Tag: recipe ideas

10 Tips to Minimize Food Waste and Save Moolah

I’ve been working in professional kitchens for 25+ years

In that time, I’ve learned a lot about food waste and how to avoid it. The restaurant industry is a nickel and dime business. The cost of waste adds up quickly. We try to do whatever we can to save costs, but not only that, to save food. There are millions, if not billions of people in the world who don’t have enough to eat and it’s reckless, irresponsible, and just downright mean, to throw away food.

I’ve put together a quick post here on some simple ways to re-purpose scraps and food that might not be super fresh, but still good. Also some items you might not have thought were usable at all!

1. Save bones for chicken, beef, or fish stock

2. Bake carrot peels into chips, or make carrot pesto

3. Freeze veg scraps for veggie broth or stock

4. Cook spinach (link to spinach w/ lemon and garlic recipe, posts on 11/30)

5. Composting/Fertilizer

6. Natural Dyes for Easter eggs

7. Turn leftovers into a new meal (tacos, stir fry, casseroles, chicken salad, soup)

8. Save old bread for croutons or breadcrumbs – old flat breads such as pita or tortillas can be baked, fried, or air fried, into chips

9. Turn leftover rice into fried rice

10. Turn overripe brown avocado into flourless and fudgy avocado brownies

Remember, when you cook from scratch you know exactly what is going into your body. Have a happy and healthful life!

 

~Thanks for reading
LC

Lemon and Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Light, delicate, and healthy, this simple spinach dish can accompany so many things. It goes especially well with fish. It can also be tossed in with pasta.

Yields ~ 1 serving, or 2 small servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-large handful of baby spinach
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, shaved on a mandolin or sliced thin by hand
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 2-3 TBS canola oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 TBS EVOO for drizzle (optional)

Method:

  • Heat the canola oil in a saute pan
  • Add the garlic chips to the pan and simmer until golden
  • Remove the garlic and reserve for later
  • Pour out almost all of the canola oil
  • Add in the spinach and juice half the lemon while it’s in the pan. Sprinkle with salt. Flip the pan a few times. You just want to wilt the spinach, not cook it all the way. it only takes a few seconds.
  • Remove from the heat, toss the garlic back in, and flip it around again.
  • Top with lemon zest, squeeze more lemon juice on top if needed.
  • Drizzle with EVOO if desired
  • Enjoy!