What would you do if you were walking out of the grocery store with four bags full of food and someone grabbed one of them and dumped the whole thing in the trash? Would you yell for help? Would you chase after them?
Would you be angry?
What if I told you this is exactly what happens every time you walk out of the grocery store, except the person throwing away your food is YOU. The stats are out and they make my stomach turn: the average American family throws out a quarter of the food it buys each year. That adds up to $1500 a year according to folks that are much better at math than I am.
I know I’m a part of the problem and I am appropriately ashamed of myself. I’m starting a journey to reduce food waste in my household. I hope you’ll join me!
Here’s a perfect example: let’s say you bought a very pricey, locally grown organic apple for your kid’s school lunch. You washed it with baking soda to remove all the wax and residue and then carefully sliced it so they wouldn’t lose their loose front tooth biting into it. AND THEY DIDN’T EAT IT.
I’m not naming names here, but now the apple slices are oxidized and brown and according to the six year old in my life they are also “Yucky.”
No worries. The apples are not a lost cause. Don’t throw them away. Instead brown some butter and fry the apple slices with a touch of cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar! In just a few minutes you’ll have turned those oxidized apple slices into an amazing treat that’s great as is, drizzled over ice cream or on top of oatmeal. I served them to Danger over pancakes with cream that he helped me whip along with this little tidbit: “Thank you for not throwing out the apple you didn’t want for lunch, because now we can use them to make apple pie pancakes!”
Tools
- heavy bottomed 8 inch saute pan for frying
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- “yucky” brown apple slices
Directions
- Melt the unsalted butter over medium low heat until it froths (this is what happens when the milk solids separate). Continue to gently cook the milk solids until they brown and smell faintly nutty.
- Give yourself a high five! You’ve made a simple brown butter.
- Add lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar to a medium sized bowl and toss the apple slices in it.
- Fry the apple slices in the brown butter until they soften and caramelize. Buen Provecho!
Gallery
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- I don’t know if you can hear it, but this apple is screaming “Don’t throw me away!”
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- Just add the slices to your frothy brown butter and let the magic happen!
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- One man’s trash is his mommy’s GOLD!
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- Apple Pie Pancakes made with “yucky” oxidized apples and fresh whipped cream.
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- Danger thinks the apple pie pancake is awesome.
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- Danger takes #stopfoodwaste very seriously.
I still eat bananas even at the point where they turn almost completely black. I remember Abuelo giving me a lecture on it when I told him we should give the black ones to the geese. “Pa que coño! Si todavia esta bueno!” was the pep talk he gave me. Thanks Abuelo for making me a better person!
Abuelo was the OG food waste revolutionary! Is that baby awake? Cause I’m sure she misses me. Just saying.