Low Cost Cooking

Waste Not, Want Not: Using Leftovers

Smart food shopping isn't the last step to keeping your food in check. Leftover food that goes to waste is money down the drain. When you have leftovers, place them in a designed spot at the front of the refrigerator, so that they won't be forgotten. Air-tight containers such as plastic or glass jars are the best storage. Label and date containers and use in a couple of days: Food poisoning happens all too often.

Bones

• Save bones to use in making soups and stocks; beef and lamb for vegetable soup, chicken or ham for rice or pea soup.
• Freeze cooking liquid for later use
  

Bread

• Dry stale bread in the oven, grind or crush with rolling pin into crumbs and use to bread meats and vegetables, top casseroles, or add to meat patties and loaves.
• Cut bread into cubes and dry in the oven to make croutons for soup and salads

Meat, fish, poultry and cheese

• Add small pieces to tossed salads, casseroles, omelets or sandwich spreads.
• Combine leftover meat, poultry, ground liver and kidney beans in a spicy chili dish.
• Grate dried out cheese to sprinkle on a vegetable dish. Store grated cheese in covered container in refrigerator or freezer.

Vegetables

• Fold into basic sauce and reheat, or add to any soup or casserole.
• marinate in French Dressing for a salad;
• Blend with canned fish and cooked macaroni or rice for a quick and easy casserole.

Miscellaneous foods

• make a delicious snack by adding hard-cooked eggs or raw mushrooms and cauliflowers to the liquid left in a pickle jar; refrigerate several days before eating.
• freeze soup, stock and homemade baby food in ice cube trays, remove and store in plastic bags in the freezer, to be thawed and heated when needed.
• Use up sour milk in recipes such as muffins, biscuits or pancakes.

No doubt, the best way to avoid waste of leftovers is not to have any. Plan meals carefully, shop wisely and try to prepare only the amounts of food that will be eaten at one meal. Or, plan for leftovers. Cooking for several meals at one time can save money and time.

Current guidelines for healthy eating encourage greater consumption of vegetables and fruit. Vegetables are rich in nutrients and fibre and are naturally low in fat.

Dark green and orange vegetables are especially rich in vitamine A and certain B vitamines. Many of our local vegetables fall into this category, such as carrots, turnip, winter squash, spinach, dandelion, beets and turnip greens, and broccoli. Serve them often. Pumpkin and sweet potato are also economical choices. Don't let the Haloween pumpkin go to waste. Bake or peel and steam and use pulp in baking or in casseroles.

Tips on Preparing Vegetables

Vegetables should be cooked only until they are tender crisp, or just soft enough for easy eating. Over-cooked cegetables lose flavour and nutrients.

Cut vegetables into large pieces and cook in a small amount of water or steam. This helps preserve nutrients. A small, stainless steel steam tray isn't costly and lasts for years.

If vegetables are cooked in water, save liquid and use to make soups or gravy; this way, any nutrients that have leached out of the vegetables will still be used.

Prepare cooked vegetables with peel whenever possable. Many nutrients are near the surface and are lost through peeling. Just wash and scrub well. The peel also adds valuable fibre.

QUICK YOGURT DIP FOR RAW VEGGIES

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Serve chilled with assorted raw veggies

Wash potatoes, but do not peel. Slice into 1/2-inch thick strips. Toss potatoes with oil in a bowl until coated. Sprinkle with paprika. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 475°F/240°C for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally. Toss with Parmesan, if desired.

These tasty "fries" are much healthier and easier to make than the deep-fat fried variety. Serves 4.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Prepare a basic white sauce with oil flour and milk. Season. Layer potatoes and onions in lightly greased baking dish. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover and bake at 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle with grated cheese and continue baking until potatoes are tender, another 30 to 45 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

SCALLOPED POTATOES PLUS

Prepare scalloped potatoes as in recipe above. Spread slices of canned meat, or thinly sliced wieners between the layers of potatoes and bake as indicated in the recipe.

STEAMED FRESH VEGETABLES

Steam carrots and parsnips for 3 to 5 minutes in small amount of water or steam in tightly covered sauce pan. Add broccoli; steam for 3 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green. Transfer with salt and pepper to taste; toss to mix.

Other vegetables to substitute or add: celery, green pepper, zucchini, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc. Flozen vegetables may also be used.

Makes 4-6 servings.

FRUIT SALADS

Fruit salads are a favorite way to offer variety. Mix and match according to what you have on hand. Use orange juice as a liquid base, or start with a can of fruit in its own juice preferably. Add any kind of fruit cut into bite-size pieces. Chill. Serve with a little whipped milk or yogurt cheese topping. Here are a few examples:

FRUIT CRISPS

Crisps are a delicious way to serve fruit. Compared to traditional pies for example, they are much lower in fat and a lot faster and easier to prepare.APPLE RHUBARB CRISP

Filling:

Topping:

Combine sugar and flour and mix with rhubarb and apple slices. Fill into lightly greased, large baking dish. For topping, combine rolled oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted margarine or oil and stir to mix. Work thoroughly until crumbly. Spread over filling.

Bake at 375°F/180°C for 35 to 50 minutes, until filling is bubbly and topping browned. Browning takes place faster when skim milk powder is added. Bake at slightly lower temperature.

Alternate filling:

Toss apple slices with lemon juice. Place in lightly greased baking dish. Mix sugar and flour and sprinkle over apples. Cover with topping and bake as in recipe above.

SPICED CRANBERRY PEAR CRISP

Stir spices into cranberry sauce and toss with sliced pears. Transfer to lightly grerased baking dish. Cover with crisp topping. Bake in 375°F/190°C oven until thoroughly heated. Turn on broiler for the last few minutes to brown topping.

QUICKMEATLESS CHILI

In saucepan combine all ingredients except kidney beans. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium heat. Drain, rinse and stir in beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

CHILI CON CARNE

Soak and cook beans according to instructions above or use 2 cups / 500mL cooked beans. Brown beef and drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients except beans and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and continue cooking 15 minutes more. You may not need salt because canned tomatoes are salted.

Makes 6 servings.

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