Chicken soup is a classic that everyone loves. I don’t follow a recipe to make this soup, but rather use the vegetables I already have on hand. With small pasta such as orzo or macaroni and boneless chicken breasts, this soup can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

It’s perfectly okay to use store-bought stock for this soup; I prefer the organic brands, such as Swanson’s or Pacific Natural, which are sold in aseptic containers. However, it is easy to make chicken stock, and it only takes about an hour. Homemade stock tastes much richer than any stock you can buy, so why not make your own?

To make a quick chicken stock, cut up a three- to four-pound chicken and put the pieces in a large pot. Roughly chop 1 large onion, 1 large carrot and 1 celery stalk (don’t bother to peel), and add them to the pot, along with 1 bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Pour in 14 cups water. On high heat, bring just to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for at least one hour and no more than two hours. Cool slightly and strain out the solids. Reserve the chicken breasts to use in any recipe calling for cooked chicken meat. If you are not making soup right away, refrigerate the stock and use within three days, or freeze it for up to three months.

Now, to make the soup, peel and chop several kinds of vegetables into small pieces. Carrots, celery and onion are classic choices, but use whatever you have available. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Saute the vegetables to lightly brown them. Add 1 garlic clove, minced, and saute another minute or two. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cut 1 boneless chicken breast into small pieces and add to the pot, or if you made your own stock, shred the cooked breast meat and add that. Also add ¼ cup uncooked orzo, macaroni or other small pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until the chicken and pasta are cooked, about 15 minutes.

But how to use these sweeteners in recipes? The article provides a helpful guide:

Start by substituting ¾ cup honey, maple syrup or molasses for each cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid by 3 tablespoons. To substitute agave, use 2/3 cup agave nectar for each cup of sugar and reduce the liquid by ¼ cup. Also, since these sweeteners will speed the browning process…, reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees. Check for doneness at the usual time, but you may have to increase the baking time slightly.

A very useful tip!

1. Peel, trim and grate 1 pound carrots. I use my food processor to make short work of the grating chore.
2. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tsp. red wine vinegar, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. fresh orange juice, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup olive oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the carrots, garnish with minced parsley and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food, and I make it all time.

• One 28-ounce can of tomatoes equals about 10 to 12 whole tomatoes, peeled (or about 2 pounds)
• One 14-1/2-ounce can of tomatoes equals 5 to 6 whole tomatoes, peeled (or about 1 pound)

via Substituting canned tomatoes for fresh – Fine Cooking Recipes, Techniques and Tips.

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My recent focus on cutting down or eliminating food waste has made me more aware when I am in the grocery store. I am less likely to walk through on autopilot, tossing the same old items into my car. Now I try to think about each thing I’m buying and why I’m buying it. (I also feel more pain each time I toss spoiled food into the trash can or composter, and renew my pledge not to waste.)

One thing I’ve discovered is that it’s usually a mistake to buy fresh food, like produce or dairy, in large quantities, even if it is on sale. I’d rather make one more trip to the store each week than throw out food we didn’t get around to eating. We are a small family, so instead of buying an entire bag of potatoes or apples, for instance, I’ve found it’s better to buy just what I think we’ll eat in the next few days. I used to buy a week’s worth of fruit at a time, but there was inevitable spoilage. Now I only buy two or three pieces of each kind of fruit that we want and make sure we eat them.

The caveat to this is that it’s sometimes better to buy in bulk, but only if I have a plan for the food. For example, if something is on sale, like chicken or broccoli, I will stock up and freeze the excess immediately after I get home. I will also buy a large number of cheap apples, if I know I’m going to get around to making applesauce that day.

This brings me to my next tip. We eat more food if I prepare it for eating soon after bringing it home from the store, rather than waiting for when we want to eat it. For instance, I tear and wash fresh lettuce right after I get home, so I’m always ready to make a salad for lunch or dinner; if I have room in the fridge, I’ll store the lettuce in my salad spinner. Or I’ll peel and grate a large quantity of carrots for snacking, salads and sandwiches right away. Food that I don’t want to prepare right away, I divvy up for meals and freeze any excess.

What tips are you using to keep from wasting fresh food?

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• No More Food Waste! (simplycooking.wordpress.com)
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Here are my tips for deep cleaning. I divide the job up into rooms and don’t try to accomplish it all in one day. That would be too exhausting. Usually, I start with the rooms that will be the biggest wins: the bathrooms and kitchen. Once those are done, move on to the living areas and bedrooms.

Start at the top and work your way downward. First, use a long dustmop or brush to knock down any cobwebs lurking in the corners of the ceiling. Use a microfiber duster or damp cloth to dust the tops of lights, ceiling fans and other fixtures, picture frames, and window sills.

Next, clear and clean every surface. Why not de-clutter as you go? Pack up for donation or storage anything that you no longer use or like. At the very least, make sure that everything has a place and that everything is in its place.

Here are the types of cleaners I use:

• A solution of 2 parts white vinegar and 3 parts water in a spray bottle. This will clean almost anything. It is particularly useful for wiping down wood furniture and even cleaning wood floors, because it dries quickly, so the water is less likely to damage the wood.
• A solution of orange oil and water. I found orange oil for cleaning at my local co-op or natural foods store. You just need a small amount mixed in a spray bottle with water. This solution is good for cleaning counters, sinks and appliances. It will cut grease, and it also smells very nice.
• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, for getting rid of stray marks.

If there is anything left after the surface clean, you probably have a tougher problem on your hands, most likely mildew or grease. I suggest a trip to the local hardware store for a targeted cleaner.

Next, remove all area rugs and portable things (trash cans, small pieces of furniture, etc.), and vacuum the floor to get up all the loose dirt. Then, get down on your hands and knees, and use a damp cloth to wipe down all baseboards, corners where dirt accumulates, and even walls if you spy spills or spatters on them. Once that is done, lightly spritz the floor with the vinegar and water solution, and run the mop over all.

If you have area rugs, consider having them cleaned or, if possible, wash in the washing machine. If you have wall-to-wall carpet, this may be a good time to call in the carpet cleaners.

That’s it! The pleasures of a freshly cleaned room can’t be overstated. I have found that since I have deep-cleaned my kitchen, it is much more pleasant to go in there to cook.

Happy new year, everyone!

Here are some resources I’ve found to help meet those healthy eating goals:

• Going semi-vegan: Mark Bittman advises us to eat at least one vegan meal a week. That doesn’t seem too hard.
• Ditch the recipes: The idea behind simplifying your cooking efforts and not relying so much on recipes is that you’ll cook more often and that you’ll eat up the produce you buy instead of letting it spoil. So, it leads to more healthy eating and less food waste.
• Eat more whole grains: If you replace refined grains with whole grains, at least partly, you’ll eat less and they’re better for you.

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• No More Food Waste! (simplycooking.wordpress.com)

This year, I’m going to focus on posting what I most like to cook: simple, easy recipes with a focus on healthy eating and seasonal ingredients. I will try to post at least one favorite recipe a week, plus tips and tricks as I pick them up.

My favorite recipe for this week is the frittata. A frittata is an Italian omelet. It’s flat and usually thicker than a French-style omelet, with a lot more stuff in it. Making a frittata is a good way to use up those odds and ends of vegetables and cheese that might otherwise get thrown away. You can even throw in leftover pasta, if you like.

I make a frittata about once a week. It fulfills all my requirements for a fast weeknight meal. I can usually make it with the ingredients I have on hand, so a trip to the grocery store isn’t required. It cooks in less than 30 minutes. Often, it can be made without meat, as we try to eat a vegetarian meal at least two or three times weekly. And the leftovers keep beautifully. They are good reheated for breakfast the next day or even cold in a sandwich.

I have tried a lot of frittata recipes from a different cookbooks, and I have gradually worked out a technique that produces good results every time.

1. Start with a 10-inch nonstick oven-safe pan (i.e., one with a metal handle, rather than plastic). Pour in a little olive oil and heat the pan over medium. In the meantime, prepare the vegetable filling. Chop up any vegetables you like. For this week’s frittata, I used red onion and spinach. Leftover cooked vegetables are perfectly fine. You could also throw in some cooked meat, if you have any, like bacon or sausage.
2. Once the pan is warm, add the chopped vegetables and let them cook until tender or wilted. For onions and spinach, this only takes about 5 minutes. Firmer vegetables will take longer. Pre-cooked vegetables only have to be warmed through.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, beat 5 eggs with some salt, pepper and 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced. Once the vegetables are ready, spread them out in the pan and pour the eggs over the top. Turn on the broiler. As the eggs are cooking, lift up the edges with a spatula and let the uncooked egg run to the sides of the pan. You want the eggs to be almost set but still a bit liquid on the top. It may be necessary to turn down the heat to keep the bottom from browning too much.
4. When the eggs are almost set, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the top with grated cheese. For the frittata this week, I used mozzarella, because that’s what I had. You can do without cheese, but I always add it. It makes the frittata more satisfying, in my opinion.
5. Transfer the pan under the broiler and cook until the top is puffy and the cheese is melting and starting to brown. This should take no more than a few minutes. Take it out, cut it into slices and serve with toast.

Note: You don’t have to broil the frittata during the last step. Rather, you can put it into a 350-degree oven and let it finish more slowly. This works fine, but the frittata doesn’t get as puffy and browned, which I prefer. We call it egg pizza!

Leftovers keep for 3 days or so. Try a frittata sandwich for lunch the next day with slices of cold frittata between crusty bread.

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So, 2012 is the year I really try to reduce the amount of food I waste. Did you know that Americans waste about a pound of food per day? Chefs try hard not to waste anything; why shouldn’t home cooks strive for the same goal?

Not wasting food is particularly difficult when you live with a picky toddler. I feel like I have to keep offering him vegetables, chicken, eggs, grains and other things that are good for him, but he will likely turn his nose up at whatever I set before him that isn’t a peanut butter sandwich. Still, I keep trying, and I am getting better at making appropriate quantities and saving what he doesn’t eat for later.

One way to reduce food waste is to think up clever things to do with leftovers. Many recipes are designed to make use of leftovers. For example, bread that is going stale can be recycled as bread crumbs, crostini, bruschetta, bread pudding, bread salad, bread soup and so on. I’m going to feature tips and recipes for using up those leftovers here as I discover them, and I hope you’ll share your tips in the comments.

Now here’s a holiday tip that is super-simple, but I honestly would never have thought of it myself (I read it in one of my new Christmas cookbooks). If you have leftover eggnog, you can recycle it as batter for French toast. Just dip the toast in the eggnog and fry in butter. I am definitely trying that this weekend!

What are your food-related goals for the new year?