Those Wilted Greens Are A Flavorful Way To Upgrade Your Steak

We've all been there, the door of your refrigerator opens to reveal sad looking herbs staring limply back at you from the inside of the produce drawer. If you think those wilted greens are destined for the trash bin, not so fast. Looks can be deceiving, and with proper attention and a bit of creative culinary care, that pathetic looking produce could very well become the star of tonight's dinner.

If ice water doesn't revive droopy green stems, you can still put wilted herbs and greens to good use. Kale Junkie offers the creative suggestion of finely dicing the withered herbs and sprinkling them into an empty ice cube tray. Then, fill each compartment with your choice of cooking oil and place the tray in the freezer. The seasoned, frozen cubes can be conveniently used the next time you prepare sauces or stews and find yourself in need of oil and seasoning. Green + Simple offers the additional option of drying the herbs to make flaky seasoning for your next recipe. And there's another option — especially if you're craving a flavorful dish right this second.

You can add the shriveled vegetables to soup or fold them into scrambled eggs, but for the protein-seekers among us, tonight's fish or steak can be served alongside a seasoned sauce made from the wilted greens. Chef Nick Leahy adds that less-than-lively-looking greens and herbs can be incorporated into sauces or blended into pesto recipes. "Turn those sad-looking greens into an arugula pesto, a bright chimichurri, or a kale pesto, which are full of flavor and healthy, too!" Leahy told Food & Wine.

To get started, use our bright and fresh pesto recipe as a base and add in the herbs you are attempting to rescue. Of course, if any greens or herbs appear moldy, smell off, have lost color, or are slimy, trash them, advises The Seattle Times. For the sad but salvageable pieces, treat them well, and you might be rewarded with a deliciously seasoned steak dinner to celebrate your thrifty ingenuity in the kitchen.