Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Upsides to the Down Economy/Buttermilk


I know this sounds weird but: Buttermilk. I bought some to make cupcakes for my tennis team's dessert- lemon cupcakes with lemon icing, decorated to look like tennis balls. They turned out cute, but I only needed 1/4 of a cup and buttermilk only comes in the semi-big containers, so I have a lot leftover. This happens frequently when I buy buttermilk for a specific recipe; it usually sits around for a while and then I'll give it the sniff test. Buttermilk is one of those food items, like blue cheese, that I never know when it's actually gone bad because it smells bad when it's still good. Of course, there's always the expiration date, but I mostly take those as a suggestion. At any rate, since I hate wasting food (and money), I decided to find some other recipes to use the buttermilk in and here they are.


Buttermilk dressing

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix together lime juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper and olive oil and buttermilk in a blender.

This recipe is used in a Mexican recipe for a salad with mixed greens, feta cheese and fried cubed sweet potatoes, but it also works well in other salads.


Other suggestions for leftover buttermilk: Buttermilk Pie (yummy!) and I've seen it used in cornbread. Buttermilk's delicate tang gives a lightness to baked goods and it's low in fat. You may have other ideas and recipes, but the point is try to use what you have. Be creative!

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