Food Waste Friday - Some Sad Lettuce

I'll hopefully have a picture for you later today, but we do have some honest to goodness food waste this week. I was using some red lettuce no my hubby's lunches while the sprouts were growing. Luckily, I got down to the itty bitty center pieces that aren't big enough for a sandwich just as the sprouts reached readiness - perfectly coordinated if I do say so myself. But, of course, the last little bit of lettuce was forgotten, and when I pulled the bag out of the crisper last night it had that brown slimy liquid running around in it.

The last of the fresh spinach is also on it's last legs, but I don't plan to let it go to waste. I'll throw the wilted pieces in a pasta or something. Actually, I was planning on trying out this recipe tonight for the first time, and some spinach tossed in might be perfect!

Spicy Beef-Noodle Bowl

1 lb. beef sirloin, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. oil
28 oz. broth
1/3 cup peanut sauce
3 oz. egg noodles
2 cups broccoli florets
Sliced green onions for garnish

Brown beef strips in hot oil in a Dutch oven. Add broth and peanut sauce, and bring everything to a boil. Stir in noodles and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Stir to break up the noodles, and add broccoli. Return to boiling. Reduce heat, and simmer for another 4 minutes or until noodles are tender. Garnish with green onions.

Sounds good, and easy right? I'll let you know how it goes!

Last Of The Groceries

Here's to hoping yesterday's shopping trip was the last of the month.

Safeway
3 1/4 oz Yeast - $2.75
Organic Milk - $5.19
Carrots - $1.89
1 lb Canadian Maple Ham Lunch Meat - $5.65
Total: 14.98

Franz Bakery Outlet
2 Loaves - $5.29

That would bring my grand total for the month to...(drum roll please)...$159.91! To say I am proud of that number would be an understatement.

This morning I sent my husband off to work with homegrown sprouts in his lunch! The jar is so full I had to split the yield in two in order to allow light to reach them all and turn them a beautiful green. Let's gaze at the glory, shall we?

If anyone would like to gift me a Canon Rebel or equivalent
on account of it being a Monday, I would be much obliged.

Aren't they beautiful? I can turn the jar upside down and they don't even budge they're packed in there so tight. Lesson learned - less seed next time. I am definitely going to be regularly stocking up on sprout seeds. Growing your own sprouts is just too easy!

Speaking of easy, The Mrs also inspired me to take a stab at bread baking. She is working her way through 200 different bread recipes. It got me thinking of how she must have a whole range of flops and successes, but the point is she's trying. Too often, I let perfection get in my way - it's part of the reason I bought sprout seeds in January and didn't try to grow them until March!

So I picked up yeast (enemy number one) yesterday and came home and just did it - I baked bread. And it turned out delicious!

My Italian Herb Loaf - a success!

A Meatless Recipe

In the past week or so I've come around to the idea of cutting back on our meat consumption. My husband has pretty emphatically told me in the past that he is a carnivore - there must be meat in every meal. Nevertheless, I started thinking maybe I could twist his arm once a week, or even once a month!

Last week I made "spaghetti and meatballs" using sausage and spaghetti squash. My husband isn't a big fan of squash (while I love all squash) but he really liked this unique recipe. His biggest problem with squash is the texture, and spaghetti squash isn't really your typical squash.

Since he commandeered my Italian sausage I decided to try my recipe again as a totally meat-free meal.

First I cut up a portabella mushroom into long strips and set them marinating in the fridge. I marinated them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, and powdered garlic. I also chopped up the stems into smaller pieces - no reason to let them go to waste!

I sautéed some chopped red bell pepper and then added in coarsely chopped red kale and a ton of chopped garlic. I stirred in some hot cooked spaghetti squash and removed from the heat so that the kale wouldn't cook itself into non-existence.


Then I sautéed my portabellas. Not too long - you want to keep them meaty! I served these over my "spaghetti" and it was delicious!


My husband was slightly less enthused than me. He gave me that look and said "You know I need meat." But does he? Do we really need meat with every meal?


He still loved it, and I'm so happy with the way he's come around to mushrooms since we first started dating. I'm also pretty sure he didn't wither away, but he does claim they didn't fill him up. I don't want dinner to be a war, and it got me thinking that I can easily cut down on our meat consumption by cutting down on my meat consumption. I can eat meatless meals (like this one) and still cut up a sausage for my husband's meal.


I can also use half the meat I normally would and beef a meal up with mushrooms or beans or other protein substitutes, with both of us eating meat but half of what we normally would. This will be both easier on our budget, and more environmentally sustainable!


Wish me luck ;)

Rotisserie Chicken Leftovers

One of my constant challenges making meals at home is that there are only two of us in my household. I do a lot of shopping at Costco buying things in bulk because it is so much cheaper. I wrote the other day about how I make at least two meals out of every flank steak, and search the fridge for the cheapest (i.e. lightest) package available.

On days when I don't have time to cook from scratch I sometimes pick up a rotisserie chicken from Costco. This works out perfectly with grocery shopping day since I usually don't have the time or energy to cook after shopping and then putting groceries away. It's easy - and inexpensive - to grab a chicken.

I've only roasted my own chicken once, and decided that for $4.99 it actually made more sense time-wise and cost-wise to just buy the pre-cooked chicken. Food doesn't often work this way, but this makes my life a lot easier!

I'll make a salad or some frozen veggies and usually some potatoes to go with the chicken. My husband and I each have a breast and usually indulge in the delicious crispy skin. I know, shame on me.

This leaves me with almost an entire chicken left over! For a family of two, I get down and dirty with the chicken and turn it into at least three more meals.

I do mean down and dirty. Once dinner is done, I pick all the usable meat off the chicken. Typically, this goes into Gladware and straight into the freezer so that I know it won't go bad before I use it. If I'm feeling extra motivated, I'll boil the chicken carcass to make some homemade chicken stock. This can be frozen, also.

One of my post-rotisserie recipes is matzo ball soup, so the broth comes in extra handy. I usually add some low-sodium broth to my own, or just use store bought broth entirely. Broth is inexpensive, and organic broth is readily available at Costco.

To make my matzo ball soup, I bring the broth to a simmer while chopping up carrots, onions, celery, parsley, or whatever else sounds good. I always have carrots and onions on hand, so these are always in my soup. If I have fresh parsley in the garden I'll often use it, otherwise I sometimes just toss in Italian seasoning. I also pull out my shredded chicken, and toss everything into the stock.

I typically make a big stock pot full of soup that can then be frozen for one or two more meals later in the month, but you can make just as much or little as you want. Plan your ingredient amounts accordingly.

Matzo balls are so incredibly easy thanks to the matzo mix found at Safeway. Depending on how big you make the matzo balls, you should get about 9-12 out of each packet. I usually go for 12 since I'm trying to make three meals for the two of us.

Mix a couple of eggs and a quarter cup of vegetable oil with one packet of mix. I put the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, and then with wet hands form balls the size of walnuts. Drop these into the boiling stock, and then reduce to a simmer and cover. It takes about 20 minutes to cook. If you've never made matzo ball soup before, keep in mind that they double or triple in size. I never have much trouble making 12 from each packet!

I serve with a salad and some crusty croutons or a side of bread. Sometimes my husband makes his famous focaccia bread to go with.

Typically I have enough leftover shredded chicken to make at least one more meal, but I'll save my other ideas for rotisserie chickens for another time. All in all, I get at least four meals out of every chicken - how's that for a great deal!

Food Waste Friday - Brie and Frozen Flank Steak

I'm extremely happy with how my food waste has been going ever since I started partaking in Food Waste Fridays. Posting once a week helps keep waste in the forefront of my mind, so I've been very conscious of using up leftovers and finding ways to incorporate veggies that are looking like they're on their way out.

The only thing I have to report this week is an old piece of Brie - mostly rind. It's been in there...awhile. I'm pretty sure someone brought it over during a potluck get together, and the last little bit was thrown in a plastic bag and into the deli drawer of my fridge, never to be seen again until today.

Brie is pretty much my most favorite thing in the world, so I said a few words before regretfully tossing it.

The hubs bought strawberries two-for-one last weekend when he got a hankering for Belgian waffles, so I have a ton of strawberries in the fridge that probably won't last much longer. I think I'm going to add some to my homemade yogurt. I'm wondering, do strawberries freeze well? I need to get on it, or these will be part of next week's post.

The other thing I've been doing a lot of lately is using up frozen leftover flank steak. I buy a two pack of flank steak from Costco every month. I'm that girl sorting through every package of flank steaks in the fridge looking for the lightest, cheapest one. Hey - there's only two of us! Even though I usually don't spend more than $15 on two small flank steaks, they're still far too big for the two of us to finish, so I throw the leftovers in the freezer.

If I don't, they will go to waste. I've learned this about myself, and accepted it. Leftovers go straight into the freezer, none of this fridge business.

Next time I decide we're having red meat for dinner, I take out the leftover flank steak and make it into Beef Stroganoff! It's actually a bonus that it's already frozen, because many stroganoff recipes call for you to lightly freeze the beef before chopping it up. Here's how I make my stroganoff:

Heat up a little oil or butter in a skillet while you chop up a medium sized onion. Toss the onion in the pan, and slice the leftover flank steak into bite size pieces and then dredge in flour. When the onion is looking pretty translucent (cook it on pretty low heat) toss in the dredged meat. I season with salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning or thyme. I usually add some freshly chopped garlic or powdered garlic as well.

Once that's all tossed together and heated through (remember, I'm using cooked meat - if yours isn't, make sure to cook it all the way through) I add about a cup of chicken broth. Many recipes call for beef broth, but I never keep that on hand. I think the chicken broth is just as flavorful. I let that cook down just a little, and then stir in about a cup of sour cream. Oh - don't forget to cook your pasta at some point! I like to use linguini. Egg noodles are the usual choice, but I don't keep them on hand.

I stir the sour cream in for just a few minutes, adjusting the seasoning to taste and the thickness with either broth or a little more sour cream. You can also add a little flour if it's not thick enough. Then, pour everything from the skillet over your pasta and serve. Voila! Another meal from my frozen flank steak.

If you're wondering where the mushrooms are, my husband stands steadfastly against button mushrooms. He's worked his way into liking Portabellas, but hasn't opened up his palate to any other fungus...yet. I'm trying. If I don't feel like serving my stroganoff with a salad, I usually add some cooked peas instead. Delish!

Food Waste Friday - Croutons!

Today's food waste post is another victory - I don't have anything to toss! My husband, however, would say differently. He's wondering why I haven't thrown away the four bags of sandwich bread crust that I have in the fridge.

Granted, I should probably consolidate them....

I make my husband a boxed lunch every day to save money over eating out. I once sent him to work with a sandwich made with one regular piece of bread and one crusty end. I got a text message from him that read, "Baby, are you mad at me?"

So, since he has been ever so willing to eat the same packed lunch every day instead of spending money, I have tried to be extra considerate and never force the crust on him again. I always make sure we have a spare loaf of bread, but I can't seem to bring myself to throwing away the crusts! I sometimes have toast as a snack, and I try to use them up that way, but I definitely don't snack on toast enough. My fridge full of crusts attests to that.

For dinner the other night I decided to make a salad with grilled chicken. It was a delicious - and thrifty - meal if I do say so myself. I seasoned one and a half chicken breasts (I tend to only eat half, but hubby can definitely down a whole) with lemon pepper and cumin. I sneak cumin into everything! I grilled that in a cast iron skillet and sliced it up. I chopped up some red lettuce, dressed it with an oil, vinegar, powdered garlic and Italian seasoning mix and threw in some chopped green onions and red pepper.

The dressing was key in this being the most delicious salad ever. I have a handful of tiny Tupperware, and I use these for all my dressings. Just pour in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season to taste (or perfectly delicious unseasoned, too) and then put the lid on. Shake for a few seconds and it emulsifies. It's the easiest thing in the world, and I don't spend money on bottles of dressing that live in the fridge for years getting crusty around the edges.

I decided that since I was making salad it might be a good time for me to tackle some of my bread crusts. I chopped two crusts up, tossed them with oil, and threw them in my cast iron pan. I'm sure I could have baked them, but it was a last minute idea that I wanted to cook quickly. I threw in some seasoning - Italian and powdered garlic - and tossed the mixture around the pan until the crusts were crispy. They were delicious!

My husband agreed it was one of the best salads we've ever had.

My fridge is still full of unused crusts, but now they have a purposeful future ahead of them. Maybe I'll toss them all in the same bag to neaten the fridge up a bit, but I'm definitely not tossing them in the garbage!

A Cheap Quiche Recipe

I have loved quiche all my life. Growing up we called it "spinach pie". I'm not sure how many parents could get their kids to eat that, but I guess I've just always been a spinach fan!

I bought some pie crusts this month on sale - 2 packs of two for $5 - but am planning on making my own pie crust from now on, so this recipe could have been even cheaper. I usually put ham in my quiche, but I forgot to get a new pack from Costco. The ham is fairly reasonably priced, and I can usually get 6 quiches out of it, but I was restocking the freezer with a lot of meat this month, so I'm glad I skipped it.

I decided to make quiche anyway when I realized I had some frozen spinach in the freezer. So, I chopped up some bacon and sautéed it with half a large onion. Usually I put the onion in the pie crust uncooked with the ham chunks, but I think this way added great flavor!

I whisked 5 eggs with about 1/2 a cup of milk and added about a cup of shredded cheese. Any hard cheese will do. I've used cheddar, pepper jack, swiss. Last night I used up the last little piece of Dubliner...mmm. You can use cheaper cheeses, but it was the best option for me since the cheese would have been part of next week's Food Waste Friday if I hadn't used it!

Then I defrosted about a 3/4 cup of frozen spinach, squeezed out the extra liquid in a strainer, and mixed it in with the cheesy eggy goodness. Then season season season! Last night I used salt, pepper, powdered garlic, paprika, red chili powder, and cumin.

I usually pin prick my crust and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes before I put the onions and bacon in. It helps the crust that gets covered up bake a little more than it would otherwise. Then pour your liquids  over the onions and pop it in the oven. Bake it at 400 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for 30 minutes.

Quiches are so quick to assemble, and you can just sit back while they bake. I wish I'd taken a picture last night. It was my most delicious quiche yet - and made for a great breakfast on the go this morning!

Update: Made quiche again and added some chopped asparagus - pic this time!