Hi, I'm Helen. I share easy, nutritious, seasonal, flexitarian recipes, often with a British-Jewish twist. Expect a weekly dose of delicious dinner ideas, news and positivity!
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Delicious Ways to Combat Food Waste
Published 16 days ago • 4 min read
Hello my friend!
This week's email is all about food waste. Specifically, how we can reduce or avoid it! In the UK, around 60% of total food waste is generated in people's own homes, equivalent to 4.7 million tonnes every year. So it's up to all of us to try and get that number down!*
Throwing away food is harmful to the environment, wastes money, and is also counter to the Jewish value of bal tashkhit - avoiding unnecessary waste and destruction. The 13th Century Sefer haChinuch states, “It is the way of the pious… they never destroy even one grain of mustard in the world and they are upset by any destruction that they see.”
So what can we do? Here are some ideas to help you avoid food waste:
Check the fridge before you shop! See what you already have, and only buy what you need.
Plan your meals and shop accordingly. This doesn't have to be a rigid, day-by-day menu, but I have a loose, flexible plan for the week's meals, and can switch around the order if any of our fresh produce is looking a bit "eat me now!"
Factor leftovers into your planning. For example, consider whether any dinner leftovers could become a future lunch, and buy less 'lunch' foods as appropriate.
Keep an eye on use by dates. Put newer items to the back of your fridge or cupboard, so you eat things in order. You may also like to designate one part of your fridge for short-dated items to use up first.
Use your freezer. Pack leftovers into single portion containers and freeze for quick and easy homemade 'ready meals' later.
Save scraps for stocks and soups. Add clean peelings, stalks, vegetable skins and offcuts to a box or bag in the freezer, then use them to make flavourful stocks or soup bases when you have enough.
Turn stale bread into breadcrumbs or croutons. Use straightaway or freeze for future recipes.
Get clever with recycling leftovers! Stretch sauces or stews into soups - with leftover pasta or rice if available. Add cooked veg to salads or lunchboxes. Turn overripe or already cut up fruits into smoothies, or top with crumble and bake for a quick dessert.
Bananas often get a bit too ripe before we can finish the bunch, so having a few ideas to use them up is really useful! Check out my guide to using overripe bananas here. It's a banana bonanza!
Below I've also gathered together recipes and ideas for using leftovers, turning waste into treats, and generally keeping food from the bin. I hope you find them useful!
Despite our best efforts, sometimes we end up with odds and ends that are past their prime, half-used packets that are hanging around, or leftovers that no longer look appetising. Here are some ideas to put them to good use, and save them from the bin!
Cheese and onion quiche with fennel seeds Although the recipe specifies cheddar, this quiche is a great way to use up odds and ends of different cheeses. The caramelised onions and fennel seeds add a wonderful flavour.
Challah panzanella salad A flavoursome summery salad made with ripe tomatoes, herbs, and cubes of toasted stale challah. Perfect for a light Sunday dinner!
Spanish omelette Leftover cooked potatoes make a delicious Spanish omelette. This one also has courgettes, but you can use just spuds, or whatever leftover veg you happen to have on hand.
Full Jewish breakfast Leftover cholent ✅ Two-day-old challah ✅ Sunday mornings will never be the same once you put your Shabbat leftovers (plus a few extras!) to work in the Full Jewish Breakfast!
Easy muesli cookies I can't be the only one who finds open bags of uneaten muesli at the back of the cupboard. Transform it into sweet, crumbly cookies and it'll soon disappear! (Or try this chocolate variation.)
Fruity dark chocolate tiffin My favourite way to use up odds and ends from the baking cupboard - random dried fruits, nuts, bits of chocolate, half packs of biscuits... Mix it up and you have a fantastic teatime treat!
Healthier fruit crumble Use whatever fruit you have - apples, pears, plums, berries, peaches... and bake under a layer of delicious crumble for a no-waste dessert.
An exciting new recipe for you! I just published my recipe for cannelini bean humous with sun-dried tomatoes, and I hope you'll give it a try. It's super creamy, with strong Mediterranean vibes and a gorgeous colour. The sun-dried tomatoes add an amazing depth of flavour. Serve it with your challah as an easy and delicious first course, or add it to your lunch or supper menu for a tasty addition to the usual salads. The full recipe is here.
Shabbat Shalom
Not long now till the longest Shabbat of the year! Our evenings are stretching on till after 10pm, so I hope you're making the most of these daylight hours, and finding the best ways to put them to good use.
Here's wishing a Shabbat Shalom - Good Shabbos! - to everyone. However you spend your time, I hope this long Summer Shabbat brings health, happiness, peace and contentment to all of us.
With love, Helen x.
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