I hate throwing food away, especially now that food costs have skyrocketed in the past year, and even more just in the past few months. Sometimes it’s just a small amount of food that I have too much of. But if I am full after a meal and still have food left, I won’t stuff myself just because I don’t want to throw it away. Other times, I already have food prepared for the week and I know I won’t be able to finish it before it goes bad. What to do?
Here’s a great idea: every time you have leftovers just add them to a freezer bag and freeze it. This is perfect for cooked or raw vegetables, vegetable trimmings, fresh herbs, green onion tops, unused parsley branches, limp celery, cooked pasta or rice, cooked poultry and meat. Don’t add any dairy, fish or creamy sauces though. Just add your leftovers or ‘extras’ to the bag on a continuous basis until you have time to make a soup.
When you are ready to make the soup, heat chicken or vegetable broth/bouillon in a large pot over low heat and add the freezer bag’s contents. Then check to see what else you have in the fridge that might taste good in there. Think about adding potatoes, onions or any frozen vegetables or dried herbs available. Cook until all vegetables are soft, then purée everything in the blender or food processor until its smooth and has a nice creamy texture. Adjust seasoning. You can even add milk to make a nice cream of vegetable soup. There you have it! There is no reason to throw away good food.
Another example of freezing vegetables I want to share is the time I bought a whole bag of hot peppers. They were really too hot for my guests to eat, but they looked good on the roasted vegetable platter. So after the party, I froze them in a plastic container and whenever I want to add flavor and heat to a tomato sauce or curry, I just grab a couple of those peppers and add them to the pot. It’s about buying food when it’s in season and cheaper, and saving time by cooking in batches so you have it readily available at all times.
Stay tuned for more money saving food tips.
- Josée
Labels: Healthy Planet, Josee, money saving
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