The Blog
Northampton Chronicle and Echo 7/2/19
Thursday 7th February 2019
By Barefaced Eating
Are You Guilty Of Waste?
I was out about the other day, when I received a text message and photograph from my husband. He had been rummaging through the fridge (he doesn't usually dare!) and had come across something that had concerned him. He had sent me an image of two very sad broccoli stalks he had found in the fridge. You know the bits, the trunk, or the hard bit in the middle, that we all chop from the pretty tree tops and then throw in the bin.
His text read "Have you gone mad?". Many people would wonder why there was bin fodder using up valuable space in the fridge, and my husband was no different. I replied, "They're lunch". Funny enough, when I returned, he had popped out!
I do have an issue with waste. I use the freezer wherever possible and keep an eye on items in the fridge or cupboard to make up recipes when use by dates approach. For example, The Leftover Cookie Recipe (the crumbly bits at the bottom of the cereal packets, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, anything I can get my hands on makes a great biscuit), Fruit Slush (fruit going passed its best, frozen and whizzed in a blender), Stir Fry (keep a good quality stir fry sauce in the cupboard to call on at times like this), Stews, Soups, Crumbles, Pies, Sauces and Smoothies, the list is endless!
But, back to the broccoli stalks. Really? Broccoli isn't that cheap when you consider you throw nearly half of it away! But it's a tasty delight, packed with nutrition. It's high in Vitamin C (in fact, one small cup has the same quantity as an orange), it's high in Vitamin A and great for eye and brain health. Broccoli also contains Vitamin E and K and is a great source of fibre. What a wonderful vegetable to be eating, so why are we throwing a large part of it away?
How about a couple of recipes to get you inspired to use those stalks?
- Cheap As Chips Broccoli Chips
Slice as many stalks as you have into thin disks. Toss in a little olive oil and place on a lined baking tray. Mix a little garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika and flour together and dust over the stalks. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C and then leave to sit in the oven, turned off for a further hour. Crispy, chewy and a change!
- Quickest Soup Yet!
Chop 3 stalks (collect them like I do; but warn the fridge users) into small pieces. Add to a saucepan with 400ml water, 1 crumbled veg stock cube, 1 leek shredded, 1 celery stalk chopped, 1 small piece of fresh ginger chopped, ½ small red chilli chopped and heat on the hob over a medium heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until everything is lovely and soft. Whizz with a stick blender and stir in 1-2 tbsp cream or yoghurt. Add some chopped coriander to the top if you like it.
Good food, that tastes great does not need to cost the earth. Be mindful of waste and make the most of everything you spend your hard-earned money on!