5 Ways to Love Your Leftovers

January 24, 2020
by Hattie Learn

    Did you know that the average household throws away £700 worth of food yearly?

    These scary statistics come from a report by sustainability body WRAP, released today. They also estimated that 10 billion meals go in the bin annually!   

    As January comes to close and we prepare for a February that feels jam-packed with food-filled occasions, think: Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, the end of January diets… We run the risk of having mounds of leftovers that do nothing but linger in the fridge and eventually get thrown in the bin.

    Our ingredients are pre-portioned and packed with the intention of reducing waste, which means you get exactly what you need. Nothing more, nothing less. But sometimes we know that you might not be able to finish your dinner. Fear not, as this doesn’t mean the food has to go to waste!

    With these figures in mind, and our mission to tackle food waste, Chef Mimi shares her favourite food waste hacks. 

    1. Repurpose your herbs

    Make herby ice cubes 

    By freezing herbs in oil, you can have an immediate flavour booster on hand at all times. They’re great for stews, soups, and roasts. Why oil and not water? Preserving herbs this way reduces the chances of freezer burn. Keep in mind, though, that this works best with tougher herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme.

     

    Perfect your pesto

    Pesto is traditionally made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, but other herbs, nuts and cheese work, too. At HelloFresh we’ve tasted numerous different combos until we reached a slightly sweet, tad bit spicy, perfectly creamy, and an all-around delicious sweet spot for all that leftover coriander lurking in your fridge. 

    Find the recipe!

    Infuse your oils

    Elevate your olive oil by infusing it with delicious herbs. Basil works brilliantly, or rosemary works a treat for pastas, bread and marinades.

        2. Get your frittata on

    Spanish omelettes, frittatas, bubble ‘n’ squeak. Whichever country you visit there’s usually a local dish that revamps their leftovers.

    To prepare a frittata, grab your leftover veggie stir fry or roast pork, mix it up with a few whisked eggs and then fry it off on both sides in your frying pan. Simple.

       3. When love’s at steak

     Steak is a Valentine’s Day classic, but sometimes the heart is bigger than the stomach (or something like that). But instead of throwing it away, why not use it to make the ultimate brunch sandwich the next day to keep your energy up. Use thinly sliced steak, an egg, plenty of butter, some delicious sourdough and some spicy sauce to drizzle over. 

    You could also use our Philly cheesesteak recipe for the ultimate indulgent dinner.

    If that doesn’t take your fancy, why not use the leftovers in an Asian-inspired salad or wholesome stir-fry?

    4. It’s all in the arrangement (of the fridge)

    The best way to arrange your fridge (and your cupboards) is by bringing the oldest items to the front and putting the newer ones to the back. 

    Remember that meat, poultry and fish go on the bottom shelf – it’s the coldest – and that potatoes, onions, garlic, grad and tomatoes don’t like it in the fridge!

    5. Leftover chocolate

    If you’ve got a lot of admirers and they’ve all bought you multiple boxes of chocolates (we can dream!), the most delicious way to enjoy them is to add them to more chocolate – obviously.

    Brownies with added chocolates are the best – stir them into the batter before baking.

    Get the recipe

    If Brownies aren’t the one for you, or you could crush your chocolates to make some Rocky Roads…

    Looking for even more food waste tips? Click here to keep reading.

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