Love Your Food Recipe Book

Many thanks to everyone in Aberdeen,
from school-children to chefs, who contributed
their recipes and tips to this book. Happy cooking!
Waste Aware Team, Aberdeen City Council
We would like to offer special thanks to Sophie Taylor and Nathan Mellis of
Contents
4
5
Food waste facts, hints and tips
How to recycle your food waste
6
Starters and snacks
15
Know your labels
16
Main courses
32
4 ways to save money on your food bills
34
Desserts
40
Your recipes
Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University for their artwork throughout this book.
Front Cover by Sophie Taylor. www.facebook.com/SophieTaylor.photography.design
Back Cover and inside drawings by Nathan Mellis.
We would also like to thank Doug Gordon, Kitchen Manager at The Brig o’ Don
in King Street for selecting the four winning entries and to students and staff
at Aberdeen College for cooking and tasting the four dishes.
Facts, figures and suggestions were provided by Love Food Hate Waste.
Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com for more ideas on how to save money and
make the most of your food.
2
About this book
Cost Guide
We asked people across Aberdeen to send
us their favourite recipes using leftovers and
seasonal ingredients to create cheap meals.
Meal costs less than £2
Please note that we’ve printed the recipes
as we received them – quantities, servings,
oven temperatures and estimated costs
were supplied by the submitter. Where
these costs were not included, estimates
have been provided by the Waste Aware Team. We haven’t tested the recipes, so can accept
no responsibility for how good or bad they taste!
Meal costs between £2 and £4
We would welcome your feedback on
any recipes you try. Please email
[email protected]
or drop us a message on Facebook –
www.facebook.com/wasteawareaberdeen
Meal costs more than £4
3
Food waste facts, hints and tips
How to recycle your food waste
Did you know…?
•People in Scotland throw away more than £1 billion worth of food each year.
•That’s about 566,000 tonnes of food, most of which could have been eaten.
•The foods we waste the most are fresh vegetables and salad, drink, fresh fruit,
and bakery items such as bread and cakes.
•Wasting this food costs the average Scottish household £430 a year:
that’s around £35 per month.
•Food makes up about a third of the waste in the average wheelie bin.
So what can we do about it?
There are two main reasons why we throw away good food:
We cook or prepare too much or we don’t use it in time.
To avoid this, follow our top tips below:
•Plan your meals for the week and stick to your shopping list.
•Plan something simple for busy days.
•Rotate the food in your cupboard or fridge - see what forgotten food is at the back!
•Keep the temperature of your fridge between 0 and 5°C. Research shows that up to
70% of our fridges are too warm, meaning food won’t last as long as it could.
Milk goes off much quicker if the fridge is just a few degrees too warm.
•Freeze food in portions so you do not need to defrost more than needed.
•Get your portions right and make the most of the food you buy.
4
What food leftovers
can I put in my caddy?
3Fruit and vegetables 3Meat and fish (including bones)
3Teabags and coffee grounds
3Bread, cakes and pastries
3Dairy products such as eggs and cheese
3Beans, pasta and rice
8No bottles, cans or jars
8No foil or cling film
8No food or drink containers
8No liquids - including oils and fats
8No packaging or plastic bags
8No animal waste
Aberdeen City Council offers a food waste
recycling service - for those leftovers that
cannot be used again!
Almost 60,000 residents in houses - and
in some flats - will have a brown bin for
their property and a kitchen caddy in their
homes. The kitchen caddy can be lined with
biodegradable liners, available free from
local libraries, Marischal College, the Council’s
Customer Access Points or by calling
08456 08 09 19. Simply empty your leftovers
into the caddy, tie off the bag when it is full and
place the bag in the brown bin for collection.
What happens to
the food waste?
Food waste is taken to a special processing
plant where it is turned into compost.
I don’t think I have this service,
how can I get it?
From June 2013, multi-storey buildings across
the city will also get a food recycling service.
At these properties, a new communal bin will
be installed at a convenient point near to the
building and residents will also be provided
with a kitchen caddy and liners.
To find out if you have a food waste recycling
service in your area, or when you will be
getting one, please call the Waste Aware
team on 08456 08 09 19 or email us on
[email protected].
In the future, the service will also be offered to
other types of flats so that everyone has access
to the food waste recycling service.
We are also on Facebook - drop us a
message and we will get back to you:
www.facebook.com/wasteawareaberdeen
5
Starters and Snacks
7
Beer Soup
8
Carrot and Lentil Soup 9
Winter Salad
10
Vegetarian Potato, Leek and Mushroom Fry
11
Potato, Ham and Pea Fry
12
Chicken Wrap
13
Leftover Soup Stock
14
Spiced Courgette Chutney
Beer Soup
This is a left-over recipe for beer that has gone
flat. If you only have a little bit of beer left in a
bottle, you can just make a small batch of the
soup - a bit of calculation is required.
Ingredients
• 1½ heaped tablespoon flour
• 3 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 litre beer (works best with dark beer let it get flat, which takes about 2 hours)
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
(½ tablespoon ground cinnamon)
• Sugar to taste
• 2 egg yolks (You can whip up the egg white
and use it to decorate the soup for serving)
• ½ a cup plus ½ tablespoon milk • Toasted white (French) bread
(Or if you have old bread, put butter/oil
in a pan and fry the bread)
Method
• Brown the flour in the butter, then add beer. • Add cinnamon and sugar and bring to a boil. • Whisk together the egg yolk and milk and stir
into the hot (but no longer boiling) beer. • Strain, and serve with toasted slices of bread.
6
7
Carrot and Lentil
Soup
Serves
Winter Salad
4
Ingredients
• 2 cups shredded beetroot
• 2 cups shredded carrot
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, black pepper
and hot sauce to taste
Ingredients
• 240g uncooked red lentils
• 2 ½ pints of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 leek, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 carrots, diced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Salt and pepper to season
Method
• Steam the shredded carrot and cabbage
for 3 minutes, and set aside to cool.
• Steam the shredded beetroot for 4 minutes
and set aside to cool.
• Combine shredded vegetables, mixing
in olive oil and vinegar (start with two
tablespoons each), to taste.
• Then add black pepper and hot sauce
to taste.
Method
• Soak lentils in water for about an hour.
Drain and rinse.
• In a large saucepan, bring lentils
and stock to boil.
• Skim off froth.
• Stir in leek, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika
and bay leaf and then simmer, covered.
• Dice carrots and add to soup. Simmer
until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in red onion and season to taste.
Simmer for a further 5 – 10 minutes or
until all vegetables and lentils are cooked.
• Remove bay leaf. Liquidise about half
of the mixture and mix it back in with
the rest of the soup.
• Serve.
8
9
Vegetarian Potato,
Leek and Mushroom
Fry
Potato, Ham
and Pea Fry
Ingredients
• Leftover boiled potato
• Leftover cooked ham (or bacon)
• Leftover peas/frozen peas
• Oil to fry
• Salt and pepper
Ingredients
• Leftover boiled potato
• Sliced leek
• Sliced mushrooms
• Oil to fry
• Salt and pepper
Method
• Slice potato to approximately 1cm and fry in
a large frying pan over a fairly hot flame until
beginning to go brown and crispy.
• Add equal quantities of ham and peas
(or however much you have left over)
and continue to cook until everything
is heated through.
• Stir regularly to make sure everything
cooks evenly.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Method
• Slice the potato to approximately 1cm.
Slice leeks to approximately ½ cm.
Slice mushrooms to approximately 1cm.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan until hot.
• Add all sliced ingredients and continue
to cook at a good sizzle until everything
is cooked through.
• Stir as you fry to stop the leeks from burning.
• Season to taste.
10
11
Leftover Soup Stock
Chicken Wrap
The leftover bones of a turkey, chicken or a leg
of lamb isn’t food waste - at least not yet!
If you start with uncooked bones (beef and lamb
bones can be had cheaply from the butcher’s),
be sure to roast them first - you won’t get
flavour from them otherwise!
Ingredients
• Leftover cooked chicken
• Natural yoghurt
• Pinch of chilli or cinnamon to taste
• Lettuce / tomato (optional)
The trick to great broth is this: low, slow heat,
and not too much water - but don’t let it boil dry!
For this reason, a slow-cooker overnight
is ideal. The longer the cooking or the hotter
the temperature, the more water you’ll need
to start with.
Method
• Mix all the above together, place in
a wrap and roll up.
Loosen all of the fat and dried liquid from the
bottom of the roasting pan with 500ml of boiling
water, and then put the water with the bones
into the pot or slow-cooker.
To the bones add: two onions, peeled but not
chopped. Tired carrots (not more than two)
that have been loitering at the bottom of the
fridge, or a few roast vegetables that have been
cooked with the meat are also good additions.
You can also add a bay leaf.
Cool the stock, then put it in the fridge. The fat
will float and can be easily skimmed off the top
before freezing or using the broth.
12
13
Spiced Courgette
Chutney
Method
• Place all ingredients in a large pan or
preserving pan.
• Bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.
• Continue to simmer until the vinegar is
absorbed and the vegetables are tender this will take approximately 3 hours with
occasional stirring.
• Tip - open windows as the boiling vinegar
has a strong smell!
• While the chutney is cooking, warm
some clean jars in a hot oven to sterilise.
Once cooked place the chutney in the jars
and cover with lids.
• Tip - jar funnels reduce the chances of
burning yourself with the molten mixture!
• Leave to mature in a cool dark place for
2-3 months. Label and date once cooled.
• Amaze your friends with your chutney making
skills by giving a jar for Christmas!
Ingredients
• 1kg marrow or overgrown courgettes, diced
• 1kg tomatoes (ripe or unripe)
• 500g sultanas or chopped apricots
• 500g soft brown sugar
• 500g apples (cooking or crab apples)
• 400ml white wine vinegar (cheaper malt
vinegar is fine but the chutney will take
longer to mature - about 6 months in a
dark cupboard will do)
• 600g onions, chopped
• Finely chopped chillies (optional)
• 1 packet pickling spice mix from Schwartz
or any spices you prefer
Know your labels
What do food labels really mean?
Here’s a quick guide:
Best Before
These dates refer to quality rather than food
safety. Foods with a ‘best before’ date should
be safe to eat after the ‘best before’ date,
but they may no longer be at their best.
Use By
These dates refer to safety. Food can be eaten
up to the end of this date but not afterwards,
even if it looks and smells fine. Always follow
the storage instructions on packs.
Display Until and Sell By
You can ignore these dates as they are for shop
staff not for shoppers.
Did you know?
To extend the life of food beyond its date,
freeze it before the date and defrost and
use within 24 hours.
Providing eggs are cooked thoroughly,
they can be eaten a day or two after their
‘best before’ date.
14
15
The Main Course
17
Jersey Royal Potato, Parmesan,
Bacon and Spinach Frittata
18
Stovies
19 Homemade Prawn Curry
20 Beer Goulash and Bread Dumplings
21
Spaghetti Carbonara
22
Tortilla Wraps
23
Pizza
24
Pizza #2
25 Minced Turkey Pie
26 Roasted Chicken Thighs
with Butternut Squash 27
Bigos
28
Green Cabbage and
Sausage Casserole
29 Kipper Risotto
30 Chicken Risotto
31 Red Meat Red Wine
16
Jersey Royal Potato,
Parmesan, Bacon
and Spinach Frittata
(depending on
ingredients)
Serves
Method
• Heat a non-stick frying pan, preferably 20cm
in diameter. Fry the bacon or pancetta, if using,
until golden. Add the butter, garlic, diced
potatoes, spinach and half the spring onions,
cooking for a few minutes over a low heat.
• Preheat the grill.
• Beat the eggs, adding the Parmesan and
herbs. Season with the salt, pepper and chilli.
• Pour the eggs over the bacon and potatoes.
• Stir gently in the pan for a few minutes, allow
the frittata to cook over a very low heat until
it begins to set, leaving just a moist surface.
• Sprinkle the remaining spring onions and
Cheddar on top and warm under the grill
until the top has set and the cheese melted.
• Cut the frittata into wedges to serve with
a nice crisp vine tomato salad dressed in
balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
4
A frittata is a flat Italian omelette, and is a
great way of using what’s left in the fridge
and as long as you have fresh, ideally free
range, eggs there are always plenty alternatives
of what to add to it. Below the recipe are some
more suggestions for what else you can add to
your frittata.
You could also add:
• Sausage - remove skin, chop into rough
dice and fry first in olive oil.
• Chorizo or ham - chop into rough dice
and fry first in olive oil.
• Broccoli - blanch florets first in boiling
salted water then refresh in cold water.
• Mushrooms - fry in olive oil or butter first.
• Peas - defrost some frozen peas under
hot water.
• Courgette - just fry first in olive oil.
• Pumpkin/Sweet Potato - dice and bake
or fry first till cooked.
• Tiger prawns - cook in olive oil or if cooked
just chop.
• Soft cheese - Goats’ cheese, ricotta,
mascarpone, Philadelphia, Boursin - drop
pieces on top before placing under the grill.
• Asparagus - trimmed and cut into 2cm
pieces and fried in butter first until tender.
Ingredients
• 25g butter
• 225g diced bacon or pancetta (5 rashers)
• 200g (5½ oz) baby spinach leaves
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 400g cooked Jersey Royals, sliced
(or other new potatoes)
• 6 medium eggs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs use any one you like or a mix of thyme,
tarragon, rosemary, chives, and parsley.
Great if you grow your own.
• Salt and black pepper
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 50g half-fat mature Cheddar cheese,
finely grated
17
Homemade Prawn
Curry
Stovies
Serves 4
Serves
4
Serves
Ingredients
• 55g butter
• 2 onions, sliced
• 900g potatoes, sliced
• 150ml beef stock
• 225g leftover cooked beef
• Oatcakes to serve
4
Ingredients
Method
• 225g frozen king prawns
• 1 green pepper
• 1 large onion
• 6 mushrooms
• 400g sieved tomato passata
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika (hot)
• 1 teaspoon chilli
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic (depending on size
of cloves/individual preferences)
• A few sprigs of fresh coriander (dried is fine,
too, but you will need only a small amount)
• 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt
(or sour cream)
• ½ teaspoon salt (season to taste)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (season to taste
to counteract the tartness of the passata)
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 4 portions of basmati rice (160g)
Method
• Melt the butter in a large pan and add
the onions. Cook over a gentle heat for
5 minutes. Add the meat. Top the potatoes
with stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the stock up to the boil.
• Turn the heat down low and put a lid
on the pan. Cook for an hour and a half,
stirring occasionally to make sure it is not
sticking or burning.
• Share equally and serve with oatcakes.
18
• Bring a covered pan of water to the boil
(you will need roughly twice as much water
as rice).
• Wash and chop the green pepper,
mushrooms, and onion. Do not chop
these too fine. Finely chop the garlic.
• Once the water is boiling, add the
basmati rice, turn down the heat to
a simmer, and leave to cook for 11 minutes.
• Preheat pan for cooking and pour in the
vegetable oil.
• When the pan is hot, add your chopped
vegetables, stir, and then add the cumin,
cayenne pepper, paprika, chilli, and garlic.
• Saute the vegetables until they are beginning
to become tender. Add the frozen king
prawns, and stir. Allow to cook until the king
prawns are tender. Add the tomato passata,
reduce heat, and allow to heat through.
Add the granulated sugar and the plain
yoghurt, stir, and allow to gently simmer.
• When the basmati rice is nearly ready add
the salt, and the coriander. Season to taste.
• Add more sugar if sauce is still tart, add more
spice if desired.
• When the basmati rice is finished cooking,
drain excess water (if necessary), and serve
the rice and the curry on chosen dishes.
• Garnish with sprigs of coriander if desired.
19
Beer Goulash
For the dumplings:
Spaghetti Carbonara
Method
• Bring a pan to the boil and add the spaghetti.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and
add the chopped bacon, stir fry until the
bacon is cooked.
• Beat the eggs and add black pepper
and Parmesan cheese to taste.
• When the spaghetti is cooked (see packet
for timing) remove from the heat and drain it.
• Put the hot spaghetti back in the hot pan
with the hot bacon and add the beaten egg,
pepper and cheese.
• Whisk the mixture with a fork until the heat
cooks the egg to make a creamy sauce.
• Serve immediately with a further sprinkling
of pepper and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
• 500g plain white flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried yeast
• 1 egg
This is authentic Czech beer goulash that has
been improved upon by using an upmarket - but
readily available - Belgian abbey beer. The dish
costs approximately £10 and serves 4 people.
Method • Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl
and add the sugar, salt and yeast.
• Add the beaten egg.
• Add about 300ml of tepid water and knead
into a bread dough.
• Roll the dough into 4 fat sausages and
leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Boil a large pan of salted water and add
the 4 sausages.
• Boil for 12 minutes and then remove
the dumplings and immediately slice
them about 2cm thick.
For the goulash:
Ingredients
• 800g diced braising / stewing steak
• 3 medium sized onions
• 1 large red pepper
• 4 large cloves of garlic
• 25g butter
• 2 heaped teaspoons of marjoram or mixed herbs
• 2 heaped teaspoons of paprika
• Dash of salt and black pepper
• 750 ml bottle of Leffe Brune
A great, quick and easy dish to prepare with
leftover bacon and egg. Serves 2 people for
around £3.50, or £1.75 each.
Ingredients
• 200g spaghetti
• 200g bacon, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Variations
• Try adding a bit of crushed garlic and lemon
juice to the egg to make ‘Caesar Spaghetti
Carbonara’.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of double
cream or creme fraiche to the dish at the
final stages.
Method
• Melt the butter over a low to medium heat
in a large pan or stock pot.
• Add the diced meat, diced onion and diced
red pepper and saute until the meat is brown
and the onion is soft.
• Add the crushed garlic, herbs, paprika, salt
and pepper and saute for one more minute.
• Slowly stir the 750ml bottle of Leffe Brune,
once it is all in the pan, cover and simmer
over a very low heat for 2 hours.
• For the final 15 to 20 minutes uncover the
pan and turn the heat up to medium, stir the
goulash as the liquid reduces until you are
left with a thick sauce.
• Serve with bread dumplings.
20
21
Tortilla Wraps
Method
The point of this recipe is to use up any
leftovers in your fridge and be creative.
Serves
• Choose your ingredients. Mix and match,
and be creative. Don’t feel confined to the list use whatever ingredients you have around.
• Spread the sauce over the tortilla. Place the
ingredients on top, making a rectangle in the
middle of the tortilla.
• Fold up the bottom of the tortilla before
wrapping the tortilla to prevent the ingredients
from falling out, and serve hot or cold.
1
The point of this recipe is to use up any
leftovers in your fridge and be creative.
However, it can also make a great packed
lunch. It can cost as little as £2-3 if you are
smart with your ingredients.
Some good combinations are:
• Pesto, chicken, rocket, tomato and pepper,
pine nuts, and mozzarella.
• Hummus, brussel sprouts, lettuce,
bell pepper, cucumber, and provolone.
• Lemon aoli, salmon, spinach, onion,
and almonds.
Ingredients
• 1 large tortilla
• 15g of salsa, hummus, tzatziki, aoli, pesto,
or any other kind of spread
• 30g of leftover chicken, fish, or other meat
• 30g of leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach,
or rocket
• 30g of pepper, carrot, cucumber, tomato,
or any other vegetable
• 5g of toasted nuts such as pine nuts,
almonds, or walnuts
• 20g of leftover rice (optional)
• 10g of cheddar, mozzeralla, provolone,
or any other cheese (optional)
22
Pizza
Serves
2-4
Ingredients
• Pizza base
• Tomato puree
• Leftover food suitable for pizza toppings
• 200g cheese
Method
• Take your pizza base and spread the tomato
puree evenly across it.
• Cover your pizza with the leftover food.
Any raw meat should be cooked beforehand.
• Sprinkle 100g of cheese onto each pizza.
• Cook the pizza at 200°C for 10 minutes.
• Take your pizza out and enjoy!
23
Pizza #2
Minced Turkey Pie
Serves
Base Ingredients:
Method
• Cook the mince and onion in 1 tablespoon oil
in a frying pan until onions are soft and mince
changes colour.
• Transfer to a saucepan and add carrots and
300ml water.
• Simmer for around 20 minutes until carrots
are soft.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the gravy
and add frozen peas.
• Mix it through and put in ovenproof dish.
• Lay out pastry and brush it with milk.
Make a few holes so that steam can escape.
• Cook the pie in the oven at 200°C for
around 35 minutes or until the pastry
is cooked through.
4
Ingredients • 250g strong flour
• 250g plain flour
• 5g ready yeast
• 5g salt
• 275ml warm water
• 450g turkey mince
• 300g carrots (diced)
• 1 onion
• 300g frozen peas
• Shortcrust pastry
• 5 tablespoons gravy
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
Base Method
• Mix all of the above together until like
a bread mix.
• Add 1 level tablespoon of olive oil
and place in a freezer bag.
• Leave for 30 mins and then use a
rolling pin to roll into desired thickness.
Place on pizza trays.
Tips
• Serve the pie with rice or potatoes.
• If you have any leftover vegetables like
broccoli or parsnips you could add them
to the pie along with the carrots.
Topping Method
• Mix together tinned tomatoes, mixed herbs,
salt and pepper and whisk to make the sauce.
• Spread this over the pizza.
• Add any toppings you like, for example
leftover vegetables like pepper, onion,
or mushroom, cheese and cooked meat.
• Heat the oven to 200°C and cook for
approximately 12 minutes.
24
25
Roasted Chicken
Thighs with
Butternut Squash
Serves
Bigos
Method
Serves
4
• Place dried mushrooms in a medium bowl.
Pour over boiling water and let steep for 30
minutes or until mushrooms have softened. You may chop the mushrooms, but leaving
them whole makes for a chunkier dish.
Set aside with soaking liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot with a lid, cook the
chopped fresh cabbage, then drain the water.
When cabbage is cooked add the pre-cooked
sauerkraut, then add onion, bacon drippings
or vegetable oil, meats and spices,
mushrooms and water. Simmer for a
while till all flavours mix. • Add wine and tomato paste.
• Mix well and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Turn down heat to low and simmer covered
for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding
liquid as needed to prevent burning.
• When ready to serve, remove bay leaf and
any bones from meats. Portion into bowls.
Serve with peeled and boiled potatoes or
with bread.
• The longer this cooks the better it tastes,
and it’s even better served the next day.
4
Bigos is considered to be a national dish of
Poland. Bigos also is an excellent way to use
up leftover cooked meats. It is better to serve
Bigos a day or two after it is prepared.
This is an all in one tray oven bake that uses
chicken thighs which are readily available,
underused and are so much tastier and
cheaper than breasts. If you were to buy a
whole chicken the breasts could be kept for
dinner another day. It serves 4 people for just
under £10.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 small red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
• 600g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded
and cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 8 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
(ordinary thyme would do if not available)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 50ml chicken stock
• Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5
(170°C for fan ovens). Put the oil in a large,
non-stick roasting tin and heat over a medium
hob. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 3-4
minutes, until golden, then turn and cook for
a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the tin
and set aside.
• Add the onions and butternut squash to
the tin and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6
minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and cook
for a further minute, then return the chicken
to the tin and scatter with the thyme, balsamic
vinegar, honey and chilli. Season, then
transfer to the oven and roast for 40 minutes,
or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Put the roasting tin over a low heat on the
hob and stir in the crème fraiche and chicken
stock. Bubble for 2 minutes, and then serve.
• Perfect served with broccoli or a green salad.
26
• ½ ounce of mushrooms
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 head of fresh cabbage, chopped
• 1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed well and drained
and pre boiled.
• ½ pound smoked Polish sausage,
cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound leftover boneless meat,
cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small tin tomato paste
or you can use tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine - optional
• 2 large bay leaves
• 5 allspice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
27
Green Cabbage and
Sausage Casserole
Serves
Ingredients
• 2 savoy cabbages • 4 pork or beef sausages • 500g tomato passata • 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 baguette Kipper Risotto
Risotto is inexpensive to make, especially if
you make it with Leftover Soup Stock (see p13)
and seasonal, local ingredients. It’s endlessly
versatile, so it can be made with whatever’s in
season.
4
Method
• Heat stock along with the wine and a bay
leaf. The amount of liquid that gets absorbed
is remarkably variable, but it is better to heat
too little liquid initially, as you can always add
hot water from the kettle to make up liquid.
Take the flesh off the kippers or smokies.
Be careful to remove bones.
• In a large pot, saute onions over medium
heat until translucent, (along with mushrooms
if you’re including them) then add chopped
leaks, red pepper and the rest of your
seasonal vegetables.
• Add arborio rice, and smoked fish.
Stir for 3-4 minutes.
• Add liquid and reduce heat. The rice should
be just submerged in liquid, if not, add boiling
water from the kettle.
• Simmer on low with the lid on. As the rice
begins to thicken and absorb the liquid,
you’ll need to stir with increasing regularity.
If the rice seems soft, but there is still lots
of liquid, turn up the heat and stir regularly.
If the liquid is getting low, but the rice is still
firm, add boiling water from the kettle.
• Add whisky - slainte! Be sure to stir it through.
Add parmesan (grated) after the risotto has
come off the heat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember
that there should be plenty of salt from the
fish, so don’t overdo it.
Ingredients
• Basics:
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 8 cups stock
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 shot whisky
• 2 medium onions
• 2 arbroath smokies (smoked haddock)
or 2 smoked kippers
• 2 large leeks (include the greens)
• 1 red pepper
• 50g of parmesan cheese
Method
• In a pressure cooker add 2 tablespoons of
olive oil and let it heat up.
• Add the sausages and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the sliced cabbages, the tomato passata,
the salt and 1 glass of water.
• Bring the pressure cooker to pressure and
cook for 30 minutes.
• Serve hot with warm sliced bread.
Add some chopped vegetables
depending on what’s in season:
• Early summer: asparagus
• Midsummer: courgettes, swiss chard, kale
• Autumn: pumpkin, squash, mushrooms,
celery
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Chicken Risotto
Red Meat Red Wine
(unless buying wine)
You can make this dish with any red meat you
like; equally, due to the long cooking process,
it doesn’t really matter which red wine you use,
but it has to be red wine.
Ingredients
• 500g cooked chicken
• 500g rice
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 250g passatta
• 200g cheese
• Optional: vegetables, frozen peas etc.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 750g meat (diced beef or diced lamb shoulder
or diced venison)
• 100g bacon
• 5 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon majoram
• 1 tablespoon mixed garden herbs
(thyme, basil, rosemary etc.)
• 500ml red wine
• 150ml water/vegetable stock
• 1 pack of mushrooms, chopped
Method
• Place raw rice in a pot and top with passatta
and stock made from one of the stock cubes.
• Add chicken and allow to simmer until rice
is cooked (approx 30-45 mins).
• Add more stock as the cooked rice etc
gets dry.
• Add peas or other vegetables.
• When rice is cooked, gradually add cheese,
stirring until melted into the risotto.
Method
• Heat the olive oil in a large hot pot brown the meat.
• Add tomato paste, garlic and herbs stir and heat thoroughly.
• Add the wine and water/stock.
Bring to the boil.
• Put a lid on and let it simmer on stove
or in oven for at least 1 hour. • Add the chopped mushrooms for
the last 5 minutes or so of cooking.
• Serve with potatoes or noodles and
sprinkle some parsley on top for decoration.
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4
For more ideas visit lovefoodhatewaste.com
ways to save money on your food bills
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2
Get familiar with your fridge
and friendly with your freezer
Be store-cupboard savvy
Try to keep your store cupboard and freezer
well-stocked with a variety of canned, dried
and frozen goods that you know your family
love to eat. Tinned beans, frozen vegetables,
meat and fish and dried fruit, nuts, pasta and
noodles, rice and grains, are all essentials with
a long shelf life - meaning you will always have
the ingredients standing by to pull together a
delicious meal or to jazz up your leftovers.
Start saving money right now by making a
date with your fridge! By checking the ‘use by’
dates (see p15) on what’s inside, you can begin
saving your pennies and pounds. How often do
you find that the ‘use by’ date on a packet of
ham or sausages has been and gone and you
end up throwing it away? Meat, fish and ready
meals are often the most expensive things we
buy, so it helps to get into the habit of regularly
checking the dates on perishable items in your
fridge. Move them into the freezer if you don’t
think you’ll have time to eat them, or cook them
for tonight’s dinner.
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Lovely leftovers
It’s amazing how many meals you can get from
one chicken! If you enjoy a roast on Sunday,
the remains of the joint would make a great
curry or a delicious risotto (p30) later in the
week and you’ll always find enough for a
sandwich. If you have time, the carcass can
also be boiled up for stock (p13) and soups.
If you have some dinner left in the pan,
bag it and pop it in the freezer as a ‘ready
meal’ for one. Even the smallest amount could
be served as a kid’s portion for lunch the next
day. Crusts and stale bread can be blitzed in
the food processor to make breadcrumbs which
can be stored in the freezer. The same can
be done with cake or biscuits and used as a
topping for crumbles and puddings.
The last dregs of wine or beer can be frozen
in ice cube trays and popped out into stews
and casseroles when cooking or used in a
wonderful Beer Soup (p7) or Beer Goulash
(p20).
Cut the bruises off old apples and toss into the
pan with your sausages. Don’t throw out those
black bananas - mash them up and add cream
for a super-quick pudding the children will love,
such as our banana loaf recipe (p38).
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It pays to plan
Planning your meals is one of the most
effective ways you can cut waste and food
bills. Start by checking your fridge, freezer
and store cupboard, and before you go
shopping, write a list, so you don’t shop for
things you already have. Get the whole family
to help by suggesting what meals they’d like
to have that week. Then you can work out a
weekly meal plan.
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Chocolate Crunch
Desserts
35
Chocolate Crunch
36
Bread Pudding
37
Cheese Pudding
38
Banana Loaf
39
Cioccolatino Cake
Serves
12
Ingredients
• 250g digestive biscuits, crushed into crumbs
• 150g butter
• 4 tablespoons of golden syrup
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 100g dark chocolate
Method
• Butter an 18cm / 7in sandwich tin.
• Melt the butter and syrup in a pan.
• Stir in the cocoa, and then thoroughly
stir in the biscuit crumbs.
• Spoon into the tin and press down firmly.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan
of simmering water and spread over the
biscuit base.
• Chill for about half an hour.
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35
Bread Pudding
Cheese Pudding
Serves
4
Tips
• The recipe can be halved or doubled
depending on how many people are eating.
• Mature cheddar gives this dish a good flavour,
but any hard cheese, for example, Red
Leicester can be used and it doesn’t matter
if it’s gone a bit hard because it will melt.
• The breadcrumbs can be made from slightly
stale bread or from the heel of the loaf which
you might not otherwise use. Make stale
bread/heels into breadcrumbs and store in
a plastic tub in your freezer for future use
in recipes or as a gratin topping. A clean
empty margarine/butter tub can be re-used
for this purpose.
• Keep empty butter wrappers for greasing
baking tins or dishes or for covering a
casserole to prevent it drying out.
Ingredients
• ½ pint milk
• Knob of margarine or butter
(about walnut sized)
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz (125g) grated cheese
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients • 6 slices of bread
• Marmalade
• 3 eggs
• 50g caster sugar
• Butter
• 400 ml milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Raspberries
Method
• Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
• Heat the milk gently in a saucepan with
the butter/margarine until it has melted.
• Grate the cheese and the breadcrumbs
with a grater or in a food processor.
Add seasoning and mix with a fork.
Place in an oven proof dish (either Pyrex
or ceramic) which has been lightly greased
with butter. • Beat the eggs with a fork in a bowl
or jug large enough to contain the milk.
• Pour the warm milk over the beaten egg
and stir with a fork to mix.
• Pour the egg and milk mixture over
the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
Mix with a fork.
• Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown
and the pudding is set.
Method
• Spread 6 slices of leftover bread with butter
and then marmalade.
• Cut into triangles and arrange overlapping
in a greased ovenproof dish.
• Beat 3 eggs with 50g caster sugar,
400ml milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Pour the egg mixture over the bread
and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
• Cook at 180°C for 30 minutes.
• For the last 5 minutes of cooking scatter
over the raspberries.
Tip
You could use any other seasonal berries
available.
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37
Banana Loaf
Cioccolatino Cake
Serves
Ingredients
Ingredients
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large banana or 2 smaller ones
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt
• Cup of nuts (optional)
• Half cup of boiling water
• 1 teaspoon dissolved bicarbonate
of soda
• 100g dark chocolate • 100g butter • 100g sugar • 2 eggs • 1 pinch of salt
• 4 spoons of self-raising flour 8
Method
• Melt the chocolate in a pan with a couple
of spoons of water.
• Add the butter and sugar and stir until
you get a smooth mixture.
• Let it cool a bit and add the egg yolks.
• Mix well, then add salt and flour and
carry on mixing.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff and
add them to the mixture.
• Transfer to a greased cake tin and cook
in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 20 minutes.
Method
• Mix all ingredients
together in a
large bowl.
• Pour into a
greased loaf tin
and bake in moderate heat of 180°C
for 50-60 minutes.
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Use these pages to make a note
of your own favourite recipes.
Why not share them with us - email [email protected]
or post on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wasteawareaberdeen
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