I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I have a few goals for 2012 – and one of my biggest aspirations is to stop wasting food. I have three terrible habits I’d like to change:

1) Overbuying fresh food and watching it go bad because either I forget it’s in my fridge, or I don’t stick to our weekly meal plan and use ingredients purchased for specific recipes. I’ve gotten better about this since becoming more diligent about meal planning, but there’s still room for improvement.

2) Buying pantry staples or frozen foods and losing them in the abyss of our cupboards and freezer. Right now, I have roughly 4 pounds of dried beans, numerous cans of diced tomatoes, five unopened bags of frozen fruits and veggies, a large assortment of half-full boxes of pasta…the list goes on. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Again, meal planning helps me use what’s in my pantry and freezer, but I can do better.

3) Letting leftovers wither and die in our fridge. I hate leftovers, particularly leftover meat. Corey eats them more willingly, but if he can’t finish every bit of leftover chicken, pork, pasta, etc., we find ourselves transferring food from storage containers to the compost bin. I’m also notoriously bad for storing various recipe scraps – half a can of pumpkin, or the dregs of a container of pasta sauce – and never using them in future recipes.

I invest a lot of time and money into the food we eat, and it’s sad to see it end up in the trash. I got a jump start on my goal this weekend when I found myself with a few ounces of leftover pork tenderloin and some frozen edamame and pineapple that had to be used before they succumbed to freezer burn.

Everything came together in a variation of a fried rice recipe I’ve been making for years. It’s not quite the same as the fried rice you’d order in your favorite Chinese restaurant, but it tastes great, is fairly healthy and is easy to whip up with just about anything you can find in your own freezer and fridge. Here’s hoping we all waste less food in the new year!

Pineapple, Pork and Edamame Fried Rice

inspired by Cooking Light

serves 3 – 4

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 oz cooked pork tenderloin (or any leftover meat), cubed

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

3 tsp canola oil, divided

3/4 c frozen edamame, thawed and drained of excess moisture

3/4 c frozen pineapple, thawed and drained of excess moisture

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice, but white is fine too)

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Whisk the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the ginger, garlic and 1 tsp canola oil in another small bowl and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp oil and, when shimmering, add the egg and cook like an omelet, swirling around the pan and lifting the edges to allow additional uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan. When the egg is mostly set, use a spatula to gently flip it and cook lightly on the other side. Remove the egg from the pan and set aside. (Note: you can also quickly scramble the egg, if you prefer.)

Heat an additional 1 tsp oil in the skillet and add the chopped onion and carrot. Stir fry until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown, about three minutes. Add the pork, edamame and pinapple and cook for one minute. Add the ginger/garlic/oil mixture and cook one minute more.

Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, and cook for 2  minutes. (If you’d like more of a “fried” texture, add the rice to the pan and do not stir.) Chop the egg into small pieces and add to the pan, followed by the sauce. Cook about 30 seconds more until the sauce is heated through.

I was raised by a single mom for a good bit of my childhood. Money was tight, and going out to eat was a rare and special treat. Of all the restaurants we frequented, my favorite was a “fancy” Chinese place situated in a local strip mall. What made it fancy? A koi pond, a bubbling fountain with a giant gold Buddha statue, and a host of dishes with exotic vegetables not found in our at-home dinner offerings. I was partial to anything served with peapods – beef with peapods, chicken with peapods, shrimp with peapods. My young self usually ate peas in canned or frozen form, so having them served in the pod was exotic and delicious and exciting. Couple those peapods with the most exciting of all Asian vegetables – the water chestnut – and you’d have a meal to make an eight-year-old gourmand very happy, indeed.

When I enjoy Chinese food as an adult, I often think of the meals I enjoyed in that random restaurant in Naperville, IL. I don’t remember its name, but I will always remember how grown up and sophisticated I felt when we were lucky enough to eat there. This simple recipe took me back to that happy place. Rather than stir-frying the shrimp and veggies, I decided to steam them – and man, what a difference that makes. I love a nice grilled crust on my shrimp, but stir-frying sometimes makes them tough and overcooked. On the contrary, steaming results in a nice, plump, tender shrimp and lightly crisp snowpeas. Add the requisite water chestnuts and a bit of hoisin sauce and you’ve got a perfect example of one of my favorite childhood treats.

Childhood Shrimp and Snowpeas

serves 2

6 to 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c snow peas

1/3 c water chestnuts (more or less to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 c hoisin sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

hot sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste

cooked rice, for serving

Fill a large saucepan with 1″ of water. Set the pan over medium heat and allow the water to come to a gentle simmer. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and top with the snow peas. Place the steamer basket in the saucepan and cover the pan. Allow the shrimp and peas to steam for 3 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. (Cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp; check after 3 minutes and continue to cook if necessary.) Add the water chestnuts to the steamer basket during the last minute or so to heat them through.

As the shrimp and veggies steam, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce or cayenne in a small bowl. Adjust ingredients to suit your tastes and use a bit of water to thin the sauce, if desired. When the shrimp and veggies are done, serve over cooked rice and drizzle with the sauce.

I’ve been a bit under the weather. Nothing really tastes good, and therefore I’ve been eating a random assortment of food that probably wouldn’t appeal to anyone with a healthy palate. Over the last week,  I’ve had quite a few dinners involving cereal, egg sandwiches, or cheese and crackers, but enough is enough. My man is hungry for real meals, and I’m a food blogger, damn it – I shall overcome!

It surprised even me when, despite my recent feelings of ickyness, I got a strong craving for spicy Thai food. Takeout was the easiest solution, but I was hesitant to pay $15 for a meal that might not sit well in my fragile tummy. I had all the ingredients on hand for a simple chicken curry dish, so I threw it together and hesitantly took a few bites. Could it be? Did something taste…good? Why, yes, it did! It was spicy and sweet, creamy and rich, and surprisingly comforting to my formerly distressed tastebuds. Most importantly, it was ridiculously simple to make and had a nice color. It would have been even prettier with a smattering of cilantro, but sadly, Corey’s not a fan.

If you’ve never attempted homemade curry, give this recipe a try. It’s super simple, and easy to adjust according to your tastes and preferences. I find that red curry paste has a slightly spicy flavor, whereas green is a little sweeter and has more of a citrusy flavor. Here’s hoping this dish is the first of many that bring me back to my regular culinary self!

Quick Red (or Green) Curry

Loosely adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4

2 cooked chicken breasts*, 6 to 8 oz each, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp canola oil

2 to 3 tsp red or green curry paste (2 = moderately spicy; 3 = very spicy)

1 14-oz can light coconut milk, divided

2 bell peppers in colors of your choice (suggested: yellow, orange or red), sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fish sauce (optional – it’s an acquired taste, but I really like it)

Cooked brown rice, for serving

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, followed by the onions and peppers. Saute the vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes or until they begin to soften, then add the curry paste and the garlic. Stir to coat and cook for 1 minute, then add 1 cup of the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add the chicken, remaining coconut milk and fish sauce, if using, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more or until chicken is heated through and vegetables are tender. Serve curry over cooked rice.

* I had leftover cooked chicken on hand and used that to make this dish even faster and easier. If you’re starting with raw meat, chop it into bite-sized pieces and brown it over medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and continue with the rest of the recipe. You could also make this dish with shrimp or tofu!

As someone with a food blog, I’d love to share that I learned to cook from my mom, my grandmother, or some equally wise culinary genius. I’d love to tell you that I spent hours in someone else’s kitchen, watching and learning and taking copious notes about how to be an awesome home chef. But in reality, I had no interest in cooking for most of my childhood, adolescence and adult life. In fact, I was a pretty horrendous cook until age 25, when I went back to graduate school and found myself with days free to study watch cooking shows and learn some basic techniques. So who really taught me to cook?

Rachael Ray.

I know. Most of you probably hate her, or at the very least find her unbelievably annoying. I kind of hate her too now that she’s completely oversaturated the entertainment world. But back in 2003, she was sort of unknown, and I stumbled upon her semi-new show on Food Network. Her recipes were decent, and what really helped me learn to cook were her easy to learn, easy to remember techniques for everything from chopping onions to pan-grilling meat. It was approachable and easy for someone who, before that point, relied heavily on prepackaged and frozen foods.

Many of Rachael’s recent recipes have jumped the culinary shark (after seeing something called Fish Stick Parmesan, I had to say goodbye to 30 Minute Meals), but I still use a lot of her concepts and techniques. In particular, she inspired me to make at-home versions of my favorite take-out meals – everything ranging from channa masala to pad thai. I love take out just as much as the next gal, but it always disturbs me to open those pretty white boxes and find food swimming in visible grease. I want authentic flavor, but I know I can make most of my favorite foods at home with less added fat and more quality ingredients. Today’s Thai Chicken with Basil is not a Rachael Ray recipe, but I’m making it in Rachael’s honor. Our relationship may have fallen by the wayside, but we’ll always have those magical moments from 2003.

Thai Chicken with Basil

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

serves 4

2 c fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 to 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance (I used 1 tsp)*
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp white or rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Put 1 c basil leaves, garlic cloves and crushed red pepper flakes in food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl if needed to ensure even processing. Spoon out 1 tbsp of this mixture and place in a small bowl, then stir in 1 tbsp fish sauce, the oyster sauce, the vinegar and the sugar. Set aside. Take the remaining basil mixture and place it in a large nonstick skillet; set aside. Do not wash your food processor bowl.

Add the chicken and remaining 1 tbsp fish sauce to the food processor. Pulse until meat is chopped into 1/4″ pieces, roughly 8 to 10 quick pulses. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and chill for 15 minutes.

As chicken marinates, add shallots and vegetable oil to the skillet that contains the basil mixture. Heat over medium low and stir frequently. Cook until garlic and shallots are golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, increasing the heat to medium. Use a potato masher or spatula to break the chicken into smaller chunks as it cooks. Cook the chicken for about 4 minutes or until most of the pink is gone, then add the reserved basil/fish sauce/oyster sauce mixture. Stir to combine and cook until chicken is no longer pink, roughly 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the remaining 1 c basil leaves and stir until basil is wilted. Add extra fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flake and/or vinegar to taste, if desired. Serve with cooked rice.

*Original recipe calls for 6 red or green Thai chiles or 1 medium jalapeno. I didn’t have either on hand, so I subbed red pepper flake. Use fresh peppers if desired!

After using half of my homemade carnitas to make enchiladas, I found myself wondering what to do with the rest of the meat. Immediate thoughts were to whip up a second Mexican dish (tacos? burritos?) or to slather it in barbecue sauce and stick it on a bun. But both of those options would require a trip to the grocery store, so I opted for an old standby: stir fry!

When I first started cooking, I thought stir fry would be an easy thing to make. And really, it is, but it’s taken me a long time to perfect the sauce I use on just about every stir fry we make. Early attempts relied too heavily on soy sauce, meaning they were thin and salty. Then I discovered corn starch, and my sauce made the jump to thick and salty. After trying a ton of different stir fry recipes, I found that the best sauces came from a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and hoisin, which is best described as Chinese barbecue sauce. The recipes also incorporated garlic and ginger, often calling for bottled versions to save time and reduce spoilage. (Does anyone ever use a full knob of fresh ginger?) Don’t be put off by the semi-long list of ingredients. It looks like a lot, but once you invest in these condiments, they will last for quite some time. Pour it over any combination of meat and veggies (or tofu and veggies, or just veggies if you’re so inclined) and dinner is served in less than 20 minutes. Note: This recipe is super fast because it uses leftover cooked meat. If you want to start from scratch with raw chicken, beef, etc, this recipe has a good method for working with raw meat.

No Fail Stir Fry

serves three to four

1 to 2 c cooked chicken, beef, pork, tofu or shrimp, chopped or shredded (I used leftover shredded pork)

2 c chopped vegetables of your choice (I love broccoli, onion, green beans and bell peppers, depending on the recipe; for this batch, I used green beans)

1 tsp bottled minced ginger

1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 – 2 tbsp soy sauce (I usually taste it with one and add more if it’s not salty enough)

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dark sesame oil

hot sauce, such as sriracha, to taste – optional

sesame seeds, for garnish

In a small bowl, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce (if using) with a fork or small whisk. Set aside.

Heat a heavy skillet or wok to high heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the vegetables in a single layer. Stir fry until they begin to appear spotty brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Add two to three tablespoons of water to the pan and cover the pan as it begins to steam. Continue to cook the vegetables, covered, for 2 minutes or until they are tender. (You may wish to adjust the heat to medium high if the steam appears excessive.)

Uncover the pan and add the ginger and garlic. Toss to combine and cook for one minute, then add the cooked meat/tofu/shrimp/etc. Toss again to combine and let the mixture stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the meat is heated through and begins to brown. Pour the sauce over the stir fry and allow to cook for one minute more, then add the sesame seeds. Serve over cooked rice.