Open your refrigerator, and I’m sure you will find them – - a lonely carrot here, a couple of red potatoes there, a baggie of spinach or broccoli. Alone, not enough to create a side dish. They are orphans looking for a place to call their own, waiting for a chance to shine after being left behind.
The nights I make meals from “nothing” my husband asks if it is “garbage can dinner.” Not appetizing, I know. But had I not come up with a tasty solution for these bits and pieces, they would have ended up in the trash. The Italians are really good at inventing great meals from what would be discarded. Look at panzanella, which is a fantastic salad made from stale bread, dressing, tomatoes, etc . . .. How about minestrone soup? From cooking Italian food I even learned about saving the rind of the parmesan cheese block and throw it in soups. Waste nothing. Heck, I even make bread crumbs from leftover hot dog and hamburger buns that I know will never be used. Just dry them out and pulse them in your processor. You might think that sounds cheap, but I think it is resourceful. Here are some ideas to help you make more of what you have on hand.
* Soup is the first obvious choice for fresh items laying around. Carrots, celery, potatoes and the like. Keep canned tomatoes and stock on hand which will help you be more resourceful in making creations from miscellaneous items.
* A crustless quiche (pictured) is a quick to make and perfect for leftover ingredients. Yesterday I had leftover roasted asparagus and roasted bell pepper, so I threw them in the quiche. In making the quiche I used what ever cheese I had on hand as well.
* Make a roasted vegetable medley. A couple of weeks ago I had a wide variety of bits and pieces, so I cut them all up in uniform sizes and threw them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Of course, some vegetables like squash will cook faster than carrots, so I made two full trays.
* If you have leftover cooked vegetables that will freeze well, start a running freezer bag that will eventually be enough for soup, a potpie – - you get it.
Here are a couple of recipes I’ve been using for years, and they are very flexible with the ingredients – - a perfect home for your little bits and pieces.
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Crustless Quiche
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped
spinach, thawed and drained, or any vegetable you need to get rid of
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Muenster cheese, or any other cheese you have on hand
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
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 Crustless Quiche |
| 1. | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan. | ||||||||
| 2. | Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. | ||||||||
| 3. | In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan. | ||||||||
| 4. | Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Minestrone Soup
Allrecipes.com (Note: I have made this in the slow cooker too. I am making this in a couple days to help get rid of some orphan green beans, celery and parm rind.)
Directions:
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