When I got married my Mom gave me the Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, published in 1969. It has its share of processed food recipes but it is a fine book for basics, such as Caesar salad using coddled egg, a slightly boiled egg, back when eggs didn’t flirt with samonella bacteria. Or pancakes, chocolate cake, meatloaf, even pheasant!
My BC cookbook is now very tatty, held together with yellowing Scotch tape after Jim’s repaired it umpteen times. It is the first book I look for in any used book store, always to no avail. The Caesar salad recipe included instructions for croutons. There’s a hint of garlic, not the blast you out of your socks taste of the typical over-processed, pre-made croutons on your local grocery store shelf. Long ago I stopped buttering the bread before baking--unnecessary calories, little flavor.
Carol’s Simple Croutons
1 loaf stale French bread, or any leftover bread, diced into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cube bread. Spread one layer thick on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 -15 minutes, stirring once. If not toasty enough bake 5 more minutes, check again. Remove from oven. Cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container. Serve on salads, soups or as a snack. Baking the bread cubes give them a long shelf life IF thoroughly cooled and stored in an air-tight jar.
Time: 20 minutes, including 15 minute baking time.
Cost: It can be argued this is a cost free recipe IF you would normally throw out stale bread. Otherwise, $2 for a loaf of French bread.
Cost of Store Bought: 8 oz. box of croutons: $2-$4.
Potential Savings: 0 to $2 per month, up to $24/year
Carol’s Simple Croutons
1 loaf stale French bread, or any leftover bread, diced into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cube bread. Spread one layer thick on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 -15 minutes, stirring once. If not toasty enough bake 5 more minutes, check again. Remove from oven. Cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container. Serve on salads, soups or as a snack. Baking the bread cubes give them a long shelf life IF thoroughly cooled and stored in an air-tight jar.
Time: 20 minutes, including 15 minute baking time.
Cost: It can be argued this is a cost free recipe IF you would normally throw out stale bread. Otherwise, $2 for a loaf of French bread.
Cost of Store Bought: 8 oz. box of croutons: $2-$4.
Potential Savings: 0 to $2 per month, up to $24/year
No comments:
Post a Comment