No Waste Kitchen

2020 really did hit most everyone hard. As a Chef. I had already been out of my chosen line of work for a year and I was working in a gift shop when Covid hit and we closed down. I am providing for my two teenagers and had a move looming in my future. My food budget could not exceed 450 a month for the three of us, which is difficult when you have to acquire spices, fresh fruits and vegetables and meats along with dry items like pastas. My son and daughter are not picky, but they are at that age where they put food into a black hole. After my move halfway through the year I focused on not letting anything go to the trash bin unless it was absolutely necessary.

Not letting anything go to waste also meant cutting down on our trash, and paying more attention to recycling. Every cabbage butt, every onion rind, every meat scrap and bone went into bags in the freezer to be turned into soup. I collected a new spice on discounts and deals whenever possible at the supermarket. I cook and do dishes by hand for hours a day sometimes to have healthy snacks available for my teenagers as they do distance learning.

I have been able to stretch my 450 budget out quite far. I started using less and less meat with every meal. I found out that a friend who is quite helpful in the community didn't always have enough to eat, and never had home cooked meals so I started sending things over to him to eat. I offered another neighbor meals several times, and now just pop over and bring a snack every once in a while.

My neighbor on the right side lost his job and his wife works for the post office. One day while I was starting our dinner I heard that he had been sick for a few days with symptoms that were slightly concerning. I knew he was a strict vegetarian and had been for years. I was working on a spaghetti sauce that had meat in it, but I texted over that I had things that could come together for a vegetarian soup if he was interested. He was!

Taking my vegetable cuttings from the freezer I threw them in a slight bit of oil, giving them a little bit of color. I added filtered water and salt and put the lid on to simmer for an hour.

I continued prepping the meal for my family, also taking care to prep more veggies for the neighbors soup. I added a can of chickpeas, fried in margarine and paprika and flash fried cabbage and garlic. I had some rice and alphabet pasta as well, along with an an acorn squash and sweet potatoes. I loved how the soup turned out, but was so nervous giving it because it was not a recipe anyone had made before.

A few days went by, and my neighbor started to feel better. He got a negative Covid test and I saw him from my porch for the first time. He loved the soup, and it helped him to feel better! He was very dehydrated for days and it was all he wanted to eat. I have never been happier to be able to make things for my neighbors to keep them going, and hope to do it on a bigger scale in the future.