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Food waste has been on my mind lately as I have recently read that Americans waste almost 25% of food that we purchase. It breaks my heart to throw away food. I know that can not be good for our environment. I was raised by an extremely frugal mother where no food went to waste and leftovers were a way of life. I have learned to "shop my fridge" before I run out to the grocery store. Also the importance of meal planning and creating shopping lists that I stick to when distracted in the grocery store aisle so that I do not over buy. Really these leftover lunches and dinners can be delicious!
So let's get creative...Here are some favorite ideas of mine and others from talking with my co-workers at Marcels.
- Make Soup or lunch wraps with leftover chicken
- Frittatas - add all those leftover veggies or ham
- Turn extra fresh herbs into compound butter
- Freeze extra basil with a little water in ice cube trays and add to pasta sauces
- Leftover mashed potatoes make great potato pancakes
- Freeze Ripe bananas for smoothies (peel them first and place in ziplock)
- Leftover Rice makes great fritters - just add an egg and some cheese (Every Day Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman had a great recipe)
- Croutons from leftover bread or pretzel bread are yummy!
- Fresh Paper sheets (available at Marcel's) help keep food fresh longer - up to two times longer!
- A Brown Sugar Bear (available at Marcel's) helps to keep your brown sugar moist for up to 3 months so you have perfectly packable brown sugar for all your baking needs
Even these small changes in the way we shop and cook can help reduce our impact on the environment. I now challenge myself everyday to cut down on food waste. I often freeze the food that we don't eat immediately or share an extra meal with a friend. Here is my husband's favorite use of leftover french bread (from Marche of course!).
French Toast & Banana
Ingredients
- Day old French Bread Baguette sliced
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ripe banana
- Butter for frying
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Dip bread in egg mixture to coat both sides. Fry bread in a hot pan with butter till brown. Add sliced ripe banana on the side of the pan. Serve with maple syrup.
Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/