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Rescuing vegetables and preventing food waste at home (e.g. by making leftover dinners) requires some creativity. It happens sometimes that I pick up discounted vegetables from a supermarket or market, but then don’t really know what to do with them. Looking for a recipe around these vegetables doesn’t always work, because it usually requires getting more ingredients than the ones you already have.
But there is a way around it. Each world cuisine gets its unique flavors from the mix of spices and herbs. So when I feel like making a dish from a certain part of the world, I use the vegetables that are available in the Netherlands (no looking for exotic ingredients) and spice them up in a certain way. Remember that once you start practising these mixes it will become your second nature. And no recipes needed!
Italian
Photo by Jakub Kapusnak on Unsplash
Base: Cook on the basis of olive oil and garlic.
Best vegetables: Almost any vegetable will do for an Italian-style dish, for example tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, carrots, onions.
Spices and Herbs: Use a mix of dry herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, and thyme
Grains: Serve your Italian-style dish with pasta or short-grain rice like Aroborio
Top up: finish your dishes with fresh basil, cheese, and/or olives.
French
Base: Cook on the basis of olive oil or butter, garlic, and onions. If you’re making stew, use red wine and vegetable bouillon as liquids..
Best vegetables: celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus, potatoes, eggplants, zucchini.
Spices and Herbs: Use fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and ground nutmeg.
Grains: Fresh bread.
Top up: Fresh thyme, rosemary, or parsley.
Greek
Photo by Dmitry Dreyer on Unsplash
Base: Cook on the base of olive oil, garlic, and onions.
Best vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, eggplants, cucumbers, potatoes,
Spices and Herbs: Dried oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, and paprika powder
Grains: Pita bread, rice, or orzo
Top up: Finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice, crumbled feta cheese, or serve with tzatziki sauce.
Japanese
Base: Cook on the base of sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
Best vegetables: Bok choy, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, radish, daikon, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, spring onion.
Spices and Herbs: Get the unique Japanese flavour by adding a few teaspoons of soy sauce, sake, and miso paste into your dish. You can also use them to prepare a salad dressing. Optionally, try adding some honey or sugar to sweeten the dish.
Grains: Short-grain rice (e.g. sushi rice), rice noodles, ramen or udon noodles.
Top up: Finish your dish with toasted sesame seeds, nori or other seaweed.
Indian
Photo by Pille-Riin Priske on Unsplash
Base: Cook the stews on ghee or coconut oil with ginger and garlic.
Best vegetables: Potatoes, spinach, legumes (lentils/split peas), broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, leafy greens.
Spices and Herbs: Chili pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, mustard seeds. You can also use read-made curry paste (red, yellow, or green). To get the stew consistency, use canned tomatoes and/or coconut milk (add vegetable bouillon if needed).
Grains: Long grain rice (e.g. basmati) or Chapati bread.
Chinese
Base: Cook on the base of peanut or sesame oil with garlic
Best vegetables: Bamboo, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, paprika, onion, cabbage, bok choy, leafy greens
Spices and Herbs: Fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, star anise. Use soy sauce, sesame oil and/or oyster sauce for dressings or sauces.
Grains: Egg noodles or rice
Mexican
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Base: Cook on vegetable oil or lard with chili pepper and garlic
Best vegetables: Tomato, black beans, avocados, potatoes, corn, onions, paprika.
Spices and Herbs: chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon
Grains: Corn tortillas, wheat burritos, rice
Top up: Finish you dishes with a squeeze of lime juice and fresh coriander leaves.
Middle Eastern
Photo by Kyle Brinker on Unsplash
Base: Cook on olive oil with garlic and onion.
Best Vegetables: Eggplants, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas.
Spices and Herbs: Cumin, sesame seeds, sumak, thyme, dried marjoram,
Grains: Couscous, bulgur, rice, or flat bread.
Top up: Finish your dish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley or mint leaves. You can also serve your dish with hummus or grilled halloumi cheese.
Thai
Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash
Base: Use red, green, or yellow curry paste as a base for cooking. Add coconut milk for stews.
Best Vegetables: Paprika, eggplant, carrot, broccoli, leafy greens, green peas, spring onion.
Spices and Herbs: Ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, chili pepper (or use pre-made curry paste)
Grains: Jasmine rice or rice noodles
Top up: Finish your dish with few leaves of (Thai) basil or coriander, cashew nuts or peanuts, a squeeze of fresh lime juice.