I'm a big fan of those Food Network shows where the chefs are given a basket full of ingredients and told "GO COOK!" What better way to get out of the dinner rut than to challenge each other with a basket of what's-in-my-fridge-today?
THE RULES:
Once a week (or so), I'll post the challenge ingredients. You have all week to come up with something!
First, since we are gluten-free, my suggestions will all be GF. You can adapt to your situation (wheat pasta, regular pie crust, bread crumbs for coating, etc). However, with the exception of meals using rice pasta, you won't find meals built around foods containing gluten (like sandwiches or dumplings or biscuits). On the rare occasion that I include something like a roll or a biscuit, I will give credit to the author of the recipe.
Second, use whole ingredients! I'm not looking for recipes that add cheese whiz to frozen hash browns and cover with ketchup. Using grated potatoes is fine, and cheese is always appreciated! But we don't buy processed foods in general, so if pre-packaged and frozen foods are a staple of your diet, challenge yourself to try something new! Especially in this season of bountiful farmer's markets, fresh fruits and vegetables are economical and very easy to incorporate into your meals.
Third, buy local whenever you can! Its getting harder to do this, since even the farmers at the farmer's markets are getting produce from non-local sources (I found peaches in Pittsburgh in mid-June...when asked, the farmer admitted they'd been purchased from a farm in South Carolina...not my idea of local!) Think "in-season!" Are tomatoes ripe in your backyard in April? If not, then they're not "in-season," and we should look for foods that ARE ripe (or would be, if you grew them!). It is limiting, in a sense, but allows you to get the freshest, most local, most nutritious food. Plus, you'll be inspired to try new things, like kohlrabi and mulberries!
Last, all of the ingredients must be incorporated in the meal in some way. You can use whatever else you have on hand, or buy extra ingredients as necessary, but don't leave out something just because you've never heard of it or think you won't like it! I have been pleasantly surprised by how well curry sauce makes everything taste great, and how ketchup and cheese cover up mistakes...you can disguise a lot with those!
Post your recipes in the comments, and leave any suggestions for future challenges. Hopefully we'll breathe new life into dinnertime.
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