Reduce food waste - Make Frittatas!!
One way to be more responsible for the planet is to reduce food waste. As I tried to increase my fruit and veggie intake, I would go get all this marvelous produce and declare everyday salad and smoothie day. Sometimes I would do very well at this (Did I share my green smoothie recipe yet?) and other times I would cringe as I cleaned out the fridge and bag after bag of liquified unidentifiables would go in the trash (I had not started my little compost thing...but THAT's another story!).
I decided to take a tip from our friends in France (or at least the beautiful people that get written about all the time who are from "Frahnce", you know the ones...always biking with a monster baguette and a mini farmers market in their basket, pedaling through the countryside? Sigh. One day.) Anyway, as I understand it, some folks have several trips to the market as part of their weekly routine instead of the weekend grocery shopping "a-thons" that would have me navigating two overflowing carts through Meijer.
But the best Earth-Saving Tip I received was about two years ago from my friend in food, Angela Newsom of
We were together at one of the
community conversation sessions that the
Detroit Food Justice Task Force
hosts where community members gather to cook a fresh local healthy meals together, talk about what impacts access to fresh and healthy food in that neighborhood, and break bread together (a revolutionary act in and of itself.) Angela was demonstrating how to boost the nutritional content of breakfast or brunch with an easier-than-an-omelette frittata. As she whipped up this lovely, puffy, cheesy dish for 30 people in 30 minutes, a swirly eco-friendly light bulb went off in my head.
A new use for leftovers which re-purposes them in a very exciting way that doesn't have diners thinking "not this again!" that does not require a lot of skill or time.
Since making this discovery, I have served up frittatas featuring:
Spinach, Rotisserie Chicken, and Parmesan Cheese
Red Skin Potatoes, Asparagus, and Cheddar
Green, red, and yellow peppers and ham
Broccoli, Onions, and Tomatoes
Black Beans, Chicken, Cheddar (served with salsa, avocado, and sour cream)
Really whatever is "left"...(Left over, left from dinner, left from cleaning out the fridge but is not ready for compost)
If you have already discovered this joy, please share your recipe ideas. My only tips are:
Start out as you usually do to make scrambled eggs for however many you are serving. Pour into a heated pan with butter or olive oil and cook on LOW heat. As it cooks, gently push eggs around as they set so as not to burn the bottom.
For this particular frittata, I am using red onion, peppers and tomato which I sauteed in some garlic herb butter. Then added a good size spoonful of organic cream cheese to make a nice filling.
Turn on your oven broiler to LOW. When the eggs seem to be set on the bottom, spoon your filling over the top, evenly distributing it and make it look good! Artfully arranged! Inspired!! Sprinkle with (in this case) parmesan cheese. Pop it in the broiler for about 4 minutes (just keep checking on it, I haven't got this recipe part down yet...) It will puff up and you will just KNOW when its ready!
Sprinkle with fresh herbs (Parsley in this case) and serve. (Note to food stylist, turn plate to feature the frittata and NOT the seemingly gargantuan turkey sausage please.)
And there ya' go.
Since I am a relatively newbie foodie and you may not know the culinary greatness that is in your midst, I added a little Food Network Backup (plus I am trying to make this as interactive as possible and cull all the resources we have at our fingertips!)
Hope you enjoy this form of RRR!
To Reduce food waste recycle leftovers by reusing what's left in tasty, exciting, fun ways.
Peace.