What’s in your cupboard? Get creative with pantry items
Have you ever forgotten what you have in your cupboard or pantry and ended up throwing it out?
One of the things we talk with our EFNEP participants about is checking what food you already have available at home, and then making a detailed list before you go grocery shopping.
At a recent conference, we were given the opportunity to brainstorm ways to use what we have stuffed in our cabinets before heading out to buy new items. A facilitator passed out small boxes of food commonly found at local food pantries. Each box contained about five to seven various food items (canned tuna, frozen corn, dry beans, applesauce, etc.) and a very short list of what was already in our make-believe cupboard like salt and pepper.
We were instructed to design a healthy meal using all of the food items in the box and to keep in mind that we were feeding a family with children. After about twenty minutes we re-convened and shared what we came up with.
I have to admit, there were good ideas and recipes shared. We collectively decided that it was a challenge to not only design a recipe with the pantry items, but it was also difficult to only use the limited “staple items” on hand in the imaginary cupboard.
We often assume if we need a spice, a vegetable or a fresh herb we can just stop by and grab it from the grocery. This was not allowed. Another challenge was designing something that picky kids would eat. I know from experience when my kids were little, if a new dish was introduced at our dinner table that did not involve ketchup or ranch dressing, it might go untouched.
I know a thrifty shopper who has a food policy at her home. She is reluctant to go to the store and purchase groceries if she has any food in her house that is edible. That would certainly require a lot of creativity in my kitchen. I inspected my cupboards last night and found five boxes of rice, two jars of tomatoes, two boxes of pasta, four taco shells, one can of tomato soup, jelly from last year’s farmers market and four bottles of ranch dressing (see paragraph above). When I peered into my refrigerator, I saw about a half pound of lunch meat, 20 Brussels sprouts, lots of half used bottles of ketchup, a small jug of orange juice and a gallon of 2% milk.
Could I make dinner using these items? Probably. Would it be healthy? Maybe. Would my family enjoy the dinner? It would depend on how hungry they were.
I admittedly throw a lot of food away and I have to believe if I spent some time and energy thinking about how to use what I already have I might not have to go to the grocery as often — and might even reduce my grocery bill for the week.
I challenge you to look through your cupboards tonight and see what creative meals you can design for the next several days with only what you have in front of you. See how long you can go without spending money at the grocery store. Who knows? You might put together some new family favorites and save money too!
STUFFED PEPPERS WITH TURKEY AND VEGETABLES
Makes 6 Pepper Halves 150 Calories per ½ pepper 1 cup cooked rice 3 bell peppers 10 ounces ground turkey (or beef) 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper ½ onion (about ½ cup) 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup chopped zucchini 1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes with liquid
Cook the rice or prepare instant rice according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the stem and seeds.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the turkey until no longer pink. Add seasonings during the last few minutes.
Add onion, mushrooms, and zucchini to the skillet. Add a small amount of oil, if needed. Sauté until tender.
Mix in the tomatoes and rice. Remove from heat.
Fill the pepper halves with the skillet mixture.
Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until peppers are tender when poked with a fork.
Tips: Try pork, chicken, or beef instead of turkey. Add a sprinkle of cheese. If there is extra filling, try it in a wrap for another meal. No basil/oregano? Try chopped cilantro.
AVOCADO, POTATO AND GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD
Makes 4 Servings 3 medium red potatoes 1 fresh ripe, avocado 1 teaspoon lemon juice 4 green onions (chopped) ½ medium red bell pepper (chopped) 8 ounces cooked chicken 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon cider vinegar ½ cup lemon non-fat yogurt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, boil potatoes about 20 minutes, until just tender, run over cold water to cool, and cut into chunks.
Peel avocado and cut into chunks; coat with lemon juice.
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss.