Making Things Up

I still love to cook. I don't have the energy for it most of the time, but this week there was a need at one of the street meals, and I had an awful lot of food. Part of the fun is taking stock of what's available, purchasing as little as possible, and making it taste great even if the ingredients are a little unconventional.

I highly recommend this method of meal planning. Check the freezer and pantry first, and pull out items that potentially complement each other. Make a short shopping list. Just before starting to cook, check on-hand supplies again -- I usually find another item or two that should be used up. This system reduces food waste, saves money, and results in new recipes.

Here's how this week's meal for 60 came together. Another family provided additional food, so there was plenty, with several options for our guests.

Some of the items donated this week:
1 flat tomatoes
1 flat avocados
1 lb. bulk sausage
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. ground pork
2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. dry red beans
2 lb. can black beans
1 lb. tub pico de gallo
2 1-lb. cans chili
1 2-lb. can green salsa
1 #10 can marinara sauce
2 lbs. frozen mixed carrots, corn, and yellow string beans
1 lb. frozen peas
1 lb. frozen corn
1 case bananas
several dozen assorted cookies and pastries
 
Items I had on hand:
Molasses
Beef bouillon
Chili powder
Garlic
Herbs
Vinegar
Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
Mustard
Honey
Vegetable oil
Cooked bacon
2 lbs. frozen tomatoes
2 lbs. sour cream
 
Purchased:
Jalepenos
Cilantro
Iceberg salad blend
Cucumbers
 
Result:
4 gallons chili with guacamole & sour cream
BLT salad
Bananas
Assorted cookies & pastries
Also contributed: vegetarian pasta, taco soup, sandwiches, brownies, frozen yogurt smoothies, lemonade, and water.
 
The tomatoes were beautiful – too nice to dump into chili, so I dedicated those to a green salad, even though I didn’t have other salad stuff. The avocados weren’t so nice, but good enough so that 2/3 of the pulp made 2 quarts of guacamole. I tossed in the tub of pico de gallo. I had about a quart of leftover sour cream I tossed into the box to serve on top of the chili.
 
At first I thought spaghetti, given the big can of sauce and the meat choices. But street people get a lot of pasta, and I had sort of a Mexican theme going on, so I started tossing stuff into the pot, added chili seasonings, and it came out pretty well. Here’s the “recipe” I actually made, although I would change a few things if I were buying all the food and serving at home. But not much!
 
Chili
1 lb. dry red beans
2 lbs. frozen tomatoes
5 lbs. ground beef, pork, and turkey
3 lbs. onions
1 cup chili powder
1 cup chopped garlic
½ cup beef bouillon paste
2 Tbsp. mixed herbs
1 gallon marinara sauce
2 lbs. green chili salsa
2 small cans chili
2 lb. can black beans
½ cup molasses
½ cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
10 fresh jalapenos
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 lbs. mixed frozen vegetables
 
Soak the dry beans in 2 quarts of water overnight. Drain. Add fresh water, heat to boiling, and allow to simmer about an hour. Drain off most of the cooking liquid. Stir in the frozen tomatoes. Set aside.
 
Brown ground meats and onions in a large (5 gallon) pot. Add all other ingredients except cilantro. Simmer for at least 3 hours. Mince cilantro and stir in just before serving. Add salt & pepper to taste.
 
Honey-Mustard Salad Dressing
1 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup honey
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
2 ½ cups vegetable oil
 
Place everything except the oil in food processor or blender. Turn on high speed, and add oil in a slow, steady stream. Makes about one quart.
 
BLT Salad
1 large bag (3 lbs.) iceberg salad blend
12 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 lb. frozen peas
1 lb. frozen corn
1 lb. cooked crumbled bacon
 
Toss everything together and finish with honey mustard dressing.

I wore myself out and am grateful that today is free for recovering, but it was a lot of fun. Needy people are so grateful, so polite, so pleasant -- I definitely prefer to feed them, actual hungry people, over the wealthy catering clients I used to serve. It feels awesome to be used up, knowing you did a good thing. Try it!