#KitchenClearout July/August roundup and September linky

I knew I wouldn't be around for pretty much the whole of August (even if you probably didn't notice I'd gone because I scheduled daily posts for when I was away) so I planned on doing on a double-month summer #KitchenClearout linky post for July and August, but being a cheapskate, I only use the free version of inlinkz, the linky creator, and it won't let you run a linky for longer than 33 days - rotten burgers ! I also knew that everybody would be too busy gallivanting around in the school holidays to join in much last month, and, as predicted, it ended up being a bit of a me,myself and I roundup in July ! Luckily, I knuckled down and had a big clearout in my kitchen, as well as totally winding down the fridge before heading off on holiday, so I still have a nice roundup to share with you this month. This month's linky will run for 33 days until the 24th September, when I'll start a new linky.

So here's what July's linky offered :

Continuing my efforts to use up my (slightly dwindling but nevertheless huge !) stash of oats, I made these delicious Banana & Coconut Flapjacks which were beautifully gooey and moreish. They also finished off a half-used bag of coconut sugar.

Some leftover baked potatoes were transformed into some Moroccan-inspired tuna & potato briouates, which also used up some spice paste and spices.

Turning to the freezer, I found a tub of frozen raspberries that had been in there since last summer, so they were made into a delicious raspberry and white chocolate loaf cake.

This Meatball & Couscous One Pot Wonder was a tasty way of stretching a 2-serving pouch of couscous into a meal for a family of 5.

These deceptively simple, 5-ingredient Lemon Cream & Raspberry Tarts were the perfect way to finish off the end of the frozen raspberries, and also used up the end of a jar of lemon marmalade that was lurking in the fridge feeling unloved.

I will admit it, the Ready Brek, Apple & Banana Muffins were a complete experiment, but they ended up having a lovely moist texture and were wolfed down by the kids as both breakfast and mid-afternoon snacks.

My Pork, Pepper & Pineapple Stir Fry used up two bottles of cooking sauce. It started life as Habanero Pineapple Chicken/Pork (using leftover cooked meat from the Sunday bbq) but once I'd tasted the sauce on my little finger and blown my head off, it evolved into a stir fry with a much milder chilli & ginger sauce. Either way, both bottles were disposed of - one was eaten and one thrown away - which made some more space in the cupboard, as is the aim of #KitchenClearout.

Tostadas are the ultimate #KitchenClearout recipe because you can use up everything that is lurking in the fridge : tomatoes, salad, cheese, olives, cooked rice, ... I also rummaged in the cupboards and found a tin of refried beans, a guacamole seasoning sachet and a bottle of chipotle & bourbon bbq sauce, which were all incorporated into the dish. Just like fajitas, they are also great fun to eat because it's a total free-for-all with everyone assembling their own tostada.

Winding down the fridge to go on holiday and still having a whole punnet of mushrooms, I made Mushrooms à la Grecque, which can be eaten as a refreshing cold starter or hot with rice as a main meal. 

My deep fat frying days are long behind me as I always use my Actifry now, but as I had a pan of oil from making prawn crackers (which wouldn't work in the Actifry, I don't think !), I decided to make BBQ Fried Chicken as a special treat. I used up the end of a bottle of honey barbecue sauce in the breadcrumbs, which gave it a lovely sweet and smoky flavour.

A big warm welcome to Shaheen from the Allotment2Kitchen blog for her lovely summery Cold Minted Pasta Salad, which looks perfect as a light lunch or supper when it's too hot to cook. Extra brownie points for being the only person to join in this month !

I look forward to seeing what you make this month, or catching up with any #KitchenClearout recipes that you made in August. I have several to link up from just before we went off on holiday already so it could end up being a bumper month !

Fancy joining in? Have a rummage through your kitchen cupboards, spice rack, freezer or fridge and see if there's anything that needs using up then come and share your creations with us. Or if it's way past its sell-by date, throw it in the bin and come and tell us what you found ! It would be great if you could add my badge and a link to this post for anyone else who wants to get involved.