torsdag 28 mars 2013
onsdag 27 mars 2013
Quick ways with leftovers
How many
times how you thought, "we don’t have anything to eat at home”? Think
again! Keep it simple and experiment in the kitchen and you will soon find that
you can make a lot out of a little.
Here are my
best “scrap dishes” tips, which are sure to be a success:
1. Pasta. You
can add most things to pasta, even if you keep it simple, it will still be
delicious. Add garlic, chili and olive oil and you have a great tasting dish. Add yesterday’s chicken for a non-vegetarian dish.
2. Risotto, paella and rice.” Cuban rice” is one of my favorite dishes when our fridge is almost
empty. Cook rice, add garlic and crushed tomatoes. Top with a fried egg for a deluxe version.
3. Pizza. Did
you know pizza was originally invented for using up yesterday’s leftovers? This is
the perfect scrap lunch! Use whatever you find in the refrigerator or cupboards as a topping; you'd be surprised what works. Leftover steamed vegetables (such as broccoli or cold sliced, cooked potatoes) are great on pizza, topped with a little olive oil and oregano.
4. Omelets and frittatas. In omelets you can also add almost anything. Do you have some extra
potatoes at home? Make a Spanish omelet!
What’s your favorite “scrap” recipe? Leave a tip in the comments!
tisdag 26 mars 2013
Simple Food Storage Tips
No one likes to throw away good food. By understanding the best ways to store food you can make it taste better and last longer and therefore save money. Here are a few tips on storing fresh produce and perishables:
 |
| learn how to use your refrigerator properly and it will serve you well, no matter what size it is! |
- Note that “best if used by” dates tell grocers how long to keep the products on the shelf inside the store. You can usually keep eating perishables like meat and dairy products after the date have passed as long as the products have been properly stored.
- Store leftovers in small containers that can be tightly sealed. Doing so will prevent bacteria from growing due to air exposure.
- When preparing food, keep it out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.
- Don’t overfill your fridge. Storing too many groceries will raise the temperature of some of the products and cause them to spoil more quickly.
- Fruits and vegetables should always be stored in bags as this keeps them fresher. So if you buy fruits and vegetables loose in the store, put them in a lightly tied bag inside the fridge once you get home. The air inside the bag will keep the items fresher for longer and slow down decomposition.
Matilda Brandt
Image source
måndag 25 mars 2013
Meat-free Monday
Every Monday here on the blog we will be posting a vegetarian recipe. Why? We firmly believe that the number one best thing to do for the environment, when it comes to our diets, is to choose meat-free meals as much as possible. Committing to eating vegetarian at least one day a week is a great way to make a difference.
Paul McCartney is behind the Meat Free Monday campaign. There's even a song to get you revved up for choosing meat-free!
A typical menu for a meatless monday could look something like this:
Breakfast: Porridge made from several rolled grains, with raisins and frozen berries. Serve with non-dairy milk for a vegan Monday!
Lunch: A big salad of spinach, greens, a chopped apple, cubed cheese and nuts, and whatever else you have around.
Dinner: Vegetarian chili
Check back here next week, and every Monday, for a great meatless recipe. Meanwhile, go to meatfreemondays.com for recipes and inspiration.
Do you practice meat-free Mondays? What would it take to get you to start? And what are your favourite meatless recipes? Tell us in the comments!
Paul McCartney is behind the Meat Free Monday campaign. There's even a song to get you revved up for choosing meat-free!
A typical menu for a meatless monday could look something like this:
Breakfast: Porridge made from several rolled grains, with raisins and frozen berries. Serve with non-dairy milk for a vegan Monday!
Lunch: A big salad of spinach, greens, a chopped apple, cubed cheese and nuts, and whatever else you have around.
Dinner: Vegetarian chili
Check back here next week, and every Monday, for a great meatless recipe. Meanwhile, go to meatfreemondays.com for recipes and inspiration.
Do you practice meat-free Mondays? What would it take to get you to start? And what are your favourite meatless recipes? Tell us in the comments!
fredag 22 mars 2013
Jerusalem artichoke soup
Seasonal eating means enjoying the produce (and fish) that is currently available in your region, and avoiding foods that have to be grown in greenhouses or shipped from elsewhere during the winter, for example. Eating seasonally is a great way to save energy in food production and to enjoy foods on a deeper level: fruits and vegetables taste better when they are in season! This blog is written in Sweden and therefore, at this time of year, eating seasonally means enjoying many root vegetables and winter greens.
It's very much still winter in most of northern Europe, which can make seasonal eating seem like a chore at times. I for one long for the first fresh vegetables of spring, but for now there's still lots that can be done with seasonal winter vegetables!
Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, are not related to the artichoke, but rather to the sunflower! They have lovely, small roots with pinkish skin and a light, slightly nutty taste. Add them to root vegetable bakes, boil and serve whole like potatoes, mash them by themselves or as part of potato mash, or try this soup:
Jerusalem artichoke soup
Ingredients
300 g Jerusalem artichokes
1 large or 2 smaller shallots
1 vegetable bouillon cube
about 1 dl of cream or non-dairy cream
a splash (.5 - 1 dl) or dry white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper
butter or oil to fry
1. Scrub the Jerusalem artichoke, cut them into smallish pieces so they will cook quickly. Drop them into a bowl of cool water to prevent discoloration. If the skin seems particularly rough, thick or hard to get clean, peel them first.
2. Finely dice the shallots and saute them in the butter or oil in a pot until they are softened but not browning. (If you are using the wine, add it now to deglaze the pan, loosening any tasty bits of shallot and butter that may be clinging to the pot).
3. Add the Jerusalem artichokes, vegetable bouillon cube and 3 dl of water to the pot. Simmer over medium heat until the Jerusalem artichokes are soft, 10-15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup. Thin to taste with the cream. Add tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Warm gently through.
Serve with toasted French bread and a green salad. Recipe serves two, add another 300 g Jerusalem artichokes or 2 medium potatoes to serve more.
What are your favourite uses for this versatile root?
Dawn Anthony
image source
It's very much still winter in most of northern Europe, which can make seasonal eating seem like a chore at times. I for one long for the first fresh vegetables of spring, but for now there's still lots that can be done with seasonal winter vegetables!
Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, are not related to the artichoke, but rather to the sunflower! They have lovely, small roots with pinkish skin and a light, slightly nutty taste. Add them to root vegetable bakes, boil and serve whole like potatoes, mash them by themselves or as part of potato mash, or try this soup:
Ingredients
300 g Jerusalem artichokes
1 large or 2 smaller shallots
1 vegetable bouillon cube
about 1 dl of cream or non-dairy cream
a splash (.5 - 1 dl) or dry white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper
butter or oil to fry
1. Scrub the Jerusalem artichoke, cut them into smallish pieces so they will cook quickly. Drop them into a bowl of cool water to prevent discoloration. If the skin seems particularly rough, thick or hard to get clean, peel them first.
2. Finely dice the shallots and saute them in the butter or oil in a pot until they are softened but not browning. (If you are using the wine, add it now to deglaze the pan, loosening any tasty bits of shallot and butter that may be clinging to the pot).
3. Add the Jerusalem artichokes, vegetable bouillon cube and 3 dl of water to the pot. Simmer over medium heat until the Jerusalem artichokes are soft, 10-15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup. Thin to taste with the cream. Add tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Warm gently through.
Serve with toasted French bread and a green salad. Recipe serves two, add another 300 g Jerusalem artichokes or 2 medium potatoes to serve more.
What are your favourite uses for this versatile root?
Dawn Anthony
image source
torsdag 21 mars 2013
onsdag 20 mars 2013
Shop smart to prevent waste!
It's estimated that 1 in every 5 bags of food purchased is thrown away. For university students like ourselves who have limited income and financial support, being careful and reducing the amount of food waste that we produce can save us lots of money. Every year, the average person in Europe and North America throws away 95-115kg of edible food (RIO +20). So how can we minimise our food waste? Here are 5 tips that every student should know.
1. Only buy as much as you need for the next few days. Who are we kidding? Parties and impromptu dinner after class with friends always arise so to avoid ending up with rotting food hiding in the back of the fridge, only buy food when you know you're going to be cooking dinner.
2. Store fruits separately in the fridge. Many fruits and vegetables produce a gas called ethylene which causes them to ripen faster. By storing fruits separately in the fridge, the cool temperature decreases the rate of ethylene production and your fruits and vegetables will stay fresh for longer.
3. Use the freezer! Portion food into serving sizes before freezing so you can cook a little as you need it. Freezing portion sizes means that you don't have to defrost a large amount and cook it all if you only want a little. You can take what you need as you need it.
4. Buy in bulk, cook with friends or corridor mates and share the cost. A group of friendly Flogsta students meets at ICA every Sunday evening to buy ingredients and cook dinner together. They manage to eat cheaply and learn from each other. It's a win win situation.
5. If you have ingredients to use up, make soup but keep it simple. All too often I watch my flatmate throw in as many ingredients as possible and then wonder why her dinner tastes horrible. Remember that not everything tastes good together. If you're not sure, there's always Google.
Cathy Xiao Chen
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1. Only buy as much as you need for the next few days. Who are we kidding? Parties and impromptu dinner after class with friends always arise so to avoid ending up with rotting food hiding in the back of the fridge, only buy food when you know you're going to be cooking dinner.
2. Store fruits separately in the fridge. Many fruits and vegetables produce a gas called ethylene which causes them to ripen faster. By storing fruits separately in the fridge, the cool temperature decreases the rate of ethylene production and your fruits and vegetables will stay fresh for longer.
3. Use the freezer! Portion food into serving sizes before freezing so you can cook a little as you need it. Freezing portion sizes means that you don't have to defrost a large amount and cook it all if you only want a little. You can take what you need as you need it.
4. Buy in bulk, cook with friends or corridor mates and share the cost. A group of friendly Flogsta students meets at ICA every Sunday evening to buy ingredients and cook dinner together. They manage to eat cheaply and learn from each other. It's a win win situation.
5. If you have ingredients to use up, make soup but keep it simple. All too often I watch my flatmate throw in as many ingredients as possible and then wonder why her dinner tastes horrible. Remember that not everything tastes good together. If you're not sure, there's always Google.
Cathy Xiao Chen
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