Hints and tips
Finding a good use for lemons and limes
It's not always easy to find a good use for lemons and limes.
Unlike other citrus fruits,you can't just eat them or drink the juice. Cut them up into slices, pop into a freezer bag, lay them out flat (so they don't stick together) and freeze. Perfect for that "Ice and a slice" in one handy unit, ready to cool down those drinks and cocktails!
Using up stale cake
Don't throw away that stale cake, use it to make these simple but delicious cake balls. In a processor or blender, blast the cake down into fine crumbs. Stir in a large dollop of butter cream icing (basically butter/margarine mixed with icing sugar - If you have no icing sugar this is easily made by blending regular sugar). With your hands roll the mixture into several little balls, as many as you can make, place these onto a plate or into a bag and freeze for around 15-20 minutes. Melt some chocolate and use it to cover the cake balls. You can either put sticks into them (I used cut down wooden skewers) or just dip them, sprinkle on some decorations (if you have any) . Place them into the fridge so that the chocolate can set.
Then the cake pops/cake balls are ready to eat. They should keep for another week!
Make a spanish omelette to use up leftovers
Why not make a Spanish omelette? Make sure you have between 4-6 eggs. (4's fine for two servings). It is a easy and very tasty way of using up all those bits lurking in your refrigerator. Onions, cooked potato, peppers, chillies, mushrooms, tomatoes, celery- absolutely anything will work, add that last bit of ham, bacon - whatever you have really. Soften the harder ingredients in a little oil in a large oven/grill proof frying pan, add the softer ingredients. Beat the egg and season with salt, pepper and herbs (again whatever you fancy). Pour this over the other ingredients. Cook on a fairly high heat for a few minutes until the omelette begins to "set" on the top. Remove from the heat and pop under a preheated grill for 5 minutes in order to lightly brown the top.
Why not save money by making your own cook-in sauces!
Why not save money by making your own cook-in sauces! Bolognaise and chilli are cheap and easy to make from scratch. Start by frying an onion and some garlic, once soft add your seasoning (mixed dried or fresh herbs work well in bolognaise and half a teaspoon of cumin, coriander and chilli powder are good in a chilli), next add your meat, veg or meat alternative, cook for a few minutes and then add a tin of tomatoes, stir and then simmer. Adding a stock cube or a teaspoon of Marmite will add extra flavour and depth to the sauce, if you have red wine you could add a glug. A small amount of sugar added with the tomatoes will bring out the flavour.
Coronation sauce
Coronation sauce – mix mayonnaise with a teaspoon of curry powder (or curry sauce), a spoonful of mango chutney and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, then add diced cooked chicken or Quorn fillets for Coronation Chicken to serve in sandwiches, baguettes or on jacket potatoes. You could also add chopped nuts and sultanas if you have some leftover, and add a little natural yogurt or crème fraiche instead of just mayo.
Add a dollop of pickle when you make cheese on toast
Add a dollop of pickle when you make cheese on toast! Spread it over the bread and then add cheese – grill until bubbling and starting to brown. A splash of Worcestershire Sauce on top of cheese on toast works well; or try spreading the bread with Marmite instead of pickle.
Make your own fajita sauce
Make your own fajita sauce using whatever you have... things like soy sauce, tomato ketchup, BBQ sauce, cumin, ground coriander and a bit of chilli powder, all combine to make a delicious cooking sauce for meat and vegetables. Experiment! Start with a good squirt or dollop of sauces and a teaspoon of ground coriander and cumin. Add chilli powder to suit your own taste
Homemade Guacamole
Make your own homemade guacamole – cut open a ripe avocado and scoop the contents of one half into a bowl. Finely chop a garlic clove and ¼ of a red onion and add them to the bowl, add a slug of sweet chilli sauce and blitz everything together with a handheld blender. Cut the flesh of the second half of the avocado into cubes and stir this into the guacamole. Perfect to serve with fajitas, enchiladas or use as a dip.
Freeze leftovers for a medly soup
Put a freezer bag in freezer, add any leftovers, eg gravy, veg, stock, even a tbsp full. When full enough, empty into pot add tomatoes, or stock etc. Makes soup or casserole, each one different. Enjoy from Canada
Keep your food at its best for longer by storing it the right way in the fridge
Fruit and vegetables in the drawers at the bottom (in their original packaging or a loosely tied bag) - the exceptions are onions, potatoes, bananas and whole pineapple should be cool and dark, but not the fridge
Meat and fish needs to be covered and kept in the coldest part of the fridge, which is usually the shelf above the vegetable drawers. Cooked meats above raw meat and fish.
Dairy products like cheese and milk, along with cooked meats.
And in the warmest part of the fridge, the top two shelves, pastries, eggs and general produce