Saturday 28 March 2020

Lockdown Larder

Three easy ideas to share with you for recipes which are mostly storecupboard ingredients. 
Steph was talking about making some snacks - she's doing ORCS - Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, based on an Anna Olsen recipe. Steph always has porridge oats in the house! You can leave these plain, which is my preferred option, or you can sandwich them together with a peanut butter filling. That's altogether too rich for me!
It is a a very forgiving recipe, if you don't have the spices, leave them out, or use mixed spice instead. My original post about them, including the recipe, is here.
Next up, homemade soup. This is from the original Cranks Recipe book - a gift from Bob 35 years ago, just after Steph was born. It is called Armenian Soup, and is a lentil based soup, but it is pleasant and light - as the weather gets warmer, I don't want heavy, creamy soups quite so much. A very simple recipe, quick too. Swap and change as you need too. I served mine with some chives from my herb patch.

Ingredients

50g red lentils, 
50g dried apricots, 
2 medium potatoes 
[unpeeled, but diced]
2 pints of stock, 
2 tsp lemon juice, 
1tsp ground cumin, 
3 tbsp chopped parsley. 
Salt and pepper to taste.
Place everything in large pan. 
Bring to boil.
Cover, simmer 30 minutes
Liquidise and Serve!
Finally my cake. Squeamish readers in Plymouth look away now - you know who you are! This uses a 200g jar of mayo as its base. Yes, I know that is utterly weird - but think about it, it is just oil and eggs. Using this means I can reserve my fresh eggs and butter for making comforting scrambled egg on toast. I got some jars of mayo in Roger's Best Before Warehouse, for less than 25p a jar. It is a very strange recipe. But all store cupboard ingredients
I made half the suggested quantity of frosting, and a spoonful of Camp Essence for the icing [I don't have instant coffee in the house!] And I found some Christmas sprinkles. The finished cake was portioned and frozen. All treats are rationed these days.
So here's my Chocolate Mayo Cake, with exuberant sprinkles.
Have you got a favourite store cupboard standby? 
And have you found an unconventional but creative use for any of your supplies?



6 comments:

  1. Mayonnaise cake! Haven't made that in years!

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  2. I watched so many cooking progs last night, I think I've put on 3 stones overnight! Those judges on Great British Menu are a very spoiled lot. The food they're being served up is astonishing as much in its presentation as the ingredients and they still manage to find fault with it. Off to investigage the mayonnaise cake which sounds interesting. Have a good weekend Angela and Bob.x

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    1. It is bizarre watching programmes which were filmed BC (before covid19) You realise how trivial so many of them are. I applaud families right now who are managing a decent diet, without jus, or coulis, or squiggles of octopus oil - just getting fed with what they have. Served on a plate. Not a floor tile, old plank, or piece of roofing felt...

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  3. I am intrigued by that mayonnaise cake! One of these days, I might try making one!

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    1. It is quite soft and crumbly. I find the quantity of frosting in the recipe is too much

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  4. Mayonnaise cake!?!?!? I like the sound of those biscuits! I adore oat biscuits!

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