Submitted by Lewjam

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons Gram Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cumin
• ½ tsp Coriander
• Other bits
• Olive Oil
• 2 large tsp Tomato Puree
• A splash of worcestershire source
• A little water egg cup full (use if needed only!!!)

Spices to go with the onions in the cooking pan

• 10 Small Onions
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp of Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 4 chopped and ground mild chillies or 1 tsp Chilli Powder

Method:

1. Cut the onions in half and then chop into slices, break them up into strips (should be half circles!).
2. Cook slowly in a little oil until they are soft; don’t let them brown too much.
3. Add the pan spices and stir in well, cook off for another min or so.
4. Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl and add the onions, stir in well to coat them all with the flour and spice mix.
5. Add the tomato puree and mix in well, add a little water until the mixture is of the correct consistency.  It should be wet enough to have not dry ingredients left, but not too wet so that there is excess liquid and is sloppy.

At this stage you can do two things!

Either:

1. Spoon the mixture into a large bag or box and freeze.  Defrost before using and add a little more flour/water if necessary.
2. I like to layer the mixture on baking parchment, a tablespoon full of mixture makes a small bhaji, place some paper on top, add another… layer until all is used then freeze.

To cook, place a spoon full of mixture (or frozen pat)  on a greased baking tray and cook on gas mark 6/7 for about 12 mins, after this time run a little oil over the bhajis and return to the oven for another 10 mins.  This makes them go lovely and brown and crispy.

(If cooking from frozen cook for ~15mins on gas mark 5 then crank upto gas mark 7 add oil and cook for a further 10 mins – times dependent on size of bhajis made, just play with it to get them how you like them)

This recipe is good to freeze and low fat for Bhajis, even without the freezing the bhajis are beautiful!!

Submitted by Yorkie

Ingredients:

• 4 oz / 115g margarine
• 4 ½ fl oz / 130ml sunflower oil
• 4 oz / 115g caster sugar
• 8oz / 225g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 ½ fl oz / 130ml milk
• 12 oz / 350g plain flour
• 2 tsp / 10ml baking powder
• 4 tbsp / 60ml cocoa powder
• ½ tsp / 2.5ml ground allspice
• 1 lb / 450g courgettes, (peeled and) grated
• 1 tsp / 5ml vanilla essence
• 8 oz / 225g plain chocolate drops (I find that under 100g is enough in fact)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas 5 / 190C and line a rectangular baking tin (about 9″ x 13″) with non-stick baking paper.
2. Cream the margarine, oil and sugars together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs and milk.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and allspice together and fold gently into the mixture.
4. Stir in the courgettes and vanilla essence, and spoon the mixture into the tin.
5. Smooth the top and sprinkle on the chocolate drops.
6. Bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the cake is firm and a knife pushed into the centre comes out clean.  Lift out, cut into quarters or smaller squares while still warm, and then leave to cool.

I freeze in quarters, wrapped in greaseproof paper and then a layer of clingfilm.  Doesn’t take too long to defrost and tastes just as good.

Submitted by Poolfield2

This recipe is VERY variable depending on what I have a glut of:

• 4 large onions peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 sweet peppers (any colour) cut into chunks
• 4 courgettes cut into chunks
• 12 tomatoes cut into quarters
• 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
• 8 tablespoons olive oil
• black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Marigold stock powder
• either 2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs chopped or 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs

To this can be added up to 500g of any assortment of root veg (cut small)  but it is best to boil them for 5 mins first so they cook quickly, may need a little extra oil to coat everything.

Method:

1. Stir together spread on 2 large oven trays and cook in hot oven for about 30 mins until veg is just charring at edges.
2. Freeze in small portions, it can be used as a filling for jacket potatoes, pizza topping, as base for a pasta sauce, great with hummus, to pad out a stir fry, soup base………..etc

Submitted by Cazzy

Ingredients:

• 1lb tomatoes
• 4 red chilies
• 2 red peppers
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 medium onions
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of vinegar
• Salt (soy/fish sauce work well too)
• 1-2 tbls oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil and add the onions, cook (without browning) until soft.
2. Add the garlic, chilies and peppers, cook for 2/3 mins until soft.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 mins then blitz in the blender (you could pass it through a sieve  if you want a smooth sauce) at this stage you can add some water if its too thick.
4. Adjust the heat/salt/sweetness etc to suit your taste.

I freeze this sauce in portion sizes in ziploc bags lying flat in the freezer which doesn’t take up much room although if you are struggling for space you can put in in sterilised jam jars too.

I’ve used it as a marinade for chicken and prawns, a sauce for veggie stir frys, used it instead of creole sauce for jambalaya, added it to curries and used as a dipping sauce.

Roasting the tomatoes, peppers and garlic in the oven first gives more depth to the sauce but I’m a lazy cook!

Submitted by madcat

For all those potatoes that won’t store.

Boil/steam your potatoes as preferred and tip hot into a big bowl.  Mash with plenty of butter, milk, salt and pepper to make a nice firm, smooth textured mashed potato.

You can make them into plain potato cakes at this stage by

1. Lining a freezer proof tray, oven tray or chopping board with eazileave or if pushed, clingfilm, (don’t try it unlined – they will freeze onto the surface)
2. Flouring your hands and the worktop generously, taking a small handfull (say a clementine sized ball) of mash and shaping it into a ball.
3. Pat gently into a flat cake and put on the lined tray.
4. Fill the tray with cakes and open freeze.  Pack into bags with the eazileave or film as separators.

Cook from frozen on the griddle or in the oven in about 20 mins.  Heaven for those days when all are starving and you are exhausted.

However, if you have other gluts or leftovers, try

• adding some chopped cooked greens (cabbage, kale etc) and a little softened onion for bubble and squeak cakes.  Serve with fried/poached egg for a quick and filling meal
• adding cooked and mashed apple (fallings are great) with a little softened onion and some chopped sage.  Great with cold pork
• adding chopped celery leaves and some grated cheese;
• adding chopped parsley and crushed garlic – the smell is heavenly;
• adding other mashed veg such as parsnip (with a touch of nutmeg) or swede or turnip.  Be careful it doesn’t get sloppy; add a  little flour to stiffen it if necessary
• using leftover parsley sauce to mash the spuds; parsley potato cakes go well with ham or gammon
• likewise leftover cheese sauce with a little softened onion and a touch of mustard powder

Mmmmmm……