Going all Italian with leftovers

Still using up things from the freezer, yesterday it was meatloaf and spaghetti, both leftovers (from separate meals) that I'd frozen.  The meatloaf, made a few weeks ago, tasted fine but didn't slice well, it was very crumbly, I guessed it would be even more so after being frozen (there was half of it left).  We had spag bol one day last week and I cooked too much spaghetti so froze the remainder, there was at a guess slightly more than 1 portion.

Having had a think, I made a pan of simple tomato sauce - sliced red onions cooked until soft, tinned chopped tomatoes, Italian herbs, a squeeze of tomato puree and splash of Worcestershire sauce, cooked slowly until thick.  I saved about a third of the sauce, the rest I poured into a dish and mixed in some chopped mushrooms, the meatloaf all crumbled up and the spaghetti, topped it with Mozzarella and put it in the oven.  So basically it was minced meat (I think it was pork), tomato sauce and pasta, but all mixed together.  No idea what to call it, but it was lovely and we'll have it (or a variation of) again.  No photo, I forgot.

Today for lunch we've had a homemade pizza, I made the dough base using equal parts of flour and Greek yogurt.....the yogurt is out of date but is still fine, it lasts for ages anyway.  I part cooked it in the oven for 5 minutes, just to set the base, then spread the tomato sauce saved from yesterday over the top.  I'd got a bag of frozen broccoli....not very keen on it as a plain vegetable (too watery) but it's ok with fresh cauli and macaroni in a cheese sauce.  I cooked some of the broccoli then mashed it roughly and mixed some grated Halloumi into it, then spread that over the tomato topped pizza base.  Ham ribbons and mushrooms on top of that, followed by grated Mozzarella and Cheddar.

We had slices with homemade coleslaw and salad, there's enough left to have cold for tea tomorrow and some to freeze.  The yogurt and flour base worked out well, it's the first time I've made it and I will do it again.  Next time though I'll add some flavouring to the dough - eg Italian herbs or garlic or paprika and some grated Parmesan - as it was a bit bland.

Being inventive during lockdown

Can't believe I haven't written a post here since January.....no special reason (we have still been eating....probably too much during lockdown!), I just got out of the habit of doing it.

Since I'm not going shopping so often at the present time, I've been using up all sorts of things in the larder and freezer and being inventive with meals.

I found a pack of chicken livers in the freezer last week, bought ages ago for I can't even remember what (probably liver pate) and never got round to doing it.  I used them in a risotto (which I had to use ordinary long grain rice for as I had no risotto rice left, so it wasn't strictly a risotto).  It was blimmin lovely, I put frozen peas, leeks from the garden and broccoli in it, along with chicken stock and the last of a bottle of sherry plus a splash of balsamic vinegar, we'll definitely have that again.  

Today for lunch we had a sort of risotto too, using bulgur wheat and sausages, I cooked it in my CleverChef multicooker.  Browned the sausages in it first, then took them out and softened chopped leeks, asparagus and aubergine in the little bit of fat that came out of the sausages (not much as they were Heck 97% pork ones) so added a splash of oil.  Sliced the sausages and put them back in.  Meanwhile, I'd covered the bulgur wheat with boiling water in a bowl, to which I'd added a heaped dessertspoon of Italian herbs and some balsamic.  When the bulgur had soaked up all the water, I tipped it into the sausage and veg and mixed it all up, putting it on to cook for another 20 mins.  Delicious.

I had a few carrots, 2 parsnips and 2 small sweet potatoes that were all going a bit soft, so decided to make a sort of cooked coleslaw with them.  I peeled then chopped them all up in my food processor, then sautéed them slowly in olive oil in my big frying pan with a lid:-

Incidentally, that frying pan was a wedding present from my brother and his fiancée (now wife) - as we've been married for 37 years next month, it's done a grand job!

We'll have some cold with mayo, alongside some mature Cheddar and a couple of crackers for tea.

I wish the flour situation would improve, haven't been able to buy any for ages (even the localish flour mill, Shipton, have temporarily stopped taking orders as they're swamped).  I've only got enough bread and ordinary flour left to last about a week (we make usually 2 loaves a week and 1 or 2 cakes, plus a crumble or pastry sometimes).  I've got plenty of porridge oats, I suppose I could whizz some up into flour and use some of that to mix with and eke out the remaining flour.