipe will use up some of those.

I was unable to access the supercook.com site mentioned above but will try again later.  I am hoping I can make something using some of these items: rice noodles, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, green curry paste, and sriracha.  (I had meals in mind when I purchased each of these items...but now I'm not sure what they were.)

Does anyone have vegetarian recipe ideas for sauerkraut?   I have two 32oz jars.  My children used to like it plain but no longer like it so I need to find something to do with it or donate it to the food pantry.  TIA 

Not sure if this helps, but we love sauerkraut on hot dogs (veggie dogs?).  I also use it as a condiment on top of soups.

Sounds like you have some great ingredients for curry soups (curried lentils maybe? or tofu?)   sriracha is delicious on beans.

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by lakeruby 

Not sure if this helps, but we love sauerkraut on hot dogs (veggie dogs?).  I also use it as a condiment on top of soups.

Sounds like you have some great ingredients for curry soups (curried lentils maybe? or tofu?)   sriracha is delicious on beans.

I never thought of sauerkraut on veggie dogs or sriracha on beans - thanks.  Just beans and sriracha in a bowl?  Pinto, black beans, ?

When I bought the kaffir lime leaves I was planning on making a vegetable coconut soup.  I think I will make a soup one day and some sort of coconut rice noodle dish another day.

[treehugz]

Okay, I'm in... need to clear out some oddball stuff that never gets used and some things dh bought in bulk...

wheat germ

corn bread mix

garam masala (not sure why we have 3 jars!!  MUST organize the spice cabinet)

egg noodles

tomato sauce cans (dh bought a whole big box of 'em)

bulgur

flax seeds

coconut flakes

dry pintos (I think dh got a 5 gallon bucket for some reason... good grief)

pineapple chunks (another big box)

frozen pumpkin

frozen persimmon

frozen edamame

white rice

pumpkin seeds

wheat bran

wheat berries (I do sprouted bread when I'm motivated)

wild rice

rice flour

Not sure where to start.  I need to dig through the fridge too, but eek!  It's scary back in those corners!

[treehugz]

Originally Posted by dbsam 
Does anyone have vegetarian recipe ideas for sauerkraut?   I have two 32oz jars.  My children used to like it plain but no longer like it so I need to find something to do with it or donate it to the food pantry.  TIA 

I love to make tempeh reubens... I use a recipe where you fry the tempeh in tamari and make dressing from tofu, but it's similar to this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tempeh-reuben/

I also have a great soup recipe somewhere that uses sauerkraut if I can find it.

[treehugz]

Found it... it's called Hungarian Sauerkraut Stew with Mushrooms and Barley in 365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian.  My husband said it sounded disgusting, but then we really liked it.  It's similar to this one but has an apple, potatoes, poppy seeds, and sour cream:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sauerkraut-soup-i/

[canadiangranola]

Didnt read all the replies, but I always cut up a butternut squash into small chunks and add it to homemade soup. It breaks down and with a bit of a stir, really helps thicken the soup nicely (with the side effect being the kids dont even know its there. :)

[canadiangranola]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbsam 

Thank you for this recipe!  Some of my pantry challenge items are brown rice, tomatoes (mine are chopped but I think it w/b fine) and coconut milk. This recipe will use up some of those.

I was unable to access the supercook.com site mentioned above but will try again later.  I am hoping I can make something using some of these items: rice noodles, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, green curry paste, and sriracha.  (I had meals in mind when I purchased each of these items...but now I'm not sure what they were.)

DBSAM......

My favourite! Make a broth with some veggies and throw in some chicken if you wish. Add rice noodles at the end, a can of coconut milk and the green thai curry paste. Yum!!!! We love it. We often add the curry paste at the table in bowls so that the kids who dont love the curry spice just have coconut milk noodles with veg.

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by treehugz 

I love to make tempeh reubens... I use a recipe where you fry the tempeh in tamari and make dressing from tofu, but it's similar to this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tempeh-reuben/

I also have a great soup recipe somewhere that uses sauerkraut if I can find it.

Thank you!!

I have a bunch of tempeh in the freezer but I am not sure it is still good.  It is past the expiration date...but it might be fine.  (One of those things I bought and then was not sure how to use.  I didn't like the dishes I made but your link looks good.)  I also have tamari in the fridge. 

Thanks for the soup recipe too.  My grandmother made a sauerkraut and mushroom soup every year on Christmas eve but I had forgotten about it until you mentioned soup.  Her recipe had similar ingredients but was sort of thin...yours looks more hearty.  I will try it.

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by canadiangranola 

DBSAM......

My favourite! Make a broth with some veggies and throw in some chicken if you wish. Add rice noodles at the end, a can of coconut milk and the green thai curry paste. Yum!!!! We love it. We often add the curry paste at the table in bowls so that the kids who dont love the curry spice just have coconut milk noodles with veg.

Adding the curry at the table is a good idea - my husband is not a fan of curry but he is a nice guy so he eats anything I make.  We are vegetarian so no chicken...but it sounds like a quick and easy recipe.  One of the reason these ingredients end up unused in my pantry is I have plans for a recipe and then it seems too involved and I never make it.  I like quick and easy.

Tonight I ordered out - Mexican food.  But this weekend I am making some of these recipes.

[treehugz]

I'm planning to try these Bird Seed Energy Bars to knock out some of the pumpkin and flax seeds and the wheat germ...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bird-seed-energy-bars/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e13=A%3aSearch%20Results-List%28control%29

Anybody have more ideas for wheat germ?  Or rice flour??

If you're still looking for a way to use those butternut squash, they make a great substitute for mashed potatoes as a side dish and as a topping for shepherds pie.  Just roast halves face down in 1/2" of water for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.  Scrape out the pulp, and mash in some butter and salt (and I like a little cumin).

[justmama]

No time for a true post as I'm running out to the grocery store for fresh stufff(less than $30 left for the last few days of the month but $30 should be MORE than enough) but I wanted to ask.  Half of a pom left too long in the back of the fridge that's starting to look sad and drying out.  Kids won't eat the seeds now unless I put them in something.  Short of yogurt, pom seeds, granola parfaits does anyone have thoughts?  Baking thoughts maybe?  Can I bake them in muffins???

[Cynthia Mosher]

Lookie here, justmama - Pomegranate Muffins

Here's what I've come up with to make use of my beans: Frijoles De La Olla (Mexican bean stew). I'm going to try this recipe but in the crockpot.

I'm going to top it with a fresh salsa made from chopped onion, bell peppers, grated carrots mixed with chopped canned tomatoes

I think I may actually use up all of my beans! 

canadiangranola, for that veggie rice noodle soup dish,  can I use a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk?