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frugality in the kitchen

3K views 27 replies 23 participants last post by  fenwickmama 
#1 ·
I'm not sure if this would be better posted here or in one of the food forums, but it feels like a frugality issue first so I'll start with this. I'm really trying to reduce food waste. Some of it is a matter of being more mindful with what's in the fridge and cupboards, but I'm also catching myself throwing out parts of things that I suspect could be used if I was a little smarter. I've started making stock from vegetable ends, but that's a pretty obvious one. What about parmesan cheese rinds? Or broccoli stems? Any tips for these two? Are there any other things you used to toss but now make better use of?
 
#3 ·
Parmesan rinds are amazing when making chicken stock or soup, just boil them along with everything else... Such yummy flavour. Broccoli stems can be used to make cream of broccoli soup, like use one full head of broccoli and one stem. Purred with a little cream. Mmm.
 
#6 ·
I always serve the stems with the rest of the broccoli. If I'm roasting or grilling, I cut the florets so that they each have a piece of the stem. If I'm steaming, I cut the small florets, then peel and cut the stem into chunks, and just treat them like the rest of the broccoli. The peel comes right off in strips if you get ahold of it - you don't need a peeler or anything.
 
#8 ·
I just found out recently that some people don't eat broccoli stems lol...I always thought that people just peeled it, sliced it and steamed it along with the florets. That's what my mom always did, that's what I do now
.

If there's even a spoonful of leftover veggies, I throw it in a freezer container and the next time I make soup I throw whatever is in that container in the pot.

Any bits of leftover mashed potato goes into a different freezer container, and when that's full I make lazy perogie casserole. My mom would have made perogies, but I'm lazy
.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mamaluvspirates View Post
Any bits of leftover mashed potato goes into a different freezer container, and when that's full I make lazy perogie casserole. My mom would have made perogies, but I'm lazy
.
Recipe please?
 
#13 ·
My dc like to eat broccoli raw and I save the stems for stir fry.

I save ALL lemon/orange/lime peels for zest. I even have my MIL after she peels her morning orange to freeze the zest for me to add to stirfries/muffins ect

Bread ends get frozen for crutons/bread crumbs

Green stalks(like kale) get saved and chopped finely for soup

Mashed potatoes get saved for veggie shepards pie

I make veggie pot pie out of vegan cream soups that aren't very brothy by the end

Leftover noodles/rice/beans/veg/tomato sauce/gets thrown into soup once a week

Leftover breakfast potatoes gets turned into potato chickpea curry
 
#14 ·
Another cheese one: if you find cheese that's a bit dried out, add it to cheese sauce. *really* dried out, it won't melt, but maybe could be used in stock ala PP with Parm. rinds?

Leftover fruits or veggies can go into muffins - sweet or savory. Or omelettes.

Potato water oand/or whey goes into bread.

Save veggie water for soups/broths.
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetjasmine View Post
What's a perogie?
Heavenly comfort food.


Quote:
you can also save apple cores and bits of fruit and cook down for fruit syrup.
What would you use that for? I've never made a fruit syrup. LOL, the only thing that comes to mind is that gross fake strawberry syrup that's like...for milk or dessert topping. :puke

I've used left over apple slices to make apple crisp for dessert. Not slices that have been eaten from of course, but if there are any left over that need to be used up they'll be turned into dessert for that night. I'm sure that would work for lots of fruits and berries.
 
#22 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by caiesmommy View Post
I've made apple peel jelly out of cores and peels. Dc dont like apple sauce with the peels, its a color thing I think..so I have to peel the apples for apple sauce, then I make jelly out of the peels and cores as xmas gifts

Please share your recipe!
 
#23 ·
This is the recipe I started with

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/20/7379

BUT I did not use 7 cups of sugar!! I think I used 5 cups of sugar and it was still too sweet for my liking BUT everyone loved it at xmas
And I added cin. sticks.

This morning I used leftover grilled potatoes, for breakfast potatoes and leftover grilled eggplant, zukes, and portabello mushrooms turned into a pasta dish for dinner.
Leftover scrambled eggs from breakfast today will be a fried rice lunch tom. w some leftover rice I have in the fridge
 
#24 ·
You can save veggie scraps or meat/chicken scraps in a container in the freezer and use them to make stock. Some people even save potato and carrot peelings - I personally don't because I don't consistently buy organic. But ends of onions, wilty celery, droopy veggies - anything that's not moldy or gross in some way can have a use!
 
#26 ·
I make fruit syrup for our pancakes since anything in the store usually has HFCS. It's super easy.

Make a simple syrup using 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water. Add 1 T. arrowroot powder or corn starch. Whisk and boil for 5 minutes until thickened. Add 1 quart of frozen berries (we pick our own and freeze). Boil down for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't boil over.

Cool then strain the syrup if desired. I use a food mill b/c the kids don't like the seeds. A cheesecloth would work well, too (though messy).

Laurel
 
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