A while back I decided to have my mother’s birthday party in my home. I invited everyone I could think of on my side of the family. Naturally, everyone was excited and we started planning the event. The birthday party went very well and a number of people in my family brought food. A lot of food. When the party was over, I was left with several partial containers of good salsa, deli meat, and a nice veggie tray that was almost untouched. After church the next day, we looked at this mess of odd but good food left in our refrigerator and went about deciding what to do with it.
We had a veggie tray that had broccoli and cauliflower and then some sliced zucchini and some cherry tomatoes. We decided to place these in a pan with some minced garlic, olive oil, thyme leaves, and of course salt and pepper. We cooked it on medium low heat and covered until the cherry tomatoes were wilted looking and then served this with angel hair pasta. Not only was it healthy and tasty, but it was a beautiful looking meal. This meal didn’t cost us much because it was made with discarded leftovers from a party and combined with about $1.50 worth of stuff from our pantry.
Having a fully stocked kitchen has really helped us to be creative while cooking. We usually have fresh garlic and onions in our pantry, as well as many herbs and spices that we have acquired over a number of months. It will take time to stock your pantry with a variety of spices and herbs. Simply adding one or two new spices each time you shop will allow you to add to your pantry without breaking your budget.
Tags: Leftovers