Monday, March 13, 2017

Those Macgyver Kitchen Moments

We all have them, those times when we forgot a vital ingredient or wound up short with measuring.It's going to be even rougher for us East Coasters, thanks to the monster blizzard that will be crippling the entire Eastern Seaboard. We won't be able to get to the store, not a good thing,especiallyy if there's you've forgotten something from your grocery list.

This is where Macgyver thinking kicks in.Remember Macgyver? That Eighties TV action hero that could turn a twig into a Swiss Army knife. He's currently enjoying a reboot on CBS and this new millennial inventor still probably can turn a can of beans into a full meal and a weapon of mass destruction. Do the same when you're faced with shortages.If you've run out of eggs for baking,then turn to fruit. Applesauce and bananas make excellent sub ins for them Use a 1/4 cup of either unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. Aquafaba or bean water can also be used because it has similar proteins and enzyme to egg whites.That can of beans Macgyver could turn into a weapon can also actually be used as meat if you forgot to get burgers or there was a run on them. You can use a variety of different beans.Black beans have an earthy flavor, while kidney beans impart a more milder one. Chickpeas can be made into burgers too,giving off a Middle Eastern vibe.They can also be made into falafel for something a little out of the ordinary.

What happens when the kids want pizza and you have no or little flour in the house? Head to the crisper and get out the cauliflower. This is a true Macgyver moment. It's taking the veggie's florets and shredding them in a food processor. You will need some kind of binder such as egg and processed cheese to bind it. The principle can be applied to making cauliflower bread too which can be used for breakfast and sandwiches too. Cauliflower can even be turned into breadsticks too, perfect if you're having spaghetti.Out of macaroni for baked mac? No sweat. Spaghetti can stand in ,creating a dish the whole family might enjoy.It's layering the pasta and cheese with a creamy roux  and then topping with pats of butter and paprika for color. Penne can also be used along with angel hair pasta too. If the kids are clamoring for ice cream, despite the freezing temps, don;t despair.Freeze banana slices over night  and then mash them in a food processor for a creamy, tasty banana flavored treat. Yogurt can also be turned into a frozen treat. It can be poured into an ice cream maker along with one teaspoon of  vanilla flavoring. It could also just be frozen too,for thirty to forty minutes.


Don't worry if you run out of ingredients or have forgotten to buy them. Go Macgyver and sub in whatever.It's amazing what you can do wit what's in your kitchen,