Recipes for Reducing Food Waste

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Reducing food waste is easier than you think! So you’ve just finished prepping dinner & you’re left with a pile of stems, leaves, rinds, small leftover pieces of veggies... what in the world do you do with all of it? Composting is a good option, but so is reusing these otherwise wasted leftovers! We’ve compiled 5 of our favorite recipes & ideas that are perfect for reducing food waste.

BROCCOLI STALKS

Spiralize them just like you would zucchini! Keep your broccoli stalk as whole & intact as you can when cutting off the florets, then shave off any rough edges or bumps with a vegetable peeler. Cut the top & bottom off the stalk so that the edges are flat, then snap into your spiralizer & make those noodles! If you don’t have a spiralizer, don’t worry! Just shave off the rough edges  & then chop into small pieces. These pieces will be perfect for a stir fry.

To cook the noodles:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.

Add the broccoli noodles & season with salt, pepper, garlic powder & red pepper flakes (optional).

Cover & cook for 3-5 minutes, shaking or stirring occasionally.

Top with your favorite pasta sauce & enjoy!

RADISH TOPS

We can’t ever get enough pesto, but this pesto recipe is one of our favorites because of the spicy kick that radish greens bring to the table. Mix the following ingredients in a blender until smooth, then use as a salad dressing, pizza topping, pasta sauce (goes perfectly with those broccoli noodles!), you name it! 

Pesto ingredients:

   Leaves from one bunch of radishes (about 2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, sliced

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup grated parmesan 

   1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp pistachios, walnuts, or pecans

STALE BREAD

It’s perfect for panzanella. Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that is traditionally made with tomatoes, red onions & cucumbers, but you can add  fruits like peaches or apple in addition to these veggies, or in place of them. You’ll mix everything with a bright vinaigrette to finish it off. 

Making panzanella:

Cut stale bread into 1” cubes & sauté with olive oil & salt over medium heat for about 10 min, until crisp & brown.

Cut the raw veggies you’re using into 1” cubes & mix together in a bowl. (If you’re making a traditional panzanella with tomatoes, red onions & cucumbers, we suggest adding fresh basil in here, too!) 

Add the bread cubes to the bowl of veggies & mix well, seasoning liberally with salt & pepper. Add the vinaigrette of your choice & enjoy!

PARMESAN CHEESE RINDS

Once you’ve used up your block of parmesan, don’t toss the rind! Save it in an airtight container & store in the freezer until you have about 1 cup of rinds. You can add cheddar or manchego cheese rinds into the mix, too. These are perfect for making a vegetarian broth that adds more dimension & flavor to a dish than your typical veggie or chicken broth. We suggest using the broth in risotto, to deglaze a pan, as the base for a soup, or baking chicken in it.  

How to make parmesan broth:

In a large pot, cover rinds with water (about 8 cups per 1 cup of rinds).

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for at least 2 hours—the longer you let it simmer, the stronger the flavor will be.

Stir occasionally to keep cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

BEET GREENS

Beet greens are not only delicious—they’ll help you see better! That’s right, they’re filled with lutein & zeaxanthin, both of which are carotenoids that give fruits & veggies their vibrant red, orange & green colors and help with eye health.

Eating the greens:

Chop the red stems off the bottom & wash very well in a salad spinner. Beet greens are usually very dirty, so you may need to let them soak in the salad spinner before dumping out the water & spinning dry.

Massage the leaves with olive oil, salt & pepper to make a salad, or sauté with diced onion, garlic, salt & pepper for about 4 min to enjoy as a side. The greens could also be mixed raw into cooked pasta.

INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING?

Our friends at CompostNow can help you out! Click through to get 2 free weeks of compost collection—simply leave your scraps (and SO much more) at your doorstep in a CompostNow bin & they’ll pick it up & do the rest.

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