Step Seventeen: Try Some Zero Waste Recipes

Good job! You have your pantry and fridge clean and  organized, you know where to go to buy things in bulk, and you're ready to forego packaging by bringing in your own bags and containers. So now what? You start cooking!

I always view this step with joy, as cooking allows me to work with my hands, enter a meditative state, and be creative. However, there have been many a night where I would give anything to have a pizza magically appear in front of me. Learning to cook from scratch can be challenging, but after a while you'll get the hang of it and it will be second nature.

Often I make zero waste meals that are comprised of rice and steamed vegetables. I cook the rice as usual, but add an extra half-cup of water and whatever chopped, rinsed, and possibly peeled vegetables that seem appealing to me that night. Top it off with your favorite sauce or seasoning, and you have a one-pot meal that's simple, healthy, and can be varied easily.

If you're feeling adventurous, or your family demands something else, there are a wealth of recipes in the in.gredients recipes section and on their blog, Eggton has a host of hilarious stories and delicious recipes (easily made zero waste with a little tweaking), and I run my very own zero waste kitchen blog full of recipes and tutorials, including the afore-mentioned tweaks to make standard recipes zero waste.

Often, if you don't know where else to start, a quick chat with someone at your local co-op, health food store, or bulk buy mecca will leave you with a multitude of good ideas and cooking inspiration. And a leisurely browse in your library's cook book section will yield a wealth of information and recipes. I particularly like the books What's a Cook to Do?, The Pleasures of Cooking for One, and The Joy of Cooking. Also, Cooking, a Commonsense Guide has never failed me and would be the one cookbook I'd save in a fire, but it's not widely available, so you'll likely have to hunt down a copy on the interwebs.

So now you know where to look for recipes, but it's up to you to start. The film director Robert Rodriguez said that eating is something everyone has to do everyday, so it's worth it to know how to cook and feed ourselves well. I fully agree with this and find cooking for myself and my family satisfying, physically and emotionally, even on my tiredest of days, and I wish you  the same contentment and satisfaction.

First time reading about a hundred steps to zero waste? Go here for the introduction and index.

UPDATE: I don't know how I forgot about this, but The Whole Food Diary has recipes and tutorials that make me drool. If you only go one place for your zero waste recipes, go here.