February
Welcome to the Fridge Cleaner Cooking blog – your one-stop-shop of resources to help you kick-start your waste free living; think fantastic recipes, cooking hacks, storage tips and much more. My name is Sarah, and I am so excited to have you on this journey with us.
Here in New Zealand, households are throwing away 157,389 tonnes* of food each year (a staggering amount when you imagine that equates to 271 jet planes or 1,050 blue whales!). Fortunately, Kiwis are gaining an increased awareness of food waste and getting educated around what they can do to reduce how much is being thrown out.
I think the past year in particular has catapulted everyone into a new, considered way of living. Frequenting the supermarket every day or two wasn’t possible, planning ahead and doing your supermarket shop online became commonplace, and getting creative with ingredients due to empty shelves became second nature! So without even really trying, we’ve become more conscious consumers. But the work doesn’t end there, and that’s where Fridge Cleaner Cooking comes in.
Fridge Cleaner Cooking is all about teaching you how to waste less; food and money included. I’m here to provide you with easy-to-follow tips and recipes so you can make more economical decisions and turn ingredients otherwise destined for landfill into nutritious and delicious meals.
This month, to celebrate our first blog of 2021, I’m sharing the first of many storage tips, plus three of my favourite recipes to help you refresh your culinary repertoire. Just a small teaser of all the delicious recipes to come in my soon-to-launch cookbook, this trio of recipes features two main meals and an easy snack.
Handy Tip for February
Aubergine is one of those niggly vegetables that doesn’t last that long after purchase. If you can’t prepare it straight away, in order to keep it as fresh as possible make sure you steer clear of the fridge. Refrigeration will lead to early browning and alter the flavour. Instead, you want to keep your eggplant somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. If you have a cooler kitchen or cupboard, this is the best option. But, don’t forget, avoid early spoilage by keeping the eggplant clear of ethylene-producing fruits like apples, bananas and avocados.
What I’m cooking this February
Cheesy Salty Wraps
This quick and easy recipe is great for repurposing any sandwich wraps nearing their use by date. Whether you’ve got one left or a whole pack, this dish is not only tasty but it’ll spare any unnecessary waste from making it to the landfill. While any cheese works, I love using flaky parmesan.
Roasted Cashew and Eggplant Curry
This family-friendly classic is one of my kid’s favourite recipes. Little do they know it’s packed to the brim with hidden vegetables! An easy midweek meal, this recipe is great for using up any vegetables nearing their use by date; think cauliflower, broccoli, peas, corn, mushrooms, courgettes and more. It’s also economical and versatile, so you can limit any excess food waste and opt for tasty leftovers instead - mince on toast for the win!
This plant-based curry is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! A great one-pot wonder for larger groups, it’s a foolproof dish when you’ve got cashews, eggplants or capsicums that are about to go off.
Handy Tip: Nuts will go rancid after about six months, though they last longer if you put them in a good airtight container in the pantry. If you keep nuts in the freezer, they will last up to a year.
Devilled Sausage Tray Bake
If you want to whip up something for a bunch of hungry children or a crowd in under an hour, including prep and bake time, then this recipe is for you!
Small breakfast sausages work best however you can see from the image above, I use whatever sausages I have on hand. These are delicious beef sausages and beef is one of NZ”s top food items to be thrown out, in fact it amounts to $45,825,926 per year of beef that is wasted!
Coming up in March
Keep an eye out for our March blog as I will be sharing the eagerly awaited Spaghetti Bolognese with Hidden Veges. It is such an easy mid-week meal and my kids have no idea that it’s packed to the brim with veges!