It's fun to share a new recipe, a new dish to try, and fun ways to use ingredients. I think it's good to highlight fails too so newbies don't feel intimidated by early efforts. I'm not a great cook, but think I'm competent in the kitchen. I don't get intimidated though get bored. Sometimes when attempting something new, I miss the target. I hate waste so I try to revive something from the fail.
I shared I made freezer jam. It didn't set. I guess we now have ice cream sauce or my daughter will use on her oatmeal. It can certainly still be used for a runny pb&j.
Thinking I could put egg noodles with a creamy chicken soup in the crockpot, I hoped for an easy soup. Nope, the noodles just sort of partially disintegrated. Then I just had a thick, but flavorful, starchy side dish. I had for like lunch too the next day.
Forgetting to salt the water when making rice. Others might like it unsalted, but I found it too bland and wasn't helped by soy sauce. I froze it to use in future soups. I sometimes end up with too salty broth and the unsalted rice will help. I also can mix with egg and seasoning for rice crust quiche. It also could be used with pups food.
Not a cooking fail, but I let several apples go to soft. I grated one in place of applesauce in a recipe, and used other with cinnamon for a coffee cake layer.
I know we're all thinking of the higher grocery prices. It's important to be prudent to think where a fail can be salvaged. Waste is a sure way to increase our grocery shops with nothing in return. Do you have some good tricks?
The last thing we saved was diced zucchini that went on top of a frozen cheese pizza that we had jazzed up with toppings. There was too much diced zucchini sitting on a plate when Tommy started to chop the ground pork. He asked if I wanted him to just throw out the extra diced zucchini. When I told him to just put it in the ground pork when it was almost done, he was surprised and did it. We never noticed the zucchini since it seems to blend seamlessly with any flavor.
ReplyDeleteZucchini is hardly noticeable in many things. Good save
DeleteFood prices are going through the roof so I am trying not to waste anything. As a result we are not necessarily eating what we want to eat, but are eating what is here. (failures and all) Most failures can be transformed into something. Such is life.
ReplyDeleteA less than stellar meal on occasion isn't going to hurt me. Grocery shopping never was something I liked to do either.
Deleteindeed so! A new recipe: I try to do one on a regular basis. I put the less-than-stellar items into soups and sauces where they may not be noticed.
ReplyDeleteHide the woes. In the fall I try more things. Too hot to be on the kitchen long.
DeleteI have made the egg noodle in soup mistake before. Now I know to put the noodles in 15 minutes before serving, cover the slow cooker, then turn it off. I had a failure that COULD NOT be salvaged. Last summer, I was given some zucchini, which I can only bear in bread, or as relish, so I shredded it, and canned some relish. The only canning lids DH could find were the Pur brand, which I had never used before. I made 9 half pint jars, and they all sealed beautifully. This weekend, I went to the pantry to grab a jar, and I found the seal had failed, not just on that one, but 4 others! Those all had to go straight in the garbage. I was crushed. No, I didn't process incorrectly...I've been canning for over 20 years, and know what I'm doing. A bit of searching, and I found that these lids, (made in China) are notorious for either not sealing, or having seal failures.
ReplyDeleteMove is tentatively set for mid July, so my waste is being managed by (still) trying to eat down the freezer and pantry, and not add to it prior to the move.
I've read bad experiences not using Ball or Kerr. Not worth the risk on canning. That's a shame.
DeleteWell done to you on saving that food. I wasted a LOT of food last week and I could kick myself. My problem is I buy too much thinking I'll need all of it, but except for Sunday afternoons I can always run to the store again if it's essential can't I? I'm SERIOUSLY going to try to bring my food shopping down, because it's even more wicked to waste it given the cost of groceries now, isn't it!
ReplyDeleteI often over buy produce so concentrate on getting it used. I could freeze more too.
DeleteI'm a competent cook too, Sam - I don't actually enjoy cooking, but L is a sh*tty cook, so I'm better than the alternative!
ReplyDeleteI find my worst food waste is greens, like old lettuce or celery or spinach, that sort of thing. I make "green sauce" out of it:
- chop/wash all the green stuff that is getting limp or starting to go (can be lettuce, kale, chard, anything) - you're aiming for the equivalent of two large bunches of kale or chard, so top it up with fresh when it goes on sale
- sautee chopped onion (and garlic, if that's your thing - my husband can't eat garlic, so I skip it) in olive oil
- add the wet greens a bit at a time until they reduce to a dark green mess
- add a good shake of salt, several grinds of black pepper and more nutmeg than you think (cover the surface of the green mess thinly) - you can add more of these three to taste later if needed
- using a blender or an immersion blender, puree the green stuff with one tub of ricotta cheese (can be reduced fat, or any kind - when I see it go on sale, I buy a couple of tubs and freeze them)
That's it! I use this instead of tomato sauce on pasta or with any veggie/meat dish (it's especially good with chicken, shrimp, prawns or other seafood). For two of us, I freeze small portions (about 2/3 of a cup) for future use. It's really yummy.
Your kitchen sounds like ours- DH is not very good either. I hate when he makes himself eggs as the house smells the rest of the day.
DeleteI am the same way--I hate wasting food. Which means for this week I have a whole container of very bland aloo matar (Indian dish) that I am eating (I'm not very good at cooking Indian food unfortunately), some old apples which became applesauce, and past its prime watermelon which makes great smoothies. No way we want to toss out good food with today's food prices!
ReplyDeleteI make a good Indian inspired masala - I would probably be laughed at calling it true Indian food. We're all getting creative I think.
DeleteI do love freezer jam! Publix has strawberries for $.99 for 16oz. I just need to buy the a ton of sugar and the surgel. And hope it works. lol
ReplyDelete