Not Fish-'n-Chips

I really hate wasting food. Actually, I hate wasting anything at all. We live in an age where everything is disposable, nothing is precious, and change is discontinuous. And yet, at the same time, we are depleting our natural resources and filling landfills faster than we can empty them... But let me go back to the food theme before I turn this into a rant about our wasteful society.

So I had some random leftovers in my fridge last Sunday night, consisting of precisely:

• half an aubergine;
• a quarter of a red pepper;
• coriander
• half a lemon;
• a bit of natural yogurt;
• a tortilla wrap; and
• some mayo.

For some inexplicable reason this combination made me think of fish and chips. Well, not fish and chips exactly, but it made me think of the concept of fish and chips; the notion of eating something in a fish-'n-chip-like fashion. This may not make sense to others, but it does to me. So what I did was this:

Storecupboard Korma

As Europe's financial crisis rages on, I am experiencing a mini "post-redundancy" financial crisis of my own. Which means goodbye to everyday luxuries for the time being. 

My fridge bemoans the loss of its weekly intake of organic market veggies and locally sourced cheeses, just as my storecupboard misses the truffle oil and black garlic of days gone by...

And so I came home tonight and found myself staring into a gaping fridge and a peasant's larder. (Well, maybe not quite a peasant's larder: I think I did spot some muscovado sugar cowering in a corner in the back...)


I imagine that this is a nightly challenge for many; this coming home to an under-stocked kitchen and an over-stocked brain. It's difficult enough for most to concoct a dinner when there actually are ingredients to choose from. It's even more difficult when there is little-to-nothing on offer, and (I should think) especially so when that offering does not include meat. 

It doesn't have to be hard though. Normally there are some trusty storecupboard staples lurking around, they just need to be used differently.

I managed to excavate enough of these old faithfuls to be able to cook a hearty and satisfying meal. What transpired tasted so good, I decided even meatlovers would agree.  

And so, I present my very own...