How a Foodie Uses Everything in Her Kitchen For a Week's Worth of Meals

I challenged myself to use all the food I had in the kitchen (before hitting the store) for meals this past week. With the cost of food and just the general state of the economy, I've been looking for ways to make food stretch. I also realized you can make delicious food (and I even baked this week) even with limited ingredients (and healthy food as well). Here are a few sample dishes from my dinner menu from this past week.

• My Version of Shepherd's Pie (a healthier version made from ground turkey with green beans, carrots and sauteed onion - use corn starch instead of flour when making your gravy).
  
• Lemon Scampi with Pasta (those bags of frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's come in handy - I added freshly squeezed lemon juice along with the garlic, olive oil and wine)
• Pumpkin Spice Cake and brownies (both were lower fat versions and tasted delicious!)

I'm marinating a tri tip roast with potatoes for tonight's dinner - the leftover meat can be made into stroganoff, stir fry or fajitas.

If I could actually use all the food in my kitchen and not go to the store once last week, then you can do it as well. Just remember to plan ahead and think of creative ways to utilize leftovers!

The Scoop on Squash-Based Soups

I made delicious butternut squash soup this past week. It was the perfect compliment with this dreary northern California weather we've had lately. I told my chef friend about my soup masterpiece. After I told him about my creation (I was quite proud that I didn't use a recipe), he gave me a great tip for the next time I make butternut squash soup: add two tablespoons butter to the soup and let it melt into the soup (don't melt it before you add it to the soup). He says it gives it a silky, smooth texture. I knew there was a reason why I have chefs at my disposal. He also adds pureed potatoes to his soup (which I need to try next time).

My secret is in the spices - a dash of nutmeg and hints of cinnamon, allspice, ginger and just a hint of cloves (you can also throw in a dash of pumpkin pie spice which basically combines the spices above).

If you want a healthy creamy soup to warm up your palate during the rainy (or snowy) days, try your culinary hand at butternut squash soup.