One of my least favourite things to do when cleaning the kitchen is throw away food. Very often it is simply laziness that results in food needing to be binned. From leftover soup that wasn’t put in the fridge and went off overnight to fruit that went mouldy at the bottom of the fruit bowl, food waste can be avoided with very little effort.
Luckily, one of my favourite things to do in terms of cleaning the kitchen is to go through the cupboards, freezer and fridge and list all the food we have. It always amazes me how much is there, even on days when I think I simply have to go grocery shopping because there is no food in the house. I then take that list and see what dishes I can cook or bake using what we have and adding as little as possible to my shopping list.
As well as saving money by buying less groceries, I get to use up all the food in the house and get creative in the kitchen. Some of my regular dishes that result from these clear outs are
Minestrone and other soups
Stews and casseroles
Stews and casseroles
Banana Bread
Fruit and nut muffins
Homemade Pizza / Baguette Pizza
Puff pastry topped with creme fraiche and roasted vegetables
Macaroni cheese and other pasta bakes
I’d love to hear what you all have to say regarding reducing food waste, so I’ve decided to start a little linky called #ClearOutAndEat. You can link up anything food waste related, for example
– tips on using up food
– how not to buy too much
– meal planning
– recipes adaptable to what you have to hand
– composting food waste
– recipes for gluts of home grown produce
I’ll be hosting #ClearOutAndEat from the beginning of October here and on my recipe blog, My Kitchen Notebook. Please share and tweet and call back in a few days to grab my badge and link up.
If you’re not a blogger but would still like to get involved, leave me a comment here with your tips.
I'll be there xx
I work at WRAP who do Love Food Hate Waste. It's great for ideas and working out what to do with leftovers (there's an app too!). I have to admit I have a very well stocked larder, and really do need to start using food up from it.