My Zero-Waste Kitchen: Easy Ways to Eat Waste Free (Dk) Page 3
Pimp up your pesto
Bananas
Is your fruit bowl bursting with bananas ? Don’t let them turn black and end up in the bin. Try some of these awesome ideas to make the most of every bit of this fabulous fruit.
Banana ice cream
This easy-to-make but utterly delicious frozen treat makes a great healthy and vegan alternative to ice cream. Keep it simple with just one ingredient – a banana – or add any flavourings, such as berries or cocoa, that take your fancy.
1 Peel your banana – just use more bananas if you want to make a batch of ice cream – and chop into chunks.
2 Freeze the pieces for at least 2 hours then blitz in a food processor until smooth – try adding cocoa powder at this stage for chocolate flavoured “ice cream”.
3 You can eat the ice cream right away or transfer to an airtight container and freeze it again to firm it up.
Banana ice cream
Love your leftovers…
Potatoes
Do your leftover potatoes leave you feeling as cold as YESTERDAY’S MASH? Try these top tips and soon you’ll be MAKING OVER your mash and REVIVING your roasts!
Mashed
Shepherd’s pie
Tasty topping
Try using your mashed potato as a topping for pies instead of pastry. Spread the potato over your filling and pop it in the oven until warmed through and browning on top.
Fishcakes
Potato patties
Recycle your leftover mash into potato cakes by cracking in an egg, mixing it with the potato, and adding some herbs. Then form into patties or balls and fry off each side in a little oil until warmed through and crispy on the outside. Try adding cooked fish or bacon into the mix for extra flavour.
Potato and bacon soup
Add thickness
Mashed potato makes a great alternative to cornflour when it comes to thickening up your sauces, soups, or stews. Blend your leftover mash in a food processor until it is smooth – you may need to add a little milk or some of the dish you are thickening. Once it is smooth, gradually stir it into your soup or sauce until you reach the desired consistency.
Boiled
Super salad
Boiled potatoes can be reworked into tasty potato salad. Cut the potatoes into bitesize pieces and mix up with mayonnaise, natural yogurt, boiled egg, peas, herbs, and chopped radishes – or whatever vegetables you have to hand!
Roasted
Frittata
Just add eggs
Leftover roast potatoes make a great addition to a frittata or Spanish omelette. Whisk up 3 or 4 eggs with a little water and seasoning. Fry off a sliced onion in a little oil over a medium heat until golden, slice your potatoes, then add them to the pan. Pour in the egg mix and reduce heat. Let the omelette cook through for around 12 minutes.
Bake
Cheese and bacon
Stuffed spuds
Give baked potatoes a new lease of life by mixing up the flesh with flavourful fillings. Slice your baked potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Place it in a bowl with fillings of your choice. Mix it all together and season to taste. Stuff the filling into the potato skin, sprinkle on some grated cheese and bake in the oven until warmed through and the top has browned.
Creative Crisps
Transform potato peelings or old veg into these moreish crisps. A healthy snack from leftover veg!
serves 2
50g (1¾oz) potato peel from around 2 large potatoes
½ tbsp olive oil
a generous pinch of chilli powder
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika powder
¼ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
50g (1¾oz) kale leaves
first make the base
1 Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF/Gas 2) and line 2–3 baking trays with baking parchment.
2 Place the potato peel in a mixing bowl with half of the oil, spices, salt, and pepper. Using your hands (wear gloves if necessary), gently rub the peel until it is completely coated with oil and spices. Set aside.
3 Using a sharp knife, remove the tough, woody kale stems and roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
4 Place the kale in a mixing bowl with the remaining oil, spices, salt, and pepper. Gently rub the kale for 1–2 minutes until it is completely coated and starting to soften.
5 Spread the potato peel and kale thinly on separate baking trays in single, even layers. Set the kale tray aside.
6 Place the potato peel in the oven and leave to roast for 25 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the kale tray and continue roasting for the remaining 15 minutes, or until crisp. Watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn.
7 Remove the crisps from the oven and leave on the trays for a few minutes to crisp up before eating.
8 The crisps are best eaten within a few hours, but can be stored in an airtight container for 1–2 days. Re-crisp them in the oven at a low temperature for 3–4 minutes.
now zero-waste it!
sweet potato and potato peel crisps
Swap the kale for the peel of 2 large sweet potatoes – about 50g (1¾oz) . Combine with the regular potato peel and season as per the recipe. Roast both for 25 minutes, or until crisp.
tired parsnip and potato peel crisps
Swap the kale for 1 parsnip – about 100g (3½oz) . Slice very thinly either with a mandolin or a veg peeler, including tops and tails. Season, spread thinly on a baking tray, and roast for around 35 minutes, or until crisp. Thicker slices may need an extra 5 minutes, but watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Add the potato peel tray to the oven for the last 25 minutes.
tired beetroot and potato peel crisps
Swap the kale for 1 beetroot – about 100g (3½oz) . Slice very thinly either with a mandolin or a veg peeler, including tops and tails. Season, spread thinly on a baking tray, and roast for around 35 minutes, or until crisp. Thicker slices may need an extra 5 minutes, but watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Add the potato peel tray to the oven for the last 25 minutes.
Creative crisps
Everything in its place!
Knowing whether to put your food in the CUPBOARD, FREEZER , or FRIDGE will help it last longer and reduce waste. LABEL FOODS so you know what will go off when. Track what you use and what you waste.
Shop smart!
Stop before you shop! Take time to plan what you need, where you should buy it, and how much to get in one go – without wasting it.
Learn to list
A shopping list is essential for ensuring you don’t buy more food than you need. Whether you stick to a strict meal plan or have a looser guide , use your weekly menu as the basis for your shopping list. Check what ingredients you already have and list anything extra you’ll need along with the quantities required. Once you’re out shopping, stick to your list and don’t let special offers tempt you off-plan!
Fruit and veg market
Where to shop
Supermarkets are convenient for buying everything under one roof, but your local farmers’ market has its advantages. Local produce is fresher as it has travelled less far and it comes with less packaging – you can even hand back any ties or bands on the produce to the stallholder. So make an effort to buy your perishable goods locally at the market. They often sell imperfect veg that supermarkets refuse, so you also may find that shopping here is cheaper.
Bargain beware!
Don’t be tempted by what might look like great bargain buys. Shops discount fresh produce that is near or at its use-by date but unless you’re sure you will use it all right away, you will end up wasting it. Try to buy loose veg where you can and select the exact number you need rather than opting for cheap multipacks, or you may end up throwing away more than you use!
Buying in bulk
Buying large quantities of food in one go is cheaper, reduces packaging, and the number of shopping trips you make. But only bulk-buy foods that will keep long enough for you to use them. Good foods to buy in b
ulk include: dried beans, rice, oats, pasta, nuts, dried fruit, and condiments you use often. When decanting bulk buys don’t top up containers, make sure you remove any remaining food first and put it back on the top so that it gets used next.
Frugal Flapjacks
Add a fruity twist to your flapjacks with overripe berries , citrus peel , or even leftover pulp from your juicer.
Serves 12–16
100g (3½oz) coconut oil
150g (5½oz) honey or rice syrup
150g (5½oz) nut or seed butter
200g (7oz) rolled oats
100g (3½oz) flaked almonds
50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
100g (3½oz) mixed dried fruit, such as dates, raisins, figs, or goji berries, chopped
200g (7oz) mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, chia, sesame, or hemp
first make the base
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350°F/Gas 4) and line a 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in) baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Gently heat the oil, honey, and nut or seed butter in a pan until combined.
3 Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl.
4 Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir until thoroughly combined.
5 Turn the flapjack mixture into the baking tray and level out, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
6 Leave the flapjack in the tray on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
7 Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
now zero-waste it!
overripe berries
Heat 150g (5½oz) berries , such as blueberries or raspberries , and 1 tbsp water in a saucepan over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft. Mash with a fork, then add the oil, honey, and nut or seed butter.
satsuma, tangerine, or mandarin peel
Add the finely chopped peel of a piece of citrus fruit (about 2 tbsp) at step 2.
leftover juicing pulp
There are endless flavour possibilities from whatever you used in your juice! Add 150g (5½oz) juicing pulp to the honey mixture at step 1, combine, then continue as per the recipe.
Frugal flapjacks
One-meal wonder
Find out just how far one meal can go with these awesome ideas for making the most of your roast .
Sunday: The big dinner
You’ve cooked a roast chicken dinner but what can you do with the leftover meat, potatoes, and accompanying vegetables? And how long will they keep before they spoil? Cooked meat keeps for around three to four days and vegetables for up to five days if refrigerated. Store both in airtight containers in the fridge.
Roast chicken dinner
Day 1
Monday:
Lunch
VEGETABLE FRITTERS
Use up any leftover cooked veg by shredding them into a bowl with a little grated cheese. Season and mix well. Stir in an egg and combine. Fry off spoonfuls of the mix in olive oil, over a medium heat, for a couple of minutes on each side or until crisp.
Dinner
ROAST CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Add leftover roasted chicken to your stir-fry mix. Make sure it is thoroughly heated through before serving.
Day 2
Tuesday:
Lunch
SALAD WITH POTATO CROUTONS
Give texture to your salad by adding roast potato croutons. Simply take the potatoes out of the fridge and allow them to come back to room temperature – or refry for extra crunch. Then crumble them over your salad.
Dinner
CHICKEN TACOS
Shred your leftover chicken and fry it in a little oil along with taco spices and seasoning of your choice. Warm tortillas in a pan and spoon in your spicy chicken. Add toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, beans, salsa, and lettuce.
Day 3
Wednesday:
Lunch
BUBBLE & SQUEAK
Mix all your veg in a bowl (chop up any large chunks of potato) and season. Heat some butter or oil in a pan and fry the mix over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, turning frequently, until crisp and browned throughout. Serve with scrambled egg and grilled tomato.
Dinner
CHICKEN, VEG, & PASTA BAKE
Stir bite-size chunks of leftover roast chicken into your mix for a vegetable and pasta bake before putting it in the oven.
10
foods you didn’t know you could...
FREEZE
Making friends with your freezer is a great way to avoid food waste. If you’re buying in bulk to cut down on packaging , freezing your produce will ensure it doesn’t go off before you can use it.
1 NUTS
With their high oil content, nuts such as pecans, almonds, and walnuts are prone to going rancid, which can be a problem when buying in bulk. Freeze them – either in their shells or shelled – and they will last at least twice as long.
.
2 opened wine
Freeze any leftover wine in ice cube trays, transfer the cubes to freezer bags, and then pop them into sauces, stews, or risottos straight from the freezer.
.
3 hard cheeses
Never let an old block of cheese moulder away at the back of the fridge again! It’s best to grate it first, so that you can grab handfuls as you need them, and store it in an airtight bag or container.
.
4 fresh herbs
If a recipe calls for just a sprig or two of fresh herbs, what do you do with the rest of the bunch? Freeze it of course! Place unneeded fresh herbs in an ice cube tray, cover with a little water, leave to freeze, then transfer to freezer bags.
.
5 mashed potatoes
If you’ve got a bag of potatoes past their prime, make a large batch of mash and freeze individual portions for later. Use the same method for sweet potato or swede, too.
.
6 eggs
You can store raw egg in the freezer – but not whole eggs, which may expand and crack. Either whisk in a bowl and pour the mixture into an ice cube tray or, if you’re a keen baker, why not freeze the whites and yolks separately?
.
7 cooked pasta
Freezing is a great way to preserve any leftover cooked pasta. Make sure you cook it al dente, otherwise it may go mushy when you defrost it.
.
8 cake
You can freeze cake as long as it doesn’t have any icing, filling, or decoration. Either freeze it whole or cut it into slices and store them individually. Freezing cake also reduces the crumbs around the edges, making it easier to ice.
.
9 uncooked brown rice
Brown rice has a higher natural oil content than white rice, so its shelf life is much shorter. The simple solution? Freeze it in a sealed, airtight container.
.
10 diced vegetables
Dice fresh onions, peppers, or chillies, and freeze them flat in freezer bags. Press “score lines” into the bags before they have fully frozen so that you can break off individual portions.
Fruity Cake
Choose banana peels , pineapple cores , or nut milk pulp to turn up the flavour in this wonderful waste-free treat.
makes 8–12 slices
60g (2oz) coconut oil
150g (5½oz) maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
140g (5oz) chickpea, brown rice, or wholemeal flour
140g (5oz) ground almonds
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
50g (1¾oz) walnuts, chopped
250g (9oz) mixed dried fruit, such as apricots, prunes, raisins, figs, or dates, chopped
3 eggs, separated
100ml (3½fl oz) fresh orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
1 tbsp flax seeds
first make the base
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4), and grease and line a 20cm (8in) round cake tin, or 900g (2lb) loaf tin
.
2 Place the coconut oil, syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Melt over a medium heat, then set aside to cool.
3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon, walnuts, and dried fruit.
4 Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks, and set aside.
5 Add the orange juice to the cooled syrup mixture, then gently beat in the egg yolks.
6 Pour the syrup mix into the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Very gently, fold in the egg whites with a spatula.
7 Pour the cake mix into the tin. Level out and sprinkle with flax seeds.