The recipes you need to master to reduce your food waste
Food waste continues to damage both the environment and our finances. Elly Curshen shares her key recipes to use up every last crumb… Elly Curshen with one of her favourite leftover ingredient dishes How many times have you tipped those last few shrivelled berries, bruised and brown apples or withered greens into your food waste bin? You’re not alone. According to WRAP, 4.7 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away each year by UK households. They estimate that on average, this costs a four person household in the UK around £1,000 per year in food bought but not eaten. If you hate the idea of throwing money away, mastering a few basic but versatile recipes could be the answer. Chef and cookbook author, Elly Curshen, has spent years perfecting her clever recipes to use up leftovers. “I’m often left with random ingredients that need using up. In May last year, I started a new series on Instagram. I posted a reel every single day for months, demonstrating how bits and pieces got used up in my kitchen, leftovers rolling from one day to the next. “It’s how I truly cook at home and I love sharing ideas and inspiration to help others reduce waste, thereby saving money and precious resources. “If I can help you find a use for the last spoonful of pesto in a jar, the crust from a stale loaf, some leftover chip shop chips or a mushy punnet of raspberries and save it from the bin, I’m happy!” “There’s always something that can be whipped up. And remember there’s always the failsafe option for savoury dishes… Put an egg on it,” says Curshen. Here are three recipes you need to master now to reduce your food waste! Breakfast: Granola and compote Budget-friendly oats are something many of us have in the cupboard, but as much as we love porridge (and using oats in a crumble), as the weather gets warmer, oats can go unused. But you can easily turn them into a delicious breakfast, while using up forgotten cupboard and fridge ingredients, says Curshen. “Granola is my absolute favourite breakfast and I actually designed this recipe to use up the end of some random packets of mixed nuts.” “It’s simple to make and you can tailor it to just how you like it. A lot of the ones in the shops I find too sweet and I like a really chunky one.” “So, if you too find that half-eaten packets of nuts and dried fruit have accumulated in your cupboard, have a big clear out and make some homemade granola. My recipe uses up a leftover egg white too (it helps the oats and nuts clump together, creating a nice chunky granola).” Once made it will keep for ages in an air-tight container. This apple and pear compôte with yoghurt and granola provides a great way to use up ingredients that have seen better days While granola will help you use up a few ingredients, when you add a compote topping it really does decrease food waste. “Even if you have bruised or squishy fruit, it doesn’t matter; it’s all going to get cooked and mashed together anyway. Having the compote ready in the fridge and a jar of granola on the side makes creating a delicious breakfast a quick and easy job.” If you’re making a large batch, you can freeze portions of the compote for three months. These breakfast dishes are great for using up leftover ingredients French toast with berries and honeyGreen pancakes French toast with berries and honey Green pancakes Main dish: Frittata “If I had to pick one thing as my signature dish, it would be a frittata,” explains Curshen. “I especially respect the frittata’s ability to embrace all sorts of leftovers…. Any random cheese that needs using up? Throw it in! Leftover cooked veg? Great! Wilted herbs? Welcome here! “I always do an egg, fried potato and cheese base then the variations are limitless…Eat warm or cold, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A slice with a mug of soup is such a good working from home lunch and a slice grabbed from the fridge makes a great, convenient breakfast on the go if you have a bus or train to catch!” A frittata can use up any veg you have in the fridge “You can use up any leftover veg you’ve got, just cook them and add them to your egg mix. Then add your favourite flavourings. Then you just pour your mix into your frying pan, cook for a few minutes and pop it under the grill to finish off.” These main dishes are also great for using up leftover food Leftover stir-fryLeftover chicken curryVersatile vegetable soup Leftover stir-fry Leftover chicken curry Versatile vegetable soup Snack: Air fryer spiced crispy pitta chips and chickpeas Tinned ingredients can often end up in the food bin because you use part of a tin for a recipe but the rest sits unused in a container in the fridge. “I was trying to find a way to use up the end of a can of chickpeas to make some delicious crunchy snacks to have with drinks.”However, Curshen was reluctant to slowly bake the chickpeas. “The whole point of using up your leftovers is to save money and avoid food waste and so many methods for making crunchy chickpeas necessitate having the oven on for so long that it completely defeats the point. So, Curshen turned to her air fryer, which crisps them up quickly. She removes the skin off the chickpeas, pops them into the air fryer before returning them with some torn up leftover pitta which together have been tossed in a little oil. They cook for around 7-8 minutes and then when removed and put into a bowl she adds spices to them. With tinned chickpeas you can use half for hummus, half for this tasty snack of spiced crispy pitta chips and chickpeas and you could even use the water to make vegan meringues