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Making a meal with what’s on hand
Struggling to make meals with what you have on hand? Are you wanting to make a favorite recipe, but missing some of the ingredients? Are you tired of buying ingredients that you only use once? Here are some examples to spark your imagination:
• Want to make sandwiches, but you’ve just eaten your last slice of bread? Use tortillas, bagels, pita bread, French bread, English muffins, rolls, biscuits or a lettuce wrap instead.
• Feel like pasta, but you’re missing the pasta sauce? Try these tasty alternatives:
– Olive oil with garlic;
– Pesto or fresh tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper; or
– Top your pasta with chili or soup. For some soups, you may wish to add less liquid so they make a thicker sauce.
• Craving tacos or burritos, but you are short on ingredients?
– No tortillas, but use rice instead to make rice bowls;
– No ground beef or chicken, but use a can of black beans in place of the meat. Drain and rinse the black beans. Sauté with one teaspoon of olive oil and half of a taco-seasoning packet for a plant-based meal.
• Craving a burger, but out of ground meat? Try making a salmon burger recipe with canned meat instead. Place on a bun and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
• I want to make a smoothie, but I’m out of yogurt. No problem, swap the yogurt out for applesauce, fruit juice, milk or frozen bananas. Then, add fruits (fresh, frozen or canned) that you have on hand and blend it up.
• Hungry for pizza, but missing some ingredients?
– Warm a tortilla shell in a skillet and top with your favorite pizza toppings;
– Use another type of crust such as English muffins or naan;
– Make your own homemade pizza sauce by combining 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes, two tbsp minced garlic, two tablespoons olive oil, one teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon black pepper. Add to a blender and pulse two-to-three times until tomatoes are finely diced.
• Save my salad, I’m out of dressing. Homemade salad dressing is a breeze with this simple salad equation. Simply add one cup oil with half a cup lemon juice or vinegar in a sealable container. Add one teaspoon garlic, one teaspoon salt and two teaspoons dried herbs of your choice. Shake until combined.
• Out of pasta for casseroles? Substitute another starchy food such as cooked rice; cooked or canned potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes; or cooked or canned beans or lentils for pasta.
(Source: Nebraska Food Calendar)
Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or contact the local office at 653-8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Evening and lunch appointments are available, upon request. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs.
Upcoming Events
Jan. 12, 19, 26 and Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 – Winter Walking group, 4 p.m., York Automotive Building, Putnam County Fairgrounds
Jan. 17 – “Farming Together: Cultivating Relationships and Having the Cash to Bring in the Next Generation,” 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Mooresville Public Library, register at https://cvent.me.y80Vgo
Jan. 18 – “Power of Negotiation and Communication” program series starts, 5:30 p.m., register at puext.in/PowerOfNegotiation
Jan. 26 – Extension/SWCD annual dinner, call either office for more details
Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 – “Be Heart Smart” virtual program, 5 p.m., register at https://tinyurl.com/PutCoBHS23