Food Waste Saves, Times 7
Since you all said that your favorite part of Food Waste Fridays was the saves rather than the losses, here's a roundup of the rescues I made last week. Ready?
Peppers
I had a red, a yellow, and a white bell pepper that were getting a little...mushy. I remembered that my ATK 6 Ingredient cookbook had a recipe for roasted red pepper soup, so I looked that up and discovered it called for 6 peppers.
I just halved it and boom, my peppers are all safely used up. Phew.
Zucchini, part the first
My produce box gave me several zucchini, and since we had hibachi pretty recently, I didn't think I should go that route again. That same 6-ingredient cookbook had a shaved zucchini basil salad, so I made a bowl of that.
It was actually really easy to shave the zucchini, using a regular ol' vegetable peeler. And the salad was quite tolerable, which is a compliment coming from me, a zucchini-disliker.
Zucchini, part the second
I still had some zucchini left after that, so I made a batch of zucchini muffins. I used this version, from Simply Recipes.
While the recipe was quite good, it really, really needs more than a pinch of salt. I felt like the lack of salt kind of ruined an otherwise great recipe. So, if you make them, add at least ¼ teaspoon!
Grapes and a cucumber
I found a cucumber and a half a bag of grapes hiding in the fridge, so I picked through the grapes and put them in a bowl, and peeled and sliced the cucumber and set it out in a bowl.
And in just an hour or two, the kids and I ate them all. I find that having things like this out and visible makes such a huge difference. We will totally eat a cucumber that's sliced and in plain view.
But a whole cucumber hiding in the vegetable drawer? Not so much.
Rice as dry as the Sahara
I found some SUPER SUPER DRY leftover Chinese takeout rice, and cooked it with some home-cooked leftover rice to make a bowl of rice pudding.
Since the takeout rice was so dry, I added a little water first, before stirring in the milk.
Cilantro
My cilantro was starting to go bad, so I picked out the good stalks and chopped them up to make some pico de gallo.
Struggle with cilantro waste at your house? Here are my best ideas for using up cilantro!
Collard Greens
And lastly, my product box contained a big bag of collard greens, which I'd been adding to smoothies. But we can only handle so many collard green leaves in each smoothie, so I was worried that the leaves would go bad before we finished them.
So I blended up the rest with a little water...
(Yup, I own a Vitamix. Here are my thoughts about it.)
...and froze the mixture in an ice cube tray. So, now I can just throw a cube into smoothies and I don't have to worry about the greens going bad.
(I know that you are supposed to saute collard greens with bacon and such, but here at Chez FG, 0/6 of us are fans of cooked greens. So green smoothies it is!)
Joshua decided to drink a shot glass of the blended collard greens, because that is the sort of thing teenage boys do. He said it tasted like grass clippings.
(not that he regularly drinks grass clippings, mind you.)
______________________
So. I feel pretty good about how my fridge is doing, except for one thing.
(actually, two things.)
(from my produce box)
I can slice some of these thinly and put them in salads, but this is a lot of cabbage to use that way.
And we aren't big on cooked cabbage here, so I need to use them up in some raw application. Do any of you have excellent raw red cabbage recipes for me? Like, so good that even offspring/husbands who are iffy about red cabbage would like them?
Coleslaw! With apples or raisins in it...
Yup, coleslaw, that is then eaten with pulled pork (or beef) covered in lots of barbecue sauce. The dressing for my favorite coleslaw recipe is mostly buttermilk (1.5 cups) with just three tablespoons each of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar--plus celery seed and salt and pepper--so it's more tangy than mayonnais-y and perfect with barbecue. Best to let the coleslaw sit overnight, though, especially with red cabbage, because it softens up the cabbage and lets all the flavors blend nicely. (That amount of dressing is for about eight cups of shredded cabbage, three medium-sized shredded carrots, and a small amount of finely diced onion. Or about one whole medium cabbage shredded up.)
I really do love German red cabbage with apples--also a tangy/sweet kind of preparation--but that is cooked, so . . .
I second the cooked red cabbage with apples and lots of butter!
Oh, and sometimes I make a kind of cabbage salad with finely shredded coleslaw, finely diced onion, garlic powder, salt, cumin, vinegar, and asmall amount of jalapeno if I have it to top tacos or anything with taco meat in it (quesadillas, spanish rice, etc.). The vinegar-y cabbage is really good with the sort of heavy meat.
I do something very similar. I shred the cabbage and add diced green onion, finely chopped cilantro, a dash of salt and lots of lime juice. I use a lot of cilantro! Just mix early in the day and it will be ready for dinner of tacos. I also use this as a base for fish tacos and barbeque sandwiches. I have been know to zest the limes before squeezing them. Very tangy and fresh MexiSlaw!
You do such a good job with using up things !!! And you motivate me to do a better job as well. Yay you 🙂
I've never seen a white pepper before. A little reading said that it was an albino. Does it taste much different?
This is not a cold recipe, but have you tried roasting the cabbage? Roasting always makes things much sweeter.
Yes, I roast cabbage and it is scrumptious!!
coleslaw like already been mentioned, but the cabbage will last weeks in fridge. you might have a smidge waste but not much. I keep for salads like this every winter.
Great saves!
For the cabbage, fermented sauerkraut. So delicious.
Exactly.
Like this: http://mullingthingsover.com/homemade-sauerkraut/
This ramen noodle cabbage salad recipe is delicious and one of my family's favorites. Yum!
https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=291
Slice the cabbage thinly and add it to homemade veggie soup.
This recipe, but add your own beef broth and let it simmer (even in a crockpot maybe to let it really sit). http://smilesandwich.com/2014/07/25/amish-one-pan-ground-beef-and-cabbage-skillet/
Use for a science project, make "purple cabbage indicator". Or make Japanese "pizza", okinamiyake.
I thought of that, but unfortunately, we did the indicator thing recently, so I can't really justify it again. Ha.
Make Chinese chicken slaw for supper...really quick & cheap
Red cabbage is a natural indicator of acids and bases. You could always blend it up and do an experiment of testing pH.
I too have never consumed yard clippings either but I imagine they taste just like collard greens, kale or any of those other leafy greens that are supposed to be good for you.
The scent is a dead giveaway. Some things taste like other things smell. Cilantro and mushrooms = soil. Read once that is genetic, but y'know, the Internet can tell you anything.
It is genetic, with cilantro anyway. There is a large subgroup of us who taste cilantro as soap. And no matter how much people try to hide it to "trick" me, I can detect the tiniest amount. And, along those same genetic issues, my sister and I both smell skunk as lemon. When we were kids and my father took us for Sunday drives, he thought we were idiots for insisting that there must be lemon groves in upstate NY because we were interpreting skunk roadkill as fresh lemons. Years ago a journal was advertising for women who smelled skunk as lemon, for a series of experiments to try and figure out why. Our dog was sprayed by a skunk once and my husband almost threw up as he lifted him into the tub, while I hated to wash the scent off him because it smelled so pleasant!!
Whoa, that's kinda crazy. I had a friend in college who truly seemed to like skunk smell to a point, but he never said it was lemon-fresh (which, I guess, being as he is male, stands to reason).
Along AnnaC's line of thinking, purple cabbage makes an excellent dye. I'm sure you could find a way to incorporate it into a textile lesson.
Ooh, that is an interesting idea! We've done the base indicator thing, but not dye.
I just read Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade life" and she had a red cabbage salad with lemon & parmesan that actually sounded good, and I am REALLY not a fan of cabbage. I googled it and several websites had adapted it: https://shoeboxcooking.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/729/
Use the collard greens in Budget Bytes African Peanut Stew recipe. It's delicious!
This is seriously one of the best salads out there (in my opinion 😉 )
http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/crunchy-cashew-thai-quinoa-salad-with-ginger-peanut-dressing/
It's good as a side or as a meal itself! Lots of chopping, but well worth it.
This recipe is great!:
http://paddockpost.com/2013/07/21/red-cabbage-slaw/
I make it all the time and I'm not usually a fan of coleslaw. I was buying it at the restaurant way too much so looked for a copycat recipe. I've tinkered with it a bit and like my version better than the original! (They don't make it anymore so it's a good thing I can make my own now!)
when we get too much cabbage out of the garden. we shred it up and put into freezer bags and freeze then when we are cooking recipies that call for cabbage. we just grab a bag and put into the recipie. the cabbage will get soft anyway so it doesnt matter. we use ours mostly in vegtable soup. we do this for onions also.
Roasted ginger cabbage is so good, kids like it!
Also, don't sweat the cabbage thing too much, it'll last several weeks in the fridge inside a plastic bag. So you can add it to your salads for colour, do a slaw, then ginger cabbage in a way that you don't get cabbage-d out.
What about making spring rolls with the cabbage? I've never done this so it may be super hard, but I love that sweet crunchy taste.
I'm not the biggest cabbage fan, but I do enjoy the crunch it gives in this PW Asian Noodle Salad (which makes a ton of food, btw - be prepared) http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/my_most_favorite_salad_ever_ever_ever_ever/
I'd make Freezer Slaw! http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/freezer-slaw is the recipe I use, and I've used both green and red cabbage. It is really delicious!
I love the suggestion of pureeing up greens and putting them in the freezer for smoothies. That, I am going to do. Thanks.
Here is an awesome way to get rid of your cabbage! My mom used to make this all the time growing up! I have used this recipe, and I would suggest cutting way way way back on the salt!!!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/196732/fried-cabbage-with-bacon-onion-and-garlic/
Yes, this:
http://www.food.com/recipe/northwoods-inn-purple-cabbage-salad-271920
My 5 and 7 year olds looove this salad. They ask for it constantly.
Here is another salad option, which is incredibly good. Don't let the name scare you off. 😉
http://fedandfit.com/2013/11/01/paleo-detox-salad/
My husband and I trade off weeks, and last week was my week.
Red beans & rice with chorizo
Ravioli
Spice & honey chicken
Chicken enchiladas
Pasta bake (using up leftover cheese and spaghetti sauce)
Served with some combination of baked cauliflower (it was a huge head!), salad (lots of spinach and a head of leaf lettuce to be used up), biscuits/muffins made earlier and in the freezer, and the last ears of corn for the year.
Lots of leftovers so we were set for lunches too.
Oops, sorry, that was meant to be a comment on Friday's post. We don't do cabbage at our house!
Chop up the cabbage add onion and jalapeno with vinegar and oil and put it over fish tacos. Super tasty!
Ooh, and maybe cilantro?
My go to red cabbage recipe is shredded cabbage, crushed pineapple (drained) and miracle whip. I’m sure mayonnaise would work too.
Coleslaw with bacon dressing! I'm not a fan of mayo-y dressings, so this recipe was a revelation when I got cabbage and fresh oregano in my CSA box: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/warm-bacon-herb-coleslaw
No recipes here as we just add red cabbage to regular tossed salad BUT I love all the recipes commenters have offered, and I just want to say Joshua's assessment of the greens was hilarious 🙂
I second the ramen noodle salad. I know ramen noodles aren't the healthiest, but this salad is easy to customize on what you like/have. Just add or omit as needed. It's sweet and yummy! Sub the coleslaw package for your chopped head of purple cabbage. I ran into this trying to use up heads of cabbage from my csa as well!
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crunchy-asian-ramen-noodle-salad/
My SIL makes this one.....soooo yummy!!!!
Great post today! Thanks especially for the link to a list of ways for using up cilantro. That is definitely a weak area for me on the "food waste front."
You and lots of other people! Cilantro tends to come in bunches that are way more than you need for a single recipe.
Four ideas for that cabbage:
1. coleslaw
2. kimche
3. soup
4. stew/pot pies
- A couple of days ago I scored a frugal win when I discovered the supermarket's roast chickens were half price (because the deli manager preferred to sell at a loss rather than throw them out). I bought the two largest I could find. I'd use the meat for meals, soups, and so on; and the carcasses for stock.
Well, I thought it was win. It wasn't. The poor birds are so overcooked and bland as to be cottony and tasteless. I made a casserole last night using every trick I could think of (canned corn for flavor and crunch, cream sauce, lots of spices & savor, crispy topping) and still it was mediocre. Rather than trying to choke down the meat I may put it all in the stockpot. :-<
- Sauteed some mushrooms that were a little slimy. I'll make a stew with that, with beans I didn't use in a dish last week, and Israeli (aka large) couscous that just isn't as good as the small-sized couscous. I'll jazz up the flavor with the uber-zesty, uber-tasty turducken drippings I've been hoarding since last Thanksgiving. (My nibling J. makes the most amazing turducken. He needs to visit again, soon, as I'm almost out of drippings.)
- Lost half a head of broccoli, from pure inattention. Boo.
Oh man, that stinks about the chickens! But yes, stock could at least be made...
I laughed out loud at Joshua's trying the green stuff and his comment (I have two boys--one a teenager now and one that used to be)! Sounds just like something my boys might have done and said. Isn't God creative making boys so different from girls? Adds some spice to the family, for sure.
Do your boys eat really hot peppers raw, just for fun? Joshua and his friend do that kind of thing, and my girls are looking at them like, "What is wrong with you??" Heh.
Collard greens make pretty tasty wraps as well! 🙂
I mke a yummy thai peanut pasta salad that is a good use of a head of red cabbage. This is a hit at picnics and pretty easy.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/thai-pasta-side-salad
Here's another vote for sauerkraut. All that cabbage will pack down into about 1 2qt canning jar. It's easy, incredibly healthy for all of you, and tastes great. It's what a frugal family would do with extra cabbage in the days before refrigeration ;o)
Reserve 1 or two outer cabbage leaves to use as a cap in the jar.
Shred the cabbage into a large bowl. Sprinkle it with about 2 tbsp. of sea salt (don't use refined table salt for this--if necessary you can buy just a small amount of sea salt in the bulk section of a natural food store for pennies).
Get your kids with clean hands to "knead" the cabbage. This will break down the walls of the cells and release the water. That water is your brine.
After 2 or 3 minutes the cabbage will be soft and there will be lots of brine. Pack the cabbage into the canning jar, pushing down on it with your fist to pack it tightly. More brine will be released in this process.
Fill the jar to about 1 inch from the top. Brine should cover all the cabbage—add more from your bowl as needed. Now take the outer leaves and tuck them in and around the shredded cabbage on top, to keep the floaty pieces of cabbage down below the brine.
It helps to add a weight: clean glass marbles, a clean rock, some people fill a small zipper sandwich bag with water and tuck it over the cabbage.
The cabbage below the brine won’t spoil, but anything that comes to the top may get moldy. If that happens, just scoop out the moldy part, and keep going. The cabbage below the brine is fine.
Now put on the lid (a plastic jar lid is best but you can use a canning lid), and PLACE THE JAR IN A BOWL because it’s going to overflow at some point. I promise!).
It’s very important to “burp” the jar at least two times a day. The fermentation creates a lot of carbon dioxide gas, and if you don’t burp it the jar could explode.
It smells awful when it first starts to ferment. When you burp the jar but not much gas escapes, the fermentation is almost done. This takes about 5 – 7 days, depending on the room temperature. It will go slower in a cooler environment. At the point where the fermentation slows, start tasting it. Use a clean fork (NEVER double dip) to taste the cabbage. You will know it’s done when it has a pleasing sour taste, and the salt taste is no longer dominant. This can take from a few days to a few weeks. Remember to push the cabbage back below the brine and wipe out any mold that forms (really, it will not harm you!).
When you like the flavor, then you can refrigerate the kraut and eat it. If your family is not used to eating kraut, go slowly at first. The unfamiliar probiotics may be a little much if you are unused to them. I love kraut with a sprinkle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper as a side dish, and it’s great on hot dogs and sandwiches. I try not to heat the kraut, because then you lose the probiotics you worked so hard to cultivate.
We make this monthly so there's always a new jar as we finish the old one!
Our absolute favorite thing to make with red cabbage is broccoli slaw - finely sliced red cabbage, lots of raw broccoli (edible size), grated carrots, and a small handful of raisins mixed with your favorite slaw dressing (ours is marzetti's from the produce section, or homemade). We like a ratio of more broccoli than cabbage, and just a light coating of dressing. It's always gone, and our whole family (8) love it!
Apple raisin slaw
2 cups slivered cabbage
1-2 apples with peel on (red makes for a pretty salad)
about 1/2 a cup of raisins
mayo to coat/blend together
This is an old, family recipe, no exact amounts from my great grandmother, but yummy! Make in morning to allow it to blend before supper
We also like fermented cabbage. I don't ferment it long enough to be saurkraut. Just a week, so that it is still crunchy, but has a sour tang. We love it on tacos. You can add cilantro to the cabbage while it is fermenting as well. It would even make a good science project with your kids. It still amazes me that the bacteria on the vegetables acidify the water.
I saved some garlicy kale and cannellini beans this week by eating them for breakfast with bread and good strong coffee!
Do the girls still have hamsters? Maybe they'd like a red cabbage treat every so often?
I'm not a big fan of cooked cabbage either but love it in egg rolls or potstickers!
This is seriously my moment to shine. Cabbage is my thing!
Slice and dice half of one and saute it in some oil with some onion, garlic and Italian spices.
Separatly, cook some chunky diced tomatoes down till most of the liquid is gone and season that with a little salt and pepper.
Combine after 15 minutes or so and top with some fried eggs for a delicious veggie filled eggs in purgatory.
Alternately you could saute cabbage and onions then mix in some eggs and season with Asian flavors to make a fried rice deal with cabbage instead of rice.
I saute a lot of cabbage, it's my favorite easy way to eat it.
Goes well with some curry powder and eggs. Italian spice and tomatoes. Salt Pepper and garlic for a side dish.
I love cabbage.
My family LOVE this Sesame Ginger Cabbage Salad! Thanks for sharing what you use up. It's an inspiration!
Also, since my family recently started the keto diet, I realized we could make Baja Fish tacos and use cabbage leaves in place of the tortilla. So yummy.
So, there are a few ideas. I think tacos is the one way I like fresh cabbage, otherwise I like it mostly cooked.
Re: collard greens.
Taste good as a wrap for egg salad, tuna, or lunch meat. My favorite is turkey slices, bacon, avocado slices. Yum.
Sorry no help for the red cabbage... I like it pickled, and cooked.
as for the peppers, you could have cut them in strips and froze them. I always have them in my freezer.
also the zucchini, and be shreaded and frozen, make into muffins, or breads at a different time.
They freeze great
I have some cabbage in the fridge I plan to add to stir fry. 🙂
One more salad recipe - a fresh new one from Smitten Kitchen. You could make a mini-batch just for taste-testing... http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/11/date-feta-and-red-cabbage-salad/
We really like the Cook's Country Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. Tender chicken, Romaine, cabbage, orange gingery dressing, scallions, etc. makes a lot and can easily be doubled for planned leftovers when you have extra cabbage or other veggies:)
I just found your blog today (through your making bread at home is cheaper calculation post) and have been happily reading through all kinds of old posts. So much fun! So glad to have another great blog to add to my regular reading list. I thought I'd de-lurk to share my 2 cabbage cents 🙂 A super easy way to use up cabbage is to shave it raw dress it with fresh lime juice and salt and pepper (at the simplest), or add: carrots, onion, cilantro, garlic. And use it as a taco/burrito topping. Crunchy, limey, and delicious.