This one is dedicated to Dawn.
Last night I went to the fridge when it was time to make dinner, and looked to see what needed to be used up. I have a fair amount of fresh veggies, but none that needed to be used immediately, and none that inspired me.
What was crying out to be used:
--half of a big can of pureed pumpkin (E eats as baby food)
--half a tub of ricotta cheese
--two servings of leftover oatmeal
First response--apprehension. Second response--inspiration.
I sauteed some onion, then added the pumpkin and oatmeal and mashed it all together. Added one can of diced tomatoes and some water and cinnamon, cumin, oregano and pepper. Let simmer for 15 min., then turn off heat and mix in ricotta. Voila!
I called it "Pumpkin Surprise Soup" and the girls really liked it.
I myself thought it was just "Meh," until I added a dash of leftover chili sauce from Charlie Hong Kong's. Perfect! It had a creamy, spicy Caribbean thing going on. D and I ate it after the kids were in bed with a side of tortilla chips and fresh avocado. Mmmmmmmmm.
But I must say, I can't believe I pulled that one off. ; )
You see, while I really can't stand waste, I confess I waste food all the time. I am much better than I used to be, now that we have a new fridge. In the old one, stuff would get lost on the bottom shelves all the time; in our new fridge, which has the freezer on the bottom and "armoire" style doors, I can see EVERYTHING really well. I am no longer losing food, and since it is all right in front of my face, I no longer forget what we have and what needs to be used up.
So now I tend to only waste the last, lingering bits of food--that last helping of baby spinach that gets slimy before I have used up the bag; that last piece of bread that I forgot to put in the fridge and so it molded, etc. But I am trying to be really proactive about those too, and not let little bits linger. This means I am getting creative with how to combine those little bits into something palatable.
Usually the results are quite good, if unusual, like last night's "surprise" soup.
I think I need to come up with a term for this kind of "rescue" cooking. Something like "scavenging". . . but that sounds more appetizing. Or like "refrigerator gleaning". . . something like the concept of "up-cycling" except for food. . . .
Anyone?
Seven Years Home
1 week ago
How about "crazy concoctions"? By the way, I made a box of chicken helper for dinner last night...
ReplyDeleteDid it help your chicken?
ReplyDelete; )
I wish I had your determination and inspiration! Please please collect these all together some day and make a recipe book! It could be really cool. organized by ingredient, so that people can use up what we have on hand. I so often find myself in a similar predicament and need just ONE more thing for a recipe, go to the store and the whole process starts over again.
ReplyDeleteThink about it Lisa, I'd buy it! :)
First, I have to say you have me laughing, Shera. I think the soup sounds completely disgusting, even though it tasted good, and I posted it here for chuckles. I knew my old college roommate Dawn in particular would be completely grossed out.
ReplyDeleteBut thank you for the compliment! You are bringing a fond memory to mind: a year or so ago we were at D's parents' house for a huge family reunion, and his mom needed us to use up stuff in the fridge that week so that there would be room for the Saturday party food. And let me tell you, this woman's fridge is always packed full! So I had loads of things to choose from, and it really was not hard to come up with ideas--except they had to be palatable to not only the vegetarians but also the McDonald's crowd who were visiting from out of state. So I made things like mexican soup, and a couple different pastas and I don't remember what else. And while she never said anything to my face, D's mom actually bragged a little about me to a few other family members, that I was able to go into the fridge/pantry and whip up good meals from whatever was in there. Because of the long history of--shall we say feelings of a completely opposite sort--with D's mom, that grapevine compliment really meant a lot to me. And does still.
So, next time you are standing in front of the fridge with those odd items facing you, give me a call! Trust me, I am always home at that time of the day. ; )