Clean the Kitchen

The aroma would greet us at the door whenever my husband cooked his favorite dish.

“Hm-mm. What’s that?”

I call it “Clean the kitchen,” he’d announce.

He passed in 1988, but I think of this idea whenever I have odds and ends in the refrigerator, but not enough of any one ingredient for a standard dish.

In honor of him, and kicking off 2025 Black History Month, I put ingredients in a skillet and began to stir.

Today’s version began with chopped sweet Vidalia onion, ground turkey, a few cabbage leaves, sliced zucchini, a Mexican squash, leftover Jasmine rice, and more. Because I didn’t have a can of stewed tomatoes, I boiled, peeled and chopped a tomato.

Then I began to add seasonings: chili powder, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, and so on.

Finally, a little beef broth at the end.

You add whatever you have on hand that you think might work. You may want to taste along the way, but since I’ve been cooking for decades I trust the process.

You might add cheese or other toppings as your taste and diet allow. Not sure how a topping will work? Put a little on a spoonful of your dish to taste before sprinkling it all over your whole creation.

Finally, plating it makes it more fun for me.

Every time I make "Clean the Kitchen" it's going to be different, so don't ask for the recipe.

It occurred to me that every culture probably has a dish made up of odds and ends.

What is that dish made up of odds and ends called in your culture or family?

Family recipes are a memorable part of our life stories.

If you long to write your life story, search your memory for recipes that hold special meaning for you.

That’s why recipes are one of many easy-to-create content ideas, tips, resources and more I share in my pdf guide to writing your life story available for instant download at https://www.florabrown.com/wait-dont-leave

If this intrigues you and you want to discover other great ideas for writing your life story, get on my email list at https://www.florabrown.com/stay-connected so you'll be notified of upcoming resources and courses.