GREEN THE KITCHEN
HOW TO CUT DOWN ON WASTE, SAVE MONEY – AND EAT WELL!
EVERY year Scots throw away more than £1billion worth of food. This means the average household is chucking away £437 annually, or around £36 each month.
Most of this is avoidable waste – good produce that we simply do not get around to eating.
Food waste is worse than plastic in terms of the impact on climate change, warns Zero Waste Scotland. This is because when we waste food, we waste all of the resource and energy that goes into its growth, picking, production, packaging and transport.
If wasted food ends up in landfill, it emits methane – a greenhouse gas that is much more damaging than carbon dioxide.
So to help reduce the amount Scotland wastes, we have teamed up with Zero Waste Scotland to share expert advice on saving food and top recipes for using up leftovers. This week, in a series of four special supplements, we’ll be offering top tips on cutting your household’s waste.
Yesterday we outlined why food waste is such a problem. Today, we look at the importance of knowing your dates – and how paying heed to the ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ labels can help you save food.
We also have a selection of mouthwatering meals you can make using leftovers, such as potato and veggie hash, mixed vegetable curry and spicy carrot burgers.
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: ‘In our current climate emergency, it simply isn’t good enough to continue to operate in the wasteful ways of the past. Food waste is a huge contributor to carbon emissions, and we can all play a significant role in reducing this impact.
‘Whether it is doggy bags to take home,
thinking a bit more about what you’re ordering or pre-planning meals, there are a lot of fairly small changes that could make a huge difference to Scotland and the rest of the planet.’
Scotland’s National Chef, MasterChef winner Gary Maclean, said: ‘Food waste is a villain we can fight with small changes to our everyday routines.
‘Making sure we use what we buy and throw out less is a really big deal in reducing our impact on the planet.’
At home, you can play your part by following our useful tips...
Plan your meals to suit your schedule
MEAL planning is one of the best things you can do to help reduce waste. Before you shop, do the following:
Check your cupboards, fridge and freezer so you know what you have;
Ask yourself how many nights you plan to cook? Will you cook every night? Could you cook a bigger batch and serve on more than one night?;
Think about how much time you can spare to spend cooking and look for recipes that will suit your schedule;
Write a shopping list and stick to it. Buy only what you need for your meals, but remember to get some snacks in for the week too. This way you can avoid impulse buys when you get cravings;
Cook at least one dish a week that will provide you with more than one meal. This means you have a ready-made dinner when you are tight for time. Freeze if you are not going to eat it within two days;
Don’t forget lunches, and use up leftover ingredients for midday meals. This is a big money saver and it is much nicer to have a homemade lunch to look forward to at work. It’s usually healthier than a takeaway, too.
Know your dates
IT is important to understand the different labels on our food and what they mean. This knowledge will help you to keep better track of what is in your fridge and when it will have to be used up by. Keep yourself right by noting these handy guides: USE BY: Food can be eaten up to the end of the ‘use by’ date but not after – even if it looks and smells fine. BEST BEFORE: These dates refer to quality rather than food safety. When this date has passed, the food will not be unsafe for consumption but might begin to lose its flavour and texture. One exception is eggs – never eat eggs after the ‘best before’ date. SELL BY: You can ignore this label as the date is sales advice for store staff, not shoppers.
DISPLAY UNTIL: Again, you can ignore these dates as they are for shop staff.
But always follow a packet’s storage guidance and instructions, such as ‘eat within three days of opening’.
To extend the life of food beyond its date, freeze it before the ‘use by’ date on the label. Defrost thoroughly before consumption and use within 24 hours.
Perfect your portions
MAKE sure you are cooking the correct amount of foods such as pasta or rice – and not too much – by using the handy portion calculator on the Love Food
Hate Waste website, lovefoodhatewaste.
com. But if you make too much, store it in the fridge and have it for lunch.
COOKING FOR FAMILY? Find a clean item that measures out the perfect portion of pasta or rice and use this every time you cook to avoid having to guess and making too much.
For example, if Dad’s mug holds just the right amount of rice, encourage everyone in the family to use this when cooking and you will always end up with a perfect portion – and no waste. COOKING FOR FRIENDS? Let guests dish up their own portions. People know how much they want to eat, so will not
take too much. It is also more socially acceptable to keep leftovers from the pot rather than scraping them off someone’s plate!
If there is a lot of food left over, then do not let guests leave without taking a doggy bag for their lunch the next day.
DINING OUT While tackling food waste in the home is vital, we can also do our bit for the planet when eating out.
The Scottish hospitality industry wastes an estimated one in every six meals served – which costs around £212million each year.
Around 34 per cent of this is what is known as ‘plate waste’, good food that has been left over at the end of a meal.
Top tips for reducing plate waste
Don’t order too much when eating out. Order only one course at a time if you are unsure how much you will eat;
Tell waiters you do not want garnishes if you do not intend to eat them;
Ask for a doggy bag to take home if you cannot finish your meal.
Research suggests as many as 42 per cent of diners – nearly half of us –are too shy to ask for a doggy bag.
To tackle this, Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging businesses and consumers to take home what you have paid for.
Perfectly good food across the country due to the stigma of requesting the leftovers to go.
The Zero Waste Scotland Good to Go pilot scheme is aiming to change the culture around doggy bags – and so save food from ending up in the bin – by n easy giving customers a way to take uneaten food home.
Now, restaurants taking part in Good to Go pilot offer ustomers their left overs to take away – resulting in average food waste being reduced by 42 per cent. Customers a lso overwhelmingly welcomed the service. across Scotland
If restaurants routinely offered dinners a doggy bag, the
equivalent of 800,000 full meals would not end up in the bin.
Zero Waste Scotland’s Good to Go initiative is being backed by National Chef Gary Maclean and Angela Loftus, the owner of the popular Black Sheep Bistro in Glasgow’s West End.
Ms Loftus said: ‘We’ve been working with Zero Waste Scotland to reduce the food waste we generate.
‘Our customers love our greener approach and are especially pleased to be offered a Good to Go doggy bag. They see it as an extra service, better value and chance to do the right thing.’
So whether it is taking a doggy bag home, thinking more carefully about what you are ordering or planning meals, there are many small but effective changes you can adopt that will make a huge difference to Scotland and the rest of the planet.
Veggie recipes from Love Food Hate Waste
LOOkING to get creative in the kitchen? Here are some inspiring ideas for using up leftovers in delicious vegetarian dishes.
Remember, you can freeze anything you do not use and enjoy a ready-made meal at a later date.
ZERO WASTE POTATO AND VEGGIE HASH
THIS is perfect for brunch or lunch and is packed with healthy veggies.
You can also add any leftover vegetables into your hash patties to minimise household food waste.
It is far too easy to simply bin all of the odds and ends that are chopped off during meal preparation, but a lot of the bits that we throw away can be eaten – and are often the best pieces in terms of flavour and nutrients.
Once ready, the patties can be frozen and eaten at a later date, but be sure to properly defrost and reheat well before serving. If you are vegan, the butter can be replaced by two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Gluten-free flour will also work just as well.
INGREDIENTS Serves four
750g (1½lb) floury potatoes, such as King Edwards or Maris Pipers, washed 2 parsnips, washed 1 head broccoli, florets separated and the stem finely chopped 30g (1 oz) salted butter 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling ½ tsp ground cumin 4 spring onions, finely sliced Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
4 medium organic free-range eggs (optional) 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 lemon, cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
PREHEAT the oven to 220C (425F, gas 7). Peel the potatoes and parsnips and cut into chunks, then place these in a pan of cold, salted water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until a knife passes easily through the chunks.
Add the broccoli florets for the final five minutes of cooking, then drain and leave to steam-dry for two minutes. Return to the pan, add the butter and mash until smooth.
On a non-stick baking tray, pat dry the potato and parsnip peelings using a clean tea towel then toss in a tablespoon of olive oil, the cumin and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Spread out into a single layer and roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and crisp, then set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven to 120C (250F, gas ½). Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then fry the chopped broccoli stem, the spring onions and parsley stalks for ten minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic and fry for another two
minutes. Add to the potato and parsnip mix along with the parsley leaves and stir to combine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and, when cool enough to handle, use lightly floured hands to shape into eight hash patties. Place on a plate and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
When chilled, sprinkle both sides of the hash patties with the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and, working in batches, fry the patties for five or six minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate in the oven to keep warm between batches.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil then reduce to a simmer and gently crack the eggs into the water, one at a time.
Leave to poach for four to five minutes until the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. Carefully remove the eggs from the water using a slotted spoon, draining off any excess water.
Stack two hash patties on top of each other and serve topped with a poached egg and the parsnip and potato crisps.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the chilli flakes and season with freshly ground black pepper before serving with a wedge of lemon.
CHICKPEA & MUSHROOM SLOW COOKER FEAST
THroW these ingredients together in the morning and a warming delicious stew will be waiting for you when you get home.
If you are short on time, you can skip the first step and simply put all the ingredients in the slow cooker at the same time.
Try experimenting by adding in kidney beans or fresh tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS
Serves four 2 cans of chickpeas, drained 5 carrots, chopped 2 celery sticks, chopped 2 white onions, diced 1 pack of button mushrooms, sliced Other vegetables or beans that need using up from the cupboard or fridge 1 can of chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp of tomato puree 3 spring onions, sliced (for garnish) 1 vegetable stock cube 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp of turmeric 1 tsp of cumin 1 tsp of chilli powder or paprika Salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS
HeAT the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, garlic and spices for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
Mix your stock cube in 600ml (1 pint) of warm water until dissolved.
Add all of the ingredients, including the chopped vegetables and fried onions, into your slow cooker, then pour in the stock and can of chopped tomatoes.
Cook on high for four hours or on low for six hours before serving with spring onions, yoghurt and crusty bread.
MIXED VEG CURRY
SAve any veggies left lingering in the bottom of the fridge and give them a new lease of life in this inventive curry, which is as light as it is healthy.
We use madras curry paste for added kick but you can choose your favourite.
Give the dish an authentic touch by serving with basmati rice. INGREDIENTS Serves four 450g (1lb) potatoes or sweet potatoes
225g (½lb) vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, babycorn, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or French beans 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 tbsp curry paste 1 onion, peeled and chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 50g (1¾ oz) creamed coconut, grated Can chopped tomatoes or 400g (14 oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 level tsp of salt 4 handfuls fresh spinach Coriander sprigs to garnish Basmati rice, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for ten minutes then drain and set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the other vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for about five minutes (until the onion has softened), stirring occasionally.
Add the coconut and curry paste and cook, stirring, for one minute. Next, add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture resembles a thick paste.
Add all of the vegetables (except the spinach), the salt and 150ml (¼ pint) of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the spinach.
Cook for another five minutes or until all of the vegetables are just tender. Season and add the coriander before serving.
CELERY, BROCCOLI AND STILTON SOUP
SeASoNAL, thick, nourishing... what is not to love about this classic soup, especially on a chilly winter day?
We have enhanced the recipe by adding celery and recommend that you serve this up with thick, crusty bread – perfect for wiping your bowl clean. INGREDIENTS Serves four 1 onion, peeled and chopped 3 sticks of celery, roughly chopped Olive oil 1 large potato, peeled and chopped 1 litre (1¾ pints) of turkey, chicken or vegetable stock (use the latter only if guests are vegetarian or vegan)
300g (10½ oz) broccoli, roughly chopped (ensure you use the stem, but peel it first)
100g (3½ oz) of Stilton, Roquefort or other blue cheese
Black pepper Pinch of nutmeg Chopped chives Warm crusty bread, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
PUT the onion, celery and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan then cook over a medium heat until the veggies are soft – this should take about five minutes.
Add the potato and stock and simmer until the potato is tender. Add the broccoli and cook for three or four minutes until just tender but still bright green.
Add half of the cheese, the pepper and nutmeg and whiz, using a hand-held blender, to a smooth soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool a little and pour into a blender, then re-heat in the pan (do not boil).
Crumble the rest of the cheese on top, sprinkle with chives and serve with bread.
SPICY CARROT BURGERS
THeSe delicious but cheap burgers are a great way to use up any breadcrumbs you have. The recipe works equally well served with some cooked vegetables or a salad, or in a burger bun with all the trimmings. INGREDIENTS Serves eight 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated 2 x 400g (14 oz) tins of beans, drained 1 large onion, peeled and grated 2 eggs 1 tsp curry powder, garam masala or chilli powder 150g (5¼ oz) fresh breadcrumbs 2 tbsp vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Fry the carrots and onion in a little oil until soft. Drain, rinse and mash the beans, then put them into a mixing bowl and combine with the carrot and onion, spice and one of the eggs.
Put the breadcrumbs on a plate. Break the remaining egg into a bowl and whisk.
Shape the burger mixture into eight patties. Dip each one into the egg, then cover with breadcrumbs before frying gently in the remaining oil until crisp and golden on both sides.