Fridge forage Friday: Marinated Chicken
Fridge foraging. Ever heard of it?
I heard about it a couple of years ago from Stephanie (@cookbycolor - follow her on Instagram - she’s amazing). It essentially is a way to utilize what you have in the fridge or what is about to go bad and create a dish that is new, exciting, nourishing, and tasty.
You can use leftovers from the night before, vegetables that are on their last leg, or even fresh items you picked up that day. Whatever it is, USE it. Don’t throw it away. If it has mold, cut it off. If it is dehydrated, soak it in some water. Food is already so expensive and if we continue to buy items and throw them away, we are quite literally throwing away money. Right in the trash - or compost :).
Now, while I do enjoy cooking and consider myself an avid amateur home chef, I certainly wasn’t always like this. Yes, I grew up cooking and baking with my mom, grandma, and aunts (who are all tremendous chefs and bakers, by the way), but the idea of fridge foraging wasn’t something I started implementing or even thought about until I was on my own and paying for groceries.
In college, my roommates and I did a good job of sharing items like milk, flour, eggs, and all those bulk items. A) because space was limited in our tiny fridge for five people and B) we knew we each couldn’t go through a gallon of milk or even a half gallon by ourselves. So, this idea of using what you had, really started to take place.
When college ended and Zach and I moved in together, we had a lot more freezer and fridge space but quickly realized how expensive food was for two people and a 100-pound German Shepherd. We were new graduates with student loans and on a tight budget.
Most of our meals consisted of a frozen protein (chicken, ground beef, fish), rice or pasta, and some sort of vegetable. Who am I kidding, this is what most of our meals still consist of, but you get the point, right? Simple. Nourishing. Saitiaing.
These days we have more wiggle room with our budget, but dang food prices are always increasing it seems ($5/dozen for pasture-raised eggs!?). So, fridge foraging has been a way for us to save money, reduce waste, and get creative in the kitchen. And let me tell you, these dishes are delicious! They may be a little different every time I make them, but nonetheless, they get the job done.
Going forward, I would like to implement - Fridge Forage Fridays - where I share with you what we have in our fridge and what we decide to make with it, in hopes of inspiring you to do the same.
Without further ado, our first, Fridge Forage Friday!
The first thing I do when I fridge forage is look for a source of protein. Protein is an essential macronutrient and provides our body with fuel to keep us energized and build muscle mass. I aim to incorporate about 30-40 gm of protein into every meal throughout the day.
Today, I had chicken quarters (thigh and leg pieces still together) that have been thawing in the fridge for a couple of days. I neeeeeeded to get these cleaned up, so I knew I had to use them.
After I find my source of protein, I start to look at other items that need to be used. Today, I had quite a few mandarin oranges from Christmas that have started to dry up and we were no longer eating fresh. It hit me, make a marinade with orange juice and make orange chicken! So that’s what I did.
I juiced the oranges and added soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, green onion, garlic, ginger, persimmon, and black pepper. Gave it a mix and poured it on the chicken to marinate for a couple of hours.
Once marinated, I removed the chicken and placed it on a lined baking tray, and baked it at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until cooked through— about 45-60 minutes.
While the chicken was baking, I poured the marinade into a saucepan and boiled it until thick. Some people throw the marinade away, but if you boil it for at least 5 minutes, it will kill bacteria and you can use it as a sauce. Use at your own discretion. :) After the sauce had boiled and thickened, I basted the chicken while it was cooking to make them extra delicious and like sticky wings!
While the chicken was roasting, I added some leftover roasted root vegetables and broccoli to a separate baking tray and cooked them with the chicken in the oven. I rarely use these pre-cooked rice packets, but was feeling lazy and didn’t want to make rice on the stove. If you shop at Aldi, look for these rice packets! The ingredients are amazing, and the convenience is unmatched.
The chicken may have ended up a little bit darker than intended, but I love burnt food, so that was okay! I topped it with green onion and sesame seeds and dinner was ready!
This dinner was delicious and so easy! Besides making the marinade, the oven did most of the work and I could enjoy watching Wheel of Fortune and FaceTiming one of my best friends; while still making an incredible, tasty, and healthy meal.
Fridge foraging is about saving money, utilizing the food you have, and getting creative in the kitchen. I hope this post and future ones will inspire you to think outside the box and get a little bit more experimental in the kitchen!
Cheers,
