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Tip Store: Cooking: Vegetables
Cabbage Short Cuts
When making chow mein I buy coleslaw mix. By the time you buy and chop cabbage, carrots etc. it also costs more. If you get a large bag it can be also used when you have corned beef/silverside. I steam some coleslaw mix, add butter and pepper and serve with mashed potato as my sides.
Contributed by Linda Huke
Contributed by Linda Huke
Onion Flavour Without Harvesting the Onions
I have found to add onion flavour I cut the onion leaves, this way the onions can continue to grow until they are much bigger. I spend $1.50 twice a year on a bag of small onions, plant these and I have onions all year for $3.
Contributed by Ann Green
Contributed by Ann Green
MOO Veggie Wash
Apple cider vinegar makes a great fruit and vegetable wash to remove bacteria and keep the produce fresh longer.
Use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to about 5 litres of cold water.
Let the fruit and veg soak for no more than five minutes, swishing around.
Drain and dry well before using or storing.
Use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to about 5 litres of cold water.
Let the fruit and veg soak for no more than five minutes, swishing around.
Drain and dry well before using or storing.
Crispy Potato Skins
Normally I would cook my potatoes with the skin on to retain the vitamins and fibre. With tiny tots now in the family I have to peel the veg because they still struggle to chew the skin. With so many baked meals leading up to the big day I have a lot of potato peel left over. This I keep and crisp in the chip maker and add as a side dish with our left over meals of fritters or stir fries. Struggling to make ends meet? Peel the potato, cook for one meal and add the crisped peels for the next meal. The kids love it.
Contributed by Linda
Contributed by Linda
Roasted Diced Pumpkin and it's Ready to Use
I had a large pumpkin that needed using and I had a few recipes over the coming week I was planning to use it for, all of them needed diced roasted pumpkin pieces. I cut up the whole pumpkin and chopped it into 2 cm dice, tossed it in a bowl with some olive oil, chopped rosemary from the garden, oregano, salt and pepper. I roasted all the pieces in a couple of large trays in the oven and when they were cooked and cold I bagged them up in snap lock bags and placed them in the freezer. Now I have the pumpkin all ready to use and can just take out what I need over the week, I've only had to use the oven once and the pumpkin won't take long to defrost. I plan on using it to add to a risotto, mini quiches and a warm salad and now it won't take long to put everything together since the pumpkin is already to use. I've also used sweet potato and it works out just as good.
Contributed by Chris Dimitru
Editor's note: This is a great way to keep pumpkin and it works for sweet potato too. There are so many ways to use roast pumpkin. Just reheat in a fry pan or pop into the baking dish with the roast for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Toss into a blender with a little vegetable stock and puree for a roast pumpkin soup. Use a little less stock and add a clove of garlic and some parsley, then puree and toss through hot cooked pasta and top with grated parmesan. Cath
Contributed by Chris Dimitru
Editor's note: This is a great way to keep pumpkin and it works for sweet potato too. There are so many ways to use roast pumpkin. Just reheat in a fry pan or pop into the baking dish with the roast for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Toss into a blender with a little vegetable stock and puree for a roast pumpkin soup. Use a little less stock and add a clove of garlic and some parsley, then puree and toss through hot cooked pasta and top with grated parmesan. Cath
Save the Fruit from Fruit Flies
After a lot of rain, we now have a plague of fruit flies. Nothing seems to deter them and my fruit basket and coffee machine are being swamped by fruit flies. I found a tip that really works. In a small container on the kitchen bench add a few drops of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing detergent. The flies are attracted by the vinegar and the detergent sticks to their wings so they can't fly away. Sadly they drown.
Contributed by Susan Frazier
Contributed by Susan Frazier
What to do with Chillies
Make an infused oil or vinegar, which make great MOO gifts, or keep for yourself. You could always see who else you know is growing their own produce and try trading your excess produce among friends, in order to have more types of different fresh home grown veggies.
- Contributed by Jeannie Tanner
- Contributed by Jeannie Tanner
Chilli Oil
Almost fill some nice jars with good quality olive oil, then add chilis. By Chritmas time the chili will have infused with the oil, making a great gift for your culinary friends.
-Contributed by Janelle Collins
-Contributed by Janelle Collins
Frozen Veggies
Instead of buying frozen broccoli or cauliflower, I buy fresh and put it in the freezer. It saves money and it lasts a lot longer then keeping fresh in the fridge. I also chop my onions in bulk and freeze it in bags big enough for one meal. Saves time when it comes to cooking and less crying too.
- Contributed by Bronwyn Haines
- Contributed by Bronwyn Haines
Easy Onions
When onions are cheap or people in your house complain about the smell when you are cutting them do what I do. I put them into a food chopper and chop away until I get the size I like, then put the chopped onion into zip lock bags, flatten out and freeze. When I need onion I just break off as much as I need and cook. Less smell and more convenient.
- Contributed by Sonya McFarlane
- Contributed by Sonya McFarlane
Healthy Pizza
My widowed son makes his pizza at home. He piles it with about 50mm of fresh vegetables and some pieces of ham or what ever he has available, all diced small. This way he had his three children eating their five vegetables in their favourite food.
- Contributed by Neville Crocombe
- Contributed by Neville Crocombe
Easy Substitutes for Greens
If you run out of cabbage or other greens for a stir fry or Asian meal, substitute lettuce. Other than texture (unless the cabbage is meant to be just lightly cooked), lettuce works just as well. Likewise, cucumber can be substituted for zucchini, if you find yourself short.
- Contributed by Bern, Caloundra West
- Contributed by Bern, Caloundra West
Freshen that Soggy Lettuce Like Magic
How many times have you gone to the fridge only to discover that the lovely lettuce you had in the fridge for your family lunch tomorrow has wilted and cannot be served? Take a glass bowl and place your lettuce in the bowl. Cover with water. Add a fork to the bowl (yes, a fork!). Now seal with clingwrap and place in the fridge. Next day remove the clingwrap and the fork and you will have a crisp fresh lettuce once more. It is a tip given to me by my dear late uncle who was a caterer for many years. Saves money, time and energy running around wondering what you will do to replace it. Enjoy!
Contributed by Kathleen Burke
Contributed by Kathleen Burke
Steam Fresh Veggies
Approximate $ Savings: $182.00 a year.
My 14 year old son decided one day that he didn't like vegetables anymore and just refused to eat them when given to him, then one day he stayed at a friends place and had a bag of Steam Fresh veggies which had peas, carrots and corn in it. He came home raving about them and asked me to buy some. I thought if that was the only way I could get him to eat veggies then I would get some. The first bag, which has 3 individual packs inside at 200g each, cost me $3.65. The second lot was on special at 2 bags for $6.00. He would have a pack every night, so I realised this was going to cost a lot, there had to be a better way. I had seen a pack of Glad Steam Lock bags at the supermarket for $3.35 (which has 5 single serve bags inside.)Then I bought a Homebrand bag of mixed veggies, a bag of peas and a bag of corn kernels. I mixed the three bags together and measured out 1 cup (250g) into the bags. It says on the pack to rip off the strip at the top of the bag when your veggies are cooked which makes them no good to use again, so I carefully open the Ziploc at the top making sure I don't burn myself and then tip them onto his plate. They take 3 minutes to cook. I rinse out the bag straight away then either wash in dishwasher or hand wash and let dry. I am happy my son is eating veggies again and he is happy because he likes eating them. He has also come home from school and heated up a bag for his afternoon snack. The bags are really strong and so far haven't ripped at the seams or developed any holes and I have been using them for about 3 months now. Instead of paying $6.00 for 6 single bags ($1.00 at 200g each ) I now get 12 single serves (0.37c at 250g each.) You could cut down the size of the serves making a few more bags at a cheaper price.
- Contributed by Sian
Editor's Note: You can buy Zippa brand steaming bags at the Reject Shop for 50c/pack of 5 on special. The regular price is $1/pack of 5. While it is not recommended by the manufacturer, I have washed and dried them and then re-used them over and over, until the either the seam or the zip splits, with no adverse effects to either the food or me. Cath
My 14 year old son decided one day that he didn't like vegetables anymore and just refused to eat them when given to him, then one day he stayed at a friends place and had a bag of Steam Fresh veggies which had peas, carrots and corn in it. He came home raving about them and asked me to buy some. I thought if that was the only way I could get him to eat veggies then I would get some. The first bag, which has 3 individual packs inside at 200g each, cost me $3.65. The second lot was on special at 2 bags for $6.00. He would have a pack every night, so I realised this was going to cost a lot, there had to be a better way. I had seen a pack of Glad Steam Lock bags at the supermarket for $3.35 (which has 5 single serve bags inside.)Then I bought a Homebrand bag of mixed veggies, a bag of peas and a bag of corn kernels. I mixed the three bags together and measured out 1 cup (250g) into the bags. It says on the pack to rip off the strip at the top of the bag when your veggies are cooked which makes them no good to use again, so I carefully open the Ziploc at the top making sure I don't burn myself and then tip them onto his plate. They take 3 minutes to cook. I rinse out the bag straight away then either wash in dishwasher or hand wash and let dry. I am happy my son is eating veggies again and he is happy because he likes eating them. He has also come home from school and heated up a bag for his afternoon snack. The bags are really strong and so far haven't ripped at the seams or developed any holes and I have been using them for about 3 months now. Instead of paying $6.00 for 6 single bags ($1.00 at 200g each ) I now get 12 single serves (0.37c at 250g each.) You could cut down the size of the serves making a few more bags at a cheaper price.
- Contributed by Sian
Editor's Note: You can buy Zippa brand steaming bags at the Reject Shop for 50c/pack of 5 on special. The regular price is $1/pack of 5. While it is not recommended by the manufacturer, I have washed and dried them and then re-used them over and over, until the either the seam or the zip splits, with no adverse effects to either the food or me. Cath
Ever Fresh Onions
Approximate $ Savings: $2 per bunch
When buying a bunch of spring onions you usually only need 2 or 3 and most of the time the rest of the bunch wilt in the crisper and get thrown out. The minute I get a bunch of spring onions now I plant them in the garden outside my kitchen window using the handle of a wooden spoon to make a slim hole to plant and no digging required. When a recipe calls for Spring Onions I just pick them out of the garden and buy a new bunch to plant when they run out.
Contributed by Amanda
When buying a bunch of spring onions you usually only need 2 or 3 and most of the time the rest of the bunch wilt in the crisper and get thrown out. The minute I get a bunch of spring onions now I plant them in the garden outside my kitchen window using the handle of a wooden spoon to make a slim hole to plant and no digging required. When a recipe calls for Spring Onions I just pick them out of the garden and buy a new bunch to plant when they run out.
Contributed by Amanda
Homemade Frozen Veg Mixes
I have armed myself with 5 different varieties of fresh vegies from the supermarket, my trusty wok, Chinese wooden steamer and 1 hour of my time to create enough frozen vegies for my husband and self for 1 week. They are so much nicer than the bought varieties. Add some tasty cheese sauces or other choices and no more wondering what to cook for a week.
Everlasting Onions
When you buy your next bunch of eschallots don't throw out those healthy roots, plant them in old milk bottles made into pots, or any other pots you may already have, although using the milk bottles you can use another one as a saucer and because it is as big as the other the mosquitos can not get to the water to breed.
- Contributed by Narelle
- Contributed by Narelle
Keeping Potatoes Longer
Approximate $ Savings: $5 per week
We often purchase large, 10kg bags of potatoes as they often work out cheaper than the smaller bags, meaning we were getting 50% more. However, we found we throwing away one quarter of each bag as they began to go green and sprout (which of course means they have become toxic and shouldn't be eaten). While we were still saving money even when discarding a quarter of them, it was an unnecessary waste. We spoke to the local fruit shop owner who gave us a large, brown, hessian bag. Apparently keeping potatoes in the bag blocks out light and of course no plastic means no "sweating" so it's as if the potatoes are still in the ground. Try to buy unwashed, it works better too. Before we did this, our potatoes lasted less than two weeks before going green. Now they last until we need to buy a new bag. Yep, that's not a single one wasted. The longest storage time we've had so far (due to not using potatoes as often at that time) has been five weeks! A 10kg bag costs us about $8 every two weeks. But we had to discard 2.5kg of that. So that's a minimum saving of $2 per week, or $104 per year. Of course, we really save more than this. We often spent more on petrol and buying a fresh bag before our next shopping day came around.
- Contributed by Allan
We often purchase large, 10kg bags of potatoes as they often work out cheaper than the smaller bags, meaning we were getting 50% more. However, we found we throwing away one quarter of each bag as they began to go green and sprout (which of course means they have become toxic and shouldn't be eaten). While we were still saving money even when discarding a quarter of them, it was an unnecessary waste. We spoke to the local fruit shop owner who gave us a large, brown, hessian bag. Apparently keeping potatoes in the bag blocks out light and of course no plastic means no "sweating" so it's as if the potatoes are still in the ground. Try to buy unwashed, it works better too. Before we did this, our potatoes lasted less than two weeks before going green. Now they last until we need to buy a new bag. Yep, that's not a single one wasted. The longest storage time we've had so far (due to not using potatoes as often at that time) has been five weeks! A 10kg bag costs us about $8 every two weeks. But we had to discard 2.5kg of that. So that's a minimum saving of $2 per week, or $104 per year. Of course, we really save more than this. We often spent more on petrol and buying a fresh bag before our next shopping day came around.
- Contributed by Allan
Almost Everlasting Spring Onions
We all buy spring onions, use half the bunch, put the rest in the fridge and throw them away in 2 weeks! Not any longer. Just trim the tops back by about 1/3, pop them altogether in the garden, water occasionally, and they will keep fresh, and keep growing! Even up to 2 months later, I pull beautiful fresh spring onions, ready to use.
- Contributed by Christine
- Contributed by Christine
Easy Homemade Tomato Paste
I grow my own vegetables and when I have a glut of tomatoes I let them ripen well on the bush and then make a tomato puree/paste by first chopping them roughly and putting them in a food processor along with plenty of onion, garlic and fresh herbs salt and pepper. I then put the mixture along with some sugar in a saucepan & simmer the mixture on a low heat until a lot of the liquid has evaporated. When cool I put into smallish containers and freeze to use as needed for pizzas, bolognaise or flavouring when cooking meals etc.
- Contributed by Carole
- Contributed by Carole
Homemade Tomato Sauce
I buy canned tomatoes when they are on special (approx.49c a can) and a bottle of tomato puree, usually $1.05. Chop one large brown onion, a couple cloves of garlic. Lightly sauté in olive oil, until soften, add a couple of anchovy fillets (even if you don't like them) use them, as they break down in the sauce, add great flavour and no one can tell that you have used them. Once the onion, garlic and anchovy fillets are softened, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and simmer gently for approx. 15 - 20 minutes. This sauce is great, to use on pasta as napolitana, on crumbed chicken fillets and melted cheese for your parmigana, on your dough base, added to soups and casseroles for extra flavour, such a great thing to have on hand.
- Contributed by Toni
- Contributed by Toni
Gourmet Mashed Potatoes
For a delicious change to mashed potatoes mash potatoes with hot milk to which a knob of butter has been added then add a good dash of mustard and some grated cheese. This is really good.
- Contributed by Teresa
- Contributed by Teresa
Sweet Corn
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness. Corn also freezes really well if you carefully peel the outer leaves, remove the silk and then re-wrap the cob in the leaves. This means no more blanching and is great if your family likes barbecue corncobs, or whole cobs to munch on.
Saving Money on Onions
Onions are wonderful to some people. I eat them on and in everything! I don't like to run out of them, but occasionally it happens. If you are cooking, it is not a problem. Just be sure to keep some dried onion soup mix or dried onions in your pantry. You will get the same onion flavour that you would with fresh onions.
Better Bananas
Put your newly purchased bananas in a plastic bag, along with a wet paper towel and close. They will last for a week or even longer!
Minimum Weight
If you shop at the supermarket, and buy produce in a bag watch out: Often the bruised and spoiled fruit will find its way into the bottom of a bag. So pick out the best bag and the heaviest one. Weigh a few before you decide they all have to be a minimum weight. Look for the maximum weight for the same price.
Mashed Potatoes
No butter is needed in mashed potatoes if you use evaporated milk. They taste better and are creamier.
- Contributed by Anne
- Contributed by Anne
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables From Veggie Barrow
I save myself money, time and energy by getting my fruit and vegetables delivered from the Vegie Barrow. They deliver northern suburbs - basically from Wanneroo markets and surrounding areas. Ph. 0411 602 612. The quality is excellent and I'm saving around 40% on what I was paying at my local greengrocer. I changed because of the prices and I noticed that the quality wasn't quite as good as it used to be. Now I just call, place my order and it cuts about 1/2 hour a week off my shopping time as well.
Contributed by Lyn
Contributed by Lyn