Empty out the pantry, freezer and fridge with variable recipes - NOLA.com

Empty out the pantry, freezer and fridge with variable recipes - NOLA.com

"Useful" is one of the favorites in my personal lexicon, so I was thrilled to be able to help my niece get ready to move her household from the Jackson, Mississippi area to Asheville, North Carolina. My job was to consolidate and use up the food in her pantry, freezer and refrigerator. It was so fun to improvise recipes with what was on hand.

Since it's hurricane season, I had been making as many meals as possible out of our own New Orleans freezer. The gumbo that went with me to her house in Mississippi, for example, was made from frozen broth of the last turkey we smoked and random pieces of frozen chicken. I was primed.

It might be even more fun to do this kind of improv cooking with somebody else's food, when you have to accommodate that family's tastes. Over the course of two days, I made nine or 10 dishes.

First, I roasted vegetables for the nine-month-old baby. Roasted? Really?

My niece Alyson said it was easier than steaming them, and the baby really seems to respond to the added flavors of herbs and spices. Why should babies have bland food?

Per her directions, I spread parchment on a sheet pan and made three mounds of frozen vegetables. A little olive oil went on each, along with thyme for the carrots, cinnamon for butternut squash and an herb mixture on the broccoli florets. Three-year-old Ellery stood on her stool and helped me mix in the oil and herbs by hand.

The vegetables baked at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, not enough to really brown a lot. Baby Lois loved these, picking up bit after bit. She ate them all for several meals.

To use up eggs and a battered frozen pie shell, we made quiche. My sister patched the pie shell per package directions, wetting it a bit to make the broken bits stick. This quiche recipe can be used with any cheese, any vegetables. A quarter cup of ricotta cheese and parmesan worked well, as did some frozen broccoli that wasn't roasted for Lois. The recipe below is endlessly adaptable.

If you have kids, you have cereal, and if you have a baby, you probably have Cheerios. The first night, I made Rice Krispie Treats, using a bag of enormous triple-size marshmallows from which only one had been removed. Brown and orange sprinkles were pressed into the top to decorate them.

The second day, I made the most successful of all the dishes: Cheerio Bars. Add any kind of nuts or any dried fruit. The recipe I adapted said that honey could be used, but white Karo syrup makes them hold together better at room temperature.

Six of those tiny boxes of raisins that the kids wouldn't eat went into the bars, along with slivered almonds from the freezer and most of a package of those big shaved toasted coconut pieces. I tried pressing more coconut on top, like the sprinkles on the treats, but without as much success. Still, these bars are an excellent breakfast, one that doesn't require milk or a bowl.

Maxwell told me at dinner the first night that he didn't like the brown rice I brought to go with the gumbo. I like the kind with onions, peas and carrots, he said. His mom interpreted this as fried rice, so I made that the next night with white rice, chopped green onions, the rest of a bag of frozen peas and the remaining frozen diced carrots. The rest of the bottle of soy sauce was sprinkled into it as the rice cooked.

He didn't like that, either.

So it wouldn't be hanging around in her refrigerator, I drank the rest of my niece's beer.

The remainder of a jar of quinoa went into a saucepan with an equal amount of water, then cooked 20 minutes. After it cooled a while in a bowl in the refrigerator, I stirred in balsamic salad dressing and most of the remaining fresh and frozen vegetables. This exact same salad could be made with almost any other kind of grain.

Before I left, Alyson gave me whatever I wanted from her opened refrigerated condiments, plus some onions and a bag of Mississippi sweet potatoes. I'll miss visiting this sweet family only three hours away, but every time I make quiche, or eat Cheerios, I'll think of them.

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Although I love it, this a lot of vanilla, so halve the amount if you want. I think a half cup of peanut butter, stirred into the hot caramel, would make the bars hold together better at room temperature. Or keep them refrigerated.

Vary the nuts and dried fruits to use whatever you have on hand. You can use Honey Nut Cheerios, but sprinkle coarse sugar on top to cut the sweetness.

Cheerio Bars
Makes about 14 or 16 large bars

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

1/2-cup packed brown sugar

1/2-cup white corn syrup

4 or 5 cups Cheerios

2 tablespoons (or less) vanilla

1 cup raisins or other dried fruit

1/2-cup chopped almonds or other nuts

1/2-cup large flake or other coconut

Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with foil, with ends overhanging the edges. Coat with nonstick spray.

In a large microwaveable bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Put in microwave and cook 1 minute on high. Stir. Microwave another minute and stir. Microwave another 1 minute. At this point, remove the bowl from the microwave very carefully, as it is liquid hot caramel. Stir.

Add Cheerios and vanilla. Stir. Add raisins, nuts and coconut. Stir well, until all the cereal is incorporated and the other elements are evenly dispersed.

Turn into the prepared pan and smooth down the top. (At this point, if desired, sprinkle with a thin layer of more nuts, coconut or, hey, chocolate chips, whatever.) With a piece of waxed paper, press down firmly to make the bars flat and even.

Cover and refrigerate two hours. Lift the bars out by the overhanging foil. Cut down the center, then into 1-1/2-inch by 4-1/2-inch bars.

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I've had recipes here before for quiches that can be with varied to suit the season and the contents of your pantry, but this one is particularly good. Instead of 1 cup of cheese and 1 cup vegetables, use 2 cups of either.

To use frozen vegetables for this, I just thaw them for a bit at room temperature and then squeeze them in a paper towel to get rid of some of the moisture.

Variable Quiche
Makes 6 servings

1 frozen pie crust

5 eggs

3/4 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cheese

1 cup diced vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in a bowl with milk and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese and vegetables. Pour into the pie crust.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake 40 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Let cool briefly and serve.

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Food columnist Judy Walker can be reached at JudyWalkerCooks@gmail.com.