Empty the Storecupboard Challenge: Week 13

The Storecupboard Challenge trundles on into Week 13, and there are still plenty of new meals to be made before we’ve seen the last of the oldest food stocks in the house. I’m trying to keep it thrifty and varied, and also trying to remember to take proper pictures of everything.

In the last few days, the #EmptyTheSC menu has included a pancake brunch, a prawn curry, roasted vegetable pasta, and a giant cous cous salad. You also check back with the initial article for more about the challenge rules, and for the whole list of remaining ingredients.

The pancakes (above) used up more of the batter mix, with added caster sugar, cinnamon and raisins. They were served with warmed fresh raspberries from the garden, rose syrup, fresh kiwi fruit and some home made vanilla frozen yogurt.

The roasted vegetable pasta (below left) used up another 100g of the penne pasta mountain, and it had roasted courgettes and kohlrabi (both home grown), sweet peppers, tomatoes and garlic added, along with some olive oil. A very simple meal but really full of flavour.

The prawn curry (above right) used up some more Kashmiri curry paste and a third of a packet of coconut milk powder. It had prawns, diced home grown marrow and onion added, and it was served with papads and raita with home grown cucumber and mint.

Last, but not least, was the cous cous salad (above), which used up the last of the giant cous cous. The salad bit was basically everything from the bottom of the salad drawer in the fridge, and Beau had some leftover chicken on the top of his too. The dressing was a little mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon, and it tasted nothing like a pile of leftovers even though that’s exactly what it was.

This week’s three meals

1. Spaghetti with crab sauce. There’s still a lot of wholewheat spaghetti to use up, and this should be a speedy weeknight supper.

2. Chickpea and spinach curry. This should make use of the last of the opened jar of Kashmiri curry paste and the remaining coconut milk powder, plus a can of chickpeas and some frozen spinach.

3. Rustic pasta salad. Could this be the week we finally get more than half way down the remaining bag of pasta shapes? Think this will be dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and topped with beetroot, cucumber, soft herbs and goat cheese.

Over to you…

Let me know how you’re getting on with your own Empty the Storecupboard Challenges!

How much do you have to use up, what are you cooking, and what are the strangest ingredients that you’ve found at the back of those cupboards?