After a conversation centered on meatballs – and whether you buy them or make them – I started paying attention to things that I have always bought that others may make at home. While we were on the East Coast I was served one of these items by my father-in-law. He made croutons. Croutons!
Maybe I am alone here but I have never thought about making croutons! But they were – as most fresh made foods – delicious. And I just hate to have food go bad and throw it away – so what a great way to use bread that is on its way to being stale.
Unlike packaged croutons – even the O Organics Croutons I had recently found – fresh made ones are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. And you can make them from any kind of bread – white, rye, multigrain, homemade, whatever you have. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Or can pair the herbs and spices you use with the meal or keep it simple. Here’s the basic recipe:
Basic Croutons
½ loaf bread cubed
½ stick melted butter (this can be adjusted to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss the bread cubes with the butter, salt and pepper. Heat a skillet on medium. Add the bread cubes and allow them to toast on each side. When desired toastiness is reached use them to top your salad!
Easy alternatives: season with garlic salt or with Italian Seasoning; use a mix of olive oil and butter; leave out overnight to crisp through and through
As you can see this is an easy recipe that can be tailored to your tastes, your meal or simply what you have on hand. Enjoy the variations!
Look for more recipes on tan/green’s next Friday Fare…
Hello my lovely lurker – I hope you are all well in your household. I will check out the NYT piece – though I am a Pollan fan. One of his food rules is to buy food with less than 5 ingredients – and I am a big proponent. I find I am not really all that against treat food (like cookies, pizza, breaded chicken – not nuggets!) as long as I make it and know what went in there. As for mayo…I haven’t been brave enough to try it but – funny – I thought mayo was an invention of the prepared food age until very recently when I learned from the Barefoot Contessa that it could be made at home! But since you asked so nicely…I will have to give it a whirl and tell the story here…stay tuned!
Ok! I am finally finally commenting after just lurking for a while.
Have you read Michael Pollan’s stuff? He is all about making food from scratch in order to avoid the preservatives, etc. Here’s an article he wrote for the NYTimes, scroll down to part 5 where he has a conversation with Harry Balzer, and then again to the very end of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?pagewanted=all
I couldn’t find it on a quick skim just now, but thought one of the items they talked about buying ready-made v. from scratch was mayonnaise. A possibility for your next recipe?
And in regards to your meatballs… I also make my bread crumbs. But because I use them so rarely if I buy them I waste most of the can. Moral of the story: be granola by being cheap!
All the best to you and your family!