My freezer is always full. Not just full, but bursting at the seams. And not full of useful things like other freezers but stuff like half a cup of beans or tinned tomatoes, one burger without a label on and a pot of cooked squash. When I’m testing I try to plan carefully but I still get leftovers which don’t get used so I shove them in the freezer. Then something else goes on top, and I forget what’s underneath. So I promised that this week I’d use some stuff up and I actually kept my promise. Some of the things I got out to use were so manky when I defrosted them that they ended up in the bin, but at least I still ended up with freezer space. I also wasn’t allowed to buy anything else in order to make any of the dishes and definitely not end up with leftovers which had to go straight back in the freezer!
This used up some Redwood’s chorizo which I turned into a stew with butterbeans and veggies in a smoked paprika tomato sauce.
A sort of laksa used up a few ice cube holders full of home made green curry paste and some tofu puffs. Decent.
Loosely based on the yuca quesadillas from VCON, this used a few manky tortillas, the end of a pack of yuca and a tiny bag with about 8 white beans in – don’t asked me why I thought that was worth saving.
Pumpkin dhal which I’d already tested for Carla conveniently used some cooked squash, half a tin of chopped tomatoes and some cooked brown lentils.
Not pictured I also made the broccoli quiche from Vegan Brunch which used a bought pastry crust which I bought years and years ago because I was so excited to see a vegan one but have been making my own crusts since.
This was a good week. I stuck to my plan and still ate some decent food and also have a bit of space in my freezer and can see what’s in there. Not that there’s nothing else to use; in fact, far from it and I’m going to have a use up day weekly for the next few months. So still to come is lots of odds and sods of burgers, steamed sausages, some really weird gluten I once found in the freezer at a chinese shop, chicken nuggets likewise and other stuff I haven’t even got to yet. Much excitement to follow!
Cooking the Vegan Books 
Your freezer sounds like my freezer! I was really excited when I found a tub of sweet potato puree at the back of it last week so I made the Veggie Potpie Stew with Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits from AFR…I probably would’ve been lazy & not have bothered with the biscuits if it wasn’t for the frozen sweet potato & they were really delicious.
Nicely done! I found a forgotten bag of frozen mixed veggies in my fridge last weekend and turned it into a minestrone. Laziest soup ever, but so tasty.
I meant in the freezer, not fridge, obvs!
Great use of freezer stuff!