1. Breadcrumbs
At least once a year, someone asks me to stuff a turkey. And I’m
not usually one to be a stickler for taste, but stuffing just doesn’t taste the
same when you use the crust of the bread. So what do I do with the crusts that
I’ve cut off? I dry them, put them through my food processor and make a year’s
worth of breadcrumbs, of course!
2. Chicken or
vegetable stock
There’s no excuse for buying chicken stock when at least
once a year, I’m roasting the bird mentioned above. When I’m done, I just boil
up the bones and have a year’s worth of stock to put in soups and such. (My roommates
much prefer chicken-based soups, so I sometimes use that in place of vegetable
stock.) And don’t even get me started on how easy (and free) vegetable stock is.
3. Pumpkin purée
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a pumpkin every
Halloween. I just don’t carve it anymore, so that I can make purée out of it
afterwards. Sure, people say that a pie pumpkin is what you want to use to make
purée, but what happens to all that perfectly edible flesh in your
jack-o-lantern? I believe in using the whole animal fruit wherever
possible.
4. Hummus
Have you ever made your own hummus? If you have, this
needs no explanation, but if you haven’t, let me elaborate. Not only is it
about a quarter of the price, it’s also super easy, much fresher, and so much
tastier than store-bought hummus. And preservatives, additives, and ingredients
you can’t pronounce? None of that here.
5. Pizza crust
Why buy a pizza crust from the grocery when you can make
your own easily and it tastes so much better? I have a bread machine, which
does all the work for me, admittedly, but even before I got my bread machine,
it was worth the work. So fluffy and
moist, with a little chew on it... Did I mention that it’s also dirt cheap to
make?
6. Pickles, relishes
or jams
Not only are they more natural and delicious than
store-bought versions, they’re also a whole lot cheaper. Besides, preserves are
what keep me from wasting food a lot of the time. Why on earth would I toss
food and then buy preserves from someone else?
7. Mayonnaise
With a few vegans kicking around, there’s no real reason for
me not to make my own mayonnaise anyway. Whether I’m making it vegan for my
friends or ovo-lacto for my roommate, making mayonnaise is so easy that there’s
really no excuse.
8. Salad dressing
When you douse your salad with amazing, homemade Caesar or
balsamic dressing, you save a bunch of money and reward your tastebuds, too. Oh
yeah, and if you happen to be entertaining guests, you also become an instant superstar.
9. Applesauce
Two autumns ago, my mother got 80 pounds of apples at the
market. Now, if you’re having trouble imagining what 80 pounds of apples looks
like, imagine a hatch-back car with its hatch 2/3 full of apples. So what did I
do? I made applesauce. Like, a lot of it. So much that over a year later, there
are a few jars still left in my cupboard. The flavour of homemade applesauce
can’t even be compared to commercial. It’s just so much richer, and while the
colour may not be as perfectly pretty, you can be sure your applesauce isn’t
loaded with unpronounceables.
10. Croutons
One day, some girlfriends of mine who got together regularly to cook
decided I should join in one week, and I suggested a side of Caesar salad be
added to the menu. They had a head of lettuce and a bottle of dressing in mind,
while I was thinking crispy (homemade) bacon bits for the omnivores,
freshly-grated parmesan, homemade Caesar dressing, and croutons fresh out of
the oven. The croutons were, hands-down, the star. So crispy and yet light,
with just enough garlic that the girls were popping them like candy before the
salad was even made. And so easy they’re ready in 10 minutes. Needless to say,
I became a regular after that.
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