Waste Not, Want Not
Waste less and save more
Reducing waste is a hot topic. When it comes to sustainable eating, raw and organic ingredients AND saving money, all of the well-meaning messages can be overwhelming! It takes a lot of time and energy to make a carrot soup infused with leftover parmesan rind topped with a pistou made from the tops of carrots.
At Pollen we are all for reducing food waste, however we are also believers in realistic lifestyle choices! Here are some simple tips and recipies to help you reduce food waste, eat healthily and save money.
How you save
These ideas revolve around a packed lunch. You end up saving money because you’re prepared when it comes to lunch-time and the café nearby won’t seem so alluring.
You will also be buying less ingredients to make your lunch, because the odds and ends of your dinner preparations will be put to good use. All you need is a couple of staples in the cupboard. Depending on your preference these include…
rice
pasta
potatoes
nuts
bread
salad leaves
Odds and Ends Recipes
Herby pesto
Do you ever buy herbs for a particular dish and end up only using half the bunch? Well it turns out basil is not the only delicious pesto-able herb. Creating a pesto out of a combination of the leftover soft-leaf herbs in your fridge is a simple and delicious way to reduce your food waste. Use the following pesto formula to whip up a pesto that is great mixed through pasta, dolloped atop a salad or spread on a sandwich.
2 cups soft herbs (basil, parsley, dill, mint)
50g parmesan
2 -3 cloves of garlic
5 tbsp nuts (pine nuts are our favourite)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a blender and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the oil and blend until smooth.
Roasted veggies
It’s easy to forget about the lone carrot at the bottom of the fruit and vegetable drawer, or the head of broccoli you didn’t end up cooking for dinner. On Sunday afternoon preheat the oven, chop your lonesome leftover vegetables and roast with a little drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Suitable veggies include capsicum, carrot, pumpkin, onion, eggplant, broccoli, sweet potato, potato - the list goes on!
It’s all about how you use them during the week. Toss through a pasta salad (with the pesto!), mix with baby spinach, drizzle with spiced yoghurt or fill a wrap or sandwich.
Quiche
With a few flavoursome ingredients, the humble quiche can be turned into something special. Some standout additions include caramelised onion, roasted sweet potato and fetta…
1 piece of frozen shortcrust or puff pastry
½ cup self-raising flour
½ cup tasty cheese
1.5 cups milk
4-5 eggs
Add your own ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease a deep baking dish and line with pastry. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cheese, milk and eggs. Add your odds and ends until you have a chunky mixture. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 45 minutes, or until set.
