Food waste is a huge problem in Poland that is not so easy to eliminate. About 1/3 of the food Poles buy ends up in the rubbish bin. Each of us has the power to change it! Start taking action here and now by improving the habits of your own household.
One of the best ways to do this is to practice zero waste cooking: cooking without leftovers and cleverly using all products to the end. Here are some balanced and delicious recipes composed in this very spirit that will help you maintain a healthy and balanced diet while not straining your household budget and the environment.
Wholemeal bread casserole made from leftovers
Bread casserole is a great way to feed the family and “clean out” the refrigerator of leftover food. Its base is stale bread, and the additions can be very diverse. The recipe below includes mushrooms, pepper, spinach and cheese, but you can add any vegetables, different types of cheese and meat here.
Ingredients / 4 servings:
- approx. 350 g (10-14 slices) of stale wholemeal bread,
- 5 eggs,
- 200 g of natural yoghurt,
- 200 g of mushrooms,
- 4 handfuls of spinach,
- onion,
- pepper,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 80 g of grated cheese,
- spices: ½ teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of thyme, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of pepper,
- 40 ml of olive oil,
- a handful of greens: parsley, basil or chives.
Preparation:
- Crumble or dice the bread into irregular cubes.
- Beat the eggs, add yoghurt and spices. Mix the whole thing together. Add the bread and set the mixture aside in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- On a teaspoon of olive oil, fry the chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms, pepper and spinach (or any other vegetables or meat).
- Line an ovenproof dish with baking paper and grease it with the remaining olive oil.
- Mix the bread mixture thoroughly with the additions and put everything in the ovenproof dish.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 190 degrees for about 40 minutes.
- Towards the end of baking, remove the foil to brown the top of the casserole.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 514 kcal.
- Protein: 30 g.
- Fat: 25 g.
- Carbohydrates: 45 g.
Pesto made from unusual leaves
I’m sure you’re very familiar with basil pesto, but did you know that this tasty side dish can also be made from usually discarded plant parts? For example, radish leaves, carrot leaves, wilted arugula, kohlrabi leaves and more are perfect for this purpose. Don’t throw them away, use them up as a tasty paste for pasta, sandwiches and salad dressing.
Ingredients / 4 servings:
- approx. 60 g of radish leaves, carrot leaves or other greens,
- 50 ml of olive oil,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- 20 g of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds,
- 20 g of parmesan cheese or 10 g of yeast flakes,
- ½ teaspoon of salt,
- 1-2 spoonfuls of lemon juice.
Preparation:
- In a dry pan, roast sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Put the greens, sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese (or yeast flakes) in the blender. Blend until the ingredients are completely blended.
- Season with salt and lemon juice.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 168 kcal.
- Protein: 12 g.
- Fat: 15 g.
- Carbohydrates: 2 g.
“Pulled chicken” wraps with meat from soup
Cooked meat, such as from soup, is a good material for creating a sweet and sour pulled filling for wraps, sandwiches or lunchboxes. Combine them with your favourite vegetables to create a nutritious, valuable meal.
Ingredients / 2 servings:
- 300 g of cooked chicken meat (e.g. thighs),
- 2 spoonfuls of orange juice,
- 100 ml of tomato passata,
- 1 onion,
- 2 tortillas,
- 10 ml of rapeseed oil,
- any vegetables: pepper, lettuce, tomatoes, coriander, cucumber,
- spices: ½ teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon of paprika, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of orange zest, a teaspoon of honey or another sugar substitute.
Preparation:
- Separate the meat from the bones and gristle and divide it into smaller pieces with a fork.
- In a saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and fry it for a while.
- Add orange juice, passata and spices to the saucepan and heat the sauce. Add the meat and heat, stirring for about 5 minutes. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Fill the wraps with meat and your favourite vegetables.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 475 kcal.
- Protein: 32 g.
- Fat: 22 g.
- Carbohydrates: 50 g.
Pasta with carrot juice pomace sauce
If you squeeze juices yourself at home, you are well aware of how much “waste” accumulates in the pomace container. It is very healthy since it is mostly fibre, but unfortunately it often ends up in the rubbish bin because few people know what to make of it. However, the pulp from squeezing the juice is an excellent material for biscuits, bottoms for healthy cakes, chops or just for savoury pasta sauce.
Ingredients / 2 servings:
- 200 g of carrot juice pomace (optionally with the addition of celery or apple),
- 400 g of tinned (or fresh) tomatoes,
- 1 onion,
- a handful of parsley,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- 30 ml of soy sauce,
- 100 ml of water (the exact amount depends on hydration of the pomace),
- 20 ml of olive oil,
- 250 g of lentil or chickpea pasta,
- spices: a teaspoon of oregano, a teaspoon of sweet paprika, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a pinch of cumin, ½ teaspoon of salt.
Preparation:
- In olive oil, fry the onion. Add carrot pulp, pressed garlic and all spices. Fry until browned.
- Add soy sauce, tinned tomatoes and water (adjust amount to desired consistency).
- Boil the sauce for approx. 10 minutes.
- Cook the legume pasta and serve it with the prepared sauce.
- Sprinkle with parsley or basil.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 634 kcal.
- Protein: 31 g.
- Fat: 17 g.
- Carbohydrates: 97 g.
Home-made protein jelly from yesterday’s strawberries
Do you have leftover strawberries or other seasonal fruits that no longer look invitingly? You can, of course, make them into a smoothie, various fit strawberry desserts, or go for a trivial protein dessert perfect for the summer: skyr jelly.
Ingredients / 2 servings:
- 300 g (2 pots) of natural skyr,
- approx. 250 g of strawberries (or raspberries, blueberries and other fruits),
- 15 g of gelatine,
- 50 g of erythrol,
- 60 ml of water,
- optionally: a handful of mint
Preparation:
- Pour warm (not boiling) water over the gelatine and set aside for about 2 minutes to swell.
- Put strawberries with tops (they are edible!) in a blender. Add skyr, erythrol and, optionally, mint, and blend.
- Add 2 spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture to the gelatine and mix. While blending the strawberry mixture, add the gelatine to it.
- Transfer the mixture to goblets or jars, put it in the refrigerator and leave it there for several hours.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 133 kcal.
- Protein: 26 g.
- Fat: 1 g.
- Carbohydrates: 33 g.
Home-made zero-waste “Chinese soup” to go
“Instant soups” are not associated with a healthy meal, but home-made ones can definitely be one. All it takes is the right mix of ingredients. This is the perfect zero waste recipe to “eat up” leftover vegetables, meat and pasta.
Ingredients:
- 25 g of light miso paste,
- 20 ml of soy sauce,
- 10 ml of sesame oil,
- a spoonful of fresh grated ginger,
- a handful (80 g) of cooked pasta,
- 50 g of tofu or cooked meat,
- any vegetables: carrot, cabbage, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, pepper,
- a handful of chives or coriander,
- 5 g of sesame seeds.
Preparation:
- Prepare a jar of about 800 ml.
- Mix the miso paste with soy sauce, oil and ginger. Put it on the bottom of the jar.
- Chop up all vegetables into smaller pieces. Dice the meat or tofu.
- Place in a jar in layers: cooked pasta and any vegetables.
- Pour the chopped chives and sesame seeds on top.
- You can place the jar in the refrigerator and store for up to 48 hours.
- Pour boiling water over the contents of the jar, stir and wait about 5 minutes before eating.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 597 kcal.
- Protein: 25 g.
- Fat: 17 g.
- Carbohydrates: 87 g.
Baked oatmeal with bruised fruit
Bruised fruit may not be inviting to eat raw, but they retain their health benefits and will go great in baked oatmeal. Unlike mouldy fruit, they are still suitable for consumption. This recipe is a great idea to use them in the form of a nutritious breakfast.
Ingredients / 1 serving:
- 40 g of oat flakes,
- 100 ml of milk or plant-based drink,
- egg white,
- 20 g of any nuts,
- 200 g of any fruit, such as bruised pears, bananas or peaches,
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
Preparation:
- Dice the fruit.
- Mix the oat flakes with milk, egg white, baking powder and fruit.
- Transfer to a small ovenproof dish. Bake for approx. 15 minutes in 180 degrees.
- Sprinkle the baked oatmeal with nuts.
Macronutrients / 1 serving:
- Energy: 469 kcal
- Protein: 16 g
- Fat: 18.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
Remember that the most important attitude in zero waste cooking is flexibility. Feel free to modify the presented recipes to take advantage of the ingredients you already have at home. Select vegetables and fruits according to seasonality. Treat the amounts in grams given in the recipes as a guideline. If necessary, modify the proportions so as to use up the products you have started: this is an underestimated but very effective approach to zero waste cooking. It’s all in your hands!