Food Waste-thoughts and tips

As I mentioned in my first post, I'm concerned about food insecurity and food waste. The two are loosely tied together, in my mind. Perhaps finding  creative ways to reuse leftovers, not so fresh but still perfectly good produce, vegetable and meat scraps and not waste, can be an avenue to reducing food insecurity. Again, these are just thoughts of mine, I'm not an expert just a concerned citizen, but....I'm also a cook. A cook that is employed in a place that is huge on reducing food waste, so some of the tips on offer here are things that I've learned, and some are my own ideas.
Let's start with pantry/fridge staples. Do you have cans of beans, some funky grains/starches you're not sure what to do with? The photo above on the left, was a result of that. I bought some cool rice blend a while ago and wasn't sure what to do with it. So, I cooked it up, added some beans, some greens that needed using, added cooked chicken, and voila! My roommate and I ate this for several days, adding and subtracting elements to stretch. That's the thing guys! How are we maximizing and stretching our cupboards and fridges? Do you have veggies and greens wilting? Roast them, boil for stocks. This includes fruit too. Roasted fruit is a great topping for yogurt, granola,pancakes, and oatmeal. That jam your Aunt made everyone for the holidays thats still sitting in your fridge door? Reduce it in a saucepan and put it on waffles and oatmeal.
Anything can be a stir fry or a casserole. Leftovers shine in these! I have been known to combine leftover grains, mashed potatoes, veggies and cheese together for meals. Strange? Yes! Delicious? Yes! Do you have parmesan rinds, or bits of salami and sausage taking over your freezer? Put the meat together with vegetable scraps and water, and let simmer for a delicious meat broth that can be used in sauces and soups. Same with the rinds. Simmer those in a pot with water, and yes, you have a cheesy, salty broth. Unusual, but, delicious!
Do you have leftover pizza but, don't necessarily want it cold for breakfast? Take the pizza toppings, with cheese and scramble that with some eggs-so good! The crust? Bake that to get it crispy and grind it up for bread crumbs or croutons. Chinese takeout leftovers? Stir frys or soup is a great way to use it. Cracker, chip, bread ends? All those can be mashed up and used to top casseroles, mac and cheese, chicken or fish. Have fun with rooting around and cleaning out the fridge, get creative in thinking about ways to stretch and use up what we have on hand before making a trip to the store.
When we do have to do our shopping, what do we need to get that won't go to waste, but, yet, still come up with fun, delicious food? I always have pasta in my cart, and lately have been getting more grains as they have become more plentiful, such as barley and quinoa. They're versatile and pack a punch nutrient wise, and can be served cold too, great for the coming warmer months. For a different kind of a salad, I like to go to my store's antipasti bar, or olive bar. You can find great cheeses, olives and veggies, and combine them with cold grains for an easy salad, as seen in the photo on the right. The brine and marinades give you an instant dressing too. Just add greens! Ah, yes, greens! Those have been a staple for a couple of years now ( while a tad costly), and now that stores carry a wide variety of greens, it's even easier to have them on hand. Salads, soups, rice dishes, eggs. I eat them
with everything, making it worth the extra cost.
As you can tell, my head has been buzzing with ideas and as I learn more, I'll share. But, these are things we can do in our homes to reduce food waste, and save money if things get tight. We can enjoy food, cooking it and sharing it with others. We can be creative with our cupboards and fridges and perhaps share the results with each other. When the economics and politics weigh on us, we can think about what we CAN do. We can spark something, share it and use it as a way to take care of each other. I believe we can.