Using what you have.....

Roughly once a month I decide to live out of our pantry, fridge and freezer and not get groceries until I have to. Generally Fridays I would get groceries delivered, so besides milk, bread and fruit I don't buy anything else. I do it for many reasons. It's like a mini challenge for myself, I love to see what I can come up with and create and how many nights meals I can come up with. I also do it to use up all those "bits and pieces" and things I gather along the way during the months, and of course I save a few dollars too.....not having to do a full grocery shop! A lot of the time we end up with Vegetarian meals as I don't always have any extra meat or chicken in the freezer. It's interesting to see what items I always manage to have in my pantry beside the normal "basics".... I always seem to have tin tuna, rice pasta of some sort, rice paper rolls (great for lunches) & coconut milk. Friday night I made Tuna Mornay.....then entire family loves this, and I love how quick and easy it is to make.....I have a beautiful recipe for this in CUT OUT THE CRAP FOR KIDS! Saturday night we ended up doing a last moment Pizza night with friends.....for me it was leftover Tuna Mornay which I certainly didn't complain about! Pizza is something that I would dearly love to be able to have from time to time, however, it has pretty much everything on it that would make me violently ill! It's something I am going to work on.....anyway.....I am getting side tracked.....

Sunday was Mothers Day :-) A HUGE HAPPY (although late) MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ALL!!!!!!! I hope that whatever you did, you were spoilt and had a relaxing day.
I was completely spoilt by my hubby and 4 kids. I must say that a highlight is what the big girls (almost 10yrs and almost 8yrs) come up with, with the couple of dollars they are given to spend at the school Mothers Day stall. Miss almost 10 bought me some beautiful candles, as she knows I light them daily and I love the relaxing atmosphere they offer. Miss almost 8 bought me a nail file set and made me the most precious little candle holder that I am worried will catch on fire with the amount of glue she has used on it to hold on a tonne of glitter! Hubby surprised as all by taking us to Taronga Zoo for the day....we packed picnic food and he directed us with suitable weathered clothing....(lucky I threw in extra jackets such incase as it was SSSOOO cold!) it was such a surprise, the kids were just as excited as me and thankfully none of us (besides hubby) know our way around Sydney that well, so we didn't know where we were going until we saw a huge sign with 10 minutes to go.....

Me with my 4 kids at Taronga Zoo for Mothers Day

A beautiful relaxing day wandering around the Zoo

I could have sat and watched the Gorillas all day......

Enjoying the view......

Having fun......

Me and Josh......

I love the views from this Zoo......



Up close with the Giraffes......

For our food we packed wraps for hubby and the kids and I made a huge frittata which was demolished by us all....it was so delicious.....once again, I used "bits and pieces" that I had in the fridge......

Our "throw together frittata" - not a great photo as it was taken at the Zoo & couldn't get the lighting right! ha ha!

THROW TOGETHER FRITTATA

Line a lasagne dish with baking paper and preheat oven to 180c.

In the lasagne dish place:

1/4 cauliflower - finely sliced

1 red onion - finely sliced

1 zucchini - finely diced

1 carrot - shaved into ribbons with a potato peeler

1/2 red capsicum - finely sliced

1/2 bunch corainder - roughly shredded

1 tspn dried parsley flakes

1 tspn dried oregano

pinch salt and pepper

In a medium bowl place 6 eggs and a "splash" of rice milk. Using a hand whisk, beat until fluffy. Pour egg mxiture over prepapred vegetables.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes or util cooked and golden.

I then wrapped in foil and went to the zoo with it! Miss 8 loved it so much and asked if she could have it for lunch at school! I used these vegetables as its the "bits and peices" that I had in the fridge that I didn't want wasted :-) You can get creative with what you have leftover in the fridge.....

Monday night I made Chermoula Fish Parcels, roast potato and a side serve of broccolini (all recipes are in CUT OUT THE CRAP)......

Chermoula Fish Parcels (Photo from CUT OUT THE CRAP)

So last night I was almost out of "bits and pieces" and think I may need to order groceries for tomorrow.....I threw together a vermicelli noodle dish.....last week I sent hubby a message to pick me up some rice vermicelli noodles on the way home from work, which he did, he also picked me up some made on MUNG BEAN FLOUR! I have never seen these before and remembered I had them in the pantry so I worked with that......

86% MUNG BEAN FLOUR 14% WATER

With a few more ingredients it was a really delicious meal....that I WILL do again! I really liked the texture of them and found they didn't go as soggy as the rice flour ones can. Why not try it yourself.....and don't forget to use whatever you have in the fridge like I did.....

I love this brand of Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream as it has no extras

My ingredients, all prepared and ready to go.......

  

Stir fry time......quick and easy.......

I LOVE my lemon/lime juicer

MUNG BEAN NOODLE DINNER

1 x packet of Mung Bean Vermicelli Noodles

1 tspn sunflower oil

2 cloves garlic - grated

3cm x 3cm fresh ginger - grated

zest of 1 lime

juice of 2 limes

1 small (birdeye) chilli - finely sliced

2 carrots - sliced

1 1/4 red capsicum - sliced

8 shallots - cut into 2cm peices

1 zucchini - diced

1/2 bunch coriander - roughly shredded inlcuding the stems

approximately 1/2 tin of Coconut Cream

pinch salt

Prepare Vermicelli Noodles as per packet (mine said soak in warm water for 15 minutes)

In a large wok place the oil, garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, and chilli and stir fry until fragrant.

Add the carrot, capsicum, shallots, zucchini and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add coriander, coconut cream, salt and prepared noodles. Mix thoroughly, stir fry until warm and serve immediatley.

Tips- when using vermicelli noodles, once they are cooked and still soaking in the water, I roughly chop them with scissors. This makes them easier to eat (especially for kids) and I find the vegetables and sauce also mixes through it better, as the noodles are not it one big clump!

So quick and easy and great to use the bits I had hanging around in the cupboard and fridge.....and of course it was super tasty......I even had a little left over for lunch today....yum!

Would love to hear from you when you cook either (or both!) of these....I don't think you will be disappointed at all......and don't forget.....I LOVE seeing photos of your cooking on Facebook!!!!!!

Take Care Of You,
Coll x