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What do you do with all your food scraps? 

Votes are in and your favorite condiment is chili crisp! I’ve been making mine at home for years and this is my favorite recipe:

Ingredients: 
2 cup of neutral oil (grape-seed, soybean, canola all work) 
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 shallot, minced
2 tablespoon of peanuts, chopped 
1 cup of dried chili flakes (I used a mix of gochugaru & allepo) 
2 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns 
1 tablespoon of sugar
1.5 tablespoon of salt 
Zest of 1 lemon 
2 tablespoon of sesame seeds 


Instructions: 
1. Pour 2 cups of oil into a pot and set on medium high heat. Bring up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. Once the oil is up to temp, drop in the chopped peanuts, minced garlic and shallots. Fry for 1 -2 minute or until golden brown. Using a small fine mesh spider, scoop everything out and set aside. 
3. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add in the all ground chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, sugar, and salt. Immediately shut the heat off and let the residual heat fry the chili peppers. 
4. Once the chili crisp has cooled down, add back the pre-fried garlic, shallots, and peanuts. 
5. Next, zest in 1 lemon and sprinkle in the sesame seeds. 
6. Store in a glass jar and keep in the fridge for 3-6 months. 

Notes: 
1.) If you want to use whole dried chili peppers. You will need 1 pound to make 1 cup of chili flakes. Cut the stems off and pour out the seeds. Place all the whole chili peppers into a blender or food processor and blitz until you have flakes! Follow the recipe above after you have ground chili flakes! 

2.) If you want a brighter red color for your chili crisp, mix in 1 teaspoon of paprika before storing. 

3 Things You Can Do With Stale Bread 

Tip 1: You can “revive” the stale bread by running it under water for 5-10 seconds then toasting it in a toaster or air fryer? The moisture added by running it under water will steam the inside of the loaf while the crust gets crispy from the heat of the oven. 

Tip 2: Toss stale bread into a food processor and blitz until you get crumbs. Bake at 350F for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. (Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.) Add parmesan cheese and herbs for an Italian style breadcrumb! 

Tip 3: Repurpose your stale bread! Stale bread is great for absorbing other flavors. You can make French toast and bread pudding with a stale brioche or you can make French onion soup or bruschetta with a stale baguette. 

Head over to @lifebymikeg on Instagram to see these tips in action! 

As spring gets closer, start saving seeds from your favorite fruits, veggies, and squashes. Dry them and then plant them for the summer! My favorite seeds to save are tomatoes, melons, peppers and squashes. 

What way do you prepare veggies the most? 

Which food project that Josh & I made from the last video would you make? 

Favorite Quick Snacks to Make? 

What meal of the day do you need the most inspiration for? 

What is your favorite condiment? 

What is your weeknight go to meal?