From Low-Cost to No-Cost

During the last two weeks or so, I’ve been testing low-cost recipes mostly out of different winter vegetables. Using seasonal veggies really had an effect on my budget - I managed my grocery shopping with about half the money I’d normally use.

But now I’m taking the challenge even further. I’m going to cook no-cost food in the next few days. That means, I’m not going to spend a single cent in grocery shopping in a week or so - or, at least I’ll try. Here is  why and how.

Why? Well, this year seems to be the European Year Against Food Waste. Up to 50% of food produced in Europe ends up in the garbage. No matter how you look at this, it’s not good. And I’m afraid I’m not an exception. I do end up throwing A LOT of things in the garbage. But now I’m determined to change that.

How? The rule number one against food waste is to use up what you have before buying anything new. So, as of today, I’ll try to use all the stuff I have in my cupboards, in my fridge, and in my freezer, until I’ve used it all up.

Here’s a list of ingredients I currently have at home:

• bulgur,


• polenta,


• rice,


• black pasta,


• black lentils,


• brown lentils,


• red lentils,


• chick peas,


• potatoes,


• onions,


• garlic,


• carrots,


• sauerkraut (ok, I don’t have any more - instead, I have a bag full of dark, bad-smelling stuff - into the garbage it goes!),


• butternut squash,


• Savoy cabbage,


• swede,


• celeriac,


• beetroot,


• half of a red pepper,


• one weird black round small veggie (I have no idea what it is!),


• frozen peas,


• frozen spinach,


• frozen blueberries and strawberries,


• milk,


• cheese,


• blue cheese,


• yogurt,


• smetana,


• apples,


• bananas,


• oranges,


• mandarins,


• cucumber,


• avocado,


• fresh mint and coriander,


• frozen minced meat and meat cubes (for the kids),


• eggs,


• tofu,


• flour,


• and that’s about it.

And then obviously spices, oils, and so on. I’d say that, with this amount of food I don’t need to go grocery shopping in at least a week or so. Besides it’s going to be fun thinking of what to cook out of those things - my own one-woman Ready Steady Cook..!

Curious to find out what I’ll come up with? Or, even better, any good recipe suggestions to turn all of that stuff into something delicious? :)

P.S. Cleaned my fridge today, and all of these sad-looking jars are going to garbage..