Cook once, eat for two weeks (plus later message)

 Hello everyone,

Didn't you all do well! I wanted, or should I say, hoped for 50 posts yesterday and you didn't let me down. So, in return, and as promised, a blog about 'what the ferret' to do with any thing and everything that you may or may not have laying around your store cupboard, freezer or what to so with the bendy or sprouting veg at the bottom of the fridge. Also, so you're well warned in advance, this blog is just half of today's blog and you'll have to come back later for the final copy.

Let's start with the request of what to do with oats. I made a savoury crumble topping. I took breadcrumbs out of the freezer, I had an opened packet of oats and I also added some omega 3 seed mix that I bought and started eating when I was feeling virtuous one day. I also had some grated cheese in the fridge and as you can see below, the result was a savoury crumble mix.

 In the pan below are 2 leeks, 3 carrots and pack of bacon. In the back ground, from the depth of the freezer is a pack of left over roast chicken. I very gently fried the bacon, leeks and carrots until they were soft. I then chopped up and added the cooked chicken.

 Next, I was off into the darkness of the store cupboard, for one of the many 'packet mixes' I have. I buy these when you can get 3 for a pound, or 10 for a pound if I get them from Approved Foods.

 I followed the instructions and then mixed the cheese sauce into the chicken, bacon and veg mix, poured that into three roasting dishes and covered with the crumble mix. I only used a thin layer, as I'm trying to stretch everything as far as possible.

 Here they are, ready to go into the oven for 15 minutes on 180 degrees.

 Another similar recipe, but this time just veggies with leeks, carrots which I steamed. I then added a tin of kidney beans, a tin of sweetcorn and, for the sauce, I used up some spicy lentil soup that I had in the freezer.

 Oh, by the way, don't forget to label what you freeze, you may not eat it for weeks!

 Here are the spicy veggie crumbles, in smaller portions and will need bulking out, either with salad or stir fry veg.

 More goodies, from the cupboard. I used the 'chasseur' mix to add to beef, half a pack of bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots, which I cooked slowly along with the sauce mix in the oven. Ignore any advice to add sauce mix to the meat they suggest, it has a tomatoey winey taste and it's a kind of gravy and they were 10 for £1 from Approved Foods, as were the 'Shepherd's pie' mix, which I added to minced beef. Below, and ready to go into the oven to slow cook, is the beef casserole. It will be stored in two small freezer boxes. I make one portion of beef go a lot further because we'll eat it with mashed potato or rice and veg to bulk out the meal.

 Now, more chicken. This time, the last of the chicken breasts I bought whilst they were on offer in Lidl. I used two chicken breasts, half a pack of bacon, which I diced, an onion, green pepper and three carrots, which were all finely sliced by throwing them into the food processor. I sweated them down in some butteryish margerine and when they were cooked, I stirred in another of the cheese sauce mixes.

 The end result is an extremely tasty chicken and bacon pie mix. I have pastry already in the freezer and I will defrost them both, and assemble them when I want them. I like things in square stackable boxes, so everything I cook today has fitted in one freezer drawer.

So far, and I'm still cooking, so come back later for more. I have cooked and stored: 3 chicken and bacon crumbles, 3 spicy veggie crumbles, 3 cottage pies, 2 chicken pies (not assembled but ready to go) and 2 beef casseroles. I am soaking sprouting seeds for salad, as I've got them in the cupboard and I should use them, I am also soaking chick peas to either make falafels or hummus, or both. I'm now off to wash up!

Added later!!! As promised, I'm back again. In response to some questions. I only cook the crumbles or cottage pies for 15 minutes as I'm going to cook them again or at least reheat them. The plastic containers can be microwaves, so the beef casserole will only need reheating, whereas the cottage pies and crumbles need to be crispy on top and moist underneath.

No one's asked, but for the sake of your health, always get your food as cold as possible as quickly as possible. It was cold outside, so I opened the back door and all the windows and the food cooled quickly, I then wrapped it, or put the lids on and then chilled it in the fridge. When it was chilled, I put it in the freezer. Lots of you say that you have no storage, well I only have a fridge freezer with three drawers and 13 meals for two people are tucked away. I used up everything I had and with the exception of a trot to the Co-op for some soya milk and three onions, I didn't get any shopping this weekend. It's been hard work, but no more work than usual when I batch cook. The oven has been used at full capacity, I've used the dishwasher today as I had so many pots and pans and the hard work means, I effectively have food at my finger tips, so no matter how tired I am, or how late I've worked, we can all eat home cooked food.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx