Resolve to cut waste in your kitchen

The old saying "Out with the old and in with the new" applies to food trends, food choices, eating habits, home and restaurant menus and good food habits.

Food trends come and go. Each January magazines, newspapers, Internet blogs and publications tell the trends of the previous year. What was hot for 2014? Some food writers and experts picked chefs' use of sustainable foods and no-waste in foods. Others hailed the return of bread and carbs. Still others liked the refinement of Mexican and Asian cuisines.

Today, let's take no-waste in foods for example. Each U.S. household tosses about 20 pounds of food each month. The National Resource Defense Council says if we reduce 15 percent of this waste nationwide, 25 million Americans could be fed.

I'm all for not wasting foods. It's easier on the pocketbook, makes home and restaurant chefs more creative and, more importantly, can save lives.

Think of all those "planned-over" meals. Some really good recipes come from those. I love turning leftover chili into tacos or enchiladas or meatloaf into shepherd's pie. Leftover grilled or baked chicken works in salads, casseroles or even chicken fajitas. Leftover cheese soup is great as a sauce for broccoli or cauliflower or even over a veggie omelet.

Creativity comes into play when getting family members to eat leftovers.

I'm still working on my 22-year-old.

Requesting a half portion or an appetizer-size portion of a full-size meal can cut food wastes and whittle the waistline at the same time, a plus in my book.

Freezing leftovers cuts waste. My husband made gumbo for Christmas, and we ate it for a couple of days, then into the freezer it went to be enjoyed another day when time is not on my side.

Cooks are making lists and checking them twice. This saves time and cuts waste. Restaurant chefs plan their menus by what's freshest usually, fresh fish, meats, vegetables and fruits. Home chefs and meal plans need to become inseparable. Making a meal plan for one or two weeks saves time and money. Home cooks can make shopping lists from these plans and stick to them at the store. It's hard, especially when shopping with little ones who always want what they see.

This brings me to my all-time favorite, knowing how to shop. Comparing prices and reading labels are a must to save a buck and eat healthier. Cooking is not brain surgery, but learning how to shop can be taxing. Bulk perishable items often look like a bargain, but are you really going to use that many apples in a week? When buying fresh in bulk, also stock up on freezer bags; you will need them.

On Dec. 30, I was shopping for the traditional New Year's Day fare: black-eyed peas and cabbage. I ran into a friend who was decrying the large size of cabbage and baked potatoes. I suggested she freeze part of her cooked cabbage and use one large potato to make two stuffed potatoes.

Choosing less than perfect, but still good to eat is another tip. Most of us tend to buy the perfect-looking apple, no spots, even when we are planning to cook the apple. A bruised spot won't hurt stewed apples or applesauce.

Remember, shopping right begins with a plan, then a list and following it.

In 2015, I hope no-waste in restaurant and home kitchens is no longer a trend but a way of life and way of doing business.

Each new year brings a chance for us to be better, whether cook, food writer, gourmand or traditional eater. Education is a way we can do just that in the meals we prepare, the way we shop and the healthy habits we adopt, and make a part of our lives and what we learn from others.

Here is one of my recipes that follows a couple of 2014 trends: no waste in this dish and pleasant Asian flavors, plus it's healthy. Leftovers of this dish can be used to top a fresh salad of mixed greens and vegetables. Chicken is a meat that can be bought in large packages and portioned out into freezer-safe plastic bags and popped into the freezer, another way to eliminate waste and save money.

GRILLED ASIAN ORANGE CHICKEN

Non-stick cooking spray

2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup orange marmalade

Remove cooking rack and heat grill to medium high. Spray the cooking rack with non-stick spray; replace rack on grill or use an indoor grill sprayed with the cooking spray.

Combine oil, soy sauce, lime juice and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes. While chicken is marinating, melt orange marmalade in microwave at 50 percent power.

Place chicken breasts on prepared grill; brush with half the melted marmalade. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brush with remaining marmalade. Cook another 5 to 6 minutes until done.

Serve with rice and a fresh vegetable, such as broccoli or fresh garlicky green beans.

Share with us

Readers, please feel free to share your thoughts on 2014 food trends, food waste and sustainability or favorite foods you enjoyed in 2014 and where you ate them.

Recipe wanted

Cheryl Mims of Petal wants a recipe for cornbread pudding. Restaurateurs and professional and home chefs, if you have such a recipe, please send it to me.

Andrea Yeager, can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and takes requests at Cook's Exchange, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.

This story was originally published January 7, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Resolve to cut waste in your kitchen ."