A Little of This & A Little of That = Mediterranean Stew

What is for dinner? Hmmm.... I've got a little of this and a little of that, what can I make?

Sometimes you find yourself with odds and ends in the refrigerator or on the pantry shelf. These things need used. Letting them go to waste certainly is not frugal. Consider it a challenge; a chance to be creative. Find a way to use those ingredients.

Need a little inspiration? This is where tools such as allrecipes ingredient search come in handy. Enter some of the ingredients that you need to use up, and see what recipes you get. Follow a recipe or use it as inspiration to create something new. You may be surprise at the delicious things that can be made from ingredients that may have other wise gone to waste.

Last night I found myself in such a situation. There were some odds and ends from the garden and some vegetables in the refrigerator that needed used. I searched and found a few recipes that were interesting and then came up with my own creation. Below is what I came up with:

Mediterranean Stew - The clean out the garden way

1 onion, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, peeled chopped in 1/3
5 medium yellow tomatoes, quartered
12 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 small eggplant, cut in one inch pieces
2 banana peppers, minced
2 handfuls of green beans
12 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp fresh rosemary
2 TB sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours.

I served this over rice, with watermelon from the garden. It was a wonderful meal. The only thing missing was some nice crusty French bread!

Frugality involves making do, using what you have, and not letting things go to waste. Challenge yourself to use up the items you have on hand before you run to the store for more. You may be surprised at the delicious results.

Frugal Fridays