tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17265898105884849482024-03-05T04:20:04.248-05:00Trash to Table:Culinary Adventures in Dumpster DivingKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-38859779472993800172013-01-12T14:36:00.002-05:002013-01-12T14:36:19.435-05:00Money money money...and happy second birthday (part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://flowingdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/bundle_foodanddrink_bycityXL-copy1-625x2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://flowingdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/bundle_foodanddrink_bycityXL-copy1-625x2009.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
So, the blog is officially two years old now! This is the first of two posts revisiting notions I addressed on Trash to Table's first birthday, so keep an eye out for the next one.<br />
<br />
Something I vowed to do upon the blog's first birthday was to start keeping track of how much money I DO spend on groceries, and therefore how much I save over the course of a year.
<br />
<br />
A 2009 study conducted by the independent bundle.com (pictured above) estimated Baltimore's average grocery spending per person for the year to be $2,769.00, coming in at $230.75 per month. Based on some additional research, as well as the amount I receive from the government in food stamps, around $200/month seems to be a fair estimate of the norm.
<br />
<br />
In 2012, I kept a spreadsheet of how much money I spent on groceries, as well as the quantity of each item I bought to see what items are the least likely to be dumpstered, as well as what items I purchase most frequently. At the beginning of August, I also began receiving government food stamps, which changed my dumpstering habits considerably. I started grocery shopping almost exclusively, and dumpstered far less since I also moved around that time and had trouble finding new dumpsters.
<br />
<br />
So, there are two things to present here. One: how much I spent for the whole year and my savings compared to the Baltimore average and two: how my spending changed from January-August versus August into the new year. Looking at this second item will tell me how much I COULD have saved if I had kept up my habits from the first half of the year.
<br />
<br />
So, down to the nitty-gritty. In 2012, I spent a total of $806.60 on groceries. This means I saved $1,962.40 over the year compared to the average Baltimore-based consumer. That's a LOT of money! This means I spent an average of $67.21 on groceries every month, which still sounds pretty high to me.
<br />
<br />
Now, for the more interesting part. How did my spending habits change from the time I was regularly dumpstering compared to the time I wasn't? When I was primarily using dumpstering as my method of gleaning food, $64.47 was my monthly average grocery spending. After that, the average raised to $71.05 per month. This amount isn't that drastic of a change, but I'd like to also account for the fact that in the last 3 months of the year, I didn't make much food at home since my work provided meals. In my mind, this would have changed the statistics considerably, since I would have been cooking those meals instead of getting them for free.
<br />
<br />
So, what would have happened if I hadn't stopped dumpstering? I would have spent roughly $773 and saved around $30, coming in at $1,996 lower than the Baltimore average. This doesn't sound like much savings for my own spending habits. However, according to the rate I was spending AFTER I stopped dumpstering, I would have spent $853 over 2012, making for a difference of $80 over the year, which starts to sound more substantial, especially accounting for the fact that I wasn't spending money on groceries much at all in the last 3 months of the year, which decreases the numbers. My guess is that I could have saved between $100-200 if my spending habits were more regular, and there's a lot of things someone could do with that amount of money. Money is just one more incentive to dumpster!
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>TOP TEN THINGS I BOUGHT OVER 2012:</b>
<br />
<br />
1. Garlic - 13 cloves
<br />
<br />
2. Eggs - 10 cartons
<br />
<br />
3. Milk - 10 cartons/half gallons/etc.
<br />
<br />
4. Bread - 8 loaves
<br />
<br />
5. Red onions - 8
<br />
<br />
6. Greek yogurt - 8 packages
<br />
<br />
7. Bacon - 7 packages
<br />
<br />
8. Avocados - 7
<br />
<br />
9. Kale - 7 bunches
<br />
<br />
10. <b>TIE </b>Honey - 6 jars, Earl Grey tea - 6 packages
<br />
<br />
<br />
Almost all of these make a lot of sense. Garlic, eggs, milk, yogurt, bacon, (good) avocados, tea, and honey are very rare dumpster finds. However, bread, onions, and kale are the surprises of the list. All of these are fairly common to dumpster. I'd say I use onions and kale a lot - maybe more than any other food in the house, so it stands to reason that they'd be high on the list. Also, I have many recipes that call for onions, so when they weren't found in the dumpster, I would go buy them out of necessity. I typically don't use much bread, but in the latter half of the year I developed a very heavy nutella and toast habit, so I'm guessing that padded my bread buying stats.
<br />
<br />
Now that I know the staggering amount I saved this year by dumpstering, the goal for next year is to spend even less and dumpster more. Also, something I plan to start doing is keep track of how much I spend on "going out" to eat and compare that with the Baltimore 2009 average of $2,333.00 per year per person. This, as well as how much landfill space I saved in 2012 are coming up soon!
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-35407725242303194572012-12-22T23:01:00.004-05:002012-12-22T23:02:00.713-05:00November Bounty - Sharing is CaringI haven't put up a "bounty" post in a while because...well...I pretty much stopped dumpstering for a while after I moved. I couldn't find dumpsters I liked, I got food stamps after leaving my job, and the amount of effort it took to dumpster food on even a bi-weekly basis began to overwhelm me.
Since Thanksgiving just occurred, I got inspired to start dumpstering again and buy groceries with my leftover food stamp money to give to a homeless shelter or food bank. Yes, I know this is probably unethical, but it doesn't seem like there are any rules against it in the food stamps rules book. As in, I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything illegal.
Anyway, I made up for lost time by going to a plethora of old dumpsters, checking out new spots I'd heard or speculated about, and bringing a new dumpster buddy, Door. Door's household dumpsters pretty regularly, but he's been tight-lipped about his amazing dumpster locations. I understand why - one of the best, untapped dumpster spots I used a few years ago will now have 3 or 4 cars of people driving up on a given night. Many of these people have poor dumpster etiquette, and I end up leaving with very little food. A good dumpster is often treated like a diamond: something precious and not to be shared.
So, I needed to find these secret spots Door and his roommates were privy to. The only way that was going to happen in this secret dumpster economy was by trading information about spots. Luckily for me, the spots I went to near my old house were closer to Door than the over-picked dumpsters. So, we went out on an adventure and toured all the spots near my old house with great results.
Ollie's Bargain Outlet
- Body pillow
- Mixing bowls
- Dishwasher detergent
Mom's Organic Market
- Nothing
TJ's
- 4 mini ciabatta loafs
- 1 loaf healthy nut bread
- 1 bag potatoes
- 1 bag snow peas
- 1 pkg heirloom tomatoes
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 1 pkg bratwurst sausages
- 1 pkg sliced dry toasted almonds - MY FAVORITE TO USE WITH BREAKFAST AND HOME-MADE GRANOLA!!!
- 2 bags pre-cut sweet potatoes
- 1 eggplant
- 3 bananas
- 1 apple
- 11 eggs - one broken in a carton of 12
- Crispy crunch oatmeal raisin cookies
- 1 can cuban-style black beans or corn chowder...surprise?
Odwalla
- Found the dumpster, but it was empty - need to figure out the schedule again
Food Lion
- 1 coconut
Door also got a bunch of pork loin that I passed on since I had so many Thanksgiving leftovers and knew I couldn't make it in time before it spoiled.
Door's theories on dumpstering meat vs. produce are very interesting. They differ from mine. He used to work in a grocery store, and his theory is that meat or dairy gets thrown out at the sellby date, meaning it's still good for a week or so. This is true, and especially in the winter, food borne illness is less of an issue to worry about since the dumpster is basically a refrigerator. The crazy part was this - Door will almost categorically not dumpster produce! His logic was that produce gets thrown out when it's bad at most places. He basically won't eat dumpstered produce, with the exception of Trader Joe's, which will pack items in bulk and throw out a package of 4 or 5 tomatoes when only one is bad, or a whole bag of apples when one is bruised. This is a different outlook from most, but a valid point. I've never gotten ill from dumpstered food. Period. Regardless, it's important to educate yourself about what food looks and smells like when it goes bad. Sometimes, this means holding onto something longer than you want. Sometimes, it means erring on the side of caution...and sometimes, it means taking a risk. Try not to do this one, guys. I'm not going to say I haven't cooked some suspect food, but I usually try to prepare it in such a way that will make it safer to eat by applying heat/etc. Generally, the risk is higher with fish and meat because the type of sick you can get from it is worse than eating bad dairy or produce, which is why I'm a bigger fan of dumpstering produce than meat. E. Coli and salmonella are way worse and more potentially fatal than bruised fruit. Still, Door held a very valid point. To each his own.
Hopefully there will be a post in the near future about the dumpster Door introduces me to...and hopefully I'll have a dumpster closer to home that's reliable soon and will be able to post more in the near future.
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-70752786561192084372012-11-15T09:00:00.000-05:002012-11-25T17:00:43.758-05:00Apricot Compote<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6xhGGBs9ibhCn-oG5I8jGSqWSaMGn65Zmrses7beKnXQ1wns3F4eF-iUs883WOQ2mEnoBdevuI9L4_t0oL3hEk-x6BP_tl9Huvx8kqUtLY_YpxanWMuJnOSp-5DitOHaQ_fWHnslP3dd/s1600/Apricot+Compote.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726825900753123378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6xhGGBs9ibhCn-oG5I8jGSqWSaMGn65Zmrses7beKnXQ1wns3F4eF-iUs883WOQ2mEnoBdevuI9L4_t0oL3hEk-x6BP_tl9Huvx8kqUtLY_YpxanWMuJnOSp-5DitOHaQ_fWHnslP3dd/s400/Apricot+Compote.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
APRICOT COMPOTE
<br />
<br />
Delicious by itself, drizzled on some pork or chicken, or as an accompaniment to vanilla ice cream.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 10 apricots, halved and pitted<br />
- Zest from 1 medium lemon<br />
- Slightly less zest from 1 orange<br />
- 3/4-1 cup white sugar<br />
- 6 cups of water<br />
- A few drops of vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Stir together the apricots, zest, sugar, water, and vanilla extract in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until the apricots are soft and the compote has thickened, 40 to 50 minutes. If it's getting too thick, you may need to add a little extra water for it to reduce more. Taste before removing from heat.
<br />
<br />
Makes a few cups.<br />
<br />
Ingredients not dumpstered or donated: Vanilla extractKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-26035066514563315652012-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:002012-11-08T09:00:13.901-05:00A quick fix and the glory of sandwiches<br />
Sometimes, it's nice to just stop by the dumpster and pick up a few ingredients for dinner. In this run, I ended up picking up broccoli & zucchini for a side dish and enough fruit to make a fruit salad for dessert. Yum!
<br />
- 4 pkgs strawberries<br />
- 1 zucchini<br />
- 1 broccoli stalk<br />
- 4 oranges<br />
- 6 apples<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CMDB9w9aCrZ9ekFVy-c1hNA2yvKiL5rTwOxoMnldnyDY5D6PivJaC5jsNeb0O_jy8QwRjX0NBZmEzWbXxr6tqMmSCANqdUN0lNbg1e43DUPvc5fD1DVECqvvh0fK9_9VKLGWFKhnuyTp/s1600/TurkeySandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CMDB9w9aCrZ9ekFVy-c1hNA2yvKiL5rTwOxoMnldnyDY5D6PivJaC5jsNeb0O_jy8QwRjX0NBZmEzWbXxr6tqMmSCANqdUN0lNbg1e43DUPvc5fD1DVECqvvh0fK9_9VKLGWFKhnuyTp/s400/TurkeySandwich.jpg" /></a></div>
Also, when you pick up odds and ends, it's really easy and wonderful to make sandwiches to take with you to work for lunch. I got a lot of pre-cooked turkey breast, bread that I'd frozen, and some tomatoes and greens in a recent haul. It's a nice, healthy way to use up all the ingredients outside of a salad. There's nothing easier than a sandwich!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-17676544910084552552012-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:002012-11-01T09:00:01.310-04:00Fennel-Crusted Salmon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtNX0_h9s4zITYgvdTY1eBkk8nO2DENlIlj04vgtQSoCAHtjUgiDN4F_SEg628Kr6PafzKk9uF66hhn4wqYNrG6MFmDRksIi-ZQV6Y3a8byed3BT5wZm3hHcXPQMS7-NNC5tzOZhZ9vwY/s1600/Fennel+Crusted+Salmon+Salad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706630309843617554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtNX0_h9s4zITYgvdTY1eBkk8nO2DENlIlj04vgtQSoCAHtjUgiDN4F_SEg628Kr6PafzKk9uF66hhn4wqYNrG6MFmDRksIi-ZQV6Y3a8byed3BT5wZm3hHcXPQMS7-NNC5tzOZhZ9vwY/s400/Fennel+Crusted+Salmon+Salad.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
FENNEL-CRUSTED SALMON<br />
<br />
Normally I will never dumpster fish. It's a rule I stick to almost 100% of the time. Fish goes bad extremely easily. So, unless it's still frozen, hasn't passed the expiration date, and looks perfect, I will not eat dumpstered fish. Sometimes, though, I'll find something that meets my exacting standards and I'll go ahead with it <br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- Salmon<br />
- Fennel seeds<br />
- Dill<br />
- Olive oil<br />
<br />
Rub salmon with olive oil. Place it skin-side down on a tin foil covered (greased) baking pan. Sprinkle liberally with dill and fennel seed.<br />
<br />
Broil for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the fish (again, the internet can take care of these questions for you). The fish is done when it flakes easily. If you smell burning, it's probably the fennel, and it's probably past time to take out your fish.<br />
<br />
If you want to make this last even longer, you can put it over a salad or make it into a sandwich. <br />
<br />
Items not dumpstered or donated: fennel seeds, dill, olive oilKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-1222325532829857292012-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:002012-10-25T09:00:06.756-04:00Baingan Bartha, Bounty, & Food StampsForgive me readers, for I have sinned. I went an entire month without dumpstering. How is this possible?! I'm pretty upset about it. Still, I think I have some decently good excuses why I haven't been as active in the trash lately:<br />
<br />
I moved a few months ago and haven't found good dumpsters close to my new house. I was going to the dumpsters near my work...until I left that job in August (explaining why I didn't dumpster at all in August).
2: Leaving my job allowed for me to get food stamps again (I need the money for non-dumpster-able items like olive oil, etc, I just also started using it for everything else too)...now, I know this makes me a lazy dumpster diver and probably shows you that a big motivation for my dumpstering is saving money as opposed to saving the planet. Still, that motivation is there.
<br />
Bottom line is this: I have decent excuses for not dumpstering a whole lot lately. I have some friends who are showing me some new spots, soon, though...so hopefully I'll resume my normal dumpstering routine in no time. Since I got food stamps, I've been taking the leftover amount of funds I have in the account and have been buying dry or canned goods and have been donating them to a food shelter so they don't go to waste (shh, don't tell)! I think a good idea might be to start dumpstering again so that the amount of food I can donate increases (I've also been cooking for starving artist friends a lot lately, so that sort of counts as donating food to a worthy cause too).
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
July Bounty (really out of date, I know, but:)<br />
<br />
7/24/12 – Food Lion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Bag
of broccoli</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>2
pkgs cherry tomatoes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
red bell pepper</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
loaf honey wheat bread</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>2
pkgs kiwis</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/26/12 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tried a new Trader Joe’s during the day –
nothing good this time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/29/12 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chamomile tea, morrocan mint tea left in a "free" box by co-workers.<br />
<br />
BAINGAN BARTHA<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDli22UBGPv3fWhPPq-GuPpOwRciz6JyOOr4ZnnKLgrIEXrKAffNycxY3aYCCZCp9-fmx2cXyN3r6sRWXLAiNpKokEbUNfXAc4geiPuUEsRycgvExo84hxqR0gECYpTyHF4Wy0xAISu1v/s1600/BanganBartha.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726826093802827618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDli22UBGPv3fWhPPq-GuPpOwRciz6JyOOr4ZnnKLgrIEXrKAffNycxY3aYCCZCp9-fmx2cXyN3r6sRWXLAiNpKokEbUNfXAc4geiPuUEsRycgvExo84hxqR0gECYpTyHF4Wy0xAISu1v/s400/BanganBartha.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
<br />
<br />
I had gotten really tired of making my usual eggplant dishes: eggplant parmesan, ratatouille, baba ganoush...and then I dumpstered another eggplant. So, I tried going WAY outside my comfort zone to try an Indian dish out. I'm really unfamiliar with Indian cooking, so the picture looks pretty gross below. However, it still tasted pretty good, even if it was a little off from the baingan bartha I'm used to having at restaurants. Hopefully this is my first and worst foray into the land of Indian cuisine, and that practice will be on my side with this one. <br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- A few cups of brown cooked rice to put the mixture over (pasta will suffice, but will be weirder)<br />
- 1 small onion, chopped<br />
- 1 tomato, chopped<br />
- 1-4 jalapenos (depending on how you like your spiciness), chopped & seeded<br />
- 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, minced<br />
- 1-2 inches chopped ginger<br />
- Olive oil<br />
- Yellow curry powder - optional<br />
- Coriander to taste<br />
<br />
Step one: roast your eggplant. Here's a nice video with instructions <a href="http://www.5min.com/Video/Alton-Browns-Baba-Ghanoush-Recipe-362341579" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Step two: take the pulp and put it in a saucepan with about a tbsp of olive oil. Add the onions until they're soft, then the jalapenos, garlic, and ginger, then tomato. Keep at a medium or medium-low heat until you start to smell the aromas mixing together.<br />
Step three: Add salt, coriander, and curry to taste.<br />
Step four: Taste and adjust flavors until it tastes right, then serve!<br />
<br />
Ingredients not dumpstered or donated: Spices, olive oil </div>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-45245324872032649012012-10-18T18:01:00.002-04:002012-10-18T18:01:58.720-04:00Oxtail Stew & Crock Pot Fears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMDrdoBCfR49fo90nTUcQ_r8dY3irjMX4y64nlo1u6Q-m8IMrYviJLdvX1uPhIeZ3AW107SUryEU8aMqUog2M1O6ezn29AlA8MMI4YWp1NgXpG0FhsNZpoIJg9l1ieI5Bt3qvJcRbrP1i/s1600/Oxtail+Stew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMDrdoBCfR49fo90nTUcQ_r8dY3irjMX4y64nlo1u6Q-m8IMrYviJLdvX1uPhIeZ3AW107SUryEU8aMqUog2M1O6ezn29AlA8MMI4YWp1NgXpG0FhsNZpoIJg9l1ieI5Bt3qvJcRbrP1i/s320/Oxtail+Stew.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Okay, so I've been a bad mommy to this blog. I've been out of town. Plus, I got food stamps and have yet to find a dumpster that feels right now that I've moved again. I feel like there are fewer things to write about since I'm sticking to cooking tried and true recipes that I've already posted and I just haven't been dumpstering as often.<br />
<br />
That all said, here's a nice recipe for the fall and winter that involves very little effort. I have to start by saying that I'm terrified of slow-cookers and crock-pots. Some part of me just doesn't feel comfortable leaving the house for 8 hours with a heated appliance on. Horrific fantasies of my house burning down because I wanted to make a delicious stew run rampant. Still, I do OWN a crock pot, so I decided I should try to use it more often. My way of getting around fire-by-soup anxieties is to use my crock pot at night when I'm sleeping (the idea being that I would hopefully wake up if my house were on fire). It turned out really well, and now I'm excited to actually keep trying it out more and more...If you don't own a crock-pot, most thrift stores will have one, or you can just try to cook the stew using a slow (time) and low (temperature) method of cooking on a stove or in an oven with a dutch oven. There are guides for how to do this online.
<br />
<br />
OXTAIL STEW
<br />
<br />
First off: what's oxtail? It's the tail of some type of cattle, typically a cow. You can get it for much cheaper than most other beef. In my case, I dumpstered some. It comes out super tough unless you cook it slow-and-low, which makes it juicier and more tender. Also, cooking oxtail with the bone in is great because the bones provide more flavor for your soup or stew. I'll use oxtail when I make a stock for Vietnamese pho - recipe forthcoming.
<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u>
<br />
- 2 lbs. oxtail
<br />
- 1 medium onion, chopped <br />
- 1 stalk celery, chopped <br />
- 2 carrots, peeled & chopped <br />
- 2-4 whole peeled garlic cloves (depending on how garlic-ie you want it)
- 3-4 dried ancho chilis, chopped <br />
- 2 parsnips, peeled & chopped <br />
- 1 turnip, peeled & chopped <br />
- 1 bay leaf <br />
- 1-2 potatoes <br />
- 2 cups of full-bodied red wine<br />
- 1.5 cups chicken or beef stock - you can substitute broth or water if you're out<br />
- Thyme, salt, pepper, & parsley to taste<br />
- A few tablespoons of olive oil<br />
<br />
The bottom line is, whatever you have in terms of veggies that would taste good in a stew or that is close to going bad - throw it in there! Also, a word of caution about seasoning - since you're cooking for so long, the dish will really have time for the flavors to meld together, so a little goes a long way in crock pot cooking. Also, if you over-salt, it will just dry out your meat and your veggies, so wait until after everything's done cooking to add the majority of your salt. <br />
<br />
Step one: Brown your oxtail in a skillet with a little olive oil.
<br />
<br />
Step two: THROW EVERYTHING IN YOUR CROCK POT. Leave the oxtail, potatoes, and carrots closer to the bottom. Try to get the liquid covering everything.
<br />
<br />
Step three: Cover it and leave it revved up for 8-10 hours. You'll know the oxtail is cooked when it easily falls off the bone and the potatoes are cooked all the way through. Try not to take the lid off during this process, since that's what's keeping the hot air in that's doing the cooking.
<br />
<br />
Step four: If you're health-conscious, there can be a LOT of fatty oil involved in this process. A way to get rid of that is to put your stew in a bowl when it's finished and refrigerate. That will coagulate the fat so it will easily be scooped off the top of the bowl with a sieve or spoon after a few hours chilling. You can remove the bones at this point if you want as well. Reheat whenever and enjoy! It's also possible to freeze this if you make too much to make it last another week or so.
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMYhBI6kDccQqnG3pR_m89s-mHmwNFXP8SjQ0uIv8UvzI2dEK2dFKgKA9PeNYBcjiPAeTXCPtk94hPjqm_UGITOYOa0CoBh0HyNfXgH45kaHgDpegAyhGJKa4Di0jDjan2X_AaMjSVJnd/s1600/Oxtail+stew2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMYhBI6kDccQqnG3pR_m89s-mHmwNFXP8SjQ0uIv8UvzI2dEK2dFKgKA9PeNYBcjiPAeTXCPtk94hPjqm_UGITOYOa0CoBh0HyNfXgH45kaHgDpegAyhGJKa4Di0jDjan2X_AaMjSVJnd/s320/Oxtail+stew2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I made this right before a bunch of food was going to go bad. I also knew I'd be meeting up on a climbing trip with some friends. So, I went to their house expecting a fridge to keep it in...only to find that their house had lost power. So, we invited over a bunch of our local buddies with propane camping stoves, cooked it all up, and had a feast! Later that evening, we also made a delicious blueberry-oatmeal crisp on the camping stoves out of the limited amount of food we had. It turned out great!<br />
<br />
Items not dumpstered or donated: olive oil, bay leaf, salt & pepper, parsnip, wine
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-57254746772278498062012-08-21T15:44:00.001-04:002012-08-21T15:44:16.983-04:00Spicy Slow-Roasted Tomato Hummus & Pita ChipsIt's been a while since I posted an actual recipe, so here goes:<br />
Sometime in 2010, I made an incredibly delicious spicy tomato hummus that looked like vomit but tasted like heaven (coining the term <a href="http://trashtotable.blogspot.com/2011/03/failure-ugliness-gnocci.html" target="_blank">heavom</a>). Since then, I've been on a quest to recreate the recipe since I didn't write the original down. Finally, two years later, I think I've approximated it (more or less). I give you: Spicy Slow-Roasted Tomato Hummus with Homemade Pita Chips! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-E5ugzoY7_0XjosiIEqb1hkNaKAINkBBVdMsfOC3aW5AyVKTqO3z9nxxpwDvKwIEdU-yVx1dXtfNSTzjC-BQHq0Gbj7DptW4t0TvfpP_c7TG8wYo0oRRnOor2etENlV_I5fPL8Es5tgI/s1600/Heavom2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-E5ugzoY7_0XjosiIEqb1hkNaKAINkBBVdMsfOC3aW5AyVKTqO3z9nxxpwDvKwIEdU-yVx1dXtfNSTzjC-BQHq0Gbj7DptW4t0TvfpP_c7TG8wYo0oRRnOor2etENlV_I5fPL8Es5tgI/s320/Heavom2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-E5ugzoY7_0XjosiIEqb1hkNaKAINkBBVdMsfOC3aW5AyVKTqO3z9nxxpwDvKwIEdU-yVx1dXtfNSTzjC-BQHq0Gbj7DptW4t0TvfpP_c7TG8wYo0oRRnOor2etENlV_I5fPL8Es5tgI/s1600/Heavom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
STEP 1: SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES<br />
<br />
Slow-roasted tomatoes are really very easy - it's kind of the same process as making raisins out of grapes - you're just slowly drying the tomatoes out. They range from hot and flavorful to sun-dried, depending on how long you leave them in the oven for. Basically, you just put those suckers on a baking pan, coat them in olive oil, salt, and pepper (you can add other spices or garlic if you want to get fancy). Then, you leave the tomatoes in the oven for a very long time (2-3 hours) at a very low temperature (around 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit). Just check on them after the two hour mark and take them out when they're at the desired chewiness. I'll usually use 1 package of dumpstered cherry tomatoes for this, but any type will suffice. You can also use slow-roasted tomatoes in breakfast dishes (divine with a poached egg), bruscettas, tomato sauce, etc. Add some garlic in the pan to roast for fun. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
STEP 2: SLOW-ROASTED TOMATO HUMMUS<br />
<br />
Using the slow-roasted tomatoes, the next step can either be very hard or very easy, depending on whether or not you have a food processor. If you do, you're in luck - you get the easy road. Otherwise, get ready - you're in for a lot of cutting, mashing, and pain.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 1 can chickpeas<br />
- Your slow-roasted tomatoes<br />
- Juice from 1/2 an orange (or OJ from the carton in a pinch) - this is crucial as it brightens the flavor of the hummus considerably<br />
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon or lime<br />
- 2 tbsp tahini (the first time I did this, I made my own tahini, which involves roasting sesame seeds and painstakingly hand-crushing them while adding olive oil. I don't recommend making your own tahini unless you're a sadist)<br />
- 2-5 tbsp olive oil<br />
-1-2 cloves roasted garlic (optional)<br />
- 1-3 cloves fresh, peeled garlic<br />
- 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste) <br />
- 1 tsp cumin (to taste)<br />
- salt & pepper to taste<br />
- If you're not using tomatoes, sometimes a tsp or two of water will be needed.<br />
<br />
Throw it all in the food processor. Otherwise, have fun mashing and mixing the ingredients. If you choose this route, there's a high likelihood that you will be crying by the end of the process.<br />
<br />
Makes roughly 6-8oz. </div>
<div>
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726817000514509698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDP5B6opVs8vtsCH3xODJNxpbqPKI_nLgScAuQQZTUyK3e7I7gqomwW8NFwB20dkMfU34-O9hObO1PxMlaBSn1ZHzIK5YAx5YSGGynTGrcjUKqB_rlIssv65YLvziB7rHFcEP6FoKpC5C/s400/Pita+Chips.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
STEP 3: HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Homemade pita chips are perfect for when your pita bread is starting to go slightly stale, or if you got way too much from the dumpster. You can use pita chips like any regular salty snack by themselves, or you can use them for dipping in hummus, salsa, or cream cheese based dips. It's really simple (I wonder why people buy pita chips at all): cut your pita into 8ths, then use a brush to brush olive oil on each side of each chip, laying your chips on a tin foil-covered baking sheet when you're finished. Add salt, pepper, and whatever else (garlic powder, basil, oregano) to taste. Next, put your pita wedges in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Check on them every so often to make sure they aren't burning, and flip them about half way through. <br />
<br />
Items not dumpstered or donated: Olive oil, spices, tahini </div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-46982859616402594462012-07-24T11:41:00.004-04:002012-07-24T11:41:48.376-04:00June Bounty & The Unfortunate Truth About Dumpster DiversI was away for a big part of June and July, meaning I did buckle down and buy some canned food to go camping with and didn't have a big opportunity to dumpster while I was in West Virginia (although I did scope out the dumpsters there for next time - there were 3 great ones in the town I stay in)!<br />
<br />
So, here's my pretty meager list of dumpster bounty from June: <br />
<br />
6/15<br />
- 1 cucumber<br />
- 1 red pepper<br />
- 1 red onion<br />
- 1 bundle spinach<br />
- 1 bundle bok choy<br />
- 1 honeydew melon<br />
- 4 bananas<br />
- 4 golden russet potatoes<br />
- 1 (very small) head broccoli<br />
- 6 sweet potatoes (I gave a few away)<br />
- 9 red delicious apples (I also gave some of these away) <br />
<br />
So, I don't usually dumpster earlier in the evening when stores are still open, but this particular evening I did. I went into the store right afterward since I needed a head of garlic. Coming back to my car (I always park near the dumpster), I saw another fellow dumpster diver! For some reason, I had always assumed that I was the only dumpster diver in the small, suburban town I had been living in, since I had only seen people I had introduced to diving at the dumpsters I frequented. I was so excited to see another diver! I was completely creepy and watched him dumpster from my car since I was so surprised to see another person! He wasn't your usual, younger, hippy-vibe kind of dude. Instead, he was older, fat, wearing flannel, suspenders, and a trucker cap (very blue-collar). He took some produce out and went on his way.<br />
<br />
A universal part of dumpster ethics is this: you always leave something for others when you dumpster because you never know who else is diving the same dumpsters as you are.<br />
<br />
This also brings up another odd reality of my dumpstering; I'm fortunate in the fact that I could probably make ends meet if I had to buy groceries. I might have to apply for food stamps again, but I could probably work out feeding myself within my job's pay scale. Not everyone can do that. With unemployment rates higher than ever and people with big enough families to feed where food stamps might not cut it, dumpstering is on the rise. <br />
<br />
The unfortunate truth is that most of the dumpster divers I know (and most of the dumpster diving population in general) don't actually NEED to do it. Some have trust funds, some have well-paying jobs and it's an ethical choice, and some are the stereotypical artist/musician collecting unemployment who could definitely get a better-paying job given their education. I personally started when I was unemployed and trying to save money, but also felt really good about the idea that I was saving waste from a landfill. When I started dumpstering, it was a matter of survival, but now I continue to do it with environmental and thrifty motivations, not because I would starve if I stopped.<br />
<br />
Many dumpster divers I know view dumpstering as a rebellious act to subvert consumerist culture, not as a necessity for survival. Seeing this blue-collar guy with 2 kids in his van dumpstering right after I did filled me with guilt. I had left plenty of food in the dumpster, but the truth was, I probably took the best produce there was. There's something that feels selfish about dumpstering if you don't have to. I saw the guy in the trucker hat dumpstering, but it was still early evening - how many more cars with kids were going to pull up to the dumpster after him? How many more families NEEDED the food that I was taking? My wish to save the environment is rendered frivolous compared to a family's instinct to feed themselves and survive. I would guess that sitting around the dinner table, that man's family isn't discussing how great it feels to be reducing greenhouse gases by virtue of the meal they prepared, or how awesome it feels to stick it to capitalist America over green beans.<br />
<br />
The balance is hard to strike. I'm not going to stop dumpstering, because I DO still want to save the environment (and my own money). However, I need to consider others a bit more when I'm picking my produce out...<br />
<br />
My feelings surrounding this subject aren't completely clear yet, but this experience has definitely produced a shift in my dumpstering practice since it happened. We'll see how the future progresses.<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-62648522680816421362012-06-12T09:46:00.000-04:002012-06-12T09:46:00.577-04:00May Bounty<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Courier New";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Wingdings";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0in; }ul { margin-bottom: 0in; }
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, May was also not a particularly fruitful dumpster bounty month for me either since I moved to a new house and also was away for about week in West Virginia (where I brought dumpstered food to make breakfast for some friends; they loved it). I'll be back up there pretty soon, though, so I'll try to post a West Virginia-style Trash to Table road trip story sometime soon.<br />
<br />
Tuesday 5/15 – I tried Trader Joe’s first, but the dumpster was literally too full to pull anything out of without being really conspicuous. It was a bummer to see it all go to waste. Instead, I hit up the Food Lion and still came out on top.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>6
pkgs broccolini</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
head broccoli</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
yellow onion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>3
large white potatoes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
turnip</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
carrot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
light green pepper</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>2
green bell peppers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
bottle liquid aminos (basically healthier soy sauce)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
pkg strawberries</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
head lettuce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>4
pkgs white mushrooms</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1
golden delicious apple</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>4
vine-ripe tomatoes<br />
<br />
</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-54437582699925226402012-06-05T09:22:00.000-04:002012-06-05T09:22:00.204-04:00Tofu Stir-FrySurprisingly enough, I made this 4 or 5 times before I was able to nab a picture of it. Why? Probably because I eat it so quickly.<br />
<br />
So, the cool thing about stir fries is that they are really easy to make and you can use basically any protein (I dumpster tofu most often) and any vegetables that you have on hand or froze. It's especially good for mixing frozen veggies with fresh, since it hides the freezer taste that sometimes accompanies veggies that have been in the freezer a <i>little</i> too long. It's a dumpster diver's paradise. The stir fry below features marinated tofu, previously frozen green beans, orange bell pepper, corn, zucchini, and red onion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Jc344pSf1kUx4lv3sD681i6heVLWVIvoFj9sbZkf9UWCUH-GUCG8i3Ut9fsORzkELlwuSHWmGDDevziVq8edXrsdvbogJ5wxD8Q1c1kEN1__VUXnWvPkTPmETIWms9tnKOqHOheCgmay/s1600/Tofu+stir+fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Jc344pSf1kUx4lv3sD681i6heVLWVIvoFj9sbZkf9UWCUH-GUCG8i3Ut9fsORzkELlwuSHWmGDDevziVq8edXrsdvbogJ5wxD8Q1c1kEN1__VUXnWvPkTPmETIWms9tnKOqHOheCgmay/s320/Tofu+stir+fry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
TOFU (or meat) MARINADE<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 1 block extra-firm tofu - best when previously frozen, thawed, and then pressed to get out all the liquid with paper towels (I'll cut it up first and then squeeze it to get out even more moisture before marinating it)<br />
- <span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">4 Tbsp soy sauce</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 2 Tbsp Mirin (find it in the Asian section of your supermarket - it's pretty much a dumpster chupacabra. Don't hold your breath for this ingredient) </span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 2 Tbsp Rice vinegar (same as the mirin)</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 1 Tbsp honey (vegans can use agave nectar or some other sweetener)</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 2 Tbsp grated ginger</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil (I've dumpstered this once)</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 4 cloves garlic</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 1/2 cup onion, chopped</span><br /><span itemprop="name">- 1 tsp sririacha sauce (or other hot chili sauce you have - more or less depending on how spicy you want it)</span></span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">- Scallions (optional) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Thoroughly mix all these ingredients, then fold the tofu into it so it's liberally covered with everything. Let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes (time to cut your veggies) or overnight in the fridge.</span></span><br />
<br />
ACTUAL STIR-FRY<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 2 tbsp canola, safflower, or vegetable oil (I like using veggie oil the best)<br />
- VEGGIES<br />
<br />
Put oil in a pan or wok. <br />
Get your pan or wok super-hot.<br />
Put in your marinated tofu - you want a browning sear on the outside, but you don't want it to burn. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, making sure each side gets browned (otherwise the tofu is in danger of falling apart). Then, push it up to the side of the wok (if you're using a pan, just shift it to the outside edge). <br />
Add your veggies in the order of which take the longest to cook (carrots, mushrooms, peppers, bok choy stems, etc.) to whichever take the shortest (frozen pre-cooked veggies, corn, bok choy leaves, etc.). <br />
Once they cook up a bit, add the remainder of your marinade for extra flavor. Keep cooking until the veggies are cooked, but still have a bit of crunch (taste testing is a great way to tell if they're ready).<br />
<br />
You can eat a stir-fry straight (I do this), or make it last a little longer by putting it over rice or pasta. It's a large initial investment of buying ingredients from the grocery store, but once you buy those basics (which are all pretty cheap), they last you MANY, MANY more meals, so it's worth it. <br />
<br />
Items not dumpstered or donated: Ginger, garlic, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, vegetable oilKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-10920198814822239752012-05-29T09:00:00.000-04:002012-06-04T09:41:18.448-04:00Thai Mushroom Ginger Coconut Curry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUygw1Ud7Mi7Hql1APRtnQMYdxezQMlP6zt6bMQUb_o4tkig4jYg1bAZayigzYRwkaYnMtr-axcrLBYFJsIoa_D6NPJIpHdjWArjrPUN4ZV0t4QnLWWpwH_vGNZuqqncCe96aJdvhkNHov/s1600/MushroomCoconutCurry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUygw1Ud7Mi7Hql1APRtnQMYdxezQMlP6zt6bMQUb_o4tkig4jYg1bAZayigzYRwkaYnMtr-axcrLBYFJsIoa_D6NPJIpHdjWArjrPUN4ZV0t4QnLWWpwH_vGNZuqqncCe96aJdvhkNHov/s400/MushroomCoconutCurry.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
<br />
I first ate this dish when I was living in Prague. My Danish friend and schoolmate Nicolai had me over for dinner, and was trying to explain to me how to make the dish since I thought it was so delicious. Unfortunately, he didn't know the words for some of the mushroom types, but I eventually deciphered his recipe, which is actually quite simple once you know what mushrooms you're looking for. <br />
<br />
Very rarely will you dumpster ALL the mushrooms that are in this soup, so don't feel horrible if you're missing some. I just lucked out and happened to dumpster most of the ingredients prior to making it.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 1/2 pkg white mushrooms<br />
- 1 pkg shitake mushrooms<br />
- 1/2 pkg baby bella mushrooms <br />
- 1 pkg oyster mushrooms<br />
- 1 yellow onion<br />
- As much ginger as your puny mouth can handle<br />
- 1-3 cloves garlic (you can do more if you want)<br />
- A handful of 3-minute noodles (rice noodles or ramen are ideal, but I've used spaghetti and it's worked out fine - spaghetti is pictured above since I was saving my rice noodles for a batch of pho)<br />
- 1 can sweetened coconut milk (If it's unsweetened, just add a teaspoon or two of sugar) (coconut milk is a rare but exciting dumpster find in my experience) <br />
- Water<br />
- Salt & pepper to taste<br />
- Fresh basil<br />
- Fresh cilantro (optional)<br />
- Green or red curry paste (optional) <br />
<br />
Cut up the ginger into very small chunks (but don't grate it or mince it). Throw pieces into about 2-3 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes (you don't want it all to evaporate, though or else you'll lose the gingery flavor the water takes on).<br />
ADD SALT. This step is important. If you don't, your mushrooms and pasta won't be as flavorful. <br />
Add your onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the water and let it reduce a little bit - until there's about 1 cup left.<br />
Next, add coconut milk and bring to a low simmer again. If you're using real noodles vs. quickly cooking ones, you'll need to bring the liquid to a bit more of a boil.<br />
Add your noodles. If you're using real noodles, cook until the noodles are tender. Otherwise, just drop your ramen or rice noodles in for about a minute, then take it off the heat.<br />
Add to taste - go overboard on the basil and add maybe just a teaspoon of green curry for the best results. <br />
<br />
Ingredients not dumpstered or donated: Ginger, salt & pepperKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-56189345184933086572012-05-22T09:00:00.000-04:002012-05-22T09:00:04.871-04:00Zucchini Noodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-1RUPpeO2azxPbhVIKYqKqTkqvcsT_5RpaNJqTTpJNVaRpamEPIbThmOpUgMu_dQUG9bjj1Dorevsd05aIfaS-AK_Y_IzCkPXTsZstIr1kI4yi4ENCrATdVG3Zu-3h-bs8zt5j2MLUdw/s1600/Zucchini+Noodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-1RUPpeO2azxPbhVIKYqKqTkqvcsT_5RpaNJqTTpJNVaRpamEPIbThmOpUgMu_dQUG9bjj1Dorevsd05aIfaS-AK_Y_IzCkPXTsZstIr1kI4yi4ENCrATdVG3Zu-3h-bs8zt5j2MLUdw/s320/Zucchini+Noodles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My <a href="http://www.greatsage.com/" target="_blank">favorite vegan/raw food restaurant</a> does a mean zucchini noodle dish that I'm super into. So, when I dumpstered 5 zucchini and didn't feel like making zucchini bread or <a href="http://trashtotable.blogspot.com/2012/03/ratatouille.html" target="_blank">ratatouille</a>, I decided to try making zucchini noodles for the first time instead.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
- 4 zucchini<br />
- flavorful sauce of some sort (I used my<a href="http://trashtotable.blogspot.com/2011/02/spinach-basil-cashew-pesto.html" target="_blank"> pesto cream sauce recipe</a>, but substituted peanuts and a little sesame oil in my pesto instead of cashews, since that's what I had) <br />
<br />
Zucchini noodles are painfully easy to make. There are cool <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Spirooli+Vegetable+Spiralizer+%26+Slicer&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ASpirooli+Vegetable+Spiralizer+%26+Slicer&ajr=0" target="_blank">contraptions</a> you can buy to make it look more like pasta, but you basically just need a vegetable peeler and some time to accomplish a more fettuccine-type noodle. You peel the skin off, then just keep peeling around the whole zucchini longways until you get to the seeds at the core. At that point, you can cut the core up for a salad, stir fry, or ratatouille so you're using the vegetable in more ways than one!<br />
<br />
Once you've made the zucchini noodles according to the directions above, you can make up some kind of sauce (I made a pesto cream sauce to keep it in the raw food category. If you're vegan, you could just do pesto plus a tomato or something). It's a pretty flavorful dish.<br />
<br />
One thing to mention, though - the zucchini noodles lose their moisture if you salt them and leave them in the fridge over time, so try to eat them all up after one or two meals or they can get kind of gross... <br />
<br />
Items not dumpstered or donated: cream, sesame oil, garlic<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-72645858058232577472012-05-15T09:00:00.000-04:002012-05-15T09:00:13.086-04:00April BountyApril was a ridiculously busy month for me, meaning I ended up eating out a little and made my dumpster bounty last a loooonnnggggggg time somehow since I only dumpstered once. <br />
<br />
4/9<br />
I ended up sharing some of this with a friend, but kept most/all of it. <br />
Note: All the meat was frozen or super-cold to the touch, so I took it. Given how warm it's been getting, I normally wouldn't take meat this late in the year unless it was frozen... <br />
- 2 pkg beef oxtails (frozen to make pho later!)<br />
- 1 pkg beef ribs (marinated and grilled later)<br />
- 1 pkg beef chuck steaks (2 per pkg)<br />
- 1 pkg of MY FAVORITE BRAND OF BACON THAT WAS MONTHS AWAY FROM THE EXPIRATION DATE! This is dumpster magic.<br />
- 5 zucchini<br />
- 1 itty bitty head of broccoli<br />
- 1 ear of corn<br />
- 1 bunch of spring onions<br />
- 1 bunch collards<br />
- 1 bunch red leaf lettuce<br />
- 2 bunches of radishe <br />
- 4 bananas (used for oatmeal breakfasts!)<br />
- 1 bunch celery<br />
- 2 orange bell peppers<br />
- 2 green bell peppers<br />
<br />
<br />
And somehow, along with dried or frozen goods that I already had plus eating out a bit, I made this last a full month. I'm pretty proud of myself on that front.<br />
<br />
I'm about to move back into the city, which makes me a bit nervous for my dumpstering habits. There are still a few good ones near my work, but I'll need to explore some closer to home...look forward to an entry on how to find new dumpsters!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-68364918941060056742012-05-04T09:00:00.001-04:002012-05-04T09:00:20.465-04:00Cucumber Watermelon Salad and Coolers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifopvLHeAnwvHKX3rOmU4bsvUfRa-BmPbgjJ5mQkUT9oXSm40YRVoHqSonYRfSJ-3dh66v8Y-tr8XAVJGwKPWT96Fh92Cm9Bv5Ov7ji4KOcxyvIEE7YMyTEY02C2XZKoQH-fZzq68kaJtG/s1600/Cucumber+Watermelon+Salad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifopvLHeAnwvHKX3rOmU4bsvUfRa-BmPbgjJ5mQkUT9oXSm40YRVoHqSonYRfSJ-3dh66v8Y-tr8XAVJGwKPWT96Fh92Cm9Bv5Ov7ji4KOcxyvIEE7YMyTEY02C2XZKoQH-fZzq68kaJtG/s400/Cucumber+Watermelon+Salad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729443359171554226" border="0" /></a><br />WATERMELON AND CUCUMBER SALAD<br /><ul style="padding: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify; margin-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-family: georgia;"><p>"Cornbread is sweet,<br />pork chops are good,<br />blackeyed peas are mighty, mighty fine<br />but give me, oh give me<br />I really wish you would<br />that watermelon hangin' on the vine..."<br /><br />-- Tennessee Ernie Ford, "The Watermelon Song"<br /><br /></p><p><u>Ingredients:</u><br /></p><p>- 3 cups peeled and cubed cucumber</p><p>- 3 cups cubed seedless watermelon</p><p>- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice</p><p>- Salt & pepper to taste</p><p>- Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)</p><p>- Lime zest<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>1. </strong>In a large bowl, toss cucumber and watermelon with lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using.) Top with grated lime zest and serve immediately.</p><p> <b>2. </b>There is no step two.</p><p>If not serving immediately, leave out the salt. Refrigerate salad, covered, up to four hours; just before serving, toss with salt.<br /><br />If you're feeling boozy, omit the salt and pepper and dump the salad into a food processor or blender. Puree and strain the liquid into an ice-filled glass and top up with vodka, a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of honey. Boom! WATERMELON-CUCUMBER COOLERS (save the pulp to eat later).</p></ul>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-46223417221888737172012-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:002012-04-27T10:13:46.204-04:00Chicken Gizzard & Heart Yakitori<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvcuvEpHRNk2lWv3lvtuD1BShFW5TXrkptQniFSnKWDtS7JulGonuxwYme_Qgp4LXp5DpOKBhAi-ta1ojd0-EDXLxYyg3ku8KdL_i_joXXPDDhS4GqF_rg4FVzO8fDPvzhmQ11pYE0fXc/s1600/Chicken+Gizzards+and+Hearts+Yakitori.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvcuvEpHRNk2lWv3lvtuD1BShFW5TXrkptQniFSnKWDtS7JulGonuxwYme_Qgp4LXp5DpOKBhAi-ta1ojd0-EDXLxYyg3ku8KdL_i_joXXPDDhS4GqF_rg4FVzO8fDPvzhmQ11pYE0fXc/s400/Chicken+Gizzards+and+Hearts+Yakitori.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719405172031676642" border="0" /></a><br />Part of dumpstering is about being adventurous. So, when I dumpstered some chicken hearts and gizzards, I figured "why not?" I hadn't ever eaten those parts of a chicken before, but I'm all for the <a href="http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/lifestyle/christopher-hirst/belly-beast">nose-to-tail</a> philosophy in cooking, which espouses that we should try to use every part of an animal to prevent waste and/or justify its death. In fact, nose-to-tail is the dumpstering of the butchery business - finding a use for parts of the animal that otherwise would go into a trashcan, then into a landfill.<br /><br />My search for "traditional" recipes using chicken hearts and gizzards was a fruitful one. Unfortunately, almost all of the recipes involved deep frying them to create a Southern-style soul food dish that looked like a heart attack on a plate. It wasn't what I wanted to be eating for dinner.<br /><br />So, I kept searching until I found a concise, slightly more healthy looking recipe on a pretty well-produced food blog. The blog's author, Ling Li, waxes nostalgic about her experience with the nose-to-tail concept in an Asian-American household (a culture in which the idea is less hot topic and more of an absolute). She presents a delicious version of Japanese yakitori. Here's the link, because 100% of the credit should go her way. The only exception I made was omitting the scallions (because I didn't have any): <br /><br /><a href="http://linglieats.com/2011/05/chicken-gizzard-heart-yakitori/">http://linglieats.com/2011/05/chicken-gizzard-heart-yakitori/</a><br /><br />Items not dumpstered or donated: Garlic, mirinKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-21931055763959806142012-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:002012-04-20T16:13:57.707-04:00I Love Trash (and other dumpstering films)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrALBQmK_EXZV2AOcgw71DmSjiDryXT56LVt6Tssxh2iocXWHcOxfA6BM-2W7MYCFUXXdX8bC0iHj0dz5TT4UzbA1dcobXdfxb5xixTCWlHYQ9p735S-HUotFIUhsQi0pZUX1PmUypu43/s1600/Ilovetrash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrALBQmK_EXZV2AOcgw71DmSjiDryXT56LVt6Tssxh2iocXWHcOxfA6BM-2W7MYCFUXXdX8bC0iHj0dz5TT4UzbA1dcobXdfxb5xixTCWlHYQ9p735S-HUotFIUhsQi0pZUX1PmUypu43/s320/Ilovetrash.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
David, a buddy from college, was one of the first people to get me into dumpstering, along with his partner Liz and their friend Greg. David and Greg made a low-budget film called <span style="font-style: italic;">I Love Trash </span>while in college where they asked the question "what if we don't buy any things for 3 months?" They started with a veggie-oil converted car and their rent paid on a completely empty apartment. Thus began the experiment. They documented their journey, and it's pretty informative and entertaining. It showed at a few film festivals, and is thankfully now streaming on the internet (I used to have a DVD of it that is currently lost in a box somewhere). It opened my mind to dumpstering as a normal (not necessarily revolutionary) practice. I hope it does the same for you. It's a little hippy dippy and philosophical at points, and there are more than the fair share of streaming ads, but I'd say it's worth it (plus it clocks in at under an hour and a half). It deals with all aspects of dumpster diving (not just food waste), and the results of David and Greg's experiment are eye-opening.<br />
<br />
Here's the link:<br />
<a href="http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/i_love_trash"><br />http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/i_love_trash</a><br />
<br />
Other great dumpstering movies include:<br />
<br />
- French New Wave matron Agnes Varda's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gleaners_and_I">The Gleaners and I</a> </i>- Currently steaming on Netflix instant. Highly recommended, although slightly free-form compared to most documentaries<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span>I haven't seen this film since I started actively dumpstering, so I plan to watch it again this week.<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://www.divethefilm.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dive! The Film</span></a> - I can't actually attest to this one, but it looks good. I ordered a copy of the DVD from their website about 2 months ago hoping to review it here on the blog and only received it today after emailing the filmmakers to let them know I was waiting on it. The filmmakers were incredibly nice about the whole thing. It sounded like their distribution company was at fault, because I got the DVD about 3 days after emailing the filmmakers, who emailed the distribution folks angrily. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming review on this one...<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4eOSAQKDc4"><span style="font-style: italic;">First the Dishes, Then the Revolution</span></a> - A short film/ad made by the folks at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/170877952974175/#%21/iohnyc">InOur Hearts</a> who produce Grub, which is a community dinner hosted about twice a month in Brooklyn made out of entirely dumpstered food. Some of the people being filmed ham it up, but it's a fun little film to watch.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-7973652630761372692012-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:002012-04-13T09:00:10.300-04:00Eggplant Fritters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVgo4eFFRMZkz_ntKm_lfatj4OmqvT0UXjBCIFM6PF19P8q9kjiNVK6QnCJN5wn0WlPBTZQqT6UFR_joD6nHMciAGSmEgQ_i16aM-vkljYyWHVkJSAnCNwHBSVVotkQsZfxRqY52bNNWp/s1600/Eggplant+Fritters.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVgo4eFFRMZkz_ntKm_lfatj4OmqvT0UXjBCIFM6PF19P8q9kjiNVK6QnCJN5wn0WlPBTZQqT6UFR_joD6nHMciAGSmEgQ_i16aM-vkljYyWHVkJSAnCNwHBSVVotkQsZfxRqY52bNNWp/s400/Eggplant+Fritters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720540771408159682" border="0" /></a><br />Holy shit these tasted amazing.<br /><br />I admitted to being borderline obsessed with cooking shows in an <a href="http://trashtotable.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-bread-pudding.html">earlier recipe</a> where I payed homage to <a href="http://chzdailywhat.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/3e042227-366e-4fed-bb56-0381b769a368.gif">Paula Deen</a>, but here's another shout-out to a true OG: <a href="http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/1041524_o.gif">Martha Stewart</a>.<br /><br />Ok, so she's kind of a soulless, lifeless, consumerist, insider-trading demon, but this recipe (<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/338843/eggplant-fritters?center=276955&gallery=274258&slide=262966">http://www.marthastewart.com/338843/eggplant-fritters?center=276955&gallery=274258&slide=262966</a>) for eggplant fritters rocked my world. Go try them immediately. Like really - right now. That pact she made with the devil must've worked out, because DAMN can that woman cook up some eggplant. <br /> <br />I ended up forgoing the frisee salad and balsamic vinegar. instead, I opted to put one of these in a pita to take to work (good choice), but they're fine by themselves or on a salad too.<br /><br />Items not dumpstered or donated: Olive oil, garlic, spices/herbs (some from garden), ParmesanKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-77326915229703288512012-04-06T09:07:00.000-04:002012-04-06T09:07:00.515-04:00March Bounty<div>Now that I'm dumpstering more often, I decided to start consolidating my dumpstering bounty entries by month instead of doing a separate entry every time I go...because I've been going quite a bit. Lately, instead of doing larger excursions I've been trying to just stop by (sometimes while I'm grocery shopping later at night even), peek in, see a few things I want, take them, and move on. I was averaging 1 huge dumpster bounty a month last year, and so far this year I've been averaging once a week, which has kept me pretty sustained with the addition of shopping for some staples that are hard to come by in the dumpster.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>2/20</div><div>- 1 bag organic sugar<br />- 3 red onions<br />- 1 bag grapefruit<br />- 1 seedless watermelon<br />- 7 honeycrisp apples<br />- 2 bags pizza dough<br />- 1 pkg cooked chicken<br />- 2 bananas<br />- 2 zucchini<br />- 1 cucumber<br />- 1 eggplant<br />- 1 bag potatoes<br />- 1 orange bell pepper<br />- 1 green bell pepper<br />- 1 bunch radishes<br />- 1 lemon<br />- 1 pkg white mushrooms<br />- 7 tomatoes<br />- 1 pkg vine ripened tomatoes<br />- 1 portabella mushroom<br />- 1 pkg sliced provalone<br />- 1 carton coconut milk<br />- 1 box creamy tomato soup<br />- 1 pkg boneless skinless chicken thigh<br />- 2 pkgs pita bread<br />- 1 bag dried fruit<br />- 1 bag oranges<br />- 3 pkgs strawberries<br />- 2 veggie hummus wraps </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>3/5</div>- 4 oranges<br />- 6 apples<br />- Lean cuisine spinach artichoke dip w/ pita bread<br />- 1 head broccoli<br />- 1 lime<br />- 1 red jalapeno<br />- 2 heads huge bok choy<br />- 7 yellow onions<br />- 1 cucumber<br />- 6 bananas<br />- 1 portabella mushroom cap<br />- 2 pkgs sliced baby portabella mushrooms<br />- A few white mushrooms<br />- 1 pkg extra-firm tofu<br />- 1 very small tomato<br />- 1 bunch radishes<br /><div><br /></div><div>3/15 Bounty</div><div>- 1 pkg beer brat sausages</div><div>- Pre-cooked pulled pork</div><div>- 1 vegetable tray w/ cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli, & carrots<br /><br />3/29<br />- 2 heads broccoli<br />- 1 bunch kale<br />- 3 tomatoes<br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-39586780350377366472012-03-28T09:00:00.000-04:002012-03-28T09:00:10.761-04:00Ratatouille<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzJhmPDbS7gq8hpN43ECQijLwEMaeyrK6juXpTWTUMP0ADfG3eaHHzBaAeb2MMk8ZL4jMzVVMT3IUqmBa5A83y15RzxJDyDOlF9GYPeJVk70JamfSQOrbUpsWKiwHtdgaITPAEqXplINg/s1600/Ratatouille+Thing.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzJhmPDbS7gq8hpN43ECQijLwEMaeyrK6juXpTWTUMP0ADfG3eaHHzBaAeb2MMk8ZL4jMzVVMT3IUqmBa5A83y15RzxJDyDOlF9GYPeJVk70JamfSQOrbUpsWKiwHtdgaITPAEqXplINg/s400/Ratatouille+Thing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720550820382469650" border="0" /></a><br />One of my favorite things to do with squash and zucchini is make ratatouille with it. Ratatouille is traditionally a rustic French dish that packs a lot of flavor and is considered an art to execute perfectly. The dish has become a hallmark of lauded French chefs, and can make or break a restaurant (they even made a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932/">movie</a> about it).<br /><br />My Mom made a version of it when I was growing up that was far from haute cuisine - It normally consisted of cooked veggies with some kind of Ragu sauce thrown over it. The fact that my Mom called it "ratatouille" probably would've made Julia Child turn over in her grave, but it still got me to eat greens I otherwise would've skipped.<br /><br />So, there's definitely a ratatouille spectrum out there that you can get creative with. Ratatouille can take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on how fancy you want to get with it. I'm going to give you a pretty basic (i.e. non-traditional) version of it to try. If you like that, I'd suggest googling more extreme recipes.<br /><br />Now, one major difference between the ratatouille that I make and a traditional one: 99% of traditional ratatouille recipes include eggplant. Mine doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I love eggplant, I just prefer to use eggplant as the main component of a dish instead of as a supporting character. A lot of traditional ratatouilles also use alcohol and take a long time to cook down. I don't always have time for that.<br /><br />And so, on to the recipes. Both are fast, but taste a bit different since one uses a home made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauce_velout%C3%A9">veloute</a>-like sauce (with stock, butter, and flour) and the other uses previously canned tomato sauce. I'll give you the option to choose your own adventure in a second...<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />- Squash<br />- Zucchini<br />- Onion<br />- 2 tbsp Butter or Olive oil<br />- Tomato (optional)<br />- Eggplant (optional)<br />- Lemon, juiced (optional)<br />- Flour (optional)<br />- Chicken or Vegetable stock (optional)<br />- Tomato sauce (optional)<br />- Salt & pepper & parsley to taste<br /><br />Throw all your favorite chopped veggies into a pan with some butter (olive oil if you're vegan) on medium heat with some salt and pepper and cook until everything's soft.<br /><br />Here's where the 2 possibilities diverge...choice one is a lemon veloute sauce (one of the five French mother sauces) that requires SLIGHTLY more work, and choice two is over in another 30 seconds...<br /><br />1) Add about a half cup of stock (chicken works best in my opinion, but veggie works too), turn your heat to medium-high, and let it boil down just a little. Take a tablespoon of flour (maybe a teeny bit more than that) and sprinkle slowly into your sauce, stirring the whole time to thicken it up. When everything's sticking together pretty well, add the juice from 1/2 to a full lemon. Continue stirring, taste it, add some fresh parsley, and you're finished. (This option is the one pictured above, with a tomato in there, which adds to the sauce as well).<br /><br />2) Open a jar/can/whatever of tomato sauce (bonus points if it's home made and home canned), pour just enough in the pan to cover your vegetables until the sauce heats up, taste it to see if it needs anymore salt or pepper and you're finished.<br /><br />This can be a side dish or put over rice or noodles for a heartier meal.<br /><br />Items not dumpstered or donated: Butter/olive oil, Salt/PepperKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-4923490546977441052012-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:002012-03-21T09:00:10.059-04:00Vegan Banana Coconut Milk "Ice Cream"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oGH_8qG6wT_9Gopfwj4qcIAdb7POuoX_MSdkgUk0eZcgrxFbJw03qolAe0SlHAkRdAXDwHAdxjGW3aE5J2F61sMd2I2NYyDVoMRqJp3Wn5LF8HX4hSNNMv5M5yudRTHlO7xp3Hi5loJ2/s1600/VeganBanana3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oGH_8qG6wT_9Gopfwj4qcIAdb7POuoX_MSdkgUk0eZcgrxFbJw03qolAe0SlHAkRdAXDwHAdxjGW3aE5J2F61sMd2I2NYyDVoMRqJp3Wn5LF8HX4hSNNMv5M5yudRTHlO7xp3Hi5loJ2/s400/VeganBanana3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720541261611365730" border="0" /></a><br />My friend Gerry served this at a dinner party. I was so jealous I didn't get any (it went fast) that I decided to try my hand at making a batch of my own! This is a great way to use up bananas that went straight into the freezer when you dumpstered them. Also, it's a healthy dessert since there's no added sugar and potassium galore! Now that the weather is getting warmer, I don't feel quite so bad about posting an "ice cream" recipe...there's a few more sorbets coming up in the future too...<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />- 6 bananas, pre-frozen<br />- 1 can coconut milk (I hardly ever dumpster this stuff, but I got a few dented cans/boxes recently, which got me really excited!)<br /><br />Stick it all in a blender until it's smooth-ish (no more banana chunks). Stick it in a container. Stick it in the freezer in an air-tight container. THE END. Makes roughly 1 pint.<br /><br />When I went through my pint, I would drizzle a little honey and made a blackberry reduction (literally just sticking blackberries on the stove and cooking off the liquid until it's a sauce. You can easily do this with pretty much any berry) to put on top of it with some mint since I was eating this stuff for a long time and wanted to spice it up, but it's really nice plain too, or with a little nutmeg.<br /><br />A warning about not eating the "ice cream" right when you make it: this stuff hardens up like a rock in the freezer since there's no added sugar or liqueur (the stuff that makes sorbets easily scoop-able), so you'll probably want to leave it out to thaw at the beginning of dinner so it's scoop-able by the time dessert hits. I also had some luck with putting it in the microwave to thaw it out, but that method was less reliable.<br /><br />Items not dumpstered or donated: ZERO!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-64069845563062853922012-03-14T09:44:00.000-04:002012-03-14T09:44:00.324-04:00Pasta Bakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJXWypg3eHMhFB4LGs2w9KIvNzUrNzUv6a3-Wv2GSR7gy_-s656hOpoO9BkJZD4BcFJTyUbc6lt4UYAErmYIwFTa7gkFi0Nv5l-o-R_joYRV10CIwARBro6V3e54HJbDcVdztj-9a-Zwm/s1600/Pasta+Bake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJXWypg3eHMhFB4LGs2w9KIvNzUrNzUv6a3-Wv2GSR7gy_-s656hOpoO9BkJZD4BcFJTyUbc6lt4UYAErmYIwFTa7gkFi0Nv5l-o-R_joYRV10CIwARBro6V3e54HJbDcVdztj-9a-Zwm/s400/Pasta+Bake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719405446796140930" border="0" /></a><br />Pasta bakes are all-encompassing. They make enough food for an army (or you for a week), are super easy, and clean your fridge of pretty much everything. That, and they're pretty tasty.<br /><br />In the pasta bake above, I used:<br />- Pasta<br />- Spicy frozen breakfast sausage<br />- Mozzarella cheese<br />- Parmesan cheese<br />- Tomato sauce<br />- Jalapeno Pepper<br />- Onion<br />- Red bell pepper<br />- Spices to taste (I used basil, oregano, salt & pepper)<br /><br />Basically, you brown your meat (if you don't want to be a vegetarian about it), pre-cook your veggies a bit in olive oil (or the meat juices), boil your pasta, and stick it all in a tin-foil lined pan with some sauce and spices.<br /><br />Now, stick the pan in the oven (at about 350-400 degrees Farenheit) for 15-20 minutes to let the cheese melt and get golden brown.<br /><br />Now you have leftovers to take to work for the next millennium. <br /><br />Items not dumpstered: Mozzarella cheese, parmesean cheese, olive oil, herbs (from garden), salt/pepperKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-77249246181068022502012-03-07T09:00:00.005-05:002012-03-07T12:01:04.226-05:00Mushroom Compote and Bounty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRes_IxMkhBBtcMM4mawLbsPZ1hghmaew13akQGa_25BTiU8t641b_4pSm9XSrMnH_PFoggfdCS0vO0oNODXTo9y1oGD_i5nUgw2M4NaQErquLl0oHB6TY5kqPcTmooNi0FMFc9sWlWsPL/s1600/MushroomCompote1.jpg" style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRes_IxMkhBBtcMM4mawLbsPZ1hghmaew13akQGa_25BTiU8t641b_4pSm9XSrMnH_PFoggfdCS0vO0oNODXTo9y1oGD_i5nUgw2M4NaQErquLl0oHB6TY5kqPcTmooNi0FMFc9sWlWsPL/s400/MushroomCompote1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701279366165809714" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><u>Ingredients:</u><br /></span></span><div><span><span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 3 tablespoons</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">butter or olive oil (if you want it to be vegan)</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 1 </span><span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">onion</span>, thinly sliced</span></span></div><div><span>- 1 bell pepper (I used yellow) <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 1 pound</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">mushrooms</span>, sliced (I used baby portabella and white button mushrooms mixed in together)</span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 2/3 cup</span> red <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">wine vinegar</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 2 tablespoons</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Dijon mustard</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 1 tablespoon</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Worcestershire sauce (substitute soy sauce if you want it to be vegetarian)</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 1 dash</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tabasco sauce</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 3 tablespoons</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">brown sugar</span></span> <span class="abc" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- 3 tablespoons</span> seedless <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">raisins</span></span><span> </span><br />- 1-2 potatoes (if you want to serve the compote over something to make it a heartier meal instead of a side dish)</span></div><div><span>- Bread (if you want to serve the compote on toast instead of potatoes)</span></div><div><span>- Salt & pepper to taste</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Melt butter in a pan. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms begin to soften. </span> <span style="line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mix remaining ingredients together and add to the pan. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Season with salt and pepper to your liking!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" >While you're doing this, boil water and boil some potatoes until they're soft and smash up the potatoes to serve the compote over. Either that, or toast some bread and serve the compote over that!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" >Items not dumpstered: Butter, vinegar, worshteshire, tabasco </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 24px;font-size:100%;" ><span style="line-height: normal;">I went dumpstering alone on my way home from work on 2/7 and came up with enough food to last me 2 weeks!</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- Brew-n-Brats (made with beer)</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 3 pkgs strawberries (2 large, 1 small - gave small one to Kevin, one to Steve)</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- 1 pkg baby portabella mushrooms</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 4 ciabatta rolls</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- 1/2 loaf sprouted flourless whole wheat berry bread</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 1 pkg pomegranate seeds</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- 1 small bag English peas</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 1 gigantic eggplant</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 1 pkg chives</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 7 kiwis</span> <span style="line-height: normal;"><br />- 1 baby watermelon</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 8 gala apples</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;">- 7 granny smith apples</span> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-53722700672833915902012-02-27T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-27T10:08:12.298-05:00Fried Plantains & Plantain ChipsI lived for a time in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, a small to medium-sized tourist town next to a volcano (volcan Arenal), a very large lake, and a very famous waterfall. I was there fulfilling my near lifelong dream of working in the rain forest as a zipline canopy tour guide. My life there ended up being much less and much more than I had initially imagined. I lived in a small boarding house room with concrete walls and a tin roof. I loved eating in town since the open air "kitchen" in the boarding house was comprised of a sink, a propane stove that got stolen when one of the other tenants skipped town about half way through my stay, and a refrigerator that was never plugged in, therefore serving as a place to store food away from bugs, but not really a place to keep food cold. Needless to say, it was hard to cook food in that kitchen.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldgWqiRKm7kzjbya7xlrzV4LYm_lOXCIT0Xk1OhxBwMe2Ocw4qv1Gp40-UewZvRkOH_G8T8Y9rpqVAdLPvLiILHQ1m1j4OgO68v-A3XArYRi6P2yr4n1YHkeMVUBxVDdtvBEBbgO5osov/s1600/n4303555_30844916_5667.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldgWqiRKm7kzjbya7xlrzV4LYm_lOXCIT0Xk1OhxBwMe2Ocw4qv1Gp40-UewZvRkOH_G8T8Y9rpqVAdLPvLiILHQ1m1j4OgO68v-A3XArYRi6P2yr4n1YHkeMVUBxVDdtvBEBbgO5osov/s400/n4303555_30844916_5667.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703462055005988482" border="0" /></a>Many of the restaurants in town were expensive tourist traps, but my two favorites were called "sodas." Basically, a soda is the Costa Rican equivalent of a soul food joint. It serves good local food for cheap. One of the sodas (pictured above) was on my way to work in the jungle and served the best hamburger I've had in my entire life (the man pointed to a cow in the field and basically said "you're eating one of those. we killed it a few days ago"). The other was on the main street going through town, right on the plaza (town square). It was here that I ate my first plantain, fried up as a side dish with some beef tongue and rice.<br /><br />To say I love fried plantains would be understating the truth. Every time I think about, let alone eat fried plantains, I'm transported back to the Soda a la Parada in the heart of La Fortuna, looking out onto the street, trying to overhear and translate conversations at neighboring tables, enjoying the humidity, and missing home.<br /><br />This was the first time I ever dumpstered plantains, so I was obviously pretty elated.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSNO_tC5uicijakcDmyyO2dRRiSbTw37yUwj6Jyt9efzDnjU6gl_5-Q7W7J-PuSlDwwDhPBydIVUKViX6cKIkkvfJFZ7Kor9v7CX2xkQKUK5fE0ka5yhufoF_16p9-VrHXKhyphenhyphenJLmuel6c/s1600/Fried+Plantains.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSNO_tC5uicijakcDmyyO2dRRiSbTw37yUwj6Jyt9efzDnjU6gl_5-Q7W7J-PuSlDwwDhPBydIVUKViX6cKIkkvfJFZ7Kor9v7CX2xkQKUK5fE0ka5yhufoF_16p9-VrHXKhyphenhyphenJLmuel6c/s400/Fried+Plantains.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706625108340502802" border="0" /></a><br />FRIED PLANTAINS or PLANTAIN CHIPS<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />- 1 plantain<br />- 1/2 cup(ish) cooking oil - I used safflower because I had it leftover from an old roommate, but I'd probably use veggie oil normally. Olive oil or canola is fine, but it will make the taste a little heavier.<br /><br />Heat your oil in a pan.<br />Peel your plantain - the browner the plantain skin, the sweeter it will taste when fried up. If the skin is green at all, it will taste a little starchier.<br />Cut slices a little thinner than 1". (If you want crispy chips, slice them SUPER thin).<br />When the oil is hot enough that it spits at you when you sprinkle water on it, add your plantain slices. The oil should come about half way up your plantains.<br />After a few minutes, flip them over. They should have browned but not burned. This will make the outsides nice and crispy.<br />When both sides are browned, move your slices to a paper towel to drain some of the oil off.<br />Enjoy!<br /><br /> Items not dumpstered or donated: ZERO!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1726589810588484948.post-15942521969301095232012-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-20T21:11:32.728-05:00Herb-encrusted Steak w/ Asparagus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmKPlqSL-KSMmXtpM8cck6ZdGoD6olvj1SOICNCp2BK5nlzRN63w4zQdADPfsofKP5vtKpHPEukqNlnnT5NXiuWmdySP4ysfrKt7v-ZRABWnEMpLS_3CCe5cpgeYT8D9s4mTUMChm0Xdj/s1600/SteakAsparagus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmKPlqSL-KSMmXtpM8cck6ZdGoD6olvj1SOICNCp2BK5nlzRN63w4zQdADPfsofKP5vtKpHPEukqNlnnT5NXiuWmdySP4ysfrKt7v-ZRABWnEMpLS_3CCe5cpgeYT8D9s4mTUMChm0Xdj/s400/SteakAsparagus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696417946822616338" border="0" /></a>Now that I've given you guys instructions for how to tell if meat is good to dumpster or not, here's a dish that involves meat!<div><br /><div><u>Ingredients:</u></div><div>- However much asparagus you want to eat</div><div>- 1 prime steak filet</div><div>- Rosemary</div><div>- Thyme</div><div>- Garlic</div><div>- Sage</div><div>- Salt & Pepper to taste</div><div>- Lemon juice (optional)</div><div>- Olive oil or butter (optional)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, there's two ways to do this. One is if you're actually grilling and BBQing and it's a beautiful summer's day. The other method is used when it's cold as balls and going outside includes the danger of frostbite. I've provided both options for you just in case. I usually only trust meat that I've dumpstered in the winter, so grilling isn't an option in most cases.</div><div><br /></div><div>METHOD ONE: SUMMER</div><div><br /></div><div>GRILLED ASPARAGUS</div><div><br /></div><div>Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.</div><div>Throw it on the grill until it's turned a bright, dark green and has softened a bit (test with a fork).</div><div>Donezo.</div><div><br /></div><div>GRILLED STEAK:<br /><br />Cut up all the spices and herbs and stick it on the steak for about 30 minutes, also letting the steak get to room temperature. Stick it on the grill for about 2-3 min. per side (depending on thickness) with the grill lid open. Put it on the warmer part of the grill (if you have one) with the lid closed for another 5-10 minutes. Make sure to move the steak around to get those cool perfect grill lines.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>METHOD 2: WINTER</div><div><br /></div><div>BOILED ASPARAGUS </div><div><br /></div><div>Get a frying pan and fill it with water so it's a little higher than the height of your asparagus. Bring the water to a boil.</div><div>Toss in your asparagus. Turn it occasionally until a fork barely goes through and the asparagus gets a nice healthy green color (it shouldn't take too long).</div><div>Drain your water, add salt, pepper, and butter to your liking.</div><div><br /></div><div>SEARED STEAK:<br /><br />Use the same herb-encrusted preparation as the grilled version of this recipe. Then, on a very hot pan, sear each side of your steak for 2-4 minutes until it's brown and slightly charred. This should be enough to have your steak come out rare (that's how I like it). If you want something a little more well-done, turn the heat down and turn the steak a few more times to cook it through over a few more minutes.<br /><br />Items not dumpstered or donated: Olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic, herbs (from my garden)<br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693976775848234770noreply@blogger.com0