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.