Recently, I mentioned the joy of using up the last of summer’s bounty. We love summer for it’s fresh fruit and veg. We don’t buy many of these items in the winter bc they are heavily packaged, out of season, not local and don’t taste as good. It worth waiting for a really delicious fresh tomato in our opinion.
In the summer we tend to choose light fresh easy to make meals.
In the winter, we like to have the stove or oven on. We make heartier, warmer, more elaborate, more comforting meals. Here’s what we have been eating more since the weather has changed.
Soup!!
I was soo excited to start making soups again. I am a soup all year round kinda person, but in Fall and Winter, they are particularly enjoyable. Soup is great for your pandemic pantry: Inexpensive, great for using up ingredients that might otherwise go to waste, they freeze well, are quick and easy to make or reheat, among other reasons. We love creamy soups, ramen, and miso soup the most.
Tacos, quesadillas or taco like things
Rice, beans, veggies, tofu, cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, etc… add any and all the good thing to a tortilla, chip or bowl and you got a great meal. These are great Summer meals, with fresh Summer veggies, pico de gallo, but works just as well with pre made salsa, a good way to use the tomatoes you froze, or try winter veggies. All good ways to get the most out of your Winter pandemic pantry.
Pirogies
We love these warming hearty potato and pasta pillows with onions and sour cream. We buy ours pre-made, but choose them packaged without plastic. I like lots of onions, practically burnt. The sour cream in this meal isn’t zero waste, although I have been trying out vegan sour creams to reduce the waste it creates. I would also like to learn to make my own vegan sour cream someday.
Pasta with red sauce
I’m so happy that my favorite pasta company now uses less plastic! I was buying it anyway and recycling the bags, but now I feel even better recycling the cardboard. Pasta is always a great option and so easy top keep in your pandemic pantry. I always make my own tomato sauce: you can check out my recipe here. Make the sauce and keep in the fridge for about a week, or freeze in portions and defrost as needed.
Sides meal
Mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli, stuffing, and/or anything else you can think of can be a sides meal. We def always have mashed potatoes and veg, but other than that, go nuts. Sometimes we play it up with gravy, or sauces and dressings, but mostly we just eat up what ever needs eating in the fridge.
Tofu and rice
This is one of the simplest meals we make, but literally every time we eat it, I’m amazed at how delicious it is. I make the rice, set aside, boil broccoli for about 2 minutes, throw large diced tofu in there right before draining to warm through. Assemble and serve. We like chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and peanuts as toppings, but this is another area where you can use up any sauces or extras you need to eat.
We’ll rotate these meals a few times a month in the Winter. With some of the meals, like soup, we’ll eat them a few days in a row. when this happens we often have a big soup for dinner, bread, maybe a salad, and then the next day soup for lunch with any left overs. Finally, we may have the last of the soup as a side, or starter.
None of these meals are totally zero waste, but we try our best and that’s all you can do. With Winter meals we just try to be as mindful as possible.
What are some of your favorite Winter meals? Do you eat differently season to season?