Prepare your cold storage space
Today is an important day, created by the people who manufacture refrigerators. It’s national clean out your refrigerator day. Really, there should be more of these. But, let’s start with this one. And, you know, you’re guilty of it. There are currently a half dozen expired products, and probably a few notorious science experiments in your fridge. You know it’s true. With the holidays right around the corner, you know this is a necessity. Today is as good a day as any to review just what’s in there. We have a guide from our early days to refer to, regarding what should be in your fridge. So, get ready to Prepare your cold storage space for the upcoming weeks, and beyond.
Most people consider this a real chore. And, depending on when you did it last, it probably is. maybe it’s time to treat yourself like a kid and offer yourself some rewards or punishment for completing the task. Ironically, the task provides both. Physically getting in there is the punishment. But, discovering things that would have gone to waste, and utilizing things resulting in tasty meals and saved money are rewards in and of themselves. Plus, regaining order from the chaos will make you feel better moving forward.
Table of Contents
When is the best time to Prepare your cold storage space?
That would be now. If you have some dead bodies to dispose of, you need space in that chest freezer. Sure you could chop it up into smaller pieces. But, wouldn’t it be luxurious to just place the whole thing in there? Sorry, recently re-watched Orphan Black… So, maybe dead bodies aren’t something you’re storing in your freezer. Probably a good idea.
Having a clean and organized fridge and freezer is a good idea. Getting ahead of the mayhem is a good idea. But, as we know, life moves on. Things happen. And, cleaning the fridge isn’t the top priority. It does make life easier and healthier though. Those leftover Easter eggs aren’t doing anybody any good. And, the cucumber that liquefied and coats the bottom of your produce drawer is a health hazard. Let’s not even start with the fuzzy lemons…
Getting into a habit of regular cleaning is a good idea. Think of it like taxes. Put it on your calendar, the obligatory quarterly cleaning. Since we’re here now for this special holiday. Let this be the first one. Then, schedule another for 3 months from now, and so on and so on.
Where to start
The age old question. Most of us have a certain amount of ADHD. This makes simple tasks complicated. You pull out a ketchup bottle, then notice an outdated yogurt container. You bring it to the sink, see some dirty dishes, start cleaning them, then notice the drying rack is a little dirty. Wipe that down, and notice your drying cloth could use a cleaning, so you start a load of laundry. While that’s going you turn on the TV. They show a scene from Paris, which reminds you of a book you were reading. So, you pick that up. That’s when you get a text from Macy’s. So, you go on line to check their sale. You see an outfit that reminds you of an old movie. You look up that on YouTube. Then, you find yourself watching cute cat videos. This reminds you you need dog and cat food…
Wait, what happened to the fridge? In this situation, we need total concentration. This is not a charade. To prevent being overwhelmed or distracted, take a piecemeal approach. Do the cleaning by sections or categories. Start with the top shelf in the doors, then work your way down. Once you get going, it will begin to make more sense. Then, you can re-organize things to be more logical, and safer from a sanitation perspective. In professional kitchens we are trained in sanitation. Most home kitchens don’t have these logical safeguards in place. In fact, refrigerators themselves are set up wrong. Where are the produce drawers? At the bottom of the fridge. That’s where you keep your lettuce and tomatoes? Under a shelf where chicken, fish, beef, and other drippy, bacteria laden products sit? Not smart.
Time to organize and Prepare your cold storage space
Unfortunately, you can’t really re-configure the fridge. But, you can choose where things will go. Most fridges have multiple drawers. perhaps, repurposing them is in order. Putting meat and poultry in a lower drawer is the safest way of storing them. And, if you have a container to put them in, even better. You want to prevent juices from leaking out, posing contamination risks for other food. The best approach to a full on cleaning is to remove as much product as possible, and re-organize everything. When you first got the fridge, you had a system. But, over time, you got different condiments, and different ingredients. So, the original system is a bit outdated. Now, what are you going to do with those candied kumquats?
Perhaps it’s time to do a little Marie Kondo. Does it bring you joy? Also, is it past the expiry date (just asking)? While we can’t tell you what goes where, since everyone has different things in their fridge, putting things in a safe order is crucial. Ready to eat foods go up top since they are already in edible form. This would be things like salad ingredients, yogurt, cheeses, and anything prepared. Under that, place things like potatoes or food that still needs to be cooked. Below that goes seafood that needs to be cooked to a lower internal temperature. Then come whole meats, like steaks. Chopped meats under that. And, poultry on the bottom, since it requires the highest internal cooking temperature. Once you have an organizational system, try to maintain that as well as you can. You’ll be happier and healthier in the long run.
What to do with all this stuff?
Now that you’ve torn the whole place apart, you find a bunch of things that would have been wasted. But, now you see them and can re-purpose them. Some may be pre-cooked leftovers. Some are things like 2 month old beets, carrots, and potatoes. Well, tonight, you’re putting on a fabulous meal. You may even be cooking for days. Luckily, we’re here for you. There are plenty of recipes on our site. And, there are myriad ideas at the touch of your fingers on the smart phone. Again, we don’t know what’s leftover in your fridge. But, below, we have a few recipes for commonly leftover ingredients. So, enjoy this exercise, and, the fruits of clean out your refrigerator day.
Bon apetit!
Zucchini Sweet Potato Latke
Ingredients
- 2 cup Zucchini, seeds removed and shredded
- 2 cup shredded peeled sweet potato
- 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallions
- 1 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Butter or oil to cook the latkes in
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Creme fraiche to garnish
- More herbs and/or green onion to garnish
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini and sweet potato. Press through a fin strainer or cheese cloth to remove excess moisture.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk an egg until well beaten, add in the sour cream and mix well. Then fold in the rest of the ingredients except for garnishes and mix well. If it is still to moist, add a little more flour. The mixture should hold together, but not be too runny. At the same time, you don't want it too stiff or it will come out dry on the palate.
- Heat oil or butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Scoop the mixture into the oil and press down to flatten. For an appetizer, make them about quarter to half dollar size. If you want to serve as an entree or side dish, make them about 3 to 4 inches. Sear about 1 to 3 minutes per side until they have a golden brown crust and are cooked through. If you make them larger, you may want to brown them in the pan and finish in an oven.
- Serve them hot with a dolop of creme fraiche and herb garnish. You can also top with ratatouille, a vegetable or meat stew, or seafood. Experiment and enjoy.
Mexican Chorizo and Corn Empanadas with Cumin Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- For Dough:
- 3 cups Flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 oz Melted coconut oil
- 1 cup water
- Filling:
- Avocado oil for cooking
- 4 oz chopped chorizo sausage
- 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh tomato
- 1/2 cup cooked corn, removed from the cob (preferably fresh, we grille ours)
- 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar or jack cheese
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Sauce:
- Avocado or olive oil to cook
- 1 cup fresh diced onion
- 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno or chili of your choice
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 oz tequila
- 1 each 28 oz can of crushed tomato
- 1 can water (the can from the tomatoes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dough: Either by hand or in mixer, using dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add in oil and water. Mix until a smooth dough is formed. It should be very pliable, but not wet or sticky. If too wet, add more flour. If too dry add more water. Lightly flour the dough and set aside, covered with plastic for about an hour. The gluten needs to relax.
- Make the sauce ahead of time as it takes a while to cook. Heat oil in a heavy pot, over high heat.. Add in garlic and onion. Cook and stir until translucent. Add the jalapeno and stir. Then add the tequila. Cook off the alcohol. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Then cut the temperature back to low to medium. You want a light simmer. Allow to simmer at least an hour, stirring occasionally. It should resemble pasta sauce when done.
- Make the filling: Saute the onion and garlic in heated oil until translucent (stirring occasionally). Add in the chorizo, and allow it to brown. Stir as needed. Add the spices and mix well. Remove from heat and add in the rest of the ingredients. Fold together until the mix sticks together. You should be able to make a ball of the mix.
- Make 8 to 16 balls out of the dough. Press them in a tortilla press or flatten by hand. Place a little bit of the filling in the center of each disk of dough. Then fold up the sides to create a half moon and crimp the edges to seal in the filling. Place them in a flat pan lined with parchment and spray with pan spray or use a silicone non stick pad. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. They should become golden brown. Serve hot with the chili sauce.
3 Cheese Fondue
Equipment
- Fondue pot or heavy pot
- a stand to keep a heat source under the fondue
- skewers
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Gruyere Cheese chopped or shredded
- 1/2 Lb Gouda Cheese Chopped or shredded
- 1/2 Lb Fontina Cheese Chopped or Shredded
- 1 Cup Dry White wine Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc preferred, or whatever you like
- 1 oz Frangelico Or another type of liqueur
- 1/2 tsp Cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 oz heavy Cream (Optional)
- Bread, fruits, and vegetable to serve with the dip
Instructions
- Heat pot over low heat. Add in all ingredients and stir until melted into a smooth creamy dip. Keep a tea light or low flame under the pot during service to prevent it from sticking and scorching. And, stir it often.
Notes
White Chocolate Apple and Beetroot Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream machine
Ingredients
- 8 oz Whole fresh beetroot
- 1 Cup Peeled and Cored apple, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 2 Tbsp Orange zest
- 1 Cup Orange juice
- 1 Cup Chopped White chocolate
- 4 Cups heavy Cream
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher or sea salt
- 1 to 3 cups Water to boil the beats
- Olive oil to saute the apples
Instructions
- Cut the beets into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Put in a pot with orange juice and water. Boil until soft. and most of the liquid has evaporated. If they aren't soft enough, add more water and continue cooking. But, in the end, you want just a coating of liquid.
- Puree the beets until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat a little oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Saute the apples until lightly browned and softened, but not mushy. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat cream, white chocolate and sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Whisk to melt the chocolate and sugar. Put the eggs in a bowl. Whisk in a couple tablespoons of the hot cream to temper the eggs. Then slowly add in the rest, whisking continuously. Return to the pot over low heat and continue stirring until it slightly thickens. Be careful not to "scramble" the eggs. Transfer it back to a mixing bowl and set that bowl into an ice bath. Whisk it until it cools completely.
- Whisk in the beets and orange zest. Then fold in the Apples.
- Transfer the ingredients to your prepared ice cream machine. Then follow manufacturer's instructions. You will see it thicken in the bowl. Depending on the machine, you may be able to serve right from the machine, or it may require additional time in the freezer.
The Infamous PEI Nutella Crepes
Ingredients
- 2 Cups AP flour
- 2 Cups Milk or light cream
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Pan Spray for cooking
- Nutella for spreading
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together well. Add the milk and continue stirring. Mix in the flour and salt, be careful to work out all lumps. Then fold in the oil. Allow the batter to rest a few minutes.
- Use an 8 inch no stick pan over low heat. Heat until it's almost smoking. Spray with pan spray. Then ladle in a thin coating of the crepe batter, turning the pan to smooth it out into an even coating, less than 1/8 inch thick. If it's too thick, it won't be pliable enough. Heat until you see a little color begin to appear around the edges of the crepe. Use a heat proof rubber baking spatula to lift and flip the crepe. The flipped surface should be a golden brown. continue cooking on the raw side for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then flip the crepe out onto a plate. repeat this process until all the crepes are done. The first one may get a little too dark or even fall apart a bit. But, as you get in the flow, the rest will come together well. You'll be an expert crepe maker by the time you finish the last one. Adjust your temperature if necessary.
- When all the crepes are done, Spread each one with nutella on the lighter cooked side. Fold them in quarters and present on plates. You can top with whipped cream if wanted or just serve as is. Bon Apetit.