I just been handed a (lovely) dinner of peas, garlic, old spaghetti and chilli flakes…
Why? Because we are BROKE. Due to being students, delayed payday and an unwillingness to spend our last £1.80, we are living off the cupboard, and replenishing nothing.
So, who’s up for a challenge? Two nights ago, with my American down with a cold bordering on manflu, I accepted the challenge.
Here’s the result. Let me know what you think- Maybe you could have done better?
1. Pizza.
The funnest way to 5 a day…for serious.
Store cupboard ingredients- no bread flour unfortunately BUT I always use plain flour for pizza anyway, don’t know why and maybe I’m upsetting some purists here, but I just think it tastes wicked. Dried Yeast. Water. Sugar. Salt. It was looking good!
So I don’t have a recipe for this actually, I have made it so many times that I got used to the look and feel of it. But here is a good one I have used before. It’s Delia, so its foolproof ❤
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/italian/basic-pizza-dough.html
I prick it over and bake it for about 10 minutes.
DISASTER- in all my cupboard plundering and broke superiority, I neglected to notice the lack of tomato ANYTHING. Borrowed from a kindly housemate, and averted total shame.
Two options here-
Livi’s yellow veggie heaven or American Meat n’ Onions.
1. Cut rings of a yellow pepper, and lay on top of the sauce, add sweetcorn and pineapple, and sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella. Yellow and lovely.
2. Fry the onions in butter and oil till caramelised, spread over the sauce and add sliced chorizo. And ALL of the cheese. ❤
We baked them until the toppings were crispy and brown. 1/2- success.
2. Pudding
I wouldn’t feel right accepting the award for best cupboard dinner unless I had created a pudding too. Here’s a recipe I invented last night, and I’m kinda proud of it. It looked so pretty.
Livi’s Fruit and Milk Custard Tart.
Sweet Pastry- as much as you need. Golden Rule, half as much butter to flour, and I add sugar to taste. Mix by ‘breadcrumbing’ the mixture with your hands. Use the smallest amount of water possible to bind. DON’T TOUCH IT BARELY AT ALL EVER. The key to short pastry is leaving it the frick alone. Roll out and line a tin (square works well). Bake blind until golden.
Ok, so I had no cream, but I’d come this far!! Sod it! Milk will do!
Heat milk in a pan until boiling point, but stir and don’t let it burn! Working fast whisk 3 tablespoons of sugar, and whisk in two eggs, but don’t wait or you have sugary scrambled eggs. Whisk in some vanilla, whisk. Whisk again. Add two tablespoons of cornflour. Whisk. Just keep whisking. Let the mixture thicken then take off the heat and leave to cool.
When it had cooled, I poured it into the pastry case, and sprinkled frozen mixed berries all over. With fingers crossed I baked it at 250 for about half an hour. IT ONLY BLOODY WORKED!
Pictures here, verdict?
Don’t be beaten by bare cupboards friends!! Unless…like…you have money…then seriously, go food shopping. It’s awesome.
Until next time, friends. Stay Unchained ❤
Unchained Baking 