So, life has changed a lot in the space of one week since this post, here, about supermarket scaremongering and stockpiling. We’re now officially in ‘lockdown’ as we brace ourselves for the Covid-19 epidemic to engulf the country.
It’s no longer strange times that we’re in, it’s scary times. The enormity of the situation would have been impossible to fathom only a few months ago. We’ve figuratively battened down the hatches and put the sandbags at the door, but this isn’t a storm, it’s an enemy we can’t see. We’re staying home, the kids aren’t at school, and we’re only shopping infrequently for essentials.
In all this uncertainty, this living day-by-day, things changing sometimes minute-by-minute, I’ve spent more time on the phone than I have since my brief time temping in telesales circa…a long time ago. I’m ringing my mum on a daily basis and we’re often talking about food.
There is something primal and protective about providing your family with food and something comforting about spending time in the kitchen preparing it. This is challenged when our usual habits are forced to change through produce availability or our ability to get out and go shopping. It’s now more important than ever to reduce food waste by using everything up and getting creative at the same time.
Mum had an idea for a blog post, so I’m handing over to her this week. Read on…
Waste less and banish the mundane
The Golden Rule with buying food is that the most expensive items are the ones you don’t eat. In these unusual times, we have all been faced with the compromise of buying a different brand or type of food in order to at least have something to put on the table. Here are a couple of thoughts and recipes to waste less food and banish the mundane.
SAUSAGES:
Apparently one supermarket has previously been stocking up to 60 different offerings of sausage and decided to cut back to 7. Fifty years ago the only way to get variety in sausages usually meant going to a different butcher to buy them. There is a simple easy recipe at the end of this article to use up some of the ones you bought and found to be wanting.
LEFTOVER KALE:
I’m a big fan of kale and find it to be as versatile a vegetable as frozen peas but the supermarkets often sell it in big bags which I think can easily go to waste. If you throw as much as you use, then simply put a clip on the bag and the excess in your freezer. It will keep a couple of weeks without all the usual blanching. I usually find a big bag does 8 portions.
What to do with leftover Kale:
- Bacon and kale pasta in tomato sauce. Dice and cook your bacon and prep your sauce as usual. Add a good handful of kale to the pasta 2 minutes before the end of cooking time. Drain as usual and serve as usual.
- Kale and onion potato cakes. Make a quantity of mashed potato but be sparing with your butter and don’t add any milk. Allow to cool until you can work it with your hands. If it is a little soft then work in a small amount of plain flour to make the mix more firm. Add a little black pepper, a diced onion and a handful of chopped kale. Mix again and divide the mixture into roughly equal balls. Wash and dry hands to remove excess mix. Put some flour onto a plate, gently shape mix into cakes and carefully dip in flour. Put onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper and chill to firm up the mix. Fry or bake with a drizzle of oil, and serve with your main course.
- Poached eggs, Patatas Bravas and kale (or other green vegetable). Allow 2 eggs per person with 1 largish potato and some kale. You will also need a level teaspoon smoked paprika powder, a pinch of chilli and some cooking oil. Dice and boil potatoes for 5 minutes until almost cooked then drain. Meanwhile, to cook the eggs, put large pan of water on to hob to heat up to a gentle rolling boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and a good splash of vinegar. Put the kale into a saucepan with water, bring to boil and turn off to cook in own heat. Put a small amount of oil into the frying pan and gently fry potatoes. Break eggs one at a time into a saucer or shallow dish, swirl water gently in egg saucepan and gently lower eggs in one at a time. Allow about a minute between eggs, they will rise to the top when they are cooked. Remove eggs from water with slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain. Whilst eggs are cooking, add the smoked paprika powder to potatoes and turn potatoes to coat with powder. After eggs are all cooked, drain kale and plate up the meal. If cooking for more than 2 people, it is good to have an assistant. Bon Appetit!
Judi Turnbull
SAUSAGE CHILLI:
- 1 pack sausages
- 1 tin kidney beans (or any other cooked bean or sweetcorn)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion, diced
- Red or green pepper, diced (if available)
- Small amount cooking oil
- Chilli powder or flakes, or garlic and chilli seasoning
- Fennel seeds if liked
- Carrot or celery that needs using up
METHOD:
Peel and chop the onion and put in a saucepan on low heat with the lid on to start cooking. Once starting to soften add peppers, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and any other spare vegetables that you may have, diced up. Remove lid, bring up to simmer and allow to cook. Open and drain kidney beans (if using baked beans just open tin).
Fry or ovenbake sausages according to instructions. Once cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly then place on chopping board or plate.
Once tomato mixture is turning into a stew, add beans and turn down heat. Add seasoning a bit at a time stirring after each addition until you are happy with the depth of flavour. If you have used baked beans add a splash of brown sauce or balsamic vinegar to adjust sweetness.
Slice sausages in rounds and add to chilli mix, then give a good stir. Check seasoning and serve with rice.
A great dish to get more veg into youngsters that can also be made with vegetarian sausages. Any leftovers can be frozen.
37 / Write52
Photos by Thomas Le, Rachel Clark and Laura Johnston all on Unsplash