Saturday, July 24, 2010

Crusts to Croutons (and Other Kitchen Creations)

Our family is not fond of the ends of bread, which we call "crusts" -- but I hate to throw them out. So I stuff them in the freezer and when I've got a good collection of them, I cube them and throw them in the frying pan with some olive oil, garlic,  and whatever herbs I find in my spice drawer (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme . . .)

(OK -- it looks like mold in the photo -- but it's actually lots of lovely dried herbs!)

After heating them in the pan, coating them with the oil and spices, I dry them under the broiler for a few minutes, and the result is these delightful croutons:

Or these chunkier ones with ancient grains bread:

They're awesome in soups, salads, and even as a snack by themselves!

After the croutons are stored away, we're left with these seasoned bread crumbs:

I have yet to find a good purpose for these. Any suggestions? Perhaps a coating for fish or chicken?

Are there any food "scraps" that you've found a way to use creatively? Tell me about it in a comment below!

While I'm here, I thought I'd show you the other ways we've been creative in the kitchen today. Here are the squares DD12 whipped up after dinner tonight:
(Yes, you can see where we've already dug into them! SOOOO yummy!)
And the french loaves DS3 and I made for garlic bread to accompany some meals we're making to bless a couple of other families:



Has there been any impromptu creativity in your kitchen lately?

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog! I came over to say hi. Love the crouton recipe - I think I will try it this week because I have Caesar salad planned for Thursday night. Great to meet you!

    -amy

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  2. I have thought about doing that, but have not done it yet! Your recipe looks great too! Thanks so much for stopping by!! Looking forward to getting to know you!

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  3. Yum! So much better than buying croutons. Thanks for the tip! Lisa~

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  4. Oh, this looks yummy! Thanks for stopping by my blog. And yes, looks like we're of the same mind. Blessings - B.

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  5. I am very hungry after reading your post. ;) Thanks so much for the visit today!

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  6. All of that looks delicious. Would you mind sharing how you make your french bread?

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  7. Thanks for visiting, B, Amanda, and Jennifer:)

    Jennifer -- I just used the dough recipe in my breadmaker's manual. It's the first time I've made the french loaves -- but the bread was yummy! I've never made bread without a machine that mixes the dough, so I don't know if the recipe works if you do it by hand. Do you have a machine? I can give you the actual recipe if you want to try it -- just let me know.

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  8. I'm just visiting as a fellow Download n Go reviewer! I see you are also a part of the TOS Crew...I am also. Have a great day!

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Sincere responses . . .

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