We’ve all been caught staring into the fridge at the sad remains of last night’s dinner, wondering if those limp carrots can be salvaged or that forgotten yogurt is best suited for the trash. But before you toss those potential ingredients, hold on! With a few clever tricks, you can transform those leftovers and forgotten bits into delicious new meals.
Revive Wilted Produce
Don’t let those sad, limp veggies go to waste! Give them a refreshing spa treatment by submerging them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. This simple trick will revitalize wilted vegetables, restoring their crispness and refreshing their flavor. They’ll be perfect for incorporating into salads, stir-fries, or even sneaking them into healthy smoothies.
Give Stale Bread a Second Life
Stale bread doesn’t have to become breadcrumbs! Consider transforming it into crunchy croutons for a delightful addition to salads or soups. Alternatively, pulse it into a fine powder for a versatile breadcrumb substitute. This homemade breadcrumb substitute is perfect for coating chicken, fish, or creating a flavorful stuffing for vegetables and peppers, adding a delightful textural contrast to your dishes.
Make Flavorful Stock
Don’t underestimate the hidden potential of vegetable scraps! Instead of discarding potato peels, carrot tops, or herb stems, utilize them by simmering them in water to create a flavorful vegetable stock. This homemade stock adds depth and complexity to soups, stews, and risottos, making them even more satisfying. Vegetable scraps often hold hidden pockets of flavor, and simmering them gently allows those flavors to infuse the water, creating a rich and nuanced stock that elevates your dishes.
Unleash Leftover Yogurt’s Versatility
Don’t let that single serving of yogurt languish in the fridge! Unleash its versatility by incorporating it into pancake or waffle batter for a delightful tang. It can also be used as a creamy base for dips or marinades, adding a touch of tang and a creamy texture to your dishes.
Zest Citrus Rinds for Magic
Zest the rinds of citrus fruits like lemons, limes, or oranges before squeezing their juice. This fragrant zest adds a vibrant burst of citrus flavor to cakes, cookies, curries, or even cocktails. A little goes a long way, so use it to elevate your dishes from ordinary to extraordinary. Zest contains concentrated essential oils that pack a powerful flavor punch. By zesting your citrus fruits before juicing, you capture these bright, aromatic oils, adding a whole new dimension of flavor to your creations.
Create Infused Oil with Herb Stems
Don’t toss those woody herb stems! They have hidden flavor potential. Steep them in olive oil to create a fragrant, infused oil. This flavorful oil can be used as a base for salad dressings, marinades, or simply drizzled over roasted vegetables for an extra layer of deliciousness. Woody herb stems, often discarded as unusable, can actually impart incredible flavor to oil. By steeping them in olive oil, you create a one-of-a-kind infused oil that adds a subtle herbal nuance to your dishes.
Extract Flavor from Cheese Rinds
Don’t discard the rinds of hard cheeses like parmesan or romano. Grate them and add them to soups, stews, or pasta dishes. These cheese rinds add a depth of cheesy flavor that will take your dish to the next level. Cheese rinds are packed with concentrated cheese flavor. By grating them and adding them to your soups, stews, or pasta dishes, you can infuse them with a richness and complexity that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.
Deglaze Your Pan for Flavorful Broth
Don’t let those leftover meat drippings go down the drain! Deglaze your pan with water or broth to create a flavorful base. This delicious deglazed liquid can be used as a foundation for soups, sauces, or gravy, adding a rich, meaty depth of flavor to your dishes. Deglazing your pan involves scraping up the browned bits left behind after cooking meat. These browned bits hold immense flavor, and by deglazing with water or broth, you can create a flavorful liquid that adds incredible depth and complexity to your sauces, soups, and gravies.
Transform Overripe Fruit
Don’t let those mushy fruits go to waste! They’re perfect for creating delicious smoothies, jams, compotes, or even fruit purees that can be incorporated into baking for added sweetness and moisture. Overripe fruit may not be ideal for eating whole, but it’s still bursting with flavor and sweetness. By using it in smoothies, jams, compotes, or fruit purees, you can transform it into delicious and versatile ingredients. Fruit purees can also be used to add natural sweetness and moisture to baked goods.
Leftover Reinvention
Leftover cooked vegetables, chicken, or meat can be transformed into entirely new meals! Consider turning them into frittatas, quesadillas, or pot pies. This creative approach allows you to use up leftovers while creating a completely new and delicious dish. Diced leftover chicken can be reborn in a cheesy quesadilla, while roasted vegetables can find new life in a flavorful frittata. Don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative with your leftover ingredients!
Repurpose Herb Ends
Fresh herbs are wonderful, but those leftover stems can often end up in the trash. Don’t throw them away! Roughly chop or mince the ends and add them to your next pot of rice or simmer them gently in soups or stews for an extra layer of herbal flavor.
Revive Stale Crackers
Stale crackers don’t have to be a lost cause! Crush them up and use them as a flavorful topping for casseroles, mac and cheese, or even yogurt parfaits. The crumbs add a delightful textural contrast and a touch of salty richness.
You’re Wasting Money Buying Fermented Vegetables In The Store – How To Do It In 7 Simple Steps
Are you spending a small fortune on fermented vegetables at the store? They’re insanely priced, aren’t they? That’s why I learned how to do it myself. Making them at home is so much easier than you probably think and can save you a bundle. In just 7 simple steps, you can whip up your own delicious, probiotic-rich veggies that are not only healthier but also way cheaper than the store-bought versions.
Read it Here: You’re Wasting Money Buying Fermented Vegetables In The Store – How To Do It In 7 Simple Steps
12 Ways To Reduce Plastic In Your Kitchen Starting Today
Whether you’re a seasoned eco-warrior or just starting to explore more sustainable practices, there are plenty of straightforward swaps that can make a significant difference in how much plastic you use every day. From choosing beeswax wraps over cling film to opting for reusable containers and gadgets, here are twelve practical ways you can start cutting down on kitchen plastic right now.
Read it Here: 12 Ways To Reduce Plastic In Your Kitchen Starting Today
*Select images provided by Depositphotos.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
