Dinner: Something For Everyone

Tonight we had "Fridge Dinner". Sometimes, it is also called "Pantry Dinner". Or, you could think of it as "Let's eat this stuff because it's (a) about to go bad, (b) there's not enough left to make a full recipe, or (c) I forgot to thaw something out" dinner.

Well, tonight, it was kind of (a) and (b); (c) didn't come into play, because I had planned on a vegetarian night, anyway.

"Fridge Dinner" is a great way to use up all those bits and pieces of left-over veggies, fruits, cheeses, breads, etc., that haven't found a happy home in your tummy yet. For example tonight, I used up the remnants of yellow grape tomatoes in the tabouleh; fig goat cheese spread on olive oil-toasted bread; fresh red pepper; fingerling potatoes, roasted with a dash of kosher salt and pepper; sweet potatoes for my son; Pink Lady apples; an arugula salad with walnuts, and a couple of green olives.

It might sound strange, but it's perfectly normal around our house. And, luckily, my family loves to eat this way. The variety of food caters to everybody's tastes and invariably, we rarely have left-overs on nights like these. Not only does the variety taste good, but it's good for you, as well. Our meal was not only bursting with vitamins and minerals, but was also full of fresh, whole foods and very little processed ingredients.

So, a healthy meal with calls for "seconds, please" at the table? It's a win-win at our house tonight.