by Kathi Carter Rodriguez
While growing up with my 4 siblings in the Bronx, one of my parents’ favorite sayings was “don’t waste food.” Each week I attempt to put that dictum into practice when I pick up our veggie share. As I start to unpack and store our veggies, I begin to think about the different ways I can use them. For example, which ones can I put in hubby’s salad for lunch? Which ones can I add to my one-pot bean or chicken dish? Or which ones are suitable for juicing or eating raw as a snack?
Confession: I get bored making the same old dishes week after week, so to spice things up, I default to my spice rack. Spices are my pièce de résistance or secret weapon when I want to add pizzazz to weekly meals.
So if I have a yen for Italian, I season my veggies with fresh onions, garlic, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme and a little extra virgin olive oil. If I’m in the mood for Indian, I might use a combination of turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom and perhaps cinnamon. For a Thai flavor, I’d combine coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut amino acids, scallions, lemongrass, cumin, ginger, and fennel. And, lastly for a Middle Eastern flair (I love ME foods), I’d mix coriander, turmeric, cardamom, salt, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. I’m rather loosey-goosey with my measurements, but any of the strong flavors like ginger and garlic, I add incrementally. For easy access, I store my spices on a Lazy-Susan (see pic).Picking up our share each week is like receiving a wonderful healthy gift. So I try not to waste anything and working with my spices helps me to keep meals interesting, creative and fun.
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