We recently ran a competition for our My Secret Kitchen Club members (you can sign up here on our home page) to win a Spirit of Adventure hamper full of My Secret Kitchen goodies (find our new range of gifts and hampers here). We asked you to share with us if you had discovered a really unusual use for a common ingredient or a way to use something unusual in a common way!
The entries well and truly wowed us and picking a winner proved a tricky task. After much deliberation we awarded first prize to Cecelia Allen of the Isle of Wight and we just had to share the top 10 with you....
Semolina is my foodie find - I put semolina in a polythene bag with finely chopped chives, mint and rosemary and garlic salt or finely chopped garlic. I use this to coat my roast potatoes. Lightly beat one egg white, coat the potatoes and place them in the bag, shake to coat them, then roast, they are fabulous. Cecelia Allen
Love this idea with any of our Secret Spices, I'm going to try Secret Vanilla Pudding Spice on apple wedges - Clare
Hi to the secret society, it's like the Masons of food ;) By secretly adding a heaped spoonful of the wonderfully combined Nacho Fiesta Cheese Ball Mix, I have turned my scones into dizzily desirable delights. This cheeky blend brings out the cheese flavour in full and adds depth to the overall enjoyable tasty treat. People beg me for the recipe to which I answer 'it's a secret'. Mandy Alden
Thanks Mandy - Nacho Fiesta Cheese Ball Mix is only available this month so contact us or your consultant for more! - Clare
I discovered the use of apple sauce as a way of stripping unnecessary fat from my diet by using it in place of butter or margarine. It complements chicken, beef, and pork sandwiches without the fat content, and keeping them moist. Low-fat doesn't have to mean low-taste! Julie Earnshaw
Brilliant idea and we know it works with our Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix too, just substitute 100g melted butter with 100g apple puree to reduce the fat content by 70%! - Clare
My unusual food idea that works really well is to wash potatoes thoroughly before peeling, keep the peelings in water and when you fancy a snack later on, dry them really well, fry until soft with garlic, onion and add a dollop of cream cheese at the end. It’s a great way of using up something that you would normally just bin/compost when preparing potatoes and it’s a lovely snack. Gillian Shiels
Wow - some of the team weren't sure about this one but what a great way to reduce waste and we thought they could be baked for a healthier alternative to crisps? - Clare
I am passionate about food and sailing, often spending weeks on my boat and find myself having to be really 'inventive' in order to conjure up a variety of meals. Once I had an abundance of wild figs and I decided to make a Fig Crumble but with no flour or butter I turned to the cereal packets and realised how great Cornflakes and Branflakes can be as an ingredient. Our cereal crunched down and
sprinkled on the top of a crumble before toasting off really does add a lovely finish to any 'crumble' ! Tracey Belcher
Oooh - definitely will try this idea with our Fig Pudding Pickle - Clare
I use the oil from jars of sundried tomatoes to make amazing tasting mayonnaise. Paul Wilson
Another fab idea to reduce waste - find our Smoked Mayonnaise recipe here where you could a combination of our Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil with the leftover sundried tomato oil - Clare
Hate the lingering smell of fish after a fish supper? Gently fry a tablespoon of peanut butter for a few minutes and it not only eradicates the fishy smell, but leaves behind a warm, nutty smell. Much better! Laura Harris
And at the same time why not add some Miso Dressing with Ginger to the peanut butter in the pan plus some water to make a satay sauce for the next night's tea or pop in the freezer - Clare
Soy sauce and chocolate, it is such an amazing combination be it fondant, brownies, or just mixed into melted chocolate and poured over ice cream honestly my life changed when I discovered this tasty mixture :) Lisa Williams
Sounds like Lisa has discovered the umami affect! - Clare
I recently 'found' a really interesting ingredient. Pickled ginger or sushi ginger but does not need to be used exclusively for sushi. My hubby started complaining that our stir fry's were boring - then I added some of the Sushi ginger. It is very finely sliced and fantastically 'zingy' You have really got to try it! Solange Thomas
Fried Plantain as chips with Fish! Amy Ripley
I love these too and served with a Moqueca Curry they are so good or cold & crisp with Secret Firecracker Chilli Spices - Clare
Thanks to everyone who entered with their ideas and for my foodie find, I have found natural toasted coconut curls in my local health food shop as a great alternative to sweetened dessicated coconut and it looks great too on Coconut Brownies with Lime Glaze...
Clare
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