Fab Food Friday

A lovely chunky soup using leftover vegetables.

The old me would do a weekly shop, come home and throw out everything that we were unlikely to eat before the use-by date had passed. Then I'd pile up the fridge, freezer and cupboards with fresh food. Now the new improved me takes it as a personal failure if any item of food has to be binned.

I buy less and I stick to a menu, adapting it if I spot a real bargain. Once a week I do a stock check to see what is close to the use-by date - and use it or freeze it. It's made me be really inventive with my recipes. I must admit some have been more successful than others but through trial and error I have found out what works!

I used to call it Leftovers Friday but this title didn't exactly make my family drool with anticipation. It was more a grimace and a "yuk"! Now I call it Fab Food Friday and it's much better received. That's not only because of the more user-friendly title but because I'm getting better at inventing recipes.

I chop up fruit that’s near the end of its life and marinate in something fruity or boozy for a fruit salad or cook it for the base of a crumble. Old fruits are great for making ice cream or sauces, while black bananas are perfect for smoothies and for baking. Biscuits that will soon be stale are blitzed and incorporated or used as a base. There's no such thing as stale bread in my house. It's either frozen or used in recipes requiring breadcrumbs or maybe in a bread and butter pudding.

Left over veggies are ideal for soup, sauces stir fries and fried rice dishes. I also make frittatas and pasta bakes I have two special ingredients that give all kinds of soups and sauces an extra bit of body and that's a splash of soy sauce and a tablespoon or so of tomato puree. I also makes dips for crudites (using fresh vegetables for the crudites) . I use a lot more herbs and spices than I used to and have learned, like all the best TV chefs, to taste as I go

One of my most popular recipes is vegetable fritters. These are so easy. Take a selection of vegetables and grate where possible, if not, slice very small. Add any herbs or spices you fancy and season to taste. Bind with beaten egg and a little flour, and fry. Delicious.

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

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THINK: Reduce, reuse, recycle.